Five Comic Book “Virus” Stories

I debated on doing this one. But then Cinema Snob released a long review of “The Stand”. That’s the Steven King story where the government loses control of a super virus which wipes out 95% of the population. So, after watching that this little article didn’t seem so bad.

With the words floating around like “pandemic” you can’t help but remember the various virus outbreaks in movies and TV. From the move “Outbreak” to the various viruses on the Star Trek series (Naked Time, Genesis, Babel…just to name three), this has always been a popular topic for fiction writers. Sometimes it’s to set up a moral, other times it’s just something different. And of course, that includes comic books! Here are a few times when a virus was unleased on the DC universe. And yes Marvel has done this too, but I’m a DC guy.

DC Comics Presents #21

This was at a time when aliens had to be thrown into every comic plot. As an example, Ralph & Sue Dibney stumble across a town where aliens are spreading a virus that turns humans into the same aliens. This is there method of reproduction. Ralph, or Elongated Man, finally reaches out to Superman who helps find a cure. The other problem with this issue is that it ends on a cliffhanger which is never resolved.

Justice League Annual #1

This is one most people forget about. A virus runs rampant across the globe and the Justice League splits up to combat. When people become infected they become part of a single mind. A senitent cell the story says, but honestly doesn’t go into real details like where it came from. The only one unaffected is Martian Manhunter, because he’s not human, and becomes a living prison for it.

Batman/Green Arrow-The Poison Tomorrow

Five 

After Black Canary is attaced by a strange man suffering an known disease, she becomes victim of the disease herself. Green Arrow and Batman work to find a cure for the affliction. It turns out to be a scheme by Poison Ivy to make a fortune by poisoning baby food to launch a plague and then offering an expensive antidote. This is a prestigfe format book.

Batman:Contagion

This was a arc that ran through all the “Batman” books at the time, and in many ways set the stage for an even more ambitious arc known as “No Man’s Land”. A deadly strand of Ebola called “The Apocalypse Virus” is unleashed on Gotham. The virus kills in 12 hours ahile mutuating the victims. I’d be here all day if I tried to sum up this story so suffice to say, hunt it down and read it if you’d like.

Superman:Doomed

The New 52 was so stupid. This is kind of similar to the first one but this story is taken more seriously. Superman is infected with spores which contain the “Doomsday virus” which basically trandsforms Superman, and anyone who gets infected, into a doomsday monster. Not only is the virus infectious if one has it, but eventually it even affects the mind turning the person into a monster.

And of course comic books love a good zombie apolcalypse, which happened just recently with the DCeased event. Also Suicide Squad just ended its run with a story about the squad having to prevent a pandemic from happening. Did I miss your favorite? Comment and let me know.