Between The Panels: Final Crisis Counseling Pt. 1
Heroes die. Legends live forever. The day evil won. This is what Final Crisis was described to be. DC Comics has finally wrapped up their mega multiverse-spanning event, which also brings to a close the Crisis Trilogy. Not only does Final Crisis end the plot points presented way back in Crisis on Infinite Earths, but also closes the gap on fan favorite and industry legend Jack Kirby’s creations during his time at DC Comics. In typical Grant Morrison fashion, he has split the internet in half. Fanboys on each side of the fence, one side scratching their heads and saying “WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?” and the others understanding and completely adoring Final Crisis. Many new fans argue Final Crisis is hard to comprehend and has incredible amounts of references, which makes it difficult to just jump into the story, which to high degree is true. Being as Final Crisis is the last in the Crisis Trilogy, it is only fair to give a nod to long time fans of the DC Universe and also pay tribute to the stories, artists, and writers that came before. Before we delve into Final Crisis we must go back to the beginning. This is your Final Crisis counseling.
In 1985, a 12 part crossover event titled Crisis On Infinite Earths was conceived in order to clear up continuity issues and ideas, such as there being two Flashes, two Green Lanterns, and Superman being a member of both Justice Society of America and Justice League of America but occurring on separate Earths. Fans alike had trouble differentiating which stories occurred on alternate Earths. DC Comics at the time had instilled a multiverse where there was an infinite number of possibilities and infinite versions of many of their beloved characters, but unfortunately this brought great confusion for new fans who attempted to jump on board but did not understand some of the concepts. Crisis On Infinite Earths streamlined the DC Multiverse into one coherent universe.
[caption id=”attachment_5100” align=”aligncenter” width=”550” caption=”Right Click and hit View Image to see the full art!”]
[/caption]
I am pretty sure you are asking yourself “what the hell does this have to do with Final Crisis?” Well, simply put, Crisis on Infinite Earths introduced the concept of there being two supreme God like beings - The Monitor and The Anti-Monitor - where one, The Monitor, would watch and preserve the life of the multiverse , and the other, The Anti-Monitor, would be a complete engine of death. The concept of a godlike entity that watches and attempts to preserve all life is something found in all myth and even after the subsequent death of The Monitor in Crisis on Infinite Earths, it was not until after Infinite Crisis that the Monitors were reintroduced in DC Universe: Brave New World, but more on that later. The next thread to be picked up in Final Crisis from Crisis on Infinite Earths was the death of Barry Allen. Barry Allen was the Silver Age Flash. His death in the series is what sparked Wally West, his sidekick Kid Flash, to step up and take on the Flash mantle.
Barry Allen’s sacrifice to save the multiverse landed him as an all time badass. Since his death was so iconic, it was believed and wildly accepted that Barry Allen could not return from the dead. His name joined the ranks of Uncle Ben (still dead), Jason Todd (Oopsie), Gwen Stacy (2 for 3 ain’t bad!), and Bucky Barnes (Returned alive and well). What Crisis on Infinite Earths accomplished was a New Earth with a streamlined continuity for new stories of everyones favorite heroes to be told, but survivors of the Multiverse, Superman of Earth-2, Alexander Luthor of Earth-3, Lois Lane of Earth-2, and Superboy Prime, left into a pocket dimension which where they lived peacefully until…
[caption id=”attachment_5117” align=”aligncenter” width=”415” caption=”Right Click and hit View Image to see the full image!”]
[/caption]
Infinite Crisis was a direct sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths. Throughout mid 2005 and early 2006, Infinite Crisis was to reestablish a new status quo and, like its predecessor, clean up many of the continuity problems that occurred after the fallout of Crisis on Infinite Earths. Returning into the spotlight, Alexander Luthor, Superman of Earth-2, his wife Lois Lane, and Superboy Prime had become disappointed and saddened by the turn of events as they on looked to what this New Earth had turned into. At this time, DC Comics had become very gritty and dark. Many of these themes were fallout from the 90’s comics. The survivors of the multiverse echoed many of the fans reactions to these dark and gritty stories and wished that DC would return to the “good ol’ days.” Alexander Luthor used Superman of Earth-2 and Superboy Prime for his own scheme of attempting to create a better world, a perfect world.
The repercussions from Infinite Crisis changed radically for the survivors of the multiverse. Superman of Earth-2 and his wife both dead. Alexander Luthor viciously murdered by New Earth’s Joker. Power Girl, finally with a clear and present origin, is established as a survivor of the original crisis and is in fact Superman of Earth-2’s cousin. Superboy Prime becomes the ultimate villain. Hailing from a world much like our own. If given the chance, he would have became the greatest hero of them all, but this was not the case. Instead, he has become one of the DC Universe’s biggest threats. Last but not least, Infinite Crisis established the Earth the heroes and villains inhabit as New Earth and the return of the Multiverse.
Again, you are probably saying, “thanks for the DCU history lesson a$$hole, but what does this have to do with Final Crisis?” The return of the multiverse also brought the return The Monitor (Monitors even). 52 Earths with their own Monitor to watch and protect their respective Universes, each Monitor with characteristics similar to the universe they observe.
Thus brings us to Countdown to Final Crisis, which loosely sets up Final Crisis. In a nutshell, the New Gods are dying, the city of Bludhaven is an atomic wasteland thanks to the supervillain Chemo, there is a bunker under Bludhaven called Command D, which is the name of the Last Boy, and Kamandi, one of Jack Kirby’s unfinished stories, is a house to genetic tampering technology under the US government control and protected by the Atomic Knights, another of Jack Kirby’s concepts. Also, the fall of Mary Marvel into Darkseid’s control, the Bleed established as the “in between space” between different universes, and the complete destruction and annihilation of Earth-51 due to a corrupt Monitor’s involvement.
Final Crisis is in fact just that… FINAL! This is the final crisis of superheroes, the final crisis of the New Gods, and importantly, the final crisis of The Monitors. Grant Morrison weaves in all of Jack Kirby’s unfinished stories and concepts into a cohesive (some will say arguable) story.
The series starts off with Metron, a New God, visiting prehistory to a prehistoric man named Anthro and gives him the gift of fire. Next, we turn to Dan Turpin, a private detective, as he comes to discover the body of the dying New God Orion, son of Darkseid. John Stewart and Hal Jordan of the Green Lantern Corps are summoned to investigate the death of Orion. Turpin then is given a tip by The Question, a private detective that specializes in strange and obscure theories, to investigate the Dark Side Club where a trail leads to missing children. Libra has assumed control over the Secret Society of Super Villains at this point and with proof to show he can give the villains what they wish, kills a drugged Martian Manhunter, the Justice League’s valued member, which would enable them to have instant mind-to-mind communication. Dan Turpin appears at the Dark Side club only to be greeted by Boss Dark Side, who is now being inhabited by the New God Darkseid and has abducted children and exposed them to the Anti-Life equation, a mathematical proof that proves life and hope are pointless. The Monitors gather around Nix Uotan, the Monitor for Earth-51, and judge him for the failed protection and total annihilation of that Earth under his watch. He is sent to New Earth to live out the rest of his life as a human.
Sonny Sumo, another Kirby creation and friend of the New Gods known as the Forever People, is recruited by Shilo Norman, the current Mister Miracle master escape artist, to help defeat the threat that Darkseid is bringing to Earth. Granny Goodness, a New God and follower of Darkseid, is in the body of the super space cop Alpha Lantern Kraken and attempts to murder John Stewart, frame Hal Jordan for the murder of Orion and the attack on John Stewart, and manages to kidnap Batman. Dan Turpin shows up to Bludhaven and is given a tour of the now taken-over Command D. Evil New Gods Mokkari, Mr Simyan, and Glorious Godfrey are gene altering men and animals into beastmen hybrids, recruiting and spreading anti-life among man, and enslaving those still left in Bludhaven to serve Darkseid. Batman, imprisoned by Darkseid’s henchmen, warns Turpin to resist the Anti-Life Equation, but is too late. Dan Turpin has been corrupted and his body now is inhabited by Darkseid.
The Daily Planet is attacked in a terrorist-style attack ,which leaves Lois Lane in the hospital and Superman MIA. Jay Garrick, the first Flash, and Wally West, successor to The Flash mantle, arrive at a strip club that is used as a secret villain hideout to find the Mobius Chair, a New God artifact that is used by the New God Metron to travel time. Sprawling out of the Mobius Chair and running at full speed, running from death, and running to catch the God killing bullet which killed Orion, is Wally West’s mentor and uncle, the returned-from-the-dead speedster Barry Allen.
Superman still remains bedside by his wife, who he is keeping alive with his heat vision, when he is recruited by a female Monitor that ties into the events that lead into Superman Beyond (recommended reading which ties into Final Crisis). Alan Scott, the first Green Lantern, issues Article X and drafts any and all Superheroes to form an army, exactly how Roosevelt recruited and formed the All Star Squadron during World War 2. Wonder Woman travels to Bludhaven to come into contact with Mary Marvel. Mary Marvel, possed by the New God Desaad, infects Wonder Woman with an Anti-Life disease which puts her under the will of Darkseid. Mokkari spreads the Anti-Life equation through every form of digital communication possible: radio, tv, internet, etc.
Checkmate, the US spy organization to protect the world against Metahuman threats, sets up watch tower safe way points to recruit, to keep those uninfected by the Anti-Life equation, and to fight the armies of Darkseid. Alan Scott delivers a message using the former villain-used Unternet, a black market like Internet, to deliver a final speech giving orders that the final battle for Earth and mankind will be at Bludhaven. On the planet Oa, Alpha Lantern Kraken, possessed by Granny Goodness, puts Hal Jordan on trial until the other Green Lanterns of Earth barge in on the trial and exploit her plot. Granny Goodness attempts to steal the power battery which powers all Green Lantern rings, but the Guardians use their failsafe plan if at any time the power battery would become endangered. The Guardians give the Green Lanterns 24 hours to save Earth.
The Battle of Bludhaven begins while Nix Uotan, in his human shell, is thrown into a prison cell in Command D for being able to resist the Anti-Life equation. With him in the cell, holding a rubix cube, is Metron. He reveals to him that the Fifth World arrives, The Age of Gods as Men. Metron awakens Nix Uotan and is fully powered and remembers who he is. He is the Judge of All Evil. Darkseid attempts to claim Earth and victory as he himself is dying and pulling Earth into a black hole with him, which is causing time and reality fluctuations.
Superman, after returning from his adventures in Superman Beyond, is taken to the 31st Century and is shown by Brainiac 5, the Miracle Machine and God-Weapon that turns “thought into things.” Superman memorizes the machine before being sent back to the crisis. As the Battle of Bludhaven rages on, it is becoming more clear that Earth and mankind may not have a chance. Checkmate then issues the Black Gambit, a protocol that would be the removal of all mankind on the present Earth to be placed and restart civilization on another Earth within the multiverse. Lex Luthor and Dr. Sivana impliment their plan to overthrow Libra and preserve life. Dr. Sivana sets off a jammer that would allow Luthor to control the Justifiers to combat Darkseid. Luthor then attacks Libra, only for Libra to have magically disappeared.
Batman escapes from his torture device and confronts Darkseid. Darkseid, still claiming victory and pulling the Earth with him to his death, is shot by Batman with the same bullet that Darkseid used to kill Orion. As the shot fires, Darkseid uses the Omega Sanction, two streams of unavoidable energy which transports the victim through time or transports the target through a series of worsening lives. Superman returns to his time period, only to find his friend’s corpse in the rubble.
The Question is traveling worlds with Captain Marvel of Earth-5 due to the Black Gambit and recruiting Superman of many Earths to combat the great evil. The remaining survivors are in one of the many watchtowers set up by Checkmate, drifting along the Bleed as the multiverse begins to rip. Superman comes face to face with Darkseid, attempting to stop him, only to have the Flashes outrun death himself, The Black Racer, and have the Black Racer instead take Darkseid to his final resting place.
The Earth and Multiverse are still in shambles while Superman, with the help of Heroes and Villains alike, attempts to recreate the God-Weapon, The Miracle Machine. The super computer Lord Eye, who is in charge of the Black Gambit, is assuming failure and closing the portals and taking the lives of Hawkman and Hawkgirl. The tide of battle turns, but the conditions are still dire. Frankenstien enters battle with the Female Furies, led by a corrupted Wonder Woman. Finally breaking free of Darkseid’s control, Wonder Woman uses her Lasso of Truth to break the grasp on the others still under the influence of the Anti-Life Equation.
As the battle ends, the survivors are shrunken down and put into ice trays in order to be reawakened on a new Earth to live again(yes, it’s not just you, it does sound stupid). Superman finally constructs the Miracle Machine, but it is missing one last part. Darkseid attempts to make one final attack in his vibrational energy form but Superman uses a counter vibration, which defeats Darkseid. Superman comes upon Mobius Chair which stores the last component to the Miracle Machine, Element X (Fire of the Gods that can take any shape). Unfortunately, Superman is then confronted by the ultimate evil, the dark monitor Mandrakk. Mandrakk appears to eliminate and feed on the “stories” and eliminate the “corrupted stories.” Superman, representing the ultimate form of hero, readies himself for a rematch against Mandrakk, only to be joined by the army of Supermen, Nix Uotan, The Forever People, Angels, and The Green Lantern Corps. The GL Corps pull all their willpower together and put a steak into the Mandrakk, being the vampire God he is.
Superman then makes one wish to the Miracle Machine, “the best for all of us.” As Nix Uotan gives his testimony to the remaining Monitors, they watch their world disappear around them. The Monitors “story” ends as they are transferred into human shells in the same way Nix was at the beginning of the series. Back in time, Anthro, the first boy, now an old man, passes in a cave as Bruce Wayne sits in the cave and begins to paint a story.
Aftermaths and Status Quo shifts to come in part 2! If there are questions regarding this series, please leave a comment! I will be sure to answer them in the follow up article!
Between The Panels: Final Crisis Counseling Pt.2
-Josh “Buddhapunch” Pacheco-
