CRISIS OF CONVERGENCE, PART ONE: It Begins!

CONVERGENCE was a nine-issue weekly mini-series published by DC Comics in 2015. 40 two-issue mini tie-ins came with each issue on each week, covering four different time periods of DC history. Basically, the villainous Brainiac, who had evolved into near-omnipotence, assimilated various cities from various alternate earths across time and space at the moment the various timelines had ended and entrapped them in separate domes on a planet that existed outside time and space, called Telos.

What follows is a chronology of events leading into the beginning of the storyline.

CONVERGENCE #0: Before the event known as Flashpoint changed the DC multiverse, Brainiac found his way into the Source Wall and was thrown backwards into the timestream. He was mutated by the effects of various "crisis" events -- first Final Crisis, and then the events of 52, Infinite Crisis, Zero Hour, and Crisis on Infinite Earths -- and became an omnipotent being.

BOOSTER GOLD: FUTURES END #1:  Brainiac uncovered the location of Vanishing Point through coercion of Booster Gold by threatening to kill his sister, Michelle Carter, aka Goldstar.

CONVERGENCE #0: Brainaic proceeded to roam the multiverse, exploring both alternate timelines and alternate realities. He planned to abduct various cities and place them upon a planet that existed outside time and space, which he called Telos. He also created an agent, also called Telos, to watch over his vast collection. The most prominent of cities he collected came from the following worlds and timelines...

NEW EARTH Metropolis: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to ZERO HOUR #0 Catwoman, who was in the city to steal a $40,000,000 diamond necklace and matching earrings from a spoiled heiress, found herself trapped in the city at the time of the abduction. Aquaman was also trapped, cut off from the ocean before he could return there after a mission. The insane Hal Jordan, also known as Parallax, was in a Metropolis jail at the time of the abduction. Superman was dead at this time.
NEW EARTH Gotham City: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to FLASHPOINT #5. The Flash Wally West and his twin children were in the city at the time for a family getaway and became trapped within the city's limits. Harley Quinn was robbing the Gotham City Museum of Art at the exact moment Brainiac cut the city off from the rest of the world and encased it in his impenetrable dome.
NEW EARTH 853rd Century Metropolis: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to INFINITE CRISIS #1.
EARTH-0 Gotham City: Stolen from the current New 52 DC Universe. The only "disaster" from this period was DC UNIVERSE REBIRTH #1, so it seems likely the abduction occurred just prior to this event.
EARTH-0 Neotropolis: Stolen from the year 2039. Entrapped within were the Justice League of Cyborgs, soldiers of Brother Eye.
EARTH-1 Metropolis: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1. Circa April 1985. Barry Allen, who was visiting 20th Century Metropolis at the time, found himself trapped in the city and was unable to return to his wife in the 30th Century. In addition, the beings known as Harbinger and Pariah were in the city at the time of its capture.
EARTH-1 Bottle City of Kandor: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1.
EARTH-1: Cap's Hobby Shop: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1. Trapped within were two toddlers named Sugar Plumm and Cicel "Spike" Wilson, who both possessed the ability to communicate through "baby talk" with one another and to other infants.
EARTH-1 21st Century Atlanta: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred not long after HEX #18.
EARTH-1 30th Century Metropolis: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred prior to CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1, approximately right after the Great Darkness Saga. Only a handful of members of the Legion of Super-Heroes were in Metropolis at the time of abduction.
EARTH-1 Skartaris: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1.
EARTH-2 Metropolis: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1.
EARTH-3 Metropolis: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1. The dome caused the depowering of the Crime Syndicate of this Earth, and Superwoman was captured by the Metropolis police force, to be executed for her crimes.
EARTH-4 Hub City: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1. In addition to the Question, the heroic Blue Beetle and Captain Atom, along with the villainous Dr. Spectro, were trapped within at the time of abduction.
ANGOR New York City: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to FLASHPOINT #5. Home of Lord Havok and the Extremists.
EARTH-12 Gotham City: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to FLASHPOINT #5. Home of the characters from BATMAN BEYOND.
EARTH-20 (city unknown):  Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to FLASHPOINT #5. This is the homeworld with characteristics of pulp fiction. Dr. Fate is this world's primary hero.
EARTH-21 (city unknown): Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to FLASHPOINT #5. Home of the characters from DC: THE NEW FRONTIER.
EARTH-30 Moscow: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to FLASHPOINT #5. Home of the characters from SUPERMAN: RED SUN.
EARTH-32 Gotham City: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to FLASHPOINT #5. Home of amalgamated characters such as Bruce Wayne, aka Green Lantern.
EARTH-50 San Diego: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to FLASHPOINT #5. Home of characters from the Wildstorm Universe, such as Gen13 and Deathblow.
EARTH-96 Metropolis: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to INFINITE CRISIS #1. Home of the characters from KINGDOM COME.
EARTH-98 Central City: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to INFINITE CRISIS #1. Home of the Tangent group of characters.
EARTH-162 Metropolis: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to INFINITE CRISIS #1. Home of Superman Red, Superman Blue, and their respective families.
EARTH-216 Metropolis: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to INFINITE CRISIS #1. Home of the Super-Sons, Clark Kent Jr. and Bruce Wayne Jr.
EARTH-247 31st Century Metropolis: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred sometime after ZERO HOUR #0 and before INFINITE CRISIS #1.
EARTH-395 (city unknown): Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to INFINITE CRISIS #1. This is the world where an infant Kal-El landed in medieval England and forged the sword Excalibur from his spacecraft, as shown in SUPERMAN: KAL.
EARTH-462 (city unknown): Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to INFINITE CRISIS #1. This is the homeworld of the characters from the Batman and Wonder Woman television series.
EARTH-494 (city unknown): Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to INFINITE CRISIS #1. Home of Captain Leatherwing, a pirate version of Batman.
EARTH-901 Gotham City: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to INFINITE CRISIS #1. Home of the Just Imagine Stan Lee group of heroes.
EARTH-1089 Metropolis: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to INFINITE CRISIS #1. Home of Superwoman and Batwoman and other reverse-gender characters.
EARTH-1189 Gotham City: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to INFINITE CRISIS #1. Home of the characters from GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT.
EARTH-1191 Gotham City: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to INFINITE CRISIS #1. Home of vampire Batman from BATMAN: RED RAIN.
EARTH-1890 El Inferno: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to FLASHPOINT #1. Home of the Justice Outlaws.
EARTH-3839 Metropolis: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to INFINITE CRISIS #1. Home of the characters from SUPERMAN/BATMAN: GENERATIONS.
EARTH-A.D. Durvale: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1. This Earth was ravaged by the Great Disaster. Home of the Atomic Knights. Hercules from HERCULES UNBOUND was in the city at the time of abduction.
EARTH-A.D. New York City: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1. This Earth was ravaged by the Great Disaster. Home of Kamandi and OMAC.
EARTH-A (city unknown): Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1. Home of the Lawless League.
EARTH-C FOLLYWOOD: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1. Home of Captain Carrot and other sentient animals heroes.
EARTH-C MINUS GNU YORK: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1. Home of the Just'a Lotta Animals and other sentient animals heroes.
EARTH-PRIME: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1. This planet had no heroes except in comic books, save for Superboy-Prime and Ultraa.
EARTH-S Fawcett City: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1. Home of Shazam and the Marvel Family.
EARTH-X New York City: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1. Home of the Quality Comics characters, such as Plastic Man, Uncle Sam, and the Freedom Fighters.
EARTH-FLASHPOINT Metropolis: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to FLASHPOINT #5.
EARTH-INJUSTICE Gotham City: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred somewhere during the events of INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US, sometime before DC UNIVERSE REBIRTH #1.
BIZARRO WORLD (city unknown): Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1.
DREAMWORLD (city unknown): Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to INFINITE CRISIS #1. Home of Sunshine Superman.
QWARD: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred just prior to CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1 (or perhaps during the event). This planet came from the Anti-Matter Universe and was home to the Weaponers of Qward.
VANISHING POINT: Stolen from a moment in time that occurred during BOOSTER GOLD: FUTURES END #1.

The plan from here is to do a page on each of the cities and see the events from their points of view throughout CONVERGENCE, where possible. It may not, and likely won't be, in the order you see here on this page. Stay tuned!

CRISIS OF REBIRTH, PART TWO: Who Is Dr. Manhattan?

THE WATCHMEN was a comic book series published in 1986-1987 by DC Comics, created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Originally, Moore's storyline involved the heroes of Charlton Comics, but the editors convinced Moore to create new characters instead, thus preserving the Charlton characters for future use. The series took place during the 1960s, and in this alternate history, the United States won the Vietnam War. In addition, the Watergate Scandal was never exposed to the world. By the late 80s, World War III was forthcoming between the States and the Soviet Union. The heroes that operated during the 60s were forced out of retirement by the murder of a US government official. These heroes were the Watchmen: Dr. Manhatten, Rorschach, the Comedian, Nite Owl, Ozymandius, and Silk Spectre. The series itself was told in a nonlinear manner and entire scenes had parallels to others in a variety of ways. It was critically acclaimed and is considered by many critics to be one of the most significant comic book works in the 20th Century. For the time being, this part of CRISIS OF REBIRTH will focus on one specific member of the Watchmen: Dr.Manhattan.

Dr. Manhattan was Dr. Jon Osterman, an analog of the Charlton/DC hero called Captain Atom. In 1959, he gained power over matter after being caught in what was called an Intristic Field Subtractor. Nuclear and quantum physics permeated this character. Over time, he distanced himself from his humanity, driven by the idea that one such as himself could not perceive time in a linear fashion. His realization of the idea that all events, including human action, were ultimately determined by factors external to the will. At this point, all human concerns were pointless to Osterman, without any true merit. He did have a relationship with a woman named Laurie, but when it ended he exiled himself to Mars, wary of being caught in the lives of humans. It was time for him to explore the galaxy.

Speculation: At some point, Dr. Manhattan became aware of the rest of the DC Multiverse, specifically its creation point, Earth-0. Riddled with skepticism, doubt and corruption, unable to understand the concept of hope, Dr. Manhattan split Earth-0 asunder into three separate worlds...Earth-0, Earth-13, and Earth-50...in hopes of weakening them for further study.

However, during the events known as Flashpoint, Pandora, the Mother of All Creation, sensed his unnatural intrusion and sought to fix it by reuniting the three worlds separated by his cold, casual aloofness. Using the power of Barry Allen, the speedster known as the Flash, Pandora reunited Earths 0, 13, and 50 to fortify the central world's protection, to unite its heroes for its defense. Unbeknownst to her, Dr. Manhattan, secretly took advantage of the moment and erased ten years from the DC Universe. This intervention, combined with Pandora's own interference, caused the formation of what is known as the New 52 Universe, wherein most superheroes were younger and much less inexperienced. In addition, the personal, intimate relationships that were a part of the lives of these heroes were also erased, weakening them even further.

And so, the Crisis of Rebirth began. Unaware of Dr. Manhattan's influence, Pandora began to covertly watch each and every hero of Earth-0. Satisfied that everything seemed to be the way it should be, Pandora then attended to personal matters. During once such occasion, Pandora visited Heaven with the group of heroes uncommonly called Justice League Dark. Memories and realizations of her true nature came forth, and she uncovered an ability to manifest a more powerful, golden, angelic form. She became a beacon of hope, and she used her newfound abilities to stamp out evil wherever she could.

Speculation: But Pandora's increased status was something Dr. Manhattan could not allow. Before, she seemed like nothing to him. Now, she was the Avatar of Hope.

And so, Dr. Manhattan disintegrated Pandora, wiping out her existence, unaware of the fact that she was the Mother of All Creation, someone who could never be truly eradicated. He didn't realize Pandora would just be born again anew, without memory or power, until the time was right for her to regain everything to help preserve the universe she created eons and eons ago.

To be continued...

NOTE: Pandora appeared in each and every first issue of New 52 comics published at the time, both first wave and second. The only book she did not appear in was EARTH 2. James Robinson, the writer of said comic, later confirmed that the reason Pandora wasn't seen there was because it was a separate universe. She was only concerned with Earth-0.

CRISIS OF REBIRTH, PART ONE: It All Starts With Her

We're a good deal into the Rebirth of the DC Universe. Lots of exciting things have happened, and there's a great deal more to come. But where did it all begin? What has happened so far? Where will it all end up? These and many more questions and answers will be explored in the days ahead with CRISIS OF REBIRTH.

It all began here. At the Dawn of Time. When there was nothing. And then...something. A hand, grasping a cluster of stars.

But it wasn't just any hand. The Hand of Creation, as it's called, belonged to the Mother of All Creation. The entity called Pandora.

How insignificant she apparently seems. But she is indeed the Mother of All Creation. In the beginning, she created the DC Omniverse. At some point, Pandora was birthed into this creation of hers, without memory of who she was and what her role was in the overall scheme of things. But as the centuries passed, she would begin to remember. She was immortal, magical, and scientifically knowledgeable. She was trained in martial arts and other forms of fighting and became a proficient weapons expert. All of this came back to her, but not before a more innocent time would damn her for all eternity.

One day in Macedonia, circa 8,000 B.C., the young Pandora ventured forth to find berries to help make herbal medication to help her ailing son. However, her inert need to explore caused her to stray off-path until she found a golden skull in the forest. Unbeknownst to her, this golden skull contained a portal to Earth-3, a planet nestled within one of the most evil dimensions in the known multiverse. She curiously opened the skull, and it released what would become known as the Seven Deadly Sins: Avarice, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Gluttony, Lust, and Pride. But little did she know that these very Sins actually came from within herself.

As time went on, the Seven Deadly Sins infested the world, beginning with her village, which was ravaged by the time she returned. And her son had become possessed by Wrath. It was then that Pandora was mystically taken to the Circle of Eternity, along with Judas Iscariot and another unrecognizable being whose identity was unknown to all, even him (something that will prove to be the undoing of everything as the Crisis of Rebirth draws ever so closer). Pandora and the other two were branded as the greatest transgressors of all mankind and sentenced to an eternity of loneliness and torment. For Pandora in particular, for her crime of releasing the Seven Deadly Sins upon man, she was branded with facial scars that always burned without relief, to walk the world forever to experience the pain she had wrought that day she opened the golden skull. She was then returned to Earth, where she wandered for centuries, always trying to help man escape the grip of evil but always grieving in the long run when the spirits killed more.

Eventually, Pandora tracked down all the Sins, and it was then that she remembered it all. She remembered who she truly was and what her purpose would always be. There was a great battle between her and the Sins, and in the end only one would claim victory. This victor would then recreate the multiverse, birthing it anew using all of their power, always assisted by whatever grave crisis that was ravaging the world at the time. The Anti-Monitor, Parallax, Alexander Luthor...those titans of destruction who cursed her name as they fought to remake the universe in their names, whose vast cosmic abilities were unknowingly harnessed by Pandora in the recreation of known reality. It was what she was. What she would always be.

However, Pandora didn't always win the battles that restarted the universe. Sometimes one of the Seven Deadly Sins won. In the case of the event called Zero Hour, caused by Parallax, one such Sin won the final battle with Pandora and remade reality into a much darker place. The heroes who are always bound to come were remade much darker. The hero Batman became more violent in his ways. Wonder Woman murdered a man called Maxwell Lord. Superman still suffered great guilt from murdering three Kryptonian criminals during the reboot that came before Zero Hour (aka the Crisis on Infinite Earths). Jean Loring went insane and murdered Sue Dibny, who had been raped by Dr. Light some years before her demise. Brother Eye constantly came back to wreck havoc with the world.

However, there was one battle where Pandora did defeat the Seven Deadly Sins. When she sensed the calamity of what is known as Flashpoint, she also sensed another great power was preparing to complete its own grand design by taking advantage of said multiversal disaster. She also realized that this same force had previously shattered the History of Heroes into three (Earth-0, Earth-13, and Earth-50) to prevent any opposition. And so, Pandora acted quickly. She used the power of the Flash and his ability to tap into the Speed Force to bring the three worlds back together as one, to unite them against the mysterious force.

The multiverse was born anew, and Pandora hoped that her plan had worked. But that hope was false, for her unknown adversary took advantage of what she had done to further its own ends. The heroes she had placed her expectations upon weren't what they were supposed to be. They had all been changed into something new, different, and entirely unexpected. And so, another rebirth was needed, and one soon came...at least partially. But to prevent any further opposition, the mysterious entity destroyed Pandora completely.

But she is the ultimate force. She is the Mother of All Creation. Without her, there would be nothing. So Pandora isn't truly dead. As is her fate, she will be reborn and begin her life anew, amnesiac and innocent, until the time comes when she is needed once again. And eventually, she will succeed in her task to create a universe willed with hope and peace...

...but that is something that will not happen for some time to come, in the far distant future. Presently, the Rebirth has only just begun, and the evil loneliness wanting to destroy it all has yet to tip its hand.

To be continued...

Retro Review: ANIMA #2

ANIMA #2
Story by Paul Witcover & Elizabeth Hand
Art by Malcolm Davis & Chris Ivy

Things get tougher for our young, homeless heroine. Courtney and her new band arrive at Rain City, where she meets a young pickpocket named Pockets. They have breakfast together and quickly become friends. Meanwhile, Slam meets a young woman who takes him to the New Dawn rehab clinic. The sinister head doctor, Jonathan Egret performs shock therapy on Slam, after which he injects him with a strange drug designed to enhance Slam's fears. Dr. Maxilla Yale also works here working on her Dream Machine, which she wants to use to breach the conscious mind and enter the realm of the collective unconscious, which houses archetypal forces where the Animus comes from. Her patient...Courtney's mom!

Courtney takes Pockets to a Boojam concert and even protects him from a couple of punks who attak him for being Asian. But Courtney notices she nearly lost control of the Animus, so she hopes to be more careful in the future. Boojam later searches for the missing Slam, discovering him at the New Dawn clinic. They try to rescue him, but they are attacked by the guards. Courtney and the Animus hold them off so her friends can escape, but Dr. Egret fires knockout gas, taking Courtney captive. When she awakens, Egret tells her he plans to take control of the Animus, the archetypal force of primal fear. It is then that Egret reveals his true identity...the Scarecrow! As Courtney demands he free her, Scarecrow injects her with fear toxin.

This issue digs into more of the lore of the archetypal forces of mankind. The Animus is but one. Another one is Fenris, the wolf archetype, which Dr. Yale discovers in the consciousness of Courtney's mother, Willow. Witcover and Hand are slowly unveiling the myths surrounding the archetypes, and we'll see more of this as the series progresses. Bringing in old Batman foe the Scarecrow connects the book to the rest of the DC Universe, and he fits nicely into the storyline with him working at a hospital where he can toil with his drugs on the various patients without concern for discovery. He certainly won't get any trouble from Maxilla Yale, who is just as sinister as he is. It will be interesting to see how Courtney gets out of this predicament.