The Crisis on Infinite Earths rages on! In the last issue, we said goodbye to the original Supergirl, Kara Zor-El. She had sacrificed her life to stop the Anti-Monitor from bringing about the destruction of the five remaining Earths in the original DC Multiverse. But she will not be the only hero to meet her end in this miniseries. Yes, this miniseries is also known for the death of Barry Allen, the Flash of the Silver Age. So, how did he go out? Let's find out by looking at Crisis on Infinite Earths #8!
The cover is awesome. We got Barry Allen standing defiantly against the Anti-Monitor, a knocked cold Psycho-Pirate in his hand. The angle really shows how big and imposing the universe-destroying madman...mad-machine? ...is. It also reminds me of the film poster of For Your Eyes Only, one of my favorite Bond movies.
Yeah, it's the UK poster, but still, see what I mean?
"A Flash of the Lightning!"
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Penciller: George Perez
Inker: Jerry Ordway
Colorist: Anthony Tollin
Editors: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Robert Greenberger
The story begins on...or rather, inside the Anti-Monitor's ship. Inside, the Psycho-Pirate is terrified. He fears the Anti-Monitor will kill him because his powers burned out when the anti-matter tyrant needed them (last issue, the Anti-Monitor ordered the Psycho-Pirate to use his powers to make the heroes who were attacking his citadel his slaves. The Pirate wasn't able to do it because when his powers were amplified to induce panic in the people of the remaining Earths, they got burned out). In his fear, he's ranting and raving to an...unwitting audience.
The Pirate admits to Flash that he hopes that the explosion that killed Supergirl also took the Anti-Monitor out. He also noted the irony that he's feeling all this fear and anxiety...and he can't use it. But contrary to the villain's hope, the Anti-Monitor lives. And he's got himself a new look.
I have to admit, I get the new design here. It's much more sleek than the original appearance. I love the Anti-Monitor's original look, but let's be fair. It's complicated, and extremely intricate. It's something only George Perez can do regularly. This new design is sleeker, and presumably, easier to draw. Reminds me of something Erik Larsen said. He basically said that when you design a costume, you have to keep in mind people will be drawing it over and over again. I can see this design being easier on the artists than the original. Also, I like the design. Very sleek.
But enough ranting about art design, let's get back to the story! The Anti-Monitor plans to head back to Qward, where from there, he will destroy the Earths. The Pirate is grateful that the Anti-Monitor will let him live, but the Anti-Monitor reminds him the only reason the Pirate isn't dead is because he still could have a use for the emotion-manipulator, and he can't exactly get another one at the moment.
On the hellish world of Apokolips, Darkseid's resident scientist Desaad has spotted the Anti-Monitor's ship. He wonders what can be done to stop him, but Darkseid has already taken some precautions. He has had Apokolips cloaked from the anti-matter monster's notice. The tyrant is perfectly content to let the heroes and the Anti-Monitor duke it out. If the heroes win, then the status quo will be maintained. If they lose? Well, that means the Anti-Monitor will be weakened, so it will be easier for Darkseid to finish him off.
Whereas Apokolips is willing to chill out and wait to see what happens next, Oa is not so willing. The merging has stopped, which has somehow freed the Guardians of the Universe from the state they were in in the last issue. Katma Tui is wondering why the Green Lantern Corps weren't called in to fight. Arisia agrees, as the Guardians had to have known about this whole craziness with the Anti-Monitor. They admit they knew of something crazy going down, but they had no idea of the extent of it. The Guardians argue amongst themselves about what should have been done, hinting at a potential split down the line.
In the 30th century on Earth-1, Brainiac 5 is hard at work, trying to find a way to repair the damage to the five Earths. The other Legionnaires know Brainiac 5 is pushing himself so hard because of Supergirl's death. You see, the brainy Legionnaire had a long-going thing for the Maid of Might, and considering the character at this point already had a history of being a bit mentally unstable...yeah. The other Legionnaires have every right to be concerned.
In Earth-1's then-present, the heroine known as Firehawk is visiting Firestorm in Pittsburgh.
She wanted to know what was up between him and Killer Frost. However, Firestorm gets a call. It's Vixen, and she's found the scientist known as T.O. Morrow. The three heroes, alongside the Martian Manhunter, take the criminal inventor to the old Justice League Satellite, now abandoned and in disrepair. Despite this, there are still-functioning areas of the satellite. So, why is Morrow being taken there?
The Teen Titans' Cyborg and the Atom are examining the body of the Red Tornado. They're trying to repair him, but they find his android body way too advanced for them. Considering that T.O. Morrow was the android's original creator, they figured that he may be able to help. The Atom, using a special pair of camera-goggles, shows what he sees on his journey through the inside of the Red Tornado.
Morrow is shocked. The Anti-Monitor had altered the Tornado's insides, making him something completely different from the original android he built years ago. He has no idea what he even is looking at, much less how to approach fixing him. The John Stewart Green Lantern flies out to Los Angeles, and picks up the Blue Devil, taking him to the Satellite. The Devil wonders why they want him, as he's not a scientist. He's reminded he built the original bio-suit. Yeah, the Blue Devil was originally a man in a suit, but thanks to a demon, he got turned into an actual demon. Ain't comics great?
The Blue Devil observes Morrow take off the Red Tornado's head. The demon notes that the insides of the android are glowing. He then realizes something is going on. The Atom leaps out of the robot, screaming that the robot's insides are going crazy.
Yup, the Anti-Monitor booby-trapped the Red Tornado, causing the hero to explode in a firestorm. Speaking of Firestorm, he notes that Firehawk is missing. She's alright, but her costume is busted up. Luckily, she has molecular reconstruction powers, so she can make a new one.
Yeah, this bit was only an excuse to give a minor character a new suit. T.O. Morrow tries to flee for his life, with the Blue Devil after him. Morrow vanishes, leaving the Devil confused. The former stuntman spots a space warp, and it pulls him in. He finds himself on a spaceship operated by the Omega Men. After the events of Omega Men #31 (October 1985), the Vega system thinks the Omegas are dead...and this warp may ensure that reports of their deaths will not be greatly exaggerated. The warp is causing the ship to disintegrate, leaving the Blue Devil to wonder how he's going to get out of this mess. You'll have to read Blue Devil #18 (November 1985) to find out how. Back in the anti-matter universe, the Anti-Monitor is overseeing some construction.
What is it that he's building? Well, it's a cannon. A big ol' cannon. Yup, he's going to use this thing to literally blow the five remaining Earths away. Meanwhile, the Psycho-Pirate has come to visit the Flash. His powers are starting to return, and he wants to have some fun with the Scarlet Speedster, who is trapped in some Jello glue goop. He tries to use his powers on the Fastest Man Alive, but Barry Allen is having none of it. He breaks out of his...Jello glue goop, and gives the Pirate a Mighty Punch, and he has one for his Thunderer guard, too.
The Pirate tries to make Barry afraid of him again, but the forensics expert manages to resist it and give the Pirate another Mighty Punch. And another. And another. And another. And one more just for the heck of it. The emotion-manipulator pleads for his life, and Barry tells him that he's got a little scheme going, and the Pirate is going to help him. What's the plan?
Well, Barry plans to use the Psycho-Pirate's powers to make the Anti-Monitor's Qwardian Thunderers to turn on the cosmic cyborg and attack him.
With the Thunderers raining their bolts on the Anti-Monitor, Flash turns to the anti-matter cannon. The Psycho-Pirate pleads for Flash's help, but he only gets another Mighty Punch. As far as the Flash is concerned, Psycho-Pirate deserves it if the Anti-Monitor kills him. He was willing to join up with a being that killed uncountable amounts of people with no remorse, and the five Earths were next on his hit list. Barry vibrates inside the cannon.
Barry discovers that the cannon's power source is concentrated anti-matter. He can feel himself weakening somehow. I have no idea. He has to destroy the cannon, and there's only one way a Flash can do it.
Barry Allen begins to run.
He runs, faster and faster, despite his growing weaker. His legs are feeling like lead, but still, he runs. He thinks about his parents. He thinks about his wife Iris. He thinks about his friends and loved ones, like Fiona Webb, Wally West, Dexter Myles, Ralph and Sue Dibny, Hal Jordan...he knows he's dying, but still...he runs. He runs, despite the pain he is in.
The Anti-Monitor endures the assault of the Weaponers of Qward, getting his armor damaged in the process. He manages to fight them off. The cosmic cyborg witnesses the cannon over-loading, Flash's running is causing the cannon to overload, the anti-matter energy inside being forced inside the machine.
Faster and faster Barry Allen runs. He is in pain, and his body is slowly disintegrating. His speed is so great, he starts flashing through points in time, seeing Kid Flash, and the Joker and Batman (from issue 2), and he screams for help. Barry keeps running as his body wears away, leaving an empty costume. His running is not in vain, as to the horror of the Anti-Monitor, his cannon explodes into a useless pile of wrecked metal and rubble.
From a meta-perspective, Barry Allen dying in Crisis on Infinite Earths made a bit of poetic sense. It was a Barry Allen story, "Flash of Two Worlds", that introduced the DC Multiverse. And it is appropriate that his final adventure be in the story that ends the DC Multiverse. The Anti-Monitor takes the destruction of his cannon rather well. He takes the destruction of his cannon so well that he vows to make the humans suffer. He takes it so well that he absorbs the energy of the worlds of his universe, killing everyone on them. What does he plan to do with that energy? Well, do a bit of time-travelling.
The scene then shifts to Earth-1, particularly Challenger Mountain, home of the Challengers of the Unknown: Kyle "Ace" Morgan, Matthew "Red" Ryan, Leslie "Rocky" Davis", Professor Walter Mark "Prof" Haley, and June Robbins. Evidently, they could not be bothered to come up with a nickname for her. The Challengers were essentially a group of four men who miraculously survived a plane crash. This event convinced them they were living on "borrowed time", so they banded together to have adventures. They first appeared in 1957. Yeah. June Robbins, who was an archaeologist and computer expert, would later join the group.
The five Challengers are monitoring some subspace readings Superman asked them to take a look at. They're a bit nervous about this new threat, as even thought they've managed to cheat death despite "living on borrowed time", they usually had some idea what they were facing. Evidently, none of the superheroes who were in the anti-matter universe bothered to tell these guys anything. "Prof" Haley picks up a noise on his equipment. It's a scream. But it's not a normal scream. It's a scream that seems to permeate the entire universe. It's a scream that gives the Challengers agony as lightning cracks in the sky. What could create a scream like this?
The Spectre, that's who. The embodiment of God's Wrath, screaming in frustration and protest. The Spectre is one of the most powerful beings in the entire DC Multiverse. Despite having near god-like power, even he is helpless against this crisis of multiversal proportions. The story has an epitaph to Barry Allen, the man who brought in the Silver Age of Comics in a streak of red and gold, including a quote from Scottish poet William Knox's 1824 poem "Mortality".
Oh why should the spirit of mortal be proud?
Like a fast-flittering meteor, a fast flying cloud
A flash of the lightning, a break of the wave
He passes from life to his rest in the grave.
A rather appropriate stanza for a man known for being fast. In fact, the title of the issue is from the poem as well.
This comic is really good. The obvious highlight is Barry Allen's death. It's powerful, and he went out like the hero he was. This was why fans viewed Barry as the savior of the DC Universe, and one of the reasons why his return to life in Final Crisis was so controversial among the DC fanbase. As I said earlier, his death in this miniseries is appropriate, especially from a meta-perspective. Who better to give his life to save the remainder of the DC Multiverse, than the man who discovered it in the first place?
Fun fact, Marv Wolfman did include a hidden way to bring Barry back to life if another author wanted to do so.
Of course, George Perez turns in some fantastic art. I think Jerry Ordway's inks go very well with his pencils, like Terry Austin's inking complimented Byrne's pencils in X-Men. The usage of panels in Barry's death is very clever, the position and size helping sell the idea of Barry withering to dust. I do have one question, though. How did Barry know this would destroy the cannon? How did he know his running around the cannon's core would cause the energy storied in the cannon to make it explode? It's a minor nitpick, but it's just something I felt I had to point out.
Next time, gather around the Justice League satellite, kids! In a follow-up to my most popular blog entry ever, we shall finally hear Reena's Tale...
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