Crisis on Infinite Earths: “Part II”
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For a quick read, go to Review. For a complete summary, go to Recap.
KBear Recap [Read time: 5-7 min]
“Yeah, I kind of promised our crew they’d never have to do another crossover.” Sara Lance
Sara Lance/White Canary (Caity Lotz) pours a drink in honor of Oliver while Kara Danvers/Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) and Kate Kane/Batwoman (Ruby Rose) look on. Sara: “Oliver died the way he lived. A hero.” Lyla Michaels/Harbinger (Audrey Marie Anderson) appears, she is worried how she’ll tell Diggle that Oliver is dead. Ray Palmer/The Atom (Brandon Routh) talks to the Monitor (LaMonica Garrett). They need the Waverider for Ray’s lab on the ship. The Legions aren’t around. Sara: “Yeah, I kind of promised our crew they’d never have to do another crossover.” Lala tells them they can use any Waverider across the multiverse, and she goes to the one located on Earth-74. The Earth-74 Waverider’s AI has a male voice, (Wentworth Miller). The only one left on the ship is Mick Rory/Heat Wave (Dominic Purcell). Harbinger offers him beer and stories to tell to help save the multiverse. She had him at beer.
Back on Earth-1 the Monitor addresses Rory, Kate, Kara, Clark Kent/Superman (Tyler Hoechlin), Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) and baby Jonathan. Barry Allen/The Flash (Grant Gustin) joins them, while Ray stands off to the side. Baby Jonathan starts crying, Lois passes him along from one superhero to the next, until he stops crying when Rory holds him. The Monitor continues, “You have all lost a great hero. You have suffered a horrible loss, but you have every reason not to lose hope. Seven in fact. Across space and time, exist seven heroes. Beings of the purest will, who can ultimately defeat the Anti-Monitor, and help us save the multiverse. They are known as Paragons.” Barry asks how he knows this and he tells them because Oliver died earlier than he thought, he went back into the time stream to retrieve the Book of Destiny. Lyla hears voices when the book appears. Kara asks can they use it to bring back Earth-38, Mia Smoak/Green Arrow (Katherine McNamara) asks can they bring her father back. Monitor tells Kara that trying to bring a planet back would drive the user mad, and he tells Mia that as the Anti-Monitor grows stronger, he grows weaker, he can’t bring Oliver back.
The Monitor knows some of the Paragons, Kara is the Paragon of Hope, even though she feels hopeless now. Sara is the Paragon of Destiny. A Kryptonian who lost everyone is the Paragon of Truth. Clark and Lois volunteer to find him. The Paragon of Courage is the bat of the future. The Monitor thinks that is Bruce Wayne on Earth-99. Ray is surprised that Bruce Wayne is Batman. Kate would like them all to keep it to themselves. She asks who wants to meet Batman. The Monitor tasks Ray to build a device to find the other paragons. Kara is looking on a screen watching the signal for Earth-38 go out, Lex Luthor (Jon Cryer) walks in with the Monitor. Kara: “Lena killed you.” Lex: “Yeah. Only for a little while.” She confronts the Monitor about bringing him back, but he says Lex has a purpose. Kara can’t trust a man who would bring back Lex. Kate backs Kara up and threatens Lex.
Lyla is following the voices of the Book of Destiny and finds Lex holding the book. Lex uses the book to escape. The Monitor doesn’t appear upset that Lex stole the book. The Monitor does one good thing; he brings Iris West (Candice Patton) to Barry. He tells her that he plans to bring Oliver back using the Lazarus Pit. Iris has her own mission; she’s going to help Clark and Lois find the truth paragon.
“Huh. Never been a ghost before.” Kate Kane
Earth-99 Gotham City, Kate and Kara arrive at an old estate. Kate knocks on the door and says she is Kate Kane, Bruce Wayne’s cousin. The person at the door doesn’t let her in. Kate and Kara barge in, and Earth-99 Luke Fox (Camrus Johnson) holds a gun on them. Kate acknowledges knowing him. Kara: “Earth-1 villain?” Kate: “Only friend, actually.” Kara: “Oh, well, at least he’s cute.” Kate: “Nope, no, let’s not make that weird. That’s weird.” Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) walks down the stairs wearing a mechanical suit. Kate: “You know the Bruce I knew wore a different kind of suit.” Bruce: “Lifetime of injuries. But you’ve aged well. For a dead girl.” Kate: “I died?” Bruce: “Five years ago.” Kate: “Huh. Never been a ghost before.”
Iris calls Lois and Clark who are on Earth-75 to warn them that Lex Luthor stole the Book of Destiny and is using it to kill the Supermen across the multiverse. They see a telecast about Earth-75’s Superman being killed by Lex. Iris joins Lois and Clark on Earth-167 and find Smallville’s Clark Kent (Tom Welling) chopping wood. Iris: “Is that him?” Lois: “It’s either him or it’s that buff guy on the paper towel rolls.” Clark: “I can do that with one bare hand.” They tell him that Lex is after him, Lex appears with the book to kill him. Lex is surprised that Clark Kent is Superman. He produces some Kryptonite but Smallville’s Clark takes it and tosses it away to Lex’s surprise. Clark informs him that he gave up his powers. Lex still tries to kill him but Clark punches him. Lex uses the book to disappear. Lois (Erica Durance) walks out to tell him to come back in the house to look at what their daughters made.
Sara gets John Constantine to help them resurrect Oliver. He uses a spell to find an Earth with a functioning Lazarus Pit. It is on Earth-18 in North Dakota. Jonah Hex (Johnathon Schaech) shows up to protect the pit but Sara easily defeats him. Barry and Mia are with them. Barry and Constantine lower Oliver’s body into the pit. Constantine resurrects Oliver without his soul; he is completely wild and dangerous. Constantine tries to bring Oliver’s soul back, but because of the antimatter wave, his magic isn’t working. They will need help. [This will continue in Part 3.]
“It’s like a wise man once said, ‘Battle not with monsters, lest you become a monster.’ I’ve lost track of how many people I’ve killed.” Bruce Wayne
This Bruce Wayne did not follow his code, “It’s like a wise man once said, ‘Battle not with monsters, lest you become a monster.’ I’ve lost track of how many people I’ve killed.” The Kate on his Earth tried to rectify his actions and took up his mantle; she died for her effort. Kate is giving him a chance to be a hero again by helping to save the universe. Kara is with Luke looking at Bruce’s ‘trophies’. Kara: “What are those?” Luke: “Mementos from Batman’s greatest victories.” Kara: “You mean trophies. Umm…” [Sees broken glasses tainted with blood.] Luke: “Yeah. Those belonged to Superman, his alter ego at least.” Kara: “Bruce killed this Earth’s Superman?” Luke: “Who do you think put him in that exoskeleton? Yeah. Big mistake.”
Rory reads one of his romance novels to baby Jonathan while Ray works on making a paragon detector. Iris, Lois, and Clark are on Earth-96 Metropolis at the Daily Planet, they run into Clark Kent/Superman (Brandon Routh). He is the Editor of the Daily Planet. The Joker gassed the building and killed Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, and Lois Lane. This Superman has lost everyone he loved. They ask for his help. Iris: “We need you to come back with us. I know this sounds insane, but…you might be the key to saving the multiverse.” Clark: “That’s actually one of the least insane things I’ve ever heard.” [Changes into Superman] Earth-96 Superman: “First, we stay and face Luthor.” Earth-38 Superman: “And you won’t do it alone.” Lois: “We won’t let him kill you.” Lex shows up. Lex: “Oh, I’ve moved on from that. Never thought I’d say this, but I’m tired of killing Supermen. So much more making Superman kill Superman.” Lex uses the Book of Destiny to get Earth-96 Superman to attack Earth-38 Superman. Iris and Lois knock out Lex and take the book away from him; they use it to remind Earth-96 Superman whom he is. He goes back to normal. Earth-38 Superman: “You okay?” Earth-96 Superman: “Actually, this is the second time I’ve gone nuts and fought myself.”
Earth-99’s Bruce Wayne is crazy and he attacks Kara after she confronts him for killing this Earth’s Superman. He has some Kryptonite in his Exoskeleton suit. He knocks her across the room. Bruce wants to see the universe end and he tries to kill Kate but he ends up electrocuting himself. Back in the Waverider, Earth-96 Superman meets Ray; everyone comments on how much the two look like each other. Earth-96 Superman is the Paragon of Truth. Lex is in the ship’s containment chamber. Rory brings baby Jonathan back to Lois. Ray has the paragon detector working, and they discover that Kate is the Paragon of Courage.
Kate and Kara have a drink, Kate isn’t sure she should be the Paragon of Courage, but Kara assures her she has heart. Kara found a picture of Earth-99 Kate and her sister Beth as adults being happy. Kara provides Kate with hope that this can happen for her and Beth/Alice. Kara is beginning to regain her hope and spread it to others. She plans to use the Book of Destiny to bring Earth-38 back, even though there is a possibility that doing it will drive her mad. Kate has some of Earth-99 Batman’s Kryptonite in her pocket, just in case. Harbinger still hears the voices; someone calls for her. The voices bring her to the Anti-Monitor. He possesses her now
KBear Review [Read time: 1-3 minutes]
The Monitor informs the superheroes that there are beings of the purest will who can help them save the multiverse; these beings are Paragons. There are seven of them; two of them are Kara, Paragon of Hope and Sara, Paragon of Destiny. The superheroes divide up to go on different missions. Kara and Kate go to Earth-99 to find the Paragon of Courage who the Monitor believes is Bruce Wayne. Iris, Lois, and Clark are going to look for a Kryptonian who is the Paragon of Truth. Ray stays aboard the Waverider to build a paragon detector. Rory from Earth-74 becomes baby Jonathan’s babysitter while Lex steals the Book of Destiny so he can kill all of the Supermen left in the multiverse. Barry, Sara, and Mia recruit John Constantine to find a Lazarus Pit to resurrect Oliver.
Kara and Kate find Earth-99 Bruce Wayne. Being Batman broke him, and he became a killer himself, even killing his Earth’s Superman. Iris, Lois, and Clark find Smallville’s Clark Kent. He has given up his powers and lives with his wife Lois and their daughters on the farm. Lex tries to kill him with Kryptonite but is unsuccessful. The trio head to Earth-96 and meet that Earth’s Clark Kent/Superman. He lost everyone he loved, but is still a good person and agrees to help them. Lex shows up with the Book of Destiny and gets the two Supermen to fight, Iris and Lois knock him out and use the book to help Earth-96 Superman break Lex’s spell. He is the Paragon of Truth. Ray’s paragon detector works and they find out Kate is actually the Paragon of Courage. Barry and his group find a Lazarus Pit and put Oliver in it, he comes back to life, but without a soul. Constantine needs help to restore Oliver’s soul.
This episode stepped up the comic booky fun of the first episode. We had three Supermen, Earth-38, Earth-167, Smallville’s Tom Welling and Brandon Routh portrays Earth-96 Superman. He does double duty as Ray Palmer, and Ray and Superman meet each other. Erica Durance is back as Lois Lane and I couldn’t be happier. If three Supermen isn’t enough for you, we got Batman, and it was his best voice actor, Kevin Conroy in the flesh. This Batman was a total dick who illustrates the dangers of becoming the thing you hate the most. Even though the antimatter wave continues to wipe out the multiverse, it was a fun episode. For all of the characters the episode was juggling along with all the storylines, it was fun and exciting enough to follow. So far, the Arrowverse overlords are doing a great job with this crossover.
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