Born in the late 80s, DC Elseworlds is an imprint of DC Comics that allowed creators to tell incredibly wicked stories without the boundaries of continuity. Over the years, some of the most beloved storytellers have used this freedom to tell captivating alternate histories and surrealistic fantasies. Many of these tales offer glimpses into what could have been had things in the DC Universe gone differently.
Warner Brothers have a long record of making incredible animated films with DC characters. Many of these movies surpass their cinematic efforts. The animated branch has been open about adapting beloved storylines and many Elseworlds tales. Their takes on Superman: Red Son, Injustice, and Batman: Gotham by Gaslight prove these films have a market. But Warner hasn't touched some of the spiciest stories yet. We hope to help them fix that by cranking our ranking of the ten best DC Elseworlds stories ripe for an animated adaption.
With that being said, here's a list of the best Elseworlds stories that have yet to get an animated adaption:
10 Batman: Holy Terror (1991)
Written by Alan Brennert with art by Norm Breyfogle. The premise of Batman: Holy Terror sets the story in an alternate earth where Oliver Cromwell survives the illness that killed him, successfully consolidates the Protectorate of England, and builds sister theocracies in North America. In the late 20th century, the Commonwealth is almost worldwide and run by a corrupt theocratic government.
Bruce Wayne is about to become a cleric, giving all his fortune to charity, but he learns the truth about his parents' murder, which challenges his faith. He dons the mantle of Batman to embark on a crusade and hunt down those responsible. His ultimate goal is to bring down the corrupt system. The story is a great way to explore themes of government corruption, social control imposed by religion, and the unclenching drive of faith.
9 Superman: The Dark Side (1998)
Written by John Francis Moore with fantastic art by Kieron Dwyer, Superman: The Dark Side tells the story of a parallel reality where Kal-El lands in Apokolips instead of Planet Earth. As the plot develops, Superman learns about his true origins and sees his actions tainted by the hand of Apokolips emperor. The Kryptonian baby would go on to be adopted by Darkseid and grow up to become his best enforcer and conqueror. With the man of Steel at his side, New Genesis doesn't stand a chance.
This story was heavily shrouded in controversy back in the day, as Superman wears a suit of armor bearing a symbol strikingly similar to the one worn by the Schutzstaffel (SS). The story sees the Kal-El turn to good the hard way. It's also a great tale treating themes of child abuse, improper parenting, and its effects on an adult physique long after they can make up their minds around the world surrounding them. It also shows that there's always inherent good in us if we allow light to spark in our souls.
8 Wonder Woman: Amazonia (1997)
Wonder Woman: Amazonia is a one-shot written by William Messner-Loebs and illustrated by Phil Winslade. The story is set in an alternate universe where steampunk imagery reigns supreme. The story begins in a world where the British Empire has expanded globally, imposing its militaristic regime and underwhelming women's efforts. The plot starts with the assassination of Queen Victoria and her entire entourage. At the same time, Diana the Amazon is abducted from Paradise Island by an evil version of Steven Trevor and forced into marriage.
By 1928, Diana became the London theater show's main star. While perceiving the world of men as wicked and savage, she becomes Wonder Woman. In her role as a vigilante, she organizes resistance cells against the cruel regime of King Jack. As the story advances, we discover that King Jack's son, Charles, is kindhearted, leading to a partnership between them as they fall in love and struggle to avoid war. The story ends with a funny pun as Prince Charles marries Diana of Themiscira.
7 Superman/Wonder Woman: Whom Gods Destroy (1997)
The Elseworlds tale, Whom Gods Destroy, is written by Chris Claremont with art by Dusty Abell. The story is set in a world where The Nazis win the Second World War, and Superman never ages. Under the guise of Clark Kent, Superman infiltrates Europe to rescue Lana Lang from an organization named Circe's Spell. Lois Lane becomes Wonder Woman in this reality and joins the mission. The pair eventually discover the Greek gods allied with Nazis, with a battle ensuing between the German army and a group of Greek heroines.
Whom Gods Destroy plants an interesting question to many fans: what if the Gods of the DC Universe had to face the Gods of myth? As you probably know, most DC characters are embodiments of Gods, with their increasing power sets and reliability. In this tale, we see them take a backseat as the machinations of mythical Gods dictate their actions.
This story's neat ending shows us Zeus playing chess against Hera, using the world as their board. Superman ends the story by rescuing Lana and living in a polyamorous relationship with her and Lois Lane in a moon fortress.
6 Superman: Speeding Bullets (1993)
Written JM DeMatteis and illustrated by Eduardo Barreto, Superman: Speeding Bullets is a story that sees baby Kal-El land in Gotham City instead of Smallville and is adopted by Thomas and Martha Wayne, who would name him Bruce. After his parents are murdered, Bruce discovers his powers when it is too late to save them. After growing up, Bruce is non-functional. Isolated and paranoid, he often drowns his sorrows, hiding in Wayne Manor.
On a fateful evening, he uses his powers again to save Alfred from armed robbers. Alfred reveals the truth to Bruce by showing him the ship that brought him to Earth, thus revealing his alien origins. Using a unique fabric, he dons the mantle of Batman and begins his crusade against the criminal underworld. The story proves to be a great twist to the classical mythos by mashing up both characters in a very imaginative way. "Bruce" must balance his life as a vigilante and a corporate takeover by Lex Luthor of Wayne Enterprises.
5 JLA: Act of God (2000)
JLA: Act of God is a story written by Dough Moench with art by Dave Ross. It's one of the uncanniest concepts ever put on a page, as the story depicts a world where every Superhero and villain suddenly loses their powers and technology. Behind the occurrence is no grand explanation, not a grand scheme. It simply happens as if it were an act of God. Many heroes, such as Flash, Green Lantern, and Superman, feel haunted by their fall from grace and helpless in a world where everything is normal.
DC's pantheon is not exclusive to super-powered beings, as many non-powered heroes step up to the challenge and do their best to guide society with positive change. Many of the formerly powered heroes struggle to cope with the loss of their abilities. Superman and Green Lantern lose their lives as Clark Kent and Kyle Rainer. Heroes like Flash and Martian Manhunter gather the Phoenix Group, a team trained by Batman and Justice Society members, to fight the ensuing wave of villains trying to take advantage of the situation.
4 Justice Society: The Golden Age (1993)
The Golden Age is a miniseries written by James Robinson with art by Paul Smith. The series draws a lot of parallelisms with Watchmen but has one of the most unexpected twists ever pulled in any Elseworlds story. The tale begins with numerous heroes adjusting to life after World War II. Most Justice Society of America and The All-Star Squadron members have retired. Others, such as Americommando, return from Europe as war heroes, using their fame to run for political office.
Tex Thompson leads the new generation of heroes by recruiting several teammates, including Robotman, the Atom, Johnny Thunder, and Daniel Dunbar, The Dynaman. Most of these guys are entangled with their issues, such as facing government censorship due to political views or crippling substance addiction.
As the story unfolds, it's revealed Thompson is forming an insurrection to take over the USA, with Dynaman leading the charge. A showdown in Washington DC takes place, and The JSA must face Dynaman, the most powerful hero in their ranks, who's been taken over by the greatest evil the world has ever seen.
3 JLA: The Nail (1998)
JLA: The Nail is a story written a penciled in by Alan Davis that poses a simple question: what would the world be without Superman? The tale begins with a familiar set-up as farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent deal with a flat tire caused by a nail. This small occurrence prevents them from reaching Kal-El after arriving at Earth. We move to the present day, with a fully formed Justice League facing an anti-metahuman campaign led by Perry White, Lex Luthor, and Jimmy Olsen and supported by former League member Oliver Queen who was mangled during a fight with Amazo.
The League faces further scrutiny when The Joker breaks out all inmates of Arkham Asylum and kills Robin and Batgirl in the process. The plot unfolds as Green Lantern discovers a force field surrounding Earth, and Wonder Woman is framed for the destruction of the White House. It's all a ploy by Lex Luthor to take control of the USA with an army of clones named the clones called Liberators. The League is contained until Batman, Flash, and The Atom free them.
The team goes on to uncover a conspiracy involving DNA harvesting to convert humans into Kryptonians, and Superman is revealed to be a pacifist under Amish protection. It's a great story placing DC characters in a set-up very similar to The X-Men's.
2 Kingdom Come (1996)
Kingdom Come is the most popular DC story yet to be adapted in any form of media outside comics. Alex Ross created the whole concept with the assistance of Mark Waid to provide script cohesion. In this reality, Superman and the Justice League retire from their superhero duties after a new hero named Magog kills the Joker. Fed up with villains' antics, the public sides with Magog. A new generation of heroes emerges with little regard for human life. After a fight with the Parasite goes wrong in Arkansas, half the state is wiped out.
This clears the stage for Superman's return, but this is not seen as a good omen by The Specter and Norman McCay, who chronicle the events in the spiritual realm. Meanwhile, Lex Luthor leads the Mankind Liberation Front, a gathering of third-generation villains pulling the strings to achieve Armageddon. Superman must embrace a police state ruled by Superheroes to establish order or face the fear of the humans he seeks to protect. In the end, humanity chooses him, leading to death and destruction. It's a classic story with the same gravitas as Watchmen and other heavy-hitting comic classics.
1 DC's Legends of the Dead Earth (1996)
Legends of the Dead Earth is an interesting concept created by DC to run as an ongoing widespread event during most of 1996, where each annual for every main DC series takes place in the distant future, after the Earth's demise. Most of the stories are dark tales of loss and sorrow, but it has multiple elements that can be mashed into a single film with the help of a competent writer. Humanity has been scattered across the universe, with different cultures taking hold in other realms.
The concepts from Legends of the Dead Earth take the premise of the timeliness concept of all DC heroes as they continue to influence new iterations of the characters in barren lands clamoring for a glimpse of hope. The unique designs for new versions of heroes and villains depicted in each Annual could make for a genuinely compelling and visually striking film, one that explores a different nature for all DC Heroes, such as the legend of a cyborg cleric who fights autocracy disguised as Batman, or The Flash becoming the beacon of hope for a group of religious zealots who follow "The Light."