Charlton/DC-Verse

History: DC Comics bought the rights to several characters from Charlton Comics, and began exploiting them as their own. When writer Alan Moore proposed a limited series for DC to be entitled WATCHMEN, his original concept made use of these moribund Charlton characters. But because a comic book company will rarely kill a potentially moneymaking character property, DC management refused to permit the Charlton acquisitions to be used in Moore's magnum opus, so he adapted them. (e.g. Captain Atom became Dr. Manhattan, The Question became Rorschach, etc.) Several of the Charlton characters made significant appearances in DCs Crisis on Infinite Earths story arc, some might say to lesser dramatic effect. During the Crisis, DC editorially explained where these superheroes had been for all of DCs history by saying that these heroes came from a reality known as Earth-4 and became merged with the New Earth after the Crisis and part of the eventual retcon of the DC Universe. The Charlton heroes from Earth-4 that appeared in the Crisis included Captain Atom, Blue Beetle, Nightshade, Peacemaker, JudoMaster, Thunderbolt and the Question. Not every hero was bought by DC Comics.