10 Dystopian Futures Of Comic Book Superheroes

So much for happy endings: there's no retirement home for these heroes.

X-Men Days Of Future Past
Marvel Comics

Our favourite superheroes don't have an easy lot in life. Even before they strap on the brightly-coloured spandex, there's usually an awful tragedy to spark off their vigilantism, from dead parents named Martha (why did you say that name?!) to families murdered in the park and massive exposure to gamma radiation.

This is no country for old men either: taking on a job which guarantees nightly beatings and even more murdered relatives and loved ones, there's very little rest for these under-appreciated do-gooders. And a peaceful, happy retirement is almost certainly out of the question.

Even though the very nature of comic books ensures that our heroes will always stay young and fit, that doesn't stop their writers from dreaming up equally agonising futures for them. There's always another vengeful supervillain, one last scheme or simple boredom to draw them out of retirement. The Dark Knight Returns again and again, Days Of Future Past are bound to keep repeating themselves and even an ancient mutant with an infamous healing factor can't catch a break.

While a number of these dystopian nightmares are but Elseworld daydreams, and others may be avoidable through time travel and other such classic comic book tropes, they all bear one thing in common: there are no happy endings.

10. Spider-Man: Reign

X-Men Days Of Future Past
Marvel Comics

Poor puny Peter Parker always had the worst luck, so it stands to reason that he'd be saddled with the worst of the dystopian futures too. Spider-Man: Reign is Marvel's attempt at aping the success of The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen, to more controversial effect.

Like most good superheroes, ageing out of the uniform isn't enough to keep our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man down, and he quits retirement to battle 'The Reign' - the hyper-militarised police force, under the watchful eye of the city's corrupt Mayor.

Naturally, the return of Spidey brings with it the resurgence of several old foes - most notably Venom, The Sinister Six and, uhm... the sentient tentacles of a dead Doctor Octopus.

While Spidey saves the day once again, Reign hits peak misery in its revelation that Mary Jane was ultimately killed by Peter's radioactive spider-sperm. Wisely, they left that part out of the iconic theme song.

Contributor
Contributor

A film critic and professional writer of over ten years, Joel Harley has a deep and abiding love of all things horror, Batman and Nicolas Cage. He can be found writing online and in print, all over the Internet and in especially good bookstores.