Written and illustrated by Dan Jurgens, along with Jerry Ordway and others, Zero Hour: A Crisis in Time was the major event of 1994 in the DC Universe. In fact, it was the biggest since 1985 Crisis on Infinite Earths as it involved almost every DC Universe monthly series published at the time, and, in the end, some past events were changed—and some series were rebooted.
Here is the official synopsis of Zero Hour: A Crisis in Time: All of reality comes under attack when a mysterious force of entropy begins slowly erasing time itself—making its way from both the past and future toward the present! As history itself unravels around them, the heroes of the world—including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, The Justice Society, and the Titans—scramble to fix the broken timestream. But even if they stop the true source of the chaos, the world they save will never be the same!
What to read before Zero Hour: A Crisis in Time?
Being an event affecting all of the DC Universe, every character came in with baggage, but what’s really important is the motivations of Hal Jordan. Here is what is recommended before reading Zero Hour: A Crisis in Time:
- The Death and Return of Superman Omnibus
Collects Superman: The Man Of Steel #17-26, Superman #73-83, Adventures Of Superman #496-505, Action Comics #683-692, Justice League America #69, Superman: The Legacy Of Superman #1 and Green Lantern #46.- If you want the bare minimum, take a look at “Reign of the Supermen!” and “The Return of Superman.”
- Green Lantern: Emerald Twilight, New Dawn
Collects Green Lantern vol. 3 #48–55. - Armageddon 2001
Collects Armageddon 2001 #1-2. Introduction of the supervillain Monarch who, during Zero Hour, became known as Extant.
Zero Hour Reading Order
- Zero Hour: Crisis in Time Omnibus (new edition)
Collects Action Comics #703, Adventures of Superman #516, Anima #7, Batman #511, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #31, Catwoman #14, Damage #6, Darkstars #24, Detective Comics #678, The Flash #0 and #94, Green Arrow #90, Green Lantern #0 and #55, Guy Gardner: Warrior #24, Hawkman #13, Justice League America #92, Justice League International #68, Justice League Task Force #16, L.E.G.I.O.N. ’94 #70, Legionnaires #18, Legion of Super-Heroes #61, Outsiders #11, Robin #10, Steel #8, Superboy #8, Superman #93, Superman: Man of Steel #37, Team Titans #24, Valor #23, Zero Hour #4-0, and stories from Showcase ’94 #8-10.
- Zero Hour: A Crisis in Time
Collects Zero Hour #0-4, stories from Showcase ’94 #8-9 and the Zero Month sampler. - Superman: Zero Hour
Collects Adventures of Superman #0, #516, Superman #93, #0, Superman: The Man of Steel #0, #37, Superman in Action Comics #0, #703, Steel #0, #8 and Superboy #8, #0. - Batman: Zero Hour
Collects Batman #0, #511; Batman: Shadow Of The Bat #0, #31; Detective Comics #0, #678; Catwoman #0, #14; Batman: Legends Of The Dark Knight #0; And Robin #0, #10.
Zero Hour Reading Order: Issue by issue:
It’s important to know that the ‘Zero Hour: Crisis in Time’ limited series counts down from #4 to #0.
- Showcase ’94 #8-9
- Outsiders #11
- Detective Comics #678
- Steel #8
- Flash #(92-)94
- Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #4
- Batman #511
- Superman: The Man of Steel #37
- Green Lantern #54-55
- Darkstars #24
- Legionnaires #(16-)18
- Valor #23
- Superboy #8
- Superman #93
- Hawkman #(9-)13
- Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #3
- Batman: Shadow of the Bat #31
- L.E.G.I.O.N. #70
- Team Titans #24
- Adventures of Superman #516
- Action Comics #703
- Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #2
- Green Arrow #90
- Guy Gardner: Warrior #24
- Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #1
- Legion of Super-Heroes #61
- Justice League America #92
- Justice League Task Force #16
- Justice League International #68
- Robin #10
- Catwoman #14
- Anima #7
- Showcase ’94 #10
- Damage #6
- Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #0
After Zero Hour: A Crisis in Time
At the end of Zero Hour, DC comics launched the “Zero Month”. Every DC Universe title published a #0 issue retelling the character or team’s origins and featured the slogan “The Beginning of Tomorrow!”
Also, Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 4) and Legionnaires were rebooted during Zero Hour (see our Legion of Super-Heroes guide for more information), and seven new series were launched Extreme Justice, Fate, R.E.B.E.L.S. ’94 (replacement for L.E.G.I.O.N. ’94), Manhunter, Primal Force, Starman (vol. 2) & Xenobrood.
Last Updated on November 23, 2023.