As you're probably aware, this week marked the end of the DC Universe as we knew it, giving way to 52 new #1 issues that relaunched the universe almost from scratch.

As excited as we are for the revamped world, we thought we'd go back and take a look at some of the most shocking, exciting, memorable and effed up moments ever to occur in the history of the old DCU.

Please note we only included in continuity moments, ignoring events from things like The Dark Knight Returns, All-Star Superman and Watchmen. We also didn't include the obvious origin stories and such, as the Top 25 would likely be bogged down with things like "Superman Arrives on Earth."

Sound off in the comments below with your own additions!

Sue & Ralph Dibny: Ghost Detectives 52 #52

Identity Crisis took the DC Universe to a very dark place in 2004. It began with the murder of Sue Dibny, faithful wife and partner to Elongated Man. The darkness deepened when it was revealed that Sue had previously been raped by Doctor Light, forcing a group of JLA-ers to mind-wipe the villain.

Sue may have died, but Ralph carried on for several years, languishing in an ever-deepening spiral of despair and apparent alcoholism. The weekly series 52 chronicled Ralph's final odyssey as he sought a way to resurrect his wife and ultimately sacrificed his life battling Felix Faust and Neron.

The final issue of 52 delivered the happy ending fans had been longing for. Ralph was finally reunited with his wife in death, and the two embarked on another detective case together. It wasn't just the finale Ralph and Sue deserved, it was a sign that the endless cycle of darkness and despair in the DCU had finally been broken.

The Dead Return Blackest Night

The realization of the Blackest Night prophecy first cropped up at the end of the Sinestro Corps War, and writer Geoff Johns turned those cryptic words into an event as epic as it was horrifying. Nearly everyone who had ever died in the DC Universe was now crawling up out of the earth as zombified Black Lanterns. The Black Lantern rings called out for flesh as they sprawled the universe for corpses of heroes and villains alike, and when they found their targets, artist Ivan Ries turned in some of the greatest (and most gruesome) work of his career.

What made the eventual rise of the dead so great was the build-up. Teaser images of deceased characters sticking an undead fist out of the grave enticed readers with a chance to see their favorite dearly departed again. The brutal murder of beloved characters freshly relieved of their emotionally-filled hearts caused the Black Lantern power battery to slowly tick up towards that dreaded 100% mark. To Johns' credit, Nekron's strategic use of certain characters rising from the grave proved the event had as much smarts as it did gore.

As for a favorite "RISE" moment, the splash page of Batman vomiting up a swarm of rings is a contender, and the resurrected Justice League members being reclaimed by Nekron is epic, but it is hard to beat Aquaman's zombie sharks. That's right: Zombie. Sharks.

Lex Luthor Solves Superman's Identity Superman Vol. 2 #2

Ironically taking place during DC's last major revamp of their superhero comics, Lex Luthor finally achieved a lifelong goal by deducing the secret identity of Superman. However, in a stroke of genius, John Byrne turned what should have been one of Lex's greatest successes into a commentary on his blind lust for power.

When he's told that Superman is actually the meek Clark Kent of the Daily Planet, he refuses to believe it, arguing that no one with such great powers as Superman could possibly resort to fumbling around as a mild-mannered human being. With only a few lines of self-assured dialog, Byrne not only defined Lex Luthor for a new age, but gave readers a deep insight into the mind of Superman's greatest nemesis.

Whether he's a mad scientist, a corrupt politician or erudite businessman, Luthor's thirst for power has rarely been more prevalent than in this classic moment.

Animal Man Meets His Maker Animal Man #26

Reading Grant Morrison's Animal Man run is not unlike watching a Looney Tunes short at times. There was the memorable early issue where Buddy Baker encountered an immortal coyote wandering the desert and suffering a thousand gruesome deaths. There was the disembodied god figure, filling in the page with his brush and constantly dreaming up new torments for his characters.

But in the grand finale of Morrison's run, Buddy did what the coyote was never able to do and met the god of his universe. That god was none other than Grant Morrison. As the writer described it in his nonfiction book Supergods, he donned a "fiction suit" and entered the DC Universe like an astronaut on some distant, alien, hostile world.

Issue #26 remains one of the finest examples of fourth-wall breaking in comics. Together with his hero, Morrison explored the nature of fiction and the strange relationship people have with stories. This issue served as a foundation for many of the themes and ideas he would continue to explore in books like The Invisibles and Final Crisis.

The Six's Last Stand Secret Six Vol. 2 #36

If you frequent IGN Comics, then you know how big of fans we are of the Secret Six. This lovable group of DCU deviants has been one of our favorite teams to follow since their debut in the Infinite Crisis tie-in mini-series Villains United. Just the thought of Catman now being one of the coolest characters in the DCU goes to show you how successful Gail Simone has been in turning this cast of D/C-listers into some of this fictional universe's biggest badasses. But maybe the greatest display of how much this cast as grown and moved up through the ranks of the DCU comes in the final issue of the recently-concluded Secret Six ongoing, issue #36.

During the Six's blitzkrieg of Gotham, led by Bane to once again break the Batman, the team gets themselves cornered in an abandoned warehouse by an army of superheroes, even attracting the attention of heavy-hitters such as Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Superman and the rest of the Justice League and Teen Titans. It was at this moment that the Six had entered the big leagues, fully solidifying themselves as powerful threats to the DCU. And instead of admitting they're outnumbered and surrendering, the Six decided to go out the same way they came in: fighting for their lives.

In an epic Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid moment, the Secret Six stormed onto the battlefield fully prepared to die with smirks on their faces. It was absolutely the perfect send off for this team. Because let's be honest, a quiet, leisurely stroll into the sunset has never been this team's style, and that's why we love them.