DC One Million

Cover to the DC One Million trade paperback collection.

DC One Million is a massive crossover event published by DC Comics in 1998. It featured a vision of the DC Universe in the 853rd century (chosen because that is the century in which, assuming they maintain a regular publishing schedule, DC Comics will first publish an issue #1,000,000 of one of their monthly titles).

The core of the event was a four-issue mini-series, written by Grant Morrison, in which the 20th-century Justice League of America and the 853rd-century Justice Legion Alpha co-operate to defeat a plot by the supervillain Vandal Savage (who, being practically immortal, exists in both centuries as well as all the ones in between) and future Superman nemesis Solaris the Living Sun. Every series then being published by DC also put out a single issue numbered #1,000,000, which either showed its characters' involvement in the central plot or gave a glimpse of what its characters' descendants/successors would be doing in the 853rd century. Hitman 1,000,000 was essentially a parody of the entire storyline.

A graphic-novel-style collection was subsequently published, comprised of the four-issue mini-series and only those tie-in issues necessary to follow the main plot.

It was also followed by the one-shot DC One Million 80-Page Giant #1,000,000 (1999), a collection of further adventures in the life of the future heroes.

Plot details

In the 853rd century the original Superman still lives, but has spent over a thousand years in a self-imposed exile in his Fortress of Solitude in the heart of our sun. The galaxy is protected by the Justice Legions, which trace their descent from the 20th-century Justice League and the 31st-century Legion of Super-Heroes, among others. Justice Legion Alpha, which protects the solar system, includes future analogues of Superman, Wonder Woman, Hourman, Starman, Aquaman, The Flash and Batman.

The original Superman announces that he will soon return to humanity, and to celebrate Justice Legion Alpha travels back in time to the late 20th century to meet Superman's original teammates in the JLA, and bring them and Superman to the future to participate in games and displays of power as part of the celebration.

Unfortunately one of the Justice Legion (the future Starman) has been corrupted by Solaris, who has returned to his old habits. Before the original heroes can be returned to their own time the future Hourman, an android, collapses and releases a virus programmed by Solaris to attack machines and humans. The remnants of the JLA that stayed in the present and the Justice Legion Alpha are eventually able to stop the virus when they discover it is a complex computer program looking for appropriate hardware. To provide this hardware the heroes build the body of Solaris (including in it a DNA sample of Superman's wife Lois Lane) and the virus flees to this body, bringing Solaris to life. In a final act of repentence the future Starman sacrifices himself to banish Solaris from the solar system and the rest of the Justice Legion find a way to travel back to their own time.

Meanwhile, in the 853rd century, the original JLA are fighting an alliance between Solaris and Vandal Savage. Vandal Savage has found a sample of kryptonite on Mars (where it was left by the future Starman in the 20th century), which he gives to Solaris. Solaris, in a final attack, slaughters thousands of superhumans so he can fire the kryptonite into the sun and kill Superman before he emerges. The JLA's Green Lantern causes Solaris to go supernova and he and the Superman of the 853rd century contain the resulting blast - but not before the kryptonite is released.

It is then revealed that a secret conspiracy - forewarned by the trouble in the 20th century - has spent the intervening centuries coming up with a foolproof plan for stopping Solaris. Their actions included replacing the hidden kryptonite with a disguised Green Lantern ring - with which the original Superman emerges from the sun and finishes Solaris - and booby-trapping Vandal Savage's personal transporter, which sends him to meet his long-postponed end, in a suitably ironic manner.

In the aftermath the original Superman, who has become almost a god, and the future Hourman use the DNA sample to bring Lois Lane back to life. She and Superman apparently live happily ever after.