"Genesis" was a comic book

Comic book

A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...

 crossover

Fictional crossover

A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...

 storyline that ran through a self titled, four-issue, weekly mini-series

Limited series

A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....

 and published by DC Comics

DC Comics

DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...

 in August 1997. The series was written by John Byrne and drawn by Ron Wagner

Ron Wagner

Ron J. Wagner is primarily known as an American comics artist who has drawn for titles such as G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, The Punisher, Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja, and Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight. He is also an animation storyboard artist, games designer, and portrait artist...

 and Joe Rubinstein. The series was critically panned for the lack of long-term effects on continuity and retroactively changing the nature of the powers of various superheroes by suggesting that all superpowers were actually manifestations of the Source

Source (comics)

The Source was a metaphysical concept created by writer/artist Jack Kirby for his Fourth World series of comic books. It first appeared in New Gods #1, .-History:...

 in the form of a Grand Unified Theory.

Plot

The storyline centers on the New Gods

New Gods

The New Gods are a fictional race appearing in publications by DC Comics, as well as the title for four series of comic books about those characters. They first appeared in New Gods #1 , and were created and designed by Jack Kirby....

 of New Genesis

New Genesis

New Genesis is a fictional planet in the . This planet, along with Apokolips, is speculated to be near the constellation Orion...

 and their enemy Darkseid

Darkseid

Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....

 and involves all of DC's super-powered characters. The storyline introduced the concept of the "Godwave", an interstellar phenomenon that, on its first pass, created gods on various planets through the universe, such as the Greek, Egyptian, and Norse pantheons on Earth. The Godwave then reached the edge of the universe and bounced back, creating superhumans on its second pass.

The series focused on how the wave threatens reality when it rebounds back to its starting point on its third pass. Darkseid attempts to seize the power of the Godwave, which disrupts the abilities of various superheroes, either neutralizing them or drastically altering them. The wave also had the after-effect of making humans feel like something was missing. Some simply think it's a case of the blues, while others despair so badly they commit suicide.

The heroes of Earth and the New Gods of New Genesis battle to prevent Darkseid from accomplishing his plans. Darkseid's forces again stage an invasion of Earth before travelling to the Source Wall to confront the heroes.

Tie-ins

Action Comics

Action Comics

Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...

#738
The Adventures of Superman #551
Aquaman

Aquaman

Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...

vol. 5, #37
Azrael

Azrael (comics)

Azrael is the name of several fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. They are a group of assassins who were created by The Order of St. Dumas to "enforce god's will"...

#34
Batman

Batman (comic book)

Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...

#547
Genesis #1-4
Green Lantern

Green Lantern

The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...

vol. 3, #91
Impulse

Bart Allen

Bartholomew "Bart" Allen is a superhero in the . Allen first appeared as the superhero Impulse. He would later go on to become the second Kid Flash and the fourth Flash. Allen's first cameo appearance was in The Flash #91, while his first full appearance was in issue #92...

#30
Jack Kirby's Fourth World

Jack Kirby's Fourth World

"The Fourth World" is the popular name given to a metaseries of interconnecting comic book titles written and drawn by Jack Kirby and published by DC Comics from 1970 to 1973. The characters and concepts were later integrated into the DC Universe....

#8
Legion of Super-Heroes

Legion of Super-Heroes

The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....

vol. 4, #97
Lobo #44
The Power of SHAZAM! #31
Resurrection Man

Resurrection Man

The Resurrection Man is a fictional character, a superhero whose adventures were published by DC Comics from 1997 to 1999 in a serialized comic book of the same name, created by Andy Lanning, Dan Abnett and Jackson Guice...

#6
Robin

Robin (comics)

Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...

vol. 2, #46
Sovereign Seven

Sovereign Seven

Sovereign Seven is a creator-owned American comic book series, created by Chris Claremont and Dwayne Turner, and published by DC Comics.-Publication history:...

#27
The Spectre

Spectre (comics)

The Spectre is a fictional character and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 and received his first story the following month, #52...

vol. 3, #58
Starman

Starman (comics)

Starman is a name used by several different fictional DC Comics superheroes, most prominently Ted Knight and his sons David and Jack.Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Jack Burnley, the original Starman, Ted Knight, first appeared in Adventure Comics #61...

#35
Steel

Steel (John Henry Irons)

Steel , also known as the Man of Steel, is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Universe. First appearing in The Adventures of Superman #500 , he is the third character known as Steel and was created by Louise Simonson and artist Jon Bogdanove...

#43
Superboy and the Ravers #14
Supergirl

Supergirl

Supergirl is a female counterpart to the DC Comics Superman. As his cousin, she shares his super powers and vulnerability to Kryptonite. She was created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino in 1959. She first appeared in the Action Comics comic book series and later branched out...

vol. 4, #14
Superman

Superman (vol. 2)

Superman was an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics superhero of the same name. The second volume of the previous ongoing Superman title, the series was published from cover dates January 1987 to April 2006, and ran for 228 issues...

vol. 2, #128
Superman: The Man of Steel

Superman: The Man of Steel

Superman: The Man of Steel is the title of a monthly American comic book series that ran 136 issues from 1991 to 2003. published by DC Comics, featuring Superman. As a consequence of introducing this series alongside its already existing titles, DC Comics was able to publish a new Superman comic...

#72
Teen Titans vol. 2, #13
Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....

vol. 2, #126
Xero

Xero (comics)

Xero is a fictional superhero and antihero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Xero #1, , and was created by Christopher Priest and ChrisCross.-Publication history:...

#6
Young Heroes in Love

Young Heroes in Love

Young Heroes in Love is an American comic book series published by DC Comics; it ran for 18 issues from 1997 to 1998.-Publication history:...

#5