List the most ridiculous ways that DC has backpedaled creative decisions...

[Bored at 3:00AM]

With the recent revelations about Wally in the latest issue of Flash, I figure this would be a good time to go through the other ways that DC creators have tried to get out of ill-advised creative decisions or erase stories they wish hadn't happened.

My all-time favorite has to be Superboy-Prime's hissy fits causing DCU history to hiccup every time he hit the Source Wall. Five stars for that silly bit of retcon explainering

The runner-up is the idea that Sinestro infected Hal Jordan with a Giant Yellow Space Parasite to explain away his sudden bout of murdery-ness in Emerald Twilight, while also giving them a way to erase the gray temples, and the generally poor characterization he'd had during the post-Englehart era.

Next up is how they walked back the outrageous notion that Leslie Thompkins murdered Stephanie Brown to teach Batman a lesson about endangering underage kids to the equally outrageous idea that Leslie Thompkins faked murdering Stephanie Brown to teach Batman a lesson about endangering underage kids, but Batman already figured it out, which is why he stiffed her by not giving her a memorial costume in the Batcave like he did Jason Todd.

What are your favorites?

[Gaius]

DC using Bats getting his mind wiped in Identity Crisis to justify his contingency torture plans for the League members from Tower of Babel.

[Laufeyson]

Like what you already mentioned, the Reverse-Flash used as all Flash family problems, because of Negative Speedforce.

[Lee Stone]

Levitz being forbidden to bring Supergirl back as Sensor Girl in the 30th Century, because her death was to 'mean something', despite her never existing and no one even remembering her or her sacrifice.
Only to have her return anyway.

The JSA's celebrated return then swift cancellation and murder because Mike Carlin didn't like them or Parobeck's art.

Wally West and Rebirth then Heroes in Crisis

[Zero Hunter]

The ending of the New Krypton story. Instead of doing something creative they just hit the magic reset button and killed off everyone and destroyed NK. So lazy and dumb.

[gambit2051]

Monarch...need i say more? lol godimold...er

[manwhohaseverything]

New52 superman's death, superman reborn and finally doomsday clock.

[gambit2051]

Wally West and Rebirth then Heroes in Crisis

That hit job by King...jfc

oh, Bringing Barry back to Life...still dislike it.

[Vordan]

JMS’ WW reboot right before the New 52 hit. She went through two reboots back to back!

The ending of the New Krypton story. Instead of doing something creative they just hit the magic reset button and killed off everyone and destroyed NK. So lazy and dumb.

Still one of the most painful reads I’ve ever had. Few stories embody the concept of “hitting the reset button” like that one does.

[Lee Stone]

Justice League: Generation Lost/JLI's planned relaunch and New52

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Justice League: Generation Lost/JLI's planned relaunch and New52

Ooof. What Winnick did to Ice's backstory still stings.

[Lee Stone]

Ooof. What Winnick did to Ice's backstory still stings.

Of course, it was kinda moot when they all just got erased from existence a few months later.

[K. Jones]

There's the meta-ridiculous and then the in-story-ridiculous behind these things, right?

I always thought Mister Mind evolving into a cosmic nightmare because he was aware the Multiverse was back and wanted to EAT IT was pretty out there. Infinite Multiverse is back! No wait ... there's only 52 now. He ate the rest. In a way I guess that means Mister Mind is the reason why Mandrakk became a horror and the rest of the Neo-Monitors became a weird kind of paranoid scarcity culture that could be mucked with by Darkseid. A near infinite number of them had been ruined by a bookworm. Just as they were becoming something new!

Superboy Prime is a great one.

I'm actually really cool with any time a character who "like totally died" is just back and we're like "oh they faked their death". Kathy Kane! Stephanie Brown! Cluemaster!

Shout-out to recent Bad Comics ... but "RIC GRAYSON", the worst idea in Bat-History, being because of a magical memory crystal.

[Holt]

Hal Jordan's gray hair being a side effect of Parallax.

[king81992]

Like what you already mentioned, the Reverse-Flash used as all Flash family problems, because of Negative Speedforce.

Agree 1000%!!!