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Greatest Comic Retcons

Mr_CosmicMr_Cosmic Posts: 3,200
in Comics Talk Community - The On Topic Forum
Love them or hate them retcons have been big part of comic book story telling.

This thread is for discussing your favorite retcons. Let's try not to fall into the trap of discussing the painfully horrible ones.

#1 for me is Hickman's take on SHIELD's history:

image

A close second is Brubaker's take on Bucky's lethal role during WWII and becoming the Winter Soldier.








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    Chuck_MelvilleChuck_Melville Posts: 3,003
    Mr_Cosmic said:

    Love them or hate them retcons have been big part of comic book story telling.

    This thread is for discussing your favorite retcons. Let's try not to fall into the trap of discussing the painfully horrible ones.

    #1 for me is Hickman's take on SHIELD's history

    Was that really a retcon? I just took it as an alternate history that was non-canonical.
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    TheOriginalGManTheOriginalGMan Posts: 1,763
    Does "The Invaders" count?
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    Mr_CosmicMr_Cosmic Posts: 3,200
    edited July 2015
    Chuck_Melville said:

    Mr_Cosmic said:

    Love them or hate them retcons have been big part of comic book story telling.

    This thread is for discussing your favorite retcons. Let's try not to fall into the trap of discussing the painfully horrible ones.

    #1 for me is Hickman's take on SHIELD's history

    Was that really a retcon? I just took it as an alternate history that was non-canonical.
    Oh no, it's canon. There's a flashback in Secret Warriors where Nick Fury(in 1961) visits the underground city in Italy and talks to Da Vinci. I'm pretty sure Leonardo has popped in other places as well.

    EDIT: Double checked and the story does indeed take place on Earth-616. Bendis also used Da Vinci in New Avengers.
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    Evening639Evening639 Posts: 368
    I really enjoyed the Clone Saga, which itself spawned from one very simple retcon that spun wildly out of control reproducing into many retcons like a retcon amoeba.

    In fact, the Clone Saga gave me my favorite Marvel character of all time, Ben Reilly.

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    Mr_CosmicMr_Cosmic Posts: 3,200
    TheOriginalGMan said:

    Does "The Invaders" count?

    I'd say so!
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    CaptShazamCaptShazam Posts: 1,178
    All Star Squadron
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    BrackBrack Posts: 868
    RickM said:

    I love the idea that Reed Richards, Blackbolt, Tony Stark, Xavier, Subby and Dr. Strange have secretly operated as the Illuminati of the Marvel Universe over the years. And I particularly liked how Bendis introduced the idea without trampling on anything that had come before.

    Opposite Day comes round faster and faster each year :)
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    WetRatsWetRats Posts: 6,314
    The retroduction of Jessica Jones to the 616 was pretty nicely done.
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    TheOriginalGManTheOriginalGMan Posts: 1,763
    edited July 2015
    Mr_Cosmic said:


    A close second is Brubaker's take on Bucky's lethal role during WWII and becoming the Winter Soldier.

    I've never read the SHIELD story you mentioned, so I'll take your word on how good it was. Brubaker's Winter Soldier story arc though was absolute genius in my opinion. One of the most fascinating comic reads I can remember.
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    hornheadhornhead Posts: 137
    Elektra.
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    David_DDavid_D Posts: 3,881
    hornhead said:

    Elektra.

    How so? Which retcon?
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    TorchsongTorchsong Posts: 2,794
    I'm reading and enjoying the "adultified" version of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe right now. It's a decidedly different take on the whole MotU crew but it's been very entertaining. I've even forgiven the time where He-Man says "My Bad" in one of the early issues. :)
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    bralinatorbralinator Posts: 5,967
    David_D said:

    hornhead said:

    Elektra.

    How so? Which retcon?
    The one where she died?
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    hornheadhornhead Posts: 137
    edited July 2015
    bralinator said:

    David_D said:

    hornhead said:

    Elektra.

    How so? Which retcon?
    The one where she died?
    Guilty of checking the forums when I really only had 5 spare minutes, haha. Sorry gang.

    I meant Elektra's first appearance. It basically is an addition to DD's origin story, don't you think? At that point DD had already had some significant relationship history built with the Widow and Karen, but with Elektra's first appearance Miller basically retconned DD's whole romantic past with his first, greatest and most tragic relationship, and that's informed the entire title ever since.
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    David_DDavid_D Posts: 3,881
    edited July 2015
    bralinator said:

    David_D said:

    hornhead said:

    Elektra.

    How so? Which retcon?
    The one where she died?
    I think even that might actually be a list to choose from!
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    bralinatorbralinator Posts: 5,967
    David_D said:

    bralinator said:

    David_D said:

    hornhead said:

    Elektra.

    How so? Which retcon?
    The one where she died?
    I think even that might actually be a list to choose from!
    LOL
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    Mr_CosmicMr_Cosmic Posts: 3,200
    edited July 2015
    Caliban said:

    Alan Moore's retcon of the Swamp Thing origin

    Oh! I somehow forgot about Anatomy Lesson. Definitely one of the best done retcons.

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    bralinatorbralinator Posts: 5,967
    Perhaps one of the greatest retcons, setting aside Captain America being frozen and then thawed out...

    During the 70's Steve Englehart run on Captain America & The Falcon, all of Cap’s appearances in comics during the 1950s we retconned. Rogers was still presumed dead so the US created a new Cap, William Burnside, who became so obsessed with Captain America, he surgically altered his face to look like his idol and legally changed his name to Rogers.

    image
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    Chuck_MelvilleChuck_Melville Posts: 3,003
    Wouldn't we consider anything written by John Byrne as a retcon? Everytime he took over a series, my first thought would be, "Oh, what didn't Byrne like this time that he's going to have to 'fix'?"
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    Evening639Evening639 Posts: 368
    edited August 2015
    I wonder if John Byrne and Joe Quesada ever considered teaming up to write the retcon to end all retcons entitled One More Chapter One.

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    mwhitt80mwhitt80 Posts: 4,613
    Evening639 said:

    I wonder if John Byrne and Joe Quesada ever considered teaming up to write the retcon to end all retcons entitled One More Chapter One.

    All New All Different One More Chapter One
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    Chuck_MelvilleChuck_Melville Posts: 3,003
    mwhitt80 said:

    Evening639 said:

    I wonder if John Byrne and Joe Quesada ever considered teaming up to write the retcon to end all retcons entitled One More Chapter One.

    All New All Different One More Chapter One
    ...The Sequel!
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    TheOriginalGManTheOriginalGMan Posts: 1,763
    Mr_Cosmic said:


    #1 for me is Hickman's take on SHIELD's history

    You'll want to pick up SHIELD #9, which came out last week.

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    HexHex Posts: 944
    edited August 2015
    TheOriginalGMan said:

    Mr_Cosmic said:


    #1 for me is Hickman's take on SHIELD's history

    You'll want to pick up SHIELD #9, which came out last week.
    I liked the clarification of the whole Da Vinci & SHIELD situation (which wasn't written all that well, but I still liked the stamp of approval)... but HATED the recent Dum Dum Dugan retcon clarification. I absolutely despise what Al Ewing wrote for poor old Dum Dum in Original Sins (the event tie-in book) #5.
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    HexHex Posts: 944
    Would Avengers Forever count?
    Didn't it bring the Agents of Atlas into the mainstream Marvel 616 timeline? (+ a bunch of other stuff I can't remember right now).

    It should... just because it is awesome.
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    HexHex Posts: 944
    edited August 2015
    Also... The current Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars mini which shoehorns Deapool into the original Secret Wars series in a ridiculously fun way.
    Maybe not the "Greatest" of retcons... but still a fun read.
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    HexHex Posts: 944
    I'll also throw in my vote for Kurt Busiek's Untold Tales of Spider-Man series. Great stories woven inbetween the early issues of The Amazing Spider-Man.
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