Batman Beyond: I Finally Figured It Out - Part 1: New Earth

Long-time readers will know that Batman Beyond has long been a thorn in my side. DC seems to really want the franchise around, but can't ever seem to figure out what they want to do with it, so it's been in continuity, outside continuity, in continuity but with Tim Drake as Batman...it's a headache.

However, recently I got the chance to read through every Batman Beyond series and I took copious notes to try to figure out how it should be represented on this site, and figured it out I did: there are actually three separate versions of the Batman Beyond world. In this three part post, I will describe the three versions and note the characters and concepts each one introduced. If the site has already talked about them, I'll link to that page. If not, I'll put in the new information. (Note: for the purposes of this series, I'm not taking into account Justice League Beyond or Superman Beyond. I don't have access to them, so I can't tell where they're supposed to fit. I will, however, include Justice League Beyond 2.0 in Wednesday's post. I hate that it has to be that way, but if I ever read them, I'll adjust these posts as necessary.)

Version 1: The Future of New Earth
In this version, Barbara Gordon is paralyzed, Hush existed, Batman Incorporated was a thing, and Nightwing's costume has the blue abstract pattern. Everything that was currently in continuity happened in this world, just in the past. This period covered Batman Beyond volumes 3, 4, and 5.

Terry McGinnis/Batman Beyond

Mary McGinnis and Warren McGinnis and Matt McGinnis

Dana Tan and Maxine "Max" Gibson

Justice League Unlimited (Micron, Warhawk, Kai-Ro, Aquagirl)

Commissioner Barbara Gordon - Since I didn't mention it on that page for some reason, Barbara Gordon's first appearance as commissioner in this series is a mention in Batman Beyond (vol. 3) #2 (July 2010), and then a full appearance in issue 5 (October 2010).

Armory and Jared Tate

Spellbinder

Inque

Jokerz - Despite linking to their page, the Jokerz is a very complicated concept - different groups and separate characters appearing at different times in different time frames and separate realities. So I'm also going to include more information here. They're first mentioned in Batman Beyond (vol. 3) #1 (June 2010) and fully appear in Batman Beyond (vol. 4) #4 (April 2011).

Dee Dee (for ease of reference, her first Batman Beyond appearance was in volume 5, issue 15 (December 2012), even though she had already appeared in Justice League Unlimited #1 by then)

Mad Stan

Stalker (this is just a mention)

Shriek

Mr. Fixx

Curare (a mention and an illusion, but no actual appearance)

Derek Powers/Blight and Paxton Powers

Hamilton Hill High School

Wayne-Powers is a future version of Wayne Enterprises that was bought out by Derek Powers. It first appeared in the Batman Beyond pilot, "Rebirth" (1999). It later appeared in Batman Beyond (vol. 4) #5 (May 2011).

Slappers are an illegal, habit-forming performance-enhancing drug that comes in patch form and are based on Bane's venom serum. They appeared in the episode "The Winning Edge" (1999) and first appeared in comics in Batman Beyond (vol. 3) #1 (June 2010).

Tim Drake spent time as the Joker in the backstory of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (). We learn this happened some time between the present and the time of Batman Beyond in Batman Beyond (vol. 3) #3 (August 2010).

The Batman Beyond Project was a plan by Amanda Waller to create a new Batman - by cloning the original - because "Gotham must always have a Batman", as revealed in the Justice League Unlimited episode, "Epilogue" (2005). We get our first hint that this project exists in the comics as well on the very first page of Batman Beyond (vol. 3) #1 (April 2010), with Amanda Waller standing in Cadmus Labs. Later, in issue 4 (July 2010), Hush says those very words: "Gotham must always have a Batman". We get a few more hints here and there, but it's fully revealed in issue 6 (September 2010) - fittingly enough, in the epilogue.

Foxteca was one of Wayne-Powers's biggest rivals, started after Derek Powers fired Lucius Fox from the company. It first appeared in the episode "Black Out" (1999) when Inque was hired to sabotage it. It first appeared in comics in Batman Beyond (vol. 5) #4 (March 2012).

Join me on Tuesday and Wednesday for Part 2a and Part 2b, with Part 3 and Part 4 coming soon!