Editing Elseworlds (section)

===''Imaginary Stories''===
The title page of "Superman, Cartoon Hero!"<ref>''Superman'' #183 (January 1966)</ref> (a slightly retooled reprint of 1942's "Superman, Matinee Idol")<ref>''Superman'' #19 (Nov.–Dec. 1942)</ref> stated that the story was "Our first imaginary story", and continued to say: "In 1942, a series of Superman shorts started showing throughout the U.S.! So, with tongue firmly in cheek, the DC team turned out this story of what might have happened if [[Lois Lane]] had decided to see... Superman, Cartoon Hero!" The story opens with Lois determined to learn Superman's secret identity and going to the theater to see the [[Superman (1940s animated film series)|Max Fleischer ''Superman'' short]] "[[Superman (1941 film)|The Mad Scientist]]" in hopes of seeing the animated Man of Steel reveal his secret identity. In addition to other things, when the opening credits roll and state that the cartoons are based on DC Comics, Lois Lane states that she has never heard of [[DC Comics]]. [[Clark Kent]] then wonders if the people there are clairvoyant. In the final panel, Clark Kent exchanges a knowing wink with the image of himself as [[Superman]] on the movie screen.<ref name="Superman">''Superman'' #183 (Jan. 1966)</ref>

In ''[[Action Comics]]'' #60 (May 1943), "Lois Lane{{snd}}Superwoman!" told the story of Lois gaining superpowers from a transfusion of Superman's blood; while this is explicitly a dream sequence, it has been called "a forerunner of what would be known as 'Imaginary Stories'".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mitchell |first1=Kurt |last2=Thomas |first2=Roy |title=American Comic Book Chronicles: 1940–1944 |date=2019 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |isbn=978-1605490892 |page=181}}</ref>

[[Craig Shutt]], author of the ''[[Comics Buyer's Guide]]'' column ''Ask Mr. Silver Age'', states that true imaginary stories differed from stories that were dreams and hoaxes.{{Citation needed|date=March 2015}} Dreams and hoaxes were "gyps" on account of "not having happened", whilst true imaginary stories were canonical at least unto themselves. Also, since they were "just" imaginary and thus had no bearing on the characters' regular stories, imaginary stories could show things like people dying and the victory of evil.{{Citation needed|date=March 2015}} In the optimistic and hopeful Silver Age of Comics, such stories usually would not be told; this was hinted with writers telling readers how such an Imaginary Story often reassured the readers that it did not really happen.{{Citation needed|date=March 2015}}

Most of these Imaginary Stories featured [[alternate histories]] of characters, such as "[[Superman Red/Superman Blue|The Amazing Story of Superman-Red and Superman Blue!]]".{{Citation needed|date=March 2015}} There, readers saw possible pasts that could have happened, but did not happen. One such story has Superman being raised by apes in imitation of [[Tarzan]], an idea that would be recycled into a later ''Elseworlds'' tale where Tarzan and Superman were switched at birth. Possible present times were shown, such as one story where [[Jonathan and Martha Kent]], touched by pity, adopt a recently orphaned [[Bruce Wayne]] and raise him along with their own son, Clark. Thus, the present shows Superman and Batman as brothers, with Clark protecting Gotham and working for the ''Gotham Gazette'' instead of living in [[Metropolis (comics)|Metropolis]], and [[Batman]] inviting his foster parents, the Kents, to live with him in Wayne Manor. In keeping with the fact that imaginary stories allowed for much grimmer stories than usual, the story ended with [[Lex Luthor]] killing the Kents and Batman trying to murder him in revenge.

{{rquote|right|This Super-Wedding is REAL!<br />The marriage is not a HOAX!<br />The bride and groom are not ROBOTS!<br />This romance is not a DREAM of LOIS LANE or SUPERMAN!|''Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane'' #15 (Feb. 1960)}}
Possible futures that "could very well happen" were explored, such as [[Relationship of Clark Kent and Lois Lane|Clark Kent revealing to Lois Lane his secret identity and marrying her]]. Futures that "perhaps never will" happen were also examined, such as the permanent death of Superman. ''Imaginary Stories'' appeared often enough that some comics – such as ''[[Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane]]'' #15 (February 1960), the cover of which appears to depict Superman marrying Lois Lane – had to assure readers that their contents were not "imaginary". The cover of ''Lois Lane'' #59 (August 1965), by contrast, promised that its depiction of Lois as the romantic rival of [[Lara (comics)|Lara]], [[Jor-El]]'s girlfriend and future mother of Superman, was "real--'''not''' imaginary!".

A few ''Imaginary Stories'' appeared in other DC publications. Batman editor [[Jack Schiff]] supervised stories in which the Dark Knight starts a family or loses his identity, though these were revealed at the end of the story to be stories written by [[Alfred Pennyworth|Alfred]].<ref>''Batman'' #131 (April 1960)</ref><ref>''Batman'' #135 (Oct. 1960)</ref> Schiff's stories were notable for the first appearance of the [[Bruce Wayne Junior|original Bruce Wayne Junior]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2015}} Writer/editor [[Robert Kanigher]] supervised [[Wonder Woman]]'s own series of ''Imaginary Stories'' called ''Impossible Tales'' which featured the same principle.{{Citation needed|date=March 2015}} There, Wonder Woman appeared along with her younger selves, [[Wonder Girl]] and [[Wonder Tot]]. The majority of ''Imaginary Stories'' were published in various Superman comics under the guidance of Superman editor [[Mort Weisinger]], the "King of Imaginary Stories".{{Citation needed|date=April 2015}} This was in part because, according to Shutt, Weisinger aimed for younger readers instead of older ones.{{Citation needed|date=April 2015}} Later editors such as [[Julius Schwartz]] rarely used the ''Imaginary Stories'' concept.{{Citation needed|date=April 2015}}

[[Alan Moore]]'s "[[Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?|Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow]]?" two-part story in ''[[Superman (comic book)|Superman]]'' #423 and ''Action Comics'' #583 in 1986 was the last Pre-''Crisis'' story to use the ''Imaginary Stories'' label.{{Citation needed|date=March 2015}}