Warning! Spoilers ahead for Absolute Power #4 and DC All In Special #1!Huge changes have occurred in DC Universe it redefines everything for the iconic multiverse. Absolute power reaches its dramatic final challenge, and the only way to stop Amanda Waller’s power grab is to do something that will have a dramatic impact on DC’s alternate Earths.
Waller managed to steal the powers of every superhuman on Earth and imprison most of them. But simply destroying the heroes of Prime Earth wasn’t enough, as Waller had her sights set on every Earth in the DC multiverse. An army of heroes rises to stop Waller’s mission, but completely changes DC’s entire cosmology.
The Flash cuts off DC Prime Earth from the Multiverse
Amanda Waller Stopped, But Paying a Heavy Price
IN Absolute Power #4 Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Alejandro Sanchez and Ariana Maher are back together following Amanda Waller’s prison break and armed with weapons courtesy of Green Lantern. However, while the army battles Waller’s forces above, Flash (thankfully still in possession of his powers) is alone, fighting several speedsters from across the multiverse. Waller recruited hundreds of villains to participate in the larger campaign to take control of the entire DC Universe.
Luckily, Green Lantern comes to Flash’s aid. While Hal takes care of the army, Flash looks at the multiverse gate built by Waller. Barry quickly analyzes the machine and admits that the physics of the gate completely baffles him. Green Lantern receives a willpower boost from Jay Garrick and Wally West, but they beg Barry to turn it off as quickly as possible. Flash warns them that if he does this, Earth Prime will be cut off from the multiverse. constantly. With no other choice, the Scarlet Speedster pushes his powers to the limit and destroys the gate.
…Scarlet Speedster pushes her powers to the limit and destroys the gate.
The heroes successfully defeat Amanda Waller and regain their powers, destroying the Amazo that took their powers in the first place. The massive event even ends with some heroes gaining new, unexpected powers. As the dust settles, Jay, Wally and Flash discuss the aftermath. Garrick confirms that Barry was right and that the speedsters’ vibrational access to alternate worlds has disappeared. Wally also confirms that he has tried everything.d even he won’t be able to find his way to another Earth in the DC multiverse.
The DC Multiverse has expanded and contracted over the years
From infinity to one, to 52 and beyond
The DCU has gone through a number of changes over the last century, especially since reboots and continuity moves came into play. The multiverse began in earnest in the Silver Age when Barry Allen accidentally traveled to another world by vibrating his molecules at the frequency of neighboring Earth. The Flash traveled to Earth-2, home of DC’s old Golden Age heroes, giving the stories of yesteryear a home in the DC continuity. Over the next few years, other Earths will be created in the larger DC multiverse. to the point that it contained an infinite number of worlds.
Barry’s journey to Earth-2 can be seen in the classic story “A Flash of Two Worlds.” Flash #123!
However, in an iconic series of events, countless universes were destroyed. Crisis on Infinite Earthsin which the Anti-Monitor destroyed thousands of alternate worlds. Several Earths survived and were merged into one single timeline, and this was the state of the DC Universe for about two decades. That was until Infinite Crisis that Alexander Luthor revived the multiverse in an attempt to find a perfect world. But unlike the previous, limitless structure, this new multiverse was limited to 52 worlds. Although it won’t be long before the DC multiverse changed again.
As of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earthsthe standard multiverse has returned to its original limitless state…
Convergence The event revealed that every time frame ever seen still existed. Later event Dark Nights: Death Metal saw the multiverse destroyed, although it was recreated and found to be part of a larger “omniverse”, consisting of many multiverses that make up the Divine Continuum. As of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earthsthe standard multiverse returned to its original limitless state after Pariah, a player in Crisis on Infinite Earthswent crazy and almost destroyed reality. Luckily, the Justice League stopped him and Barry Allen began to map this new multiverse and its new worlds.
There are now only two important worlds in DC: the Primary and the Ultimate.
DC has already replaced its multiverse with a strange new world
Cutting off the DC Universe from the larger DC multiverse is a big deal, but what happened in Absolute power only tells half the story. The same week that Absolute Power #4 came out DC All In Special #1 hit the shelves, where Darkseid’s physical form was destroyed and released his energy into the world. With nowhere else to go, Darkseid’s energy tore a hole in reality and traveled to the young, impressionable Other World where the energy imprinted itself on him. and the creation of a new Absolute Universe.
Be sure to grab a copy DC All In Special #1 Scott Snyder, Joshua Williamson, Daniel Sampere, Wes Craig and Dan Mora are on sale now!
While DC Comics is currently exploring some of their alternate worlds in books such as Batman: Gotham by Gaslight: Age of Krypton And DC vs Vampires: World War Fivenone of them will have any real impact on the Prime Earth. Since the Flash destroyed the multiverse gate, no hero from any alternate world will be able to travel. The only connection the Prime DCU currently has is with the Ultimate Universe. and since he emits the same energy as Darkseid, DC heroes might not want to just stop by for a visit.
…Prime Earth’s only neighbor is the one created by Darkseid.
The Multiverse is often a reflection of the state of the Divine Continuum at any given moment. During the days of Infinite Frontier and Dawn of DC, it seemed like anything could happen. Now the multiverse is sealed, and the only neighbor of the First Earth is the one that was created by Darkseid. While fans didn’t get a chance to see much of this new world, Scott Snyder discussed how dangerous this new addition, the Ultimate Universe, is. Whatever happens next, DC’s heroes are left to their own devices and cannot turn to the Multiverse for help..
What does the future hold for the DC Multiverse?
When will the DC Multiverse return?
The good thing is that, unlike Crisis on Infinite Earths, the multiverse did not disappear, but simply closed. Of course, it’s unknown how deep Amanda Waller’s injury goes, so it may be a while before fans see it. But as long as the Ultimate Universe exists, fans can still access the multiverse. It’s just smaller and easier to keep track of. While fans will have to settle for a simplified multiverse for now, it’s still waiting to premiere. DC Universe to join him again.
Absolute Power #4 available now from DC Comics.