What do you think were the most irrelevant/useless retcons

[Tzigone]

We've talked about retcons we liked, and retcons we disliked. But what about recons that just didn't really matter? Maybe at first it looked like your chosen retcon would make a difference, but then the plotline fizzled out. Maybe it was just a cover for a previous continuity blunder. Whatever. The question are which retcons do you think ultimately amounted to nothing?

For me, top place is probably taken by Barbara Gordon being Jim Gordon's niece. Or maybe his biological daughter from a liaison with his brother's wife. While I can't say I've read Jim or Barbara extensively in the era immediately after either reveal, neither of these seemed to have actually changed anything, and both seem useless. Probably why they don't exist anymore. Probably followed up closely by Tony Gordon being brought back in the bronze age only to be killed off (or disappear again if not really dead - not sure we saw actual death or body).

[j9ac9k]

How about Joe Chill? I don't even know if that's canon at the moment, but it ultimately doesn't matter to Batman's world if he knew who killed his parents or not. That story is done and whether it's in the past or retconned away, Batman is still the same.

[Tzigone]

How about Joe Chill? I don't even know if that's canon at the moment, but it ultimately doesn't matter to Batman's world if he knew who killed his parents or not. That story is done and whether it's in the past or retconned away, Batman is still the same.

Well, Batman is very different, but that's not what made him different than he used to be, I'll grant you. I think it would make more difference now, since there's a perception by some that never having been able to gain justice for that drives him. But I guess knowing and not having justice isn't much different than not knowing and having justice. Good choice. Leads me to another - Joe's mom as a housekeeper who helped raise Bruce. Strictly there for the reveal at the end of the story with no long-term impact at all.

[kingaliencracker]

Not sure if they count as retcons but placing Wonder Woman's and Hawkman's origins in the present versus the past (as was the case with Man of Steel and Year One) definitely caused a disastrous reaction within the history of the DCU, and as a result Hawkman and Donna Troy became virtually unusable.

[Tzigone]

Not sure if they count as retcons but placing Wonder Woman's and Hawkman's origins in the present versus the past (as was the case with Man of Steel and Year One) definitely caused a disastrous reaction within the history of the DCU, and as a result Hawkman and Donna Troy became virtually unusable.

Yes, so they'd be bad retcons - not the irrelevant ones I was asking for. Though I do agree with you. I even started most disliked and most liked retcon threads a while ago. Though mine certainly weren't the first to cover the topic.

[DrNewGod]

Almost everything done to Wonder Woman since Crisis. They all wind up being irrelevant, because they can't settle.on what she is.

[bat39]

Batman being an urban myth who's existence has never been proven. It could work in a brand-new continuity (the DCEU tried, though it didn't completely make sense there as well), and it could work in a Year One style story, but it made ZERO sense in the context of the mainstream DCU, where Batman is a friggin' member of the Justice League! And ultimately, I don't think they did much with that story anyway...

[Aahz]

How about Joe Chill? I don't even know if that's canon at the moment, but it ultimately doesn't matter to Batman's world if he knew who killed his parents or not. That story is done and whether it's in the past or retconned away, Batman is still the same.

How about Lew Moxton, Chill is at least still canon, the whole thing with him doing it as an order from Moxton has completely fallen into obscurity.

Appart from this, the various changes of Selinas and Alfreds origins also never rally stuck, and they keep retconning their origins.

And this might be a controversial one, but the new 52 Tim Drake Origin also falls into this. A lot of people claimed that the charcter was basically ruined because of this origin, but I don't really think that new 53 Tim was in the present day stories really written different from pre flash point Tim, and when they changed his origin back to the original version that character also not really changed.

[jetengine]

Black canary being her Mums mind in her Daughters body to cover for artist error

[married guy]

Bringing back Barry's parents was a shocker.

[Steel Inquisitor]

Wonder Woman being Zeus' daughter, she didn't need it.

[charliehustle415]

Batman being an urban myth who's existence has never been proven. It could work in a brand-new continuity (the DCEU tried, though it didn't completely make sense there as well), and it could work in a Year One style story, but it made ZERO sense in the context of the mainstream DCU, where Batman is a friggin' member of the Justice League! And ultimately, I don't think they did much with that story anyway...

I was just rereading Rucka's & Brubaker's Batman run and when Gordon gets shot Bats is just their in the hospital room waiting for his friend to heal.

The other cops, doctors, press, city officials don't even bat (pun intended) an eye; I totally agree with you it makes so much more sense.

But a useless retcon was definitely all the Superman origin stories; DC had an amazing updated one with Birthright but they kept redoing them.

[CRaymond]

I think a lot of what Perez built and a little of Azzarello built is good stuff. Whoever decided Diana needed a twin brother was building bad stuff.

[lemonpeace]

Doomsday Clock bringing back Clark's parents

[Frontier]

Black Lightning's daughters not being his daughters.