The_DC_Book_A_Vast_and_Vibrant_Multiverse_Simply_Explained_Stephen

THE DC BOOK

SENIOR EDITOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS All rights reserved. Without limiting
Cefn Ridout DK would like to thank Win Wiacek for the rights under the copyright reserved
his text and expertise; Benjamin Harper above, no part of this publication may
SENIOR DESIGNER and Josh Anderson at Warner Bros., and be reproduced, stored in or introduced
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INFOGRAPHIC ILLUSTRATORS mechanical, photocopying, recording,
Kev Hopgood, Gary Gilbert DC for vital help and advice; Grant or otherwise), without the prior written
Morrison for the gracious foreword;
SENIOR PRODUCTION EDITOR Bullpen Productions for packaging permission of the copyright owner.
Marc Staples under pressure; Alastair Dougall for Published in Great Britain by
editorial assistance; Jennette ElNaggar Dorling Kindersley Limited.
SENIOR PRODUCTION CONTROLLER for proofreading; and Vanessa Bird for
Mary Slater A catalog record for this book is
creating the index. available from the Library of Congress.
MANAGING EDITOR First American Edition, 2021
Sarah Harland Published in the United States ISBN 978-0-7440-3980-1
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CONTRIBUTORS

STEPHEN “WIN” WIACEK, AUTHOR

Stephen “Win” Wiacek has worked in all areas of the comics
industry since 1981, as a writer, artist, editor, and designer.
While running his own art and design consultancy, he
worked in radio, film, and television; taught and lectured
on comics creation and production; and worked as a
cartoonist, journalist, and consultant for TV and movies.
From 1997–2007, he was chairman of the UK’s professional
body the Comics Creators Guild.

As a freelance copywriter and reviewer, he writes about
comics for the DC Super Hero Collection, The Slings &
Arrows Graphic Novel Guide, and for books such as
The DC Comics Encyclopedia and DC Comics: Absolutely
Everything You Need to Know, from Dorling-Kindersley.

He lives in Kent with his extremely patient wife, Miki,
suggesting that people change their reading habits
on his Now Read This graphic novel review blog
(www.comicsreview.co.uk/nowreadthis).

Dedicated to the wonderful creators who produced
the stories I’ve mentioned (and those I haven’t)—the
unsung heroes who turned my memories into this book.

CONTENTS

12 Foreword 42 Way out west 58 Cat
14 Introduction Six-gun heroes among
the pigeons
FORGE OF 43 Our armies at war Catwoman
CREATION Forces in combat
59 Lunatics and larcenists
20 Introduction 44 Patriotic duties Batman foes
22 Enigmas and variations Super Heroes in
war 60 Amazing Amazon
Continuities and parallel Wonder Woman
worlds 46 Cold wars
24 Mother of all Crises New world orders 62 Green credentials
Perpetua Earth’s Green Lanterns
26 Forces in motion 48 Cheating death
Exotic energies Challengers of the Unknown 64 The Fastest Man Alive
28 Center of creation The Flash
Earth Prime 50 The Man of Steel
30 Altered states Superman 66 King of the Seven Seas
Crisis and reinvention Aquaman
52 Man of the people
JUSTICE OR DOOM? Lex Luthor 68 From the heart
Green Arrow
34 Introduction 54 The Dark Knight
36 An endless battle Batman

The heroic principle 56 Die laughing
38 Divine Wrath The Joker

War of the gods
40 The Brave and

the Bold
Heroes of history
41 Who goes there?
Secret societies and
immortal ideologues

70 Daughter of Krypton 86 Kill and be killed
Supergirl Deathstroke and rival
super-assassins
72 Light the spark
Black Lightning 87 Questionable
behavior
74 The World’s Greatest Question and other
Justice League vigilantes

78 High hopes 88 I love a mystery
Nightwing Watching the
detectives
79 Daughter of darkness
Batwoman 89 Badge of honor
Top cops
80 Junior Justice League
Teen Titans 90 Plastic fantastic
Malleable
81 Teenage kicks metahumans
Young Justice
91 Super Heroes? Hah! 106 Fabulous freaks
82 Secrets and identities The lighter side of Super Doom Patrol
Batgirl/Oracle Heroism
107 Call of duty
83 Female empowerment 92 City of Tomorrow Heroes form the H-dial
Birds of Prey Metropolis
108 Mechanical heroes
84 Do or die 93 City of Night The Metal Men
Suicide Squad Gotham City
110 Free thinking
SCIENCE UNBOUND Red Tornado and other
artificial lifeforms
96 Introduction

98 Great minds 111 Armored warriors
Polymaths and mental Battlesuits and wearable
prodigies weaponry

100 Bad ideas 112 Bold theories, bad
Mad scientists and evil practice
geniuses S.T.A.R. Labs

102 Splitting atoms 113 What on Earth?
Subatomic heroes Fringe science unleashed!

104 Nuclear deterrent 114 Starry knights
Captain Atom Starmen and Stargirl

105 Nuclear Proliferation 116 Hi-tech application
Radioactive rogues The Terrifics

117 Elementary 127 Dead and alive! 150 Bring the thunder
Metamorpho and elemental The science of resurrection Shazam! and the Shazam!
transmorphs Family
128 Heavy metals
118 Laboratory trials Extra-Multiversal elements 152 Blazing into Hell
Human chemical John Constantine
augmentation 129 Gone but not forgotten
Lost lands 154 Root and branch
119 Hard to swallow Swamp Things
Chemical triggers and 130 Old forgotten things
Man-Bat madness Hidden races and realms 156 Dead like me
Deadman
120 Life if what you make it 131 Urban jungle
Clones The superpowered apes of 158 Undying hunger
Gorilla City I, Vampire
121 The Life factory
Project Cadmus DIVINE 159 Patchwork vigilante
INTERVENTION Ragman
122 Man and Machine
Cyborg 134 Introduction 160 War and peace
136 Heavens and Hells Hawk and Dove
124 Body modification
Man into machine Supernatural warfare 161 Purple Reign
138 Divine retribution Amethyst of Gemworld
125 Born different
The metagene and how to The Spectre 162 Devil in disguise
trigger it 140 Embrace your fate Blue Devil

126 Red in fang and claw Doctor Fate 163 Beat the Devil
The morphogenetic fields 142 Reach for the skies Supernatural superteams

Hawkman and Hawkwoman 164 Hocus pocus
Wizards of Earth

144 Bewitching hour
Zatanna

146 Stranger days
The Phantom Stranger

147 Edge of reason
Night Force

148 Bound in blood
Etrigan the
demon

149 Prince of
Darkness
Eclipso

165 Life after death 189 Tomorrow man 208 From beyond the
Trials of pseudo-science Captain Comet unknown
Future Super Heroes
166 Border guards 190 Collector of Worlds
Warriors of fringe science Brainiac 209 Explorers of Eternity
Space rangers and cosmic
167 Lucky numbers 191 Cosmic barbarian breadwinners
To the seventh power Mongul
210 Last boy on Earth
168 Children of the gods 192 Hunters of Hawkworld Kamandi
The Amazons and other Thanagarians
women warrior tribes 211 Man-made war god
193 See Vega and die OMAC
169 Arcane antithesis The Omega Men
Circe 212 Time loves a hero
194 Over Caste Chronal custodians
170 Mystical kingdoms The Dominion
Supernatural realms 213 Bandit from the future
195 Kryptonian settlers Booster Gold
MYSTERIES IN Daxam
SPACE 214 Long live the Legion
196 Wild man Otherworld
174 Introduction Lobo
176 Watchers in the sky 216 Glossary
198 Malign mindbender 220 Index
Guardians of the Starro the Conqueror 224 Acknowledgements
Universe
178 Fiends of the pit 199 Peace at any cost
New Gods of Apokolips L.E.G.I.O.N.
179 Forever People
Gods of New Genesis HYPERTIME
180 The Great Darkness
Darkseid 202 Introduction
182 Manhunter from Mars 204 Dark tomorrows
J’onn J’onzz
184 The doomed planet Dystopian
Krypton futures
186 Reach for the stars 206 Reversal of
Blue Beetles fortune
188 Adventurer on other Reverse-
worlds Flash
Adam Strange

10

FOREWORD

The origins of what came to be known as the DC of storytelling possibilities and twisted new worlds so
Universe can be found in the wartime winter of 1940 that by the time of the 2020 Death Metal event series,
when the publication of All-Star Comics #3 brought readers had been presented with not only a nightmarish
together the solo stars of various early DC titles— Dark Multiverse, but an even grander vision that
including original or Golden Age versions of The Flash, widened the scope from multiple worlds and universes
Green Lantern, Hawkman, and Sandman as they joined to multiple multiverses!
forces with stalwarts like Doctor Fate, Hourman and the
Atom—to form the Justice Society of America, the first Faced with this busy program of renovation and
Super Hero team and the first confirmation that these redevelopment, readers new to DC or those returning
formerly unrelated costumed crimefighters shared not to the neighborhood might be expected to find
only the same coffee machine and bathroom facilities in themselves overwhelmed…
the JSA headquarters but the same world of adventure.
Enter The DC Book!
So was born a fictional reality with its own colorful In your hands you hold an indispensable concordance
continuity running parallel to our own, where the of hundreds of heroes, villains, fantastic locations, alien
appearance of the ‘mystery men’ as they were known, worlds and cosmic hierarchies. In these pages you will
was to change the course of history, paving the way for find an essential guide to the current state of play in
1963’s groundbreaking ‘Flash of Two Worlds’ (The Flash one of the longest-running, most densely populated
#123), where the consolidation and classification of DC’s fictional playgrounds in popular culture.
expanding boundaries began with the introduction of
Earth-2. Here, the discontinued heroes of the Justice With a storytelling canvas so rich and wide-
Society had continued their crimebusting careers into ranging, and characters so much larger than life
middle age, prompting a trailblazing team-up with that it takes an Omniverse, a Metaverse, to contain
the young Silver Age heroes of the newly formed their activities, The DC Book provides an invaluable
Justice League on Earth-1. resource and a comprehensive overview, mapping
and cataloguing eight decades of worldbuilding into
Hot on the heels of this enthralling conceptual one convenient gazetteer.
escalation came Earth-3, where the Justice League
equivalent was a squad of super-criminals known as If this is your first trip to the DC Omniverse, prepare
the Crime Syndicate, and so on, incorporating stables to be spellbound. If you’re a regular visitor, welcome
of characters DC had acquired after buyouts of various back! There may have been a few changes, some
other publishers like Quality Comics (Earth-X) or redecoration, and many new additions but The DC Book
Fawcett (Earth-5), and Charlton (Earth-4), until a has you covered!
potentially infinite number of variations was implied.
So put on your Power Rings, grab your Cosmic Rods,
The blockbuster series Crisis on Infinite Earths, and activate those Transmatter Cubes!
published in 1985, made an epic, heroic attempt to
condense the innumerable potential worlds of the DC Adventures await…
Multiverse into one singular Earth but it’s hard to keep
a good idea down, and slowly but surely a trickle of Grant Morrison
re-invention became a flood, a torrent of Elseworlds and Scotland April 2021
pocket universes, anti-matter mirrorworlds, and
sideways dimensions, so much so that the weekly
series 52 from 2007 finally gave in to the inevitable
restoration of what was, at first, a limited Multiverse—
known as The Orrery of Worlds and featuring 52
organized universes—before 2017’s The Multiversity
brought the first mention of a Multiverse-2, paving the
way for the triumphant return of a truly infinite array

12

INTRODU

13

CTION

14 INTRODUCTION

I ndustry leaders since comic new stories. Cover-dated February Donenfeld and Liebowitz would take
books were born, DC has always 1935, New Fun #1 showcased humor full control of the company and,
sought new and thrilling ways and serialized adventure strips, under editor Vin Sullivan, release
to expand and enrich their business, prose fiction, and features. Largely a title that would change comic
the medium, and the art form. scripted by Wheeler-Nicholson, the book history with something
Built on character innovation and tabloid-size anthology was edited entirely new for their next release.
top talent, the inventors of Super by Lloyd Jacquet—who would
Heroes have never rested on their later helm many of DC’s rapidly The birth of Super Heroes
laurels, pursuing fresh themes, novel proliferating imitators and rivals—
formats, new media, and better ways with pages mostly filled by untried Aimed at vacationing school kids,
to entertain its global audiences. creators. New Fun #6 printed the Action Comics #1 launched on
debut works of writer/artist team April 19, 1938, with the most
Hey, kids—COMICS! Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster: outlandish cover and character ever
adventurer Henri Duval and seen. Who could believe a man in
In 1933, during the Great Depression, ghost detective Doctor Occult. tights hurling automobiles around?
print salesmen Max “MC” Gaines The answer was everyone. Action
and Harry I. Wildenberg devised However, despite lukewarm sales, Comics #1 was a monster hit, as was
promotional premiums for stores to the Major persevered, launching New every issue that featured Superman.
give away: booklets reprinting the Comics as 1935 closed. It contained Siegel and Schuster’s “Man of Steel”
era’s hugely popular newspaper the first comics contributions from became the company’s touchstone
strips. Adding a price tag, these women creators—Emma C. Keen, and the industry’s first breakout
became a retail fixture with the 1934 Connie Naar, and Josephine Craig— sensation. Soon costumed crusaders
release of Famous Funnies. Today’s and eventually became Adventure from other publishers flooded
DC began in 1935 as National Allied Comics with issue #32 in 1938. newsstands. The Super Hero
Publications, conceived by former- When the company began struggling genre was born!
soldier Major Malcolm Wheeler- financially, Wheeler-Nicholson’s main
Nicholson. While writing nonfiction creditors—printer Harry Donenfeld Proudly adorning its covers with
and prose adventures, he gambled and accountant Jack L. Liebowitz— a “Superman-DC” logo, the company
on Gaines’s invention and created stepped in. They partnered with the forged links to more established
a new kind of graphic entertainment. Major on his latest inspiration media. Superman joined the reputed
Detective Comics. A new single ranks of newspaper strips on January
Wheeler-Nicholson’s inspiration themed anthology comic book 16, 1939; starred in his own radio
was sidestepping the heavy costs of series that premiered with a March series from February 12, 1940; and
leasing established comics material. 1937 cover dated issue. 1938 would became a movie star in 17 dazzling
Popular strips were in limited supply be a momentous year for the now Fleischer Studios animated shorts
and already spoken for, and his Detective Comics Incorporated, as between 1941 and 1943. Superman
solution was original characters in arrived without fanfare to become

INTRODUCTION 15

perhaps DC’s most emblematic and conceived the idea of Super Hero carried tales by master stylists such
enduring icon on large and small Teams, introduced in All Star as Alex Toth, Joe Kubert, Jack Kirby,
screens to this day. Forever adding Comics #3’s Justice Society of Ramona Fradon, Gil Kane, and
stars, DC scored another success America, and gave the world its Carmine Infantino, and by veteran
on March 30, 1939, when, courtesy greatest female Super Hero, Wonder authors like John Broome, Gardner
of Bob Kane and Bill Finger, “The Woman, who debuted in All Star Fox, Robert Kanigher, David V. Reed,
Batman” premiered in Detective Comics #8. She would join Superman and Edmond Hamilton.
Comics #27, and another iconic and Batman in DC’s formidable
hero joined DC’s graphic firmament. Trinity—all surviving a temporary Inevitably, tastes shifted again,
decline in Super Hero popularity and in the late 1950s editor Julie
In 1938, MC Gaines partnered that started soon after WWII ended. Schwartz sensed it was time to
with Liebowitz to launch All- revisit Super Heroes. His string
American Publications (AAP), an DC absorbed AAP in 1948 of revived 1940s characters was a
autonomous publisher sharing costs, and comics powerhouse National huge success. Super Heroes became
advertising, distribution, and even Comics Publications emerged. a global phenomenon, and they
in-world continuity with DC. From inception, the home of Super continue to define the comics
Skillfully guided by brilliant jack-of- Heroes understood that tastes vary mainstream to this day. The
all-comics-trades Sheldon Mayer, and fashions shift. Seeking to phenomenon also highlighted DC’s
AAP titles generated more timeless engage as many readers as possible, true strength: talented, imaginative
characters, laying the foundations National-DC released licensed editors anticipating trends and
for decades of enthralling properties (for TV or radio shows responding with new titles.
adventures. Mayer and Gaines like Gang Busters), while creating
memorable stars in western, spy, Such was true in the 1970s
Come with me … A great humor, and funny animal titles. when supernatural themes became
adventure awaits! DC also valued consistency—Dick a global zeitgeist. DC resurrected
Harbinger Dillin illustrated the Blackhawks mystery anthologies, supplemented
and Justice League for decades, by horror heroes Swamp Thing,
while lead Superman artist Curt The Phantom Stranger, The Spectre,
Swan’s association with the Man and Deadman. In the 1990s, these
of Steel spanned 1948 to 1996. characters would reemerge during
another horror resurgence, one that
The 1950s saw DC concentrate spawned a DC comics imprint
on science fiction, supernatural, and, aimed at mature readers. These
especially, war stories. Sgt. Rock, included The Sandman, Hellblazer,
the Haunted Tank, and Enemy Ace and Fables, bringing entirely new
were, for decades, as popular as audiences to comics by offering
costumed champions. Anthologies “sophisticated suspense.” ❯❯

16 INTRODUCTION

As always, DC’s 1970s editors titles like Green Lantern/Green a “British Invasion” in the 1980s,
had their finger on the public pulse, Arrow, Batman, Superman, introducing anarchic energy and
commissioning daring revivals and Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and sardonic fantasy through the works
bold concepts, like a crusading Swamp Thing. Giordano and of Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison,
period of advocacy combining Schwartz also mentored young Warren Ellis, Garth Ennis, Dave
fantasy with real-world injustices. writers from DC’s fan base such Gibbons, Brian Bolland, and others.
Under the stewardship of Dick as Cary Bates, Elliot S! Maggin, A mature-readers sensibility birthed
Giordano, Joe Orlando, and Julie Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, and Paul imprints like Vertigo, enticing
Schwartz, a new generation of Levitz, who would become leading creators Bill Willingham, Brian K.
creators, including Denny O’Neil, editorial lights of later decades. Vaughan, Brian Azzarello, and
Neal Adams, Mike Friedrich, Steve Eduardo Risso to craft creator-
Skeates, Jim Aparo, and others, won The New DC owned masterpieces like 100 Bullets
mainstream acclaim by mixing and Y: The Last Man, while
social and ecological issues with Under Publisher/Editor in chief contributing to DC’s overarching
costumed heroics in high-profile Jenette Kahn, a similar revolution continuity. In 1979, DC invented
saw editor Karen Berger spearhead

Julius Schwartz

In a company blessed with in decline, Schwartz judged the
editorial talent, one visionary time was right for a revival and
editor stands out. Pioneering commissioned a modernization
science-fiction fan Julius “Julie” of The Flash for Showcase #4 in
Schwartz was literary agent 1956. It kick-started comic books’
for Alfred Bester, Robert Bloch, Silver Age and revitalized Super
Ray Bradbury, H. P. Lovecraft, Heroes for generations to come.
and other celebrated authors.
In 1944, he got a job at All- Schwartz involved himself in
American Publications, where all aspects of the creative process,
Bester was scripting Green mentoring new talent while
Lantern. When National personally steering Superman and
Periodicals absorbed AAP, Batman for decades. Legendary
Schwartz stayed, becoming as a character who would appear
a key player in the company. in his own comics, he was named
After six years of Super Heroes Editor Emeritus and DC’s
permanent Goodwill Ambassador.

INTRODUCTION 17

the “Limited Series” with World with other publishers on special movies and streaming and gaming
of Krypton and “Maxi-Series” like events (such as team-ups between media. But at its core are the
1982’s Camelot 3000, specifically for its Super Heroes and animation comics—the four-color fantasies
a growing direct sales marketplace superstars like Bugs Bunny); and that forever fire the imagination.
of specialist comic stores. In 1985, incorporating popular publishers
this innovative spirit led to DC like Jim Lee’s WildStorm. How to explore this book
reversing 50 years of carefully
crafted continuity with the braided DC embraces the broadest range If you are seeing DC’s comics for
mega-series event Crisis on Infinite of interests and age groups, not just the first time, the following pages
Earths, stunning readers by in stories but how they are shaped, offer a general introduction to
reinventing Superman, Wonder addressing gender inequality the concepts underpinning the
Woman, the Justice League, and through powerful female characters immense, intertwined DC universe
other superstars. such as Catwoman, Batwoman, (or more accurately, Multiverses
Supergirl, and Black Canary, and and Omniverse) including key
The company went on to try out characters of color such as events, major players, and their
new formats and schedules— Black Lightning, Vixen, Cyborg, everchanging upgrades and
prestige packages evolved for The Atom Ryan Choi, Shado, reinventions. On the Record boxes
landmark projects such as Batman: Katana, and Lady Shiva. Throughout offer context and fast facts; timelines
The Dark Knight Returns and its groundbreaking past and into and infographics provide scope,
Watchmen, weekly publications like the future, DC’s creativity and clarification, and historical
tabloid-sized Wednesday Comics, forward thinking have led the way, perspective; topic boxes detail
and year-long weekly serial 52. successfully transferring to DC notable people or significant
These, in turn, gave rise to phenomena; and quotes instill a
specialist imprints like Vertigo, It’s a maybe machine—it feel for the characters and narrative
Young Animal, Wonder Comics, and generates visions.... texture of the source comics.
Black Label, while advancing Batman
another innovation—graphic novels. The DC Book is presented from
an “in-Multiverse” point of view
Books like Arkham Asylum and and is intended as both overview
Dark Nights: Metal now provide and introduction to a complex,
major sales in both print and digital compelling, ever-evolving world.
formats, granting fans access to It is not a replacement for reading
DC’s greatest hits. Never afraid the comics themselves. Old and
to think big, DC has regularly new tales are readily available in
refreshed and reinvented itself a variety of print and digtal formats,
through continuity-wide events like and you should consult them as
Flashpoint or Rebirth; partnering soon as you finish here. ■

FORGE
OF
CREATIO

N R eality is mutable. It is
augmented, replaced, and
revised. Subsistence, actions,
and even faith are reshaped by new
realms and new histories. But living
creatures always strive and abide. Is life
a fragile afterthought of forces beyond
imagination? The most pitiful beings
may forge unexpected futures when
fueled by determination, persistence,
and the power of will. So is reality
merely a product of chance or a facet
of intelligence, choice, and life itself?

20 INTRODUCTION

Perpetua creates Perpetua is Earth starts Homo Sapiens Fall of Atlantis. Recorded
Existence from defeated and to form. challenge ancient Atlanteans human
sealed in the White races and out-competes migrate to history
materials Source Wall. Neanderthals. Totality begins.
provided by Rebooted creation Entity nests fragments and Nth Earthly colonies,
the Source. within. Metal strikes Earth. other planets,
begins.
and dimensions.

before time 19bn 4.5bn 50k 40k 7k
begins
years ago years ago years ago years ago years ago

unknown 10bn 3bn 45k 8k
millennia ago
years ago years ago years ago years ago

Refusing to die, Krona’s time Guardians of the Homo Sapiens Nommo of Kor
Perpetua designs experiments Universe deploy and Magi create spearheads
Apex Predators fracture a singular Green Lanterns
universe into the armed with will- super-state of revival of human
to combat the infinite Multiverse. powered rings. Atlantis. civilization.
Source.

C reation is a never-ending There’s a balance. fellowship, empathy, fairness,
work in progress, designed Alex Holland and shared goals—“Justice”—
by godlike beings whose versus self-interest and personal
decisions and actions are beyond with their own populations. Earth’s gratification—“Doom.”
human understanding. There are at universe rests within a Multiverse
least six dimensions of existence. situated within a potentially infinite Multiversal crisis
In each one, reality takes on more Omniverse. This immeasurable
complex forms than the last. This expanse is abundant with life Environments are carefully
state of affairs can pose problems. that is perpetually evolving to tailored for each world across the
For example, human beings and a higher state of being. Multiverse, but, from the outset,
Super Heroes like Superman, who the whole mechanism suffers
inhabit the Third Dimension, have Crucially, the Sixth-Dimensional catastrophic sabotage.
sometimes had to endure visits by cosmic creators installed an
higher-plane individuals such as the ethical component in their creation A celestial creator named
mischievous Fifth-Dimensional imp comprised of opposing principles: Perpetua—a Hand of The Presence,
Mr. Mxyzptlk. Fortunately, some the Omniverse’s supreme being—
magical beings from the Fifth creates a Multiverse using The
Dimension are more welcome, Totality, an engine of limitless
such as Johnny Thunder’s power. However, she perverts the
genielike Thunderbolt. process for her own ends and is
imprisoned in a barrier known as
The Third-Dimension is home to the Source Wall. Her Multiverse is
Earth and its universe, as well as cut off from the Omniverse and
innumerable planets and galaxies reality is then erased and restarted.
In this way, several Multiverses

FORGE OF CREATION 21

Pantheons Age of Heroes Age of Heroes The demon Threat of
of gods edited out starts again. Barbatos attempts Perpetua ended.
Coming of
interact with and belatedly Superman, to subsume Multiverse
humanity. restored to Batman, and creation into the reshaped into an
Wonder Woman. Dark Multiverse. Infinite Frontier
Earth-0 aka Earth of possibilities.
Prime timeline.

5-3k 80 10 or 20 2 now

years ago years ago years ago years ago

5.5k 1.5k 80–20 9 or 20 1

years ago years ago years ago years ago year ago

Super Heroes Camelot falls. End Decades edited Perpetua induces Perpetua
appear in of commonplace from Earth-0 aka Earth Anti-Monitor to trigger escapes,
magic. Dark Age reshaping
Egypt: Nabu, and metahuman Prime’s timeline, Crisis on Infinite existence to
Ibis, Shazam, heroism begin. excising some Super Earths, weakening her needs.
Heroes from reality.
Khufu. the Source Wall.

come into being. They are both A series of reality-changing Crises individuals, whether Super
separated and connected by The created by Perpetua reduces the Heroes or Super-Villains, with
Bleed, an interdimensional void. Multiverse to 52 universes—an incredible powers.
“Orrery of Worlds” encircling a
These innumerable positive- prime reality designated Earth-0 The Multiverse contains
matter realities are balanced by a aka Earth Prime. The Multiverse numerous spiritual and
vast Antimatter universe, in which is cloaked in energy fields—cosmic metaphysical planes such as
new, divergent realities form from reservoirs fed by all life within the Heroverse, and Collective
dark matter in a Forge of Creation the system. These reservoirs are Unconscious. Mortal life-forms
triggered by the actions and choices capable of endowing certain also draw magical power from
of living beings within the Multiverse. the Sphere of the Gods, which
fosters mystic domains and sustains
Wonderful numerous gods. Space-time-
beginnings bending power is tapped from
New realities a Speed Force dimension.
of infinite
potential are Throughout this system’s
born following duration, and while imprisoned in
the Dark the Source Wall, Perpetua attempts
Multiverse’s to sabotage the Totality energy
overthrow. source, by launching it into various
points of the timestream. Her goal
is to gradually destabilize existence
in order to gain her freedom and
turn back time to her advantage. ■

22

EVNARIGIAMTAISONASND

CONTINUITIES AND PARALLEL WORLDS

ON THE RECORD Cosmic highly complex laws or exist in
awareness as-yet-unformed states.
DESIGNATION Rip Hunter and
Realities, continuities, Booster Gold are From beyond the unknown
existences two of the few
mortals ever to The majority of known life operates
PROPERTIES experience the in four dimensions, with higher
Time; space; attendant Multiverse. beings operating in the fifth and
dimensions; immutable sixth dimensions. Some of these
physical laws; infinitely universes. These planes, such as various forms of
diverse sentient and sapient are primarily Heaven, Hell, and Dreamland, are
life-forms; ideological composed of fueled by intelligent beings’ own
dispute mechanisms matter, antimatter, spirituality. Such regions generally
and dark matter. shape themselves according to the
MISSION These elements expectations of the believers
Unknown, monitored by combine to form
higher beings and subject life-rich planets and galaxies that
to alteration exist in a shared space-time.
However, anomalies can and do
STATUS REPORT occur, such as the antimatter
Constantly at risk; results universe’s Qward.
never as anticipated
Multiplicities of these universes
R eality itself is not fixed. also flourish: Continuities populated
It can be reshaped, molded, by numberless races and species
augmented, and even— are connected in infinite webs of
under certain conditions—rolled interlinked planes, realms, domains,
back and replaced. Part of a greater, and energy fields such as the Speed
unknown Omniverse, the Multiverse Force or the Emotional Spectrum.
is a collection of smaller, single These universes nest in dimensional
layers that are governed by often

Our life is a loop that can Divergent realities are easily FORGE OF CREATION 23
never be broken. triggered, flowing from simple
Barry Allen decisions or reactions to critical power and removing himself from
events. Spawning entire alternate bothersome mortal contact.
concerned. It is unknown whether worlds, all of these possible
parallel Earths each have their own continuities are stored in a pan- Reality is an ever-unfolding
afterlife regions or if all feed into one dimensional facility known as mystery, and scientists such as
vast repository of souls. Hypertime, where no timeline or Ray Palmer have only scratched the
reality revision is ever truly lost or surface of its intricacies. After years
Most intelligent societies erased. Although generally beyond split between saving the world as
categorize the component building the reach of most Multiversal The Atom and unraveling the hidden
blocks of creation as “elements,” inhabitants, many of these variant laws of physics, his size-changing
which underpin all physical existences have been accessed by research revealed something
sciences. Whether commonplace Super Heroes and others. Eons ago, startling. He discovered an as-yet-
or yet to be discovered, elements, the god Tezcatlipoca learned how unclear link between subatomic
compounds, allotropes, isotopes, to link all his incarnations across worlds in a vast, unexplored
alloys, and other natural or artificial Hypertime, greatly enhancing his Microverse and the quantum-level
combinations dictate a world’s connections that underlie physical
nature and development. reality and dictate the flow and
progress of time. ■
Other extra-Multiversal elements
exist, but their introduction into Blueprints of existence Existence comprises matter, life, souls, energy fields such
existence disrupts nature and as the Speed Force, and emotional, spiritual, as well as mystical reservoirs like the
distorts life in many ways. When Sphere of the Gods. It also encompasses an inspirational “Hero-Verse” of imagination
inserted into positive-matter and unfulfilled potential, accessed by talismans that mimic rotary phone dials.
realities, these elements warp All are crucial to the operation and continued existence of the Multiverse.
biology, contaminate timelines,
and bring chaos and disruption. MONITO SPHERE SPHERE OF
R
In the event known as Final
Crisis, the Apokoliptian god ORRERY OF WORLDS THE GODS
Darkseid excises Batman from
Earth’s chronology—marooning him HOUSE
in Earth’s Stone Age—and the Dark OF
Multiverse tyrant Barbatos, whose
World Forge is where potential HEROES
alternate realities are formed and
tested, learns of realms above his THE GODS MONITO
own foul domain. Created to
consume rejected existences, SPHERE OF SPHERE
Barbatos instead infiltrates the R
Multiversal timeline, seeding it with
extra-cosmic metals to infect
Batman. Ultimately, this “mantling”
culminates in Batman becoming
a portal for Barbatos to enter and
consume the Multiverse.

24

MALOLTHCERRISOEFS

PERPETUA

ON THE RECORD
REAL NAME

Perpetua
AFFILIATIONS
Monitor, Anti-Monitor,
Forger of Worlds, Lex Luthor,
Legion of Doom
LOCATION
Source Wall
POWERS
Infinite power, universal
origination and consumption,
species transformation
MISSION
Self-preservation, creating
ultimate predator species
STATUS REPORT
Defeated by The Batman
Who Laughs

I n the beginning is the void Consumed with joy Perpetua’s quest influences intended by The Source
and into it comes Perpetua, for perfect primal predators begins by and The Presence to provide
dispatched by the Unseen feeding on worlds and universes. balance in a carefully designed
Hand of the Source. As one of example of Multiversal engineering.
The Hands of a greater Omniverse, sustain it forever. Instead, she
Perpetua is tasked with creating constructs a ferociously competitive Original sin
a living Multiverse and expected range of existences favoring savage
to surrender her own energies to competition. Here, species brutally Fashioning a bleak, ferocious cosmos
clash, devoid of the life-affirming to save herself, Perpetua lives on
among her ever-changing spawn for

You cannot hold me forever! resisted by simple, decent mortals FORGE OF CREATION 25
Perpetua and enhanced creatures such as
gods and Super Heroes. Cosmic Raptor
billions of years. Eventually, she
resolves to perfect lethally powerful Many early ascending beings After a billion years,
Apex Predators to battle her augment her plans by rushing to Perpetua’s first children—
superiors when they learn of her godhood through selfish means. Alpheus, Mobius, and Mar
treachery and attempt to correct Pantheons everywhere war for Novu—realize the nature of
her actions. Ultimately, Perpetua’s personal gain. Those calling their mother’s actions after
near-omnipotent first creations— themselves Lords of Order and viewing the Omniverse and
Alpheus the World Forger, Mar Novu Chaos spark bloody, eternal conflicts seeing how different their
the Over-Monitor, and Mobius the over mere doctrinal beliefs. aberrant Multiverse is from
Anti-Monitor—realize the truly the rest of creation. They
shocking nature of their mother’s The aggressive nature of inform Perpetua’s colleagues
transgression. They dutifully infinite alternate realities bolsters The Hands, and these Judges
notify Sixth-Dimensional agents Perpetua over eons. She creates of the Source dispatch the
of The Presence, and a Cosmic crisis after crisis to increase her Cosmic Raptor.
Raptor appears, reducing Perpetua power. True breakthrough comes
to energy trapped within a when her son, Alpheus, is ousted In avian form, the entity
quarantining wall. Celestial from his position as instigator of decides Perpetua has defied
safeguards are erected—barriers, new realities in the dark matter her function, twisting her
traps, mighty distances and Forge of Creation. The culprit Multiverse toward selfish
dimensions to traverse, as well as turns out to be Alpheus’s servant gain and Doom. Despite the
the deployment of primal guards Barbatos, a beast created to devour efforts of her hybrid Martian/
such as the Omega Titans. unsuitable realities. Controlling the human Apex warriors, the
Dark Multiverse, the usurping bat- Raptor imprisons Perpetua
Eradicating Perpetua’s dragon now seeks to subsume and all her carefully stored
construction, the Raptor turns Earth’s positive-matter Multiverse energies (The Totality) in
back time and restarts the with deviant realities that are the Source Wall. She is
Multiverse within the confines deemed unworthy of existence. condemned to helplessly
of this segregated space-time. witness her Multiverse’s
Pent within the Source Wall, Targeting Batman throughout destruction and a new one
Perpetua watches and schemes, his personal timeline, Barbatos replace it. The Cosmic Raptor
subtly influencing the unfolding new unleashes a variant Dark Knight then dissipates into the fabric
Multiverse. Aware that the actions, to spearhead a full-scale assault on of reality, ready to return if
choices, and emotions of Multiversal creation. A repulsive amalgamation Perpetua should ever escape.
occupants generate energies that of Batman and The Joker, the
empower her, she methodically “The Batman Who Laughs” is a
orchestrates events to maximize the cosmic wildcard who finally seizes
release of these “Crisis Energies.” the powers of creation—destroying
Luckily for her, the new realities his perceived rival Perpetua as
are awash with proponents of both she absorbs the last heroic lives
“Doom” and “Justice” philosophies. of the final Earth of creation.
Greed, cruelty, madness, and evil
beleaguer beings but are fiercely After all her manipulations
and acts of betrayal, Perpetua
is defeated by The Batman Who
Laughs when he ascends to the
level of godhood. This entity, also
known as The Darkest Knight
and the One Who Laughs, defeats
Perpetua on her own celestial
level. In the end, however, even he
succumbs to the greater Anti-Crisis
energies and adamantine resolve of
the Multiverse’s greatest champion
and defender—Wonder Woman. ■

26

FMOORTCIOENS IN

EXOTIC ENERGIES

ON THE RECORD
DESIGNATION

Fundamental forces
PROPERTIES
Physical and metaphysical
MISSION
Designed to facilitate, test,
and tempt at every level
of reality
STATUS REPORT
Easily misunderstood,
misused, and subverted

R eality is a complex Force majeure The fundamental Celestial engineering
mechanism composed of energies underpinning creation
physical, energetic, and fuel the powers of gods, monsters, Existence is an assemblage of
metaphysical components, all and super-beings. moving parts designed by igher
working toward an unconfirmed beings: a complex composite (or
purpose. Evidence gleaned by matter, energy, and organisms both whole) dependent on specialized
Wonder Woman following the defeat large and minuscule, all have the cosmic support structures. It is a
of Perpetua and The Batman Who potential to reason, to compete, closed system built from different
Laughs suggests that the Multiverse and to evolve. exotic energies, within which living
is a vast engine for evolving beings generate a variety of spiritual,
intelligent lifeforms to a higher level
of consciousness.

Across infinite dimensions,
alternate planes, and interlinked
realms—including barren regions
such as Limbo or The Bleed—

I saw true power. demons such as Abnegazar, Rath, FORGE OF CREATION 27
The Turtle Ghast, and other magical entities,
inadvertently unbalancing reality. that marshals negative emotions
and metaphysical “fuels”— including of hatred and misery. When the
love, hate, belief, and aspiration—to Ultimately, intelligent beings Invisible Spectrum’s power is
power and sustain the system. decipher the underlying mechanics tapped into by renegade Thaal
of reality, cataloguing its powerful Sinestro as an Ultraviolet light force,
At every level, principles of energy fields. The first to be he is acting in the destructive
opposition dominate. Everything discovered is the Emotional service of Perpetua.
seeks equilibrium; forces exist in Spectrum—electromagnetic
a state of dynamic tension with bandwidths attuned to different Many Super Heroes are
opposing forces. This results in emotions experienced by living connected to hidden multiversal
stability, with all forces acting in creatures. Stored behind the Source energies. Speedsters all tap into the
harmony—like instruments in an Wall, these seven emotions form Speed Force and soon learn of its
orchestra. All are crucial and act a power reservoir of seven branches affiliated branches (Strength and
together to maintain balance. tapped into by agents representing Sage) and the motion-stopping
each emotion—a legion of Lantern- counter-power the Still Force.
The system has two poles— bearing Ring-wielders able to As Perpetua’s plan proceeds, all
negative and positive. The first manipulate the physical universe the clandestine forces of creation
accumulates energies of aggression with light. These positive forces are are revealed as she pitilessly seeks
and destruction. These are defined countered by an Invisible Spectrum to end everything. ■
as Crisis Energy, and Perpetua
feeds on them, gaining strength See also: The Flash, Earth Prime, Crisis
from universal chaos and slaughter.
The opposite pole, Anti-Crisis and Reinvention
Energy, is an accumulation of all
the heroic and life-affirming deeds Forces of creation Existence depends on a finely balanced construct of opposing
from across creation. forces. If lifeforms meddle with the system, great personal power is gained, but only
by destabilizing existence itself.
After Perpetua’s first destructive
Multiverse is unmade by The ULTRAVIOLET (INVISIBLE) SPECTRUM
Hands, defense and repair
mechanisms are built into her Faithfulness Faithlessness
Source Wall prison in the form of
the Omega Titans. When the Wall Battleground of emotional and spiritual wellbeing
cracks, the all-powerful Titans’
response is misinterpreted by Sphere of the Gods Void Wind
Super Heroes, whose interference Source of all magic
allows Perpetua to rise again.
Life Force Death Force
This is not the first time that
individuals’ free will disrupts the Connects all souls of existence
delicately balanced system.
Existence has barely begun when the Fundamental Still Force
Guardians of the Universe attempt Connective Forces
to suppress and banish wild magic
into a mighty Starheart. Other Forces of Speed, Strength, and Sage
immortal beings subdue or exile
Collective Unconscious Black Apple
Fuels inspiration, wisdom, and knowledge

Dimensional Superstructure Sixth Note

Multiversal domain manifesting the imaginable and possible

Anti-Crisis energy Crisis (Direct-Crisis) energy
Life-positive connective forces

EMOTIONAL SPECTRUM

WHITE VIOLET INDIGO BLUE GREEN YELLOW ORANGE RED BLACK
Life Love Compassion Hope Will Fear Greed Rage Death

28

CCERNETATEIROONF

EARTH PRIME

ON THE RECORD That smell! You can only On Earth, life-forms constantly
find it on Earth! evolve and fade, leading to
DESIGNATION Opal warrior humankind, a hugely adaptable life
Earth Prime (aka Earth-0) pattern that repeats—with minute
is the source of all life everywhere. variations—across all creation.
LOCATION As the Entity gestates deep within Humans are aggressive and smart
Sol system, Space Sector the planet’s mantle, its power but inherently flawed. They are
2814, Universe-0, positive radiates outward, sparking life violent toolmakers who prove to
matter Multiverse on countless worlds. The principles be selfish and wasteful, their worst
of evolution bring thought and excesses diluted by Earth’s other
INHABITANTS emotions—accumulated energies inhabitants. Ascending to group
Humans, animals, that can be tapped as visually sentience, atmosphere, strata,
metaphysical entities, distinct power sources. The plants, animals, and other elemental
metahumans, aliens, gods, Emotional Spectrum manifests
demons, monsters, magical with a counter-balancing
creatures, AIs and robots, invisible antithesis, adhering
others to the inescapable cosmic
equations of forces in opposition
MISSION seeking equilibrium.
Keystone of Multiversal
parallels, proving ground for Respect our authority
infinite variations The Oan Guardians elect
themselves custodians
STATUS REPORT of all life in the universe.
In a state of constant flux
and peril

T here are infinite Earths
across the Multiverse
but Earth Prime is unique.
Geological data notwithstanding,
it is the oldest planet in existence.
Formed in creation’s wake, it is used
as a nest by the White Entity, which

components of the biosphere form Back from the dead The White Entity FORGE OF CREATION 29
alliances—policing their interests began course correcting the universe
in Parliaments of Red, Green by returning life to a host of fallen Super Over eons, their bodies atrophy
or Black while also deploying Heroes and Super-Villains. as their mental powers expand.
a succession of human/animal Ideological schisms regarding
avatars such as Swamp Thing. and intellectual super-beings, the suppression of emotion create
scientist-philosophers with an factionalism—callous Controllers
Someone to watch over me unquenchable thirst for knowledge. and passionate Zamarons, among
When chronal inquiries by Maltusian others. At this time, the Guardians
Earth is connected to the pan- researcher Krona critically damage discover the secret of Earth
dimensional Rock of Eternity, the universal fabric, his fellows elect and create a Big Lie to better
facilitating access to every point in themselves Guardians of all lesser safeguard universal life. Creating
space-time and most magical realms sentient species. Relocating to the a disinformation protocol depicting
and dimensions. It is a situation that cosmologically central planet Oa, Earth as a minor mudball in cosmic
renders the world highly susceptible they dedicate their energies to consciousness, they suppress all
to time-based Reality alterations. eradicating chaos and evil. knowledge of the Entity within it.
In the planet’s earliest eras, this When it awakes during the Blackest
makes Earth a magnet for mystic Night, Earth is acknowledged
forces and higher beings like gods as a planet of countless potential
and demons. As humanity develops, White Lanterns.
select individuals master magic,
while unearthly gods sustain To bolster their subterfuge, the
themselves on mortal faith. Guardians early embargo humans
Mythologies are born as gods and, joining their Green Lantern Corps,
worse, learn to feed on the human but destiny will not be denied.
hunger for and love of stories. Despite the Oans capturing
primordial universal magic and
This causes their downfall as a binding it in a “Starheart,” that force
rapid rise of rationalism diminishes escapes to Earth, empowering and
divine power and influence. Magic inspiring engineer Alan Scott to
fades. Science discards faith and create an arcane Green Lantern
simply is. Eventually only the to battle evil. Some extra-universal
fanatical or devout can use primal beings hypothesize that such
forces to any degree. Officially, the heroic trigger events will always
oldest universal civilization develops happen because Earth Prime is a
on Maltus, where the dominant sentient “Metaverse,” instinctively
species spawn an offshoot of physical reshaping itself according to some
incomprehensible cosmic design. ■

Nekron, Black Hand, and Blackest Night

As the font of all Life, Earth Lantern Corps—he nominates
draws instinctual interest from criminal William Hand
numerous races mundane and to be his avatar and launches
mystic and is a place of a long-prophesied Blackest
countless restless spirits. Night. During this grim crusade,
Eventually, as the dead of heroes of many worlds are
the universe mount in their targeted by malign revenants
dimension of Death, their of their fallen loved ones
manifested overlord Nekron reanimated by Black Lantern
attempts to annexe realms rings. Black Hand’s efforts lead
previously denied to him. to the awakening of the White
Entity and proves to ordinary
After failing to invade the mortals that death is not final
lands of Life—thanks to the for all Earth’s teeming billions.
intervention of the Green

30

ASLTTAETREESD

CRISIS AND REINVENTION

ON THE RECORD an even older continuum. Relic is a Superman lives Multiversal
Lightbringer, a warrior-scientist archetypes such as Superman endure
DESIGNATION who exploits the Emotional across Hypertime, striving to save
Realities Spectrum before realizing that it is and protect all life.
a finite resource that is rapidly
PROPERTIES running out. Awakening in current becomes compromised. Thanks to
Time, Space, other reality, he becomes a fierce opponent the meddling of the Maltusian
dimensions, immutable of the Green Lanterns and other Krona, a single universe splits into
physical laws, sentient Corps that utilize the spectrum. an infinite Multiverse. Expanding
lifeforms in infinite killing many Ring-wearers. without limit, it also generates a
diversity, philosophical and reservoir of all possible, probable,
ideological disputes Ever-present danger and potential realities, dubbed
“Hypertime” by myriad lifeforms
MISSION During the 19 billion years of inhabiting the infinite universes
Defined, designed and Perpetua’s incarceration in the contained within it. Although
monitored by higher beings Source Wall, the structure of reality

STATUS REPORT
Results never as anticipated

B efore time commences and
reality begins, a prior
existence is born, lives, and
dies. After the rogue Multiversal
originator Perpetua betrays her
responsibilities, her violently
aberrant Multiverse is unmade, she
is imprisoned in the Source Wall,
and reality restarts.

One being, known as Relic,
survives from this previous
existence. However, it is unclear if
Relic comes from Perpetua’s aborted
Multiverse or if he originates from

apparently stable, the structure I am the protector of this FORGE OF CREATION 31
of this Multiverse is complex, world.
highly intricate, and prone to something she eventually exploits
catastrophic failure or abuse. Wonder Woman by sparking a string of existence-
threatening, time-altering events
Across countless planets and In countless alternate existences, that mortals and gods come to call
galaxies, in numerous alternate groups like the Linear Men, “Crises.” Most of these incidents
realities, intelligent beings evolve Fuginauts, and Time Masters police have limited repercussions
and explore their environments. history and battle the predators, for the beings who survive them
Whether wedded to scientific such as chronovores, who make the or are subsequently resurrected.
principles or aligned with mystic timestream their hunting grounds. Mass amnesia grips those who
forces, the greatest minds extend are not directly involved—a
the boundaries of their various Universes and divergent metaphysical defense mechanism
disciplines and in the process timelines in a greater Multiverse that generally excludes the Super
weaken the fabric of reality. are, in essence, an extraordinarily Heroes responsible for ensuring
precarious structure. They are a continued existence.
Fortune, fate, and acts of cosmic “house of cards” requiring
heroism constantly converge to only miniscule misfortune to As Crises mount and intensify,
preserve existence, but it becomes collapse into utter disaster. however, cracks appear in the
ever more apparent to creation’s Moreover, the many cosmic close system. Following timeline resets
wisest beings that life in all realities calls narrowly averted by various sparked by a divergent reality’s
is in constant peril. Super Heroes weaken the bonds atomic god, both the 1940s
that restrain Perpetua. This is Justice Society of America and
Time under threat 31st-century Legion of Super-
Heroes vanish and are later restored
The nature of time is the greatest to mainstream reality. The Flash
concern. Every action or decision (Wally West) is suddenly joined
is liable to spawn divergent by an older version of himself,
“Elseworlds” of possibility and and suffers a series of agonizing
potential harm, while various Super temporal seizures. These attack his
Heroes and Super-Villains discover mind, soul, memories, and atomic
that time-travel techniques are structure—and even threaten to
relatively simple to master. vibrate him out of existence. ■

Crisis management

The unstable nature of unnoticed, as hide. Terrified beings become
Multiversal reality is generally does the violent all too aware of Dark
beyond the perception of reordering of Multiversal Metal storms,
living creatures. Humanity universal history attacking Omega Titans, and
is painfully aware of global dubbed Zero the tipping of cosmic scales
emergencies like infiltrating Hour and from Justice to Doom.
robotic Manhunters Flashpoint.
(Millennium), alien invasions These events,
or Darkseid’s war on Super and Multiversal
Heroic legends, but cosmic assaults like the
“Crises” are never recalled. Infinite Crisis
and Final Crisis,
History-warping events are all add and
orchestrated by Perpetua to subtract places and beings while
weaken reality’s fabric and also redirecting the course of
chip away at the Source Wall universal progress.
(pictured) imprisoning her.
The destruction of infinite Ultimately, as Perpetua’s
earths and their replacement plans come to fruition, later
with a single reality pass Crises become impossible to

JUSTICE
OR
DOOM?

Life persists and sentience develops.
From subatomic to macroscopic,
beings form and entities propagate.
Across the Multiverse all living things
seek growth. Even stars harbor conscious
creatures, yet nowhere are there enough
resources to sustain all things. Life is
a constant struggle for survival. Some
entities help lesser beings while others
thrive on the despair and destruction of
rivals. The whole of existence is engaged
in an inescapable and brutal choice
between justice and doom.

34 INTRODUCTION

Krona splinters Anti-Monitor Guardians Extant and Reality exiles Darkseid
universe into destroys the abandon the Parallax attempt Kal-L and invades Earth,
infinite realities Multiverse. universe. Robot to recreate the
with differing Surviving Earths Manhunters old Multiverse, Superboy-Prime seeking to
time-rates and form a singular attempt to destroy altering Earth’s seek to restore remake the
vibrational levels. their legacy. Multiverse as
universe. timeline. the original new Apokolips.
Multiverse.

10bn crisis on millennium zero hour infinite final
infinite earths crisis crisis
years ago

20th legends invasions! final night 52

century

Constant Darkseid seeks Coalition of Earth’s sun Mr. Mind’s
global war to destroy the alien races consumed, and time-tampering
leads to the attack Earth then reignited by Hal
concept of to obtain the Jordan, sacrificing his creates a
Age of heroism. Super secret of the life and redeeming Multiverse of
Heroes. Heroes briefly metagene.
his soul. 52 linked
outlawed. realities.

M ultiversal universes are Has a balance been struck? against selfish advancement and
a complex amalgam of Rama Kushna personal gratification. These
physical and metaphysical principles continually clash in both
systems governing matter, forces withdraw to observe the results. physical and metaphysical domains.
of energy, and life in all its infinite After a false start caused by the All opposing forces seek to cancel
variations. These Multiversal out or balance each other. This
universes are also components rogue Hand Perpetua, and following propensity results in a state of
in an incomprehensibly vast cosmic 19 billion years of trial and error, equilibrium, with neither principle
construct created by extra- the process eventually records its achieving supremacy over the other.
dimensional Higher Beings to refine first success. The experimental
the moral and ethical composition parameters are brutally simple. Choose your Doom
of lesser living creatures across Within a vast, multilayered, but
realities. Before time commences, enclosed environment, creation is Over and again, on innumerable
these higher beings—agents of defined by opposing principles— planets, life evolves, adapts, and,
sixth-dimensional overseers— selfless sharing and empathy in various ways, seeks to dominate
initiate an experiment with infinite its environment. For most beings,
and minute variables. They establish existence is frequently harsh and
a range of potential and actual generally brief. Many lifeforms falter,
environments designed to stagnate, or expire, and are then
simultaneously nurture and superseded by newer forms.
challenge intelligent creatures on However all have to face up to the
countless worlds. Having set their cosmic question of good versus evil.
masterplan in motion, these beings A newly liberated and determined
Perpetua, the first originator of

JUSTICE OR DOOM? 35

Barry Allen Extra-Multiversal The Dark Super Heroes Reality collapses.
creates dystopian Brainiac pits Multiverse tries to murdered in Darkest Knight
Hypertime absorb existence, psychiatric beats Perpetua,
Earth after realities and facility by one of but is defeated
changing history unleashes The their own.
timelines against Batman Who by Wonder
to save his each other. Woman.
murdered mother. Laughs.

flashpoint convergence dark knights heroes dark nights:
metal in crisis
death metal

blackest new 52 rebirth no justice year of now
night the villain

The dead Barry Allen’s Multiple Cosmic Perpetua Infinite
return to attempts to time-interventions mechanics the liberated, recruits Frontier
torment and repair reality Omega Titans opens.
destroy all form a new restore much of Super-Villains
Multiverse and pre-New 52 fail to repair and reconstructs
life. “Earth Prime.” timeline. cracks in
reality.
Source Wall.

existence, and her high priest Apex looks to heroes such as Arion of This correcting function reaches
Lex Luthor repurpose this dichotomy Atlantis, Nommo of Korr, wandering its zenith in the modern Age of
as a war between “Justice vs. Doom.” warrior Atlas, and the Amazons. Heroes when Perpetua’s efforts to
escape imprisonment trigger reality-
Even if a majority of beings Worlds away Every earth in existence warping Crises. The greatest Super
across creation abide by principles is the real one for the embattled beings Heroes become endlessly recreated
of trust, cooperation, and mutual living and dying there. to shield the innocent in a myriad of
respect, it only takes a few differing realities. However,
unscrupulous, self-serving champions of Justice such as The
individuals to upset the delicate Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman,
moral balance and dominate. Hawkman, Shazam, The Phantom
Stranger, and others are themselves
To prevent evil triumphing over balanced by Doom’s preeminent
good, higher beings set up a Super-Villains, such as Lex Luthor,
counterbalance to aid those unable— Ra¯’s al Ghu¯ l, The Joker, and more,
or too passive—to stand up for who are also endlessly regenerated.
themselves against tyranny. Through
history everywhere, the concept of In all cases, changed realities
heroism and might in service of right benefit from a potent constant—
flourishes. Extraordinary beings come an eternal trinity of Super Heroes.
to the defense of the helpless and In all corners of Creation, the
downtrodden everywhere. On Earth, helpless and oppressed can call
even pre-human Miro-pteranodon on some incarnation of Superman,
men and avian Ornitho-men have Batman, and Wonder Woman. ■
their champions. Later humanity

36

BANATETNLDELESS

THE HEROIC PRINCIPLE

ON THE RECORD I’m just an idea … still small. First boy on Earth Anthro’s valiant
Still new. daily efforts benefit all his people, not
DESIGNATION Ahl just close kin and potential mates.
Heroes
dies in despair after being ambushed in self-sacrifice and a greater good.
POWERS by time-bending villain Chronos. Mankind evolves and develops
Always useful, but not The modern-day madman seeks language. Clans grow larger and
mandatory to remake reality to his advantage cooperation leads to specialization.
but is foiled by a 21st-century
MISSION League taskforce led by Atoms
Fighting for truth, justice, Ray Palmer and Ryan Choi.
liberty, and the benefit of all The dauntless conceptual fruits of
Ahl’s intervention suitably ensure
STATUS REPORT the universe unfolds as it should.
Doing good is hard and
often fatal Lasting legacy

W hat transforms simple Mission accomplished, Ahl returns
struggles for food or to Final Heaven, leaving life to grow
desperate defense of or die through constant battle for
family into the high ideals of survival, liberty, and communal
heroism? For Earth, the answer security but bolstered by beliefs
is divine intervention.

In primordial times, conceptual
being Ahl—God of Super Heroes—
visits a dinosaur-infested region that
millions of years later becomes the
Justice League’s first HQ. He intends
to imbue the planet with an ideal of
heroism and sacrifice but almost

Sky’s the limit Ahl, FORGE OF CREATION 37
the god of Super Heroes,
inspires by example, Discovery and reinvention
granting humanity the dream
of a heaven on Earth. Throughout human history, cosmic
principles of Justice and Doom endlessly
Critical advances like managed fire who shares his gift with four clash and compete, and an arms race
and agricultural principles end siblings, thereafter creating begins as unearthly powerful processes
nomadic life. Humanity overcomes are used to devise unique weapons for
every obstacle in its march to secret societies to heroes and villains. Some are actual gifts
dominate Earth. Cro-Magnons like shepherd his entire of the gods; others result from human
Anthro and his ingenious brother species to greater investigation and ingenuity. In time,
Lart outcompete their Neanderthal glory and better lives. all are lost but eventually recovered to
contemporaries. Later descendants His rival succumbs imperil humanity in the Age of Heroes.
such as Kong the Untamed unite to self-interest, hungry
families and clans into tribes. Claw of Horus
As they proliferate, distinct splinter to rule everything and everyone. Nth Metal war gauntlet
groups such as diminutive Elvarans Vandar becomes voracious tyrant built by Nabu, disrupts
or magic-wielding Homo Magi seek Vandal Savage and terrorizes energy fields
separate regions to expand into. Earth in a quest for dominance
spanning all human history. Orb of Ra
Throughout this march to Staff of mutagenic meteor
civilization, humanity wars with Caves become huts and ore transforms humans into
the environment and its own nature. buildings. Trading goods leads to elemental warriors
No thought of abandoning crippled greater knowledge. Civilization
Lart is countenanced by his brother spreads, and humanity further Eternity Book
or family. The clan shoulders the polarizes. While most are content All-knowing demonic
extra burden and caters to his to live communally for security and grimoire of Belial, originally
needs. They are rewarded with sufficiency, some crave more than used by Merlin
many of Lart’s observations and they need. A crucial component of
inventions. His agile mind makes human evolution is the challenge Worlogog Stone
group survival far easier. of mystery. Thanks to Lart’s legacy Reality-warping artifact
and later artisans like Vulcan, connected to all time
Eventually, greedy, aggressive rational deduction is a tool for and space
mankind cleaves into ethically unlocking existence’s secrets.
divided groups—Bear, Wolf, and Methods used to decipher physical Medusa Masks
Bird tribes. Fifty thousand years laws are repurposed to expose Metallic masks controlling
ago, extra-Multiversal force the thieves, killers, and social emotions. Provenance and
Totality strikes Earth, bestowing transgressors. As a result, lawmen composition are unknown
superpowers and immortality on and detectives become a vital
warring chiefs Vandar Adg of the component of civilization. Trident of Poseidon
Wolf and Klarn Arg of the Bears. Sea god’s water-controlling,
Ahl’s principles bloom in Klarn, Tribes become nations, weather and reality-
competing for resources and manipulating weapon
territory. Strong, avaricious rulers
accrue great wealth yet covet more: Tantu Totem
taking it through guile, politics, and Taps morphogenetic field
force of arms. Triumphal warriors imparting animal powers
are acclaimed conquering heroes, on individuals
but the eternal war between Doom
and Justice generates a new Helmet of Fate
breed—valiant, sympathetic Repository of immense
champions aiding the weak and arcane knowledge, eldritch
downtrodden regardless of family power, and the personality
or tribal connection. Not all have matrix of Nabu
mystic connections or metahuman
power, but all are extraordinary. ■ Ibistick
Egyptian Middle Kingdom
period wand granting any
wish its wielder asks for

Mystic Symbol of
the Seven
Energy-deflecting,
spell-amplifying, and
demon-repelling talisman

38

DWIRVIANTEH

WARS OF THE GODS

ON THE RECORD earliest beings to evolve draw forces Power corrupts Hecate waits eons
of creation to themselves—learning to punish her betrayers, tormenting
DESIGNATION to hoard and manipulate immense successors such as Circe and Zatanna.
Earthly divinities powers such as the raw magic
permeating existence. conflict before shattering—
BASE inundating universes with a
Sphere of the Gods, Armageddon times transformative “Godwave” that
individual realms spawns countless new pantheons.
Front runners in the race become
POWERS gods or devils according to their As Urgrund’s remnants cool,
Worship-fueled immortality, natures. To lesser beings, the forming planets Apokolips and New
reality manipulation, difference is difficult to distinguish. Genesis, Earth especially reacts to
omnipotence, omniscience With basic needs fulfilled by Godwave energies. Here, sages
monopolizing the forces stored in entrap and transform the primal
MISSION the all-encompassing Sphere of the spirit of magic into the subservient
Regulating existence—on Gods, these mortals ascend to witch-goddess Hecate, before
their terms higher states of being but seem splintering into family pantheons
unable to shed primal passions.
STATUS REPORT Moral and conceptual disputes grip
Forgotten but not gone them, but their inability to accept
opposing views creates waves that
A preordained grand design, shake reality. Primal Godworld
reality propagates physical Urgrund descends into devasting
and emotional conflict, with
the aim of developing ascendant Only gods should be gods!
beings from mortal flesh and spirit. Amazon Xandra
Within the Multiverse, the process
infinitely repeats. It sparks and
shapes rudimentary life-forms driven
by instinct, through to increasingly
evolved sentient creatures gaining
knowledge and power while
struggling with ethical questions of
survival and purpose. Always, the

Darkness rising The Otherkind feed ways to cooperate rather than clash. JUSTICE OR DOOM? 39
on all magic and deem modern Earth Ultimately, when magic is threatened
their perfect hunting ground. by the all-consuming Otherkind, the Atlantis is the high point of early
Lords return to eradicate magic itself human culture, combining
dominating geographical regions but are defeated by merely mortal advanced technologies such
and indigenous inhabitants, Super Heroes. The horrific Otherkind as computers and robotics with
divinities specific to Africa, Greece, are revealed as the result of that eldritch powers. The result is a
Asia, Scandinavia, and elsewhere. first act of desecration—militant, nation of wonders, but human
All establish self-aggrandizing rejected mirror spawn of Hecate’s passions and jealous enemies
mythologies, exploiting humanity’s power, locked away to fester in bring it all to a catastrophic close.
addiction to stories while absorbing the Dark Multiverse until freed It is also a place where humanity
their nourishing worship. to seek vengeance. confronts and clashes with rival
gods like Calculha, Majistra, and
One group declare themselves Throughout history, some magic Poseidon on a daily basis.
to be Lords of Order and Chaos. remains the province of mortals, but
Abandoning physicality, they engage gods constantly inject themselves Ancient Egyptian and Greek
in an eternal war of principles. Over into human affairs—siring children, deities are particularly active.
millennia, their dispute kills and aiding heroic quests, sponsoring Restless gods, magic wielders like
damns billions but finally stalls when and aiding favored worshippers, The Wizard, and Lord of Order Nabu
their avatars Hawk and Dove find or inciting them to battle rivals. train heroes Khufu, Chay-Ara, and
Teth-Adam to preserve humanity,
while Hellenic gods meddle
incessantly with their most devout
acolytes. Themysciran Amazons
are made jailers of debased war
god Ares, while despised Hercules
roams the world seeking atonement
for his sins. Like many in his
pantheon, he remains on Earth into
present times, as do the Orishas of
Africa, evolving into environmental
protectors like Shango and Anansi
and rebranding themselves as Loa
for voodoo rites. All remain bellicose,
eager to renew old grudges, but are
now as much prey as patrons. ■

Judgment of the gods order) visit Poseidon. He has
invited them at the suggestion
Many worlds spawn of arch-mage Arion but grows
interventionist divinities, jealous and fearful of them.
generally in the dawning days Tricking Arion into distilling the
of existence when mystical Multiversal force of death into
resources are most abundant. a weapon dubbed the Tear of
Eventually, thirst for Extinction, Poseidon poisons the
dominance and power, or divinities and exiles their spirits
hunger for worship energy, to the Graveyard of Gods.
sets even the most elevated
beings against each other. Millennia later, Poseidon is
killed by the Cheetah and Black
Eons ago, when Atlantis’s Manta of Perpetua’s Legion of
seafaring empire is at the Doom, freeing his ancient
height of its power, alien sea victims to seek godly revenge
god triumvirate Captain Gall, on all peoples of Earth.
Commander Drogue, and Fleet
Admiral Tyyde (pictured in

40

TTHHEE BBROLAVDE AND

HEROES OF HISTORY

ON THE RECORD through guile, politics, or force of Jon Valor—the Black Pirate. He and
arms. Triumphant soldiers are Moro swashbuckler Captain Fear
NOTEWORTHY LEGENDS acclaimed conquering heroes, but in continue good works even after
Atlas, Golden Gladiator, the eternal war between Doom and death claims them.
Beowulf, Viking Prince, Justice, a new breed evolves, valiant
Arak, Robin Hood, Silent champions defending the weak and Some, such as reincarnating
Knight, Black Pirate, downtrodden regardless of family or Egyptian heroes Khufu and
Captain Fear tribal connection. Not all have mystic Chay-Ara, challenge evil throughout
connections or metahuman power, history in such guises as Silent
LOCATION but all are extraordinary. Knight (Brian of Kent, pictured
Earth Prime above) and Lady Celia Penbrook.
In Rome, wrongly accused
POWERS/ABILITIES Marcus is a Golden Gladiator saving Perhaps the most restless
Peak human fitness, brilliant others from injustice. Barbarian is Viking Prince (Jon Haraldson),
tacticians and strategists, prince Beowulf destroys a wanderer unable to die due to
occasionally magically monsters in the the edict of Odin who demands
enhanced or metahuman northlands and
wondrous warriors like a worthy end for the warrior.
MISSION Shining Knight (Sir Unaware of his own origins,
Fighting the good fight Justin) gather in Jon battles monsters and
Camelot. Not all fall worse, is cast adrift in
STATUS REPORT there with King time, and reaches
Old heroes never die— Arthur, and the Valhalla only after
sometimes literally following Dark sacrificing himself to
Age sees stop the Frost King
A s civilization spreads, chivalry endure. from creating a
humanity further polarizes. Displaced 10th-century global
While most are content Quontauka shaman Fimbulwinter. ■
to live communally for security and Arak (Bright Sky
sufficiency, some crave more than After Storm) battles Blurred lines
they need. Tribes become nations, across Europe and Champions like
competing for resources and former noble Robin Captain Fear
territory. Greedy rulers accrue Hood defends England’s might have
wealth yet covet more, taking it lowliest, a duty later been outlaws
continued by privateer but are
heroes to
the poor.

JUSTICE OR DOOM? 41

TWHHEOREG?OES

SECRET SOCIETIES AND IMMORTAL
IDEOLOGUES

ON THE RECORD Often goals start small— Crusaders The Knights Templar
freedom, wealth, rewards—but becomes the Order of St. Dumas
NOTABLE EXAMPLES success also breeds fanaticism. and fully exploit the power of ritual.
League of Assassins, Kobra In ancient Arabia, physician Ra¯’s al
Ghu¯ l (pictured above) liberates his murderous Hashishin into political
RESOURCES homeland with a trusted band of predators the Illuminati.
Variable and secret followers, before deducing the world
needs his guidance. Over centuries, The quasi-religious model
MISSION he builds a network of followers— benefits gangs like crime bankers
Ruling hearts, minds, souls, spies, technicians, and a League of the Ninth Circle, science cabal the
and treasuries Assassins allowing the “Demon’s Council, C.A.W., O.G.R.E., H.I.V.E.,
Head” to cull excess humanity and and Leviathan. Otherworldly
STATUS REPORT restore ecological balance. horrors also exploit this human
Always lurking, susceptibility: Apokoliptian agents
always rebuilding Brother Blood’s personality cult spread evil-worship via a Religion of
grows into a religion able to buy Crime, and Barbatos’s Parliament
H unger for control infects governments and nullify Super of Owls molds Batman into their
humans, but not all possess Heroes. St. Dumas builds a science- key to Multiversal invasion. ■
innate personal power. sect obsessed with biblical justice,
Charismatics and would-be tyrants while the Kobra Cult declare war on See also: Perpetua, Mad Scientists, and
invoke collective effort, adopting civilization. Immortal Vandal Savage
strategies of priesthoods and remakes Persian Hasan Y. Sabah’s Bad Ideas
magical cults. They cloak their
actions in secrecy and ritual as Hear my words my troops …
they use new technologies or and heed them!
magical artifacts to compensate Kobra
for lack of manpower.

Compelling myths of personal
exceptionalism and shared antiquity
are invaluable to Secret Societies.
Leaders offering world-altering
destinies or preordained holy
purpose can sway the basest misfit
into atrocity and willing submission.

42

WWAEYSOTUT

SIX-GUN HEROES

ON THE RECORD with a particular concentration of spot for strange phenomena,
bizarre and mystical incidents in the spawning unlikely champions
NOTEWORTHY Americas. After the United States to balance the scales. The most
PEACEKEEPERS wins independence, its greatest enigmatic is the magical gunfighter
Tomahawk and Dan Hunter, champion—frontier scout Tom El Diablo—a vengeful spirit
Strongbow, Nighthawk and Hawke, aka Tomahawk—battles not periodically possessing paralyzed
Cinnamon, Johnny Thunder, only thieves, spies, and renegades sinner Lazarus Lane (pictured
Jonah Hex, Brian Savage, but also a procession of wizards, above). However, the most infamous
El Diablo techno-savants, monsters, and is the bounty hunter Jonah Hex, a
aliens. In this dedicated endeavor, Confederate Civil War veteran on
LOCATION he is aided by Dan Hunter, a a path of redemption. Hex roams far
US, circa 1770—1901 youthful time-traveling relative and wide, dispatching wicked men
of chrononaut Rip Hunter. for pay, but with his partner Tallulah
MISSION Black spends much more time
Keeping the peace, exploring As settlers push westward, greed
the West and opportunity spark criminality, ending uncanny menaces. Over
countered cooperatively by a century later, his descendant
STATUS REPORT honest, decent folk and a few Jinny Hex will
An upsurge of righteous extraordinary heroes such as inherit his vast
champions spontaneously Brian Savage (Scalphunter), collection of
defending the helpless schoolteacher John Tane— magical and
who battles bandits alien devices
E scalating tensions between disguised as Johnny confiscated from
nations and ideologies make Thunder—and the scum of
the 19th and 20th centuries wandering vigilantes the Earth and
a period of perpetual conflict. Nighthawk and elsewhere. ■
The battles are not just between Cinnamon (bird-
the booming masses benefitting themed identities of Lone justice
from advances in medicine and eternally reincarnating Jonah Hex is
science but also against the hidden heroic lovers Khufu and a legendary
unnatural forces lurking, as always, Chay-Ara—ultimately
at society’s fringes and borderlands. reborn as Hawkman bounty hunter
and Hawkwoman). of the Old West,
As humanity progresses, clashes hunting down
between Justice and Doom intensify, The era and those who do
region are also a hot
harm to the
innocent.

JUSTICE OR DOOM? 43

AOTURWAARRMIES

FORCES IN COMBAT

ON THE RECORD A generation later, a worldwide War heroes Blackhawk and his squad
war resumes, and, as ever, the of high-flying freedom fighters took on
DESIGNATION majority of fighting falls to ordinary the Nazi menace in WWII and beyond.
Military service personnel mortals. Patriotic and brave, they
daily prove the value of “mere” who will ultimately safeguard
AFFILIATIONS humans: soldiers such as Sgt. liberty in every American war
United States of America Frank Rock of Easy Company; to come—a remorseless, infallible
troubled survivors “The Losers”; Unknown Soldier.
BASE joint-service team Red, White &
Mobile, as deployed Blue; or Captain Ulysses Hazard, Soon, however, the world will
seeking parity for all black change forever as Super Heroes take
MISSION servicemen as “Gravedigger.” the stage in every theater of war. ■
Doing their duty
The discredited world of ghosts, See also: Fringe Science Unleashed, Lost
STATUS REPORT demons, and super-beings emerges
Always ready and willing to from the shadows to impact Lands, Champions of Fringe Science
answer the call a previously oblivious mankind.
All sides employ magic and
W hen World War I erupts— superhumans. Psychic tank
thanks in part to the commander Jeb Stuart obtains
machinations of immortal vital intel from a patron ghost,
plotter Vandal Savage who had while multinational aviator
acted as an adviser to Germany’s squadron The Blackhawks tackle
Kaiser Wilhelm—the global conflict the worst Nazi super-science can
triggers astounding advances in conceive. Unnatural forces demand
war technologies. It also produces extraordinary responses: a time-lost
champions to inspire mankind— Viking Commando battles modern
passionate warriors such as Huns, and child soldiers “the Boy
America’s Steve Savage and Commandos” fight as men on
Germany’s idealistic fighter ace every front. America even deploys
Hans von Hammer. In the “killer GI Robots and the monstrous
skies” or the trenches, elements Creature Commandos against
of the supernatural manifest such Axis aggression on a lost island.
as proto-metahuman Hugo Danner.
Perhaps their greatest asset
is an immortal, faceless superspy

44

DPAUTTRIEIOSTIC

SUPER HEROES IN WAR

ON THE RECORD Super Heroes, heralded by the debuts We’ll band together … form
of Superman, Batman, and Wonder a special Super-Battalion…
PARTICIPANT Woman. On those occasions when
Every patriotic son and reality-realignments remove these Hawkman
daughter of Earth heroes from the field of battle, other
beings of power and resolve replace Jan Prohaska, while some are more
ALLEGIANCES them, establishing WWII as the true otherworldly, such as Ghost Patrol.
Liberty, Democracy, beginning of the Age of Heroes. However, many are simply gifted
America, Justice volunteers, determined to play their
On Earth Prime, the trigger part in saving the world from evil.
BASE event follows the banding together
Washington, D.C., Gotham of regional mystery men into a Other heroes form teams, such
City loose-knit association dedicated to as the Crimson Avenger’s Seven
preserving lives and stopping Soldiers of Victory, who battle spies
MISSION criminals. This Justice Society and saboteurs in the US, or the
Crushing tyranny and results from American president Freedom Fighters, recruited by the
defending universal Franklin Delano Roosevelt spiritual manifestation of American
freedoms personally requesting mystery men patriotism known as Uncle Sam.
to clandestinely intervene in the After fighting fascism on their own
STATUS REPORT “European war.” With the British Earth, they abruptly abandon it to
Outlived their political Isles facing imminent invasion by defend the even more embattled
usefulness Nazi troops, robotic terror weapons, Earth-X from the Nazi scourge.
and mystical Valkyries in the fall
W hen economic turmoil, of 1940, global democracy is in In early December 1941, much
warring political jeopardy. However, the makeshift of the Justice Society vanishes—
ideologies, and the task force buys the nation time ambushed by enemies from their
machinations of power-hungry to regroup and even saves Roosevelt own troubled future—just as
individuals such as Vandal Savage from assassination. President Roosevelt receives
create a global conflagration,
the result is a proliferation of Justice battalions
metahumanity exposed at last
to public scrutiny. Mighty masked champions and elite
combatants spring up everywhere.
On countless alternative Earths, Some are former military, such as
World War II unleashes a wave of the Blackhawks, a multinational
fighter squadron led by Polish pilot

JUSTICE OR DOOM? 45

Birth of a notion The formation of the
Justice Society signaled a new age of
heroes and changed Earth forever.

advance intelligence of an imminent United in the tragic aftermath consolidating the nation’s
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and led by Hawkman and Liberty metahuman capabilities. Their
naval base. Roosevelt issues a Belle, the disparate heroes form an mission is to defend America until
public appeal to this untapped All-Star Squadron (pictured opposite victory is achieved, and soon they
resource of new champions, but page). This new team comprises are the main defense against not only
the response comes too late. established and new heroes, enhanced agents and weapons of the
Axis powers but also opportunistic
aliens, monsters, and Super-Villains
out to exploit global chaos.

Despite marshaling enormous
power, the All-Stars are unable
to end the war thanks to mystic
wards created by Hitler’s use of the
Spear of Destiny and other arcane
artifacts. That task is left to human
warriors because a mystical barrier
covering all Axis-controlled
territories enslaves magic-based
or empowered heroes but does
not affect ordinary mortals.

When the war ends, the Squadron
disbands and the heroes who staff
it return to their singular pursuits—
but not for long. Changing political
tides bring forth new leaders who
decide that independent, unchecked
superhumans cannot be permitted
any further opportunities to shape
the New World Order. ■

Tough guys and mystery men

In America, many veterans of creating masked vigilante
the first Great War channeled personas. Lee and Dodds battled
their service experiences into crime and corruption as the
careers. Several became cops Crimson Avenger and Sandman
or government operatives, (pictured), respectively. Their
while a few mavericks such as exploits set the scene for a wave
private detective Slam Bradley of similarly well-intentioned
or freelance adventurer Speed imitators. Many of these
Saunders used their unique extraordinary mortals employed
gifts in more personally clever gadgets, rigorous training,
gratifying ways. and sheer determination in their
missions. These new heroes
Wealthy, socially prominent were soon joined by beings who
former soldiers Travis Lee and possessed fantastic abilities that
Wesley Dodds shielded their were technological, mystical,
reputations and still fed their or metahuman.
desire for social justice by

46

WCOALRDS

NEW WORLD ORDERS

ON THE RECORD Fearless defenders Rick Flag Sr. The absence of Super Heroes is
and his team are never at a loss quietly accepted as former military
DESIGNATION facing monsters but drift away intelligence assets are repurposed
Covert agencies from normal human interaction. for domestic duties. The newly
formed Central Intelligence Agency
ALLEGIANCES Following Communist targets foreign subversion, while
Fluid victory in 1949, extraordinary others focus on sedition and crime
Chinese individuals are within US borders. One division is
BASE outlawed in the new People’s hived off, vanishing from official
Classified Republic. The Warsaw Pact records. The Office of Strategic
also responds, with Services (OSS) is tasked with tackling
CAPABILITIES/RESOURCES superpowered beings declared the most formidable, unpredictable
Classified property of the state in the threat to American progress—
Eastern bloc. In the US, a metahumans and the monsters and
MISSION different tactic is employed— aliens inevitably drawn to them.
Maintaining the status quo redundancy and self-reliance. Many
Super Heroes simply retire. Those Keep watching the skies
STATUS REPORT who do not are hounded out in a
Still suppressing brushfires fevered anti-communist witch-hunt Uniting war veterans Sgt. Frank
wherever necessary with senators demanding that “true Rock and Rick Flag Sr. with top
patriots” all unmask. spies such as King Faraday, former
A fter the horrors of World
War II, with humanity Welcome to the real world,
reeling from years of Faraday!
conflict and economic troubles,
victorious nations set about Rick Flag Sr.
rebuilding, but soon political
ideologies clash and a Cold War
begins. Although violently opposed
in dogma, the leaders of the Free
World and the totalitarian states
of the Soviet Union still agree on
one abiding principle—uncontrolled
metahumans are a dangerous
threat to orderly recovery.

JUSTICE OR DOOM? 47

Global superpowers

After WWII, America rejects or at least state-sanctioned— Now even bootleg and knockoff
Super Heroes, but liberated champions. When the time metahumans like the Justice
Europe chooses a different path. comes, Russia’s People’s Heroes League of China are loose to
The newly formed European and China’s Great Ten (pictured) destabilize the fragile planet.
Economic community seeks immediately prove the old guard
to manage and coordinate were right to be scared.
metahuman activity. It extends
membership to every continent Even small or rogue states
on Earth, with African sorcerer like Markovia and Bialya join
Dr. Mist dividing his time the metahuman arms race, with
between his Leymen and the maverick biologist Helga Jace
Dome’s Super Hero arm— creating incredibly powerful
the Global Guardians. heroes and villains.

Fearful of potential Ultimately, market forces
consequences, decades pass dominate. Corporate-created
before totalitarian leaders metahumans lead to UN
develop state-controlled— oversight from task force
StormWatch, but too late.

OSS leader “Control” creates self- Head have faded. With Flag as Task Eventually metahumanity
funding project Argent and a public, Force X figurehead, Faraday inherits reemerges and new public agencies
media-distracting covert unit Task Control’s job, covertly neutralizing A.R.G.U.S., Checkmate, the DEO,
Force X—the Suicide Squad. extraterrestrial threats too terrifying S.H.A.D.E., and Spyral are formed
for public consumption. His team to manage and monitor a world of
In the war, Fighter pilot Flag leads utilizes confiscated technology and unchecked Super Hero proliferation.
a “Suicide Squadron” (pictured far interstellar vehicles, while the US Unknown to all, the last survivors
left)—convicted felons he hones and USSR publicly struggle to put of Task Force X are watching them
into an elite combat team. When he Sputniks in orbit and dream of men from a secret satellite. Flag and
and battlefield legend Sgt. Rock on the moon—the site of Argent’s Karin Grace are silent sentinels in
join Argent, both are retroactively clandestine extraordinary rendition space, ruminating on lost chances.
reported killed in action, a necessary facility for almost 10 years. If Task Force X had still been active,
fiction before the two veterans a certain rocket from Krypton would
dedicate themselves to confronting As rogue factions such as never have landed in Kansas. ■
extreme threats to Earth. the Secret Six herald a return to
unsanctioned crime-busting in the Magic merry-go-round Faraday’s war
A campaign targeting Super- 1960s, Argent shuts down when never ends but goes underground to
Villains and monsters is carefully alien infection “the Red Wave” fight monsters from much further away.
stage-managed. The intention is to ravages their agents.
mollify and modify public opinion,
promoting consumer security and
prosperity by reinforcing notions
of ordinary American soldiers or
scientists’ exceptionalism. Argent
steers clear of media darlings the
Challengers of the Unknown when
they debut and unwittingly take
up some of the workload.

As the 1950s end, few remember
costumed heroes or caped crooks,
and government fears of war-
traumatized populations in global
revolt or seduced into secret
societies like Kobra or Demon’s

48

DCEHAETAHTING

CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN

ON THE RECORD of extraterrestrial landings and There it is, boys, a death
supernatural incursions. In an era warrant for one of us!
BASE of growing paranoia, Cold War Ace Morgan
Challenger Mountain, “Red Scares” and UFO sightings,
Colorado a lessening of tensions begins with “Prof.” Haley survive a plane crash
the advent of a very public cabal on their way to appear on a radio
ORIGINAL TEAM of champions who pave the way show. Declaring that they are “living
Lester “Rocky” Davis, for the return of Super Heroes. on borrowed time,” the quartet
“Prof.” Walter Haley, Kyle Now the ruling powers are exposed unite as adventurers, resolving to
“Ace” Morgan, June Robbins, to constant journalistic scrutiny confront the world’s growing chaos.
Matthew “Red” Ryan and must accept true accountability
to those who elect them. The new team investigates
POWERS/ABILITIES strange events, mystical intrusions,
Bravery, ingenuity, and The Challengers of the Unknown alien invasions, and super-crime.
determination, augmented are formed after pilot and Korean War Achieving global fame as monster
by technology veteran “Ace” Morgan, wrestler hunters, the Challengers eventually
“Rocky” Davis, circus daredevil “Red” learn the true nature of metaphysical
ALLEGIANCES Ryan, and pioneering ocean explorer existence and that, by cheating
Justice League of America, death, they are no longer listed
Doom Patrol, Justice Pet project The Challengers face in the omniscient Book of Destiny.
League Dark trouble as a young alien tries to turn This exalted status leads to their
them into his playthings. becoming the book’s caretakers
MISSION after Destiny, one of the ethereal
Dispelling fear by solving and mysterious entities known
mysteries as the Endless, removes himself
from mortal concerns.
STATUS REPORT
Cheated death again

A lthough post-WWII
governments around the
world are largely successful
in locking down metahuman crime
incidents, they have little hope of
concealing the increasing number

Agents unknown planet and humanity. In the darkest JUSTICE OR DOOM? 49
hour of this new Age of Heroes, the
As their cases become wilder, the true Challengers explosively return Ordinary heroes
team expands and contracts—most to counter Barbatos’s invasion and
notably admitting pioneering battle his diabolical Dark Knights. Many factors make heroes,
roboticist June Robbins—and are but superhuman ability is not
cut adrift from reality. They counter In recent times, they learn one of them. Throughout
the stratagems of Dark Multiverse a Dark Multiverse doppelganger history but particularly in the
overlord Barbatos and await the of Prof. has formed a new squad. postwar world, when
next crisis. Lost to the masses who Soldier Bethany Hopkins, healer glamorous costumed symbols
once followed their every exploit, Trina Alvarez, computer hacker are suppressed, weird threats
they preserve themselves in stasis Moses Barber, and professional and uncanny enigmas are
chambers within a purpose-built thug Krunch are duped into helping confronted by mere mortals
fortress at Challengers Mountain. the infernal imposter recover the displaying fortitude,
scattered, power-filled remains empathy, and resolve.
Simultaneously susceptible and of a Dark Multiverse god. Initially
impervious to reality-alterations, violently at odds, the old and new Soldiers of fortune, the
the Challengers sleep as their brand Challengers ultimately unite to Blackhawks continue
and legend are repurposed over and defeat the scheme. They now deposing dictators and
over again. Replacement squads of remain ready to face whatever having extraterrestrial
parapsychologists and adventurers the unknown has in store for them experiences—especially after
come and go. Following the and ever-beleaguered Earth. ■ Carter Hall draws them into
Flashpoint event, a TV reality his research into the
show cast and crew are compelled mysterious Nth Metal.
by cosmic forces to recreate the Globetrotting adventurers
team. Surviving a Himalayan Speed Saunders, Mark
plane crash, presenter Clay Brody, Merlin, and Johnny Peril are
producer June, pilots Ace and drawn into bizarre
Maverick, plus other contestants situations—equal parts
gradually recuperate in fabled cunning criminality, alien
enclave Nanda Parbat. encounters, and supernatural
Given a holy mission assault—while the Sea Devils
by the head priest, (pictured) discover the
they are sent forth to oceans are unplumbed
challenge the unknown depths of monstrous mystic
and save the world. mystery. However, while
“Ghostbreaker” Dr. Terry
For decades, the Thirteen never finds a
legend of the original haunting he cannot debunk
Challengers inspires through rational deduction,
a generation of Super subterranean explorer
Heroes who come out Cave Carson and his team
of the shadows to confirm incredible realms
fight for their beneath our feet, promising
decades of exploration and
Lust for life All astonishing exploits.
Challengers realize
that their second
chance at living comes
with an unknown
expiration date.

50

TOHFESMTEAENL

SUPERMAN

ON THE RECORD Never give up the fight. to explode. Despite imminent
REAL NAME Jonathan Kent, Sr. extermination, Krypton’s rulers forbid
Jor-El from fomenting unrest by
Clark Kent (born Kal-El) warning of impending catastrophe.

ALLEGIANCES Despite ignoring the ruling,
Justice League of America, Jor-El cannot convince anyone to
the Trinity respond. Desperate, he and Lara
trust fate and their own technology,
BASE dispatching their precious son from
Fortress of Solitude, Krypton in a hastily reprogrammed
Bermuda Triangle rocket.

LOCATION fueled by alien cells that hyper-
Metropolis efficiently process the solar energy
of yellow suns. Arguably the
POWERS most powerful being on Earth,
Solar-powered Kryptonian the Man of Steel helps form
physiology generating the Justice League, while
super-strength and speed, his son, Jon, inspires and
invulnerability, flight, heat serves with the
vision, freeze breath 31st-century Legion
of Super-Heroes before
MISSION returning to defend
Helping those in need his own era.

STATUS REPORT House of heroes Ready
Archetypical Super Hero, for
always leading by example Born on Krypton, circling red sun Rao, action
Kal-El is the child of Jor-El and Lara The Man
S uperman is the greatest Lor-Van, from a civilization at the of Steel
Super Hero in creation, height of technological achievement. never
battling injustice across The infant is sent to Earth in a refuses
the Multiverse. He is graced with starship prototype—an act of a plea for aid
exceptional powers and abilities desperation and hope by his father, or backs away
who knows his planet is doomed from danger.