Adam Strange Timeline
This timeline is designed to detail the exploits of Adam Strange throughout different eras of comic book history. These summaries are here to help make reading about Adam Strange easier. For more information regarding our timeline project, see our about page here.
This timeline is heavily based on our “Adam Strange Reading Order“. Non-indented sections correspond with Adam’s “Essential” storyline while indented sections correspond with his “Extra” storyline. Make sure to check out our reading order here for more information.
New 52
With the beginning of the New 52, the DC Universe’s continuity was restarted. Adam Strange’s history is completely wiped out, meaning he was never a hero in this timeline. He starts the New 52 as a college professor in Canada but quickly becomes involved in heroic adventures.
Also be sure to view the New 52 era of our “Adam Strange Reading Order“.
Justice League Canada
At a meet-and-greet, Adam Strange approaches Animal Man and Stargirl for help. He claims his research assistant, Alanna, was mysteriously abducted while the two were out in the woods together. Animal Man and Stargirl agree to help and start by investigating the site. While there, they discover a secret alien base and are attacked by monsters. Adam steals a jetpack and ray gun from the base and uses it to help Animal Man and Stargirl fight off the monsters. The heroes are quickly joined by Martian Manhunter and Green Arrow, who are there responding to Stargirl’s distress signal. In between fighting monsters, Adam Strange admits that he and Alanna are engaged.
Suddenly, the group is teleported to another planet, called Rann. There, they team up with Supergirl and also meet a man named Sardeth, who is one of Rann’s leaders. Sardath explains that he and other scientists had attempted to create a being made from the DNA of numerous creatures. However, the project was hijacked by an evil shapeshifter named Byth. Byth began kidnapping creatures to harvest their DNA and also planned to use the resulting child as a weapon of war. Sardath then teleports the heroes to Byth’s spaceship, where they have a chance to stop his evil plan.
On the spaceship, the heroes meet Hawkman and Alanna, who have already been fighting Byth’s forces. Byth finishes creating his hybrid child and a huge battle erupts. The battle eventually makes its way to Rann, where the city’s teleporter is malfunctioning. The heroes get the child from Byth and he is forced to run away. However, in the battle, Hawkman is killed.
The heroes all return to Canada and agree to form a new Justice League, called the Justice League United. Unfortunately, due to a problem with the Zeta-Beam (the teleporter used by Rann) Adam Strange and Alanna cannot be in the same area together. Sardeth assures the couple he will have this problem fixed soon.
This storyline extends through issues #0-4 of Justice League United Vol. 1. These issues are collected in Justice League United Vol. 1: Justice League Canada (Review).
The Midayo and the Whitago
While the rest of the Justice League United helps out their new team member, Equinox, Adam Strange is stuck on planet Rann.
While he is stuck there, members of the JLU leave to find Hawkman’s old JLA communicator, which has been mysteriously activated. In addition, Martian Manhunter decides to take care of the alien child, who is now going by the name Ultra. This story ends when another superhero bursts in on Martian Manhunter and claims that he must kill Ultra in order to save the Legion of Super-Heroes.
This storyline is told in issue #5 of Justice League United Vol. 1. This issue is collected in Justice League United Vol. 1: Justice League Canada (Review).
The Infinitus Saga
The Legion of Super-Heroes arrives and immediately tries to kill Ultra. After this leads to violence, they explain that, in the future, Ultra becomes an all-powerful creature that destroys entire worlds. The Justice League United refuse to kill Ultra and the Legion of Super-Heroes agrees to work with them to find another solution.
Unfortunately, their plans are interrupted by Byth. Byth steals Ultra and reveals that he has brainwashed Hawkman into serving him. He then begins controlling Ultra and forces him to transform into the all-powerful creature. The Justice League United and the Legion of Super-Heroes combine forces to fight Byth. Adam Strange is able to help with this at points, though the problems with the Zeta-Beam have now caused him and Alanna to randomly swap places with each other.
Eventually, the heroes are able to defeat Byth and Martian Manhunter wipes Ultra’s mind, to get rid of his powers. The JLU agrees to send Ultra into the future, where the Legion of Super-Heroes will attend to him. In addition, they are able to free Hawkman of his mind control. Each member of the team goes to attend personal business but they agree that keeping the team together is a good idea.
As everyone says goodbye, the problem with the Zeta-Beam is fixed and Adam Strange and Alanna are finally able to be in the same place together.
This storyline extends through annual #1 and issues #6-10 of Justice League United Vol. 1. These issues are collected in Justice League United Vol. 2: The Infinitus Saga (Review).
The Island of No Return
The world is being invaded by sentient pockets of reality from another dimension. In the initial attempt to fight one of these pockets of reality, Adam Strange destroyed it but was lost in another dimension, the same dimension where the Zeta-Beams come from. In this higher state of reality, Adam has access to tons of information but cannot make contact with anyone. Alanna is the only one who is still able to speak to him, though only barely.
The JLU begins fighting back against these pockets of reality by using the extra information from Adam Strange.
This storyline extends through issues #11-12 of Justice League United Vol. 1. These issues are currently uncollected.
War Zone
The JLU continues to fight the malevolent pieces of reality. Adam is still stuck in another dimension and does not accompany them on their mission.
This storyline extends through issues #13-15 of Justice League United Vol. 1. These issues are currently uncollected.
House of Secrets
All of the evil pockets of reality have been dealt with but Adam Strange is still stuck in a place between dimensions. Alanna Strange reveals to the JLU a secret she discovered on one of their earlier missions. Years ago, Sardath came to Earth and started dating Alanna’s mother. The two fell in love and had a child but Sardath was forced to abandon Earth. This revelation confirms that Sardath is secretly Alanna’s father.
Upon facing him with this information, he reveals that he could have helped Adam escape this entire time. Alanna forces him to help and the couple is united once again.
This story is told in issue #16 of Justice League United Vol. 1. This issue is currently uncollected.
Death of Hawkman
Some time after the Justice League United split up, Adam Strange is splitting his time between being a regular archaeologist on Earth and a jetpack-toting hero on the planet Rann. His wife, Alanna, spends her time on Rann, with her father, Sardath. Their lives are complicated when two Thanagarians burst into Sardath’s lab and kill him in a suicide bombing. Alanna takes her father’s leadership position and immediately seeks revenge on the planet Thanagar. However, Adam finds the entire situation suspicious and begins to investigate.
After bringing his old friend Hawkman in on the investigation, he learns that Despero is behind the entire fiasco. Despero has artificially incited conflict between Rann and Thanagar so that neither society will notice when he steals all of the Nth metal from Thanagar. He has even mind-controlled Alanna to make her ignore her husband’s warnings.
Eventually, Adam Strange and Hawkman fight Despero at the base of his operations. While there, they discover Sardath is still alive but has been mind-controlled by Despero into building a giant Zeta-Beam teleporter. Adam and Hawkman smash the teleporter and Hawkman and Despero die in the process. However, instead of dying, Adam is teleported somewhere in another dimension. Believing him to be dead, Alanna and the people of Rann mourn him as a hero.
This storyline extends through issues #1-6 of Death of Hawkman Vol. 1. These issues are collected in The Death of Hawkman (Review).
Rebirth
So far, Adam Strange has only made one appearance in the Rebirth era of DC Comics. This appearance directly picks up from his appearance at the very end of the New 52 era. Thus far, the following timeline is all we have seen of Adam Strange but we will be updating it once he begins to appear again.
Also be sure to view the Rebirth era of our “Adam Strange Reading Order“.
Adam Strange/Future Quest
In the fallout of The Death of Hawkman (Review), Adam Strange is teleported across dimensions. He ends up in the Future Quest universe, where he immediately meets the heroes from that world. Initially, he does not remember who he is or where he came from, but these memories return before too long. With help from the Quest family and Birdman, he is able to reopen a portal and return to his home dimension. Once there, he begins flying through space, desperate to get back to his wife, Alanna.
This story is told in issue #1 of Adam Strange/Future Quest Vol. 1. This issue is collected in DC Meets Hanna-Barbera.