Has there ever been a Crisis level event where the heroes lose?

[Castiel]

Something that often bothers me is how when the stakes are high the Justice League often win and the world stays the same there is no big fall out and it's like all the struggle we see and revelations really don't add up to anything. I'd like to see something akin to Star Wars Order 66. Like a massive battle between Darkseid takes place all the heroes are fighting with the Earth's soldiers and it's revealed Trigon or someone worse than Darkseid has been plotting behind the scenes and sets up everyone on both sides to lose horribly like by the end the 4th world is permanently sealed off from the multiverse and heroes all over Earth are gunned down by mind controlled soldiers with things ending with Trigon controlling everything via a human disguise and the few suriving heroes forced into hiding and protecting the innocent in the shadows.

Part of why this concept intrigues me is I'm curious how survivors would change and if any would blame the mind controlled soldiers who gunned down their allies. At the same time I wonder how many heroes would be left broken by such an event especially after losing long time allies and friends.

[superduperman]

Technically the original COIE. Their entire histories were changed. The rest of the multiverse was destroyed. Flash and Supergirl died. Not exactly a victory.

[Guy_McNichts]

That's pretty much the premise of Final Crisis. Darkseid wins, takes over the Earth, and the majority of heroes are enslaved.

It's what happened with the animated Apokolips War. Darkseid wins, most of the heroes are literally ripped apart, and the movie ends with the survivors--having failed miserably--meekly accepting getting erased from existence.

Not a Crisis event, but it also appears to be what DC vs. Vampires is. The heroes have failed and either been killed or turned, and vampires now rule the world. Also DCeased, except with zombies instead of vampires.

[Frontier]

The end of Snyder's JL run.

[Digifiend]

Technically the original COIE. Their entire histories were changed. The rest of the multiverse was destroyed. Flash and Supergirl died. Not exactly a victory.

Kole and Aquagirl died as well. Donna and Lilith were lucky not to be erased too, as their Wonder Woman related origins were invalidated when Diana was destroyed and rebooted.

[exile001]

Technically Zero Hour, Hal destroyed EVERYTHING except himself and a handful of heroes. The heroes jumpstarted a new universe but couldn't bring back the one Hal destroyed.

[exile001]

Something that often bothers me is how when the stakes are high the Justice League often win and the world stays the same there is no big fall out and it's like all the struggle we see and revelations really don't add up to anything. I'd like to see something akin to Star Wars Order 66. Like a massive battle between Darkseid takes place all the heroes are fighting with the Earth's soldiers and it's revealed Trigon or someone worse than Darkseid has been plotting behind the scenes and sets up everyone on both sides to lose horribly like by the end the 4th world is permanently sealed off from the multiverse and heroes all over Earth are gunned down by mind controlled soldiers with things ending with Trigon controlling everything via a human disguise and the few suriving heroes forced into hiding and protecting the innocent in the shadows.

Part of why this concept intrigues me is I'm curious how survivors would change and if any would blame the mind controlled soldiers who gunned down their allies. At the same time I wonder how many heroes would be left broken by such an event especially after losing long time allies and friends.

This sound horrible as a main universe thing*, but then I don't understand fans who get a thrill out of seeing their favourite heroes brutally killed. I want to see my guys win.

There are plenty of alt universes doing this stuff. Maybe if the DCU had Dragon Balls or something to undo it, but that feels cheap?

However, I do think there should be actual consequences to these things. The final issue of a crossover series is usually the full stop and, while occasionally referenced, there is no actual fallout.

Johns almost did something with Forever Evil, with some villains being hailed as saviors with Luthor and Captain Cold gaining JL membership. But then he lost interest, as he does, and it all fizzled out to nothing.

*did you check out Snyder's Nocterra? It's kinda this and there's no convincing me he didn't plan this for the DCU while writing JL/Death Metal.

[williamtheday]

Honestly, if Darkseid conquered Earth, HE'D be the loser! Like they said in old Earthlings is the cwaziest peoples"., "(E

[williamtheday]

I don't know if it's my tablet or cbr, but I mess up when I use symbols! Like they say in the old cartoons, Earthlings is the cwaziest peoples!

[Ascended]

COIE: an infinite multiverse is destroyed, the heroes manage to save a single reality made up of the debris.

Final Crisis: Darkseid Is.

Obsidian Age (kinda): The entire League dies, except Plastic Man who's left frozen, broken, and scattered across an ocean for thousands of years.

Death Metal: the Source Wall is broken. Earth is destroyed. The League built a new planet, but they're just replacing what they broke.

Zero Hour: Time is destroyed. The heroes, again, are able to salvage something and rebuild, but they failed to stop Hal and Extant.

I'm sure if I thought about it I could come up with a few others. It dawns on me that a lot of big stories are actually about the heroes losing, and then trying to pick up the pieces.

[charliehustle415]

Identity Crisis, they lose their moral high ground

[Kirk Brent]

I'd say that the heroes-and their fans-have lost in every Crisis since COIE.