History Main / TwilightOfTheSupers

* ''VideoGame/SuicideSquadKillTheJusticeLeague'': [[spoiler:the Justice League -- no word on any other superteam -- are brainwashed by Brainiac and massacres the city of Metropolis, forcing Amanda Waller to assemble the Task Force X to ''[[TitleDrop kill]]'' the heroes. At the end of the game, Task Force X ''accomplishes'' the impossible, and the Justice League go down one by one as villains they became under Brainiac.]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock'': Downplayed in the SeriesFinale "[[Recap/StaticShockS4E13PowerOutage Power Outage]]"; while other superheroes like Superman and the Flash still exist in the wider Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse, a cure for the [[MassSuperEmpoweringEvent Big Bang]] is released into the atmosphere above Dakota, promising to cure all the metahuman bang babies in the city. While this is good news for many, heroes Static and Gear and villains Ebon and Hotstreak are distraught that their powers are waning. Gear in particular thinks it unfair that they have no choice in getting cured, since they have done a lot of good for the city as heroes. [[spoiler:Then Static and Gear are exposed to a stronger concentration of the Big Bang gas after Ebon and Hotstreak steal some from the doctor who invented the cure, giving Static and Gear even greater power but [[GoneHorriblyRight turning Ebon and Hotstreak into a horrific hybrid abomination]].]]
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** ''ComicBook/AvengersTwilight'': The series takes place years after a catastrophic battle between ComicBook/TheAvengers and a group of supervillains led by [[Characters/MarvelComicsUltron Ultron]], leading to public opinion of superheroes becoming tarnished beyond measure, and the the rise of an authoritarian society.

* ''ComicBook/{{Powers}}'': At the last part of Vol 1, [[spoiler:[[SupermanSubstitute Supershock]]]] goes on a killing spree. This leads to the governments to enact a SuperRegistrationAct to draft all available superpowers under the law. Later, the President gets Congress to declare the use of any powers illegal. Of course, people realize the foolishness of such a legal measure. Fast forward to Vol 2, issue #6, a small group of superheroes protect the precint from a supervillain attack, and Queen Noir, on behalf of her colleagues and the whole superhero community, says they cannot stand by in the frontlines, and decide to slowly come back to superheroing, despite the prohibition.

* ''ComicBook/AllFallDown'' begins with the depowering of all of the superhumans on the planet as the accidental side effect of the awakening powers of one teen, who absorbed them all. The plot then involves all of said superhumans, in one way or another, enduring the FiveStagesOfGrief and said teen getting training as the last superhero. [[spoiler:The series ends with said teen dying in a HeroicSacrifice to save the planet and all of the protagonist ex-superheroes, through burying her, finally accepting that their kind are extinct.]]
* ''ComicBook/TheBoys'' has multiple (or one drawn-out one that occurs in several stages, depending on how you view it) over several story arcs:

** In the 1991 CrisisCrossover ''ComicBook/Armageddon2001'', Wave Rider's internal narration at the beginning of issue #1 muses about the DC heroes, and how one day they all died (in 2001), by the hand of one of their own. The future world of 2030, in the absence of all heroes (of the 1991 status quo), is ruled by a benevolent despot named Monarch. In an abstract battle inside Rider's mind, Monarch gloats that he was the only one willing to take down the "giants" (the DC heroes of "present time") and install a world of order.
** In ''ComicBook/Earth2'' (a New 52 title), Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman die protecting the Earth from an Apokolips invasion, while Batman's daughter (Helena Wayne), Robin, and Supergirl (Kara Zor-El, Superman's cousin) go through a portal and are believed dead. The Earth is saved, but the "Age of Wonders" (which is how the heroes are called in that reality) is over, as Jay Garrick tells Hermes in issue #2, to whom the deity replies to let a new age begin. The title then explores the rise of new superheroes in the Earth-2 reality.
** During the ''ComicBook/New52'' reboot (2011-2016), Creator/DCComics published the annual maxi-series ''ComicBook/TheNew52FuturesEnd'', offering a glimpse into the future of the then-current status quo. Its premise is that, some 30 years in the future, artificial intelligence and satellite Brother Eye (created in this continuity by Mr. Terrific and Batman) goes rogue and begins to assimilate and roboticize the superhero population, turning them into mechanical abominations. Bruce Wayne, one of the few remaining heroes, sends Terry [=McGinnis=] (yes, Batman Beyond) to the past to avoid their bad future.
** The {{Elseworld}} miniseries ''ComicBook/JLAActOfGod'' begins with a mysterious depowering of all of the non-tech-based superheroes and villains on Earth (that [[RiddleForTheAges never gets explained]]), causing a tremendous amount of mayhem as they either try to adapt as Batman-style vigilantes (some even getting training from Batman) or wallow in the misery of no longer being {{Physical God}}s.
** In ''Script/TheTwilightOfTheSuperheroes'', a proposed crossover by author Alan Moore that never got off the ground, John Constantine travels back in time to the "present day" DC Universe (the mid-1980s status quo) to avoid the destructive end of the superheroes. In Constantine's future, the major superheroes divided themselves into many dynastic houses and arrange alliances among them; secret factions that oppose the heroic houses are an alliance of supervillains, an alliance of non-powered heroes led by Batman, and an alliance of alien races (Green Lanterns, Martians and Thanagarians). Constantine's narration concludes with a massive battle between the different factions that results in the death of the superheroes. Moore's vision also proposed that Constantine's mission (joined by time traveler Rip Hunter) would ''ensure'' that his future would come to pass, to lead to a version of Earth ''freed'' from the existence of superheroes.

** ''ComicBook/EarthX'' features a Marvel Universe where everyone got superpowers, and consequently, our heroes became obsolete and faded, for the most part, into retirement. Until a major threat breaks out, and the heroes have to remember who exactly they are.
** At the conclusion of the ''ComicBook/HouseOfM'', the Scarlet Witch casts a spell that depowers more than 99% of the mutants on Earth, as a huge middle finger to her father Magneto. This reduces the remaining mutant population to about 198. In order to better manage the survivors, the American government unveils the O*N*E initiative: to band and oversee all mutants on the X-Mansion's grounds using the human-piloted Sentinel Squad. However, following the "Mutant Messiah Trilogy" (''[[ComicBook/XMenMessiahComplex Messiah CompleX]]'', ''Messiah War'' and ''[[ComicBook/XMenSecondComing Second Coming]]''), new mutants begin to appear, a few at first (the Lights, as shown in ''ComicBook/GenerationHope''), and finally a whole new generation after ''ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen''.
*** ''Generation M'' delves into the human interest/social consequences of mutants losing their powers.

** Author Creator/PeterDavid, in the early 1990s, introduced a Bad Future in the mini-series ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulkFutureImperfect'': a global nuclear war eradicated most of the Marvel superheroes "of the present" (which was the early-90s status quo), leaving the remnants of humanity to be ruled by a tyrannical Maestro, another form of the Hulk. In the first issue, Hulk visits a sort of museum/memorial to the fallen heroes.
** On Earth-691, the home of ''ComicBook/{{Killraven}}'' and the original 1960s incarnation of the ''ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'', a [[Literature/WarOfTheWorlds Martian invasion]] in the late 20th century spelled the end of that universe's version of Marvel's then-current superheroes. They either all died fighting the Martians, or in the case of the X-Men and many of Earth's mutants, left Earth beforehand.
** In the mid-1990s mini-series ''ComicBook/TheLastAvengersStory'', also by Peter David, two great events swept off the Marvel Universe: a government-mandated "villain clean-up", where the heroes were drafted to round up all the villains to be executed, and a "cataclysm". In the latter, Thor, Hercules and the Hulk travel to Asgard, but only Hulk returns; one year later, he joins forces with Ultron 19 and kills some of the remaining Avengers (Tigra and Wonder Man). The rest of the heroes then go officially into retirement, seclusion or are dead by the time the story starts.
** ''ComicBook/Marvel2099'' features the Twilight phase ''and'' a ''post-''Twilight phase. After a devastating Great Cataclysm kills most of Earth's heroes, humanity faces a century of lawless misrule in a cyberpunk dystopia under corrupt megacorporations. The plot starts when the heroes start coming back.
** In ''ComicBook/OldManLogan'', the supervillains suddenly organized long enough to kill almost all of the heroes, then started killing off each other while carving up the USA into their own little kingdoms. The only superheroes left alive are Hawkeye, who was left alone when he went blind, and Wolverine, who's become a pacifist after [[spoiler:Mysterio tricked him into killing the other X-Men]].
** In ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'', Victor Mancha is supposedly fated to become the supervillain Victorious and kickstart a war against the superheroes that leaves almost all the heroes dead.

*** When Bishop debuted in the early 1990s, his backstory ''at the time'' established two major events: the X-Men were betrayed and killed by one of their own (no word on the other X-teams); and the Sentinels rounded up all mutants in ghettos. The mutants lived like this until the Summers Rebellion, which united humans and mutants against the Sentinels and led to the foundation of the mutant-policing force X.S.E (Xavier's Security Enforcers).

* In the backstory of ''ComicBook/ProjectSuperpowers'', almost all the heroes of the Golden Age were rounded up after the war by a misguided Fighting Yank, who had become convinced that unless the heroes were all trapped in Pandora's Box, they would all become corrupted and evil.
* In one arc of ''ComicBook/{{PS238}}'', Tyler is called before the cosmic entities in charge of empowering the people of Earth and asked to decide whether humanity should continue to produce superheroes and villains. [[spoiler:Despite all he's been through as the sole unpowered member of his family and school, he decides to let them persist, becoming the first person to choose to do so in history.]] They explain that humanity has had past "heroic ages", and in another arc, we see that the author's other comic ''ComicStrip/{{Nodwick}}'' takes place in ''[=PS238=]'''s distant past.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Wanted}}'', the supervillains all banded together in the 1980s and killed off every superhero on Earth, then remade the world in their image.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'', the Keene Act outlawed superheroes and, with the exceptions of the government-sanctioned Comedian and Dr. Manhattan (and the wanted criminal Rorschach), retired from crimefighting.

* ''Literature/TheSupervillainySaga'', in ''Literature/TheFallOfSupervillainy'', has a DownplayedTrope example as the TwilightOfTheOldWest is referenced directly. [[spoiler: Ultragod is dead and most of the older generation of superheroes are retired. The Battle of Soldiers Park also leaves many other heroes dead. However, a new generation of heroes has taken their place and while superheroes may be far weaker now, they won't be going away any time soon.]]

* ''VideoGame/SuicideSquadKillTheJusticeLeague'': [[spoiler:the Justice League - no word on any other superteam - are brainwashed by Brainiac and massacres the city of Metropolis, forcing Amanda Waller to assemble the Task Force X to ''[[TitleDrop kill]]'' the heroes. At the end of the game, Task Force X ''accomplishes'' the impossible, and the Justice League go down one by one as villains they became under Brainiac.]]

** On Earth-691, the home of ''ComicBook/{{Killraven}}'' and the original 1960s incarnation of the ''GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'', a [[Literature/WarOfTheWorlds Martian invasion]] in the late 20th century spelled the end of that universe's version of Marvel's then-current superheroes. They either all died fighting the Martians, or in the case of the X-Men and many of Earth's mutants, left Earth beforehand.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1'', a [[HilaritySues wave]] of [[FrivolousLawsuit lawsuits]] led to the Super Relocation Program where supers hung up their capes and assumed completely civilian lives. It's later discovered that Syndrome killed off most of the retired supers while prototyping the Omnidroid..

Roughly coincides with UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks. Oftentimes may result (or happen) in a BadFuture.

** ''ComicBook/DeadpoolKillsTheMarvelUniverseAgain'': Red Skull and a cadre of intelligent supervillains (Maestro, Arnim Zola, Mad Thinkerer, et alli) brainwash Deadpool to kill the Marvel heroes (of the 2016/2017 status quo) each by each. Deadpool's inner narration paints each killing as some sort of comedic sitcom. Among his victims, the younger heroes like Power Pack, Moon Girl, Ms. Marvel and Miles Morales. When Deadpool discovers he's been used by the villains, he turns the tables on them and begins a ''second'' killing spree, this time on the villains. After he kills the Red Skull in his compound, Red Skull's decapitated head talks back at Wade, saying that the age of heroes is over, and Deadpool helped them do it.

** ''ComicBook/DeadpoolKillsTheMarvelUniverse'': The first mini-series deals with Deadpool snapping after Psycho-Man performs a mind surgery on him, leading to the Merc with a Mouth to develop a more bloodthirsty personality that becomes the main one. Thus, in each issue, he starts killing the Marvel heroes and villains one by one (the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, the X-Men, Spider-Man), even the Punisher. The heroes and villains' despair is too much they climb onto a Manhattan rooftop and start to kill each other, in some sort of [[BetterDieThanToBeKilled mutual suicide pact]].

** ''ComicBook/DeadpoolKillsTheMarvelUniverse'': The first mini-series deals with Deadpool snapping after Psycho-Man performs a mind surgery on him, leading to the Merc with a Mouth to develop a more bloodthirsty personality that becomes the main one. Thus, in each issue, he starts killing the Marvel heroes one by one (the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, the X-Men, Spider-Man), even the Punisher. The heroes and villains' despair is too much they climb onto a Manhattan rooftop and start to kill each other, in some sort of [[BetterDieThanBeKilled mutual suicide pact]].

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* ''ComicBook/AllFallDown'' begins with the depowering of all of the superhumans on the planet as the accidental side effect of the awakening powers of one teen, who absorbed them all. The plot then involves all of said superhumans, in one way or another, enduring the FiveStagesOfGrief and said teen getting training as the last superhero. [[spoiler:The series ends with said teen dying in a HeroicSacrifice to save the planet and all of the protagonist ex-superheroes, through burying her, finally accepting that their kind are extinct]].

* In the backstory of ''ComicBook/ProjectSuperpowers'', almost all the heroes of the Golden Age were rounded up after the war by a misguided Fighting Yank, who had become convinced that unless the heroes were all trapped in Pandora's box, they would all become corrupted and evil.

* ''Series/TheGifted2017'' takes place in the ''Franchise/XMen'' universe, but in a timeline where the X-Men and the Brotherhood disappeared a year prior during a cataclysmic event now known as 7/15. This has left mutant-human relations even more strained, with the government rounding up any mutants they can and those who evade capture living underground. Downplayed, since mutants do still exist in this universe.

** In ''ComicBook/Earth2'' (a New 52 title), Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman die protecting the Earth from an Apokolips invasion, while Batman's daughter (Helena Wayne), Robin, and Supergirl (Kara Zor-El, Superman's cousin) go through a portal and are believed dead. The Earth is saved, but the "Age of Wonders" (which is how the heroes are called in that reality) is over, as Jay Garrick tells Hermes in issue #2, to whom the deity replies to let a new age begin.

** On Earth-691, the home of ''Killraven'' and the original 1960s incarnation of the ''GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'', a [[Literature/WarOfTheWorlds Martian invasion]] in the late 20th century spelled the end of that universe's version of Marvel's then-current superheroes. They either all died fighting the Martians, or in the case of the X-Men and many of Earth's mutants, left Earth beforehand.

Roughly coincides with UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks.