Summary
With the upcoming release of the first film of the newDCU,Superman, set to premiere later this year, the world is eager to see the direction that the heads of the DCU, James Gunn and Peter Safron, are going to take the world of DC Comics in their live-action adaptations. While the upcomingSupermanfilm will introduce other DC Comics heroes that have existed for a while in the film’s continuity, little is known of the direction the first chapter of the DCU, Gods and Monsters, will take. Yet, one majorstoryline in DC Comicsshould not be used for the foreseeable future:Crisis on Infinite Earths.
The multi-comic-spanning story explored the full breadth of the DC multiverse as an all-powerful being known as The Anti-Monitor began eliminating entire universes, forcing heroes from across the multiverse to unite and fight to save who they could. In the last decade, in animated and live-action, this story has been adapted as a series of animated films and a multi-show, multi-season-long storyin the now finished “Arrowverse”. If the DCU is to progress and succeed, it should focus not on Crisis on Infinite Earths but on another epic crossover event from the company’s long history of crossovers.
The Original Crisis on Infinite Earths, Explained
It Really Did Change (Almost) Everything
The original story from the 1985-1986 event tells the story of the Anti-Monitor, an all-powerful being who begins to target and eliminate different universes within the DC multiverse. Living in the Anti-Matter universe, he is released into the main multiverse after a scientist named Pariah does an experiment with anti-matter, and the Anti-Monitor unleashes the anti-matter wave.
From Earth-3, Alexander Luthor Jr is transported to another reality as the anti-matter wave eliminates Earth 3, and as a result the Monitor, a powerful being who overseas the current multiverse, begins to gather both heroes and villains together fromacross the multiverse to set up towersthat can potentially repel the anti-matter wave by merging the remaining universes into one, more substantial universe. While the heroes and villains are dispatched on various missions across the multiverse, Pariah is forced to witness the destruction of each universe that the Anti-Monitor destroys.
After the Anti-Monitor capturesthe Flash (Barry Allen),and Kimiyo Hoshi is turned into the new Dr. Light by The Monitor, the Monitor is killed by his ally Harbinger, after Harbinger is taken over by one of the Anti-Monitor’s shadow demons. Eventually, the remaining Earths are sent into a limbo universe, and Alexander Luthor Jr. rallies the heroes and villains to battle the Anti-Monitor in the anti-matter universe. This attack leads to the Anti-Monitor suffering injuries, but both Supergirl and The Flash lose their lives in the process.
After a battle at the Dawn of Time sees the remaining Earths formed into a brand new shared universe and the heroes at the Dawn of Time the only ones who remember the multiverse, the Anti-Monitor returns to the new Earth, taking the lives of several heroes and battling the combined efforts of Alexander Luthor Jr, Kal-L, and Superboy Prime,as well as help from Darkseid. Together, they can defeat the Anti-Monitor once and for all, and both Kal-L and Superboy Prime, as well as the Earth-2 Lois Lane, are sent to a paradise pocket dimension by Alexander Luthor Jr. Wonder Woman of Earth-2 is taken to Mount Olympus by Zeus.
The DCU Needs New Stories And/Or Adaptations
There Are So Many Other Crises To Cover!
Since the story was first published, Crisis on Infinite Earths has seen many adaptations in recent years, including a significant storyline playing across the showsArrow,The Flash,Supergirl,Legends of Tomorrow, andBatwoman, with elements alsoplaying out in the showBlack Lightning. The story also progressed across three animated films over the past year, bringing nearly every animated version of the DC universe back to life and seeing their end. With so many adaptations in just the past decade, whatever story the DCU will begin building up to needs to take a different turn away from this crossover story.
There were other crossover stories after this one, with sequels likeInfinite Crisisseeing the survivors of the first Crisis returning and Superboy Prime emerging as a major villain. In contrast,Final Crisissaw Darkseid make his play for the anti-life equation and his plans to take over the universe. A sequel in recent years,Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, saw the exploration of The Great Darkness, a force of evil thathas manipulated events across DC Comicsfor years and brought the most powerful villains in DC Comics history under its thrall. The opportunities for new stories to be told are endless, yet there is one thing that DC can do to truly make the DCU a true equal or rival to the MCU.
The best path forward would be adapting some of these stories in a new and unique way. Just likeInfinity WarandEndgameadapted elements ofThe Infinity Sagabut still told an original story and made pivotal changes, taking elements of one of these crossover events and crafting a wholly original experience for audiences is how the DCU can grow into the cinematic universe it was meant to be. Even expanding uponsome of the work Zack Snyder’s filmsdid previously by making this new DCU, a new multiverse created in the aftermath of those previous films would be a new twist that would connect fans powerfully. Anything other thanCrisis on Infinite Earthswould be the best direction for the DCU.
