- For the eponymous crossover event, see Crisis on Infinite Earths.
- For other uses of Crisis, see Crisis (Disambiguation).
“ | Worlds will live. Worlds will die. And the universe will never be the same. | ” |
— Psycho Pirate's prophecy[src]
|
Crisis on Infinite Earths, also known as the Worldwide Crisis[1] and Crisis on Infinite Worlds,[2] often shortened as the Crisis, is a multiversal apocalyptic event that destroyed every single universe in the Original Multiverse and killing countless people, leaving only the seven Paragons to survive.
Oliver Queen eventually became the Spectre, recreating the Multiverse with multiple changes on Earth-Prime, the main universe in the New Multiverse with elements of Earth-1, Earth-38 and an undesignated universe combined.
In the erased timeline, the Crisis took place on April 25, 2024, and was erased when Nora West-Allen's presence in 2019 (and her subsequent erasure in 2049), combined with Eobard Thawne's alterations, destroyed Cicada's lightning dagger.[3]
In another erased timeline, the Crisis did not result in the destruction of the Multiverse, with Oliver Queen being one of the casualties and buried outside of the Queen Mansion. Felicity Smoak from 2040 of that timeline later left to the Afterlife, greeting her husband's prime timeline version and staying with him forever.[1][4]
History[edit | hide | hide all]
Background[edit | hide]
The Monitor's Origins[edit | hide]
“ | I'm sorry, my love. My towering ambition has doomed us all. | ” |
10,000 years ago on Maltus, Mar Novu and Xneen started their experiments on time travel. Novu then travelled to the Big Bang, witnessing the birth of the universe. However, he travelled to the Antimatter Universe, creating his Antimatter Universe counterpart and realizing his mistake. Over the course of thousands of years, Novu learned about the Crisis and started preparing individuals for the upcoming cataclysmic event.[5] Later, Novu acquired the Book of Destiny, bestowing the power of reality warping to certain individuals in order to test the heroes of respective universes with Elseworlds.[6]
Elseworlds[edit | hide]
“ | I'm testing universes to find one I hope stands strong enough against him. | ” |
In 2018, Novu completed his unsuccessful test on Earth-90 and nearly annihilated the entire universe, leaving The Flash as its only survivor and allowed his escape. Novu then travelled to Earth-1, bestowing the Book of Destiny to Dr. John Deegan.[7] However, the heroes were able to steal the Book of Destiny, which impressed Novu. Novu then returned the book to Deegan, ordering him to think bigger.[8] Despite Deegan's effort, the heroes were able to defeat him and revert the reality, with Oliver Queen entering Novu's realm and confronting him. Novu was impressed once again and respected the heroes, making a deal with Queen and altered the destinies of both Barry Allen and Kara Danvers. As a part of the bargain, Queen promised to assist Novu in time of the Crisis.[4][6]
Prophecy of The Flash[edit | hide]
In May 2019, Barry Allen, with the help of his future daughter and the manipulation of Eobard Thawne, destroyed Cicada's dagger.[3] This action caused multiple changes to the timeline and moved the Crisis from 2024 to 2019. As a result, Novu was required to accelerate his preparation process, recruiting Oliver Queen to his mission mere months after they bargained. Novu also looked into the future, revealing to Oliver that his death is imminent.[4] He then destroyed the Time Vault's plinth, preventing Team Flash from discovering the timeline changing the date of the Crisis.[9]
Four months later, Novu returned and informed Barry Allen about his prophecy to die during the Crisis, confirming the news article headline he had been seeing for 6 years. Allen then proceeded to tell the news to his team, preparing them for his death and how they should move on while fighting Bloodwork.[9][10][11][12][13][14]
Oliver Queen's Tasks[edit | hide]
With Oliver Queen under his command, Novu sent him to Earth-2 in order to retrieve the Dwarf Star particles. However, they faced setbacks by Tommy Merlyn as he attempted to destroy the Glades with the particles. Despite the successful retrieval, the tampering of Earth-2's fate led to its total annihilation, killing billions in the process.[15]
Disappointed by Queen's judgement, Novu still sent the trio to Hong Kong and tasked them to search for Dr. Robert Wong. However, Queen did not trust Novu and sent Wong to A.R.G.U.S., who was led by Lyla Michaels, a long-term subordinate of Novu.[16]
Novu was not worried about Queen's possible of defying him and rewarded his determination by sending his children and Connor Hawke to the present.[17] Novu then continued his tests and offered to restore Earth-2 in exchange for Laurel Lance's betrayal of Oliver Queen. However, she refused the offer, passing her test. In reward, Novu created a dreamworld for her to say goodbye to Quentin Lance and to teach Queen that he could not alter his fate.[18]
Once they broke out of the dream, Novu sent them to Lian Yu where they built a device which can only be activated by Lyla Michaels. With her touching the device, she teleported away and returned as Harbinger while the skies turned crimson red.[19]
Martian Manhunter's Test[edit | hide]
Concurrent to Queen's tasks, Novu released Malefic J'onzz from the Phantom Zone and resurrected Lex Luthor.[20] With Luthor by his side, they monitored J'onn J'onzz's reaction to Malefic and how he overcame his test. With J'onzz now forgiven from his past, he befriended his long-lost brother and was approached by Novu, who informed him that he was ready for the Crisis.[21]
Nash Wells' Mistake[edit | hide]
On December 9, 2019, Central City was attacked by the Blood Brothers with Nash Wells trapped in his worksite investigating the carvings of the Paragons. He was then attacked by multiple victims of Bloodwork before Allegra Garcia spread a cure across the city, restoring the minds of countless people and prevented Wells' death.[22]
“ | I'm simply a man serving his penance. Penance for what? I've freed the Anti-Monitor from his confinement only to become a... Pariah. Sentenced to bear witness to his actions. |
” |
At 11:59 pm, Wells was told by a voice similar to Mar Novu that he would reveal the "truth" in exchange for his help to stop the Crisis. Wells was convinced that he should not kill "The Monitor" as he has longed to discover the truth. He then asked the voice to show him, with it responding that he already has the "knowledge". As he entered a code using the carvings, the rock door opened with a bright ray of light, forcing him to enter the realm and slamming the door shut once more.[19][21][22][23] Unfortunately, the voice was in fact not Mar Novu, but rather the Anti-Monitor. Wells was then transformed into Pariah and forced to witness tragedies all across the Multiverse when the Crisis attacked respective universes.[24]
Death and Destruction[edit | hide]
Hour One[edit | hide]
On December 10, 2019, all universes in the Multiverse were starting to be affected by Antimatter one by one, causing crimson red skies to happen on their respective Earths. Harbinger then started recruiting the champions of Earth-1, bringing the Green Arrow and Mia Smoak from Lian Yu, The Flash, who was patrolling Central City and asking Cisco Ramon if the phenomenon was worldwide, Batwoman, who was questioning a member of the Wonderland Gang, with Sara Lance and Ray Palmer from Star City to the DEO on Earth-38.[25]
“ | Whatever it is, it is hurtling through space at an impossible speed. I calculate it will reach the edge of the universe in exactly 5.3 hours, at which point, it will boomerang back. Once it intersects again with our solar system, the results will be, in a word, cataclysmic...If this wave isn't stopped by tomorrow night... there will be no more "us". No more future. No more anything. | ” |
Meanwhile, Earth-38 was experiencing quakes from beyond the planet and animals living were frightened. The Super Friends then worked extensively to calm the people of their home planet. Querl Dox later discovered a wave of Antimatter approaching Argo City and established a communication link to let Supergirl warn them. However, it was too late as the Antimatter wave destroys the final Kryptonian foundation as Superman's son gets sent to Earth-16 through a temporal wormhole. Fortunately, Superman and Lois Lane were rescued by Harbinger, bringing them alongside the champions of Earth-1 to the DEO National City Headquarters.[25]
Evacuation of Earth-38[edit | hide]
“ | We might lose the planet, but we can still save the people! | ” |
With the required heroes on Earth-38, they discussed their next moves to stop the Antimatter wave. They were then interrupted by the sudden construction of the Quantum Towers, which caused the vanishing of the crimson skies. The Legends and The Flash then arrived, stopping the remaining heroes from destroying their only possible way of surviving. However, the towers were only able to slow down the wave instead of stopping it once and for all.[25]
Harbinger informed of everyone of the Crisis, coordinating a plan as Palmer and Dox theorizes about the functions of the Quantum Towers. The latter then brought Lance and Lane to Earth-16 in hope of finding baby Jonathan Kent. The heroes on Earth-38 soon coordinated with the President and started recruiting alien spacecrafts for the evacuation, with Alex Danvers asking for Lena Luthor's assistance to create a Transmatter Portal for travelling to Earth-1.[25]
While everyone else were on their respective tasks, The Flash, Supergirl, Superman, Atom, Green Arrow and Blackstar went to the Quantum Towers to guard them from being attacked. As they expected, an army of Shadow Demons attacked the heroes, and they were able to disintegrate them easily.[25]
“ | Everything we know, everything there is, and everything there ever was, is doomed. | ” |
With a plan prepared, Kelly Olsen, Alex Danvers, Lena Luthor and Dreamer led civilians on spacecrafts for evacuation as J'onzz arrived on the Legion Cruiser. The six heroes then fought the army of Shadow Demons in order to buy time for the evacuation. However, The Monitor arrived and teleported the heroes away. Queen refused to leave and shot Novu with an Antimatter arrow as he fought countless Shadow Demons as hard as he could. Eventually, he ran out of arrows and was assaulted by the demons as he ran toward them and the Antimatter destroyed National City (Earth-38). Recovered from the injury, Novu brought Queen's dying body back to the Bunker in Star City. The heroes then spent his last moments with him, with Novu revealing that Queen's sacrifice allowed the escape of the survival of a billion more people (in total 3 billion of out of 7.53 billion) but it was not how he had foreseen. Nash Wells arrived, now as a man serving his penance as Pariah, revealing that they are doomed.[25]
Hour Two[edit | hide]
Regrouped in S.T.A.R. Labs, the heroes had a drink for Oliver Queen. They were then interrupted when Novu and Ray Palmer argued about "hijacking" the Waverider. Harbinger then arrived and brought the Waverider of Earth-74, where she recruited Mick Rory and Leonard.[26]
“ | Across space and time exist 7 heroes, beings of the purest will who can ultimately defeat the Anti-Monitor and help save the multiverse. They are known as Paragons. | ” |
— The Monitor[src]
|
The heroes later boarded the Waverider as Novu explained the Paragons are their last hope to stop the Crisis. Novu then gave them the clues of "Bat of the Future" and "a second Kryptonian, who is said to have suffered a greater loss than most mortal men could endure" while revealing Kara Zor-El and Sara Lance are the Paragons of Hope and Destiny respectively. Novu also revealed that he enlisted the help of Felicity Smoak, and she was able to acquire the information from the Tome of the Guardians. Novu soon tasked two teams to search for two unknown Paragons, with Superman, Lois Lane and Iris West-Allen for the Paragon of Truth and Batwoman and Supergirl for the alleged Paragon of Courage.[26]
Later, Novu brought Lex Luthor to the Waverider and revealed that he has a part to play in the Crisis. However, Harbinger found Luthor attempting to steal the Book of Destiny and failed to stop him. Novu saw the incident and told her that everyone has a part to play.[26]
Paragon of Courage - Bat of the Future[edit | hide]
“ | The path to find him will lead you to the Paragon of Courage. | ” |
Using the Inter-Dimensional Extrapolator, Kane and Danvers travelled to Earth-99 in search of Bruce Wayne. The two destroyed the door by force and were confronted by Luke Fox. Fortunately, Wayne entered down the stairs in his exoskeleton and was able to recognize Kane.[26]
Wayne brought Kane to his study and questioned her true identity as Kate Kane of Earth-99 died five years ago. Kane revealed the story of him as the Paragon of Courage, which he laughed at as he started a reign of terror in Gotham City years ago as Batman, telling Kane that he had already lost track of his kill count. Kane did not give up and told him that this is the chance to be the hero of the Multiverse.[26]
As Kane about to succeed in convincing Wayne, Danvers entered after she discovered that Wayne killed the Superman of Earth-99. Wayne attempted to attack the two and revealed a piece of Kryptonite to weaken Danvers. Kane was furious and was attacked by Wayne. Kane accidentally pushed Wayne to the generator and electrocuted him, with him replying that there is no hope.[26]
Paragon of Truth - Man of Steel[edit | hide]
“ | One is of a second Kryptonian, who is said to have suffered a greater loss than most mortal men could endure. Today, he stands as the Paragon of Truth. | ” |
Meanwhile, in the search for the "Bat of the Future", Kent and Lane started travelling across the Multiverse in search of the Paragon of Truth. Kent and Lane travelled to Earth-75, where they were contacted by West-Allen that Lex Luthor had escaped. Having heard the news, the couple saw the news of Superman being killed as Lois Lane cried by his side.[26]
West-Allen, Kent and Lane then travelled to Earth-167 where they met Clark Kent. They told the truth about Lex Luthor escaping and asking for his help, only to be sent back to the Waverider when Lex Luthor confronted him. Despite his effort, Kent-167 was able to easily defeat Luthor without his powers as he already gave them up years ago for his family. Luthor left Earth-167 as Kent-167 greeted his wife.[26]
The trio soon tracked Lex Luthor's location where they travelled to Earth-96. They bumped into Clark Kent and talked to him about Lex Luthor's escape. Kent-96 assured them that he could handle Luthor and revealed that he lost everything when the Joker attacked the Daily Planet. Kent, Lane and West-Allen realized they had found the Paragon of Truth. The two Supermen suited up and promised to fight Lex Luthor. Unfortunately, he arrived and used the Book of Destiny to turn Kent-96's mind, forcing them to fight each other. After a short duel, Lane and West-Allen knocked Luthor unconscious, using the book to restore Kent-96's mins and saving Kent-38 from danger.[26]
Resurrection of Oliver Queen[edit | hide]
“ | I give you the needle in the celestial haystack. | ” |
While the search for Paragons continued, Sara Lance, Barry Allen and Mia Smoak proposed to use Lazarus Pits to resurrect Oliver. Smoak assured Lance that she was told of everything about the pits from Nyssa al Ghul. The trio asked for Constantine's assistance as he cast a spell, creating a Star Map and exclaimed that many universes have been destroyed. Constantine gave them a "needle in a haystack", preparing to travel to Earth-18. Lance held him behind and ordered him to promise her that it would succeed. Constantine promised, leaving and telling her that to the best of his abilities.[26]
The group travelled to North Dakota of Earth-18 and found the functioning Lazarus Pit. Allen and Constantine left and brought Queen's body to the pit as Lance and Smoak fights Hex. They returned and placed Queen's body in the pit. He leapt out of the pit moments later and attacked Constantine. Allen saved him from danger and Smoak confronted her soulless father. Lance tranquilized Queen and told Smoak that that was not his father, not yet. Constantine cast his Soul Restoration Spell, only to fail as the Multiverse is the source of Magic, which is slowly dying due to the Crisis.[26]
Regroup[edit | hide]
After the completion of their respective tasks, the heroes returned to the Waverider and imprisoned Lex Luthor. Ray Palmer completed his Paragon Detector and located a Paragon on the Waverider. He claimed that it was malfunctioning, with Novu telling him that it was not, and that the Paragon of Courage is Kate Kane, the true Bat of the Future.[26]
While the heroes rested for their next mission, Harbinger started hearing voices in her head and teleported to a location that looked like a dark S.T.A.R. Labs hallway. She was then greeted by the Anti-Monitor, who possessed her body and started his plan to infiltrate the heroes.[26]
Hour Three[edit | hide]
Hours later, on Earth-203, Huntress was seen running building to building, trying to contact Oracle. However, the red sky quickly consumed the city, erasing the entire universe from existence.[24]
Paragon of Humanity - Dr. Ryan Choi[edit | hide]
Meanwhile, back on the Waverider, Ray Palmer struggled to get the Paragon Detector to track the remaining Paragons. Fortunately, Cisco Ramon, along with the rest of Team Flash, arrived onboard and quickly upgraded the Paragon Detector. The heroes looked at the machine as the faces of Paragons appeared on-screen: revealing Barry Allen is the Paragon of Love, J'onn J'onzz is the Paragon of Honor and Ryan Choi is the Paragon of Humanity. However, they did not know Choi and decided to recruit him. Since Ivy Town, Choi's workplace, was Palmer's hometown, he brought Iris West-Allen and Ralph Dibny in search of Choi.[24]
Choi was soon found contacting his wife on the phone regarding the red skies. He immediately got off the phone when he met Dr. Ray Palmer, his hero. West-Allen interrupted his gushing and asked him to go with them. Palmer explained that they are heroes and in need of his assistance in order to save the Multiverse. Choi believed it was a joke until Dibny performed his powers, revealing his identity as the Elongated Man. Despite believing them, Choi refused to go as he insisted on being with his wife when the Multiverse collapses.[24]
“ | You're human, and we have a purpose too. We remind superheroes what they're fighting for. | ” |
West-Allen later approached Choi, complementing his beautiful family. He appreciated it and told her that he is not like them, the heroes, that he does not possess superhuman abilities. West-Allen told him that she was the same before Choi noticing her ring. She revealed that her husband is not like them, who is a hero. West-Allen believed that it is them who remind the heroes of what they are fighting for. Eventually, Choi agreed to go with the heroes.[24]
Trip to Purgatory[edit | hide]
While the trio was searching for a Paragon, John Diggle boarded the Waverider and found an unconscious Oliver Queen in the medical bay. Sara told him to calm down as he expressed anger over his absence during the moment Queen needed him. Despite the heated tensions, Novu entered the room and informed him that Harbinger was missing. Novu later explained the Anti-Monitor and that he could not rewrite history, only could salvage what remains. Danvers was furious and Kane followed her.[24]
“ | It's your turn now, Oliver. Only you can light the spark, Oliver. It is your destiny. | ” |
As Lance monitored the body of Queen, Diggle brought Constantine and Smoak in search of Queen's soul. Constantine brought the duo to Earth-666, asking for Lucifer Morningstar's help. Morningstar gave them a card to enter Purgatory and resumed his routine. The trio quickly entered Purgatory as the card slowly faded. Luckily, they found a berserk Oliver Queen attacking them and were able to restore his mind. Despite their effort, Queen decided to stay as his fate was to become the Spectre, as told by Jim Corrigan. Corrigan sent the trio away, leaving Queen alone again.[24]
Girl of Steel and Bat of Gotham[edit | hide]
After listening to Novu's speech, Danvers refused to believe that she could not do anything to bring back Earth-38. Danvers and Kane approached Lex Luthor and questioned if they could bring the universe back. Luthor refused to give a clear answer, annoying Kane and was pinned to a wall. Luthor quickly revealed that bringing back an entire universe requires a strong focus using the Book of Destiny without hesitation. Luthor also informed Danvers that bringing back Earth-38 would drive a person insane, similar to how John Deegan was affected. Kane sent Luthor back to his cell and questioned Danvers' judgement in bringing back Earth-38. The latter insisted as she was the Paragon of Hope, and it could be her purpose in the Crisis.[24]
Later, Kane stopped Danvers from using the book, stating it would drive her insane. Danvers insisted multiple times and Kane informed her that getting hurt would potentially doom all of them. Danvers then left the room in anger. Kane approached Danvers in the cargo bay once more, revealing that she kept the Kryptonite from Wayne of Earth-99. Danvers told Kane to keep it as she has the courage that it would not be needed.[24]
The Flash Vanishes in Crisis[edit | hide]
With Ramon's Antimatter detector working, he received a message that the particles were found underground. Ramon left to prepare the proper equipment with Frost and confronted Novu, who stated he has a role to play in the Crisis. Despite his protest, Ramon was given his suit and powers back, becoming Vibe for the final time before his death.[24]
Ramon breached Allen and Frost to their destination and saw the door to the Multiversal Nexus. Allen ran off for reconnaissance. Pariah teleported to the location and reintroduced himself, with Ramon questioning his suit and name. However, Pariah did not possess the full memories of his encounter with the Anti-Monitor. Ramon vibed him and was able to give the required code, entering the Multiversal Nexus.[24]
Allen returned, telling them that there are no Quantum Towers yet. Ramon stated that the room gave off an immense vibration frequency surging off the walls. They found the Antimatter Canon in the center powered by an unknown blur. Allen sped up and found his Earth-90 doppelgänger being held as a slave. Allen-90 stopped Allen-1 from approaching him, with the latter unable to slow down and hitting the forcefield. Pariah revealed that the Anti-Monitor tested his cannon on Earth-2 when Oliver Queen altered the fate of certain people in the universe after Allen-90 was brought to the Multiversal Nexus during Elseworlds.[24]
Ramon used his powers and brought Allen-90 to freedom, with the machine slowly malfunctioning. Allen-90 insisted on reentering the treadmill, preventing the deaths of all the universes. Pariah left and brought Black Lightning to the Multiversal Nexus. Confused and disoriented, Black Lightning attacked Team Flash and sent Allen flying to a wall. Pariah arrived, introducing Black Lightning to the team and asking for his assistance to stop the malfunction. He started absorbing the electricity given off by the cannon, buying more time for the team. Allen-1 realized that this might be the moment of "Flash missing, vanishes in Crisis", an article that haunted him for 6 years. Ramon tried to theorize a plan to destroy the machine and bid goodbye to his best friend with Snow, who were both present when Allen discovered his abilities.[24]
“ | Keep riding the lightning, son. I know you'll make us all proud. | ” |
As Allen-1 slowly stepped on the treadmill, Allen-90 stole his speed and told him to keep riding the lightning, demanding Ramon to send himself onto the treadmill. Allen-1 told Ramon not to obey, with the latter telling him that he was trained to be a leader by the former, who told him that he should make the tough choices. Ramon sent Allen-90 on the treadmill, taking the heroes away from danger. Allen-90 ran as fast as he could on the treadmill, living his final moments with his memory of Tine McGee, his love and his wife. The Red Phantom's body slowly disintegrated, with the emblem of The Flash lying on the ground, signalling the death and the final run of Barry Allen.[24]
Rogue Harbinger[edit | hide]
“ | Wherever they are, they're gonna fight you. By any means necessary. To their very last breath. |
” |
The three teams boarded the Waverider once more, discovering that Earth-1 is the final universe left in the Multiverse. As they discussed their next moves, Harbinger returned, stating she had lost her memories and the last thing she could remember was patrolling Earth-1. Allen, Dibny, Superman-96 and Pariah discussed her suspicious return, later being concerned as Pariah is only allowed to witness tragedies, meaning an upcoming tragedy is happening. Harbinger turned her head to the heroes, with her eyes glowing white, revealing that she has been taken over by Anti-Monitor. Unfortunately, the heroes were defeated in a blink of an eye, with Novu being defenceless. Novu told Pariah that he would know what to do, dying and being absorbed by his Antimatter counterpart. Pariah quickly sent the Paragons to the Vanishing Point, a moment in time that Mobius would not be able to affect. The heroes nodded at each other, believing everything would be fine, before Mobius summoned the Antimatter wall and destroying Earth-1; killing the entire Multiverse in a second.[24]
The Paragons landed in the Vanishing Point, with Superman-96 slowly glowing in red. The reality changed as Lex Luthor revealed himself as the new Paragon of Truth, using the Book of Destiny to rewrite the prophecies.[24]
Lost Hope[edit | hide]
Stranded at the Vanishing Point[edit | hide]
Months later, Ryan Choi began writing a letter to his Amanda, whom he believed that he will never see. In his letter, he claimed that the Paragon of Destiny no longer believed in tomorrow; the Paragon of Courage started training herself for a fight that will never come; the Paragon of Honor simply meditates for hours; the Paragon of Hope had lost hers; while himself and Lex Luthor tried to repurpose abandoned Time Masters technology to escape. Barry Allen, the Paragon of Love, had also been missing for months.[5]
Choi and Luthor soon built a teleportation device, which did not work as the latter claimed it to be a long shot. Afterward, Allen opened a portal and landed on the ground, disoriented and claiming that he had just left them seconds ago. According to him, not even the Speed Force was able to bring him out of the Vanishing Point.[24]
Trip Down Memory Lane[edit | hide]
Despite the rest of the Paragons' insistence, Allen refused to give up and remain in the Vanishing Point, but rather chose to return to the Speed Force and continue searching for means of escape. The Paragons refused to stand out of Allen's way, until Oliver Queen, now as the Spectre, appeared from thin air and agreed with Allen that the Speed Force was the key to restoring the Multiverse. Queen also located the Anti-Monitor at the Dawn of Time, and commanded the Paragons to split up: one group to confront the Anti-Monitor, and another to Maltus to convince Mar Novu from ever opening a portal to the Antimatter Universe.[5]
With a boost from Queen, Allen gained a newfound power level and brought the Paragons into the Speed Force. Danvers, Choi and Luthor were brought to Maltus, with Luthor soon betraying them and attempting to convince a young Novu to join his conquest. Thankfully, Danvers was able to locate Choi and brought him to Novu's lab, fighting Luthor while Choi continues the mission. Novu was convinced by Choi, realizing the devastating consequences and choosing not to carry out the experiment.[5]
Meanwhile, in the Speed Force, Allen and the rest of the Paragons were attacked by the Anti-Monitor's forces, which scattered them across the dimension. Queen made use of his cosmic abilities, trying his best to hold the Paragons from falling out of the Speed Force and being consumed by Antimatter. Using a small piece of his essence, Queen instructed Allen to search for the rest of the Paragons, each experiencing a memory of his own past. As Allen sped across the Speed Force, he ran into a Post-Crisis counterpart of himself, before the latter faded away. Continuing his search, Allen found Kane in Queen's confrontation with Ray Palmer in 2015, J'onzz in the Dominator Invasion, Queen in the Elseworlds conflict, and Lance mere hours after her death. Allen successfully regrouped the Paragons, and sped directly towards the Dawn of Time, preparing the group for the battle of their lives.[5]
Battle at the Dawn of Time[edit | hide]
At the Dawn of Time, the Anti-Monitor revealed himself and his army of Shadow Demons, reminding the Paragons that even the Novu they knew never carried out the experiment, one among an infinite amount of them still did, unleashing him to the Multiverse. Queen then emphasized that the Paragons were chosen exactly for this moment in time, to buy time for the rebirth of the entire Multiverse. Queen claimed that he would light the spark, while the Paragons would fan the flame, and ultimately recreate the Multiverse that they had lost to the Anti-Monitor. Despite Luthor's confusion, Queen was unable to provide answers, and simply told him that they would know when the time comes. Allen conversed with Queen, placing his trust in his old friend like he always had.[5]
“ | There was an end... And there's a beginning. You remember what I told you? Dying is the easy part. I'm at peace. The real heroes... They're the ones that have to keep going. So keep... going... And don't ever stop. This world, this new world... It needs both of you. | ” |
While the Paragons defended themselves from the Shadow Demons, Queen dueled with the Anti-Monitor and lit the spark in their clashes, successfully generating the power to rebirth the Multiverse. The Paragons then realized their purpose, to provide the new Multiverse the seven values that they stood for: hope, destiny, truth, courage, honor, love, and humanity. As Queen exerted all of his power directly at the Anti-Monitor, he exclaimed that the latter had failed the universe, seemingly killing his enemy in the battle. Unfortunately, the battle took a toll on Queen's physical condition, weakening him to a point where he was unable to get up. Seeing a defeated Queen from afar, Allen sped Lance towards him, with Queen bidding farewell to two of his closest friends and reminding Allen that death is the easy part, while the ones going on are the true heroes. He then gazed into the new world that they had created, and how beautiful it was, while slowly dying, finally at peace.[5]
Victory[edit | hide]
A Whole New World[edit | hide]
“ | We helped Oliver restart the universe. And this is the result. I suspect there will be more such changes that are yet to reveal themselves. | ” |
With the creation of a whole new world, now designated Earth-Prime, the Paragons' consciousnesses were restored to their Post-Crisis counterparts. The first to wake up was Kara Danvers, who woke up in her loft from a sleep and nearly shot Alex Danvers with her heat vision. Both were equally confused, with Kara vaguely remembering the Crisis as a dream. Kara continued to live in the new universe for several hours, arriving just in time for her assignment at Lex Luthor's Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. Unbeknownst to Kara, Luthor was a well-known heroic entrepreneur on Earth-Prime, and had previously saved the world from danger for countless times.[27]
As Supergirl, Danvers flew to the DEO Headquarters and discovered that the DEO was a Luthor Corp subsidiary, and was even more confused by the sudden changes. J'onn J'onzz then revealed himself to Danvers, explaining that after the Battle at the Dawn of Time, the Paragons were the only ones that retained their memory before the Crisis, and that the changes done to the universe will soon reveal themselves. However, they were interrupted by Weather Witch (Earth-Prime)|Weather Witch's attack in the city, with Danvers leaving to defend the city once more.[27]
With Supergirl on the scene, Weather Witch continued her assault on the police officers until Barry Allen arrived and brought her into custody. Both Allen and Danvers were confused, believing that they were in their respective universes and were surprised to see each other. Their confusion was soon cleared when a bystander asked them for a signature, realizing that their universes had merged with each other's in the New Multiverse. They then went to the Bunker to search for more answers about the new universe.[27]
Meanwhile, Sara Lance woke up disoriented on the streets of Star City, and decided to call Ray Palmer to provide answers to her confusion. Despite her expectations, Palmer did not recall anything from the Crisis, like other denizens of Earth-Prime. J'onzz telepathically announced his arrival, restoring Palmer's Pre-Crisis memories and explained to Lance about the changes done to the universe after the battle. Hoping to see Oliver Queen in the new universe, Lance went to the Bunker and found Team Arrow mourning after J'onzz restored their memories. Lance was frustrated and in disbelief, still believing that Queen would be alive in the new universe despite John Diggle's confirmations. Rene Ramirez also sourced Felicity Smoak's global searches, which did not find Queen anywhere on Earth.[27]
J'onzz then continued to restore the memories of his allies, including Caitlin Snow and Nash Wells in Central City, Black Lightning in Freeland, Superman in Metropolis, and eventually Alex Danvers and Dreamer back in National City. Among the restored, Nash Wells was the only one who continued his investigations, discovering traces of Antimatter on Earth-Prime.[27]
Beebo Rampages[edit | hide]
While Allen and Danvers made their way to the Bunker, Team Arrow discovered the presence of a gigantic Beebo rampaging on the streets of Star City. Allen, Danvers and Palmer went out to the field and confronted Beebo, uncertain as to how they defeat him. As they wandered in confusion, Lance contacted the Legends, though was surprised that the Beebo was not a creation of the Totems of Zambesi, as Behrad Tarazi was still on board the Waverider. Nate Heywood and Ava Sharpe asked if the Paragons require assist from the Legends, with Lance refusing to let any more of the team being involved in the chaos. Sharpe then hesitantly said that one of them was there.[27]
Back in the field, Supergirl, the Atom and Heat Wave attempted to distract Beebo while The Flash wrapped Beebo's legs with cables to trip him when he moved. Out of their expectations, Beebo was able to walk through the cables and did not register as any elements on the periodic table. Batwoman then arrived, claiming that the rules of Earth may not apply to their enemy. Ultimately, Rory deduced that it was merely a distraction, as he claimed that it would be exactly what he would do in a crime. Lance then suited up as the White Canary, joined by The Flash and successfully apprehended Sargon the Sorcerer, who was robbing a bank during the chaos.[27]
Calm Before the Storm[edit | hide]
After their victory, Lance and Allen conversed with each other near Lance's old neighborhood, reminiscing her past with her deceased sister. Unfortunately, the moment was abruptly halted when a Shadow Demon attacked them, though was vaporized after Allen held it as Lance kicked it. J'onzz then sent out a telepathic message to the Paragons, broadcasting his message that all of them were currently attacked by the Anti-Monitor's forces. Lance and Allen soon made their way to Ryan Choi. who does not possess any superhuman abilities and was a moment from his demise. Lance then used her baton to vaporize the Shadow Demon.[27]
Gathering the Paragons, Nash Wells and the Team Arrow at the Bunker, Lance explained the situation, that the Anti-Monitor was not destroyed during the Battle at the Dawn of Time, but simply reserved himself until he was ready to attack the Paragons once more. Wells confirmed the theory, claiming that there are still traces of Antimatter. The group continued to brainstorm ideas of defeating the Anti-Monitor, ultimately coming to the conclusion that they should create a bomb to shrink him for eternity, trapping him in the Microverse. Now with a plan, Lance commanded Palmer, Choi and Wells to begin their work on the bomb, Rory to defend S.T.A.R. Labs from danger, and the rest to Gardner Pier.[27]
Battle of Earth-Prime[edit | hide]
The heroes of Earth-Prime then arrived at the pier, confronting thousands of Shadow Demons and began vaporizing as much as they could. Meanwhile, at S.T.A.R. Labs, the "geek team" began their construction of the bomb, with Wells deciding on the material of depleted promethium. Dinah Drake alerted the group at S.T.A.R. Labs that Shadow Demons were advancing in their position. As Frost, Snow and Rory prepared themselves for a battle, though were hesitant as to who would kill the first demon in the building. Before they came to a common understanding, Black Lightning blasted the demon to oblivion, teaming up with the duo and defending S.T.A.R. Labs.[27]
“ | Fighting is useless. Surrender. Not today. Not ever. Oliver died so that we could continue to fight. He sacrificed everything for this new world, and we will not fail him. We will not fail this world. For Oliver. |
” |
As the battle advanced, the Anti-Monitor was summoned, with him affirming his soon victory and that the heroes were mere ants to him. Lance stepped forward, reminding the heroes that this battle was for Oliver Queen, and that they would not fail him and the new universe. The heroes then began attacking the Anti-Monitor, though was overpowered by his advanced energy field and strength. The Anti-Monitor soon enlarged his body, with the heroes split into two groups and continuing their attacks.[27]
Allen was summoned back to S.T.A.R. Labs, with the team requiring his assistance in quickly assembling the pieces. Allen completed the construction in seconds, while bringing Palmer to the field to deliver the bomb. As Allen vanquished the Shadow Demons from the ground team, Palmer flew at top speed to deliver the bomb to Supergirl. While the ground team was surrounded by Shadow Demons, Palmer shrank Superman from the Anti-Monitor's grasp and advised Danvers to throw the bomb directly at the Anti-Monitor. Danvers then followed Palmer's instructions, throwing the bomb in contact with the Anti-Monitor and shrinking him into nothingness, achieving the heroes' final victory against the Anti-Monitor, restoring peace to the multiverse once and for all.[27]
Aftermath[edit | hide]
Timelines and Universes[edit | hide]
“ | An infinite number of Earths experienced a cosmic heat death from which only one Earth was rebuilt. So now not only do Superman, Supergirl, and Black Lightning live here, but now our entire timeline has been rewritten so that they've always lived here, and I don't remember owning this shirt! | ” |
While the Paragons thought Earth-Prime was the sole universe in the New Multiverse, they were unaware that the infinite possibilities in the timeline of Earth-Prime led to the birth of countless more, with a majority of their previous allies being restored to a new universe with different memories. However, some were restored to Earth-Prime and merged their timelines together. Those major universes include Earth-1, Earth-38 and Black Lightning's universe, with slight shifts in the timeline and geography of the universe to adjust to the merged timelines. Additionally, these changes also affected the physics of breaches, meaning that the universes are no longer separated by vibrational frequencies and the means of inter-dimensional travelling are no longer the same.[28]
Refugees from Other Universes[edit | hide]
Aside from those originating from Earth-1, Earth-38 and Black Lightning's universe, a plethora of individuals were sent to Earth-Prime, with them often replacing their Earth-Prime counterparts, as seen with Earth-2 Laurel Lance. Unfortunately, due to the physics of the universe, doppelgängers cannot coexist in the new universe at the same time, with both suffering torturous visions and headaches, also known as "Inter-Dimensional Kinesthesis", that only disappears after one of them dies. It is assumed that all the doppelgängers now no longer coexist on Earth-Prime, with them either dying or being conserved with other means, such as using Bottles or digitization of their consciousnesses.[29][30][31][32]
This phenomenon also occurred in other universes, including another Superman's universe, where John Henry Irons and Natalie Lane Irons were displaced to, from an Antimatter portal that destroyed their home universe.[33][34]
A similar phenomenon happened to the Harrison Wellses. While Nash Wells was the only Wells that survived the Crisis and brought to Earth-Prime, the consciousnesses of an infinite number of Wells were kept intact in Nash Wells' mind, with him capable of communicating with them through visions. This ultimately led to the creation of the Artificial Speed Force, after the Speed Force "died" from an imbalance of Spectre energy. In the end, the 1% of Wellses were brought back to restore the multiversal balance, resurrecting the original Harrison Wells with time travelling abilities.[35][36][37]
Death of the Speed Force[edit | hide]
In order to travel to the Dawn of Time, the Spectre gave Barry Allen a boost to enter the Speed Force.[5] After the Multiverse got restored, Wally West felt something wrong and returned to Central City to talk to Barry, only to know that he suffered from a few "hiccups" while accessing his speed. Later, they entered the Speed Force to talk to them and realized that the Spectre energy unbalanced the nature of the Speed Force and caused its "death".[35] After the death, Allen and the other speedsters started to lose their speed, which caused Allen to begin to build the Artificial Speed Force.[31] Despite this, the Artificial Speed Force was proven to be ineffective, as it took away Allen's humanity in exchange for his intelligence. The Artificial Speed Force was destroyed, though Iris West-Allen was able to respark the Speed Force using its machine, and create other Forces of Nature in the process.[37][38]
Loom of Fate[edit | hide]
- For more information, see Quest for the Loom of Fate (Earth-Prime).
As a result of the merging of universes, the initially scattered pieces of the Loom of Fate now reunited in one universe. Lachesis and Atropos then began their search for the pieces, coming into conflict with the Legends of Tomorrow and their sister, Clotho.[39]
Phantom Zone[edit | hide]
Aside from the scientific and mystical changes to the universe, pocket dimensions attached to Earth-Prime, such as the Phantom Zone, also underwent major changes. The Phantom Zone is now more unpredictable after the Crisis shattered its Pre-Crisis versions, with it now being in a state of infinite planes instead of a timeless void. The residents that were restored also retain their Pre-Crisis memories, with them coming to their mind as flashes.[40]
Birth of the Justice League[edit | hide]
With the Crisis over, Barry Allen set up a memorial and an eternal flame for Oliver Queen at the S.T.A.R. hanger. Allen also assembled Supergirl, White Canary, Batwoman, Black Lightning, Superman and the Martian Manhunter at the hanger, forming the Justice League and naming the hanger the "Hall of Justice", preparing the heroes in case of another similar threats in the future.[27]
Erased Timeline[edit | hide]
For more information, see the event in 2024.
Crimson Skies[edit | hide]
On December 10, 2019, the Crisis hit Earth-1 as the skies turned crimson red, with countless heroes attempting to save Earth-1 from its destruction. Those heroes include The Flash, Green Arrow, White Canary, Supergirl and Batwoman. While the heroes fought bravely, The Flash disappeared in a flash of light while dueling the Reverse-Flash, with the Green Arrow dying in the Crisis.[3]
Hero of Star City: The Green Arrow[edit | hide]
After Queen's sacrifice during the Crisis, he was buried at the Queen Mansion, next to his father and half-sister. His tombstone wrote "beloved husband, brother, father and son. Hero of Star City. The Green Arrow".[4]
Years later in 2040, Felicity Smoak of the now erased timeline decided it was ready, and accepted The Monitor's offer to reunite with Oliver Queen in the Afterlife.[1]
Participants[edit | hide]
Original Multiverse[edit | hide]
- Paragons
- The Monitor (Mar Novu)
- Harbinger (Lyla Michaels)
- Pariah (Nash Wells)
- Team Flash
- DEO
- Legends of Tomorrow
- Team Arrow
- Superman (Clark Kent)
- Lois Lane
- Lena Luthor
- Legends
- Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce)
- Nyssa al Ghul
- Kid Flash (Wally West)
- The Ray (Ray Terrill)
- Shadow Demons
- Anti-Monitor (Mobius)
New Multiverse[edit | hide]
- Paragons
- Nash Wells
- Team Flash
- DEO
- Legends of Tomorrow
- Team Arrow
- Superman (Clark Kent)
- Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce)
- Shadow Demons
- Anti-Monitor (Mobius)
Appearances[edit | hide]
Season Five | ||
---|---|---|
#1 | Legacy (The Flash) | Newspaper |
Season Six | ||
---|---|---|
#1 | Into the Void | Mentioned |
#2 | A Flash of the Lightning | Vision |
#3 | Dead Man Running | Mentioned |
#4 | There Will Be Blood | Mentioned |
#5 | Kiss Kiss Breach Breach | Mentioned |
#6 | License to Elongate | Mentioned |
#7 | The Last Temptation of Barry Allen, Part 1 | Mentioned |
#8 | The Last Temptation of Barry Allen, Part 2 | Appears |
#9 | Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three | Appears |
#10 | Marathon | Mentioned |
#11 | Love Is a Battlefield | Mentioned |
#12 | A Girl Named Sue | Mentioned |
#13 | Grodd Friended Me | Mentioned |
#14 | Death of the Speed Force | Flashback |
#15 | The Exorcism of Nash Wells | Mentioned |
#16 | Liberation | Mentioned |
#17 | Pay the Piper | Mentioned |
Season Seven | ||
---|---|---|
#1 | All's Wells That Ends Wells | Mentioned |
#2 | Mother | Mentioned |
#3 | Central City Strong | Mentioned |
#4 | Fear Me | Mentioned |
#5 | The People v. Killer Frost | Indirectly Mentioned |
#6 | Good-Bye Vibrations | Flashback |
Season Eight | ||
---|---|---|
#1 | Armageddon, Part 2 | Mentioned |
#2 | Armageddon, Part 3 | Mentioned |
#3 | Armageddon, Part 4 | Mentioned |
#4 | Death Falls | Flashback |
#5 | Into the Still Force | Mentioned |
Season Nine | ||
---|---|---|
#1 | The Mask of the Red Death, Part 2 | Mentioned |
#2 | The Good, the Bad and the Lucky | Mentioned |
#3 | It's My Party and I'll Die If I Want To | Mentioned |
#4 | A New World, Part 2: The Blues | Mentioned |
Season Seven | ||
---|---|---|
#1 | You Have Saved This City | Mentioned |
Season Eight | ||
---|---|---|
#1 | Starling City | Mentioned |
#2 | Welcome to Hong Kong | Mentioned |
#3 | Leap of Faith | Mentioned |
#4 | Prochnost | Mentioned |
#5 | Reset | Mentioned |
#6 | Purgatory (Arrow) | Appears |
#7 | Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Four | Appears |
#8 | Green Arrow & The Canaries | Mentioned |
#9 | Fadeout | Mentioned |
Season Five | ||
---|---|---|
#1 | The Wrath of Rama Khan | Mentioned |
#2 | Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part One | Appears |
#3 | The Bottle Episode | Mentioned |
#4 | Back from the Future: Part One | Mentioned |
#5 | The Bodyguard | Mentioned |
#6 | Deus Lex Machina | Flashback |
Season Six | ||
---|---|---|
#1 | Rebirth (Supergirl) | Mentioned |
#2 | A Few Good Women | Mentioned |
#3 | Prom Night! | Mentioned |
#4 | Dream Weaver | Mentioned |
#5 | I Believe in a Thing Called Love | Mentioned |
Season One | ||
---|---|---|
#1 | Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Two | Appears |
#2 | How Queer Everything Is Today! | Mentioned |
#3 | An Un-Birthday Present | Indirectly Mentioned |
#4 | Take Your Choice | Mentioned |
#5 | Off with Her Head | Indirectly Mentioned |
Season Two | ||
---|---|---|
#1 | Gore on Canvas | Indirectly Mentioned |
Season Four | ||
---|---|---|
#1 | The Book of Ruin: Chapter Two: Theseus's Ship | Indirectly Mentioned |
#2 | The Book of Resurrection: Chapter One: Crossroads | Indirectly Mentioned |
Season Five | ||
---|---|---|
#1 | Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Five | Appears |
#2 | Meet the Legends | Mentioned |
#3 | Mortal Khanbat | Indirectly Mentioned |
Season One | ||
---|---|---|
#1 | Man of Steel (Superman & Lois) | Indirectly Mentioned |
#2 | Holding the Wrench | Flashback |
#3 | Through the Valley of Death | Flashback |
Season Two | ||
---|---|---|
#1 | Into Oblivion | Flashback |
#2 | Truth and Consequences | Indirectly Mentioned |
#3 | Worlds War Bizarre | Mentioned |
Appearances | ||
---|---|---|
Flesh and Mud | Flashback | |
Controlled Burn | Flashback |
References[edit | hide]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Fadeout
- ↑ Grodd Friended Me
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Legacy (The Flash)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 You Have Saved This City
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Four
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Elseworlds, Part 3
- ↑ Elseworlds, Part 1
- ↑ Elseworlds, Part 2
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Into the Void
- ↑ A Flash of the Lightning
- ↑ Dead Man Running
- ↑ There Will Be Blood
- ↑ Kiss Kiss Breach Breach
- ↑ License to Elongate
- ↑ Starling City
- ↑ Welcome to Hong Kong
- ↑ Present Tense
- ↑ Reset
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Purgatory (Arrow)
- ↑ The Quest for Peace
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 The Wrath of Rama Khan
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 The Last Temptation of Barry Allen, Part 2
- ↑ A Mad Tea-Party
- ↑ 24.00 24.01 24.02 24.03 24.04 24.05 24.06 24.07 24.08 24.09 24.10 24.11 24.12 24.13 24.14 24.15 24.16 Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part One
- ↑ 26.00 26.01 26.02 26.03 26.04 26.05 26.06 26.07 26.08 26.09 26.10 26.11 26.12 Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Two
- ↑ 27.00 27.01 27.02 27.03 27.04 27.05 27.06 27.07 27.08 27.09 27.10 27.11 27.12 Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Five
- ↑ Marathon
- ↑ The Bottle Episode
- ↑ An Un-Birthday Present
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 The Exorcism of Nash Wells
- ↑ What Lies Beneath
- ↑ Man of Steel (Superman & Lois)
- ↑ Last Sons of Krypton
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 Death of the Speed Force
- ↑ All's Wells That Ends Wells
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 Mother
- ↑ The Speed of Thought
- ↑ A Head of Her Time
- ↑ Phantom Menaces