Crisis on Infinite Earths
Encyclopedia
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book
limited series
(identified as a "12-part maxi-series") and crossover
event, produced by DC Comics
in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity
. The series was written by Marv Wolfman
and illustrated by George Pérez
(pencils/layouts), along with Mike DeCarlo
, Dick Giordano
, and Jerry Ordway
(who shared inking/embellishing chores). The series removed the concept of the Multiverse
in the fictional DC Universe
, and depicted the deaths of such long-standing superhero
es as Supergirl
and the Barry Allen incarnation of the Flash
. As such, it is one of the most important events in the DC Universe, and continuity in the DCU is typically divided into pre-Crisis and post-Crisis periods.
The title of the series was inspired by earlier crossover stories involving the multiple parallel Earths of the Multiverse, such as "Crisis on Earth-Two" and "Crisis on Earth-Three", but instead of lasting two to five issues and involving members from many superhero teams from many parallel worlds, it involved virtually every significant character from every parallel universe
in DC's history. It in turn inspired the titles of four subsequent DC crossover series: Zero Hour: Crisis in Time (1994), Identity Crisis (2004), Infinite Crisis
(2005–2006), and Final Crisis
(2008).
, the lone survivor of the destroyed planet Krypton, originally could not fly (he could instead leap over an eighth of a mile), and his powers came from having evolved on a planet with stronger gravity
than Earth's. Soon, he was depicted as able to fly and his powers were explained as coming from our solar system's yellow sun. A more complex origin story was invented. In time, his career was altered to include early exploits as Superboy
. More survivors of Krypton were introduced, including Supergirl
, a dog named Krypto
, the inhabitants of the bottled city of Kandor
, and others. This further watered down the original concept: that the character was the sole survivor of his planet's destruction.
Issues also arose regarding the age of characters. Batman
, an Earth-born human
without superpowers, retained his youth and vitality well into the 1980s despite having been an active hero during World War II
. His sidekick, Robin
, took over thirty years in real time to graduate from high school.
Characters such as the Flash
, the Atom
, and Green Lantern
often featured conflicting story lines. Origins and even powers differed between tales, depending on the writers.
", which featured Barry Allen, the then-currently published version of the Flash, meeting Jay Garrick
, the version originally published by the company. The meeting was made possible by the introduction of the idea of two parallel worlds: Earth-One, the contemporary DC Universe which had been depicted since the advent of the Silver Age
; and Earth-Two
, the parallel world where the Golden Age
events took place, and where the heroes who were active during that period had aged more or less realistically since that time.
This idea was eventually expanded into the concept of a multiverse
, including such worlds as Earth-Three
, which was an "opposite" world where heroes were villains and historical events happened in reverse of how they occurred in real life (e.g., President
John Wilkes Booth
being assassinated by an actor named Abraham Lincoln
), and Earth Prime
, which was ostensibly the "real world" and used to explain how real-life DC staffers (such as Julius Schwartz
) could occasionally appear in comics stories, and so forth. If something happened outside current continuity (such as the so-called "Imaginary Stories" that were a staple of DC's Silver Age
publications), it was explained away as happening on a parallel world, a premise not dissimilar to the company's current Elseworlds
imprint.
As the volume of published work within the DC Universe
became larger and as the original stories of characters receded in time, the task of reconciling plot points grew. The burden of keeping track of differing versions of a variety of characters proved taxing for DC's writers.
and Len Wein
saw it as a chance to clean up DC's rather convoluted continuity (which was thought to have put many new readers off buying DC titles) that had built up over time. The term "Crisis" was a word used frequently in DC Comics of the time, as it denoted an inter-dimensional crossover, such as the yearly Justice League
/Justice Society
crossovers that began with "Crisis on Earth-One".
Wolfman came up with an idea that would reach across the entirety of the DC Universe and its half-century of history. The groundwork for Crisis was laid over the year preceding its publication as one of the chief characters of the series, the Monitor
, was introduced into various comics. In these original appearances, the Monitor was portrayed as a shadowy figure and a potential villain. His face was never shown, perhaps to imply that he might be an established DC villain, and his most common appearance was as a source of technology or information for various villains in the DC Universe.
The series was highly successful from a marketing standpoint, generating renewed interest in the company's books, enticing readers with the tagline
that "the DC Universe will never be the same." Along with Alan Moore
's Watchmen
and Frank Miller
's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
, it contributed to the commercial and creative revitalization of DC Comics after years of being dominated in the market by rival publisher Marvel Comics
.
Crisis also helped popularize the formula of the line-wide "crossover
" comic book series, a concept deployed previously in Marvel's Contest of Champions
(1983) and Secret Wars
(1984). Since 1985, superhero publishers such as DC and Marvel have had frequent "summer crossover" series designed to tie many of their comic book titles together under a single storyline.
The story introduces readers to two near-omnipotent
beings, the good Monitor
and the evil Anti-Monitor
, who had been created as a result of the same experiment that created the Multiverse
. The Monitor made cameo appearances in various DC comic book series for two years preceding the publication of the series. At first, he appeared to be a new supervillain
, but with the onset of the Crisis, he was revealed to be working on a desperate plan to save the entire Multiverse from destruction at the hands of the Anti-Monitor. The Crisis series highlighted the efforts of DC Comics' superheroes to stop the Anti-Monitor's plan. Under the initial guidance of the Monitor, a select group of heroes was assigned to protect massive "tuning forks" designed to merge the surviving Earths into one that could be protected from the antimatter
that had already annihilated untold numbers of alternate Earths. Eventually, the conflict grew and nearly every DC hero became involved in the battle.
The Monitor was murdered by his own assistant, Harbinger
, while one of her duplicates was temporarily possessed by one of the Anti-Monitor's "shadow demons." However, he expected the attack and allowed it to happen so that his death would release enough energy to protect the last five parallel Earths (the homes of the known DC Universe
) long enough for the heroes to lead an assault on the Anti-Monitor under the guidance of the Monitor's assistants, Harbinger, Alexander Luthor, Jr.
, and Pariah
. The villain is forced to retreat, but at the cost of Supergirl
's life.
This lull in the war provides some breathing room for the heroes, but the various supervillains join forces under Brainiac
(who murders Alexi Luthor of Earth-Two for trying to take leadership) and Lex Luthor
to conquer the Earths, while the Anti-Monitor causes chaos on the Earths by forcing the Psycho-Pirate
to manipulate the emotions of their inhabitants. The Flash
(Barry Allen) dies stopping the Anti-Monitor's backup scheme of destruction—to use an antimatter cannon to penetrate the protective aura. The Spectre
halts the hero/villain conflict, warning that the Anti-Monitor is traveling to the beginning of time to prevent the Multiverse's creation. Heroes and villains join forces in response, with the heroes traveling to stop the Anti-Monitor, and the villains traveling to the planet Oa
in antiquity to prevent the renegade scientist Krona
from performing a historic experiment that would allow the Anti-Monitor to succeed in his efforts.
The villains fail, and Krona proceeds with his experiment; while the heroes support the Spectre, whose battle with the Anti-Monitor creates an energy overload that shatters space and time. A single universe is created and all the superheroes return to a present-day reality where the various elements of the five Earths were fused into one, with no one except the people present at the battle at the dawn of time remembering the original reality.
The Anti-Monitor attacks one last time, transporting Earth to the Anti-Matter universe, and summons a massive horde of shadow demons. However, he falls to a carefully planned counter-attack, culminating in a battle with Kal-L (the Earth-Two Superman), Alexander Luthor
of Earth-Three, and Superboy
of Earth-Prime, with some unexpected last-second help from the New Gods
' adversary, Darkseid
. As the Anti-Monitor crashes into a star and dies, Alex sends himself, Earth-Two Superman, Earth-Two Lois Lane
, and Earth-Prime Superboy into a paradise reality.
The aftermath of the Crisis plays out a few pages later, including Wally West becoming the new Flash. The final page shows the Psycho-Pirate
, who was now imprisoned in Arkham Asylum
, talking to himself in a monologue
:
magazine interview in 1994, Chris Claremont
suggested that Superman of Earth-One dies in the final battle with the Anti-Monitor in issue #12. After the Anti-Monitor was destroyed for good, Kal-L from Earth-Two realizes that he is now alone, without his Earth, without his Lois, and now the new single Earth is without a Superman. Then he remarks, "Don't need this anymore," and brushes the white dye off his hair and other make-up that he apparently used to make himself look aged. The other heroes are surprised by this and Kal-L simply explains that he had stopped aging when he reached the peak of his powers. He returns with the other heroes to the new post-Crisis Earth, taking the place of the Earth-One Superman.
If this idea had been used, then The Man of Steel would have marked the return of the "Original Super-Hero", as Kal-L (now switched to Kal-El) begins his life on the post-Crisis Earth, which is similar to his old life, but with distinct differences. Despite this "culture shock," Kal-L endures and is given a new lease on life by being deposited back to the early days of the modern heroic age of the post-Crisis Earth. However, this was discarded when the John Byrne version of The Man of Steel was planned.
) shows up again in Grant Morrison
's run on Animal Man
, imprisoned in Arkham Asylum. He ends up releasing characters destroyed during the Crisis back into the world. Many of these characters come to realize that they are just characters in a comic book. After an intervention by Animal Man, Hayden, seemingly happy, fades away into nothingness due to the strain from releasing all the forgotten characters, removing him from reality and heading into Limbo
, where DC characters go when not being written about. James Highwater, a Native American
physicist, is left to wear the Medusa Mask and keep the forgotten worlds contained. The other staff members come to accept Highwater as a patient, not realizing anything is wrong.
Subsequent comics however, particularly major event crossovers, consistently ignored this, deploying the Psycho-Pirate as if he were still Hayden—even using him in a similar role to his original one in Infinite Crisis
.
' long-standing continuity. Characters and other elements established before the series, especially those eliminated by it, were referred to as pre-Crisis, while revised ones were considered post-Crisis. As a result, the series and its events eventually became known simply as "The Crisis", an informal title that would persist among fans, readers, and even the DC editorial staff, for almost 20 years.
However, with the advent of the 2005–2006 mini-series Infinite Crisis
, another continuity-altering storyline, pre- or post-Crisis alone is no longer a definitive identifier; it is now necessary to make clear which Crisis one is referring to. Recent terms have been adopted by both fans and DC Comics
when referring to anything after Infinite Crisis, such as "post-Infinite Crisis", "One Year Later
", or simply "New Earth". The terms "post-CIE," referring to Crisis on Infinite Earths, and "post-IC," referring to Infinite Crisis, have also been used to avoid confusion between the two storylines.
Crisis was used by DC as an opportunity to wipe much of its slate clean and make major changes to many of their major revenue-generating comic book series. Frank Miller
's revamp of Batman with Batman: Year One
, George Pérez
's relaunching of Wonder Woman
in Gods and Mortals
, and John Byrne's reboot of Superman in The Man of Steel all took place shortly following Crisis on Infinite Earths, and changed substantial elements of the characters' backstories. The Green Lantern
title was also changed to Green Lantern Corps
, chronicling the adventures of a group of Green Lanterns led by Hal Jordan and stationed on Earth.
Several other titles which were not significantly retcon
ned were taken in very different directions following Crisis. However, to give readers breathing room, these revamps were delayed for a year so that they could be tied into DC's next "big event" storyline, "Legends". The Flash
was relaunched starring a younger main character, the previous Flash's sidekick, Kid Flash (Wally West
). The Justice League of America
title was cancelled, to be replaced by a new series entitled simply Justice League
, featuring a new cast drawn from what had been different universes in DC's pre-Crisis multiverse. A new Suicide Squad
title was launched, and Captain Marvel
was given his own new mini-series to establish his new post-Crisis origin.
The majority of DC Universe characters are unaware that the original, multiverse-wide Crisis occurred. Although, the characters who were present at the epic battle at the dawn of time (Crisis on Infinite Earths #10, "Death at the Dawn of Time") — Psycho-Pirate
, Lady Quark
, Harbinger
, and Pariah
— were initially treated as exceptions, this idea did not stick. There have been occasional references to the event. A 2002 storyline in the Supergirl
comic book saw the original pre-Crisis Supergirl landing on post-Crisis Earth, for example, and established that the Spectre
, being able to see across dimensions and timelines, is aware that the Crisis occurred. In addition, Grant Morrison
's run on Animal Man
, heralded for its deconstruction of the concept of the comic book, initiated a "Second Crisis" in which characters such as the original Crime Syndicate of America
from Earth-Three came back to life thanks to the Medusa Mask owned by the Psycho-Pirate, who remembered the original Crisis. Per Degaton
is aware of the pre-Crisis timeline, as he told the JSAs of the present and of 1951 that he would retcon them out of existence the same way the Huntress
of Earth-Two was. With the Fourth World existing outside the Multiverse proper, Darkseid has also acknowledged the events of the Crisis. Members of the Green Lantern Corps
were also aware of the Crisis, even though none participated in the battle at the beginning of time. Corps member Ch'p
, the only Earth-One
character to have his timeline completely erased by the Crisis, was nonetheless recognized by his fellow Green Lanterns. John Constantine
is also aware of the Crisis, as seen in Swamp Thing
(vol. 2) #70. In the Planetary
special Planetary/Batman: Night on Earth, it was implied that Elijah Snow had somehow temporarily left the Wildstorm
universe to witness the Crisis. Finally, during the Joker: Last Laugh crossover, the Joker refers to the lack of "anti-matter auroras" and "blood-red skies" during his rampage, declaring that "Every other crisis gets funky mood lighting!"
The following DC characters were explicitly shown to have died during Crisis on Infinite Earths:
Some of the dead characters reappeared or disappeared in some way later:
played major roles in the story. Lady Quark was introduced as a survivor of one of the destroyed worlds. A new Doctor Light
, this time heroic and female, was introduced. The former Charlton Comics
characters — notably Blue Beetle
II — were introduced to the DC Universe.
After the Crisis, former Kid Flash
Wally West
took over the mantle of his predecessor, the Flash
. Jonah Hex
was transported to a post-apocalyptic
future, but this did not prove popular and subsequent stories brought him back to the Wild West
. The JSA
member Wildcat
was briefly replaced by his god-daughter, Yolanda Montez. The Guardians of the Universe
departed for an unknown dimension, and the Green Lantern Corps
was reorganized, with Hal Jordan
leading a team of Green Lanterns based on Earth.
Several characters such as Hawkman
, Donna Troy
, and Power Girl
saw their origins complicated by the changes implemented by the Crisis and the various reboots of characters. The Superman line saw particular continuity issues regarding its supporting cast. In an effort to return Superman to his special status as the "last son of Krypton" DC had used the Crisis and the Man of Steel limited series to eliminate most of the Kryptonian supporting characters. For Supergirl this was not a major problem initially since the character had died in the Crisis. However, later writers would bring the character back using various explanations ranging from her being a shapeshifting alien to her being an angel. Power Girl, originally introduced as a cousin of Superman still existed however. With the mandate to reduce the number of Kryptonians in the DCU, her origin was changed to being a descendant of ancient Atlanteans who mistakenly believed herself to be Superman's cousin. Donna Troy's origin was similarly complicated by Crisis. Originally she had been an orphan who Wonder Woman raised on Paradise Island. However, Crisis had eliminated Wonder Woman from history, the character would not debut in the new DC Universe until the next year. Her origin was therefore rewritten to involve the Greek Titans.
The Crisis had also been intended to eliminate the multi-verse. All stories were now supposed to be set on a unified new Earth. However, as time went on many creators found the idea of alternate universes and timelines to be too interesting to abandon.
New York Comic Con, Dan DiDio
described how Crisis on Infinite Earths was the first of a trilogy of "Crisis" limited series that showed different stages in the development of the DC Multiverse
. Crisis on Infinite Earths represented the "death of the multiverse"; Infinite Crisis
, the "rebuilding of the multiverse"; and Final Crisis
, the "final saga of the multiverse".
, with art by Paul Ryan
and Bob McLeod. It took place during and after Crisis on Infinite Earths #4. It featured the first and only appearance of Earth-D.
The Flash of Earth-D, Tanaka Rei, was a Japanese
man who idolized Barry Allen, whose stories only existed in comic books. Rei was inspired by Allen to become the Flash, much like Allen was inspired to become the Flash by his idol, Jay Garrick. Allen and Rei met during the Crisis on Infinite Earths when Barry was coming back from the 30th century and arrived in the wrong universe. As that earth was under attack by the shadow demons, Barry called on the Justice League and Rei called on the Justice Alliance, his world's version of the Justice League. They built a cosmic treadmill
and made an evacuation. The Justice League left, but 39 seconds later, Earth-D perished.
issued a series of Crisis action figure
s. However, due to quality-control problems, DC Direct recalled the toys and asked retailers to cut off the heads and ship them back to DC Direct. They were re-released on June 28, 2006.
The first wave included action figure representations of Earth-2 Robin
, Supergirl
, the Monitor
, Harbinger
, and Psycho-Pirate
. The second wave included action figure representations of the Flash (Barry Allen), Earth-2 Superman
, the Anti-Monitor
, Lex Luthor
, and Brainiac
. The third and final wave included action figure representations of Earth-Prime Superboy, Batman
, a Weaponer of Qward, Earth-2 Huntress
, and the female Dr. Light
.
, under the distribution of Publishers Group West
, adapted the comic book miniseries as a novelization with one of its writers, Marv Wolfman. The whole event was narrated by Barry Allen himself. The hardcover version was released in April 2005 (ISBN 1-5968-7290-X) and the paperback was released in February 2006 (ISBN 1-5968-7343-4). Cover art was done by George Pérez and Alex Ross.
HeroClix
set entitled "Crisis" was released.
(who had previously done audiobook versions of Infinite Crisis and 52) released an audiobook version of Crisis on Infinite Earths in May 2009. As with their previous DC story adaptations, it was based on the novelization rather than the comic.
American comic book
An American comic book is a small magazine originating in the United States and containing a narrative in the form of comics. Since 1975 the dimensions have standardized at 6 5/8" x 10 ¼" , down from 6 ¾" x 10 ¼" in the Silver Age, although larger formats appeared in the past...
limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
(identified as a "12-part maxi-series") and crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
event, produced by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity
Continuity (fiction)
In fiction, continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer over some period of time...
. The series was written by Marv Wolfman
Marv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
and illustrated by George Pérez
George Pérez
George Pérez is a Puerto Rican-American writer and illustrator of comic books, known for his work on various titles, including Avengers, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman.-Biography:...
(pencils/layouts), along with Mike DeCarlo
Mike DeCarlo
Mike DeCarlo is an American comic book artist.He has worked on such diverse titles as Batman, Cartoon Network Block Party, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Fantastic Four, Simpsons Comics, and adaptations of the Warner Brothers stable of cartoons .-External links:...
, Dick Giordano
Dick Giordano
Richard Joseph "Dick" Giordano was an American comic book artist and editor best known for introducing Charlton Comics' "Action Heroes" stable of superheroes, and serving as executive editor of then–industry leader DC Comics...
, and Jerry Ordway
Jerry Ordway
Jeremiah "Jerry" Ordway is an American writer, penciller, inker and painter of comic books.He is known for his inking work on a wide variety of DC Comics titles, including the continuity-redefining classic Crisis on Infinite Earths , his long run working on the Superman titles from 1986–1993, and...
(who shared inking/embellishing chores). The series removed the concept of the Multiverse
Multiverse (DC Comics)
The DC Multiverse is a fictional continuity construct that exists in stories published by comic book company DC Comics. The DC Multiverse consists of numerous worlds, most of them outside DC's main continuity, allowing writers the creative freedom to explore alternative versions of characters and...
in the fictional DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
, and depicted the deaths of such long-standing superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es as Supergirl
Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)
Kara Zor-El is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and related media, created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino. As Supergirl, Kara Zor-El serves as the biological cousin and female counterpart to DC Comic's iconic superhero Superman, created...
and the Barry Allen incarnation of the Flash
Flash (comics)
The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
. As such, it is one of the most important events in the DC Universe, and continuity in the DCU is typically divided into pre-Crisis and post-Crisis periods.
The title of the series was inspired by earlier crossover stories involving the multiple parallel Earths of the Multiverse, such as "Crisis on Earth-Two" and "Crisis on Earth-Three", but instead of lasting two to five issues and involving members from many superhero teams from many parallel worlds, it involved virtually every significant character from every parallel universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
in DC's history. It in turn inspired the titles of four subsequent DC crossover series: Zero Hour: Crisis in Time (1994), Identity Crisis (2004), Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
(2005–2006), and Final Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
(2008).
Continuity issues
Prior to Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC publications were notorious for continuity problems. No character's back story within the comic books was entirely self-consistent and reliable. For example, DC's oldest superhero character, SupermanSuperman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, the lone survivor of the destroyed planet Krypton, originally could not fly (he could instead leap over an eighth of a mile), and his powers came from having evolved on a planet with stronger gravity
Gravitation
Gravitation, or gravity, is a natural phenomenon by which physical bodies attract with a force proportional to their mass. Gravitation is most familiar as the agent that gives weight to objects with mass and causes them to fall to the ground when dropped...
than Earth's. Soon, he was depicted as able to fly and his powers were explained as coming from our solar system's yellow sun. A more complex origin story was invented. In time, his career was altered to include early exploits as Superboy
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
. More survivors of Krypton were introduced, including Supergirl
Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)
Kara Zor-El is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and related media, created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino. As Supergirl, Kara Zor-El serves as the biological cousin and female counterpart to DC Comic's iconic superhero Superman, created...
, a dog named Krypto
Krypto
Krypto, also known as Krypto the Superdog, is a fictional character. He is Superman's pet dog in the various Superman comic books published by DC Comics. Krypto's first appearance was in a Superboy story in Adventure Comics #210 in March 1955...
, the inhabitants of the bottled city of Kandor
Kandor
Kandor is the name of the former capital city of the fictional planet Krypton in the DC Universe. It is best known for being stolen and miniaturized by the supervillain Brainiac...
, and others. This further watered down the original concept: that the character was the sole survivor of his planet's destruction.
Issues also arose regarding the age of characters. Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, an Earth-born human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
without superpowers, retained his youth and vitality well into the 1980s despite having been an active hero during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. His sidekick, Robin
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
, took over thirty years in real time to graduate from high school.
Characters such as the Flash
Flash (comics)
The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
, the Atom
Atom (comics)
The Atom is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe.There have been five characters who have shared the Atom codename. The original Golden Age Atom, Al Pratt, was created by Ben Flinton and Bill O'Connor and first appeared in All-American Publications'...
, and Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
often featured conflicting story lines. Origins and even powers differed between tales, depending on the writers.
Multiverse fixes
Little attempt was made at first to offer in-universe explanations of the conflicts. Problems of this sort began to be addressed in the 1961 story "Flash of Two WorldsFlash of Two Worlds
"Flash of Two Worlds!" is a landmark comic book story that was published in The Flash #123 . It introduces Earth-Two, and more generally the concept of the multiverse, to DC Comics...
", which featured Barry Allen, the then-currently published version of the Flash, meeting Jay Garrick
Jay Garrick
Jay Garrick is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe and the first to use the name Flash.-The Flash:...
, the version originally published by the company. The meeting was made possible by the introduction of the idea of two parallel worlds: Earth-One, the contemporary DC Universe which had been depicted since the advent of the Silver Age
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
; and Earth-Two
Earth-Two
Earth-Two is a fictional universe appearing in American comic book stories published by DC Comics. First appearing in The Flash #123 , Earth-Two was created to explain how Silver-Age versions of characters such as the Flash could appear in stories with their Golden Age counterparts...
, the parallel world where the Golden Age
Golden Age of Comic Books
The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...
events took place, and where the heroes who were active during that period had aged more or less realistically since that time.
This idea was eventually expanded into the concept of a multiverse
Multiverse
The multiverse is the hypothetical set of multiple possible universes that together comprise all of reality.Multiverse may also refer to:-In fiction:* Multiverse , the fictional multiverse used by DC Comics...
, including such worlds as Earth-Three
Earth-Three
Earth-Three is a fictional alternate universe set in the . It is the Earth of an alternate reality in the DC Multiverse. It first appeared in Justice League of America #29 .-Pre-Crisis:Its history is a mirror image to the Earth we know...
, which was an "opposite" world where heroes were villains and historical events happened in reverse of how they occurred in real life (e.g., President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
John Wilkes Booth
John Wilkes Booth
John Wilkes Booth was an American stage actor who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. Booth was a member of the prominent 19th century Booth theatrical family from Maryland and, by the 1860s, was a well-known actor...
being assassinated by an actor named Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
), and Earth Prime
Earth Prime
Earth Prime is a term sometimes used in works of speculative fiction involving parallel universes or a multiverse, and refers either to the universe containing "our" Earth, or to a parallel world with a bare minimum of divergence points from Earth as we know it...
, which was ostensibly the "real world" and used to explain how real-life DC staffers (such as Julius Schwartz
Julius Schwartz
Julius "Julie" Schwartz was a comic book and pulp magazine editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in the Bronx, New York...
) could occasionally appear in comics stories, and so forth. If something happened outside current continuity (such as the so-called "Imaginary Stories" that were a staple of DC's Silver Age
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
publications), it was explained away as happening on a parallel world, a premise not dissimilar to the company's current Elseworlds
Elseworlds
Elseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...
imprint.
As the volume of published work within the DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
became larger and as the original stories of characters receded in time, the task of reconciling plot points grew. The burden of keeping track of differing versions of a variety of characters proved taxing for DC's writers.
Crisis resolution
Crisis was originally conceived to be a celebration of DC's 50th anniversary; however, Marv WolfmanMarv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
and Len Wein
Len Wein
Len Wein is an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men...
saw it as a chance to clean up DC's rather convoluted continuity (which was thought to have put many new readers off buying DC titles) that had built up over time. The term "Crisis" was a word used frequently in DC Comics of the time, as it denoted an inter-dimensional crossover, such as the yearly Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
/Justice Society
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
crossovers that began with "Crisis on Earth-One".
Wolfman came up with an idea that would reach across the entirety of the DC Universe and its half-century of history. The groundwork for Crisis was laid over the year preceding its publication as one of the chief characters of the series, the Monitor
Monitor (comics)
The Monitor is a fictional character created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez as one of the main characters of DC Comics' Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series....
, was introduced into various comics. In these original appearances, the Monitor was portrayed as a shadowy figure and a potential villain. His face was never shown, perhaps to imply that he might be an established DC villain, and his most common appearance was as a source of technology or information for various villains in the DC Universe.
The series was highly successful from a marketing standpoint, generating renewed interest in the company's books, enticing readers with the tagline
Tagline
A tagline is a variant of a branding slogan typically used in marketing materials and advertising. The idea behind the concept is to create a memorable phrase that will sum up the tone and premise of a brand or product , or to reinforce the audience's memory of a product...
that "the DC Universe will never be the same." Along with Alan Moore
Alan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
's Watchmen
Watchmen
Watchmen is a twelve-issue comic book limited series created by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colourist John Higgins. The series was published by DC Comics during 1986 and 1987, and has been subsequently reprinted in collected form...
and Frank Miller
Frank Miller (comics)
Frank Miller is an American comic book artist, writer and film director best known for his dark, film noir-style comic book stories and graphic novels Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and 300...
's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is a four-issue comic book limited series written and drawn by Frank Miller, originally published by DC Comics under the title Batman: The Dark Knight in 1986. When the issues were released in a collected edition later that year, the story title for the first issue...
, it contributed to the commercial and creative revitalization of DC Comics after years of being dominated in the market by rival publisher Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
.
Crisis also helped popularize the formula of the line-wide "crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
" comic book series, a concept deployed previously in Marvel's Contest of Champions
Contest of Champions
Contest of Champions is a three-issue comic book limited series published from June to August 1982 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Mark Gruenwald with art by John Romita, Jr. and Bob Layton.-Publication history:...
(1983) and Secret Wars
Secret Wars
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars is a twelve-issue comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton...
(1984). Since 1985, superhero publishers such as DC and Marvel have had frequent "summer crossover" series designed to tie many of their comic book titles together under a single storyline.
Plot summary
Omnipotence
Omnipotence is unlimited power. Monotheistic religions generally attribute omnipotence to only the deity of whichever faith is being addressed...
beings, the good Monitor
Monitor (comics)
The Monitor is a fictional character created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez as one of the main characters of DC Comics' Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series....
and the evil Anti-Monitor
Anti-Monitor
The Anti-Monitor is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain and the antagonist of the 1985 DC Comics miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths. He first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 , and was destroyed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, only to return after a long absence in Green...
, who had been created as a result of the same experiment that created the Multiverse
Multiverse (DC Comics)
The DC Multiverse is a fictional continuity construct that exists in stories published by comic book company DC Comics. The DC Multiverse consists of numerous worlds, most of them outside DC's main continuity, allowing writers the creative freedom to explore alternative versions of characters and...
. The Monitor made cameo appearances in various DC comic book series for two years preceding the publication of the series. At first, he appeared to be a new supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
, but with the onset of the Crisis, he was revealed to be working on a desperate plan to save the entire Multiverse from destruction at the hands of the Anti-Monitor. The Crisis series highlighted the efforts of DC Comics' superheroes to stop the Anti-Monitor's plan. Under the initial guidance of the Monitor, a select group of heroes was assigned to protect massive "tuning forks" designed to merge the surviving Earths into one that could be protected from the antimatter
Antimatter
In particle physics, antimatter is the extension of the concept of the antiparticle to matter, where antimatter is composed of antiparticles in the same way that normal matter is composed of particles...
that had already annihilated untold numbers of alternate Earths. Eventually, the conflict grew and nearly every DC hero became involved in the battle.
The Monitor was murdered by his own assistant, Harbinger
Harbinger (DC Comics)
Harbinger is a fictional character, a DC Comics superheroine created in the early 1980s.-Fictional character biography:She and her associate, the Monitor, made several short teasing appearances in various DC comic books up until 1985, when the Crisis on Infinite Earths began...
, while one of her duplicates was temporarily possessed by one of the Anti-Monitor's "shadow demons." However, he expected the attack and allowed it to happen so that his death would release enough energy to protect the last five parallel Earths (the homes of the known DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
) long enough for the heroes to lead an assault on the Anti-Monitor under the guidance of the Monitor's assistants, Harbinger, Alexander Luthor, Jr.
Alexander Luthor, Jr.
Alexander Luthor Jr. is a DC Comics character who turned from a hero to a villain. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, Alexander has a prominent role in the DC Universe storylines Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis....
, and Pariah
Pariah (comics)
Pariah is a fictional scientist published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 , and was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:...
. The villain is forced to retreat, but at the cost of Supergirl
Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)
Kara Zor-El is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and related media, created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino. As Supergirl, Kara Zor-El serves as the biological cousin and female counterpart to DC Comic's iconic superhero Superman, created...
's life.
This lull in the war provides some breathing room for the heroes, but the various supervillains join forces under Brainiac
Brainiac (comics)
Brainiac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #242 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
(who murders Alexi Luthor of Earth-Two for trying to take leadership) and Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
to conquer the Earths, while the Anti-Monitor causes chaos on the Earths by forcing the Psycho-Pirate
Psycho-Pirate
The Psycho-Pirate is the name of two DC Comics supervillains, dating back to the Golden Age of Comics.-Charles Halstead:Charles Halstead is a minor character who first appears in All-Star Comics #23, created by Gardner Fox and Joe Gallagher...
to manipulate the emotions of their inhabitants. The Flash
Flash (comics)
The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
(Barry Allen) dies stopping the Anti-Monitor's backup scheme of destruction—to use an antimatter cannon to penetrate the protective aura. The Spectre
Spectre (comics)
The Spectre is a fictional character and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 and received his first story the following month, #52...
halts the hero/villain conflict, warning that the Anti-Monitor is traveling to the beginning of time to prevent the Multiverse's creation. Heroes and villains join forces in response, with the heroes traveling to stop the Anti-Monitor, and the villains traveling to the planet Oa
Oa
Oa is a fictional planet that lies at the center of the DC Comics universe. Since its inception, Oa has been the planetary citadel of the Guardians of the Universe and the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps...
in antiquity to prevent the renegade scientist Krona
Krona (comics)
Krona is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Green Lantern #40 , and was created by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane.-Fictional character biography:...
from performing a historic experiment that would allow the Anti-Monitor to succeed in his efforts.
The villains fail, and Krona proceeds with his experiment; while the heroes support the Spectre, whose battle with the Anti-Monitor creates an energy overload that shatters space and time. A single universe is created and all the superheroes return to a present-day reality where the various elements of the five Earths were fused into one, with no one except the people present at the battle at the dawn of time remembering the original reality.
The Anti-Monitor attacks one last time, transporting Earth to the Anti-Matter universe, and summons a massive horde of shadow demons. However, he falls to a carefully planned counter-attack, culminating in a battle with Kal-L (the Earth-Two Superman), Alexander Luthor
Alexander Luthor, Jr.
Alexander Luthor Jr. is a DC Comics character who turned from a hero to a villain. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, Alexander has a prominent role in the DC Universe storylines Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis....
of Earth-Three, and Superboy
Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime, also known as Superman-Prime, or simply Prime, is a DC Comics superhero turned supervillain, and one of several alternate Supermen. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #87 , and was created by Elliot S...
of Earth-Prime, with some unexpected last-second help from the New Gods
New Gods
The New Gods are a fictional race appearing in publications by DC Comics, as well as the title for four series of comic books about those characters. They first appeared in New Gods #1 , and were created and designed by Jack Kirby....
' adversary, Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
. As the Anti-Monitor crashes into a star and dies, Alex sends himself, Earth-Two Superman, Earth-Two Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
, and Earth-Prime Superboy into a paradise reality.
The aftermath of the Crisis plays out a few pages later, including Wally West becoming the new Flash. The final page shows the Psycho-Pirate
Psycho-Pirate
The Psycho-Pirate is the name of two DC Comics supervillains, dating back to the Golden Age of Comics.-Charles Halstead:Charles Halstead is a minor character who first appears in All-Star Comics #23, created by Gardner Fox and Joe Gallagher...
, who was now imprisoned in Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum
The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, commonly referred to simply as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital in the DC Comics Universe, usually appearing in stories featuring Batman...
, talking to himself in a monologue
Monologue
In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
:
Possible alternative ending
According to George Pérez in a WizardWizard (magazine)
Wizard or Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture was a magazine about comic books, published monthly in the United States by Wizard Entertainment from July 1991 to January 2011...
magazine interview in 1994, Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
suggested that Superman of Earth-One dies in the final battle with the Anti-Monitor in issue #12. After the Anti-Monitor was destroyed for good, Kal-L from Earth-Two realizes that he is now alone, without his Earth, without his Lois, and now the new single Earth is without a Superman. Then he remarks, "Don't need this anymore," and brushes the white dye off his hair and other make-up that he apparently used to make himself look aged. The other heroes are surprised by this and Kal-L simply explains that he had stopped aging when he reached the peak of his powers. He returns with the other heroes to the new post-Crisis Earth, taking the place of the Earth-One Superman.
If this idea had been used, then The Man of Steel would have marked the return of the "Original Super-Hero", as Kal-L (now switched to Kal-El) begins his life on the post-Crisis Earth, which is similar to his old life, but with distinct differences. Despite this "culture shock," Kal-L endures and is given a new lease on life by being deposited back to the early days of the modern heroic age of the post-Crisis Earth. However, this was discarded when the John Byrne version of The Man of Steel was planned.
Animal Man (of Grant Morrison)
Roger Hayden (Psycho-PiratePsycho-Pirate
The Psycho-Pirate is the name of two DC Comics supervillains, dating back to the Golden Age of Comics.-Charles Halstead:Charles Halstead is a minor character who first appears in All-Star Comics #23, created by Gardner Fox and Joe Gallagher...
) shows up again in Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
's run on Animal Man
Animal Man
Animal Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . As a result of being in proximity to an exploding extraterrestrial spaceship, Buddy Baker acquires the ability to temporarily “borrow” the abilities of animals...
, imprisoned in Arkham Asylum. He ends up releasing characters destroyed during the Crisis back into the world. Many of these characters come to realize that they are just characters in a comic book. After an intervention by Animal Man, Hayden, seemingly happy, fades away into nothingness due to the strain from releasing all the forgotten characters, removing him from reality and heading into Limbo
Limbo (DC Comics)
Limbo refers to a fictional location in books published by DC Comics. Limbo first appeared in Ambush Bug #3 , and was created by Keith Giffen.-History:In Ambush Bug Limbo refers to a fictional location in books published by DC Comics. Limbo first appeared in Ambush Bug (vol. 1) #3 (August 1985),...
, where DC characters go when not being written about. James Highwater, a Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
physicist, is left to wear the Medusa Mask and keep the forgotten worlds contained. The other staff members come to accept Highwater as a patient, not realizing anything is wrong.
Subsequent comics however, particularly major event crossovers, consistently ignored this, deploying the Psycho-Pirate as if he were still Hayden—even using him in a similar role to his original one in Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
.
Tie-in issues
- All-Star SquadronAll-Star SquadronThe All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics superhero team that debuted in a special insert in Justice League of America #193 . Created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway.-The concept:...
#50-56 - AmethystAmethyst, Princess of Gem WorldAmethyst: Princess of Gemworld is the name of three comic book series published by DC Comics in the 1980s. The series tells of a teenage girl named Amy Winston who discovers that she is in fact the orphaned princess from the magical Gemworld...
(vol. 2) #13 - BatmanBatman (comic book)Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
#389-391 - Blue DevilBlue DevilBlue Devil is a superhero featured in material published by DC Comics. He first appeared in a special insert published in Fury of Firestorm #24 . That story led directly into Blue Devil #1, also cover dated June 1984...
#17-19 - DC Comics PresentsDC Comics PresentsDC Comics Presents was a comic book published by DC Comics from 1978 to 1986 featuring team-ups between Superman and a wide variety of other characters of the DC Universe...
#78, #86-88, #94-95 - Detective ComicsDetective ComicsDetective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
#558 - The Fury of FirestormFirestorm (comics)Firestorm is the name of several comic book superheroes published by DC Comics. Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein, the first Firestorm, debuted in Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #1 , and was created by Gerry Conway and Al Milgrom. Martin Stein, by himself as Firestorm, debuted in Firestorm the Nuclear...
#41-42 - Green LanternGreen LanternThe Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
(vol. 2) #194-196, #198 - Infinity, Inc. #18-25, Annual #1
- Justice League of AmericaJustice LeagueThe Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
#244-245, Annual #3 - Legion of Super-HeroesLegion of Super-HeroesThe Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
(vol. 3) #16-18, Annual #1 - Losers Special #1
- The New Teen Titans (vol. 2) #13-14
- The Omega MenOmega MenThe Omega Men are a fictional team of extraterrestrial superheroes who have appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Green Lantern #141 , and were created by Marv Wolfman and Joe Staton....
#31, #33 - SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
#413-415 - Swamp ThingSwamp ThingSwamp Thing, a fictional character, is a plant elemental in the created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson. He first appeared in House of Secrets #92 in a stand-alone horror story set in the early 20th century . The Swamp Thing then returned in his own series, set in the contemporary world and in...
(vol. 2) #44, #46 - Wonder WomanWonder WomanWonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
#327-329
Post-Crisis
Because of the extensive and substantial changes that Crisis on Infinite Earths implemented on many titles published by DC Comics, the series became a defining and critical moment in DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
' long-standing continuity. Characters and other elements established before the series, especially those eliminated by it, were referred to as pre-Crisis, while revised ones were considered post-Crisis. As a result, the series and its events eventually became known simply as "The Crisis", an informal title that would persist among fans, readers, and even the DC editorial staff, for almost 20 years.
However, with the advent of the 2005–2006 mini-series Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
, another continuity-altering storyline, pre- or post-Crisis alone is no longer a definitive identifier; it is now necessary to make clear which Crisis one is referring to. Recent terms have been adopted by both fans and DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
when referring to anything after Infinite Crisis, such as "post-Infinite Crisis", "One Year Later
One Year Later
"One Year Later" was a 2006 storyline event running through the DC Universe. As the title suggests, it involves a narrative jump exactly one year into the future of the DC Comics Universe following the events of the Infinite Crisis event, to explore major changes within the continuities of the many...
", or simply "New Earth". The terms "post-CIE," referring to Crisis on Infinite Earths, and "post-IC," referring to Infinite Crisis, have also been used to avoid confusion between the two storylines.
Crisis was used by DC as an opportunity to wipe much of its slate clean and make major changes to many of their major revenue-generating comic book series. Frank Miller
Frank Miller (comics)
Frank Miller is an American comic book artist, writer and film director best known for his dark, film noir-style comic book stories and graphic novels Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and 300...
's revamp of Batman with Batman: Year One
Batman: Year One
"Year One", later referred to as "Batman: Year One", is an American comic book story arc written by Frank Miller, illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, colored by Richmond Lewis, and lettered by Todd Klein...
, George Pérez
George Pérez
George Pérez is a Puerto Rican-American writer and illustrator of comic books, known for his work on various titles, including Avengers, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman.-Biography:...
's relaunching of Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
in Gods and Mortals
Gods and Mortals
"Gods and Mortals" is a seven issue comic book story arc plotted and drawn by George Pérez, with scripting by Greg Potter and Len Wein.Released in 1987, this was the first arc of the relaunched Wonder Woman series.-The Princess and the Power:...
, and John Byrne's reboot of Superman in The Man of Steel all took place shortly following Crisis on Infinite Earths, and changed substantial elements of the characters' backstories. The Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
title was also changed to Green Lantern Corps
Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
, chronicling the adventures of a group of Green Lanterns led by Hal Jordan and stationed on Earth.
Several other titles which were not significantly retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
ned were taken in very different directions following Crisis. However, to give readers breathing room, these revamps were delayed for a year so that they could be tied into DC's next "big event" storyline, "Legends". The Flash
Flash (comics)
The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
was relaunched starring a younger main character, the previous Flash's sidekick, Kid Flash (Wally West
Wally West
The Flash is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first Kid Flash and the third Flash....
). The Justice League of America
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
title was cancelled, to be replaced by a new series entitled simply Justice League
Justice League International
Justice League International is a DC Comics superhero team written by Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis, with art by Kevin Maguire, created in 1987.-Publication history:...
, featuring a new cast drawn from what had been different universes in DC's pre-Crisis multiverse. A new Suicide Squad
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad, also known as Task Force X , is a name for two fictional organizations in the DC Comics Universe. The first version debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 , and the second in Legends #3...
title was launched, and Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel (DC Comics)
Captain Marvel is a fictional comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. Created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, the character first appeared in Whiz Comics #2...
was given his own new mini-series to establish his new post-Crisis origin.
Acknowledgment of the Crisis
Since Crisis on Infinite Earths created a new, singular universe with a new back-history, the Crisis event itself (as told in the limited series) is obviously not part of it. Regardless, various "revised" DC Universe characters have often referenced a past event called "Crisis". In this history, many heroes opposed the Anti-Monitor, who sought to destroy the (single) positive-matter universe in favor of his anti-matter universe. Supergirl did not die as she did not yet exist, but Barry Allen sacrificed his life to save the universe. Examples where this interpretation does not fit are:- Action ComicsAction ComicsAction Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
#590: The narrator recounts exactly how ChemoChemo (comics)Chemo is a fictional supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Showcase #39 Chemo is a fictional supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Showcase #39 Chemo is a fictional supervillain...
is destroyed on Earth-4 by the Negative WomanValentina VostokValentina Vostok is a fictional character by DC Comics. She first appeared in Showcase #94, , and was created by Paul Kupperberg and Jim Aparo.-Fictional character biography:...
in Crisis on Infinite Earths #9, stating, "Weeks ago on a parallel earth that no longer exists," and goes on to specify how he survived when all the Earths merged into one single Earth at the end of the Crisis. The problem is that if the Multiverse is not supposed to be remembered by anyone, then Chemo's destruction should have been reimagined to fit with the new single universe theory. - Superman #8: Superman was referred to mistakenly as Superboy (the young Clark KentClark KentClark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
from the Time TrapperTime TrapperThe Time Trapper is a fictional character, a supervillain in stories published by DC Comics. The Time Trapper's main enemies are the Legion of Super-Heroes...
's pocket universe) by the Legion of Super-Heroes. He recalls meeting a Superboy (Earth-Prime) during the Crisis and that he was not around long enough to make any enemies. The problem is that the Earth-Prime Superboy should not be remembered. - Legion of Super-Heroes #38: During the mourning of Superboy, a statue of Supergirl is seen. The statue, like the others in the background, is made in dedication to fallen Legionnaires. The Supergirl statue would be removed by issue #51 when DC enforced her nonexistent status.
The majority of DC Universe characters are unaware that the original, multiverse-wide Crisis occurred. Although, the characters who were present at the epic battle at the dawn of time (Crisis on Infinite Earths #10, "Death at the Dawn of Time") — Psycho-Pirate
Psycho-Pirate
The Psycho-Pirate is the name of two DC Comics supervillains, dating back to the Golden Age of Comics.-Charles Halstead:Charles Halstead is a minor character who first appears in All-Star Comics #23, created by Gardner Fox and Joe Gallagher...
, Lady Quark
Lady Quark
Lady Quark is a fictional character, a superheroine in the DC Universe. In the DC Comics 12-issue limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths , the character is one of the rulers of Earth-Six, where the American Revolutionary War had been won by England.-Crisis:Lady Quark's husband Karak and daughter...
, Harbinger
Harbinger (DC Comics)
Harbinger is a fictional character, a DC Comics superheroine created in the early 1980s.-Fictional character biography:She and her associate, the Monitor, made several short teasing appearances in various DC comic books up until 1985, when the Crisis on Infinite Earths began...
, and Pariah
Pariah (comics)
Pariah is a fictional scientist published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 , and was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:...
— were initially treated as exceptions, this idea did not stick. There have been occasional references to the event. A 2002 storyline in the Supergirl
Supergirl
Supergirl is a female counterpart to the DC Comics Superman. As his cousin, she shares his super powers and vulnerability to Kryptonite. She was created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino in 1959. She first appeared in the Action Comics comic book series and later branched out...
comic book saw the original pre-Crisis Supergirl landing on post-Crisis Earth, for example, and established that the Spectre
Spectre (comics)
The Spectre is a fictional character and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 and received his first story the following month, #52...
, being able to see across dimensions and timelines, is aware that the Crisis occurred. In addition, Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
's run on Animal Man
Animal Man
Animal Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . As a result of being in proximity to an exploding extraterrestrial spaceship, Buddy Baker acquires the ability to temporarily “borrow” the abilities of animals...
, heralded for its deconstruction of the concept of the comic book, initiated a "Second Crisis" in which characters such as the original Crime Syndicate of America
Crime Syndicate of America
For the concept of crime syndicates in general, see Organized crime.The Crime Syndicate are teams of fictional supervillains, from one of DC Comics' parallel universes, who are the evil counterparts of the Justice League of America. The original team was specifically known as Crime Syndicate of...
from Earth-Three came back to life thanks to the Medusa Mask owned by the Psycho-Pirate, who remembered the original Crisis. Per Degaton
Per Degaton
Per Degaton is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain who can travel through time. Per Degaton made his first appearance in All Star Comics #35 and was created by John Broome and Irwin Hasen...
is aware of the pre-Crisis timeline, as he told the JSAs of the present and of 1951 that he would retcon them out of existence the same way the Huntress
Huntress (comics)
The Huntress is a name used by several characters in DC Comics.The Golden Age Huntress is a supervillainess, while the Bronze Age and Modern Age Huntresses are superheroines....
of Earth-Two was. With the Fourth World existing outside the Multiverse proper, Darkseid has also acknowledged the events of the Crisis. Members of the Green Lantern Corps
Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
were also aware of the Crisis, even though none participated in the battle at the beginning of time. Corps member Ch'p
Ch'p
Ch'p is a fictional character, a member of the Green Lantern Corps in the . Like all H'lvenites, he resembled a somewhat anthropomorphic combination between a squirrel and a chipmunk. He was created by Paul Kupperberg and Don Newton....
, the only Earth-One
Earth-One
Earth-One is a name given to two fictional universes that have appeared in American comic book stories published by DC Comics...
character to have his timeline completely erased by the Crisis, was nonetheless recognized by his fellow Green Lanterns. John Constantine
John Constantine
John Constantine is a fictional character, an occult detective anti-hero in comic books published by DC Comics, mostly under the Vertigo imprint. The character first appeared in Swamp Thing #37 , and was created by Alan Moore, Steve Bissette, John Totleben and Rick Veitch...
is also aware of the Crisis, as seen in Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing, a fictional character, is a plant elemental in the created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson. He first appeared in House of Secrets #92 in a stand-alone horror story set in the early 20th century . The Swamp Thing then returned in his own series, set in the contemporary world and in...
(vol. 2) #70. In the Planetary
Planetary (comics)
Planetary is an American comic book limited series created by writer Warren Ellis and artist John Cassaday published by the Wildstorm imprint of DC Comics...
special Planetary/Batman: Night on Earth, it was implied that Elijah Snow had somehow temporarily left the Wildstorm
Wildstorm
WildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
universe to witness the Crisis. Finally, during the Joker: Last Laugh crossover, the Joker refers to the lack of "anti-matter auroras" and "blood-red skies" during his rampage, declaring that "Every other crisis gets funky mood lighting!"
Deaths during Crisis
- Alexander Luthor, Sr. of Earth-Three and wife Lois Lane-LuthorLois LaneLois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
- Alexei Luthor of Earth-Two
- Angle ManAngle ManAngle Man is a fictional DC Comics supervillain.-Publishing history:The Angle Man was created as a recurring foil for Wonder Woman during the period in which Robert Kanigher took over as writer of the comic book....
- Anti-MonitorAnti-MonitorThe Anti-Monitor is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain and the antagonist of the 1985 DC Comics miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths. He first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 , and was destroyed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, only to return after a long absence in Green...
- Aquagirl (Tula)
- Bug-Eyed BanditBug-Eyed Bandit-Bertram Larvan:Bertram Larvan was an inventor who designed a mechanical insect to control insect pests. Unfortunately, he had no financial backing to support his invention. He resolved to steal money he needed for his invention. He later used his invention to steal more. Soon, he had an army of...
- Clayface (Matt Hagen)
- Crime Syndicate of AmericaCrime Syndicate of AmericaFor the concept of crime syndicates in general, see Organized crime.The Crime Syndicate are teams of fictional supervillains, from one of DC Comics' parallel universes, who are the evil counterparts of the Justice League of America. The original team was specifically known as Crime Syndicate of...
- DoveHawk and DoveHawk and Dove is the moniker given to two superheroes when they team up to fight crime. Hawk and Dove describes each character's attitude or approach to fighting crime. The hawk represents aggression, and the dove representing pacifism.-Hank and Don Hall:...
(Don Hall) - Farmer Boy (identified as "Flower") of Sgt. RockSgt. Rock (comics)Sgt. Frank Rock is a fictional infantry non-commissioned officer during World War II in the . He first appeared in Our Army at War #83 , and was created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert.-Publication history:...
's Easy CompanyEasy Company (comics)Easy Company is a fictional comic book World War II US Army infantry unit led by Sgt. Rock in stories published by DC Comics. The group first appeared in Our Army at War #81 , and were created by Bob Haney and Ross Andru.-Publication history:... - Flash (Barry Allen)Flash (comics)The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
- Green ArrowGreen ArrowGreen Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
of Earth-Two - HuntressHuntress (Helena Wayne)The Bronze Age Huntress was Helena Wayne, the daughter of the Batman and Catwoman of Earth-Two, an alternate universe established in the early 1960s as the world where the Golden Age stories took place...
of Earth-Two - Icicle (Joar Mahkent)
- Immortal ManImmortal ManImmortal Man is a fictional comic book superhero character in the DC Comics Universe. He first appeared in National Comics flagship science fiction anthology comic Strange Adventures #177...
- The Justice Alliance of Earth-D (in Legends of the DC Universe: Crisis on Infinite Earths (1999))
- Kid Psycho of the Legion of Super-HeroesLegion of Super-HeroesThe Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
- KoleKoleKole Duval is a girlKole Weathers is a fictional superheroine in the DC Universe. She is a former member of the Teen Titans.-Fictional character biography:...
- Lori LemarisLori LemarisLori Lemaris is a fictional character in DC Comics' Superman comic books. Lori is a mermaid from Tritonis, a city in the undersea lost continent of Atlantis.-Silver Age:...
- Lord Volt of Earth-Six
- The LosersThe Losers (comics)The Losers is the name of a war comic book feature published by DC Comics. The name was later given to a reimagined comic book series for DC's Vertigo imprint.The first Losers comic was a war comics feature set during World War II...
(Johnny Cloud, Gunner, Sarge, Captain Storm) - Maaldor the Dark Lord
- Mirror Master (Sam Scudder)
- MonitorMonitor (comics)The Monitor is a fictional character created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez as one of the main characters of DC Comics' Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series....
- NighthawkNighthawk (DC Comics)Nighthawk is a fictional character, a cowboy in the DC Comics universe. His real name is Hannibal Hawkes and he first appeared in Western Comics #5. In his secret identity, he worked as a traveling repairman...
- Prince Ra-ManPrince Ra-ManPrince Ra-Man is a fictional comic book magician published by DC Comics. Mark Merlin first appeared in House of Secrets #23 , and was created by Mort Meskin...
- Princess Fern of Earth-Six
- PsimonPsimonPsimon is a fictional comic book supervillain from DC Comics created by George Pérez and Marv Wolfman. He first appeared in New Teen Titans #3 as one of the founding members of the Fearsome Five, which became a frequent enemy of the Teen Titans, Superman, and the Outsiders.-Fictional character...
- RobinRobin (Earth-Two)Robin of Earth-Two is an alternate version of the fictional DC Comics superhero Robin, who was introduced after DC Comics created Earth-Two, a parallel world that was retroactively established as the home of characters which had been published in the Golden Age of comic books...
of Earth-Two - The JLA-created Shaggy ManShaggy Man (comics)Shaggy Man is the name of several fictional characters that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky.-Publication history:...
- StarmanStarman (comics)Starman is a name used by several different fictional DC Comics superheroes, most prominently Ted Knight and his sons David and Jack.Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Jack Burnley, the original Starman, Ted Knight, first appeared in Adventure Comics #61...
(Prince Gavyn) - SunburstSunburst (comics)Sunburst is the name of two fictional Japanese superheroes published by DC Comics.-Takeo Sato:This Sunburst first appeared in New Adventures of Superboy #45 , and was created by Paul Kupperberg and Alex Saviuk. Takeo Sato gained the ability to turn solar energy into light or heat after inhaling...
- SupergirlSupergirl (Kara Zor-El)Kara Zor-El is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and related media, created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino. As Supergirl, Kara Zor-El serves as the biological cousin and female counterpart to DC Comic's iconic superhero Superman, created...
of Earth-One - The Ten-Eyed ManTen-Eyed ManTen-Eyed Man is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain and Batman foe created by Frank Robbins, Irv Novick, and Dick Giordano.-Fictional character biography:...
- Wonder WomanWonder WomanWonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
of Earth-One
Some of the dead characters reappeared or disappeared in some way later:
- Gunner showed up alive and well in the comic Creature Commandos (albeit with cybernetic enhancements).
- A HawkmanHawkmanHawkman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics #1, published by All-American Publications in 1940....
issue revealed that Nighthawk is believed to have died under different circumstances. - The subsequent reboot of Superman's titles erased from continuity Lori Lemaris' death. She was reintroduced as not being wheelchair-bound, but with a more rational "leg-changing" ability, according to situations.
- The Crime Syndicate was brought back three times: First as Qwardians the Justice League fought years ago, then post-Zero Hour as people from the Earth of the Antimatter Universe, and finally as the Crime Society of America in 52 and Countdown
- James Robinson's Starman comics revealed that Prince Gavyn's spirit actually survived and bonded with the superhero Will Payton.
- Wonder Woman of Earth-One was revealed to have not died, but instead sent backwards through time, de-aging in the process until she reverted to the clay she was originally sculpted from, and spread over Paradise Island (this laid the groundwork for George Perez's reintroduction of Wonder Woman in the post-Crisis continuity).
- PsimonPsimonPsimon is a fictional comic book supervillain from DC Comics created by George Pérez and Marv Wolfman. He first appeared in New Teen Titans #3 as one of the founding members of the Fearsome Five, which became a frequent enemy of the Teen Titans, Superman, and the Outsiders.-Fictional character...
was resurrected. - Mark Merlin, human host of Prince Ra-Man, did not die along with him, being instead "freed" from his possession.
- After the events of Infinite CrisisInfinite CrisisInfinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
and 5252 (comics)52 was a weekly American comic book limited series published by DC Comics that debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. The series was written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid with layouts by Keith Giffen...
, Earth-Two (albeit a different version) was resurrected with many of the characters that had died in Crisis alive and well on the new Earth-Two. - Twenty-three years after his landmark death in the original Crisis, Barry Allen returned to the DC Universe on the last page of Grant MorrisonGrant MorrisonGrant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
's Final CrisisFinal CrisisFinal Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
#2.
New characters and changes
Several new characters were introduced in Crisis. The Monitor's assistant, Harbinger, and scientist PariahPariah (comics)
Pariah is a fictional scientist published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 , and was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:...
played major roles in the story. Lady Quark was introduced as a survivor of one of the destroyed worlds. A new Doctor Light
Doctor Light (Kimiyo Hoshi)
Doctor Light is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe.Kimiyo Hoshi is a distinct character from the DC villain of the same name...
, this time heroic and female, was introduced. The former Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1946 to 1985, having begun under a different name in 1944. It was based in Derby, Connecticut...
characters — notably Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle is the name of three fictional superheroes that appear in American comic books published by a variety of companies since 1939.-Publication history:...
II — were introduced to the DC Universe.
After the Crisis, former Kid Flash
Kid Flash
Kid Flash is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero The Flash. The first incarnation of the character, Wally West, debuted in The Flash #110...
Wally West
Wally West
The Flash is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first Kid Flash and the third Flash....
took over the mantle of his predecessor, the Flash
Flash (comics)
The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
. Jonah Hex
Jonah Hex
Jonah Woodson Hex is a Western comic book antihero created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga and published by DC Comics. Hex is a surly and cynical bounty hunter whose face is horribly scarred on the right side. Despite his poor reputation and personality, Hex is bound by a personal...
was transported to a post-apocalyptic
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction
Apocalyptic fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction that is concerned with the end of civilization due to a potentially existential catastrophe such as nuclear warfare, pandemic, extraterrestrial attack, impact event, cybernetic revolt, technological singularity, dysgenics, supernatural...
future, but this did not prove popular and subsequent stories brought him back to the Wild West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
. The JSA
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
member Wildcat
Wildcat (comics)
Wildcat is the name of several fictional characters, all DC Comics superheroes. The first and most famous of these is Ted Grant, a long-time member of the Justice Society of America...
was briefly replaced by his god-daughter, Yolanda Montez. The Guardians of the Universe
Guardians of the Universe
The Guardians of the Universe, alternatively known as the Guardians or Oans are a fictional extraterrestrial race in the DC Comics universe. They first appeared in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #1 , and were created by John Broome and Gil Kane. Here they do not reveal their existence to Hal, bringing his...
departed for an unknown dimension, and the Green Lantern Corps
Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
was reorganized, with Hal Jordan
Hal Jordan
Harold "Hal" Jordan is a DC Comics superhero known as Green Lantern, the first human shown to join the Green Lantern Corps and a founding member of the Justice League of America. Jordan is the second DC Comics character to adopt the Green Lantern moniker...
leading a team of Green Lanterns based on Earth.
Continuing continuity issues
The changes made in the wake of Crisis were not implemented consistently. The series was published over the course of a year, with ongoing series continuing simultaneously. In addition, several stories set in the previous continuity were published following the series' final issue. Initially, characters who were present at the final battle at the dawn of time remembered their original histories until their post-Crisis histories were fully established, a process that sometimes required years to completely play out. Furthermore, revamped or relaunched versions of titles debuted at different times, with DC continuing to feature old versions of characters until new versions were launched, sometimes a year or more later. As a consequence, a series intended to streamline DC continuity introduced additional complexities.Several characters such as Hawkman
Hawkman
Hawkman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics #1, published by All-American Publications in 1940....
, Donna Troy
Donna Troy
Donna Troy is a comic book superheroine published by DC Comics. She first appeared in The Brave and the Bold vol. 1 #60 , and was created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani...
, and Power Girl
Power Girl
Power Girl is a DC Comics superheroine, making her first appearance in All Star Comics #58 ....
saw their origins complicated by the changes implemented by the Crisis and the various reboots of characters. The Superman line saw particular continuity issues regarding its supporting cast. In an effort to return Superman to his special status as the "last son of Krypton" DC had used the Crisis and the Man of Steel limited series to eliminate most of the Kryptonian supporting characters. For Supergirl this was not a major problem initially since the character had died in the Crisis. However, later writers would bring the character back using various explanations ranging from her being a shapeshifting alien to her being an angel. Power Girl, originally introduced as a cousin of Superman still existed however. With the mandate to reduce the number of Kryptonians in the DCU, her origin was changed to being a descendant of ancient Atlanteans who mistakenly believed herself to be Superman's cousin. Donna Troy's origin was similarly complicated by Crisis. Originally she had been an orphan who Wonder Woman raised on Paradise Island. However, Crisis had eliminated Wonder Woman from history, the character would not debut in the new DC Universe until the next year. Her origin was therefore rewritten to involve the Greek Titans.
The Crisis had also been intended to eliminate the multi-verse. All stories were now supposed to be set on a unified new Earth. However, as time went on many creators found the idea of alternate universes and timelines to be too interesting to abandon.
Relationship to other crises
At the 20082008 in comics
-January:*January 9: Teen Titans: The Lost Annual, delayed since 2003, is published.*January 23: Hellblazer #240, marking the 20th anniversary of the series, is released.-February:...
New York Comic Con, Dan DiDio
Dan DiDio
Dan DiDio is an American writer, editor and publisher who has worked in the television and comic book industries. He is currently the Co-Publisher of DC Comics, along with Jim Lee...
described how Crisis on Infinite Earths was the first of a trilogy of "Crisis" limited series that showed different stages in the development of the DC Multiverse
Multiverse (DC Comics)
The DC Multiverse is a fictional continuity construct that exists in stories published by comic book company DC Comics. The DC Multiverse consists of numerous worlds, most of them outside DC's main continuity, allowing writers the creative freedom to explore alternative versions of characters and...
. Crisis on Infinite Earths represented the "death of the multiverse"; Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
, the "rebuilding of the multiverse"; and Final Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
, the "final saga of the multiverse".
Legends of the DC Universe: Crisis on Infinite Earths
An untold story from Crisis on Infinite Earths was published in February 1999 as a special in Legends of the DC Universe: Crisis on Infinite Earths #1, written by Crisis writer Marv WolfmanMarv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
, with art by Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan (comics)
Paul Ryan Paul Ryan Paul Ryan ((born 23 September 1949 in Massachusetts) is an American comic book and comic strip artist. Ryan has worked extensively for Marvel Comics and DC Comics on a number of super-hero comics. He currently pencils and inks the daily and Sunday comic strip The Phantom for...
and Bob McLeod. It took place during and after Crisis on Infinite Earths #4. It featured the first and only appearance of Earth-D.
The Flash of Earth-D, Tanaka Rei, was a Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
man who idolized Barry Allen, whose stories only existed in comic books. Rei was inspired by Allen to become the Flash, much like Allen was inspired to become the Flash by his idol, Jay Garrick. Allen and Rei met during the Crisis on Infinite Earths when Barry was coming back from the 30th century and arrived in the wrong universe. As that earth was under attack by the shadow demons, Barry called on the Justice League and Rei called on the Justice Alliance, his world's version of the Justice League. They built a cosmic treadmill
Cosmic treadmill
The cosmic treadmill is a fictional time travel device in the DC Comics universe. The treadmill first appears in The Flash #125 written by John Broome.-Origins:The treadmill was first seen in The Flash #125 written by John Broome...
and made an evacuation. The Justice League left, but 39 seconds later, Earth-D perished.
Action figures
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC DirectDC Direct
DC Direct is the collectibles division of DC Comics, the Time Warner subsidiary that publishes comic books and licenses characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Batman, Batgirl and Hawkgirl. DC Direct produces statues, props, replicas and prints for the direct market, a...
issued a series of Crisis action figure
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
s. However, due to quality-control problems, DC Direct recalled the toys and asked retailers to cut off the heads and ship them back to DC Direct. They were re-released on June 28, 2006.
The first wave included action figure representations of Earth-2 Robin
Robin (Earth-Two)
Robin of Earth-Two is an alternate version of the fictional DC Comics superhero Robin, who was introduced after DC Comics created Earth-Two, a parallel world that was retroactively established as the home of characters which had been published in the Golden Age of comic books...
, Supergirl
Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)
Kara Zor-El is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and related media, created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino. As Supergirl, Kara Zor-El serves as the biological cousin and female counterpart to DC Comic's iconic superhero Superman, created...
, the Monitor
Monitor (comics)
The Monitor is a fictional character created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez as one of the main characters of DC Comics' Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series....
, Harbinger
Harbinger (comics)
Harbinger was a comic book series published by Valiant Comics about a group of teenage super-powered outcasts known as Harbingers. Harbinger initially featured writing and art by Jim Shooter and David Lapham...
, and Psycho-Pirate
Psycho-Pirate
The Psycho-Pirate is the name of two DC Comics supervillains, dating back to the Golden Age of Comics.-Charles Halstead:Charles Halstead is a minor character who first appears in All-Star Comics #23, created by Gardner Fox and Joe Gallagher...
. The second wave included action figure representations of the Flash (Barry Allen), Earth-2 Superman
Kal-L
The Superman of Earth-Two is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Justice League of America #73 . He is a version of the Kryptonian superhero Superman from an alternate reality called Earth-Two...
, the Anti-Monitor
Anti-Monitor
The Anti-Monitor is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain and the antagonist of the 1985 DC Comics miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths. He first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 , and was destroyed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, only to return after a long absence in Green...
, Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
, and Brainiac
Brainiac
Brainiac may refer to:* Brainiac , a fictional supervillain in DC Comics, and an enemy of Superman** Brainiac , 2008 storyline in Action Comics...
. The third and final wave included action figure representations of Earth-Prime Superboy, Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, a Weaponer of Qward, Earth-2 Huntress
Huntress (comics)
The Huntress is a name used by several characters in DC Comics.The Golden Age Huntress is a supervillainess, while the Bronze Age and Modern Age Huntresses are superheroines....
, and the female Dr. Light
Doctor Light (Kimiyo Hoshi)
Doctor Light is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe.Kimiyo Hoshi is a distinct character from the DC villain of the same name...
.
Novelization adaptation
iBooks, Inc.Byron Preiss
Byron Preiss was an American writer, editor, and publisher. He founded and served as president of Byron Preiss Visual Publications, and later of iBooks.-Early life and career:...
, under the distribution of Publishers Group West
Charlie Winton
Charlie Winton is currently CEO and publisher of Counterpoint Press.In 1976, Winton founded Publisher's Group West ,and served as chairman CEO for 25 years....
, adapted the comic book miniseries as a novelization with one of its writers, Marv Wolfman. The whole event was narrated by Barry Allen himself. The hardcover version was released in April 2005 (ISBN 1-5968-7290-X) and the paperback was released in February 2006 (ISBN 1-5968-7343-4). Cover art was done by George Pérez and Alex Ross.
HeroClix expansion
On February 28, 2008, a DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
HeroClix
HeroClix
HeroClix is a collectible miniatures game that uses the Clix system. Originally designed and produced by WizKids, it is now owned and marketed by NECA. Players construct teams of comic book heroes, villains, and other characters from popular video games such as Street Fighter, Gears of War, and Halo...
set entitled "Crisis" was released.
Audiobook adaptation
GraphicAudioGraphicaudio
GraphicAudio is an audiobook publisher that creates "A Movie In Your Mind". The GraphicAudio format features a full cast of actors, narration, sound effects and cinematic music...
(who had previously done audiobook versions of Infinite Crisis and 52) released an audiobook version of Crisis on Infinite Earths in May 2009. As with their previous DC story adaptations, it was based on the novelization rather than the comic.
Collected editions
- Crisis on Infinite Earths #1-12 (April 1985 – March 1986) was collected in hardcover (December 1998; ISBN 1-5638-9434-3) and trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
(January 2001; ISBN 1-5638-9750-4) editions, with original cover art by George Pérez and Alex Ross. - Official Crisis on Infinite Earths IndexOfficial DC IndexThe Official DC Index is a series of comic books released by Independent Comics Group from 1985–1988, which featured synopses of several DC Comics series...
(March 1986) was released as a one-shot publication providing a detailed description of each issue in the series, a list of alternative Earths, and a history of the Multiverse concept. - Official Crisis on Infinite Earths Cross-Over Index (July 1986) was released as a one-shot publication providing summaries of every comic book issue connected to the Crisis storyline, descriptions of alternative Earths, and a list of every character that appeared in the Crisis series.
- Crisis on Infinite Earths: The Absolute Edition (November 2005; ISBN 1-4012-0712-X) was released as an oversized, slipcased, hardcover edition. The first volume reprints the limited series and the second volume provides extras, including scripts, commentaries, retrospectives, and also reprints the two indexes.
Parodies and homages
- Blackthorne ComicsBlackthorne PublishingBlackthorne Publishing, Inc. was a comic book publisher that flourished from 1986-1989. They were notable for the Blackthorne 3-D Series, their reprint titles of classic comic strips like Dick Tracy, and their licensed products...
published the two-issue mini-series Freak-Out on Infant Earths in 1987. - Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' Mighty MouseMighty MouseMighty Mouse is an animated superhero mouse character created by the Terrytoons studio for 20th Century Fox.-History:The character was created by story man Izzy Klein as a super-powered housefly named Superfly. Studio head Paul Terry changed the character into a cartoon mouse instead...
#4-5 (19911991 in comics-January:* Checkmate is canceled by DC Comics with issue #33.* El Diablo vol. 2 is canceled by DC with issue #16.* Count Duckula is canceled by the Marvel Comics imprint Star Comics with issue #15....
) were titled "Mices on Infinite Earths", and had Mighty Mouse meeting Mighty Mousette and helping the Minotaur, Harebinger, and Piranha fight the evil and powerful Anti-Minotaur. George Pérez drew the cover of issue #4, parodying Crisis on Infinite Earths #7, and issue #5, parodying Crisis on Infinite Earths #12. - The Crisis, along with other crossovers and "event" comics, was parodiedParodyA parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
by SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
Comics in the Radioactive Man series. Radioactive Man #679 (September 19941994 in comics-Year overall:* Huge changes in the marketplace force many retailers and small publishers out of business...
), written by Steve Vance, is entitled "Who Washes the Washmen's Infinite Secrets of Legendary Crossover Knight Wars?" In one issue, Radioactive Man also mentions a "Secret Crisis on Erstatz Earths". - MAD MagazineMad (magazine)Mad is an American humor magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952. Launched as a comic book before it became a magazine, it was widely imitated and influential, impacting not only satirical media but the entire cultural landscape of the 20th century.The last...
#448 provided a review of the fictional "Infinite Secret Crisis on All Earthly Worlds", which sought to solve the continuity problems by killing absolutely everyone, in alphabetical order. - Many images and themes from Crisis on Infinite Earths are repeated in JLA/AvengersJLA/AvengersJLA/Avengers is a comic book limited series and crossover published in prestige format by DC Comics and Marvel Comics from September 2003 to May 2004. The series was written by Kurt Busiek, with art by George Pérez...
, written by Kurt BusiekKurt BusiekKurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.-Early life:...
and pencilled (as was Crisis) by George PérezGeorge PérezGeorge Pérez is a Puerto Rican-American writer and illustrator of comic books, known for his work on various titles, including Avengers, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman.-Biography:...
. - In the Justice LeagueJustice League (TV series)Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
episode "A Better World, Part 1", an alternate Martian ManhunterMartian ManhunterThe Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...
lures the Justice League into a trap by deploying a similar story. The part that can be heard is, "...and the dimensions appear to be collapsing on each other..." and, "...perhaps by combining our forces, we may be able to avert this crisis which threatens all the infinite earths and all the divergent timestreams." - In the Justice League UnlimitedJustice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
episode "The Once and Future Thing, Part 2", ChronosChronos (comics)Chronos is the name of several fictional characters of DC Comics, both supervillains who take their name from the Greek personification of Time and have the ability of time travel and can manipulate history.-David Clinton:...
' disruption of the timeline nearly results in history being erased with a "white field" effect similar to the anti-matter wave of the Crisis. A mastodon phases in front of the characters at one point. The Western era is visited. Batman and Green Lantern chase Chronos to the beginning of time, where they view a hand similar to the Anti-Monitor's holding the source spiral. - Another episode of Justice League Unlimited, "Far From Home", had Green Arrow, Supergirl, and Green Lantern shanghaied to the 31st century to aid the last free members of the Legion of Super Heroes. The Legion knows that Supergirl disappeared from history at this point, but does not say anything. Supergirl faces a brainwashed Legion — and Green Lantern, too, by that point — and is believed to be killed in the fight. Green Lantern holds her body in the same pose used by Superman on the cover of Crisis on Infinite Earths #7, surrounded by the Legion. She survives, but stays in the future, as it is more like her old home.
- In the online web comic Gaming Guardians, an entire page is used as an homage to the death of Supergirl, right down to the infamous line, "But... We had a casualty."
- The fourth and final issue of the Superman & Bugs BunnyBugs BunnyBugs Bunny is a animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most...
mini-series was titled "Cwisis on Infinite Earths". - Issue #25 of the AnimaniacsAnimaniacsSteven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs, usually referred to as simply Animaniacs, is an American animated series, distributed by Warner Bros. Television and produced by Amblin Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation. The cartoon was the second animated series produced by the collaboration of Steven...
comic series showed a preview of fictitious stories supposedly planned for later issues. One of them was "Chaos on Infinite Watertowers!", described as "an epic retooling of the massive Warner universe", in which "worlds collide", "titans clash", and "Wakko gets a new hat." - In the Legion of Super-Heroes animated series, Brainiac 5Brainiac 5Brainiac 5 is a fictional character who exists in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Universe. He is a long standing member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Brainiac 5 is from the planet Colu...
mentions a "Great Crisis" which resulted in many historical records being lost. - ToyFareToyFareToyFare was a monthly comedy and collecting magazine published by Wizard Entertainment that focused on collectible action figures, busts, statues, and maquettes. It previewed new and upcoming lines and figures each month, as well as providing a price guide for toy lines, new and old...
#75 featured a Twisted ToyFare Theater story entitled "Crisis on Infinite Megovilles!" which involved Aunt MayAunt MayMay Reilly Parker-Jameson, commonly known as Aunt May, is a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared as May Parker in Amazing Fantasy #15...
getting hold of the Infinity GauntletInfinity GemsInfinity Gems, sometimes referred to as the Soul Gems, are six immensely powerful gems featured in the fictional Marvel Universe. Whoever holds all six gems in the Infinity Gauntlet gains omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and God-like power, and has absolute dominion over the universe...
and using it to "clean up" alternate realities. - The Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesTeenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesThe Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
movie, Turtles ForeverTurtles ForeverTurtles Forever, also known as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles Forever or TMNT: Turtles Forever is a 2009 made-for-tv animated movie that was produced by 4Kids Entertainment...
, had a similar theme of infinite Earths filled with different variations of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their enemies. They all originated from "Turtle-Prime", which is a parody of Earth PrimeEarth PrimeEarth Prime is a term sometimes used in works of speculative fiction involving parallel universes or a multiverse, and refers either to the universe containing "our" Earth, or to a parallel world with a bare minimum of divergence points from Earth as we know it...
. - The FOXFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
series, FringeFringe (TV series)Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The series follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation "Fringe Division" team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security...
, a sci-fi show that involves alternate realities and parallel worlds, mentions a major event took place in the year 1985, the same year Crisis on Infinite Earths was first published. The show further featured "alternate" versions of DC Comics in the episode "Over There, Part 2", specifically an inversion of the famous cover of Superman carrying the body of Supergirl suggesting in Fringe's "alternate" universe that it was Superman who was killed as part of the crisis, while Supergirl survived. - Beginning with the October 2010 issue, Boom! StudiosBoom! StudiosBOOM! Studios is an American comic book company headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States. The "BOOM!" in BOOM! Studios is always capitalized by the company.-History:BOOM! was founded June 22, 2005 with Zombie Tales #1....
' Darkwing Duck comic book series begins a four-part story arc deemed "Crisis on Infinite Darkwings", apparently taking strong inspiration from this series. - In the Green Lantern: Emerald KnightsGreen Lantern: Emerald KnightsGreen Lantern: Emerald Knights, is an animated film that tells various stories featuring members of Green Lantern Corps, including Abin Sur, Laira, Kilowog, and Mogo It was released on June 7, 2011...
movie, the Guardians noted that the Shadow Demons haven't been seen since "the great crisis". - The Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
episode "Night of the Batmen!" homages the cover to Crisis on Infinite Earths #7, with a sorrowful AquamanAquamanAquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
holding the badly-injured body of BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
as Green ArrowGreen ArrowGreen Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
, Plastic ManPlastic ManPlastic Man is a fictional comic-book superhero originally published by Quality Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. Created by writer-artist Jack Cole, he first appeared in Police Comics #1 ....
and Captain Marvel look on in shock.
External links
- Crisis on Infinite Earths at the Big Comic Book DataBaseBig Comic Book DataBaseThe Big Comic Book DataBase is a website containing information about comic books, and run by the maintainers of the Big Cartoon DataBase. , the database contains information on over 100,000 books in 5000+ series, including over 35,000 cover scans....
- Crisis on Infinite Earths at the DC Database Project
- Jonathan Woodward's The Annotated Crisis on Infinite Earths
- Alan Kistler's DC Crisis Files An in-depth retrospective by comic historian Alan Kistler on the Crisis, including a comprehensive issue-by-issue summary, a map of the multiple universes, a discussion on why the Crisis happened and how effective it was, various art scans, and a discussion on Marv Wolfman's novelization. Also contains information on Infinite Crisis and Final Crisis.
- Earth Words: Musings on DC's Parallel Worlds – Crisis Edition
- Crisis on Infinite Earths: The DC Canon A study of landmark series as canonical DC work
- Crisis on Infinite Earths: The Continuity Pages
- Infinite Crises A list of trades spanning Crisis on Infinite Earths to Infinite Crisis