The cover is awesome. It's one of those covers that very few artists, George Perez included, could pull off. It's centered around the Monitor seemingly having an Earth in his hands, and the Earth is cracking with bolts of energy. In between bolts are scenes from the comic. The detail is astounding, but that's to be expected from George Perez. God, I love this man's artwork.
"Oblivion Upon Us"
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Penciler: George Perez
Inkers: Dick Giordano, Mike DeCarlo
Colorist: Anthony Tollin
Letterer: John Constanza
Editor: Marv Wolfman, Len Wein, Robert Greenberger
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano
The story begins with The Monitor examining the young Alexander Luthor Jr.
The Monitor discovers that Alex Jr. is rather unique. An anomaly, if you will. His body is composed of a mixture of matter and anti-matter. It's something that should be impossible. As fans of Star Trek know, if matter and anti-matter mix, you get explosions that utterly annihilate both. That's how warp drives work.
The Monitor believes Alex ended up this way when he passed through the dimensional barriers between the various Earths. You'd think the same thing would happen to Barry Allen when he first traveled to Earth-2 back in the day. Maybe there was something in the ship? The Monitor cares for him, but worries about his being used as a weapon to stop his enemy. Alex is more worried that he will not be of any help. Lyla the Harbinger calls for the Monitor, but he does not hear her. Lyla worries that maybe the Monitor knows that she has now become a rather unwilling agent of his enemy.
She appears before the enemy, the Psycho-Pirate overjoyed to see her, much to her chagrin. The Pirate rants about the enemy giving him a world of his own to play with the emotions of. The enemy tells him to shut up. He commands Harbinger to destroy the young Luthor, and she heads out to do so. The Psycho-Pirate warns the enemy that she is struggling with the grip he has on her. The enemy is not worried, as she'll do what she's told.
In the 30th century of Earth-1, the Barry Allen Flash is racing across the streets of Central City during a raging storm. He's been living here with his wife Iris for a month after the events of Flash #350 (October 1985), in happy retirement. He's wondering what is causing the storm and the volcanic activity, as there are machines that should correct it. He spots a strange thing in the distance.
The wall of anti-matter is consuming the future, little by little. The scene then shifts again, this time to New York City in the present. Members of the New Teen Titans are doing the best they can to help protect civilians from the wall of anti-matter consuming the city. Metamorpho tries to hold up a building, while Kole uses her crystal-spinning powers to help evacuate civilians and create barriers. One toppling building is about to crush the Donna Troy Wonder Girl, but Superman is able to save her, Batman right behind him. Starfire loses it, futilely trying to blast the anti-matter wall. Superman stops her, telling her her starbolts aren't going to do any good. Starfire breaks into tears, lamenting her failure to save Earth, considering her home of Tamaran was conquered and possibly destroyed. Superman understands her pain and helplessness, as for all his power, he couldn't save his native Krypton.
Katana spots something, and Batman checks it out. Much to his shock, it's the Flash, his body glowing. The speedster yells that in the future, everything is coming apart. Batman tries to go for the Flash, as the Fastest Man Alive states that something weird is happening to him. Jericho senses something wrong, but being mute, he can't yell at Batman. As such, he does the next best thing: He tackles the Dark Knight, and the Flash...well...this.
In a warped mirror of Superman and Batman witnessing the Flash vanish, the Teen Titans and Outsiders witness Flash seemingly being stretched and torn apart. Out in space, another is observing the anti-matter wall.
I love Brainiac's big ol' skull ship. I think it was brought back pre-Flashpoint, but I am not certain. The cybernetic supervillain remarks that to save himself from destruction at the hands of the anti-matter wall, he must aid in saving the universe. And as such, he needs to get to Earth and contact an old compatriot of his: Lex Luthor.
We next cut to Spring 1944. World War II is still raging, and the country of Markovia has fallen to the Third Reich. The crew of the Haunted Tank, alongside Sgt. Rock and Easy Company remark that there shouldn't be any snowfall at this time. They also spot Blue Beetle's Bug and one of the Monitor's towers. Lieutenant Jeb Stuart, the leader of the Haunted Tank's crew, hears the calling of the ghost who haunts the tank: his ancestor, Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart. The General warns that some losers will never be seen again, confusing the tank driver. Geo-Force and Dr. Polaris find themselves here. Geo-Force is all too eager to take on the Nazis, as they slaughtered his people. Polaris agrees to help, if only to cause some mayhem. Blue Beetle reminds them that they are there to guard the Monitor's tower, not for Geo-Force to play avenging angel.
One Nazi holds a woman hostage, but a member of Easy Company called "Flower" (who is actually supposed to be called "Farmer Boy". This book had three or four people editing it, and yet this error still managed to occur) is able to snipe the Nazi, saving the woman. He then picks up a flower and puts it on his uniform. Geo-Force tells his fellow Markovians to hide. A group of Nazis are also at the tower, thinking it's some new Allied weapon. The group are watched by the Losers. One of them tosses a grenade, and kaboom. The Haunted Tank contributes a shell to the "Blow Nazis Up Fund", and Easy Company charges.
Gunner, the youngest of the group. Sarge, a man who gave thirty years of his life to the military. Johnny Cloud, the Native American pilot they called the Navajo Ace. And Captain Storm, the one-eyed one-legged ex-PT boat commander. Nazis feared them, but they were nothing to the Shadow Demons. Easy Company fire at the monsters, but their bullets do no good. One of the demons manages to get Flower, and nearly Sgt. Rock himself. Dr. Polaris and Geo-Force combine their powers to destroy one of the demons.
Blue Beetle wonders why he's even there as he has no superpowers, but figures that he's there because of his scientific expertise. He goes to examine the machine, but a Shadow Demon attacks him. When the Demon grabs his shoulder, Ted Kord screams in pain, but the Demon explodes. Beetle thinks it may have because of the Blue Beetle scarab's magical powers that were used by his predecessor: Dan Garrett. Ted Kord was never able to find a way to access the powers of the Scarab.
Polaris thinks that the Monitor sent them to their deaths, but Geo-Force realizes that the Demons are attacking Markovia itself in an attempt to keep them away from the Monitor's tuning fork tower. Back at the tower, Blue Beetle valiantly dodges the Demons, but eventually falls off the tower. The Monitor observes this and frowns. He was hoping that the Blue Beetle would be helpful because of his scarab, but sees that it would not be so, so he basically sends him home.
We then next go forward to the era of the Great Disaster. The Earth-2 Superman and Dawnstar observe the skies as they guard the Monitor's tower. The skies are turning red, and electrical storms are erupting. Just as the Monitor warned them. Dawnstar remarks that this Superman is married, and he wonders if he'll see his Lois again. Meanwhile, Kamandi is worried about Solovar. Evidently, he got badly injured somehow, presumably saving Kamandi from the Shadow Demons in the last issue. His injuries are taking a toll on the king of Gorilla City, and he's getting weaker. Before he vanishes, he implores Kamandi to be good. The vanishing effect is clearly the Monitor taking him back to Gorilla City. Kamandi believes that Solovar is dead, and he laments that he has lost everyone he loved. Superman reminds him that everything is changing and they have to stay together.
We then next go to the Old West. Particularly, the town of Coyote in the year 1879. A man is getting tossed out of a building.
Meet Bartholomew "Bat" Aloysius Lash, aka Bat Lash. A man who dislikes violence, Lash was more of a devil-may-care character, but always attracted trouble wherever he went. And there was no change here. Evidently, a pretty woman caught his eye, and her mother did not take too kindly to it. Lash rides out, remembering that he also got a telegram from Ke-Woh-No-Tay, aka Scalphunter. Bat Lash spots one of the Monitor's towers, and figures that is what it's about. The gentleman rogue enters a mine and discovers that he is not alone. Alongside him and Scalphunter, are more of DC's Western-era characters: Johnny Thunder, Nighthawk, and Jonah Hex. The four puzzle over what this tower is, and Nighthawk remarks that he felt compelled to come here, the other Western heroes agreeing with him. Nighthawk goes to get some weapons. The Western heroes discover that the tower has defenders.
Bat Lash panics at the sight of Cyborg, Psimon, John Stewart, and Firebrand, and fires a shot at them. The Green Lantern protects himself with an energy bubble, and Firebrand reassures them that they aren't there to fight. Jonah Hex recognizes Stewart's Green Lantern costume, and reminds Lash that they've met a Green Lantern before, but the one they met was white [Bat Lash and Jonah Hex met the Hal Jordan Green Lantern in 1878 during the events of Justice League of America #198 (January 1982)]. The two groups of heroes talk a bit, but then the Shadow Demons attack. The Western heroes and the Harbinger Group members fight them off, but John Stewart discovers his power ring has mysteriously stopped working, despite it having plenty of charge left. The heroes discover the mine is caving in.
Outside, Nighthawk notices the red skies and electrical storms, leaving him incredibly confused. He rides to a nearby town to check things out, and finds this.
The anti-matter wall is consuming the town. Nighthawk rides either away from the town in terror or rides towards to try and help, the art isn't clear. A lightning bolt spooks his horse, knocking him off. The vigilante helplessly fires at the anti-matter wall, but nothing can stop it. The wall eventually overcomes and consumes him.
But the 1870s is not the only era in time hit by the wall. It's also consuming the 30th century. The Metropolis of that era is slowly getting eaten, and the Legion are helpless to stop it. Dream Girl notes with horror that she did not dream this. Brainiac 5 contacts a Legion reservist named Kid Psycho, who is evacuating people in London. Despite his efforts, Kid Psycho has nowhere to put the people, even if they can evacuate the city. Some rubble falls on the psychokinetic, rendering him unconscious. As the Legion calls for him to respond, the anti-matter wave consumes the fallen Legionnaire, and takes London with him.
The anti-matter wall is everywhere, consuming Earth at several points in time at once. How that works, I have no idea. But they have to show off DC's long in-universe history somehow. The Monitor observes this, noting the enemy is moving faster than anticipated. He laments that he doesn't have enough time to save the various Earths, but his towers are in place. He's got his Harbinger Group where he needs them, so it's time to launch his plan. However, the story ends with Harbinger about to blast the Monitor, her eyes black as night. She states that the only thing that will happen now is his death.
This issue was pretty good. We're starting to see the Crisis majorly affect the heroes, actually taking casualties from the costumed community. Nighthawk, the Losers, and Kid Psycho may not be major heroes, but it is a taste of what is to come. It's also really cool to see WWII-era characters together, as well as the Western heroes being gathered.
Harbinger's turn is very tragic, as the previous two issues have shown that what she is doing is out of her own control. I imagined that Lyla was still in there, watching in horror as she announced to the being she loved like a father that he would die by her hand. It's scary stuff. And George Perez's artwork is awesome, which is par for the course for the man. Seriously.
Next time, we take a trip to the Marvel Universe, as Iron Man pays homage to Thunderball...
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