Six years ago, the legend of Batman emerged amid the greatest catastrophe Gotham had ever endured. A maniac calling himself The Riddler shut down all electric power mere days before a terrifying superstorm. But the Dark Knight isn’t the only hero to surface during this moment in time known only as the ZERO YEAR!

SPOILER ALERT: If you have not read BATMAN #25 or the ZERO YEAR tie-ins yet and do not wish to know what happens, stop reading this post now (major spoilers ahead!).

Written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Greg Capullo and Danny Miki, ZERO YEAR reaches a new level as The Riddler sends Gotham City into total darkness! “Dark City” begins in BATMAN #25. Bruce Wayne plays a nasty trick on Lieutenant Gordon, Lucius Fox stabs Bruce Wayne in the neck with a syringe! Is it full of Doctor Death’s bone serum? And the Batmobile is taken out for a spin.

In the gallery above, check out an incredible two-page spread from the back-up story in BATMAN #25. “People In The Dark,” featuring Harper and Cu  llen Row and written by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV and illustrated by Andy Clarke, gives us a glimpse at key moments from each of the ZERO YEAR tie-ins published this month, where each character has a lesson to learn.

RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #25, written by James Tynion IV and illustrated by Jeremy Haun:

Jason Todd dons the mask of Red Hood #4 for the first time and considers jumping into gang membership! But before he decides to join, Talia Al Ghul arrives and beheads the leader of the Red Hood Gang while a bloody, bandaged shadow figure with a ghastly laugh simultaneously blows up the rest of the gang. Who’s behind the bandages? Has Todd chosen the right path and just what is Talia up to?

CATWOMAN #25, written by John Layman and illustrated by Aaron Lopresti:

The storm to end all storms is on the way, and Gotham’s elite have a monopoly on the power using it to heat and light a swanky party while the rest of the city basks in the cold and dark. Ever wonder where Selina Kyle got the whip? Out for justice, the claws come out. Kyle picks up the whip for the first time and transforms herself from petty thief to knockout cat-burglar – with help from stolen gear, of course.

GREEN ARROW #25, written by Jeff Lemire and illustrated by Andrea Sorrentino:

Killer Moth tracks Moira Queen to Gotham with plans to extort some cash from the billionaire. Batman shows up to help take Killer Moth down, making a terrifying entrance as sinister and dark as Batman can get. Oliver Queen – fresh off the island – hoods up as Green Arrow to rescue his mother himself. Egos get in the way as both hotheads trade off punching out Killer Moth! Don’t forget to watch for Batman’s purple gloves.

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #25, written by Van Jensen and Robert Venditti and illustrated by Victor Drujiniu and Ivan Fernandez:

The Marines, along with a young John Stewart, take on anarchists leading a revolution in the middle of Gotham’s Seaside Coliseum, where evacuees are trapped by the coming storm. John Stewart refuses to use lethal force against ANARKY, while Batman quietly watches from the shadows. Is this where John Stewart walks away from the Armed Forces? Does seeing Stewart stand down help solidify Batman’s code of ethics? Oh, but Stewart decks his Lieutenant on his way out. Good thing he has a future as a Space Cop.

ACTION COMICS #25, written by Greg Pak and illustrated by Aaron Kuder:

Clark Kent hears of the superstorm headed for Gotham and decides to test his strength against the impending forces of nature. Only the storm gets the better of him! Watch out for the whale, Clark! Lana Lang makes an appearance on an oil tanker off the coast of Gotham and needs an assist getting her ship out of the path of both the storm and a marooned cargo ship! Washed up on the beach after his attempt, it’s clear that Superman’s powers haven’t quite caught up with his do-good nature.

NIGHTWING #25, written by Kyle Higgins and illustrated by Will Conrad and Cliff Richards:

Haly’s Circus is on the outskirts of Gotham, allowing Dick Grayson access to the big city – which is plunged into darkness. Grayson, pretty much a showoff with no friends, makes his first makes his first appearance as Nightwing when leaping through a Gotham warehouse chased by Amygdala – the product of experimental surgery gone wrong. And find out why Sal Maroni just might owe Nightwing a favor someday.

BATGIRL #25, written by Marguerite Bennett and illustrated by Fernando Pasarin and Jonathan Glapion:

As flood waters rise in the impending storm, Barbara Gordon gears up and protects sheltered Gothamites from a low-life taking advantage of the disaster to rob, loot, and steal. The evacuees from Coldlight Island watch across Gotham Harbor as exploding power and chemical plants turn their homes to ash.

BATWING #25, written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti and illustrated by Eduardo Pansica and Julio Ferreira:

Luke Fox takes on bullies of all kinds, standing up against hatred and derision. His MMA training makes for an amazing fight scene when he stands up to a Gang that tries to beat him down. And Fox’s friend Russell OD’s on Snakebite – a venomous drug intended to help him stop being a victim – causing a unique reaction.

THE FLASH #25, written by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato and illustrated by Chris Sprouse and Manapul:

Barry Allen, weeks after graduating from the Central City Police Academy, responds to the State of Emergency call after an electromagnetic pulse hits Gotham City. Allen gets a taste of an accelerator drug named Icarus, and is rewarded with a goodbye kiss from Gotham Gazette intern Iris West for his heroics during the blackout. A full-page, sparks-flying, lightning-striking, glorious first kiss that is sure to flash across every comic website this month!

DETECTIVE COMICS #25, written by John Layman and illustrated by Jason Fabok:

Jim Gordon stands up to corruption in the Gotham City Police Department – but only after members of his own squad throw him in a suicidal dive off the New Trigate Bridge! In these early days before the Bat-signal, black marker on a flashlight is enough to bring Batman to the rescue.

BATWOMAN #25, written by Marc Andreyko with art by Trevor McCarthy, Andrea Mutti, Jim Fern and Pat Olliffe:

Metropolis cop Maggie Sawyer is on a swat team called in to keep the peace during Gotham’s tragedy. And in the middle of the superstorm, Kate Kane steals Bruce Wayne’s motorcycle, smashes and bashes to thwart a jewel heist, and takes an amazing swan dive out of a window! So is there just cause for her actions when Kane ends up with Sawyer’s gun in her back? And, once the dust settles, is there something more to be seen in the look that passes between the two?

BIRDS OF PREY #25, written by Christy Marx and illustrated by Romano Molenaar and Jonathan Glapion:

Dinah Drake, aka Black Canary, takes on a gang of assassin ninjas! When Lynch follows Dinah’s trail of beaten opponents, they come face to face in the midst of Gotham’s Badlands. The local looting gets out of hand, the dojo burns to the ground, and Dinah finds herself a new Sensai.