Crisis on Infinite Earths

The Crisis on Infinite Earths was a Multiversal catastrophe that resulted in the destruction of countless parallel universes, and the recreation of a single positive matter universe (and an antimatter universe) at the dawn of time.

The Summoning

A great white wall of pure anti-matter energy stretches out across the cosmos. It pervades the Multiverse, consuming entire galaxies. On the parallel world known as Earth-Three, a being named Pariah arrives. He is forced to witness the death of multiple worlds in multiple dimensions. The Crime Syndicate, in a rare demonstration of heroism, strives to save their beleaguered planet. However, even their combined might cannot prevent their deaths at the anti-matter wall. The planet's sole hero, Lex Luthor, retreats to his home where his wife, Lois, holds their infant son, Alexander, in her hands. Luthor places Alexander into an experimental rocket capsule and launches him from the planet Earth. As Earth-Three dies, Alexander's capsule pierces the vibrational wall separating dimensions. It lands on the abandoned Justice League Satellite orbiting Earth-One. On board another satellite, a being called the Monitor summons his assistant Harbinger. He instructs her to travel to various alternate Earths and bring together a select group of super-powered beings. Harbinger uses her power to create replicant versions of herself and sends them to the various Earths. The Monitor meanwhile, prepares to gather Alexander Luthor’s space capsule. The first of Harbinger's replicants travels to Earth-One and gathers King Solivar from Gorilla City. Another travels to Earth of the 30th century and summons Dawnstar of the Legion of Super-Heroes to her cause. A third replicant journeys to Earth-Two of the year 1942 to enlist the aid of Firebrand. One version gathers the Blue Beetle from Chicago. Another version of Harbinger collects the Psycho-Pirate from Earth-Two's present timeline. She brings him to Earth-One where they encounter Firestorm and Killer Frost. The Psycho-Pirate uses his Medusa Mask to make Killer Frost fall in love with Firestorm. Another replicant travels to Pre-Cataclysmic Atlantis to find Arion the Sorcerer. However, a Demon-Shadow attacks her and takes possession of Harbinger. The possessed replicant finds Arion and brings him back to the Monitor's satellite. When they arrive, they find a room full of heroes and villains from alternate realities. Before the assemblage has a chance to acclimate itself to their foreign environment, a horde of Demon-Shadows attacks them. They fight them off until the Monitor arrives. He casts a brilliant burst of light, which dispels the shadows. Introducing himself, he tells the impatient gathering that the Multiverse may soon be destroyed.

Time and Time Again!

The Dawn of Man

Anthro the Cave-Boy leads a herd of mammoths away from the village of the Bear Clan tribe. After falling from atop one of the great beasts, he peers through the underbrush where he sees an image of a great futuristic city. He shakes his head and when he looks again, the image is gone. In addition, the herd of mammoths that he had corralled is likewise missing.

30th Century Earth

Members of the Legion of Super-Heroes discover the displaced mammoths stampeding through Plaza Square in Metropolis. Colossal Boy attempts to scoop them up into his giant arms, but they suddenly disappear.

Earth One – July 1985

In Gotham City, the Joker murders film mogul, Harold J. Standish. Batman crashes through the window and attempts to disarm the villain, but the Joker keeps him at bay with an adhesive shooting flower. Suddenly, a distraught image of the Flash appears before them, warning about the end of the world. Batman tries to talk to the Flash, but he disintegrates before his eyes.

On board the Monitor’s satellite, the Monitor warns his assemblage that a wave of antimatter energy is sweeping through the Multiverse consuming entire realities. He has established certain devices throughout the various realities designed to halt the antimatter wall. He requires the heroes to travel to each reality and activate each of the devices. Nobody truly trusts the Monitor, but they realize that they have little choice but to heed his warnings.

Superman of Earth-Two, King Solovar and Dawnstar travel to Earth-AD, the world of Kamandi. They find the adventurer, Kamandi, scaling the side of an immense golden tower. The heroes realize that this is of the devices that the Monitor spoke of. A horde of Demon-Shadows arrives to sabotage the tower, but the heroes manage to drive them away.

Arion, Obsidian and the Psycho-Pirate arrive in ancient Atlantis. Suddenly, Pariah arrives, but quickly falls sway to the Psycho-Pirate’s emotion manipulation. Arion turns his power against the Psycho-Pirate and frees Pariah of his influence. Psycho-Pirate suddenly disappears and rematerializes in a darkened room. A deep voice bellows forth to him, commanding him to follow his every order. The Psycho-Pirate, terrified by this mysterious individual, meekly complies.

Meanwhile back on the Monitor's satellite, the Monitor asks Harbinger to retrieve Alexander Luthor from his nursery. Harbinger is shocked to discover that Alex, formerly an infant, is now the age of a young toddler. Suddenly, the dark influence of the Demon-Shadow takes control of her, commanding her to betray the Monitor.

Oblivion Upon Us

Harbinger walks into the Monitor's sanctum as he continues testing young Alexander Luthor. Luthor is aging at an accelerated rate, and is now the physical age of an adolescent boy. The Monitor discovers he is composed of both positive matter and antimatter, and believes that this composite life form may hold the key towards stopping the Crisis. Harbinger, still under the influence of a dark, mysterious entity, leaves the Monitor's satellite and reports to her new master.

On Earth-One in the 30th century, the Flash races through the streets desperately attempting to halt a series of natural disasters. He sees a wave of pure antimatter spreading outwards in the distance. He vibrates his molecules at super-speed sending himself backwards through time.

In the 20th century, the antimatter wave has reached Earth-One and it slowly begins to dissolve everything in its path. The Teen Titans team up with the Outsiders to save as many citizens of New York as possible. Batman and Superman arrive as well to lend a hand. Suddenly Batman sees the Flash appear before his eyes. The Flash screams in terror and quickly disappears. In outer space, Brainiac's brain-ship surveys the progress of the antimatter wave. He logically deduces that in order to preserve his own life, he must help to save the Multiverse. Brainiac flies off to find his old partner, Lex Luthor.

Meanwhile, Blue Beetle, Doctor Polaris and Geo-Force arrive in Markovia in the spring of 1944. Markovia is currently under Nazi occupation and the Nazis attempt to secure the Monitor’s energy tower. The American military forces known as Easy Company, the Losers and the Haunted Tank are present as well. While the heroes engage the Nazis, they must also contend with a horde of Demon-Shadows. The Demon Shadows succeed in killing several war time soldiers including Johnny Cloud, Captain Storm, Gunner and Sarge. On Earth-AD, Superman, Dawnstar, Solovar and Kamandi stand by helplessly as they watch the sky turn the color of blood and lightning storms erupt all around them. Solovar, finally succumbs to his recent injuries and dies in Kamandi's arms.

Meanwhile, Cyborg, Green Lantern, Psimon and Firebrand materialize in the town of Coyote, Texas in the year 1879. They meet up with several Southwestern heroes including, Nighthawk, Scalphunter, Bat Lash, Johnny Thunder and Jonah Hex. The two disparate groups join forces and locate another one of the Monitor’s towers.

However, the destructive wave of antimatter that the Monitor warned off strikes the Earth at all time periods simultaneously. While the other heroes fight against more Demon-Shadows, Nighthawk is consumed by the antimatter wave.

Across time in the 30th century, the Legion of Super-Heroes shares a similar tragedy. While saving innocent civilians in England, Kid Psycho falls prey to the white energy wall.

Back on the Monitor's satellite, Harbinger returns. Consumed by the influence of her new master, she releases a blast of energy at the Monitor.

And Thus Shall the World Die

TBD

Worlds in Limbo

In the Antimatter Universe, a dark, malevolent force addresses his new playthings, Psycho-Pirate, the Flash and the Red Tornado. He has Psycho-Pirate use his emotion controlling abilities to keep the Flash in line, while also promising that he will soon have his own worlds to rule.

On the Monitor's satellite, Harbinger regains control of her mind, and realizes what she has just done. She has just killed the Monitor. Pariah is present, and tries to get some answers from her, but Harbinger has no memory of the attack. Suddenly, a view screen activates and a pre-recorded image of the Monitor addresses both of them. He tells them that he knew of his eventual demise at Harbinger's hands, and bears her no ill will. To safeguard the remaining universes, he turned his body into an energy conduit. Upon his death, the Monitor's life essence shunted Earth-One and Earth-Two into a Netherworld, keeping them safe from his adversary's attack - at least for now. However, in his haste to save them, all time has become one. Alexander Luthor enters the chamber and hears the last of the Monitor's speech.

On Earth-One, varying timelines begins to intermingle with one another. Dinosaurs and World War I era bi-planes exist side by side with modern day Metropolis skyscrapers, and strange vessels from the far-flung future. Amazingly, Earth's populace remains relatively calm - another side-effect of the Monitor's influence.

Back on the Monitor's satellite, Alex, Pariah and Harbinger summon together a massive congregation of heroes from Earth-One and Earth-Two. They explain the present situation, but also explain that in order for things to correct themselves, the Multiverse must be folded back upon itself and become a single universe once again, or else all worlds will be destroyed.

On Earth-One, other heroes continue to help out amidst the confusion. Batman invites a group of heroes and villain into the Batcave for consultation. Starfire and the Legionnaire Sun Boy fly to Russia to help Red Star tackle a dinosaur. Members of the Green Lantern Corps fly to Oa to seek aid from the Guardians of the Universe, but the Guardians are swept up in an unforeseen attack. Rip Hunter and the Time Masters try to solve the mystery of the inter-connecting time lines. Wildcat saves a little girl from crumbling debris, but his legs are crushed in the process.

Meanwhile in the Antimatter universe, the unseen enemy takes control of the Red Tornado and reconstructs him to do his bidding. He turns him into a force of primal energy and sets him upon the Earth. As the Red Tornado storms across the country, Earth-One and Earth-Two begin to slowly merge together. People see ghost-like astral images of people from the parallel worlds.

The Flash overcomes Psycho-Pirate's control and demands to see the face of the being who abducted him. The enemy steps forward and introduces himself as the Monitor. This Monitor however, is not the same as the one who just died. Unlike the more human-looking Monitor, this one is a gruesome alien with blazing red eyes, and jaundiced yellow skin.

Crisis on Infinite Earths 6

TBD

Beyond the Silent Night

TBD

A Flash of the Lightning

The Flash is captured, bound to a wall on the planet Qward in the Antimatter Universe. Psycho-Pirate is present, but fearful for his life. He wonders if the Anti-Monitor perished during his battle with Supergirl. Suddenly, the Anti-Monitor appears before them wearing a new battle armor. He tells the Psycho-Pirate that he will spare him - for now.

In the 30th century, the Legion of Super-Heroes monitor the partially merged five Earths. Brainiac 5 throws himself into his research, refusing to come to terms with Supergirl's death. Saturn Girl observes that his mind is in turmoil.

In the 20th century, Firestorm communicates with Vixen who finds famed robotics expert Professor T.O. Morrow. They bring Morrow to the remains of the Justice League satellite where they hope he can effect repairs upon the robot that he invented - Red Tornado. Ray Palmer is also present, and is inspecting the Tornado's body from the inside. Suddenly, something deep within the Tornado's bio-system activates and a huge explosion tears through the satellite.

Back on Qward, the Anti-Monitor supervises the construction of an Anti-Matter cannon. With this weapon, he intends on finishing off the remaining Earths. Dozens of Qward's Thunderers work as slaves to complete the weapon. The Flash meanwhile, manages to break free. He grabs the Psycho-Pirate and races off with him across the barren landscape. Moving at super-speed, he exposes the Psycho-Pirate's face to many Thunderers. He forces the pirate to warp their emotions into feelings of hatred for the Anti-Monitor. One by one, the Thunderers turn against their master, but the Anti-Monitor easily defeats them. While the villain is distracted, the Flash finds the Anti-Matter energy core that powers the cannon. Running faster than he has ever run in his life, he circles around the energy core thousands of times, turning the unstable antimatter back upon itself, destroying the cannon. The influx of energy is too much for the Flash's mortal however. He begins phasing through different points in the time stream, and before long, he loses all physical cohesion and dies. All that is left of him is his empty costume and his ring. His noble sacrifice has saved billions of lives across the Multiverse.

From beyond the walls of time and space, one being screams out in unbridled anger. The Spectre has awakened.

War Zone

On Oa, the Guardians of the Universe make a last-ditch effort to combat the hysteria that is gripping the universe. They recruit Guy Gardner back into the Green Lantern Corps and give him a ring again.

Suddenly, a cosmic crimson flame from beyond the void washes over Oa. The Green Lantern Citadel is destroyed and all but one of the six remaining Guardians are killed. Guy Gardner swears vengeance.

Meanwhile, a cadre of Earth's most powerful super-villains gathers together aboard Brainiac's starship. Lex Luthor coordinates the meeting declaring that she shall take advantage of the Crisis by holding the multiple Earths hostage. Alexi Luthor of Earth-Two protests, citing that he should lead the cadre rather than his Earth-One counterpart. Brainiac concedes that there is no need for two Lex Luthors and destroys the Earth-Two Luthor.

Reporters have dubbed the point where the five remaining Earths intersect one another as the Warp Zone. Within this area, a strange time-distortion effect has allowed for creatures and entities from various timelines to interact with one another. Dinosaurs are seen stomping through the same New York City streets as World War I era biplanes and futuristic starships.

At the United Nations, representatives from the various parallel dimensions address the assembly. Key speakers include Pariah, Harbinger and Alexander Luthor. The nation leaders are concerned that the spreading chaos may result in an inter-Earth war. During the address, a holographic image of Lex Luthor appears before them and extends an ultimatum. Citing that he already controls three of the five Earths, he demands the unconditional surrender of the remaining two, or else Brainiac and he will unleash a destructive force that will obliterate all five.

While the other heroes struggle to pierce the barrier separating the merging Earths, Jay Garrick recruits Kid Flash to help him. They rebuild Barry Allen's cosmic treadmill and use their combined speed to pierce the barrier.

Meanwhile, Luthor’s cadre of villains takes advantage of the situation. They spread themselves across the realities sewing chaos and discord at every turn. Chemo poisons the waters surrounding Hudson Bay, killing Aquagirl. Doctor Phosphorus brutally injures Hawkman. The Joker and Poison Ivy capture Freedom Force. Eclipso incapacitates Wonder Woman and the Justice League fight the Brotherhood of Evil.

Back on Brainiac's ship, Luthor and Brainiac continue to coordinate their plans. Should the governments of the combined Earths fail to meet their demands, Luthor is more than ready to destroy all five planets. Suddenly, Psimon appears from behind the shadows. He is the only super-villain that did not join with the others planet-side. Using his powerful mental energy, Psimon blasts Brainiac, shattering him into a thousand pieces. He then brings himself to bear upon Lex Luthor.

Death at the Dawn of Time

After destroying Brainiac's shell, Psimon turns his attention towards Lex Luthor. He plans on taking over the united villains after killing Luthor. What Psimon doesn't realize however is that Brainiac's consciousness is downloaded into the circuitry of his ship. He forges a new body for himself and blasts the top off of Psimon's crown with a beam of energy.

On Earth-One at the dawn of mankind, Anthro continues to see wild streaks of red lightning flashing across the sky. He ponders whether he should tell the rest of the tribe, but fears that they may find him crazy.

On Earth-Four, Chemo stands next to the ruins of the Statue of Liberty. All about him, the waters surrounding Manhattan island are bubbling with deadly poisonous fumes. Negative Woman flies about him, ensnaring the gigantic villain with bands of shadow energy. The bands constrict until they eventually succeed in destroying Chemo's artificial shell. In Manhattan, Black Adam fights up against Robotman and Dove. Kole of the New Teen Titans flies up behind him and turns his body into solid crystal. Robotman is prepared to shatter him, but Dove holds him back. Meanwhile, Cyborg and Celsius tackle Quakemaster.

Meanwhile, Aqualad races back to Atlantis carrying Aquagirl’s body. He hands her over to the city’s medical specialists, but there is nothing they can do. Aquagirl is dead.

In the frozen wastelands of Earth-S, Doctor Sivana, Doctor Cyber, Per Degaton, Houngan, Phobia, Despero, Deathbolt, Hector Hammond and Professor T.O. Morrow keep watch over the captured members of the Marvel Family. While Sivana is in the midst of gloating, the Martian Manhunter burrows through the ice and attacks them. He blasts at Deathbolt with his Martian vision. The Atom and Platinum of the Metal Men arrive to give him back-up. Phobia tries to use her powers on Platinum, but they fail, enabling the Atom enough time to loose the gag around Billy Batson’s mouth. Billy shouts the magic word, "Shazam" and transforms into Captain Marvel.

On Earth-X , Batman and the original Atom fight up against Calendar Man while the Outsiders and Infinity, Inc. take on the Dummy. Hawkwoman and Tin fight Lightning Lord, and Firestorm and Vixen fight up against Captain Cold and Icicle. Green Arrow of Earth-Two assists Changeling and Mento in combating the Shaggy Man. Green Arrow defeats the Shaggy Man with an explosive-tipped arrow.

Suddenly, the Spectre makes his presence known across the five partially merged Earths. He warns all of the heroes that the Anti-Monitor is still alive and that he has retreated into the past to change the course of history at the dawn of time itself.

The heroes migrate to Earth-One to coordinate their efforts. They form their teams and develop a strategy using the time-traveling capabilities of the Time Masters, the Legion of Super-Heroes and the Lord of Time. Flash (Jay Garrick) and Kid Flash are outfitted with converter technology to help bridge the gap. With the aid of Magno Lad, Cosmic Boy and Gold, the team creates a large magnetic conductor, which shunts the assemblage backwards in time.

Meanwhile, Lex Luthor and his allies travel backwards in time ten billion years to the planet Oa. They arrive on the fateful day when the scientist Krona is destined to witness the hand of creation and inadvertently create the Multiverse. They burst into his laboratory, but Krona is ready for them. He kills Icicle, Mirror Master and Maaldor.

At the dawn of time, the heroes face the Anti-Monitor. They channel all of their energy into him, but this only serves to make the Anti-Monitor more powerful. He requires their energy so that when Krona opens the doorway between the positive matter universe and the antimatter universe, the Anti-Monitor will then be able to obliterate the positive matter universe entirely.

The Spectre appears before the Anti-Monitor, channeling all of the mystical energy of Earth’s most powerful sorcerers. He attacks the Anti-Monitor directly and their fight unleashes an explosion of energy, which appears to consume all reality.

Aftershock

TBD

Final Crisis

The Monitor's plans did not completely work against the Anti-Monitor, ultimately costing the Monitor his life. Five universe remained. The heroes, at the Spectre's urging, pool their resources and travel back to the Dawn of Time when they confront the Anti-Monitor. The villains meanwhile (1,000,000,000 years later) travel to Oa to try to stop Krona from peering back in time and creating the Multiverse (and the Antimatter Universe the Anti-Monitor came from).

The Anti-Monitor reveals that he lured the heroes to him to absorb their life forces. He explains:

Only here, before creation can the future be changed! When Krona taps the cosmic forces, opening the dorr between matter and antimatter ... it shall be my hand he sees! My hand which shall destroy the positive matter multivers for now and forever! My hand which shall make the antimatter universe supreme! ... The Multiverse will no longer exist! ^[1]

However, the Spectre, Aided by Earths' mightiest sorcerors manages to (apparently) defeat him.

As Krona peers back through the cosmic veil, the Big Bang occurs:

In the beginning there were many. A Multiversal infinitude ... so cold and so dark for so long ... that even the burning light was imperceptible ... but then the light grew, and the Multiverse shuddered .. and the darkness screamed as much in pain as in relief. For in that instant a Universe was born. A Universe with mighty worlds orbiting burnin suns. A Universe reborn at the Dawn of Time. What had been many became one.^[2]

The resulting reality was able to resist the Anti-Monitor's attacks due to the successful depowering efforts brought about mostly identified in battles noted to Supergirl (Earth-One) and Flash (Barry Allen) which cost them their lives. Vastly depowered, the Anti-Monitor attacked the resulting Earth directly where he was finally killed by Kal-L. With both "Monitors" dead, the resulting primary Earth underwent further changes and readjusted into a new state of existence which differed in many major ways from its preceding versions. The universe reformated all of its inhabitants to be native to its history and time line which conflicted with the previous multi-dimensional originating people now in it such as Power Girl.

Some would be changed in the later Zero Hour/Hyper-Time event, whereby the existence of infinite dimensions would again be accessible in the DC primary reality. (Other dimensions existed but were completely unaccessible and thus termed "Elsewhere Stories") But this interaction with these other dimensions was unstable and these seperate realities' influences threatened to destroy the singular DC New Earth. This would be the same occurence when Flash (Walter West) entered into the DC primary reality ^[3].

It would not be until the later Infinite Crisis occurance that stable extradimensional realities would be shown to exist within the DC universe again. In fact a duplicate recreated version of the Classic Earth-Two seems to have survived the event. But it was barren and unpopulated. If it still exists, this new Earth-Two is a dead world. This world should not be confused with the same name given to the home Earth of the Crime Syndicate of AmeriKa that exists in the anti-matter universe of Qward. Most usually refer to the Crime Syndicate Earth as Earth-Two now.

Only a handful of powerful beings remember the realities of the previous DC Multiverse.

Issues

Paraphernalia

Items: None known.
Vehicles: None known.
Weapons: None known.

Notes

Characters Who Died or Were Erased During the Crisis

Note: Not all of these characters actually appeared in the Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series, but nonetheless were erased from continuity due to the after effects of the Crisis. Some characters were unfortunate enough to have actually died during the Crisis, as well as having their existence erased from human memory.

Hippolyta (Earth-One) survived Crisis, erased for current reality version
Huntress (Helena Wayne) (killed Crisis 12)
Jimmy Olsen (Earth-One) survived Crisis, erased for current reality version
Lana Lang (Earth-One) survived Crisis, erased for current reality version
Lois Lane (Earth-One) survived Crisis, erased for current reality version
Robin (Earth-Two) (killed Crisis 12)
Steve Trevor (Earth-One) survived Crisis, erased for current reality version
Steve Trevor (Earth-Two) (went to Olympus survived as extra-dimensional outside of current DC reality)
Superman (Earth-One) survived Crisis, erased for current reality version
Wonder Woman (Earth-One) (Reverted to clay at end of Crisis, effectively killed) erased for current reality version
Wonder Woman (Earth-Two) (went to Pre-Crisis Olympus survived as extra-dimensional outside of current DC reality)

Trivia

No trivia.

Links and References

References

Crisis
Events	Crisis on Multiple Earths \| Crisis on Infinite Earths \| Zero Hour: Crisis in Time \| Identity Crisis \| Infinite Crisis \| Final Crisis
Zero Hour Related Events	Showcase '94 \| Death of Superman \| Emerald Twilight \| Final Night
Countdown to Infinite Crisis	Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1 \| The OMAC Project \| Rann-Thanagar War \| Villains United \| Day of Vengeance
Infinite Crisis Aftermath	52 \| One Year Later \| World War III \| Battle for Blüdhaven
Countdown to Final Crisis	Death of the New Gods \| Salvation Run \| The Search for Ray Palmer \| Countdown to Adventure \| Countdown to Mystery \| Lord Havok and the Extremists \| Arena
Final Crisis Related Events	Final Crisis \| Final Crisis: Revelations \| Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds \| Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge
See Also	Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossovers \| Zero Hour Crossovers \| Identity Crisis Crossovers \| Infinite Crisis Crossovers \| Final Crisis Crossovers
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