This six-issue series by the late Darwyn Cooke was influenced by previous works such as Kingdom Come, Watchmen, and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. It takes place primarily in the 1950s, and depicts the Golden Age superheroes Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman meeting Silver Age characters the Flash, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter. The story bridges the gap from the end of the Golden Age to the beginning of the Silver Age in the DC Universe.
In 1957, Red Ryan can’t shake the crash landing he and three other men survived and later meets with the three to discuss their shared luck. Meanwhile, in New York City, Task Force X takes on a pterodactyl and loses one of their own, while in Tennessee, an African-American man who survives a lynching forges a new identity.
Later, in the Pacific, Task Force X and the Challengers of the Unknown make a trip to Dinosaur Island. At the same time, Hal Jordan gets involved with a Task Force X project in California and learns about that crew. Back in Tennessee, John Henry makes his first appearance.
John Jones enjoys a night at the movies and sees the Challengers of the Unknown in a newsreel and an alien invasion flick. He returns home to find a vistor…Batman.
In Washington, Wonder Woman is retired by order of the president, while in California, Hal Jordan learns more about the goals of Ferris Aircraft and Task Force X. After his encounter with Batman, Jones opens the volume the police confiscated from the cultists and discovers the secret of Dinosaur Island.
