Final Crisis (original) (raw)

Final Crisis, "The Day Evil Won", is an all-out war and invasion of Earth by the forces of Darkseid. The main series was written by Grant Morrison, exploring not just the New Gods, but also the Monitors and their machinations in the Multiverse.

History

When the Source initiated the demise of the Fourth World and the Death of the New Gods, it did so on one mistaken assumption: that extinction would end the animosity between the New Gods of Apokolips and New Genesis. The New Gods resumed their war in heaven, a war that ultimately ended when the forces of evil gained control of the Anti-Life Equation which can destroy free will. With this, Darkseid, the Dread Lord of Apokolips and God of Evil, finally achieved his ultimate goal, and in his victory, the survivors on both sides fell through reality, landing on New Earth just before the Infinite Crisis. From here, Darkseid consolidated his position, possessing a mobster named Boss Dark Side and uniting the evil gods of the Fourth World. The good gods could not fight him.

Building his position, Darkseid began using his godly power to alter reality, subtly removing the positive effects of the Fourth Worlds: as a result, Bruno Mannheim founded a cult dedicated to the evil of the Fourth World. Metron, a scientist connected to the Fourth World, fought Darkseid's actions across time and space: convincing "Mister Miracle", an escape artist, to take the role of the spirit of freedom; inspiring Anthro with "fire and knowledge". But it was not enough - Darkseid's evil was spreading over the universe like a shadow.

After the villains escaped from the prison planet, Darkseid sent Libra to lead them in the preaching of his word. Taking control of the Secret Society of Super-Villains, he transformed it into something resembling a terrorist organization. When the time was right, Darkseid arranged the death of Orion. It was only then that the heroes of Earth realised that something might be amiss. As their leading lights were picked off, the heroes united to fight them... but it was too late. Darkseid's followers spread the Anti-Life Equation across the world, while at the same time taking possession of Dan Turpin. Earth itself became a doomsday singularity, a black hole corrupting time and space, where several weeks transpired inside in the matter of a few days. Worse, because the Multiverse rested upon New Earth's survival, Darkseid's presence was destroying space and time around him, which could in turn destroy the multiverse. However, there is one hero no-one could have predicted... Barry Allen, the second Flash.

At the same time, Superman, along with a number of alternate "Supermen", was called away to help the Monitors deal with the threat of Monitor Dax Novu, a fallen monitor who had become Mandrakk the Dark Monitor. To his horror, Superman discovered that Mandrakk's fall was because he had fully embraced his nature: the Monitors were celestial parasites who fed off the Bleed, and Mandrakk sought to feed off the multiverse itself. Superman was able to defeat Mandrakk, but Monitor Rox Ogama, who had conspired with Mandrakk and banished Monitor Nix Uotan to Earth, simply assumed his mantle. Superman dispatched Captain Marvel of Earth-5 to gather all the Supermen of the 52 to form a force which would be able to defeat Mandrakk. Superman was then called by the Legion of Super-Heroes to deal with Superboy-Prime, but the Legion were unable to return Superman to his time period until after Darkseid's rebirth. Recognizing that a desperate course was needed to deal with Darkseid, Brainiac 5 showed Superman schematics for the Miracle Machine.

On an Earth overwhelmed, the last remaining superheroes worked with Checkmate to try to turn the tide against Darkseid. Although they made progress in the battle of Bludhaven, Darkseid assumed full control over the people enslaved by the Anti-Life Equation. In his dungeons, Nix Uotan remembered the name of his lost lover, Weeja Dell, restoring his monitor powers, while Metron, also a prisoner, reactivated his Mother Box. Learning of Darkseid's presence on Earth, the Guardians of the Universe sent a team of Green Lanterns under Hal Jordan to eliminate Darkseid.

However, Darkseid had underestimated the resolve of Batman. Recognizing Darkseid's existence as a threat, Batman made a once-in-a-lifetime exception and used a gun to fire the radion bullet Darkseid had used to kill Orion. Darkseid was hit with the radion bullet, but not before he unleashed the Omega Sanction, the "death that is life", upon Batman. Superman then returned to New Earth, breaking through Darkseid's forces and finding what appeared to be Batman's corpse. As Darkseid mocked his old enemy and fired the bullet that killed Orion, Barry Allen and Wally West lead the Black Racer to Darkseid, who removed his soul from Dan Turpin. Superman allied with the Secret Society under Lex Luthor and Doctor Sivana, managing to break the Anti-Life Equation's hold over Wonder Woman, who in turn bound Darkseid's corpse with the Lasso of Truth, breaking the Equation's hold over the people of Earth.

Forced to miniaturize and place the people of Earth into cryogenic stasis, Superman set about building a Miracle Machine to reverse the damage done by Darkseid. Once it is complete, Darkseid makes a last ditch attempt to defeat Superman and claim the Miracle Machine. However, Superman sang a note at a frequency that countered Darkseid's own vibrational frequency, shattering his essence. Superman then needed a sample of Element X to power the Miracle Machine, and planned to make a sample using Metron's Mobius Chair. Mandrakk then returned to take his revenge as Superman used the solar energy in his body to power the Chair. Before Mandrakk could react, the Supermen appeared to hold him off while Nix Uotan restores the humanity and powers of the Zoo Crew (then trapped as ordinary animals) to be reinforcements. Hal Jordan and the Green Lanterns arrived and, with the last of their power, killed Mandrakk. Superman then used the Miracle Machine to restore Earth to its normal place in the multiverse. Recognizing that he and his fellow monitors were too dangerous to be allowed to continue, Nix Uotan banished himself and his kind throughout the multiverse, again separating himself from Weeja Dell. As Earth began the long process of recovery, the people of Earth were left with the knowledge of the multiverse.

The events of the Final Crisis have been referenced throughout the New 52 Universe, but the exact events that unfolded are uncertain. Darkseid only recalls having fought the Justice League once, and the New Gods of both Apokolips and New Genesis still exist during the Godhead and Robin Rises events. However, Batman was killed by what is believed to be Omega Beams, Richard Grayson is shown to have been Batman during Bruce Wayne's absence, and Captain Carrot from Earth 26 remembers the events of the Final Crisis. DC Comics' website describes the involvement of the inhabitants of Earth 26, the New 52 version of Earth-C, in an event involving Mandrakk.[1]

Issues

Core Issues:

One-Shots:

Final Crisis: Revelations:

Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge:

Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds

Final Crisis: Superman Beyond

Final Crisis Aftermath

Grant Morrison's Essential Reading Order

Notes

A recurring theme throughout the book is "fire," and what it means for humanity.
- Grant Morrison has stated that they chose to use the unpopular villain "The Human Flame," because "The name was just so great, "the Human Flame," in a story about evil coming to Earth…and snuffing out "the Human Flame"."[2]
- In the beginning of Final Crisis #1, the first thing we're shown is Anthro receiving the gift of fire from Metron.
- Immediately afterwards, Dan Turpin gives a small speech about how fire was our first big mistake as a species. "Like everythin' else the sad, stinkin' human race ever thought of. We take a good idea. And we use it to kill ourselves." Turpin is smoking at the time.
- The Martian Manhunter, J'onn J'onzz's weakness is fire. He is murdered by Libra, who stabs him through the chest with his flaming scales trident.
- Element X, the substance Superman uses to power the Miracle Machine, is described as the "fire of the Fourth World."
- Many years later, it was eventually revealed that Darkseid was one of the few individuals who was aware of the Great Darkness' existence. Due to the aforementioned New God understanding the truth regarding the aforementioned primordial entity's motives behind its' actions, he had instigated the Final Crisis in order to draw out the Great Darkness into the open. Not only that, it was also eventually revealed that Mandrakk was an avatar of the Great Darkness which used by the primordial entity itself when it was drawn out as part of Darkseid's plans.
From Watchmen at Newsarama:
- NRAMA: Speaking of Superman Beyond – how does the timeline work between Beyond, Final Crisis and Legion of 3 Worlds?
- GM: The Monitrix Zillo Valla recruits Superman's help in Final Crisis #3 which leads into Superman Beyond #1 and 2, both of which happen in the space between Lois' final heartbeats. He returns to save her in Beyond #2, only to be contacted by the Legion of Super-Heroes to deal with an emergency in the 31st Century – as seen in Legion of 3 Worlds #1. Normally, the Legion is able to return him to his own time an instant after he left, so naturally he feels secure quitting Earth after saving Lois. After his encounter with Superboy Prime in LO3W, however, he returns late to Final Crisis #6, to find time has crashed, Darkseid rules the world and Batman is dead. Oops.
One idea presented is that during Darkseid's conquest of New Earth, other crises were taking place on all the Earths of the 52:
- Earth-4 had an unnamed series of events, beginning with the death of the Peacemaker (likely reflecting those depicted on Watchmen).
- Earth-5 underwent "The Topsy-Turvy Time Crisis".
- Earth-6 was invaded by shapeshifting aliens, who had replaced certain leading heroes over a year before (likely reflecting Marvel's "Secret Invasion" storyline).

Deaths

Trivia

There were several early comments made to foreshadow Final Crisis. Wildfire mentions during Lightning Saga that they've arrived just after the "middle crisis," meaning Infinite Crisis.[3]
The event shares the same name as the story title in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12

Links and References

Crisis
Events	Crisis on Multiple Earths \| Crisis on Infinite Earths	Zero Hour: Crisis in Time!	Infinite Crisis	Final Crisis	Flashpoint	Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths
Zero Hour Related Events	End of an Era
Countdown to Infinite Crisis	Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1 \| The OMAC Project	Rann-Thanagar War	Villains United	Day of Vengeance
Infinite Crisis Aftermath	52 \| One Year Later	World War III	Battle for Blüdhaven
Countdown to Final Crisis	Death of the New Gods \| Salvation Run	Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer	Countdown to Adventure	Countdown to Mystery	Countdown Presents: Lord Havok and the Extremists	Countdown: Arena
Final Crisis Related Events	Final Crisis \| Final Crisis: Revelations	Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds	Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge
Flashpoint Related Events	Time Masters: Vanishing Point
Road to Dark Crisis	Infinite Frontier \| Justice League Incarnate
See Also	Identity Crisis (crossovers) \| Heroes in Crisis	Dark Nights: Death Metal	Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossovers	Zero Hour Crossovers	Infinite Crisis Crossovers	Final Crisis Crossovers	Dark Crisis Crossovers	Convergence

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