THE MULTIVERSITY #1Cover We see President Superman, Calvin Ellis of Earth-23, where there's an all-black Justice League, first seen in Final Crisis #7 (2009). We see Captain Carrot of Earth-C (which I imagine will get an official number before this is over), first seen in an insert in New Teen Titans #16 (1982). We also see a Mary Marvel, earth origin unknown, and a red-skinned Green Lantern with horns (Abin Sur of Earth-20). Page 1 The camera opens on a city with people running around like bugs, zooming in closer and closer to a woman knocking on a door, closer still to lice in her hair. The omniscient narrator intones about life taking root wherever it can. Morrison often announces his themes with the opening panels, Iike with Anthro in Final Crisis #1, and I don't believe this to be an exception. Page 2 A young black male is typing in commentary on the Cosmic Cosmos Forum about a new comic book from DC titled Ultra Comics, which is rumored to be haunted. I don't know if it's significant, but there was a comic book published by Fawcett that ran 14 issues from 1951-53 titled This Magazine Is Haunted. The man is addressing a stuffed monkey as Mr. Stubbs. Mr. Stubbs was a circus chimpanzee in the 1880 children's book Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks with a Circus, which was adapted into the Disney movie Toby Tyler in 1960. The young man is listening to music (presumably) on earphones; music will play a big role in this series, so that might be important. Page 3 The captions in Ultra Comics appear to be warning not just the young black man but also us readers to not read any further. Morrison has often broken the fourth wall, and appears to be doing so here. Mr. Stubbs comes alive (in a pirate outfit) and urges the young black man to change into his alter ego, Nix Uotan, the last of the Monitors, as seen in Morrison's Final Crisis. Page 4 Nix Uotan refers to his super alter ego as Superjudge. That's a new reference, unless you count the obscure album by the obscure band Monster Magnet. Page 5 The comic book has evidently summoned Nix Uotan to Earth-7, which he travels to in a ship named Ultima Thule. "Ultima Thule" was used in ancient times as a generic reference to someplace far away, generally impossible to get to. By Medieval times "Ultima Thule" was used to denote far Northern lands about which little was known, and at various times was a reference for various far- Northern areas, such as Scandinavia, the Shetlands, even an island in the Baltic Sea. The Thule Society, formed in 1918 in Germany, believed that Thule/Hyperborea was a perfect place in antiquity, possibly Atlantis, far in advance of us technologically, and the birthplace of the Aryan race. (As you can imagine, these Aryan-lovers were tight with the Nazis.) In modern times, Thule is a place in Greenland. Whether Morrison is referencing any of this, or even Conan's Hyperborea, or Aquaman's Atlantis, or Lori Lemaris' Atlantis, or even Arion's Atlantis, isn't clear. Earth-7 is adjacent to the House of Heroes on the map, immediately to the left. When Superjudge and Mr. Stubbs arrive on Earth-7, it is in ruins. Dead super-people litter the ruins, although I can't distinguish any of them. The words "We Need Your Help" appear in the air. Page 6 The words in the air are apparently a message from an ethereal, vaporized Invisible Woman analog. A fiery face appears to be a transformed Human Torch analog. A stretched-out Mr. Fantastic analog dominates the foreground, while some of the ruins are sentient and moving, apparently all that's left of this planet's version of The Thing. Page 7 Superjudge describes Earth-7 as "so badly out of tune, the laws of physics have been disabled." Another reference to music. We also meet The Thunderer, the Thor analog of this world, likely based on Australian Aborigine myths or folklore, given his dialect. At his feet are various dead super-people that are avatars of both Marvel and DC characters, including Captain America, Superman, Vision, Blue Devil and Wonder Woman. (There are more, but I can't distinguish them, although one of them is possibly Cyclops.) Page 9 The chief bad guy appears, announcing he and his kind as The Gentry, who want to remove all hope. Weirdly, he reminds me of the sidekick in Berni Wrightson's Captain Sternn. It's essentially an eyeball with bat wings. That's actually a fairly common image, but I don't know where it comes from. We see The Thunderer from behind this time, so the figures in the background are clearer. Still can't tell if that's supposed to be a faux-Cyclops or not. Page 14 Thunderer mentions "the Rainbow or Worlds," possibly a reference to the Multiversity Map. (He also loses his "Thor" powers -- and his front teeth -- as he reverts to Don Blake an ordinary Aborigine. Page 15 Thunderer says "the Pitiless Ones" are from "behind the invisible rainbow" and are "opposite of everything natural." One must assume again that he is referring to the Multiversity Map, and that The Gentry are from beyond its borders. Nix Uotan references "The Orrery" and the "House of Heroes" from the Map. Page 16 We meet the other Gentry: Dame Merciless, Hellmachine, Lord Broken, Demogorgunn and Intellectron. These names are not familiar to me. The latter two are portmanteaus of Demiurge/Gorgon and intellect/electron. There is a demogorgon in mythology, but it's not a significant figure. Page 17 The "anti-death equation" is described as something that won't let you die and/or extends the moment of death indefinitely, as opposed to the anti-life equation -- central to Final Crisis -- which removes free will. Page 18-19 We visit Earth-23 and President Superman. On Earth-23 Brainiac is apparently Superman's computer/major domo. Page 20 The President's assistant is Courtney. I am unfamiliar with any significant Courtneys in DC history that look like this twentysomething brunette. Courtney Whitmore is a blonde teenager.) Page 21 We meet Earth-23's Justice League, whose headquarters resembles the pre-Crisis Justice League's satellite. Members include Steel, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Zatanna, Black Lightning, Batman, Green Lantern, Red Tornado, Vixen and a man in a leather jacket with a half-helmet of gold -- likely Mr. Terrific, but possibly Dr. Fate or Guardian. All are black except possibly Batman, who is probably black, but if he is, he's very light-skinned. Superman has destroyed a robot of unknown origin and unknown materials that degrades upon contact with real-world physics -- obviously, something from The Gentry's neck of the woods. Wonder Woman suggest they look for its origins "in higher planes and rare geometries, or in the harmony of spheres where endless worlds and voices sing in rhapsody sublime." This might be a good time to mention that all of this talk of music, musical spheres and harmony has resonance with the ancient theory of "the music of the spheres" as well as the original separation of Earth-One and Earth-Two by vibrations. For Music of the Spheres I can't do better than Wikipedia: "Musica universalis (lit. universal music, or music of the spheres) or Harmony of the Spheres is an ancient philosophical concept that regards proportions in the movements of celestial bodies— the Sun, Moon, and planets—as a form of musica (the Medieval Latinterm for music). This "music" is not usually thought to be literally audible, but a harmonic and/or mathematical and/or religious concept. The idea continued to appeal to thinkers about music until the end of the Renaissance, influencing scholars of many kinds, including humanists. The Music of the Spheres incorporates the metaphysical principle that mathematical relationships express qualities or "tones" of energy which manifest in numbers, visual angles, shapes and sounds – all connected within a pattern of proportion. Pythagoras first identified that the pitch of a musical note is in proportion to the length of the string that produces it, and that intervals between harmonious sound frequencies form simple numerical ratios.[1] In a theory known as the Harmony of the Spheres, Pythagoras proposed that the Sun, Moon and planets all emit their own unique hum (orbital resonance) based on their orbital revolution,[2] and that the quality of life on Earth reflects the tenor of celestial sounds which are physically imperceptible to the human ear.[3] Subsequently, Plato described astronomy and music as "twinned" studies of sensual recognition: astronomy for the eyes, music for the ears, and both requiring knowledge of numerical proportions.[4] Meanwhile, the original concept introduced in "Flash of Two Worlds" in Flash #123 (1961) was that each universe vibrated at a slightly different rate, so the Flashes could travel from one world to another by adapting their internal vibration to the universe they wanted to visit. Morrison appears to be tying the vibrational concept to a literal Music of the Spheres. Page 22 On Earth-23, Lex Luthor was trying to access the multiverse with a "Transmatter Symphonic Array" -- which suddenly activates and whisks Superman to ... Page 24-25 ... the House of Heroes, "outside of normal time and space -- between universes" at the center of the Multiverse (according to the Map). We learn this and a whole lot more exposition from Captain Carrot, who has also been pulled to the House by a Transmatter "Hutch' as have a host of other heroes, each pulled by a Transmatter machine of some kind, which materialized on their worlds after Thunderer sent out an SOS. Captain Carrot describes the fluid in which the worlds exist as "Bleedspace" that's rotating through the fifth dimension (where Mr. Mxyzptlk lives) around a fixed point of the multiversal Orrery of Worlds." Addendum: Captain Carrot thinks he has met Superman, but he's thinking of the Superman from Earth-One, whom he met in Captain Carrot and the Zoo Crew #1. CC says that all humans look alike to him -- a racial slur on our planet, but here, the reverse: Captain Carrot literally cannot tell " with a big floating Lyla "Harbinger" Mychaels head. maybe those are the six Earths we're going to see imperiled in issues #2-7." . Lady Quark and Lord Volt (of Earth-6. plus chibi versions of Wonder Woman and Steel. He also refers to the House of Heroes as "a watchtower. It is also called Valla-Hal. a Hawkman of unknown origin. oh. Marvel Comics on Earth-36 are called Major Comics. the one with the cartoon eyes on the Map? Seems likely. and his front teeth." Thunderer (who has gotten his powers. and he's dead. It's all one big song. which is probably significant. Page 30-31 The rescue party will consist of Superman of Earth-23. like Barry Allen. We see (and will later be introduced to) Spore and Dino-Cop (Spawn and Savage Dragon) from Earth-41." She refers to herself as having been sleeping. so I don't know what that means. and subsequently killed. Earth-5. Thunderer of Earth-7. The Multiverse needs you!" However. Or "Harbinger Systems. who knows? Can't have a Crisis without a Harbinger.) We learn that the Ultima Thule is made of "frozen music. but . Page 28-29 Superman's Brainiac belt buckle makes contacts with the computer which is . Incidentally. Harbinger says "Earth-4.the worlds of the Multiverse vibrate together! Separated only by their different pitches.the black Superman from the white one. so these may not be the same ones). Harbinger. We learn that the adventures of the various heroes appear in other universes as comic books. Earth-20." We learn that Red Racer. and one assumes they are gay. Red Racer of Earth- 36.. Of course. All ringing.. (I wonder if Earth-C is Earth-26. Earth-10." We learn that Red Racer's civilian name is Ray (Palmer?) and Power-Torch's is Hank (Hall?). I guess. They're all equal in his eyes. Aquawoman of Earth-41 and Captain Carrot of Earth-C. and even showed up as a Black Lantern in "Blackest Night. Their world's Superman was named Optiman. just like Barry Allen reading about Jay Garrick back in "Flash of Two Worlds. ADDENDUM: Since Earth-20 needs help in the next issue.. Vixen and Bloodwynd (no Earth specified). Valhalla sideways. Page 32 Morrison drives home the Music of the Spheres bit. Page 26-27 We meet more heroes snatched up by the SOS. first seen in Crisis on Infinite Earths #4. the Image planet Earth-41 is exactly on the opposite side of the Map as President Superman's Earth-23. Red Racer and Power Torch (Flash and Green Lantern) from Earth-36. she's been dead for a long time.. Their good-byes are very intimate. Aquawoman of Earth-11 (probably the world of gender swaps we've seen before). Earth-33. The Justice League on Earth-36 is called Justice 9. as we'll see next issue. is a comic book fan. Earth-16. Red Racer: "-." which has JLA resonance. 1986. back): Fifty-two worlds occupying the same space. the team that goes to rescue Nix Uotan are not from those planets.vibrations! Of course -. from reading Major Comics (Marvel Comics) and seeing their movies. David "Behemoth" Dibble (Bruce David "Hulk" Banner).and possibly with The Gentry as well. Once again the captions speak directly to the reader. "A musical engine for traveling between universes. Remember life taking root wherever it can. Red Racer is the one who knows the names of their foes. Black Widow and Hawkeye. haunted. at least they were. Nightstar and Hawkman from Kingdom Come and Starfire from Earth-One among others. but he rode a motorcycle. given that the Stuntmaster was a DD villain. which included Bluejay (Yellowjacket). Bug (Spider-Man) and characters that look suspiciously like Falcon. He also mentions the G-Men (X-Men) and Stuntmaster (probably the Daredevil analog. the Genesis Egg (no idea) and the Lightning-Axe of Wundajin (hammer of Thor) which he claims will give him the Power Eternal (Power Cosmic?)." which I'm guessing is a reference to The Gentry. Captain Speed (Quicksilver). filling in every niche? I think that's what is happening here -. Bowman (Hawkeye) and Tin Man (Iron Man). apparently killing him (with the help of "Hawkeye") and the Future Family. He dies saying "I saw their faces. Captain Carrot is governed by cartoon (Tex Avery) physics. He has the Omni-Gauntlets (Nega-Bands? Infinity Gauntlet?). and selects destination by alter the pitch. Doom) facing off against the Future Family (Fantastic Four) on Earth-8. perhaps. If nothing else we should assume that the comic book we are reading is telling true events from elsewhere in the multiverse. Machinehead (Iron Man). Page 34 We see Lord Havok (Dr. Page 25 . It should be noted that a Thor analog named Wandjina first appeared in Justice League of America #87 (1971) as part of the Champions of Angor. all of whom are dead. Page 7 We see ghostly images of characters from previous alternate worlds like Fury (Hippolyta Trevor)) and Firebrand II from Earth-Two. and that it is. Page 33 The crew sees a horrible monster in the Bleed between universes. Pages 35-39 We meet the Retaliators (Avengers) of Earth-8. Page 44 Nix Uotan is now calling himself "The Judge of Worlds" and has apparently been corrupted by The Gentry. The Behemoth isn't just childlike like the Hulk.Superman discovers the Ultima Thule is a trans-dimensional yacht powered by sound vibrations. Captain Marvel. blue. Silver Sorceress (Scarlet Witch). so he could be a Ghost Rider analog). Crusader (Captain America)." He powers the ship by playing music. which appears to be a super-power of sorts. Pages 40-43 Lord Havok cracks open the Genesis Egg. super-strong baby in a diaper (like Baby Huey). he's actually a giant. which include Wundajin (Thor). This Immortal Man may be the avatar of one of both. the Mighty Atom of Earth-20 face off against invading zombies from Earth-40.. so maybe it's a place in DC geography." which could be any number of gulfs. Immortal Man gives the Eye of Giaour jewel to Lena. Given Al Wadi above. From his depiction here and later. Pre-Flashpoint. In some iterations. where it's a windowless stone tower in Salem. Their leader Lena (Scary Spice) addresses Immortal Man as "Stranger. Page 28 Superman exclaims "Great Vathlo!" Vathlo was a Bronze Age addition to Krypton. (Allah may curse Giaours to become vampires who feed off the blood of their loved ones. and is a play on Gulistan. Usually -- at least in this century -.. MULTIVERSITY #2 Cover Doc Fate. If you'll recall.it refers to the Persian Gulf.and a Resurrection Man.. done in pulp fiction style. the black monoliths of 2001: A Space Odyssey. but sounds very pulp-y. similar to gaijin in Japanese or kaffir in Arabic. Anthro was the beginning and the end of Final Crisis." Phantom Stranger? Immortal Man mentions "Al Wadi. they are the same character. Algebra. Mass. inspired by the Turkish custom of the time of drowning adulterous women in sacks. Green Lantern (Abin Sur). mentions it as his homeland. It's also a famous poem about Lord Byron.in the Arab world.and geographic feature -. Lena mentions "The Gulf. Pages 2-4 We see Immortal Man. according to Wiki. from Mexico to Tonkin. Earth had both an Immortal Man -. unlike on Earth-Two (and perhaps Earth-0). The Immortal Man mentions a Professor Rival (I'm unaware of any actual reference there) once dubbing him Anthro. "Giaour" is an unflattering term for outsider or infidel in Turkish. It resembles. It also." which is an unknown reference (at least to me). et al). I wouldn't be surprised if someone can find a specific mention in some DC comic book or other! Immortal Man mentions the adventure "The Man-Eating Men of Ghoulistan. Weird. Indiana Jones. or whatever his name is in Demon Knights. Page 35 The winged woman is wearing a costume similar to the Falcon's original green and orange outfit. here it's a windowless black obelisk in New York City. More on him in a minute.which. It was the home of a "highly-advanced black race". which looms large in Morrisson's ouevre. Lena of the Blackhawks.an early comic-book character resurrected as one of the justly named Forgotten Heroes -. They meant well. who are more analogous to the Spice Girls than any Blackhawks I know.Doctor Hoot was an actual foe in Captain Carrot And His Amazing Zoo Crew. mildly. Page 1 A narrator (soon revealed to be Immortal Man of this world) approaches the Tower of Fate -. Vandal Savage. We meet the five women who comprise the Blackhawks. it's obvious Doc Fate is this world's Doc Savage analog. has an element of vampirism attached to it. and he's dressed like a soldier of fortune of the 1930s. which is both a number of places in Iran and a famous collection of poems and short stories by the Iranian poet Sa'di." That's a fairly common term -. of the heroic mold (Captain Easy. . He is usually the arch- enemy of another immortal.) That's two poetry references in a single page. Fate mentions Ibn al Ghul and his suicide djinn.is a conventional term and familiar concept." In our world. Fate says he prefers the nickname Doc. age 18. and given Al's blue face mask. Or perhaps. We meet Al Pratt. In interviews.a concept which followed the pulp heroes in our world -. Morrison has mentioned that this world has just finished fighting something akin to World War II. and the context suggests philanthropy. Also. so it could be coincidence. Indiana Jones. Did any pulp heroes support an orphanage or museum? That seems to be the vibe. wearing a sleeveless. aka The Might Atom. Animal Man or even B'wana Beast. it can't be discounted as a throwaway remark. Page 5 Dr. Or it could be there to cement his connection to pulp heroes. who was loosely based on Aarn Monroe. . the connection is strong. very similar to the one we know. The mention of Hex -. superhero -. explainable as a symbol representing his nom du combat. blue mask with a hydrogen symbol on it. Interesting that both Doc Fate and The Mighty Atom have Superman connections.) Al says he is the only person who ever completed "the Iron Munroe bodypower course. especially the many jungle heroes. It's entirely possible he is all of them. as well as Anthro. who is the other? Or are all these characters. The Atom says he wants to hook up with other superheroes to see if he's got the right stuff. This version of the character was the illegitimate son of Hugo Danner. The former seems a reference to Ra's al Ghul.raises other possibilities as well. or perhaps Bruce Wayne's son Ibn al Xu'ffasch in Kingdom Come. and I'm setting up the answer. not just Tarzan but Thun'Da.Immortal Man references "the orphanage" and "the Museum" as if they are places with which he and the Blackhawks are familiar. Iron Munroe was a super-strong comics character first appearing in Shadow #1 in 1940 (published by Street & Smith. where the Turks fought on the side of the Germans. so perhaps on Earth-20 Earth WWI and WWII were combined. a super-strong pulp character of the '30s." which could be a reference to any number of concepts. it could just be cementing his connection to heroes of pulp science fiction. Lena mentions "the Great War against Herr Hex and his Desert Crescent allies. He wears a full- face. from Warlord to Pellucidar. Ka-Zar and all the rest. (Atom is otherwise un-costumed. of course. Superman had been erased in pre-Crisis DC history." Immortal Man calls himself a "friend to the animal kingdom. of course. pre-Superman? I think I know. and takes the name Ibn al Xu'ffasch. Or. Immortal Man and Resurrection Man. so that may explain it all. again. the Great War was World War I. He is legend! Immortal Man also mentions walking "from the center of the earth. the pulp publisher of The Shadow and Doc Savage). V-neck sweater in the collegiate style of the time. You would think Atom would say "mystery men. it's also the symbol sported by Dr. Of course. Which is this world's Superman analog? And if one is Superman. supplied antiquities to a university and museums. who was an inspiration for both Doc Savage and Superman (with Savage also an inspiration for Superman). That is. not just ERB's David Innes but also Jules Verne's Arne Saknussemm. Bruce Wayne becomes Ra's successor (as Ra's wants him to be on our "good" earth). further cementing his Doc Savage cred. Interesting that in this pulp setting.as in Jonah Hex -." not "superheroes. on evil Earth-40. Manhattan of Watchmen. Of course." which could be a connection to Tarzan. which was what his father called him. After Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985-86)." This can be a reference to the ubiquitous Charles Atlas ads that ran in comics forever. the original Atom wore a blue face mask. Given that Morrison wrote a famous run of Animal Man. the superhuman protagonist of Philip Wylie's Gladiator. so Iron Monroe was inserted in his place. being from the pulp genre. Germans and Soviets between the world wars and sparked the popular imagination. even if you squint. In story. he is a comic book fan. Appropriate for the era. Maybe Immortal Man is Batman and Atom is Flash. more or less "good God"). Lady Blackhawk. Weirdly. this time by Fate.) Doc Fate gives the team a name: Society of Superheroes. and this is such an occasion. was Polish. it gives Abin Sur a reason not to show up until he absolutely has to. It's hard to see that here.I don't know of any "suicide djinn" priors.) Page 8 Doc Fate's crystal ball shows a phantom airship that appears to be a gigantic Flying Wing. Batman. that's how power rings work. It does seem that bad guys of the era are always either in Flying Wings or dirigibles. Flash and Green Lantern. Page 9 We see our superhero team assembled: Mighty Atom.. It seems likely they appeared a lot in pulp fiction. or if any specific character was closely associated with the Flying Wing. Page 6 We meet Abin Sur (who appeared on the cover to issue #1). and if so. this one has horns. during the pulp era and is so here. Immortal Man. Abin Sur's ring is from the Guardians.. I'm not pulp-era expert enough to know if this is a specific reference. it also mirrors the storyline in Jonathan Hickman's current Avengers titles! Talk about parallel worlds . If there is some pulp reason he looks like the popular image of Satan. Wonder Woman. The Thunderer sent an SOS from the Hall of Heroes to assemble the team to save the multiverse.000 years two opposite universes become one. the latter wearing headgear similar to his early . I don't know it. albeit unseen. (And it's on the opposite side of the Multiversity Map as well. Al Pratt makes his second comic book reference. (And now we know why Al Pratt said "superheroes" and not "mystery men. collect 'em all.. as they still do in today's period fiction (Captain America: The First Avenger. who was undoubtedly Earth-0's Green Lantern. But it was also a theme in Morrison's Animal Man and Final Crisis. The Gentry sent an SOS in issue one to attract Nix Uotan. However." Morrisson needed the "S"!) Pages 10-11 We see the Flying Wing. like The Demon or Blue Devil. Normally when five heroes assemble. Lena curses in Polish (swiety bog.S.).) We're told that every 100. why? Or does this mean Al is the Flash analog of Earth-20? (No. Janos Prohaska.O. That might explain why the universes remain at a static 52 -.new ones come into being.S. one supposes. Flying Wings were researched by the U. where the importance of stories in constructing reality was a theme. where he is likewise the Green Lantern of Sector 2814. Here's another SOS in a series." Yes. Unlike our Abin Sur. since he's a comic book fan? (No. Will every team have one. It is from a parallel world that is completely opposite the one we've just been introduced to. Abin Sur says his ring "turns my thoughts into material things. It is Vandal Savage that is told this by Felix Faust. And here he is. Doc Fate. DC's Blackhawk. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. but combine with existing ones. they are analogs to the Big Five of the Justice League: Superman. but it looks like Alan Scott's. Ultra Comics is once again called cursed or haunted. or S. etc. Green Lantern. Like The Flash of Earth-One and Red Racer of Earth-36. associated with love and desire. But that's not always a positive. Mr. is Nix Uotan. and other mythological battles that last forever. Fate makes a point about Al Pratt not dying in the temple of Niczhuotan (Nix Uotan). killer robots and zombies. but also with Roy Thomas' solution as to what to do with the JSA after Crisis on Infinite Earths: He had them fighting Valkyries forever.a decent description of the Multiversity Map -.Justice League of America appearances but otherwise dressed in period adventurer clothes (johdpurs." but is interrupted. a distressed character is unmanned by seeing "their faces." presumably The Gentry." But I'm guessing he was going to say "Superman. and says that Nabu (of the helmet.the life that fills the void is vermin or monstrous. oddly." Here's my thinking: I'm guessing the rest of S. And we've seen Atom's Superman connections: The . It is associated with monsters but is also. Doc Fate calls Parallax "The Makara. it seems he is referring to "the fear thing" that we will soon learn is Parallax. but were the other two familiar tropes in the pulp era? There was also a killer robot fighting Superman on Earth-23 last issue. and the six issues in between are all one-shots occurring on different parallel worlds. Stubbs wore a pirate uniform in the first issue for no apparent reason. Maybe he was going to say "superhero.S. from Earth-40. things from outside came to occupy the vacuum they left behind. We know the specifics of Nix Uotan's imprisonment: He's fighting The Gentry. #8. where the omniscient narrator notes that life fills any available niche. of course. But in the previous issue. is the old guard. half-man and half-fish. He also talks of his face. the Bleedspace monster. They are clearly the opposites of Immortal Man and Doc Fate. Killer robots show up everywhere. where the heroes battle for eternity. Faust is getting his information from a copy of Ultra Comics. and on their way out. Fate says Nix Uotan is imprisoned fighting an eternal battle for all mankind." This takes all the way back to page one of issue one. as on Earth-Two. that story won't conclude until the last issue of Multiversity. the proto-Monitor. The Atom sees what he fears most. This jibes with DC history. in three cases we've seen -. But if I'm reading the solicitations right. where the original Monitor subdivided into a lot of little Monitors. filling a void with life. Because Al is one of his "children. The Gentry -.) Fate says "When the Monitor race died. This has resonance in Valhalla. The Atom hears the music of the spheres. Issues 1 and 8 are bookends. Savage decides he is a pirate from a pirate universe. This isn't made clear immediately. Other references in the first issue support the idea that The Gentry are from outside "the rainbow of worlds" -. It's also mirrored by the monster we saw in Bleedspace. Pages 12-13 Vandal Savage conquers America with commandos." which is a Hindu sea god.O. Pages 16-17 As Doc Fate spins up his own Transmatter. and will lose and come back infected by them to face the gang assembled in the Hall of Heroes. (The last of which.and have come here because the death of the Monitors left a niche for them to fill. you know. Fate knows of the Monitors. the death of Abin Sur. In the presence of Parallax. respectively. In fact. I hear it's haunted. and that's why they don't correlate to the Justice League. canvas shirt). I know. Page 15 The Atom makes another reference to the cursed comic book. It can be read either way. New Earth and then Earth-0) sometimes speaks with the voice of Novu. the first of which was Dax Novu.lice. and that's what The Gentry will turn out to be." Fate says "You're a super-. and yells "I saw it!" In context. Perhaps it's always vermin. they all look alike to him. and the first of the new breed of superhero.) Page 18 We meet Blockbuster. we simply don't have a Batman. He knows them by the color of . Manhattan.. as we shall see.mask that makes him the analog to Dr. and the Iron Monroe connection." This mirrors Doc Savage's methods of rehabilitating criminals. You all know Lady Shiva. Lady Blackhawk's opposite number. In other words. the opposite number for Abin Sur. their costumes.." A commentary on today's pop culture? Faust makes Earth-40's connection to The Gentry concrete. but he isn't the modern one. but there are a lot of magic rocks out there -. and could focus that radiation into an atomic punch." He appears to be an amalgam of Blockbuster." the "Brute with the Billion-Dollar Brain. which he said earlier went against his principles. Page 28 Al agonizes over having killed a man. "Zombies! I expected something more original. Solomon Grundy and Ultra-Humanite. And he is the Atom's opposite number . two Egyptian gods and a Jewish prayer. I think Atom is meant to be this world's first superhero.. Page 29 Parallax. Another reason for a full face mask? The second issue in a row with an oblique reference to race. Page 27 The Atom uses the Atom Punch. but you can squint and see Buddha. . (If you say them fast you get Buddokan and Ramada. finally gets a proper name. But if this world was allowed to develop normally. yet. And those that follow him will match up to the familiar archetypes.. Savage wants to raise a god from hell to do his bidding. the Starheart. Ra and Amidah: one Buddhist reference. That's good enough for me. its Superman. We have a Green Lantern... The Atom pulls on a spare mask. He mentions his principles again.. that's not going to happen. Page 19 Doc Fate calls on Buddhakh-Amun and Ra-Amida. Doc Savage/Fate and the other pulp heroes would fade away. Meanwhile. (Remember Captain Carrot can't tell humans apart -. and he's black.) Page 21 We meet Lady Shiva. because he's Superman. One of The Gentry? Etrigan? Trigon? Page 26 Fate says. I can't find any specific deities with those names. but it wasn't really anything but a good right cross.the Philosopher's Stone. Also we see Kent Nelson . However. I don't recall this bit of lore from any previous Savage story. and his ring acts like Alan Scott's. -. etc. the "Megaton Monster.. I'm thinking. Doc Fate straps Faust into an "electro-re-habilitation program. right? Savage is holding a piece of the meteor that made him immortal. and he plans to use it to kill the Immortal Man. the latter of which started as a Superman foe. and the Gladiator connection. Star Sapphires. The original Atom had an Atomic Punch. Does he need the mask for his strength to work? Unclear. while in later iterations he had super-strength derived from radiation. So we don't have the Justice League Green Lantern yet. who is the Superman analog (first superhero) in Watchmen. Flash or Wonder Woman on Earth-20 . Amon. so the term meant something a bit more. Atom would be Superman. so maybe Morrison had a memorable hotel stay in Japan.and this could be an echo of any of them. Him smiting Immortal Man with a rock in the head is an echo of the first murder. the pawn of "Count Sinestro.I've turned you into -." Well. That never happened to any Al Pratt that I know. Another parallel. so no super-people will follow. Page 35-36 Abin Sur recites the Green Lantern oath and destroys Parallax. and kills Vandal Savage. Vandal Savage is Cain of biblical lore.killers. the meteor that gave Savage his immortality became the first murder weapon. Page 32 Immortal Man gives us the poop on the meteor rocks. And Immortal Man says "SOS!" THE MULTIVERSITY #3 Cover . Perhaps this is the demon Savage meant to bring to earth. Damage. Savage also says spilling immortal blood will summon Nix Uotan (now corrupted by The Gentry). That's my guess." whom he is holding. some of them might have been before -.Page 31 Reflected sunlight off The Eye of Giaour briefly blinds Shiva. Shiva confronts the Blackhawk squadron and learns what happens when you bring a sword to a gunfight. Atom mentions another fear. On Savage's world. Immortal Man reflects that the first thing he made was a weapon. allowing Lady Blackhawk a temporary victory. anyway. but in DC history it happened to his son. Page 33 Like the Egyptian swordsman in Raiders of the Lost Ark. In DC history. Page 38-39 Immortal Man turns his holy relic into a spearpoint. while on Immortal Man's world it became a holy relic.the Blackhawks weren't throwing beans from their airplane's guns -- but even Green Lantern and Atom have killed. But Savage is pleased with the results. If he is Anthro and Final Crisis is history. Page 34 Doc Fate fears that he has transgressed his own principles as well. that he'll be disfigured. Which I suspect means that no heroic age will come to this world: Their Superman has broken his principles. "All of you -. after Metron gave him the knowledge. then the first thing he made was fire. Page 40 Sure enough. (All of which reminds me of a magazine my sisters liked when they were teenagers in the '60s: Teen Beat.) It features vignettes of several superheroes who appear to be second-generation heroes." The genie changed his name to Johnny Thunderbolt. daughter of Shilo Norman. From the list on the side of the cover. titled The Just. Jakeem Thunder has yet to appear in the New 52 AFAIK. dealing with them in a superficial. celebrity manner. Some things never change.SMILING! Picture: Alexis Luthor holding up a key (and smiling) Quote: "He gave the the key to the Batcave!" This is a reference to the daughter of Luthor dating the son of Batman (Damian Wayne). which inside is a secret. the original master of the genie. A blurb at the top right nicknames it "Earth-ME!" -. The cover is modeled after a celebrity magazine like Us Weekly or People. who had a big role in Morrison's Seven Soldiers. the second Mr. but took the name Jakeem Thunder when he discovered he controlled the magical genie formerly called Thunderbolt with the magic words "so cool. Third vignette Blurb: SUPERMAN/BATMAN Picture: Batman II and Superman II (Chris Kent) .REBOUNDING! Picture: Sasha Norman (Sister Miracle. First vignette Blurb: ALEXIS -.which is also the title of the story. Second vignette Blurb: SASHA -. we see this issue features Earth-16. who was introduced in 1999 JSA comics as Jakeem Williams. because it was combined with the spirit of Johnny Thunder.) Quote: "I'm gonna party Jakeem Thunder right out of my life!" This is a reference to Sasha breaking up with Thunder (also referenced inside). Miracle. and her husband. She is 16." . still 16. and there is some friction over Alexis. In the '90s. (Evidently Oliver Queen.. that's a reference to how the first Superman and Batman were the "World's Finest" crime-fighting team. at roughly the same time Marvel had "teen Tony. but they are still friends. Kon-El was a clone of Superman and Lex Luthor who couldn't age -."DON'T CALL ME SUPERBOY!" Picture: Kon-El (Connor Kent) Blurb: ". (Bonnie King." not "boyfriend. So this must be the "teen Ray" we had for a while in the '90s..) In Young Justice." but he doesn't appear appreciably older. here Bonnie King married Conner Hawke. and couldn't be induced to return to "service. it should be noted. the son of Oliver Queen who was Green Arrow in the '90s and still is on this world. and dresses provocatively. Cissie and Ollie all have the same grammatical construction. Cissie King-Jones was the daughter of the first Arrowette (who first appeared in 1960). Bonnie King. Sasha is planning a "super-party. who is eliminating a techno-virus from Sasha's bloodstream. This "World's Finest" is just a friendship." allowing him to control things he touches. Fourth vignette Blurb: KON-EL -." On Earth-16. Arrowette II retired from superheroing." Saffi is depressed and feelilng hopeless (this is an effect of The Gentry). but can he make it in the art world?" This is a reference to inside. this Arrowette desperately wants to be a superhero/celebrity. Just can mean justice. Pages one-two Sasha Norman is talking on the phone to Megamorpho (Saffi Mason. is some sort of play on Ollie Queen. The two do have an ongoing disagreement inside. Blurb: "I'm not Daddy's little girl anymore!" Blurb: "See her sexy photo-shoot for MAXIMUS" Maximus is obviously this world's Maxim magazine. they're "just" a bunch of shallow wannabes. Had they married. He is identified as Sasha's "friend. Fifth vignette Blurb: ARROWETTE -. would their daughter have been Cissie King-Queen? Bonnie." As we'll see. the son of General Zod.Blurb: Is the WORLD'S FINEST bromance over? Obviously. but it also means just "just.and here he is. Page three We meet Ray "The Atom" Palmer. He doesn't exist in the New 52 AFAIK. He aged in spurts due to having been in the Zone. Chris Kent was introduced in the 1990s as Lor-Zod. these "heroes" are not their mothers and fathers. where Kon-El is an artist who has a show at an art gallery. In addition to traditional Superman powers. he has "tactile telekinesis. She suddenly commits suicide. I like the title "The Just" for a super-team on this world. who was rescued from the Phantom Zone and adopted by Clark Kent and Lois Lane (they were married at the time). the daughter of Sapphire Stagg and Rex "Metamorpho" Mason).) Anyway. who died in the '90s.SHOCKING Picture: Arrowette (Cissie King-Hawke) In the Old 52. "Bowstring" Jones. and was a teenaged Nightwing (Kandorian variety) before the Old 52 ended in Flashpoint. is still dead here. . Also. which says essentially the same thing. Batman's position is that people don't care about anything any more.. This bothers me. This is probably a reference to that interview. ""What Sandman?" Batman says. They are having a debate about whether comics are art or not. which Batman dismisses. You fell asleep and had a dream?" ." by Phillip Larkin. Damian says "TT" when he disapproves of something. since he was off in Vertigo in the '90s. like he and Bruce did when Morrison was writing them. its last-gasp effort to stay in the comics business after the Comics Code. "And that was your team-up? . as we shall see. Alexis jokes that Batman is gay for Chris "Superman" Kent. "all the things Batman likes. it's significant that Alexis calls it the "Best. the team-up was Superman battling all kinds of things in the dreamworld. Batman and Superman wander through Batman's apartment. and references the poem "This Be the Verse.." That not only explains why all the super-people are bored on this earth and have nothing to fight. but more in a conceptual sense.he wears a dark trenchcoat. ("Invasions from other universes" is sort of a recurring theme. Fetish gear." A metatextual commentary on Batman? He badgers her to admit she's a "psycho-autistic mess!" Yeah.) Alexis is reading Ultra Comics. and therefore screw up their kids." It is an important theme of this issue. talk dirty to me. for which he caught a lot of grief. He makes Alexis hide in the closet. Just as they are getting to business.Pages four-eight We meet Damian "Batman" Wayne and Alexis Luthor. Plus. etc. as they do everything. like her father (an affectation? unknown) and Batman wears the cowl. because he essentially takes the opposite side of the argument with Superman later. Superman mentions a team-up he once had with Sandman. covering her with his trenchcoat. and they should. but is also foreshadowing. sweaty fighting with other men." and Batman calling her "sick" and "twisted" . calling it a "super-mystery. Alexis is bald. which is one reason I found it so hard to get into this issue (I started it three times before I managed to get through it). but no cape -. Pages 10-13 Superman brings the news of Megamorpho's death. Batman." Finally. Poem. Ever. How is that pronounced. Morrison once gave an interview where he argues that Batman is gay -.not in a sexual sense. this is the third poetry reference in as many issues. that the Superman robots will take care of it. it's funny.. Anyway. Alexis says parents always screw up. anyway? Is it the equivalent of "tch tch"? Is it just a grunt? Is it a sigh? Inquiring minds want to know! Alexis is aware that there's a "curse" on Ultra Comics. Foreplay begins with Alexis calling him a "bat-faced freak. "THE Sandman? Neil Gaiman's Sandman?" It is that Sandman. which I'm guessing appeared as a comic book on this earth. but doesn't appear to take that seriously. mostly costumes from the 1990s. They are completely unconcerned about the invasion. Batman hears Superman arrive. Page nine Alexis and Batman begin to have sex. which Superman's dad created (before being killed by Lex Luthor) as "the most foolproof and sophisticated planetary defense system ever created" that "can't be turned off or tampered with. action! But Batman takes the Alexis "I don't care" position." which may or may not be a reference to EC Comics' "Picto- Fiction" line. We get a lot of exposition on the robots. Batman is watching Superman robots battle an invasion from another universe. who are a couple. which has souvenirs -. Given who their parents were. Alexis refers to comics as "picto-fic.actually. "I don't know what's wrong with you. Not only can she not go to the super-party. "Don't expect me to put up with this! I'll get even!" More foreshadowing. "Why don't you and Chris finally admit you love one another. whereas Superman says "You need to take this superhero thing way more seriously than you do. but now Batman isn't going to Kon-El's art gallery opening with her because he'll be working on the investigation." It's Dame Merciless of The Gentry. Page 15 Alexis is furious. He tells Batman he won't go to the big party if Alexis is going to be there. He's mentioned already that he super-hears someone breathing. he is taking the negative side. Page 16 Sasha tells Damian that she was telebonding with Saffi during her suicide and got a mental flash of "a big creepy space lady. because her father killed his father. Is this some point I'm missing? It actually just feels like a lot of exposition stuffed in the mouths of convenient characters." Batman says they should investigate separately and meet up later to compare notes." says Superman. and now says he's aware of a female figure under a lead-lined trenchcoat in the closet. Now he's suddenly the nay-sayer. or perhaps it's just to get Superman to leave so he can get his girlfriend out of the closet. Again." Again. Perhaps this is a legitimate plan. referred to throughout this issue as The Gray Lady. but "jokes" that she probably committed suicide out of boredom. As events will show. she may also be coming out of the closet as a supervillain. anyway?" Page 14 He knows the answer. Batman?" She doesn't appear to be joking this time. Sasha cries Ray Palmer out of her system. where he argued that she "just likes offending people" and that "real life is much more interesting" than comics. (That explains the trenchcoat!) He says he knows it's Alexis Luthor. this was essentially Batman's position with Alexis earlier. onto a . Alexis sees this as Batman choosing Superman over her. Then Superman says "why are you trying to distract me. like most of this story."You have to ruin everything. Batman agrees to help investigate Megamorpho's murder. Not only are they comics characters here on Earth-16. Hal Jordan. the 1990s. Did he do so in a later issue? Or am I just thinking of this Jimmy Olsen cover? No shrinking here. . Page 19-20 Alexis Luthor and Joker's Daughter are discussing Kon-El at his art opening at the Suicide Slum Art Gallery.microscope slide. Green Lantern. but then emerged as a real character later.but he didn't come out through tears. Offspring has read Ultra Comics. the sequel to Kingdom Come. This triggers all sorts of memories in me that I can't place. with the Retaliators. We met these Marvel doppelgangers as real people on Earth-8 in the first issue. before appearing in the DC Universe proper. Page 17 We see Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner) and Offspring (Ernie O'Brian. He tells them Offspring is in shock. but they made a Bug movie as well. Offspring and Rayner are talking comics. Loose Cannon. who got his powers in the 1993 "Bloodlines" annuals). where we also learned that they were Major Comics characters on Earth-36 as well. Red Tornado (who has been bonded with Amazo at a molecular level). But hasn't Atom been cried out before? Or was that Ant-Man? Atom shrank down and entered Superman in World's Finest #236 -. Evidently the 1990s continued unchanged on Earth-16. The originals all came back. son of Plastic Man. like Civil War re-enactors. yes. just tears. Alexis correctly assesses Superboy as degenerating into a Bizarro. Aquaman. Steel (Natasha Irons. Alexis Luthor continues to complain about being barred from Sasha's party. Future Family and Bug. They both read Major Comics. Superboy accidentally inhales Vapor (Carrie Donahue). Green Arrow (Conner Hawke) and Bloodwynd. Diana Prince is working at a Big Belly and Ray Palmer has been de-aged. on our earth. one by one. Atom. Evidently even slums have been tamed and gentrified in this boring utopia. He is not terribly concerned about his gf's death. Offspring began in Mark Waid's 1999 Kingdom. who pages through it. I hope Morrison didn't damage his brain re-reading all those terrible comics. Gunfire. Argus (Nick Kelly. who in the '90s was initially Martian Manhunter in disguise. Green Arrow (Conner Hawke). Aquaman (Garth). as he expects her to return. We see Flash (whom we later have identified as Wally West). Page 18 Rayner meets with others superheroes in Megamorpho's apartment looking for clues. a character who was part of the Conglomerate in Booster Gold comics in. One of Superboy's paintings is of The Gray Lady (Dame Merciless). niece of John Henry Irons). the replacements were permanent. Bloodwynd. It's hard to remember now." We learn later that these superheroes re-enact old battles for entertainment. Atom (teen Ray Palmer). and Megamorpho's boyfriend).I looked it up -. Page 21-25 We meet the Justice League at the re-enactment. But on Earth-16. They are Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner). Kyle Rayner is still the last of the Green Lanterns (and Hal Jordan is still dead).We see more '90s characters: Max Mercury. Flash (Wally West). He is that character here. Rayner asks if Conner's going to join them for "Red Amazo Crisis. Oliver Queen and Barry Allen are dead. both undoubtedly lifting from Fantastic Voyage. but back in the '90s Wonder Woman. Both Atom and Ant- Man have shrunk down and gone into other people's bloodstreams. He gives Ultra Comics to Rayner. Flash and Green Arrow had all been replaced by younger versions. Wonder Woman (Artemis). all at the same time. Alpha Centurion (Marcus Aelius). like all her father's cloning experiments. though: Fawcett City. " Again. it's The Gentry working through Ultra Comics. and gives her five arrows. something goes wrong and Leaguers are actually getting injured. which we saw post- destruction by The Gentry in the first issue..Anyway. the "Mega-Mage" of this earth (Sorcerer Supreme?). Hub City and the like. and the world of Essential Major Comics was depopulated in the Essential Genocide Crisis -. It's strange to see GL refer to Major Disaster rather than Major Force. Sorry.) Batman realizes Alexis has read Ultra Comics. daughter of Steve "Mento" Dayton and probably Rita "Elasti-Girl" Farr)... Batman arrives and interrupts. Bloodwynd and Gypsy (Cynthia Reynolds). Also. She gets flashes of The Gray Lady." which is either a reference to a Rod Stewart song or a reference to the beginning of the first issue. The Just. who used the Mento helmet to freshen her breath look for traces of Megamorpho's consciousness. that's probably just a mistake. Steel says the Amazo robot has been infected with something from a higher dimension (that is foreshadowing. Pages 26-27 Batman questions Offspring. confirms that the comic books are carriers. Anyway. Page 28 . or The Gentry? He has read Ultra Comics after all. to ask for trick arrows. Either that's another mistake. which launched her career). and that it's dangerous. Batman gets an idea and calls Superman ." accuses it of killing his girlfriend. Dimension-invading is the new black. of Justice League Detroit and Justice League Task Force. it's The Gentry invading this dimension. (Superman refers to Offspring as Eddie.suggesting Marvel's Ultimate Universe was represented by Earth-7. It's like something crawled into my head. He says Megamorpho's spirit is saying "Who's that knocking on the door. and almost destroys it. Green Lantern goes berserk. She wheadles. like Megamorpho and Offspring. Page 29 Superman meets with the Dr. although his name is Ernie. Mid-Nite of the '90s (Pieter Cross). Pages 36-37 . starts calling the android "Major Disaster.. Ultimate heroes are called Essentials. who is still weirdly disjointed in his response to his gf's death. and he relents. Something so bad . Rayner explains his behavior by saying "Those comic books brought it all back. Hawke tells her that crime is a thing of the past. Didn't he just call Superman two pages ago? How come Superman didn't know he was coming? Pages 30-31 Arrowette meets with her father. who was killed by Major Force in 1994 and stuffed in a refrigerator (which pre-famous Gail Simone used as the launch of her "Women in Refrigerators" website. We learn here that while regular Marvel analogs are called Major Comics. who is questioning Menta (Holly Dayton. or this Superman doesn't remember names well. this book is getting to me. because she and he friends are forming a new group. He hasn't been portrayed as particularly bright. Pages 34-35 Bloodwynd. Rayner is referring to his girlfriend Alex. but also the previous issue of Multiversity and the issue of Ultra Comics.. with the landlady scene. of course. and trick arrows won't make her a superhero. Shock.. my friends). Pages 32-33 Batman points out to Superman that many of Offspring's comic books aren't published on this earth.) Superman realizes they're bleeding through from other dimensions and infecting the readers. He shows Batman his comics collection which is mostly Major Comics. (Cities and publishers are familiar to us. They are all aware of the invasion. largely due to American arms and hegemony. and just then a robot cold-cocks Superman as Alexis and "Jay-Jay" walk in. Page 40 Superman robots attack a city. This is a theme that is repeated throughout the book. The term has been applied to other historical eras in U. Sister Miracle does a little tweeting that doesn't seem to have any relevance to our analysis. This mirrors Alan Moore’s use of the “Happy Face” button with a streak of blood on it on the cover of the first issue of Watchmen..” Since Schwartz wrote in English it can’t be a mistranslation. can't be tampered with and can't be stopped. "Peace" -. that every era comes to an end. and the word shift doesn’t seem to appreciably change the meaning. time is the fire in which we burn. even in spring – everything will eventually end. burning up everything with heat vision. and now she controls technology and magic . Strangely. time is the fire in which we burn. Mas y Menos. This image.Superman and Batman (and several Superman robots) go to Alexis' apartment. and refers usually to the peace among world powers after World War II. Will they destroy this earth? The local heroes sure don't seem up to the task of stopping them. It's the 1990s gone wild: Impulse. will be repeated in part or whole throughout the book. a reference to a period of 200 years of relative calm due to Roman hegemony during its empire days. first published in 1938. and the robots. This is the fourth consecutive issue to quote poetry or make reference a poem or poet.is a theme of the book as well. history. Cover quote: “Time is the school in which we learn. She explains that the genie -.who is from the fifth dimension. and ask themselves who has a grudge and unlimited power to help her. but of course nobody is worried. though. She has Thunder summon the genie. Fire. to tell you the truth. that everything ends. or disregarding the fact. (He seems a little strung out.) Pages 38-39 The party. MULTIVERSITY #4: PAX AMERICANA Well. (Although there's one panel of Batman still fightng the robots.are pinned to a wall with twine pegged between and circles and arrows in a way that TV always tells us is obsessive and crazy. Pictures -. it is a misquote: The line in the poem is actually “This is the school in which we lEarn. the "higher" dimension referred to earlier -- learned how to control technology via the Red Amazo android. and both terms are plays on the Pax Romana (Roman Peace). Even when we’re young. “Pax Americana. there sure is a lot to work with here! Let’s begin: COVER The cover shows part of a peace symbol in flames. which he does with a strange variation of the "So cool" magic words.” – Delmore Schwartz This is a reference to the poem “Calmly We Walk Through this April’s Day” by Brooklyn poet Delmore Schwartz. the shaggy Krypto. but most people think of the late twentieth century as the Pax Americana. The obvious answer is Jakeem Thunder. Miss Martian. .) All will no doubt be resolved in Multiversity #8. It should be noted that Pax Americana superseded the Pax Brittanica (British Peace) imposed by British sea power in the 19th century.” the title. is Latin for American Peace. which represented a number of themes in the book and was repeated in a variety of ways.S. or rather a circle.Ultra Comics disassembled? -.. The poem is about how we go about our daily lives without regard to the fact. which can't be reprogrammed. S&B realize she's gone bad. Possibly a mistake.or different ideas on how to achieve it -. No sign of Superman. Of course. Doves.” Time running forward or backward – or a story being read out of order – thereby confusing things. It actually didn't make sense to me until the second read. Both Pax Americana and Watchmen #1 begin with a murder. It is evident that the president is shot. a symbol of peace. with the name and costume the same.The cover also indicates that this is Earth-4. Eve “Nightshade” Eden. this story is being told out of order. it is revealed. occur frequently in the book. It quickly becomes obvious that we are seeing events playing in reverse time. His interrogators say that they have been running the film of the assassination forward and backward. a “man who loves peace so much he’s willing to fight for it. which usually faded away rather quickly. are seen having a discussion as they walk . He was also probably insane – he thought the voices of his parents (one was a Nazi concentration camp commandant) and some of his victims were talking to him through his helmet. PAGES TWO-THREE Time continues to play backwards. The Peacemaker’s symbol is a dove on a yellow shield. itself a take-off on Charlton heroes. and then five issues of his own title. In Crisis on Infinite Earths. is a theme of the book (and series). explaining what we just saw. After that version failed. The first panel is a continuation of the cover. Also. Earth-4 was the world of Charlton Comics heroes (which DC had recently purchased). is the superhero Peacemaker. has a rather rigid structure of two tiers of four panels. Grant Morrison depicted the character briefly in Final Crisis: Aftermath.” according to the cover of his first issue. and also mirroring the Happy-Face-with-blood from Watchmen. a millionaire. until we see confirmed that it is the president who has been shot (and certainly killed) while holding up the peace flag (which burst into flames because the assassin’s high-velocity bullet ripped through it). so there's that to consider as well. so perhaps they were. He was introduced at DC Comics after Crisis. mostly backwards. The first panel indicates a burning flag with the peace symbol on it. which was also a Watchmen technique. Peacemaker appeared in two issues of Fightin’ Five as a backup strip. various other Peacemakers were introduced in various DC Comics over the years. PAGE FIVE President Eden and his daughter. He founded the Pax Institute and fought a variety of evil dictators with a variety of non-lethal weapons. and most subsequent pages. and will be referenced again. Blood is seen on the seal of the president. One was a supporting character in the Jaimie Reyes Blue Beetle in the Old 52. This seems to be a visual reference to Watchmen. PAGE ONE This page. pacifist diplomat. which turned sideways is the number 8. only this version used lethal weapons and killed frequently and casually. which mostly held itself to a rigid grid of three tiers of three panels. this is comics. before it was combined with the other remaining earths at the end of the series. On his hand is a ring with an infinity symbol on it. Multiversity re-establishes Earth-4 as the world of the Charlton heroes. One says “Nothing makes sense. Peacemaker is the basis for the character The Comedian in Watchmen. not all of them named Christopher Smith. The assassin. PAGE FOUR We see that Christopher Smith is being interrogated. our second circular image. In Charlton Comics he was Christopher Smith. At DC her origin was very similar. At Charlton. upon the assassination of his predecessor. of which Nightshade is a member. Shadowpact. I am not Morrison expert enough to say. her father was a senator. Here. with three dots of blood on it. President Eden has just assumed the presidency.” as he opens a door. Pres. Later she absorbed “The Succubus” from the Land of Nightshades and her powers increased as her appearance altered (dead-white skin. as a partner and love interest for the superhero. eponymous issue.) She had the power to transform into a shadow and teleport. Ambiguous shadows prevail. Eden says “we’ve turned a corner” as the two turn a corner. Two themes underscored here. Pres. President Eden is making the case that the era of the superhero has ended. Eve asks “where does that leave the Pax?” which turns out to be the superhero team that’s operated on this world since 9/11. but alas. . The Question and Captain Atom. This also references the Pax Institute from Peacemaker’s Charlton days. “The Incubus” had killed her brother. (Someone at the comics shop said Morrison had done this sort of conversation-through-the-panels somewhere else. that everything ends. Eden had closed the previous page by saying “one door closes. Eden: “… unanswered questions remain. Pres. created by Joe Gill and Steve Ditko. Evie. Nightshade and her mother had fled another dimension where everyone could transform into two-dimensional shadows. Evie …” while on the first panel of this page he says “… another one opens.somewhere. She also had a backup story in the last three issues of Captain Atom. Eden says “try to take an elevated view. In the final panel.A. he is the veep-cum-president. she worked for various covert agencies.” This seems an oblique reference to The Question and Eve herself. Nightshade first appeared in Charlton’s Captain Atom #82. but that events continue to continue endlessly (a circle).) Nightshade was the basis for the character Silk Spectre II in Watchmen. Pres. and was killed in turn by Deadshot. (an organization and miniseries utilizing all the Charlton “Action Heroes”) and the ATOM Project (which teamed her with Captain Atom again). At Charlton. shadow hair). Nightshade had this power. Agents of L. as Christopher Smith is marched across a huge lobby with the presidential seal on the floor (a circle image again). she came from the Land of Nightshades with her mother.” as he ascends a staircase to a more elevated position. it seems entirely likely that he was once a senator here as well. including Task Force X/Suicide Squad. (I don't recall the place being named at Charlton. and a new era begun. which also exists in this world.) PAGE SIX Pres. The conversation continues across four panels. along with Blue Beetle. Although not mentioned.W. CBI. Nightshade had one appearance at AC Comics as a member of the Sentinels of Justice in that team’s single. Eden is saying the assassination has killed the idea of the superhero. we see a closeup of Peacemaker’s dove symbol. That dangling plotline was never resolved at Charlton. (In both origins she and her mother had fled the shadow dimension but left her younger brother behind. and Eve is arguing that she wants to continue. After Crisis on Infinite Earths placed her in the DC Universe. #87-89. since she likes being a superhero. who fought the original Blue Beetle (Dan Garrett). Pres. missing Supermen is a theme. he references “old ghosts.” Iron Arms? Sarge Steel. frankly. Pres. On Earth-Me.” which the president dismisses that by saying “your mother claimed she was born in the ‘shadow dimension. Eden says “the pressure for change is unstoppable” as he presses a button that will.” Hence Eve and her teammates. so the characters are now going the opposite way they were in the previous panel.” seeming to confirm my hypothesis.’” Apparently that’s not true on this earth as it was at Charlton and the Old 52.” Pres. as even Eve responds “Mom’s not well. there are several references to reflection in the book. a Captain Atom/Nightshade foe. who fought Blue Beetle II (Ted Kord). As this world’s Superman surrogate. as he was USAF Captain Allen Adam in his original identity. both physically and philosophically. Eden says “The American Empire faces a descent into chaos” as he descends a staircase. part of the criminal duo Punch and Jewelee. The fifth appears to be the head (!) of The Smiling Skull. guns and holster which might be part of The Specter’s outfit. presumably. who debuted in 1960. who has a metal hand? The president says offering up superheroes after 9/11 was selling “the dreams of children to fearful adults. Eden says “What we need now is a convincing exit strategy” as he exits the page. Eden says “—everything goes into reverse. a Captain Atom enemy. if anything. or it’s The Atom – and he’s betrayed his principles and is being shipped through a dimensional door. Eden mentions that Captain Atom is missing. The third is the green flying cloak of The Banshee. Reflection is the mother of compromise. .” As he passes by The Ghost’s outfit.” He does so physically. Only two people knew Captain Adam and Captain Atom were the same.Eve says “Mom was right about you. (I don’t know what the 1990 date references. that puts him in good company – as Figserello mentioned. The exhibit contains seven items. all pertaining to Charlton superhero comics. and in his politics. Eden: “Enemies become friends.” He says the new world will need “a firm hand. As Pres. methods and support for his predecessor’s positions. The super-agents gave people something simple and strong to believe in. “You mean a retreat into the past?” which they do physically on … PAGE SEVEN Pres.) A lot of Charlton’s Action Heroes stories dealt with cold war issues. At DC. but the camera is also reversed. Eden and Eve walk past transparent glass.” Pres. his buddy Gunner and an unnamed general. but this are the original Charlton heroes. Eden says “the country’s hit rock bottom” as they hit the bottom of the stairwell. Pres. Superman was dead (and his son is. The sixth is the headdress of Punch. either there is no Superman yet. especially Captain Atom’s adventures. Pres. who fought Captain Atom and Nightshade in motley with puppet gimmicks. Eden references “a new transparency. Closer to the camera are gloves. who fought Judomaster. before being transformed into Captain Atom. who fought The Question. The seventh is the exoskeleton of Iron Arms. In issue two. Pres. as the president has already turned on a landing and is descending right – their positions “twisted. The first is armor of The Red Knight. Eden and Eve walk by an exhibit titled “Cold Soldiers 1960-1990. Eve underscores the point: “You go back on everything you say. in this panel layout. change things. The fourth is the outfit worn by The Ghost. Eve says. so his name is Allen Adam.” This could be a reference to the theme Morrison develops about stories running forward and backward. an idiot). Captain Atom was Nathaniel Adam. Also.” It should be noted that the Charlton Action Heroes began with Captain Atom. Eve says “You twist everything” as the shot shows Eve descending on a staircase left. Blue Beetle’s Bug is in hot pursuit. Question continues with mention of Captain Atom’s disappearance. Blue Beetle was the inspiration for Nite Owl II. Blue Beetle says there is no Yellowjacket case. where Red Racer and Power Torch are members of Justice 9. (Nite Owl. published by the company that would eventually be Charlton. an ulcer and erectile dysfunction. some of which advertise his own TV show as Vic Sage. Beetle is trying to arrest or detain The Question. who was his friend and mentor. who keeps peppering him with what appear to be nonsensical questions: “Who killed Nora O’Rourke? What is ‘Algorithm 8’?” Blue Beetle says. “what would you sacrifice?” This is actually the plot of the book. of making compromises he can barely live with. Eden says “Can you take a leap of faith with me. Dan Garrett.) Beetle accuses Question of being gay. looking very much like the ads for Nostalgia perfume in Watchmen. so it’s uncertain what Question knows at this point. PAGE 11 Question makes a hooker reference to Nightshade. The Question was newsman Vic Sage. but Question says Beetle is suffering from anxiety attacks. and a gun that blinded foes with light. saying it’s all tied together. only with no powers – just his flying machine The Bug. Beetle denies it. Pres. The dead president’s surname is Harley as well. . Question asks what Beetle would do if he had a single magic formula to fix everything. the deaths of four scientists and the Yellowjacket case. Optiman is dead. could not perform sexually unless he was in full costume. “You know. Kord fought crime much like Spider- Man.” This appears to be a direct reference to Rorschach. On Earth-36. where he passes by posters. a scientist who took over the role after the death of the super-powered Blue Beetle. the Blue Beetle character in Watchmen. Rorschach often accused women of being prostitutes or of having low morals. which isn’t revealed yet. and Question the inspiration for Rorschach. in Watchmen. as he does – by having a construction arm grip The Bug. black-or-white guy I used to work with.The Multiverse map at dccomics. These are the Charlton versions created primarily by Steve Ditko. PAGE TEN Beetle tells Question to get a grip. Another advertises the perfume “Futurebomb” by Nightshade.” where on the very next page … PAGE EIGHT The Question is leaping through the air. We see where the duo has been heading: to a press conference. who had a blank mask that covered his face that could only be applied or removed with a special gas. Blue Beetle was Ted Kord. there was this right-or-wrong. crime writer. A wink to the audience. Question tells Beetle he’s “in over your head” as something looms over Beetle’s head. PAGE NINE Question accuses Beetle of selling out. Yellowjacket was a costumed crimefighter who starred in 10 issues of his own title from 1944-46. His secret identity was Vince Harley. then.com says that Superman is missing on Earth-42 (inhabited entirely by chibis). who didn’t exist in Charlton Comics. Question escapes into a subway tunnel. And if not. Nora alone. because he can calculate outcomes. conflating here and there. The three events are. and it's obviously not going to go as well as Harley thinks. Panel 31-32: Question determines to “keep asking questions – until the pattern becomes clear. and says “the two-faced man. and world peace will be the result.” PAGE 14-15 We see Captain Atom sometime earlier. Until the hunchback becomes the soldier. PAGE 12-13 Three different events are depicted.” and now knows the future. Harley himself. 19: Rorschach makes the point about Crowley’s hunchback and soldier very clear. It’s become clear that Peacemaker has been ordered to kill Pres. but he wearing the Iron Arms exoskeleton. Note: Just as Rorschach investigates the death of The Comedian in Watchmen with a flashlight and a hunch. because . Panel 5: Question notices that the bust of Janus has been removed from its plinth. until they come so rapidly they essentially blur into one. “we’re alone in the dark. of four tiers of four panels each.” Lethal.” Panel 22: We see the killer.Question and Nightshade run into each other. He throws her a card with a question on it. this comes from an Aleister Crowley essay. but Question physically overpowers her easily. “Who controls the board? The soldier or the hunchback?” Believe it or not. 12-14: Nora is arguing with Peacemaker. Crowley’s essay argues that both are necessary to achieve higher planes or enlightenment. echoing Watchmen. and has told Peacemaker that his assassination will result in the return of Allen Adam (Captain Atom). He asks. The three events alternate appearances per panel. author of Watchmen. even noting their proximity in reference to himself: “The Question’s never far from the answer. She’s aware someone’s in the room. Peacemaker says. before his disappearance. the next panel shows Nora alone and in the dark. But in Panel 6 the phone goes dead. Alan Moore. “The Soldier and the Hunchback. Panel 17. Panels 9. But Janus is ridiculously symbolic for this story. Panel 4: She has cracked “algorithm 8. Harley. after Peacemaker has left.” The terms are references to the exclamation point – representing ecstatic realization – and the question mark – representing skepticism. Symbolic and lethal. Panel 23: Question realizes the killer had superhuman strength (to lift the bust of Janus). Captain Atom debuted at Charlton in 1960. the direction of all those clocks in Watchmen. is noted for his knowledge of mysticism and mystics like Aleister Crowley.. confronting an intruder and being murdered. After appearing in several issues of Space Adventures in . Panel 1: Nora is trying to call Peacemaker. because it is the murder weapon. and with a numeral 8 scrawled over that.” Naturally. Panel 26: Question notes the killer went around the base of a statue clockwise to get to Nora – clockwise. The Question investigating Nora’s death. The Question does the same with Nora O’Rourke. each question mark leading to each exclamation point leading to another question. chronologically: Peacemaker leaving his lover/confidante Nora O’Rourke to assassinate Pres. occurring in different times but in the same place: Peacemaker’s Pax Institute in Colorado.. who will resuscitate Harley. The pages are designed in a strict panel grid. Harley by Pres. Not his face. 1960-61, he disappeared until 1965, when Charlton started reprinting his previous adventures in Strange Suspense Stories, followed by new adventures, followed by the title being renamed Captain Atom and running to 1987. His powers were atomic based. After Crisis he appeared in DC Comics as Nathaniel Adam and went through a number of revisions, including a stint at WildStorm comics. He was one of the first characters launched in his own (short-lived) title in The New 52. Captain Atom was the inspiration for Dr. Manhattan in Watchmen. Here we see him reading the haunted Ultra Comics that infects worlds. He says he can see “a mobius loop curving through eight dimensions.” The mobius loop forms the infinity symbol, just as the numeral eight does when turned sideways. Captain Atom says, “I heard something knocking on the door to get in –“ Other characters have used that expression as well, to indicate The Gentry trying to gain entry. Four scientists are trying to get Captain Atom’s cooperation for some kind of experiment while he continues to discuss the comic book. He digresses into how lower dimensions appear to higher ones. The Gentry, of course, are coming from a higher dimension to invade ours. He determines that our dimension must look like a comic book to higher-plane beings, who can read our story any which way – going forward, backwards or sideways in time – and seeing our thoughts “weightless in little clouds.” Captain Atom has the hydrogen symbol on his forehead, as Dr. Manhattan did in Watchmen, and The Atom did in issue #2. He tells the scientists that they look 2-D to him, and he knows what they’re planning. But a button is pushed, and a black hole opens up in Captain Atom’s head and, as one scientist says, he “has left the universe.” PAGE 16 A man with one steel hand enters. (Sarge Steel.) Sarge Steel was a short-run character at Charlton who was, for all intents and purposes, their Col. Fury. He had one steel prosthetic hand (his left) and worked for the government. Steel lights a cigar, looking very much like The Comedian in the process. He shoots all the scientists, punning that “The Big Bang’s what comes at the end.” These are the four mystery deaths The Question mentions later, which is earlier to us. PAGE 17 We see a circle. Circles – something without beginning or end, going forward and backward – are symbolic here. The camera pulls back to the cover of iScene magazine, which is five years old and shows the formation of Pax Americana. We are in the apartment of Eve Eden’s mother, and it is her magazine. She babbles about how Eve used to be blonde, and Eve explains that she still is, but uses a black wig as Nightshade (which conforms to Charlton Comics). It is clear that Eve’s mother suffers from dementia. She spills coffee on the magazine. The coffee, running over the logo, look like blood, echoing the first page. Eve calls for “extraction” and tells whoever is on the other end that she can’t find a pattern in her mother’s babbling. “She just goes round and round,” Eve says, “the view is the same in both directions.” This said as the camera focuses on the circle again, echoing the first panel of the page. More circular references. PAGE 18-19 In the top tier of panels on these pages, we see Peacemaker and Nora before the assassination. They are discussing Harley’s “ultimate algorithm.” Peacemaker tells her about Harley’s father, who was killed by an intruder. He challenges her to solve the crime. Meanwhile, they are releasing doves. They are going to flee the Pax Institute after the assassination, and are freeing the birds. They reference the last story by comic book artist Vince Harley, Pres. Harley’s father, titled “Janus the Everway Man.” The statue of Janus, which Nora sculpted, is in sight. Janus is the Roman god of beginnings, endings, transitions, gates and doorways. He is depicted with two faces, one looking to the future and one to the past. He is the ultimate metaphor for this whole issue! The middle tier of the pages shows us Peacemaker’s further interrogation after assassinating the president. He is being punched repeatedly by a metal fist. It could be Iron Arms, but given that it’s the left hand in both views, I’d say it’s probably Sarge Steel. The bottom tier of the pages continues the conversation from the top tier. Peacemaker has plans about using Algorithm 8 to train the next generation of Peacemakers. While he’s talking, the doves he released fly out of view, but suddenly there’s a streak of blood, and feathers falling. One (or both) of the doves has been killed by a predator. Foreshadowing for Peacemaker? PAGES 20-21 Question is questioning a mob fixer/dirty cop in the employ of Eden before he became president, whom Question describes as “a corrupt vice president.” Question says “I’m giving you choices. A whole spectrum of choices. A rainbow –“ This is another reference to the Multiversity map, which is encircled by a rainbow, also referred to by The Thunderer in the first issue, as "the rainbow of worlds." The Gentry come from outside this rainbow. It could also be a reference to color-based Captain Atom villain Dr. Spectro, but I doubt it. Question describes a theory of societal development along a color spectrum. Never heard of it, but it probably exists. At the end he says takes a “full spectrum” approach, which would be a circle. He then puns about how the cop is going to “die yellow.” The cop says his orders came from “the Sarge,” which must be Sarge Steel again. Evidently he is the Comedian analog in this story. The cop mentions that Question was thrown out of the Pax. PAGES 22-23 We see the formation of the Pax by Pres. Harley. We see Tiger (Judomaster’s sidekick), Nightshade (in her original Charlton outfit), Blue Beetle (in the Dan Garrett outfit), Question (in his original white trenchcoat and blue suit/hat) and Peacemaker. Peacemaker calls them the Justice League of America (which is likely a comic book on this world). Beetle suggests The Sentinels (as in the AC Comics one-shot), which gets shot down. He suggests “The Law,” like the L.A.W.: Living Assault Weapon miniseries at DC. The president arrives and whispers to Question, indicating he knows his secret ID. Harley references his father, Vince Harley, which was also the secret ID of the Yellowjacket in the 1940s comics in our world. In the 1940s comics, Harley was a crime writer. In this iteration, he was a comic book artist. Harley says the Pax Americana is “not a hoax. This is not an imaginary story or an alternate reality.” Which, actually, it is. But that mirrors a million comic book cover blurbs. He says “Look! Up in the sky!” at this universe’s Superman, Captain Atom, who is … PAGE 24 Raising three towers to replace the downed World Trade Center. Atom hears “He’s kept sedated – his powers are at containment threshold level.” And responds, “What? Sorry, I’m in the future –“ PAGE 25 … and he returns to a different time, where he is being held in sedation since “the U-235 incident.” At Charlton, Captain Atom was created by a nuclear bomb. In Solar, Man of the Atom at Gold Key, the hero was disassembled in a nuclear reactor accident, and pulled himself back together. Watchmen stole Solar’s origin. So here’s a third origin for a nuclear hero, only obliquely referenced. But President Harley approaches him confidently, even though Atom accidentally disassembles his dog. PAGE 26 Atom stares at his disassembled dog and says something profound: “I thought the pieces would explain the whole. But it’s hard to love the pieces.” Sometimes I feel that way about Grant Morrison stories! Atom then creates a second, living dog. But “it’s not the same.” PAGE 27 Captain Atom addresses Harley as the president. Harley says “I’m not the president. Not yet.” But Captain Atom sees future as well as past. As we're about to see, so does Harley. They’re both right. Harley says he understands the organizing principle behind the world. He says he learned it at his father’s gravesite. Later, we’ll see that it was a future Captain Atom who showed it to him in the past. PAGE 28 Atom says they should go back. Harley says they should go forward. Ultimately it’s the same, right? Harley says, “On reflection, my plan was impossible.” Of course, he says this as they are reflected in a body of water. Harley says he sees the future, and it’s death camps “at history’s end.” He sees a different ending, but the president must be sacrificed. He needs Captain Atom for his plan. PAGE 29 Harley shows Captain Atom the now famous “Janus the Everyway Man” issue. He explains further, and once you’ve read the issue two or three times, you understand what his plan is: To be killed and then resurrected by a superhero. Captain Atom says, “Your ring. The number eight.” Harley says, “You know it’s not a number.” We know, too: It’s the infinity symbol. But does this mean that Harley explained it to Captain Atom, so that a future Captain Atom can go back in time and explain it to Harley? Chicken or egg? Or just a circle? PAGES 29-32 Back in time, we see terrorists holding Pres. George W. Bush and Gov. Harley (the veep?) hostage America’s first superhero. The intruder falls dead. Equally obvious. Eden tells Peacemaker the same thing. It was Watchmen where the two characters were teamed up. He’s dressed oddly – like a superhero. decides he must try harder when a couple of them die. ‘I deserve it. Peacemaker attacks. and says “the door has one side and opens both ways. Why’d he do it? To save the world. PAGE 33 Flashback to early adventures of Beetle and The Question. where Peacemaker tells Nora: “I asked him the real reason he’d chosen to become the sacrificial victim. MULTIVERY #5: THUNDERWORLD COVER . young Harley is sitting at his father’s graveside.” PAGE 37 The boy turns and fires. So this is another Watchmen reference. He also finds a gun. PAGE 36 A young boy in his pajamas goes into his father’s work room. and we know these arguments will eventually separate them. mentions that his father kept doves. PAGE 35 Captain Atom blows young Harley’s mind. with someone discussing Yellowjacket in a contemporary manner – it’s obviously the mid-1940s.in the White House. who are fluttering madly at the noise. Also of interest. “You and your kind are finished. Beetle says “He disappeared. (Note: Blue Beetle and Question were never partners at Charlton. Peacemaker makes a shooting gesture at him. The radio is playing.) The two are arguing. Captain Atom appears. the father is a comic book artist. kid. Flashback to just before the assassination. There are doves in cages. We’ve talked this into the grave. which suddenly grasps Algorithm 8. takes out all the terrorists.” echoing Janus. “From whom?” demands the Prez. Question raises the “mystery” of what happened to Yellowjacket. The boy finds a scrapbook with articles about Yellowjacket’s adventures. and recognizes his father. A voice from the window says “Forgot my key.” Harley tells the terrorist. ‘Let the punishment fit the crime. “Your world has just come to an end.’” We’ll soon see what that means.” We see it is Sarge Steel as the enforcer. and dies. Harely is unconcerned. by proxy. PAGE 38 The boy pulls the mask off the intruder. and just about every other character at one point or another. although they sometimes shared a book. as seasons pass. A drop of blood shows on a white feather. PAGE 33 Back in the post-assassination time. as a drug forces Peacemaker to talk. Pres.’ he said.” PAGE 34 Back in the past. leaving only his spirit to advise Billy/Marvel. In the 1994 Power of Shazam. with multiple vignettes of his arch-foe Dr. as we shall see. seated on a throne underneath a square cement block held aloft by a thin rope or thread.” PAGES TWO-THREE We are inside the Rock with the wizard Shazam. Empyreal is the adjectival form of the word. of the Greeks’ fire. Or. with an altered costume and the name Shazam. The cover is dominated by Captain Marvel (currently called Shazam in The New 52) in his original outfit. However. air. the other four being earth. On Grant Morrison’s map. Shazam was killed by the block. The page is dominated by the Rock of Eternity. a concept which retained the light. This cover informs us that the world of the Fawcett characters is still (or again) Earth-5. or “Thunderworld. Initially the spirit of the wizard Shazam (who gave young Billy Batson the Captain Marvel powers) was depicted as hanging out in his underground lair on Earth (accessible by magic subway). the Rock was introduced in 1947 as a mountain floating at the center of time and space. Morrison uses the phrase “Empyrean peaks” in his descriptions. Captions extol the wonder of the Rock. a great many DC Comics additions to the mythos are retained for this issue.) The wizard addresses the reader directly (“Hmm. where The Empyrean is the home of God.” which in ancient Greece was the highest heaven. the Rock was created by combining a chunk of heaven and chunk of hell. (In that issue. Thaddeus Bodog Sivana in the background. From the cover. the Marvel Family could go anywhere in space and anywhen in time. as in the Divine Comedy. as the captions phrase it more poetically. if not the heat. which was the domain of fire (one of the five natural elements. Later Christian literature adopted the name and symbolism. It got its diamond shape in the DC Comics graphic novel and series Power of Shazam (1994-1999). A late entry in the Fawcett books. unlike the Charlton characters in the previous issue. not as he is in The New 52. That was Earth-S originally. water and aether). The Rock was initially simply a mountain floating in space. it’s YOU again”) and we learn that the . it means instead “peaks of The Empyrean. which introduced Captain Marvel and the wizard. later Earth-5. “on the … borderland that separates What Is from What Might Be. it’s evident that this issue takes place on a world of the Fawcett characters. so “Empyrean” isn’t describing the peaks. so it’s an apt comparison. From the Rock. PAGE ONE The title “Captain Marvel and the Day that Never Was!” and the depiction of the Big Red Cheese on the cover inform us that the main character will be more as he was in Fawcett Comics (1940-53). as he was in the Whiz Comics #2. before Crisis wiped out all the parallel worlds. but after 1947 he was always hanging around the Rock (likely they were one and the same). giving us both the highest seat and the fire. the Rock of Eternity is located at the very center of the multiverse.” as the title would have it. a diamond-shaped rock. ) “Now maybe your mother will take me back” mutters Sivana. This is a throwaway bit not related to the main story. who change into Captain Marvel Jr. The Black Marvel Family introduced in 52 consisted of Adam. white and blue uniforms. Mary Marvel's white uniform was another DC addition. Magnificus is physically perfect. The Sivana Marvel Family follows this pattern. Isis and Osiris. who proclaims it. The Marvel Family is usually thought of as Billy. that is a technological construct instead of a magic mountain. “a new day. does not appear and is never mentioned. who was “practicing my omniscient narrator voice. with oversized spectacles and a huge overbite. who grows a magnificent bustline and figure. even Junior and Georgia. However. and haven’t changed much.descriptions of the captions on the previous page were actually said by the wizard. So they are like Freddy Freeman and Mary Batson. In the Golden Age. whereas they are unlike Billy Batson. Morrison didn't lift Mary's evolution entirely from Jerry Ordway's series. But in Power of Shazam. but remain the same age. Another area of variance is Georgia. but it actually has one. (If looks like a Borg cube. Both Georgia and Junior resemble their father – short. whereas Mary Batson retains her age after transformation and is therefore not fully developed. Sivana was twice widowed. and Mary Marvel respectively. Sivana. although a bit dim and vain. literally. the ex-wife was named Portia. “Sivanaday. who goes from child to adult in his transformation. That’s funny enough not to need any explanation.” More Morrison breaking-the-fourth-wall hijinks. and the three children can now change into Captain Marvel –type characters by saying “Sivana” instead of “Shazam” and receiving power from black lightning.” We also meet his children Magnificus. (Perhaps that’s why we don’t see Beautia. While the yellow magic lightning gives the Marvel family characters red. the black lightning gives the Sivana children. All were introduced in the Golden Age. Beautia. Georgia and Thaddeus Jr. his ex-wife – Venus – was still alive. green and purple uniforms. Sivana’s fourth child. yellow. a boy-girl-boy trio. all of Sivana’s children were adults. arriving in Power of Shazam #28. much larger Rock of Eternity. Oddly. In later issues. They are all magnificently-proportioned adults as well. but in Thunderworld she remains her true age.” as the Rock comes under attack. In the Golden Age she was the queen of Venus. although the malformed Georgia and Junior didn’t look it. PAGES FOUR-FIVE We see a second. PAGE SIX Billy Batson is reporting on an invasion from different time periods by the Timequaker.) Its master is Captain Marvel’s arch-foe Dr. as she did while wearing the red in the Golden Age. hunched over and scrawny. Mary and Freddy. The wizard discovers a new day between Thursday and Friday. so perhaps she’s busy with the affairs of state. only diamond-shaped. as Mary turned into an adult version of herself (resembling her mother) after saying her magic word in Power of Shazam. In the Golden Age. and I can find no reference to Timequaker in Captain . Sivana has hijacked the power of Eternity. perhaps updated a bit for 1969.” It’s illegal for Morris to hire someone as young as Billy for adult work.” This line will be repeated. If any of these have appeared before. a female Sivana. PAGE 11 Sivana is thumbing through the second issue of Multiversity. On viewscreens we see a vampire Sivana. (“Uh oh.”) Freddy is working at a newsstand. which may place this adventure at the same time. but does not appear to realize it. .C. past or present. that took place in 1969. Junior says to Billy “You think you’re so clever. a masked wrestler Sivana. A newspaper blowing by shows men landing on the moon. PAGES SEVEN-EIGHT The Marvelized Sivana chidren attack. cackling madman. by infecting worlds with itself. which is in no doubt despite his modesty (a nice contrast to the immodest Magnificus). At any rate. cackling madmen!” The irony here is that Sivana literally is a stereotypical. as this is the second time we’ve seen Multiversity #2: Society of Superheroes. Evidently Morrison’s Multiversity comics are also sending messages back and forth. WHIZ radio owner Sterling Morris asks rhetorically about Billy “How does this kid do it?” However. Billy’s cleverness. co-writer and longtime artist of Captain Marvel at Fawcett. proclaiming his distaste for comic books. “Beck Street” refers to co-creator. which is consistent with his job as a newsboy in the Golden Age. Sivana is working with a legion of Sivanas from various parallel worlds. don’t you?” Billy responds “Just clever enough. On our world. which have “maverick scientists presented as stereotypical. an unnamed tech answers literally “loosely enforced labor laws.” Ultra Comics is surely doing that. I don’t remember them. Billy refers to the “old abandoned subway station at Beck Street. a black Sivana. delays the trio long enough for him to transform into Captain Marvel. C. he has twigged to the multiverse because of “parallel worlds sending messages to each other via comic books. then disappears. PAGE 10 Captain Marvel summons Mary and Freddy with a super-whistle. Beck.” Billy first encountered the wizard Shazam via an old abandoned subway station in Whiz Comics #2. a snake Sivana and more.Marvel comics. A future Billy Batson appears and warns the current one. which they both know means trouble. himself and two of his children) in suspended animation from 1953 (when Fawcett stopped publishing Captain Marvel) to 1973 (when DC began). (Grammatically. a giant Crocodile Man (who may be based on the Crocodile Man of the ‘40s. i. The members here are an updated Mister Atom. the evil crocodile in 52). PAGES 19-20 Captain Marvel Junior. a book. the evil telepathic worm.” That sounds significant. PAGE 22 The Lieutenant Marvels arrive. and The Fountainhead is a book by Ayn Rand. Billy’s not the only clever one! PAGES 21 Sivana releases the “Monster Society. Mary. tricks Georgia into transforming back by saying her own name. All are wearing jetpacks to fly and have “monster-hunting weaponry. which he refers to as “crystallized time” but Shazam describes as “the magic” that is the universe’s “secret heart. Suspendium was first mentioned in DC’s first Captain Marvel issue. My best guess is Chain Lightning from the Power of Shazam series. as it was the first time. Neither reference seems significant. Sivana describes the source of Captain Marvel’s power as “the source of all the energy! The fuel rod! The fountainhead!” The Source is a big part of the New Gods mythos. but I don’t have any explanations. Mister Mind (as he appeared in 52) and a giant storm cloud with eyes. Junior) battle the Sivanas in a welcome Silver Age-style super- battle. The group has appeared in later comics (some of them chronologically earlier. “Secret Heart” has been used as the name of a number of songs (one by The Monkees).” a Catholic devotion. an All-Star Squadron appearance) with varying membership. a movie and other tuff that doesn’t seem relevant. whose name and provenance I do not know. or on Sorak. Fat Billy. is Mr. Oom the Mighty.15 Sivana is mining Suspendium from the Rock of Eternity. Perhaps it’s a homonym for “Sacred Heart. Mind.” . they should be called the “Lieutenants Marvel. accidentally. as if Morrison is defining the multiverse.Sivana says his fellow Sivanas have helped him assemble enough Suspendium to create Sivanaday.) They consist of Tall Billy. Since Morrison has already defined how the multiverse works – the music of the spheres – this seems a superfluous description. Shazam #1 in 1973. who cannot say his own name or he’ll change back to Freddy Freeman. as the method by which Sivana kept the Marvel Family and supporting characters (and. Hill Billy. Uncle Marvel and Tawky Tawny. PAGES 16-18 The Marvel Family (Cap.” but I never see them spelled that way. PAGES 12. Usually the animating force behind the Society. Perhaps it’s just flowery talk.” The Monster Society of Evil was a group from a famous storyline that ran for two years in Captain Marvel Adventures #22-46 (1943-45).e. Dudley. which we see is located at Phillips and First. The Marvel Family. an uncle no less. Uncle Marvel is Dudley H. but allowed him to hang around anyway since he was harmless and lovable. Ordway’s Power of Shazam made him an actual blood-relative of Billy. but have changed. The three Lieutenants Marvel were introduced in 1941. Tawky Tawny is an anthropomorphic. PAGES 29-30 Captain Marvel battles his way to Sivana. Captain Marvel says they’re the same thing. with each subway car representing a different universe. only to lose their powers each time. whose “shazambago” prevented him from using his powers. Only they had to split the power. There is no mention of how these characters all band together (in Captain Marvel uniforms. to “mess them up bad. he tried to insinuate himself into the Marvel Family as Uncle Marvel.All of these characters are from the ‘40s.” This unnerves even the Earth-5 Sivana. but becomes a supporting character whose adventures generally revolved around people freaking out at the sight of a talking tiger. One is a baby. PAGES 31-32 Sivana says this is a battle between science and magic. The Hannibal Sivana claims to have killed his Captain Marvel via time travel (another missing Superman) and wants more Marvels to torture and kill. (I don’t know if these names have any significance. with each only one-third as powerful as Captain Marvel. and could change into Marvel characters by saying “Shazam” simultaneously. PAGE 28 We see more Sivanas on TV screens. Another on-screen Sivana is a genius on his world “with some personal problems. and later (and permanently) by Ibis the Invincible. Presumably. Tawky appears in The New 52 as a zoo tiger who is given sentience by Billy’s power. In Power of Shazam. this is a view of the subway station from a multiversal perspective.” He is aghast to discover all his parallels are criminals. Tawky was originally a children’s toy temporarily given sentience and human size by Black Adam’s power. He wants Junior and Mary. a con man introduced in 1943.) He bursts through a back wall to find himself floating in a void with an endless array of magical subway cars (like the one seen in Whiz #2) going in all directions. They are three men named Billy Batson. They have appeared post-Crisis a couple of times. In Final Crisis Tawny kills Kalibak and takes control of his Tigermen. PAGES 23-27 Captain Marvel tries to get to the Rock of Eternity through the original subway station. . no less) or where their equipment comes from. When Dudley learned Mary Batson’s secret. talking tiger who is unexplained in his introduction in 1947. another is wearing a Hannibal Lector face mask and is covered in blood. That appears to be the case here. saw through the con. with the wisdom of Solomon. ” PAGE 36 Sivana loses. whose symbol is a dove.” PAGES 33-35 Cap turns into Billy. discovers the time crystals. though. and we see the scene we saw on Page 8 from the opposite perspective. so it must mean something. don’t you?” Billy replies. because all the other Sivanas cheated him on Suspendium. MULTIVERSITY #6: THE MULTIVERSITY GUIDEBOOK #1 . Maybe it was said in a previous issue. Sivanaday is only 8 hours long.” This is clumsily inserted. or Yellow Jacket’s doves. (Note that this issue uses the Society of Superheroes issue instead of the haunted Ultra Comics. I don’t know what. instead of 24.” This is as close as this issue gets to a bad ending. PAGE 37 Captain Marvel says “New data came to light.Sivana uses the black lightning to become Black Sivana. “Just clever enough. as is Peacemaker. as he is using the power of “fundamental forces” like the “velocity of a photon. The Marvel Family flies up toward the reader. and messages in comic books. who are killed. as he was cheating them. who get blood on their wings. goes back in time to warn himself. A dove is flying upward with them. demonstrating he now knows about the multiple worlds. in contrast to the Peacemaker’s doves in Pax Americana. PAGES 38-40 The Monster Society is shown to be defeated. There was a sudden paradigm shift. which seem to be pretty multiversal. who is far stronger than Captain Marvel. “you think you’re so clever. all smiles. Sivana says. so no one is infected by The Gentry. Captain Marvel flips through Multiversity #2. Captain Marvel wonders “whatever happened to happy endings?” Morrison critiques the comics industry again. The Hannibal Sivana vows to get Mary Marvel. as several other issues have done. and that he collects DC and Major Comics.) Junior notes that SOS has been canceled. “I want that girl. and likely everywhere else there’s a Martian Manhunter. as is usually the case. as are the two Batmen. PAGE TWO-THREE . Martian Manhunter is vulnerable to fire. 2) Kamandi. The two Batmen are surrounded by four circular. (It’s pronounced “Maria”). Sivana-42 is watching. PAGE ONE The Hannibal Lecter Sivana (seen in Thunderworld) is killing the chibi Martian Manhunter (from Earth-42) with a flamethrower. as “I’ve never – gulp! – never killed anyone before …” Obviously on Earth-42. which is the name of Manhunter’s dead wife on Earth-0. which appears to be the very book we are reading. All four of these are addressed within. that of a famous person or story. but he’s a bit unnerved at the brutality. We see an impaled Aquaman-42 and a melted Cyborg- 42. 3) the House of Heroes under siege and 4) the Multiverse map. both presumably dead. planet-like vignettes of 1) heads of many superheroes of various earths. and also the description on a map or diagram explaining the symbols used. The issue’s title is “Maps and Legends.” Legend here seems to use at least two meanings of the word. COVER We see the Atomic Knight Batman of Earth-17 (left) and the chibi Batman of Earth-42 (with lots of artistic license). Manhunter-42 cries out “M’yri’ah!” as he dies. The Lecter Sivana has a rolled-up comic book in his pocket. ” Once again. and they don’t seem to have any specific reference to our mythology or literature.” entered “the vault of ages” and saw “the four-stone. He mentions that it’s word- controlled. There is a Fourstones village in Northumberland. PAGE SIX Batman-17 says he dreamed “the rose that grows in winter.” indicating that the alien origin of Hawkman applies in this world. but neither seems to apply. from the Atomic Knights world. He mentions “the Dark Tower of Luthex. PAGE FOUR The Batman of Earth-17 arrives. It is he who shot the robots. That’s sort of a dream. He addresses Hawkman-42 as “Katar.” We don’t know what these things are (yet). we don’t know yet what these mean. Lecter Sivana is accompanied by human-sized robots. and Forestone manufactures musical equipment.” or something similar. anyway. but suddenly all the robots are gunned down. . He arrives through a square “door” – likely a transmitter cube on Earth-17.” which the Luthor of that Earth said came to him while he was on drugs. In that issue. sound – vibrations – activate the inter-dimensional transport. The “Little League” (Batman-42 calls his team that on page 6) is ineffective against the robots. we saw a “demon-Superman” (Cal’s words) named Superdoomsday from a parallel world caged in between dimensions. we also saw something that informs this work: The death of Optiman on Earth-36.” the “Cosmic Grail. With him is Hawkman-42 and Green Arrow-42. and mutters some words we cannot “hear.Batman-42 puts out the flame on Manhunter-42 with an aerosol-sized fire extinguisher. where they had been summoned by the “S. which he orders to kill the three chibis while he and the chibi Sivana leave via the transmatter cube. Batman-42 tells Hawkman-42 and Green Arrow-42 (who looks like the Neal Adams version of the late 1970s and early ‘80s) to leave. the one in place from the Silver Age Hawkman’s creation in 1961 to the Crisis in 1985-86. the President Superman of Earth-23. We have seen Batman-42 before. But in a two-panel flashback. or ersatz versions of them.” Again. presumably from his utility belt.” He appears to be talking about the transmatter cube.S. in Action Comics #9 (2012. and now we know they got there by transmatter cube (if we didn’t know already). We have seen the Wonder Woman and Steel of this Earth on the Hall of Heroes. but we recognize references to Luthor and the Holy Grail. and the death of chibi Superman on Earth-42! Action Comics #9 also introduced the “transmitter symphonic array.” in Multiversity #1.O. also written by Grant Morrison) where we also first met Calvin Ellis. He uses “Krakkin’ Ex” where we would use “effing hell. right? Hawkman-42 says they have lost (chibi) Wonder Woman and (chibi) Steel to “that box. and Oolong became a sovereign nation.” Mutoid could be generic. (Presumably for the Chinese tea. and we catch him in mid-story explaining how the “League of Sivanas” came to be. Dr.He suggests Batman-42 might be a “mutoid” or “one of Darkseid’s crew. Junior) arrive. But Sivana-42 is told by the snake Sivana that he and his earth are only good for snacks. the Red Rain world. Batman-42 calls Batman-17 “Bruce” and reveals himself as the Dick Grayson of this world. They are the Sivanas of 25 parallel worlds. Captain Carrot’s world. Lecter Sivana blames the Sivana of Earth-5 for how the Marvels found them.) After Crisis on Infinite Earths Egg Fu was revealed to be a product of Apokolips. Hoot seeing the transmatter cube in a dream. there’s an Apokolips in his universe. a new Egg Fu appeared.) Eventually that plan came undone. (There were related stories involving Egg Fu the Fifth and Dr. After Infinite Crisis. I’m guessing foreshadowing. and is currently under the protection of the Doom Patrol. That island began as the HQ of “Egg Fu. which was renamed Oolong Island. but there’s no missing a Darkseid reference. Batman-17 also uses “Jokerdammit” where we’d say “Goddammit. He also describes Mech-Eternity (I’m calling it that) as “smaller on the inside than it looks on the outside. but I honestly hope it’s just characterization.) Lecter Sivana makes his unhealthy interest in Mary Marvel known again. Mary. Hoot is a villain on Earth-26.” I’m not even going to guess what that implies for his world. Obviously. .) “Count Sivana” is ordered to get his “vampire troops. He captured or coerced mad scientists to his Pacific island base. magic bags and Dr. Who’s Tardis. Batman-42 says they’re on the Pacific Island HQ of Professor Sivana. maybe not. Reference is also made to Dr. Why is Batman-42 Dick Grayson when all the other chibis are Silver Age versions? PAGE SEVEN-EIGHT Lecter Sivana brings Sivana-42 back to the mechanical Rock of Eternity (seen in Thunderworld). The Sivanas reveal their plan to conquer the multiverse. PAGE 10 The Marvel Family of Earth-5 (Cap. they could be related.” an inexplicably giant egg-shaped villain in Wonder Woman #157 (1965). clearly searching for the Sivanas as we saw them at the end of Thunderworld.” (I’d guess they’d be from Earth-43. Yes. calling himself Chang Tzu.” reversing the line usually reserved for tesseracts. He describes the transmatter cubes as “doors” between the worlds. who was also an agent of Apokolips. Maybe. Given Oolong’s Apokolips connection and Batman-17’s reference to Darkseid. located in The Bleed. (It’s hard to take the word of a Sivana. I don’t know if Sivana ever had a Pacific Island HQ in any Captain Marvel comics – he probably did – but it could also be a reference to Oolong Island. ” which we will find out is Kamandi’s quasi-girlfriend Flower. Doc Sivana.” As I said above. Batman-42 finds the Multiversity Guidebook.” It’s almost like Silver Age DC! Batman-42 mentions that his Sivana. inspiring him to be Batman? Just speculation on my part. Meanwhile.” .” Mom and Dads turning into mutants? Perhaps his own Mom and Dad. and he describes his Gotham as one with a “rad-pit” and “mumdads” turning into “shamblers.PAGE 13 Batman-42 describes how the Little League was trapped and mostly killed. another transmatter cube. Batman calls it a “picture book” – there are apparently no comic books on this childlike world. where we see Kamandi. but Batman-17 may be referring to Flower. learned about the transmatter cube in a dream. Ben Boxer and Prince Tuftan (from Kamandi comics) in a raft. doubtless a nod to the famously stilted dialogue of Jack Kirby. he is right). just in a different universe. Meanwhile. this being a Morrison book. They find the empty tomb of Darkseid. dialogue indicates someone is watching the trio and commenting that “all that we feared has come to pass. arriving at “The Island of the God Watchers. Batman-17 can’t operate the transmatter cube. He describes his world as one where everyone is “only playing” and nobody gets killed. He may be tiny. Tuftan wonders if “god watchers” means the gods are the watchers (as we’ll see. (The Rose that Grows in Winter?) Their dialogue is a bit stilted. Batman-17’s dream was of the “Rose That Grows in Winter. whom Kamandi & Co. but he’s still a Batman. which is either commentary or irony – and correctly figures out the whole parallel Earth business. Another bad guy. He also finds the flower Flower usually wears in her hair – it’s how she got her name – indicating that she had been there. apparently left behind by Lecter Sivana. with footprints leading out. writer-artist-creator of Kamandi. it is probably the same Pacific island Batman-17 and Batman-42 are on. PAGE 16-17 The trio are searching for “her.” One assumes the villains’ dreams come from The Gentry. another dream. As he speaks he’s looking at … PAGES 14-15 Earth-51. Even the villains only use “crazy gadgets and mind games. are looking for on an island (probably the same one) on Earth-51. instead of floating in space. the armored form of Ben Boxer and OMAC. the originals. all New Gods from Kirby’s “Fourth World” books. a combination of two Kirby concepts. the One-Man Army Corps activated by the satellite Brother Eye. Stories can be dangerous. Himon. There is no Orion. Olympus). We see the throne room of Supertown. the Invisible Woman Avia and Lightray. is on a mountain (like Mt. who is probably wherever Apokolips is. Miracle is here – that is to say. the “is” in quotes made me think of the Clinton attorney . Lonar. Presumably the gods watch this island to prevent Darkseid’s escape. As they watch Ben Boxer decides to activate his Cyclo-Heart. given that Mr. The suggestion is that these New Gods are the primal ones. Fastbak. “Be careful. or to pass messages from one universe to another. whose Supertown. this is before or after “The Pact. Ben Boxer simply turned into an armored form of himself (not OMAC) after yelling ACTIVATE and pressing his Cyclo-Heart. PAGE 21 Boxer solves one mystery by telling us who took Flower – Kangarat Slavers.” The story is a “picture history” from “before the before. Mr. PAGES 22-23 In a style somewhat similar to illuminated manuscripts – suggesting a religious undertone – we learn that when nothing and everything were the same thing. But then an imperfection appeared. Earth-51 is evidently the Earth of Kirby Koncepts! In the original Kamandi. but napped on the job. Kamandi. Miracle.PAGES 18-19 The watchers are Jack Kirby’s New Gods. We know that comic books can be used to allow entry to The Gentry. One watcher describes how they had slept after their “celestial labors” and Darkseid took advantage of their absence to seed himself on many worlds. The trio discover hieroglyphics that are essentially a comic book on the wall.” and is apparently Morrison’s Book of Genesis for the DCU. He calls upon the satellite Br’er Eye to “OMACTIVATE!” PAGE 20 Ben Boxer becomes BiOMAC. all of it constituted Perfection (a vast field of white). where we see (clockwise) Takion. BiOMAC says.” The New Gods discuss Darkseid and New Gods on other earths as reflections of themselves. the blueprints.” (Amusingly. As if to remind us of one of Morrison’s themes. Big Barda. seen here and referred to as Br’er Eye. wearing many faces. “A flaw that ‘is’ Everything Perfection is not. Highfather. so any “comic book” in this story could be dangerous. however. it just kinda happened. Could this be the Speed Force? Perfection became aware of the flaw and in response named itself Monitor-Mind the Over- Void. But that’s metatextual. boy. is the Story Engine. is the original imperfection Over-Void contained in the Orrery. Further. is the theology that Morrison is establishing here (and perhaps subscribes to himself). the Conflict generator. and discovered the Multiverse (Flash #123). from which all Flashes spring. This tells us something important: The outer “universe” containing the DC Multiverse (the “Over-Void”) is sentient! This is something we’d naturally call “God. it all begins with a Flash – Barry Allen. “with a Flash …” as he touches a symbol showing a lightning bolt splitting a circle. the Story Machine. to be precise. perhaps as a result of Perfection suddenly being less than Everything – giving itself an identity to separate itself from the imperfection. So. The imperfection first appears as a red. This.” the “Flash” that blinds Novu. the Monitor splits into 52 to monitor each individual world. so perhaps we’re not seeing it clearly. the universe would be static. clearly. Within the text. To wit: “Of the Over-Void is Monitor born and Anti-Monitor. There’s a lot to speculate on here. yeah. Novu is infected and splits into two (the Monitor and Anti-Monitor. For one thing.wanting to know what the definition of “is” is. presumably. electric-looking thing. The passive tense indicates Perfection didn’t mean for them to come into being. of Crisis on Infinite Earths) and in other stories. Now we see the need for a “devil. though. if it is a red. And the stories being drawn on it are the imperfection. which irritates the blank page. in what we now call the DC Multiverse. It’s very small.” the Anti-Monitor: He brings chaos and conflict. Let’s get the obvious out of the way: The Flash launched the Silver Age (Showcase #4). Ohhhh. and is the wellspring of all story? Or is it something else entirely? It may or may not be significant that the “imperfection” in the Over-Void’s perfect white expanse looks like red lightning – like The Flash. does it suggest that the “dazzle. However. and the container we call the Orrery of Worlds. as Morrison has said in interviews. It creates Science Monitor Dax Novu to study it. That is not mentioned here. electric-looking thing. so he’s present at the creation of those two seminal events. where instead Novu is “blinded.” reads Kamandi. corrupted by the Flaw’s lightning dazzle. Perfection is pretty imperfect in its actions. similar to Barry Allen’s first chest . from which stories spring. is the blank page.) The vast field of white. But the second half is more straightforward: Morrison is once again establishing stories – narrative – as the driving force of the universe. which sequesters the imperfection away.” but I don’t think it’s going to work that way. that suggests The Flash. Without him. the symbol is a lightning bolt over a circle. Perfection contains the imperfection in what we will someday call the Orrery of Worlds. and therefore the Anti-Monitor? Or does it suggest that the Speed Force.” It’s unclear here how the Monitor/Anti-Monitor come about. He also played a central role in both Crisis on Infinite Earths and Flashpoint.” “And so begins all things. Specifically. Specifically.” That can also be read as “only a base tone” – because Earth-Two. how the multiverse gets created.” Is the Speed Force the “let there be light” of DC’s Genesis? He refers to Earth-Two’s vibrational frequency as “only a bass tone. . Barry Allen in is a fiction on Earth-36. The fourth panel on Page 24 is a reproduction of the cover to Flash #123 (“Flash of Two Worlds.” the first Earth-Two story). which Carmine Infantino used to do in Silver Age Flash comics.” the first JLA/JSA crossover). BiOMAC discovers some comic books. The fifth panel on Page 25 is a reproduction of the cover to Justice League of America #21 (“Crisis on Earth-One. The first panel on Page 25 shows a variety of Flashes from a variety of worlds.symbol. Front and center is a chibi Flash. Or maybe it destroys worlds. Some are familiar (Jay Garrick of Earth-Two.” the “Flash.” (or perhaps the Speed Force) is what splits worlds into multiple worlds. but most are not. PAGES 24-29 Morrison doesn’t corroborate any of the above speculation. Morrison always uses the language of music to describe it. Morrison says Flash can approach the speed of light. The third panel on Page 27 depicts the battle against the Anti-Monitor from Crisis on Infinite Earths. Meanwhile. yes. presumably from Earth-42. however. but he does spend four pages on Barry Allen and the history of the multiverse as revealed in comic-book stories. the one we are reading. The comic book we are reading. Jay Garrick of Earth-2. and/or are messages between universes. the world of the Golden Age heroes. seems benign (as opposed to Ultra Comics). as yet undiscovered world?” Well. and maybe elsewhere. As we know.e. While the original stories always referred to Flash’s ability to cross the multiversal barriers as a matter of vibration. from a Morrisonian perspective. He uses captions with little hands pointing to things mentioned in the caption. Morrison says “… was Barry Allen a fiction in some higher. but he doesn’t refer to it as the speed of light … he just calls it “light. the bolt isn’t lying over a circle. Morrison does a brief overview of Barry Allen’s discovery of the multiverse. which is probably significant. i. The second panel on Page 26 looks very much like the wraparound cover of DC 100 Page Super Spectacular #6 by Neal Adams. because Morrison has established that. Barry Allen). However. Discuss. although it isn’t drawn in the Adams style. comic books are The Gentry’s entry into the multiverse. it’s splitting it – suggesting that the “dazzle. that’s pretty clever. is the basis for everything else. Since music is essentially ordered vibration.. which DC has essentially been trying to explain ever since. and I have no guesses. The third panel of Page 28 depicts Booster Gold. reaching back to the beginning of time to straighten everything out. The fourth panel shows Monitors observing the Orrery of Worlds. and says the maps will “save us all.” Batman-17 cannily sums the book and the story as their “reality from the outside.” the Teutonic version of Odin.” answering the question Highfather asked earlier.The first panel on Page 28 depicts a scene I do not recognize. The first panel of Page 29 says Nix Uotan. (Incidentally. In the final panel. Rip Hunter and Nova from the last Booster Gold series. one Crisis or another established that the hand was that of Krona. I guess Morrison is ignoring that story. However. this is as good a place as any to mention that Morrison said in an interview that Uotan is pronounced “Wotan. 2015 at 9:01pm PAGES 30-31 The now familiar map of the Multiverse. The second panel depicts Barry Allen and Thomas “Batman” Wayne from Flashpoint. we see the flaw/orrery of worlds in the center of the open hand. the only son of Novu. when it clearly happened much earlier in “our” storylines.) In the fourth panel BiOMAC mentions that it is the Kangarats who freed Darkseid in some “barbaric rite. which is a mixed message. while the captions say they kept a record of all the changes in the multiverse in the fictions of Earth-33 – Earth-Prime. However. first seen in Green Lantern #40. But the panel shows him hugging his girlfriend. He is symbolically shattering the barriers between universes. Also. as the last monitor. of Parallax standing triumphant over Superman while holding the empty uniform of Barry Allen. which has been available in print online for some time. which can’t be coincidental. in this depiction. I have to say it’s pretty curious that the freeing of Darkseid to proliferate throughout the universe has just happened in this book. also a monitor. then that ofThe Spectre. Morrison doesn’t explain it. where Booster was essentially a space/time repairman. who messed everything up. However. With the aid of . The third panel depicts the open hand with the universe in it at the dawn of time. I have never before been able to read the legend on the left. Batman-42 twigs to what Multiversity Guidebook is.” (Continue to next comment) • ▶ Reply • Permalink Reply by Captain Comics on February 7. it does sort-of symbolize the Parallax story. Panel two of Page 28 depicts the “pounding of Superboy’s fists” – the Superboy of Earth- Prime (Earth-33) who first appeared in DC Comics Presents #87 and was the central antagonist of Infinite Crisis. Batman-42 reveals that Li’l Gotham #12 is connected to Multiverse. but “The Source” and “The Unknowable.” They are capitalized. but also comic-book devils/demons like Etrigan. and found some interesting things: * Beyond the Source Wall is not only the Over-Void. * All gods and demons. it’s a reminder that The Gentry are still out there. Perhaps that’s Darkseid’s tomb on his world. located on the same Pacific island as on Earth-51. the Easter Bunny and Amethyst’s Gemworld. and New Genesis. The cover blurb “Who’s that knocking on the door” isn’t just a reference to an old Rod Stewart song. Rath and Ghast). Batman-42 refers to the 52 worlds as “the local multiverse.” That implies a broader one out there.afternoon sunlight and a magnifying glass. beyond the 52 universes we know. where the pagan gods hang out. not just of comic books but of real-world religions. for example. but I don’t know who/what they are. it would be a solved cube! Batman-17 also makes the same reference in panel three of Page 33. The next panel puts an unsolved Rubik’s Cube front and center. so they are proper nouns. You’d think that with Batman-42 puzzling out the comics and transmatter cubes. * Limbo is “where matter and memory break down. I was finally able to do so. Evidently Jesus. he’s here.” I wanna see what Morrison thinks are primal superheroes! PAGES 32-33 Batman-17 references the “Dark Tower” again. (Has Gemworld been revealed to be a dream of some kind? I know it’s been retconned a couple of times. * Wonderworld is the home of “primal superheroes. Trigon and Neron. are here – equal and not superior to Skyland. “We don’t have time! They’re knocking at the door!” Although he may be referring to Sivana’s robots. but also to The Gentry. the Demons Three (Abnegazar. Either way. hang out in the “Sphere of the Gods. where the New Gods hang out.” The Christian heaven and hell. If your theology has a devil. but also Santa Claus. * “Dream” isn’t just the home to Neil Gaiman’s Morpheus. lower in rank to the Over-Void. Jehovah and Mohammed are just characters in the multiverse. PAGES 34-67 .) * Hell isn’t just the home of the Christian devil. trying to access all 52 universes.” not – as I assumed – where forgotten/canceled characters hang out. Doll-Man. as it is soon to be destroyed at Marvel in Secret Wars #1. Earth-5: Home of the original Fawcett characters. Earth-12: Home of Batman Beyond and Justice League Beyond. Wundajin (Thor). Another version first appeared in Justice League of America #29-30. which so far include three Superman books. two Batman books and one Teen Titans book. It appears the next issue of Multiversity will focus on this world. leaves doors open. Earth-14: Unknown. Human Bomb. 13. despite the events in Pax Americana. The G-Men (X-Men). while the characters from Quality Comics (Uncle Sam. movies or Elseworlds stories. including a Secret Invasion (of Durlans instead of Skrulls) and a Civil War. you know.Descriptions of the Earths of the 52 universe. First seen in Superman/Batman #23. or to place our favorite cartoons. or to imagine our own alternate earths. I like that some of the worlds are unknown. Earth-1: The world of the Earth-One series of graphic novels. the version that recently appeared in the “Forever Evil” storyline. Behemoth (Hulk). because I’m counting ad pages and the Guidebook does not. Earth-10: Formerly Earth-X (X being 10 in Roman numerals). Worlds’ Finest and Earth-2: World’s End. Earth-7: Thinly veiled version of Marvel’s Ultimate Universe. Earth-4: Home of the original Charlton characters. where the superheroes are monster-ish. Earth-11: Gender-reversed world. Machinehead (Iron Man). currently being depicted in the books Earth-2. Phantom Lady. as depicted in Thunderworld. First seen in Countdown: Arena #1. with Future Family (Fantastic Four). Because. Earth-0: The New 52. Earth-3: Home of the Crime Syndicate of America. First appeared in Final Crisis: Superman Beyond #1. The Retaliators (Avengers). My page numbers don’t match up to the ones on the book. but using variations of DC characters. First appeared in Tangent: The Atom #1. first seen in Justice League of America #107-108. Earth-6: A parody of Marvel. Destroyed in Multiversity #1. a world where the Nazis won World War II. like any good writer. That leaves room for other writers to spin their own tales. The familiar DC superheroes are the bad guys. etc. Earth-13: A supernatural variation. Earth-8: Thinly veiled version of Marvel’s regular 616 universe. Peacemaker and Captain Atom are depicted as alive and well. Bug (Spider-Man). Earth-2: The updated Earth-Two. she has yet to appear in any Earth-One graphic novels. While Wonder Woman is depicted. etc.) are the good guys. Morrison. Earth-9: The characters from the Tangent line of books. American Crusader (Captain America). known as the Freedom Fighters. . Wally West is still The Flash. The Flash ran into a black Justice League back in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Earth-21: The JFK-era Justice League. which Batman-17 referred to earlier. as seen in Multiversity: Society of Super-Heroes. Earth-19: Home of Victorian/Edwardian versions of DC heroes. Various characters have been ascribed to this world (some later un-ascribed). If a black Superman appeared in the group shot – I don’t remember if one did – that’s too much of a coincidence. so I would consider that his first appearance. as seen in Multiversity: The Just. formerly known as Earth-C. Bloodwynd is in the Justice League. etc. Earth-20: The pulp era Earth. Cinnamon. President Superman was the star of Action Comics (second series) #9. Earth-24: Unknown. Earth-29: Bizarro world. . etc. without any of the later changes (Kyle Rayner is the only Green Lantern. Earth-16: “Earth-Me. Could include Wonder Woman: Amazonia and JLA: Age of Wonder.” It’s called the “Cosmic Grail. It appears on this Earth that black is the dominant skin color/race.). complete with a nuclear war in 1963. like Superchief. Earth-17: Home of the Atomic Knights of Justice. Earth-26: Home of Captain Carrot and the Amazing Zoo Crew. led by Captain Adam Strange. (Yay!) Earth-30: The Earth of Superman: Red Son. It also seems to represent the DC Universe of the 1980s. Earth-25: Unknown. some of which were seen in the Elseworlds Gotham by Gaslight and Batman: Master of the Future. El Diablo.” the world of the bored and privileged sons and daughters of the DC heroes. for some reason) are black. as all of the Justice League (except Batman. Nothing is left except for a Green Lantern power battery. (That’s Morrison tipping his hat to John Broome. President Superman.Earth-15: Home of Superboy-Prime … before he destroyed it. as seen in Darwyn Cooke’s New Frontier. I imagine.” akin to the Holy Grail of Arthurian legend. A variation on the old Atomic Knights stories.) Eath-18: Home of DC Western characters. Earth-23: Home of Calvin Ellis. However. Earth-27: Unknown. This world was first seen in the Elseworlds Justice Riders. Earth-28: Unknown. such as Bob Haney’s Super-Sons. the Young Justice cartoon and Christopher Kent. and his first official appearance is listed as Final Crisis #7. A land of cartoon physics. Earth-22: The Kingdom Come Earth. which Morrison describes as “immensely powerful” and “hidden somewhere among the many worlds of the Multiverse. N. with Dino-Cop (Savage Dragon). as seen in Multiversity: Society of Super-Heroes. (T. where the major characters are all villains. Barry Allen.O.N. We’ll learn more. . Wonderhawk. We met Red Racer (Flash) and Flashlight (Green Lantern) in Multiversity #1. Majesty (Glory) and others I can’t identify. Earth-41: The Image universe. The Guidebook says Earth-40 and Earth-20 form a “binary universe” that resonates in “catastrophic harmony. Spore (Spawn). Earth-38: Home of John Byrne’s Superman and Batman: Generations characters. Doctor Nemo (NoMan). Nimrod Squad (Youngblood). you have a Super-Martian (Superman/Martian Manhunter).R.R. Earth-Prime appears to be just another fictional universe. Earth-42: The chibi world. called Utraa. Earth-36: The Earth of Justice 9. Earth-37: Home of the Thrillkiller characters. with Supremo (Supreme). are shown hale and whole here. the characters who met a fatal end in S. where Optiman (their Superman) was killed by Superdoomsday in Action Comics (second series) #9. and real people like Julius Schwartz.D. Black Arrow (Black Canary/Green Arrow).” Incidentally. first seen in Detective Comics Annual #7. Cary Bates and Elliot S.D. Wonderhawk (Hawkman/Wonder Woman) and Aquaflash (Aquaman/Flash) as members of the Justice Titans (Justice League/Teen Titans). They include Cyclotron (Dynamo). As mentioned.Earth-31: Home of the privateer Captain Leatherwing (Batman). Corvus (Raven). given his literary predecessor’s name was just Ultraa. Marvel Comics are called Major Comics on this Earth. Earth-39: Home of Tower Comics characters.E. Now. some of those blended superheroes seem a lot more useful than the originals! (I’m looking at you. riffing off the Elseworlds Batman: In Darkest Night (in which Abin Sur gives his ring to Bruce Wayne). I imagine. It should be noted that the Guidebook says Earth-33’s lone superhero is Ultra Comics. which the guide says “hides a great and terrible secret. however. Nightcracker (Darkhawk). Agents). I’d guess the later. the Superman of this world was “killed” by Superdoomsday in Action Comics (second series) #9. which is not the case here – instead.O. briefly. And we had our own Superman. because I never read Awesome Comics.” We know from later in the story that part of the secret is that the Little League (and perhaps the entire population) is made up of robots. Earth-34: DC’s Wiki says this world is the one that appeared in Wonder Woman: Amazonia. Originally Earth-Prime was our planet. I have to say. which is such a weird name that it’s probably either a story point or a mistake. Clark Kent and Diana of Themyscira are also given Green Lantern rings on that Elseworlds. where Ultra Comics comes from. etc. in Multiversity #2.U. Earth-40: Another pulp era world. called Agents of W. Accelerator (Lightning) and Psi-Man (Menthor). Earth-35: The Rob Liefeld universe.S. along with the Batman/Green Lantern mash-up called Bat-Lantern.E.) Earth-33: Earth-Prime.H. but it looks more to me like a thinly veiled Astro City. Earth-32: A JLA-in-a-blender world. Maggin were depicted in various issues of Flash and Justice League of America. and Earth-45’s one-eyed Lois Lane is now living on Earth-23 (the Clark and Jimmy of Earth-45 are dead). drop out” on his shirt. It also seems like a world where fashions. and so forth. The DC wiki says these characters – Metal Justice. maybe? Metal Hurlant? – appeared in Final Crisis #7 and Justice League of America (second series) #43. Batman: Bloodstorm and Batman: Crimson Mist. Clark Kent and Lois Lane came up with thought technology. so we have Sunshine Superman (named for a 1966 Donovan song. * Brief digression: I do think of The New 52 Superman as just another Superman. which they think of as THE Superman. Iron Batman. That’s because I’m an old fart. which was used by Overcorp to create Superdoomsday. the Geek happened. not to be confused with Mongul’s Warworld. Earth-50: Home of the Justice Lords from the Justice League/Justice League Unlimited cartoon. who killed the Superman analogs of Earth-36 and Earth-42 before being destroyed by President Superman of Earth-23 and The New 52 Superman of Earth-0. so why should I think of any of them as the original? Earth-46: Unknown. Earth-48: Home of the Forerunners seen in Countdown to Adventure. which reinforce the idea that every world has its own Superman. New Gods and OMAC. Earth-48 is nicknamed War World. the only robot Justice Leaguer (Red Tornado) is the only human here – Professor Will Tornado (the Doc Will Magnus analog). PAGE 68-69 In the first panel. Earth-45: The world where Jimmy Olsen. and we have been subjected to a parade of pretenders ever since. Earth-47: The world where Prez and Brother Power. Earth-49: Unknown. etc. In those books Batman was a vampire. However.Earth-43: A world riffing off the Elseworlds graphic novels Batman & Dracula: Red Rain. Platinum Wonder Woman. the home of Jack Kirby’s major concepts for DC: Kamandi. Earth-44: A sort of Justice League-Metal Men mash-up world: Gold Superman. first seen in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Kamandi speculates that on another world “on an island like this one. styles and the drugs. sex and rock ‘n roll culture of the late 1960s never changed.* I don’t know of any other super-chararacters from this Earth. with a ginormous blaxploitation-style Afro). named for a slang term for an amphetamine addict). it appears the entire Justice League is vampiric. people like us are … “ I’m guessing this confirms my speculation that they are on the same island on . the Guide tells us that it is the home of Lady Quark and Lord Volt. but also because of stories like this. but I don’t remember them. In a cute twist. but in the illustration. Eearth-51: As seen earlier in this very issue. of course. tune in. Magic Lantern (probably a riff off the 1968 Steppenwolf drug anthem “Magic Carpet Ride”) with the Timothy Leary phrase “Turn on. Speed Freak (the Flash analog. I think THE Superman went away with Crisis on Infinite Earths. and not “THE” Superman. How do you not know you’re a robot? Batman-42 figures out how to activate the transmatter cube just as Sivana’s robots break in.” The skies turn red in the third panel. That Darkseid is just one theme in a symphony. Red skies were a sign of the approach of the Anti- Monitor’s anti-matter wall in Crisis on Infinite Earths. and the Atomic Knights Flash and Wonder Woman (all riding giant dogs. Obviously. Lightray indicates that the New Gods consider Kamandi “our last. but he stays to fight the robots. writing on the wall. but is also said in proximity to the fiery hand. eternal boy. bad news is on the way here.” Or part of it. still watching. that is coming to crescendo. . Batman-42 is carrying the flower that came from Earth-51. at least. Highfather.” For a character we didn’t know about until last page. (A symphony of evil. Batman-17 hears his friends through the transmatter cube. the skies turn red.Earth-51 that the two Batmen are on. where the “demons” were The Gentry.) Batman-42 reaches Batman-17. The final panel of Page 69 has Nix Outan claiming to have freed Darkseid in the name of The Gentry and hin whom they both serve. one imagines.” This seems to be a reference to the empty hand from Green Lantern #40.” Highfather says he fears “That One” has awakened. “The Empty Hand. (He does know how to activate it now. Batman-17 throws Batman-42 through the cube.” but doesn’t know what it is. so he has a chance. Highfather also mentions a power “beyond them all – that dread and empty hand! Whose name none dare voice. which Strange declares is the Rose That Grows In Winter. Tuftan and biOMAC flee.” We saw that happen in Multiversity #1. revealing the “terrible secret. This looks identical to the Moving Hand of The Source that would give instructions to Kirby’s New Gods in the 1970s. says the walls of all the worlds are shaking. Could that simply mean any flower that grows … in a nuclear winter? Like the one on Earth-17? In the final panel of Page 70. Batman-42 sees the “dead” J’onn J’onzz. In the second panel. suggesting that IT is the “dread and empty hand. so it is likely tuned in to Earth-17. whose robotic parts are showing. like the original Atomic Knights) want to know where their Batman is. because the walls are shaking. too. where Captain Adam Strange. Only in this scenario it doesn’t appear to be benign. It is writing “I Found You” as Kamandi. on Earth-42.” Because they’ve been copied to 51 other earths? Unclear. that empty hand is getting quite a workout! PAGE 70 Batman reads the line in the Guidebook about Earth-42’s “terrible secret.) Highfather mentions Nix Uotan as “the son of the Monitor Novu – a young supergod broken and corrupted by demons. the fiery hand appears. but there’s nothing they can do until their powers “return in full. ) They say the entire multiverse is under the attack (explaining the red skies. Crisis on Infinite Earths #4. (another in a series. Lord Volt was killed in his introductory story. Incidentally. collect ‘em all!). Aquaman. PAGES 72-75 Hellmachine.S. They say the characters sent to Earth-7 (back in Multiversity #1) have failed to return. Aquawoman of Earth-41 and Captain Carrot of Earth-C. one of The Gentry. PAGE 71 Batman-17 escapes Earth-42 and ends up in the Hall of Heroes. Red Racer of Earth-36. has manifested on our plane and is attacking the Hall of Heroes. Cyborg and Martian Manhunter) are to “Get up” and “reset” by … AN EMPTY HAND! “You have died before. MULTIVERSITY: MASTERMEN #1 COVER . Lord Volt of Earth-48. We see Dino-Cop of Earth- 41.” Back on Earth-42. (That would be Superman of Earth-23.O. saying “Empty is thy hand” in unison.” The four robots get up. So now we know the “terrible secret” of Earth-42! PAGES 76-80 House ads. and you will die many times more before I am done with you. I guess he got better. Thunderer of Earth-7. Bloodwynd of Earth-16 and Steel of Earth-42. The Harbinger Mind computer sends out an S. Four of the “dead” Little Leaguers (Flash. See how my hand is empty. I guess) and that they are on the front lines. The Steel and Wonder Woman of Earth-42 go blank-eyed and start chanting “empty. with the runic lightning-bolt symbol used by the Nazi SchutzStaffel (SS) appearing on the character’s chest instead of the Superman “S. Two characters are depicted arm-wrestling with a globe as the “table. With the help of the Justice League. Post- Crisis. Clever. and its focus on otherworldly rewards. said in Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters that he was an unclassifiable being. The legend on the left indicates this issue is about Earth-10. this concept. The tableau is contained in an ornate frame with the traditional German eagle symbol (also adopted by the Nazis) at the top.E. presumably. a character created for Quality Comics by Will Eisner as the spirit of a slain Revolutionary War soldier. Uncle Sam and other Quality characters moved to Earth-One (and their own title) in 1976.D. is in peril (The Spectre. as “X” is “10” in Roman numerals. Uncle Sam was among the many Quality Comics characters bought by DC in the 1950s. He first appeared at his new publisher in Justice League of America (first series) #107-108 as part of a group of insurgents battling Nazis on Earth-X. his origin was re-written so that he was the Spirit of the United States. third series.A. although Father Time of S. The Overman (which can also be translated more loosely as Superman) focuses on the material world as an alternative to Christianity.S.” One figure is Uncle Sam. world conquest on one side and world freedom on the other. He has made various appearances since with. created by the Founding Fathers through Masonic rituals and incarnating in various eras when the U. .” “Overman” is the literal translation of German philosopher Friedrich Nietzche’s Ubermensch. #37-38).H. The Nazis adopted some aspects of the Overman concept for their philosophy as Germans being the Master Race. Uncle Sam and his guerrillas defeated the Nazis. The battle over a globe is likely a metaphorical representation of two sides battling for. a concept introduced in his seminal work Also Sprach Zarathustra. more or less. where the Axis won World War II. It should be noted that the original Earth-X of the old multiverse is now Earth-10 in The New 52 multiverse. Uncle Sam’s opponent is a Nazi version of Superman named Overman. and refers to himself as “writhing in agony. So that comic book isn’t one that exists on our world. The closest equivalent is Superman #17. among them constipation. PAGE THREE Hitler refers to the comic book as “waste paper. which included the famous Werner von Braun.” as the city is located at the mouth of the Peene River. During World War II.” PAGE FOUR Werner von Braun appears as a rocket engineer at Peenemunde.” Hitler suffered from many chronic ailments.PAGE ONE Hitler is shown on the toilet reading a Superman comic book. PAGE TWO An aide refers to Hitler as “Leader. But it's more likely a relative or descendant.” Famously. Peenemunde translates literally to “Peene Mouth. and developed the Vergeltungswaffe (Retribution Weapon) 2. The aide mentions Col. Also. as we shall see.” Hitler was often referred to as “Der Fuehrer. Also. as this reference indicates. which is a port city on an island in the Baltic Sea near the coast of Germany. where it debouches into the Baltic Sea. were no fans of American comic books. known colloquially as the V-2 rocket. von Hammer. but would very likely have felt bound by honor to fight for his country – as was the case in WWI. The scientists at Peenemunde. The last panel is a scene-setter for a place called Peenemunde. which is the literal translation of the Nazi salute “Heil Hitler. stomach cramps. holding by the scruff of their necks Hitler in one hand and Hirohito in the other. PAGE SIX The rocket found in the Sudetenland (obviously the one that landed in Kansas in our world) is . Bundists (American Nazi sympathizers) threatened Timely Comics for its anti-Nazi stories. but not the scene on the cover of Hitler’s Superman comic book. of Superman punching Hitler (a scene that did appear on the cover of Captain America Comics #1). Hitler is depicted as being constipated. who could be a very old Hans von Hammer. as he was in real life. I will reverse-translate where appropriate or interesting.” which translates to (among other things) “The Leader. Peenemunde was home to Germany’s most advanced rocket research. a famous story in a 1940 Look magazine featured the two-page comic strip “What If Superman Ended the War?” that included Hitler. The Nazis. which depicts Superman astride a globe. where he did not care for the Kaiser or his ambitions but fought anyway. The cover is one that never appeared in our world. and it is simply being translated without comment. the official newspaper (and propaganda organ) of the SS lambasted the Superman story in Look magazine. the star of DC’s World War I series “Enemy Ace.” Various voices are raised saying “Hail Hitler!”.” The von Hammer depicted in those stories would not have been very happy with Hitler’s philosophy. diarrhea and uncontrollable flatulence. were referred to as “Peenemunders.” It soon become evident that all the speakers in this book are speaking German unless otherwise indicated. one depicting. But the time is 1956. whose powers were 100 percent from the moment he was under a yellow sun. Superman. is in the background. PAGE 16 Overman is dreaming of the death of Overgirl. .indestructible. in a pose reminiscent of the same scene of Superman holding Supergirl on the cover of Crisis on Infinite Earths #7. things from Krypton are indestructible on Earth. though. Kal-El. as opposed to the Golden Age and post-Crisis versions of the character. as well as the “iron fist in a velvet glove” PAGES 10-11 A grown Overman is depicted leading victorious Nazi forces through Washington D. Although the story doesn’t say so.. Major Comics is the Marvel Comics substitute on a number of worlds in this series. The baby says “Aay-ell” twice.” One of Superman’s nicknames is the Man of Steel. This is in line with the Silver Age Superman. it is likely Uncle Sam uses comic books to contact other dimensions.C. battered and defeated like the country he represents. and strength was a big deal in German culture even before the Nazis. where his powers developed gradually as he absorbed yellow-sun radiation. only a few years after mass comic-book bonfires in America by Americans! Uncle Sam is seen. The Germans’ highest medal for generations. PAGE 12 Nazi troops burn American comic books. one of The Gentry. perhaps trying to say his name. PAGE NINE Hitler leaps to the conclusion that the baby is a time-traveler. We see a copy of The American Crusader comics from Major Comics. so it’s unsurprising. Hitler refers to the child as being the “Man of Iron. ironically. PAGE EIGHT The baby from Krypton is shown to be indestructible. PAGE 14 Uncle Sam swipes a Superman comic book from the bonfire. while Otto von Bismarck’s famous speech about German unification in 1862 was titled “Blood and Iron. Other Nazi-themed Justice Leaguers are shown dead or defeated at his feet. who raised it to the highest virtue. as they have been used in other Multiversity books. as that metal signifies strength in a number of cultures. Lord Broken.” Our own culture boasts Iron Man the superhero and Iron Man triathlons. Just as in our world. corresponding to Captain America Comics and Timely (later Marvel) Comics. The Nazis were notorious book-burners.” That is one of Superman’s nicknames. was the Iron Cross. for example. signifying Nazi victory in World War II. and christens him the “Man of Tomorrow. It seems right that Hitler would gravitate to iron. We see Uncle Sam’s gigantic face in the clouds. obviously being written years after the events we are seeing. A memoir begins. but it’s more likely Lana Lang. Olsen describes Superman and the New Reichsmen in heroic terms that would fit the Justice League. Obviously. loosely translated to “Twilight of the Gods. Undoubtedly this is a Silver Age Superman reference that I don’t remember. But as we discover. PAGE 17 Superman awakens with his wife. PAGE 20 It is revealed that the writer of the memoir is the Jimmy Olsen analog. and the Wonder Woman analog.A panel informs us that it is now 60 years later (2016). Why is never made clear. Superman’s civilian name is Karl. Olsen makes mention of Overman’s “seemingly ageless consort. as lightning – Blitz – was a favored word of the Nazis. Wonder Woman and Aquaman. (I would think she would be connected to the Roman gods. but Lena. as in Blitzkrieg (lighting war). PAGE 22 The Human Bomb of this world appears. Overman’s best friend here as he is Superman’s best friend on our world.” which in Norse mythology is the death of the gods. He says he has the dream every night. with the curious exception of a Green Lantern analog.” That’s not Brunnhilde as you’d expect. This represents the founding members of the Justice League in 1960. Of special interest are the Flash analog. PAGE 18-19 We see Nazi versions of the Justice League. PAGE 23 . Lord Broken has achieved some influence here. called here The New Reichsmen.) We also see what looks to be Nazi-world versions of Jimmy Olsen and Alfred Pennyworth. Lena tells him he must be “strong. who is female here. PAGE 21 It is mentioned that English is a banned language. But I didn’t write or draw the book. and they are the Greco-Roman gods after all. not Clark. 36). Flash. who does not age due to a serum from a planet “now dust” (p. The latter is an obvious reference to Ragnarok. “Lena. since Italy was a member of the Axis. Martian Manhunter. he betrays Overman and the Reichsmen.” a very Nazi-like thing to say. who is decked out in Bavarian gear – she obviously is connected to the Norse/Teutonic gods instead of the Greek gods. The female Flash is referred to as “Lightning.” That makes sense. including versions of Batman.” That could be Lena Luthor (or Thorul). It refers to the Fall of Metropolis and the Twilight of the New Reichsmen. It is called “The Eagle’s Nest” (die Kehlsteinhaus) the same name as the house built by Martin Bormann for Adolf Hitler’s 50th birthday above Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps. PAGE 26 Batman’s name here is Leatherwing. Evidently. the Construct prison (I think). Leatherwing even refers to him as “U-Man. as German submarines were unterseeboots. Brunnhilde makes some typically Nazi remarks about strength and weakness. something I can’t identify and Kanjar Ro’s outfit. PAGE 27 Brunnhilde confirms that English is not only banned. Konstrukt (Construct. and mentions the Star Conqueror (Starro on our world). PAGE 29 We see trophies. PAGE 25 We finally see a Nazi Green Lantern. but a “dead language. Overman implies he has remorse for “the shame of our past. Later. confirming her connection to a different pantheon than on our world. Unterseemann in German. much like the Justice League has had a satellite at various times. and would have been wiped out if Hitler didn’t come to believe that Atanteans were the root of the Aryan race. Wonder Woman’s name is Brunnhilde.” We learn that Atlantis fought on the Allied side. that the different dimensions vibrate at different speeds and that those connected to the Speed Force are especially sensitive to those vibrations. or U-boats. with the Germanic spelling). Aquaman’s name is Underwaterman. He is not ashamed of the superhero-type battles they’ve had. the Luthor League (Injustice League?) and Kanjar Ro (Kanjar Ro).” presumably war atrocities.” This correlates to what we know. Martian Manhunter is just called “the Martian” on Earth-10 (die Marsmann).) Leatherwing refers to his "grandfather von Hammer. the name of a character in Teutonic mythology made famous in Richard Wagner’s “Die Ring des Nibelungen” tetralogy. PAGE 24 The New Reichsmen HQ is a satellite." meaning the Col. as well as a Nazi Red Tornado. von Hammer who found Overman's rocket ship in 1938 could have been his father. Note that Nazi Martian Manhunter has used his shapeshifting powers to appear with white skin – a necessity in a world run by Nazis. (I guess die Fledermausmann was too unwieldy. which appear to correspond to Justice League battles.” Blitz picks up a weapon from another universe and detects “weird vibrations.Blitz also has a stylized SS lightning-bolt insignia. which include a Thanagarian hawk mask (did they simply kill Hawkman as an alien?). The pirate world features a Captain Leatherwing. . Page 42 Uncle Sam points and says “We want YOU! To pay for your crimes!” akin to the famous James Montgomery Flagg recruiting poster of 1917.” The “Freedom Fighters” (which is what the Quality characters were called on post-Crisis Earth) include a muscular Phantom Lady. Morrison makes a poetry reference. Romani (gypsies). a genuinely black Black Condor. It appears New York has been renamed New Bayreuth. Ellis Island. (And. PAGES 32-33 We discover that the source of the other-dimensional weaponry is the Sivana of Earth-10. Overman makes explicit reference to Wagner’s “Ring cycle” – formally known as “Die Ring des Nibelungen. Doktor Sivana (implying he is one of the group of Sivanas we have met before). the “usual suspects.S. That in turn references Overman. Doll Man and Doll Girl. The Doll Man and Doll Girl of this world appear to be Jehovah’s Witnesses. Army)” PAGE 44 The issue ends with the title. They believe that their world is in the Biblical end times. Once again. As Sivana says. PAGE 40 The Ring Cycle is being performed.” They come from “out” groups that the Nazis would likely exterminate: Jews. PAGE 31 We learn America is called Germanica on this world.” with the speaker wondering about his legacy. Bayreuth is a city in Bavaria. Jehovah’s Witnesses.” which I referred to above.PAGE 30 Uncle Sam’s revolutionaries are depicted on an island near the damaged Statue of Liberty.) MULTIVERSITY: ULTRA COMICS #1 . Germanica is Latin for German. Lord Tennyson poem from his longer work “The Princess. Uncle Sam then recites a line from Revelations. but will defend. maybe? Sam recites an ersatz version of the Emma Lazarus poem at the base of the Statue of Liberty. as Jehovah’s Witnesses tend to do. Sivana has given super-powers to some of those who have joined Uncle Sam. They won’t fight aggressively. survivors of “the purges of the ‘50s and ‘60s. These are all variations of Quality Comics characters. Negros.” This is a reference to an Alfred. The Ray. Morrison makes a poetry reference. whose guilt over past atrocities and dissatisfaction with the Thousand- Year Reich is the subtext of the issue. once again. PAGES 34-35 It appears Jimmy Olsen’s name on this world is Jurgen. with Uncle Sam pointing and saying “I want YOU! (for the U. “Splendour Falls. albeit using the chemical names for paper. iron blue. This is an almost literal description of readers identifying with the heroes in the comics they read. We see tubes attached to him.” The legend on the left indicates this issue takes place on Earth-33 -. carbon. colored black. asking our help by not turning the page and not skipping to the end. pointing out that although he is a fictional character and a pen-and-ink representation. according to the Multiversity Guidebook. we will install “Ultra Comics™ Psychic Shield Technology.” . because readers by then had become jaded to such conventions. PAGE 2-3 Ultra Comics breaks the fourth wall by addressing the reader.” which is a post-Bronze Age concept that essentially did the same thing as “imaginary stories” in the past. PAGE 8-9 Ultra Comics is created.Earth-Prime. titanium dioxide. Ultra Comics explains that he has been created to help us readers fend off The Gentry. water glycol. PAGE 6 The authoritative figure is now wearing a lab coat. azo pigments. cyan. Captions say “Not a hoax! Not a dream! Not an imaginary story!” This phrase was used in the 1960s and 1970s on occasion to hook readers on bizarre covers. wax emulsion. you MUST read this COMIC!” Only “NOT” has been scrawled by a later hand between “must” and “read. he’s “real enough for YOU to hear MY voice right inside your head. formaldehyde. using the same things that create comics books. PAGE 4 An authoritative man in a suit at a desk also addresses the reader. although he doesn’t explicitly name them. which he has. magenta and yellow. a Superman analog) telling us “Only YOU can SAVE THE WORLD! If you VALUE YOUR LIVES. Other oblique comments refer to events in the issue. and explains that Ultra Comics is all of us.” Fair enough. ink and staples: cellulose pulp. representing the four-color process. Morrison tacks on “Not an Elseworlds. this “haunted” comics depicts Ultra Comics of Earth- Prime (a super-character wearing the primary triad. especially the ending. COVER As seen in previous issues of Multiversity. as if Ultra Comics has come back in time to the beginning of the book to warn us. salt water. He says that by reading this comic book. The Captions refer to Ultra’s first adventures as “nakedly allegorical.” again referencing typical plotlines/characterization in comics. with a suffering.” so he switches to first-person narrative captions. as comics themselves did sometime in the ‘90s.” later described as a hostile alien. Heroes on Earth-Prime are made of paper (comics) or celluloid (movies/TV).” That is presumably a commentary on the superhero genre. the real Earth – where superheroes aren’t (yet) possible. PAGE 10-11 Four panels depict Ultra Comics in four different eras. Panel 2 is sort-of Silver Age-y. as is Ultra Comics.” which is a pun referencing both longboxes (Ultra Comics is out of his!). Panel 1 is the Golden Age. Buster!”. post-Wolverine Modern Age. inclusive. with Ultra Comics brutally beating a criminal and aggressively challenging to the reader/observer with “What are YOU looking at?” PAGE 12 Ultra Comics realizes thought balloons makes him “look dated. would be pretty typical of the two-fisted Golden Age. grim-n-gritty hero standing over a dead sidekick shouting “Why???” Panel 4 represents the more brutal. The Authoritative Man references Ultra’s “latest existential dilemma. PAGE 16 Ultra Comics wonders why he is where he is. “I’ll save you!” Panel 3 is more representative of the Bronze Age/Image era. “They always have a reason.” which of course we see all the time in comics. alien or interdimensional possession. The title of his adventure is “Out of His Box. PAGE 15 Ultra Comics finds himself in a ruined New York City.The captions explain that Ultra Comics has all the behavior patterns of superheroes from the Golden Age to the modern age. and something we fans often ask when something we don’t care for is published. unless it’s just that people hitting each other sometimes substitutes for plot in bad comics? The captions describe Ultra Comics as “an idea so powerful it believes it’s alive.” just like Ultra Comics and this entire issue so far. acting appropriately for those eras. as well as Earth-7 in Multiversity #1. He refers to it as “a generic post-apocalyptic wasteland. with Ultra Comics stopping a mugging of a man. Ultra Comics is powered by readers’ belief/support from reading the comic book. that power is accumulated and focused by an “ultragem” on his forehead. woman and child in an alley (obliquely referencing Batman’s origin). with Ultra Comics saving a raven-haired woman (oblique reference to Lois Lane) and others from a bizarre supernatural. . He explains that he is being created on Earth-Prime – a term traditionally reserved for indicating our planet. I’m not sure what this means. and a transmatter cube that plays a pivotal role later. reminiscent of the Soul Gem possessed by Adam Warlock. or at least post-Crisis. PAGE 13 Ultra Comics says he was created to stop an attack on Earth-Prime by a “hit. anti-hero-ish. His dialogue “Take that. Don’t they?” This is presumably a commentary on comics creators. including Ultra Comics’ dialogue. That would fit in a Silver Age Superman comic fairly well. pretentious symbolism. I guess this kid gang could be populated by various kids from various eras or parallel worlds. Another is Ultra the Multi- Alien. and combines the powers of four alien races. or a generic reader. and she leads the “kids of tomorrow” called the Neighborhood Guard. Wonder Woman: life. on how the industry has shaped itself to fit what fanboys want. PAGE 19 A kid in red (implying she is a leading character of some kind. and each case it’s referencing what they derive their power from or what they represent. so are these kids analogs of the LSH? They are the “kids of tomorrow” – tomorrow as in the 31st century? That would make Red Riding Hood Saturn Girl. Cyborg. Superman. there was a Red Hood in both Kingdom Come and Justice League: Generation Lost that would be age-appropriate for this character. maybe that doesn’t work. Bug Lantern gibbers and then says the cliché. The complaint is a common one among many fans.” The sidekick refers to the bugs as “crawlies” and complains they “say the same thing over and over! They say the same things!” Another commentary on clichés/herd-think in comics. But there was a “Five Years Later” run in Legion of Super-Heroes. as a possible origin for The Joker. Yet another comic-about-comics treatise retreading the same tired themes. On yet another hand. Batman. “This ends now. an unknown giant.The Authoritative Man tells us it’s a trap for Ultra Comics. and uh … well. And one of the Guard’s members looks a lot like Brooklyn of the Newsboy Legion. OTOH. PAGE 25 Ultra Comics meets “the Elders. PAGE 22 It turns out the kid’s name is Red Riding Hood. “it’s amazing we agree on so much. and therefore a trap for us. but it’s also a possible reference to The New 52 having been established as having existed for only five years on a sliding scale.” We will see later that this caption device represents one of the readers. the second of two characters (the other was his father) called Ultra-Man in All-American Comics #8-19 (1939-40). which would coincide with fellow Guardsman Boy Blue being the Superman analog (Superman has been referred to as “Big Blue” or “the Blue Boy Scout” at times).” Not only is that true in story. like Superman – is collectively the Superman analog of this planet. as the Red Hood Gang in both comics and on the Gotham TV show and as the current nom de guerre of resurrected ex-Robin Jason Todd. and Grant Morrison himself. Green Lantern and Flash. The first is Gary Concord Jr. the name “Red Hood” has often been important in the Batman mythos. He has been re-introduced in The New 52 Justice League United as a genetically engineered . and as it turns out. and Boy Blue Lightning Lad. probably.” and they are three characters who also have been named “Ultra” or some variant. leader of a kid gang) stands off against insectoid versions of Justice League members (clockwise from left). PAGE18 Three captions with a Microsoft Word icon complain that Ultra’s current mission is the “same old. Batman: darkness. Wonder Woman. One of Superman’s nicknames is “Man of Tomorrow. Superman: sun. with Ice in the center. or maybe even a reader collective.. same old. PAGE 17 Ultra Comics says of his readers.” so one might infer that this kid gang – with kid gangs themselves a Golden Age creation. Red Riding Hood describes the year as “whatever-and-5. How about a simple adventure story for once. who starred in Mystery in Space #103-110 (1965-66). It’s possible she is the Batman analog of this world. Three of the bugs – representing DC’s “trinity” – say what they want to eat.” A commentary. such as our own Figserello. who first appeared in Justice League of America #10 (1962).D. Here Rex Ultraa was the biggest obstacle. PAGE 26 The black Ultra (?) says the comics are part of an S. which in the Silver Age was magnetism. you have U-L-T-R-A. and he’s the post-Crisis Ultraa. part tomorrow. John Publications in 1940. echoing the Superman origin. The former is a caveman from one million years ago. The third is Ultraa. Laroo. (Rex is “king” in Latin. a black man with dreadlocks in overalls. but later reprinted by DC Comics in its own title and in collections. comics are again mentioned as being a communications device between worlds. Not sure how that works. He was masquerading as the Authoritative Man behind the desk. who post-Crisis was Maxima’s fiancé on Almerac (Justice League Quarterly #13. and they used Ultra Comics as a Trojan horse to destroy him. Neither one nor the other. collect ‘em all.) There’s a fourth character. Rex Ultraa. Ultra-Man refers to a war between two characters. PAGE 30 The character referred to up till now as “Ultra-King” and “our Space-Chief” appears. Tor and Epoch.” PAGE 39 . the first superhero of the original. PAGE 35 The black mechanic gives Ultraa another name. He says he was born on a distant. Trago and Raagan. Epoch was a Kang-like villain from 3786 A. hairless quadrant. (Yeah. If memory serves. it’s stupid. Page 37 Ultra Comics refers to Intellectron as “the hit entity.) He says “Rex Ultraa was all we had to protect us from the thing in the box!” Just as in several other Multiversity comics. pre-Crisis Earth-Prime and its Superman analog (Justice League of America #153. whether they were “bad” guys or “good” guys. The Gentry try to subvert and destroy the most powerful super-characters on each Earth.baby.S. but if he’s an Ultra I don’t know him. and lo. PAGE 34 Ultraa gives himself another name. defining which Ultraa he is. 1978). doomed planet. always just now. Ultra the Multi-Alien addresses Ultra Comics in what appears to be gibberish: “Mo zobba-zo ulla laroo laroo! Trago Raaga!” That’s actually a reference to the four alien planets that were the source of Ultra’s powers and name: Ulla. not being given the name Epoch until maybe the Bronze Age. Lord of Time. 1993). PAGE 36 Intellectron of The Gentry appears. but also mentions his life on Almerac.O. PAGE 27 Ultra the Multi-Alien subdues Ultra Comics with powers from his blue.” A commentary on comics in general? In the final panel. Take the first letters of each and that of the character’s original Earth name. Ace Arn. created by Joe Kubert at St. Ultra-King. I still don’t understand the reference. he was just called “the Lord of Time” for quite a while. Ultra Comics says “hit” means a hostile alien.. Ultra-Man says “this is a broken world – part today. tell me about it. Machinehead (Iron Man) of Earth-8. Red Racer (Flash) of Earth-36. but it seems longer.” rendering him vulnerable. no doubt. The legend at left. only it’s really just Ultra’s brain shutting down. as they did in Crisis in Infinite Earths. which usually tells us on what Earth the interior story is set. Naturally. with or without you. The Thunderer (Thor) of Earth-7 and Atomic Knight Batman (Batman) of Earth-17. we see universes dying out. Grows fat on yur wasted lives. Or is it both? The book ends with a caption saying we have been infected by virtue of having read the comic.) PAGE 43 As Ultra Comics dies. PAGE 1 “But just when you thought it was all over! The story continues goes on.) They consist of (from left) Aquawoman of Earth-11. yu grow old. and this appears to be a commentary on how comic-book characters continue indefinitely. it was about a year ago. with Intellectron reduced to text in “digestive system of a comic book.Red Riding Hood says “we demand a happy ending!” Commentary on fanboys. (OK. because “text is vulnerable to criticism. “The Oblivion Machine eats yur precious mortal hours. “This guy’s raped my wallet way too many times!” PAGE 41 Intellectron’s dialogue can be read as a commentary on how fanboys waste their lives reading comic books. PAGE 40 Morrison continues the meta-commentary/adventure.” The reader POV captions return. Absorbed in its picture shows. continuing almost generic criticism.” I think we’ve established that Multiversity is commenting on comics while being a comic. he references DC’s many crises. most of whom were shown assembling at the Hall of Heroes in issue #1.” (Yeah. shows all Earths equally. which came out three million years ago. coming back from . MULTIVERSITY #2 The cover is a group shot of various characters from various earths. probably the collected characters at the Hall of Heroes. A third voice appears. and makes short work of most resistance (Fate kills Sivana-43 outright). The vampire Sivana reveals that they had intended to invade Earth-13 because its constant darkness would be a perfect operating arena for vampires. I don’t know whose voice this is. and outliving their creators and readers. It is trying to get someone to listen to her.I. It could also be a reference to The Cabinet of Dr. PAGE 2 We see the “Justice League” of Earth-13. light-colored fetters. but one with a florid touch. and that the “magician’s cabinet” can take them there. the “Red Rain” universe where everybody (or at least the people we know) are vampires. muttering rhyme. Caligari. PAGES 3-4 Jason Blood Transforms into Superdemon (Etrigan is the Superman analog of Earth-13). but can also refer to the cabinet where a magician makes a person (or parts of a person) disappear. He strikes down his captors. in green. I laughed out loud at that. then we can ascribe it to Morrison himself. which include a Cockney- speaking John Constantine (in superhero gear.” That usually refers to the cabinet in which a magician saws a girl in half. Superdemon’s rhymes are a bit hard to follow.the dead over and over. he’s making other plans. A second voice appears. A fourth voice appears. Now that it hasn’t worked out. If it’s the traditional omniscient narrator. although they look much the same. Ragman (who looks like a mummy). It’s an appropriate reference for the venue. They have been pursuing the Sivana League since “Thunderworld. A reference is made about the imminent arrival of the Marvel Family. It is also a narrator. The captors are vampires.” PAGE 9 The vengeful Shadow League of Earth-13 arrives. But it could be the first speaker. a silent horror film famous both as a highlight of German expressionism and as a political metaphor for the need of 1920s Germans for an authority figure (and we know how that turned out). (They are not Green Lantern constructs. Annataz ("Zatanna" backwards). but which Annataz refers to as a “magician’s cabinet. repeating the same themes and stories over and over. that the vampires came from a parallel Earth. freeing his fellow captives. It turns out to be Jason Blood on the next page. It is the Harbinger computer system’s A. The Hannibal Lecter Sivana makes another reference to wanting to get his hands on Mary Marvel. but one thing is clear: He’s figured out that there is a multiverse. PAGE 6 The team determines that the vampires came out of what we know to be a transmatter cube.) PAGE 10 Hannibal Lecter Sivana and Snake Sivana leave in a transmatter cube as the Marvels arrive and . which is pretty funny).) Blood (who is wearing a priest’s collar) continues muttering in verse. Fate (Jared Stevens). Swamp-Man (Swamp Thing). and it was full of non-vampires to eat. Deadman and Enchantress. (Yes.) PAGE 8 We discover that the bad guys are from Earth-43. (And in they go. Annataz finishes the job by casting a spell where the vampires crave coffee instead of blood. the magic world. or the reader. We also see that he has hypnotized the Earth-43 Justice League. the Shadow League. Witchboy. so it’s kind of a let-down. because it’s a robot. Ben Boxer.44 (Wonder Woman). Pig Iron. Dinocop (Earth-41).begin tearing apart the Mechano-Rock of Eternity from the top down. Super-Chief (Saganowana. not a person. a big red guy (Earth unknown). Saturn Girl (Earth unknown). Bat-Mouse. Since he ate the character. Bloodwynd (Earth-16). the Superman analog). Black Arrow and Thunderhawk (Earth-32). Earth-51 (Kirby world): From left. a Wonder Woman (Earth . Accordingly. and above that Green Lantern from the Tangent Universe (Earth- 9).) We see the Justice Riders (Justice League) of Earth-18. bad guy (zombie Omniman?). Abin Sur (Earth-20). Strongbow (Green Arrow?). a Green Lantern analog (Earth unknown). (But he says that just as he is shot in the head. Elong-Gator. Lady Quark and Lord Volt (Earth-48). Earth-36: (From left) War-Woman. Iron Knight (Earth-36). which explains why he kept mentioning it. Judgment Day and other comic book events. We see: Earth-17: Captain Adam Strange (fifth from left) leads his Atomic Knights (from left. We see (from left) a Red Tornado analog (Earth unknown). Sunshine Superman (Earth-47). Earth-20: (From left) Lady Blackhawk and the Blackhawks. Earth-48: Hard to say. Snake Sivana had eaten a character from Earth-42 several issues back. Prince Tuftan. PAGES 14-15 A group of heroes. Bizarro Adam Strange (presumably Earth-29). Mighty Atom. Doomsday (Death of Superman). Snake Sivana (from Captain Carrot’s world. El Diablo (Batman). Immortal Man. above them what looks like members of the Justice Titans from Earth-32. Flashlight and a Cyborg analog (Earth-36). since everyone has super-powers. Cinammon. a Flash analog (Earth unknown). Yankee Poodle. announcing arrivals (to the Hall of Heroes) from Earths 29. PAGES 12-13 Various earths in crisis. Rubber Duck. one of the few heroes from this world whose name I know. as Harbinger keeps announcing arrivals. Lecter Sivana makes mention that The Gentry had promised him Mary Marvel. The second voice (Harbinger) also chimes in. maybe?) makes a reference with his terrible speech impediment to Earth-43 Sivana’s vampire speech impediment. Super-Squirrel. analogs of Batman. The third voice from page one resumes monologing. Pow-Wow Smith and Johnny Thunder. PAGE 11 Hannibal Sivana and Snake Sivana arrive on Earth-18. Iron Knight. two other guys. referencing Crisis. near his legs a Flash analog (Earth unknown) and Atomic Knight Batman (Earth-17). Aquaman and Cyborg). Uncle Sam (Earth-10). Snake Sivana throws up what he’s eaten. The third voice from Page One continues monologing. Doc Fate. American Eagle. and the one dog we see is Danger Dog. two unknowns. above them Mary Marvel (Earth-5) and Plastic Man (Earth-10). the Wild West Earth. Wonder Woman. Wonder Wabbit. Cyberion. I’m going to say that the girl in red is Liana. Tomahawkman (Hawkman). Firehair. Alley-Kat-Abra. a Wonder Woman/Maxima (Earth-32?). 23 and 36. Madame . and now he throws it up. Kamandi. Earth-26: (From left) Fastbak. which consists of (from left) the Trigger Twins (Flash). This is evidently meant to be a joke. The Crash. we’ve learned that all the Li’l Gotham characters from Earth-42 were actually robots working for The Empty Hand. so they must be from one of the unknown worlds.unknown) and Li'l Gotham Wonder Woman (Earth-42. Panel 4: The phrase “Empty is his hand” is uttered again. Crusader (Captain America). Panels 5-6: Analogs of Vision. PAGES 18-19 Panel 1: All are characters we’ve mentioned already. Red Racer (Flash of Earth-36).” who is female. I only know the name of the Spider-Man analog. Also seen are are two new. Not . Panel 7: Robot Hawkman (Earth-44). PAGE 16 The Hall of Heroes is under attack by Hellmachine. except for Adam Strange and Batwoman (Earth-0?). “Bug. Scarlet Witch. which is a Rubik’s Cube. and the glowing green mystical-looking guy could be Witchboy or Deadman of Earth-13 (whom I've never seen clearly). as one of them appears to be the Captain America analog of Earth-7. from Earth-8's Future Family (Fantastic Four). Angor is more knowledgeable about the Multiverse than others.” Evidently. Behemoth (Hulk). but it's the superhero dead of other worlds. PAGE 18 Superjudge (Nix Uotan) has arrived on Earth-8 (the 616 Marvel Universe analog).) PAGE 22 Nix Uotan references using the “red sun radiation of a hundred stories” to stop Superman. or an unknown Green Lantern analog. (“Universes smashed together” says Nix Uotan in panel 2. alongside the previously seen Saturn Girl. In this frame we see Captain Carrot of Earth-26. too! Panel 5: A black-haired Aquaman (Earth unknown). name unknown. seen in the first issue. by Steel (robot) of Earth-42. Earth-32) appears. Spider-Man. Superjudge is holding the Cosmic Cube analog that came from the "Cosmic Egg" in issue #1. a Nightwing (Earth unknown) and several unknowns. Panel 4: Lady Quark mentions the “Batman archetrope. above them Cosmic Boy (Earth unknown). Panel 3: The dead are rising. PAGE 19 Panel 3: The burning man is probably the Human Torch analog. whose shock troops look like giant mechanical fleas (a visual reference to issue #1). as what is possibly the Cyborg of Earth-18. and the rescue team sent from the Hall of Heroes. PAGE 17 Panel 1: A Vibe analog (if mixed with Flash. Giant-Man. Falcon. At a guess. that we know is a robot under the control of The Empty Hand). Quicksilver and Hawkeye. The blonde woman is the Captain Marvel analog. There is no Legion of Super-Heroes Earth in Morrison’s Multiverse map. Panel 5: Ultra Boy and Lightning Lad appear. obviously a Silver Surfer analog. unknown characters. and is met by the heroes of that world. And it seems Morrison just coined a new word. PAGE 21 Panel 1: Machinehead makes reference to the Blue Boarder. Machinehead (Iron Man) and Superman of Earth-23. I’d say the woman in purple and orange is the Duo Damsel of Earth-18. as far as I know. which would eliminate characters such as Superman. Cyborg. Because he is. the Flash analog of Earth-36. Although.“hundred planets. but as we know.” Change the tune. whom he appeared to have a romantic attachment to in issue .” Evidently the Last of the Monitors derives his power from stories. I think we can assume they are the Mr. being a nerd. he reads them anyway. he demurs. vermin-like life of The Bleed. Panel 6: Captain Carrot is decapitated. PAGE 27 Panel 2: Aquawoman’s “—can change your tune” may be considered literal. When Captain Carrot gives him the entire Multiversity series to read. given that Morrison has established the universe as operating on vibrations. if “native life form” means a non-enhanced. which exist on his world (and. Hawkman. one alive and one dead. I am failing. Panel 4: We see two elastic figures fighting in the background. Martian Manhunter. Panel 2: The Rubik’s Cube slightly resembles Titans Tower. The Hank he refers to is Flashlight (Green Lantern).O. PAGE 28 The florid narrator begins narrating again.” a word/phrase that has been used liberally since the first issue. like any of us. saying “I’m not that much of a nerd!” But. PAGE 29 The opportunistic. PAGE 31 Red Racer. so that’s not necessarily fatal. but it also The Empty Hand's only weakness. Fantastic analogs of Earth-7 and Earth-8. that much of a nerd. Panel 3: Stubbs says “doors open both ways. seen in issue #1. PAGE 25 Aquawoman says “On ‘Earth-11’ the strongest native life form – is ME!” That might be true of Aquaman as well. natural born creature native to Earth. Panel 2: Red Racer knows that Flashes always make the ultimate sacrifice in Crises. If we're supposed to know who this is. he operates on cartoon physics. PAGE 24 Panel 1: The Black Widow analog makes her first appearance this issue. was revealed in issue #1 to be a comics fan.” but “hundred stories. Panel 5: Thunderer reveals he is “Lightning Brother of the Mowanjum people.” The Mowanjum are an aboriginal tribe in Western Australia. PAGE 32 Panel 1: Flash realizes the “master word” to control the transmatter cubes is “S. but I don’t think it’s intentional.. change the person (or the world). our Aquaman can’t shoot lightning out of his trident. read “music. is allowed access to Hellmachine by the Marvels using the Mechano-Rock of Eternity as a weapon. PAGE 30 Panel 5: Captain Carrot says “Who dares get in our way? What power triumphs over sheer absurdity?” Likely another meta-commentary on comics. because they have in DC Comics. he has read them). as Aquawoman can.S. Flash. just like Barry Allen in his various manifestations. like all of us.” which echoes a line from the president in the Pax Americana issue. Wonder Woman and Green Lantern. It eats Hellmachine. is the same one we saw prominently on Page 14. an analog of Marvel’s Ultimate Universe (which is . Flash III of post-Crisis Earth (Wally West) and Flash of the current Earth-2 (Jay Garrick). but I don’t. and what appears to be a Martian Manhunter/Chemo amalgam – possibly from Earth- 44. The hand leading/pointing out of the caption box was another Silver Age Flash convention. Panel 3: Nix Uotan is depicted with some of the dead heroes of various worlds. Panel 5: A narrative panel is labeled “Flash Fact. PAGE 38 Flashlight (Earth-36). a Human Bomb analog. the Wonder Woman/Storm combo from Amalgam Comics. most of whom we’ve seen before. likely from Earth-10. Recognizable in the panel are XS (from Legion of Super-Heroes). letting loose the League of Sivanas and opening transmatter cubes all over the Multiverse Panel 7: A scene in the Hall of Heroes.” PAGE 36 Uotan makes reference to “the throne of The Empty Hand. A new one is a masked giant. Kid Flash of pre-Crisis Earth One (Wally West). Because. the Trigger Twins of Earth-18. mostly in yellow. and we’ve seen (and I’ve identified) most of them already. The only one I recognize is Amazon. by freeing Darkseid from Earth-51. PAGE 41 Panel 1: We see the Green Lantern of Earth-12. it must be one of the unknown worlds. Abin Sur (Earth-20). Panel 2: The Flash Fact given – “approaching the speed of light. PAGE 34 Panel 1: Red Racer has recruited an army of Flash analogs from across the Multiverse. doors open both ways. Also. which leads me to believe I should know what Earth he’s from. At top we see our first Firestorm of the issue. but in the background is a new character. as established. including the Storm and Cyclops analogs. along with some G-Men (X-Men). Red Racer and Flashlight embrace. Panel 4: Frank Future of the Future Family (Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four) and the Thing analog appear. perhaps an Atom-Smasher analog. PAGE 42-43 Earth-7 is the world destroyed in the first issue. Panel 2: A host of Flashes.#1. Panel 4: The heroes go through the front door of Lord Broken. Bloodwynd (Earth-16) and Lady Quark (Earth-48) charge. one of them the robot Flash (Mercury?) from Earth-44. PAGE 40 An army of superheroes arrive. Since that world isn’t listed on the Multiverse Map. time slows to a shop” – is part of Einstein’s theory of relativity. PAGE 35 Red Racer again refers to DC Comics: “a whole bunch of crises … from my favorite JLA book.” PAGE 37 Panel 1: Uotan confesses to having set in motion all the crises of the previous issues. The one in the forefront.” which used to appear in Silver Age Flash comics. confirming their relationship. which has no superheroes. He looks vaguely like Trigon and other devil-esque characters. there are clusters of Intellectrons flying around. with Iron Man and Thor tossed in. PAGE 52 Appropriately. clumps of Lord Brokens. Panel 2: Harbinger notes that the heroes present represent 50 worlds. and so on. he is just assessing the strength of "our" multiverse's defenders before invading. Captain Carrot from Earth-26. Abin Sur from Earth-20 and Red Racer from Earth-36. PAGE 46 Superman of Earth-23 calls a meeting at a circular table. Wonder Man (from Earth-11). This confirms what we already knew. Panel 2: Thunderer says “all the songs are out of tune. including (from left) Mary Marvel from Earth-5. you can see the Justice League. Earth-33. PAGES 48-49 Superman announces Operation Justice Incarnate. Machinehead from Earth-8. Aquawoman from Earth-11. Panel 3: Superman once again says “Great Vathlo. One standout is a sort of Doomsday-Blue Devil combo. and he is a giant. We’ve seen most of these characters before. . although I don’t have names for them all. If you squint. The Gentry are revealed as representatives of various races. but there are a few new ones. Super-Martian (Earth-32) and the Wonder Woman-Platinum mash-up from Earth-44. We have seen most of these characters before.” as the source of all trouble. the final issue is 52 pages long. We already know from the Multiverse Map that Earth-33. reminiscent of a jillion Justice League scenes (and many from the Avengers as well). wanting to end all the endless stories. probably from Earth-32. as “52” is the number of universes in the local Multiverse. that our Multiverse (often referred to as “the local Multiverse”) is part of a larger Multiverse. He means write “the final chapter of your never-ending story. The two missing worlds (of the local Multiverse) are. Superman of Earth-23. PAGE 44-45 We finally meet the Big Bad. PAGE 47 Superman identifies Earth-33. which appears to be a proper team. and Earth-15. shadowy figure with antlers and/or horns. Thunderer from Earth-7. where Superboy-Prime killed everyone. which is part of an even larger Multiverse.currently being destroyed in Secret Wars). various Hellmachines. including a Phantom Lady (presumably from Earth-10). presumably. Panel 5: Nix Uotan asks a favor of Dino-Cop. The Empty Hand reveals the source of their power: Multiverse-2.” making him a meta-villain.” Pretty much the worst thing that can happen to a planet in Grant Morrison’s vibration/music-based Multiverse. The Empty Hand reveals that the entire series has been a feint. Pages 50-51 Panel 1: A gathering of heroes reminiscent of a similar scene in Crisis on Infinite Earths. sitting on his oft-mentioned throne.” a reference to the pre-Crisis all-black island on Krypton. somehow influences the events on all other Earths. despite having no superheroes. “Earth-Prime. Batman from Earth-17. and essentially promises that comic book stories will continue into eternity. We see Uotan’s landlady knocking on his door again (which. The narrative voice is in the same font as the one from page one. can open both ways). . because Superjudge bummed it off Dino-Cop. We see a Mr. Has the entire series been a dream? Answer: No.We return to the first pages of issue #1 on Earth-0 (the New 52 world). We see the lice from the first issue. and seems to be just an omniscient narrator. The florid narrative voice returns. where the earthly version of Nix Uotan is awakening after falling asleep reading the same comics we just read. again reminding us that life takes hold wherever it can. we now know. but I guess they’re just an allegory for the Multiverse(s) as a whole. I expected them to be a Gentry allegory. because Nix has the $800 rent he didn’t have in the first issue. Stubbs doll and a Rubik’s Cube in Nix’s room. not a character.