Since we developed the ability to think about our own histories, humans have been wondering what life would be like if things went differently. There is an entire family of literature devoted to alternate histories, and it could be said that every fiction story is an answer to the “What if?” questions asked in our lives. In the serialized fiction medium, comic books, already diverged from our reality, have a special relationship with this speculation, perhaps because of their connection to science fiction and their ongoing dialogue with fans during publication.

The DC Comics Universe in particular, already populated with imaginary characters, has re-imagined, built, destroyed and denied, then rebuilt a complicated lattice of “real” and alternative histories for its denizens. The parallel realities created here, while criticized by some as confusing and frustrating, are actually essentially linked with the process of making the DC Universe feel real, and are important foundations of the super hero genre in comics.

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