WHO WAS THAT CAPED MAN? A SPOILER HEAVY LOOK AT INFINITE CRISIS #1

[MattBrady]

by Troy Brownfield

Spoiler Warnings on, folks…

By now, many of you have read Infinite Crisis #1 and have borne witness to a final page that’s almost 70 years in the making. After nearly twenty years as a resident of a “final rest” outside of continuity, the Golden Age/Earth-2/original Superman broke down the barrier and emerged into the DC Universe. Bringing with him fellow exiles (those being Alexander Luthor of Earth-3, Superboy of Earth-Prime, and his wife, Lois Lane of Earth-2), Superman arrives just as things in the DCU look bleakest.

For those of you who haven’t seen is, and want to spoil it for yourselves, click the fist.

The thing is, there may be a whole generation of reader who reads that page and says, “Huh?” Even now, that first paragraph may be making younger fans say, “Earth-2? Earth-Prime? What the . . .?” At this point, it’s worth the time to take a step back and review what led to the original Crisis, why there are so many Super-people, how the Earth-2 Superman actually snuck in for a couple of pages in 1999, and what that last page might mean in a thematic sense.

Multiverse Theory: Nothing new to fans of comics, science-fiction, or Sliders, multiverse theory presupposes that existence supports multiple levels. These levels manifest with the same constants and physical laws of our universe, but they occupy separate space. Whether that separate space is represented by different levels of “dimensions” or “time” is open to interpretation. Among the most famous theories of this natures is the “many worlds” theory posited by Hugh Everett III.

Everett was an American physicist who based his “relative state formulation” in the science of quantum physics. After acquiring a Master’s degree at Princeton in 1955, Everett began work on a dissertation, later titled “The Theory of Universal Wave Function.” In July of 1957, he published a summary article on this principle in Reviews of Modern Physics Vol 29 #3 454-462. Everett’s original goal with his so-called Many Worlds Interpretation was to supply “an alternative to wavefunction collapse used in the Copenhagen interpretation to explain non-deterministic processes (such as measurement) in quantum mechanics” Yeah, that’s heavy stuff. In addition to helping popularize the theory, Everett had a son who later became E, lead singer of the Eels; the notion that one of the brightest minds in physics also had a hand in the Emo movement is like an alternate world in itself.

Essentially, many scientists have in the interim provided a number of theories as to how the multiverse or parallel worlds or alternate timelines could work. I can’t say for sure in Julius Schwartz was aware of the 1957 publication of Everett’s article, but he certainly had a hand in popularizing those types of theories in his own way. By 1961, Schwartz was the editor of The Flash. Just a few years previous, Schwartz had shepherded through the arrival of Barry Allen.

Barry Allen, as most of us know, was the second man to wear the mantle of The Flash. The first was Jay Garrick, presently of the JSA. Many of the original super-heroes had ceased publication in the ‘50s as the cultural tide had turned to things like Western comics and the like. Schwartz was part and parcel of reinventing older concepts for a new audience; Barry Allen made his initial bow in Showcase #4 in 1956, and sales took off.

Schwartz included a nod to the original Flash early on, by attributing at least some of Allen’s aspriations of heroism to his fandom of original Flash comics. As quoted in the book DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World’s Favorite Comic Book Heroes by Les Daniels, Schwartz noted, “by doing that I created, really, another Earth”. It was somewhat understood that the other Earth was the one where the previously published, now retired heroes of DC lived.

Eventually, the idea took on a life of its own. As written by Gardner Fox in The Flash #123 from September 1961, Barry Allen met Jay Garrick. After peforming a trick at a charity show, Barry accidentally vibrates across dimensions to another world. The then-present Earth of the younger heroes was dubbed Earth-1, and the world of the original heroes (who were older by about 20 years, due to their first appearances being in the ’30 and ‘40s rather than ‘50s and ‘60s) became Earth-2.

The notion of the two Flashes teaming up turned out to be immensely popular. Two more team-ups quickly followed, with the second featuring a meeting between Barry and Jay’s group, the first super-team, the Justice Society of America. Barry himself had recently joined the new Justice League of America, and the writing was on the wall. By August 1963, the annual cross-world team-up of the Justice League and the Justice Society began in Justice League of America #21. The title of that auspicious tale? “Crisis on Earth-One”, followed in the next issue by “Crisis on Earth-Two”.

With a pair of alternate worlds in place, it wasn’t long before more possibilites began to appear. JLA #29 in 1964 brought readers a “Crisis on Earth-Three”. Earth-3 forwarded a shocking notion for the time: what if all the super-people on one world turned out to be villains (they would later get a good guy in the form of Earth-3’s only hero, Lex Luthor, in DC Comics Presents Annual #1)? The combined forces of the JLA and JSA eventually overcame the Crime Syndicate of America, but other challenges awaited. Over the years, a number of other Earths could readily be catalogued by fans. You had Earth-X (home of Quality Comics characters like the Freedom Fighters, where the Nazis had won World War 2), Earth-S (home of the Fawcett and Shazam! family characters), and Earth-4 (home of the characters acquired by DC from Charlton, such as Captain Atom and Blue Beetle). Our Earth (that is the Earth of we readers) was even given the designation of Earth-Prime.

Amid all of this world-hopping, a couple of interesting wrinkles emerged. While many heroes (like the original Flash, Green Lantern, and Atom) had ceased publication and emerged as totally new characters, some of the original heroes had never gone out of print. You still had Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, and a handful of others. Obviously, Superman and Batman had met the JSA in early years; certainly Superman and Batman must still be around on Earth-2?

Part of that question was addressed in Justice League of America #55, wherein readers met the adult Robin of Earth-2. Working in the tradition of the retired Batman, that Dick Grayson carried on the crime-fighting legacy. Much of that story dealt with Robin emerging as his own hero, and thematically set the stage for the debut of The Huntress, the daughter of Batman and Catwoman from Earth-2, in the 1970s.

The real frission point came in Justice League of America #74. Due to the machinations of the villain Aquarius, the Supermen of Earth-1 and Earth-2 met and battled for the first time. Visually, there was almost no difference between the two in this initial throw-down. Subsequent appearances would reflect the Earth-2 Superman’s age with graying temples and an S-shield that paralleled the earliest appearances of the character; his name was also amended to Kal-L, while Earth-1 Superman was still Kal-El.

Various implications played out from these team-ups over the years. Some characters were shown to have similar, but slightly different counterparts. In the case of Earth-1’s Supergirl, her opposite was E2 Superman’s cousin Power Girl. Their origins were similar, but carried a note of difference amid disparate attitudes and that peek-a-boo Power Girl top designed by Wally Wood. The bold step was even taken in the late ‘70s to bump off the Earth-2 Batman in the pages of the JSA run in Adventure Comics.

In the early days of the 1980s, a fan-favorite JLA/JSA team-up occurred. After a reunion party, five heroes from each Earth are ambushed by a newly reformed Secret Society of Super-Villains, who have a plan to banish all the heroes from one Earth. The tale played out over three issues as each hero got a chance to shine. By the end, the villains were defeated and consigned to limbo, and the parallel Earths were safe for another day. The artist on that particular team-up? Some up and coming guy named George Perez.

Worlds Lived, Worlds Died: DC Comics marked its 50th anniversary in 1985 with the 12-issue maxi-series Crisis on Infinite Earths, written by Marv Wolfman with pencils by George Perez. If only it were that simple. Crisis actually got its start years earlier. As Wolfman relates in the intro to the collected edition, his involvement with the idea of streamlining DC continuity began when he answered a letter to Green Lantern (a book he was writing at that time), declaring that someday DC editorial would have to resolve all of the little glitches. The issue stuck in Wolfman’s head, and he decided to pair it with The Montior, a character he had introduced in his and Perez’s book, The New Teen Titans.

Four days later, according to Wolfman, he had the pitch in at DC. The whole concept would slenderize the DCU, making it accessible for a new generation while simultaneously addressing lingering continuity questions. Perez signed on, and even named the series in honor of the old-school JLA/JSA team-ups. The book was announced . . . in 1981. Between the mammoth task of researching, writing, and drawing, all hands pushed the eventual series back to ’85 for the anniversary.

What followed next radically changed comics. Crisis played out for a year, dropping bombs in title after title. (This will be a very short, very incomplete synopsis; for the full picture, check it out yourself). The first issue kicked off with the destruction of Earth-3 by a wave of anti-matter. As the Crime Syndicate were consumed, Luthor enacted his own version of Kal-El’s fateful trip by sending his infant son Alexander across dimensions where the JLA of Earth-1 could perhaps find him. New characters like Harbinger and Pariah appeared, spreading tidings of doom. Pariah did manage to rescue Lady Quark, the super-powered denizen of one dying universe. Wolfman’s old creation, The Monitor, appeared in that first issue, gathering super-powered beings for a mission to save their universes.

As the story unfolded, worlds and characters died at an alarming rate. For every new arrival, like the heroic Dr. Light or the new Superboy from Earth-Prime, there were five departures. Long-standing characters like the Barry Allen Flash and Supergirl of Earth-1 died heroically as the Monitor’s opposite, the Anti-Monitor, moved to destroy creation. At the climax of issue #10, the Spectre fought the Anti-Monitor at the dawn of time. When the smoke cleared, Earth-1, Earth-2, Earth-S, Earth-X, and Earth-4 had merged into one Earth. Issue #11 related the tribulations of several characters who now found themselves to be anomalies in the face of the new history. The heroes of Earth-2 had it the worst; there was apparently no recollection of the Earth-2 Superman, Robin or Huntress.

The final battle in issue 12 held shock after shock as the Anti-Monitor’s army of millions of shadow demons invaded the new Earth. E2 Robin and Huntress were killed, as was the E2 Green Arrow. A small army of heroes entered the anti-matter universe to face the Anti-Monitor, and apparently managed to defeat him with the combined efforts of the heroes, Alexander Luthor, the new Dr. Light, and even Darkseid. As the heroes were leaving, the Anti-Montior rose and killed the Earth-1 Wonder Woman. E2 Superman and EP Superboy stayed behind to battle the Anti-Monitor as the other heroes were pushed across the barrier. Finally, E2 Superman struck the blow that sent the Anti-Montior sprialing into the sun. Unfortunately, his destructive wake would consume them. The duo were content with this, having saved creation, but Alexander Luthor had one last surprise; he could open a gateway to a veritable paradise, one where he had already hidden a saved Earth-2 Lois Lane. The original super-hero, he said, shouldn’t have had to have suffered such a loss. The quartet went through the portal in Alexander, deemed a door that could never again be opened, lest creation itself unravel.

In the new continuity, there was only ever one Superman, one Batman, one Wonder Woman. Two Flashes still existed, and multiple other iterations of various characters, explained as being “legacy” heroes. The Big Three were kept to their individual icon status, as was Captain Marvel. With the moving aside of the old, new origins and history had to be written.

Fallout was almost immediate. DC jumped on the opportunity to relaunch titles and took advantage of the new history. Unfortunately, not everything got out of the gate at the same time. Post-Crisis discrepencies hurt characters like Hawkman and forced team books like the Legion of Super-Heroes and the All-Star Squadron to redo huge chunks of origin and continuity (in fact, the Young All-Stars were created to explain the absence of the icons from the ‘40s timeline, as there were now only one Superman, Wonder Woman, etc.). The JSA, who survived, were shuffled off to limbo within the next year. On the plus side, the new dark Batman, the John Byrne-invigorated Superman, Perez’s own take on Wonder Woman, the new Flash, and more were hits, and propelled DC forward in strong style.

A couple of points now bear closer examination. If we are to understand that the Golden Age/Earth-2 Superman was closed off by Crisis #12, then we should also understand the Silver Age/Earth-1 Superman was equally closed off by Alan Moore’s superlative “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?” In that context then, “our” present Superman is yet a third, completely different version. Similarly, the Golden Age/Earth-2 Wonder Woman ascended to Olympus, while the Earth-1 version died; therefore, we have now a third version. Interesting among this is Batman, whose Golden Age version actually perished in the ’70s, and whose Modern version was made distinct from the Earth-1 version by “Year One” and other tales. Likewise, we’ve also then had two versions of Legion closed off since Crisis, as well as the shutting down of the Earth-1 Hawkman and Hawkwoman. These points could be critical later.

The Kingdom Came and Went: Kingdom Come by Alex Ross and Mark Waid turned out to be a critical and financial smash for DC. The mid-‘90s mini-series showed us a dystopian take on the DCU’s future, and fans loved it. A couple of years down the line, a sequel appeared with the intent of opening up the timelines (under the moniker of “hypertime”) that were shut off by Crisis.

While a full examination of The Kingdom is best left for another day, we’re primarily concerned with what turns out to be the first glimpse of Earth-2 Superman since the Crisis. Issue #1, from January of 1999, shows a version of Superman obscured in shadow who is straining to escape a heaven that now seemed prison. The story departs from that point as we learn throughout the course of the series that the various timelines can be revisited. At the close of #2 from February of 1999, we revisit that Superman, now clearly seen to be the Earth-2 version. The narration, written by Mark Waid, tells us, “For all he’d done, he deserved Heaven . . . not prison. But now, at long last, he knows this isn’t the jail he once believed it to be. There’s a door, even if he’s not going to use it. Not today, anyway.” The suggestion of course is that somewhere in existence; there we have not only the Earth-2 Superman, but a gateway into all the stories and characters of times past. But for all the apparent import of the introduction, the door stayed mostly closed.

Note: Grant Morrison also revisited the implications of Crisis in Animal Man in a tale that featured Psycho-Pirate, apparently the only person who supposedly remembered the pre-Crisis DCU (although, with what’s been shown, there could’ve been many scattered individuals who remembered more than they ever claimed). That story is currently being followed up in the pages of JSA Classified.

The Dark Ages?: And where are we now? The heroes of the DCU are in their worst spot of all. The bond between Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman is shattered by actions on all sides. The JLA is in a shambles following the revelations of Batman’s mindwiping and the subsequent destruction of the Watchtower. Blue Beetle died alone because other heroes couldn’t be bothered to listen to him. War brews in space, and villains gather. Things, as they say, look bad for our side.

And now, now of all times, the original Superman returns. And why? My supposition is that for all the hype, all the fireworks, and all the build-up, Infinite Crisis will mainly be about what it means to be a hero. Consider: the present heroes of the DCU don’t necessarily act that heroic. Justifiable homicide debates notwithstanding, there are issues of trust, deceit, and control on all sides. It’s simplistic to say that the old days are better; it’s not simplistic to say that sometimes warriors need a mentor to teach them honor. And perhaps that’s why the original Superman is back. Like Cincinattus, pulled from his fields to defend Rome, or like King Arthur, who supposedly returns in England’s hour of greatest need, the original Superman is here to show his spiritual progeny what it really means to be a hero.

It’s just a thought, and why not. Our worldviews are cynical and jaded now. The essence of wonder is easily sacrificed for the attempt to look cool, even apathetic, in the eyes of our peers. The younger generation, who I see and speak to every day in my classrooms, often seem to embrace groundless cynicism in the face of all things. Certainly, recent and current events have been a strain on the public trust. We know that governments can be corrupt, we know that people (even children) can kill without reason, and we know that in many ways our world is darker than it ever has been. Obviously then, this should be a time for heroes. This should be a time when someone stands up, unafraid, and says, “This is not how things should be”, and, instead of simply stopping at the declaration (which, in the internet age, we’re all good at), leads us into the future.

Now, I’m not so naïve or simple as to think that a super-hero comic crossover is going to change the world. However, I am still in touch with my younger self to the degree that I can say, “There is nothing wrong with someone explaining what a hero should be. There is nothing wrong with someone setting an example that is grounded in honor and honesty. There is nothing wrong with aspiration and endeavor. Those are the things that we often forget, when they are what we should always remember.”

And Now?: The return of the Earth-2 Superman and the tacit acknowledgement of DC’s early continuity certainly serves as a joy-buzzer moment for longtime fans. It’s an electric thrill, seeing the old stories revisited and expanded for our older selves and the younger fans. What DC has done in the past few months goes beyond simple marketing; in many ways, they’ve managed to distill for many fans the unjaded heart of our love for comics. There was a time when we raced to the comic shop, eager to see what we had next. We didn’t snipe at each other on message boards behind aliases and we didn’t run down books we hadn’t yet read. We hit the racks with the expectation of being thrilled.

If you never lost that, I envy you. If you happened to get a little bit back this summer, I’m right there with you. Just as much as I’d love to see a return of wonder and weekly excitement in the world of comics, I’d love to see a return to a time when fans could just stop, smile at one another, and remember exactly why we’re fans. This moment, this acknowledgement that a medium we love is still strong after 70 years, should be a celebration. And if we could take five minutes to remember why comics are special to us, rather than why this or that thing has let us down again, I think our level of discourse would rise. I want the fan community to be a community of friends who sometimes disagree, and less a community of antagonists who sometimes get along. If that seems naïve or old-fashioned, so be it. Sometimes, it’s good to remember what came before, or what came first, just so we can also remember why we came here in the first place: our love of the boundless possibilities of comics.

Dont forget to vote in our Newsarama Reader's Poll to tell us what you thought of Infinite Crisis #1. The poll is open to all Newsarama readers and can be found by clicking on the link.

Also don't miss Dan DiDio's first Newsarama Crisis Counseling Session, which will be a monthly feature here during the 7-month run of Infinite Crisis.

Sources

Crisis on Infinite Earths trade paperback
Crisis on Multiple Earths Vol. 1-3 trade paperbacks
DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World’s Favorite Comic Book Heroes by Les Daniels
The Encyclopedia of Super-Heroes by Jeff Rovin
The Kingdom #1 and #2, 1999
Wikipedia (for information on Hugh Everett III)


Troy Brownfield writes or co-writes lots of stuff for Newsarama. Some of his favorite memories of comics as a child are of his dad helping him read the harder words. He looks forward to the day when his son Connor asks, “Hey, how come this book has two Supermans?”

[Dave Fury]

Bravo!.

[skeletorjr]

Great work! An excellent and easy to follow recap

[NightRiver]

Good article. I like the completed cover for IC #2. Jim Lee's older lois lane is hot.

[SonOfZod]

Is that the first appearance of the real cover to issue #2?

[TimTurnip]

Worthy thread! And I enjoyed the fanboy tingle from this Superman's "return". However, what I still really want to know is, Who Was That Caped Man On The Watchtower At The End of JLA #119?? It wouldn't have been the same as the one we saw in Infinite Crisis #1 if that one was only then "escaping" from his "prison"....

[jonjesper]

As a reader of Crisis at the time it came out, this is a great way to revisit the series and remember the roles all the mulit-verse heroes played in the original Crisis!
Thanks for a very interesting and engaging read!
Comics are fun to read again!

[Erikcrusade]

Absoultely spot on.

[Randy A]

Wow. Excellent read.

[defjoe]

Lame

/the Return of E2 supes.. not the article

[Randy A]

Originally posted by SonOfZod
Is that the first appearance of the real cover to issue #2?

No there was a thread on here yesterday, im sure someone will link it.

[Randy A]

Originally posted by defjoe
Lame

care to elaborate?

[BlueThunderArmy]

Excellent summary. I absolutely loved IC #1, and couldn't be happier that Alex Luthor has not been forgotten.

But watch your pronouns, Troy:

Originally posted by MattBrady
Bringing with him fellow exiles (those being Alexander Luthor of Earth-3, Superboy of Earth-Prime, and his wife, Lois Lane of Earth-2), Superman arrives just as things in the DCU look bleakest.

sounds like E2 Lois is married to Superboy (eeewww).

[BanMan]

Wait...if Earth-1 Wonder Woman died, what's the deal with this one?

[Darkhawk]

Very Nice... I agree people do snipe at future books enough some books don't even get a chance.

I remember reading books, then run down to the comic shop and grab more. Good times.

[atanamar]

Thank you very much.

[SmileOnADog]

Originally posted by Dave Fury
Bravo!.

Exactly. Excellent work. These are my thoughts as well. The world has grown too dark and too cynical. I am a substitute teacher and I hear the sarcasm in a 2nd grader and it just seems wrong. Here's to Kal-L's message.

[Spaz_Monkey]

I had planned on doing stuff this weekend. Instead, looks Like I'm gonna be digging thru my collention and reading all these back issues again.

[theprimedreamer]

Very well put Troy.

Has anyone noticed how the S-symbols on each of the superman has a small difference? Superboy from EP has that straight to the right and then up thing, Old Supes has that curly backwards thing, and we've got the standard S we've had, and wasn't All-Star Supes' tips a little rounded off?

[CJB]

Great article! Thanks, Troy.

[BlueThunderArmy]

Originally posted by BanMan
Wait...if Earth-1 Wonder Woman died, what's the deal with this one?

She didn't actually die, she reverted to clay. The gods reformed her, and that's more or less the WW we have now.

[Jim Kingman]

Excellent article, Troy. The wonder is indeed back.

[buddyfett]

Great article. Makes me want to go reread my Crisis TPB.
Is the second Luthor in Villian's United Alexander Luthor from the other universe?

[Maraxsus]

Great article...Really brought out the meat of what IC will probably be. Except, now I will have to dig out the COIE issues from some box in the back of the closet.

[SmileOnADog]

Originally posted by BanMan
Wait...if Earth-1 Wonder Woman died, what's the deal with this one?

Yes, she was reduced to clay by the Anti-Monitor and the clay was returned to Paradise Island.