Crisis on Infinite Earths: “Part III”
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KBear Recap [Read time: 5-7 min]
“The Anti-Monitor, is that set in stone or can we workshop that a little bit?” Cisco Ramon
Earth-203 New Gotham, Helena Kyle/Huntress (Ashley Scott) is on comms with Oracle, they are helpless to stop the antimatter wave and their Earth disintegrates. On Earth-1 aboard the Waverider, Barry Allen/Flash (Grant Gustin) and Team Flash, Caitlin Snow/Killer Frost (Danielle Panabaker), Cisco Ramon/Vibe (Carlos Valdes), and Ralph Dibny/Elongated Man (Hartley Sawyer) appear. Ray Palmer/The Atom (Brandon Routh) is glad to see Cisco since he can help him fix the paragon detector. Ralph sees the collection of heroes and says, “Holy all-star squadron!” Caitlin explains it is his first crossover. J’onn J’onzz/Martian Manhunter (David Hare) is aboard the ship and promises to use his psychic abilities to keep in contact with the Waverider while he helps with any further evacuations. Once Ray and Cisco fix the paragon detector, they find the last three paragons. J’onn is the Paragon of Honor, Barry is the Paragon of Love, he and Iris West (Candice Patton) hug, and the last paragon is Dr. Ryan Choi (Osric Chau), the Paragon of Humanity. No one knows who he is. The look him up, he is a professor at Ivy Town University. Ray, Iris, and Ralph will go there to get him. John Diggle (David Ramsey) shows up angry over Oliver. He and Sara Lance/White Canary (Caity Lotz) discuss what she has been doing to bring him back. He volunteers to go to Purgatory to help. Sara also breaks the bad news of Lyla Michaels/Harbinger (Audrey Marie Anderson) going missing. The Monitor (LaMonica Garrett) tells him Lyla is under the control of the Anti-Monitor (LaMonica Garrett). The Monitor meets with the rest of the superheroes and tells them the next phase is to save what they can; even he can’t rewrite what is written. Kara Danvers/Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) walks out angrily, and Kate Kane/Batwoman (Ruby Rose) has a worried expression on her face as she looks at the Kryptonite she has in her pocket. Cisco wonders aloud, “The Anti-Monitor, is that set in stone or can we workshop that a little bit?” Cisco has figured out where the antimatter is originating, it is in Central City. When he walks out in the hallway, the Monitor pops up ahead of him. Against Cisco’s wishes, he restores Cisco’s vibe powers. Barry, Cisco and Caitlin go to Harrison “Nash’ Wells/Pariah’s (Tom Cavanagh) lab. Barry leaves them to do recognizance, Pariah appears and tells Cisco and Caitlin he is there to witness tragedy.
Pariah tells Barry, Cisco and Caitlin how he unwittingly let the Anti-Monitor into our universe. Cisco asks how to get into his lab; he doesn’t have Nash’s memories, but Cisco can vibe his memories. Kate and Kara interrogate Lex Luthor (Jon Cryer) on how to use the Book of Destiny. He is snarky with Kara but Kate strong-arms Lex to make him talk. He warns them that it is dangerous to try to use the book on such a large-scale venture as bringing back worlds, it could drive the user mad. Kara walks out of the room and Kate looks worried. Diggle, John Constantine (Matt Ryan), and Mia Smoak/Green Arrow (Katherine McNamara) appear on Earth-666, Los Angles. They are outside a nightclub owned by Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis). He isn’t glad to see Constantine but he owes him a favor. Lucifer: “So tell me what is it you desire?” Mia: “I-I, uh, I desire to get my father back.” Lucifer: “Daddy issues, why didn’t you say so.” He gives them a playing card to get them to Purgatory but he warns Constantine that if the picture on the card fades away, they will be stuck for eternity. Constantine uses his mojo to get the card to take them to Purgatory; it looks like Lian Yu. Constantine explains to Diggle and Mia that Lian Yu would be Purgatory for Oliver. He warns them that Purgatory would erase Oliver’s memories, so he won’t know them. Cisco vibes Nash’s memories and sees how to get into the lab. Using the glyphs on the door, he opens it. Cisco: “This place has some crazy vibrational frequency.” Pariah: “This place is the nexus between the antimatter universe and your own.” Pariah points to the anti-matter cannon and the source of its power. They see a blur on the cosmic treadmill. Barry runs towards it to get a look but a force field tosses him across the room. Cisco asks what he saw; Earth-90 Flash (John Wesley Shipp) is running on it.
“Because, Lois, even in the darkest times, hope cuts through. Hope is the light that lifts us out of darkness.” Superman
Cisco uses his vibe powers to get Earth-90 Flash off the treadmill. He’s grateful to be off but he warns them that the Anti-Monitor rigged it so that if he got off, it would destroy the remaining Earths all at once. As they try to figure out what to do, Pariah disappears. Iris, Ray, and Ralph show up at Ivy Town to talk to Ryan Choi. He is excited to meet Dr. Ray Palmer; Ray’s work helped him with his minimization project. They tell Ryan that he is a paragon and they need him to help save the world. He thinks they are joking until Ralph does some stretching. It convinces Ryan they are superheroes. He won’t go with them because if the world is ending, he needs to go home to be with his wife and daughter. Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) is on the Waverider monitoring the worlds disappearing. She tells the Monitor this is the biggest story she could ever report on, but there will be no one to read it. She finds out that the Monitor lost his world and his family, so he knows how everyone is feeling. Earth-96 Superman/Clark Kent (Brandon Routh) lands exhausted. He couldn’t save another world. Superman touching his crest: “Put this on, this crest-I made a promise to keep fighting no matter what.” Lois: “Why did you add black to it?” Superman: “Because, Lois, even in the darkest times, hope cuts through. Hope is the light that lifts us out of darkness.” He flies off to try to save another world while the Monitor vanishes. Back at Nash’s lab, Black Lightning/Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) appears. Black Lightning: “Where am I” Killer Frost: “Who are you?” Black Lightning: “Send me back to Freeland now!” [Fires lightning] Killer Frost: “Calm down, electric guy.” Black Lightning: “The name is Black Lightning.” Pariah tells Jefferson that his Earth and family are gone. Jefferson cries out in anguish and tells Pariah he should have saved his family instead of him. Pariah says they need him to save lives. Barry tells him he is sorry for his lost, but they need his help to contain the energy from the machine that was powering the antimatter cannon. With both Barry Allen’s asking for his help, Black Lightening consents and begins containing the energy. Kate stops Kara from using the Book of Destiny. She points out that Kara could destroy the few remaining worlds if she tries, and they need her. Kara is belligerent, but Kate won’t back down to her and Kara relents. Caitlin tells the Flash’s that Black Lightning will die if they don’t do something soon, Earth-90 Flash tells Barry his experience tells him they have to look at this another way. Barry realizes how to stop the antimatter cannon, “It’s time for Flash to vanish in Crisis.”
Cisco: “Reversing the treadmill’s directional velocity could make the antimatter wave recede and funnel back into the speed cannon…” Earth-90 Flash: “Destroying the machine and the wave…” Flash: “Ending this once and for all…” Pariah: “Freeing me form the Anti-Monitor’s control.” In Purgatory, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) attacks the group and grabs Constantine. Diggle talks to Oliver, apologizing for not being with him in Crisis but tells Oliver he is there for him now. Oliver remembers Diggle, he lets go of Constantine and hugs his best friend, and then his daughter. Ryan Choi is heading home when Iris has a little chat with him. He wants to get home to his wife and six-month old daughter. He asks if Iris is a superhero too, she tells him she is like him but her husband is. He is off saving the world. Ryan respects his bravery but that’s not him. Iris tells him humans like them are there to remind superheroes what they are fighting for. She understands why he wants to get home to his daughter but asks, “Don’t you want to hold her knowing you had a hand in making the world safer?” He agrees to help them. Once they get back to the Waverider, Ray tells Iris that Earth-1 is the last planet left. He asks how she was able to get Ryan to come with them. A flashback between her and Barry shows that he knows this might be the last time they see each other. She wants to go with him if this is the end, but he tells her she has to talk to Ryan, because her intelligence and humanity is needed to convince him to help. He promises her that no matter what happens he’ll always be running back to her. Back in the lab, Barry says goodbye to Caitlin and Cisco. He asks them to tell Iris and Joe he loves them. Flash-90 uses a trick to take Barry’s speed. He is going to go in Barry’s place on the treadmill. Barry begs him not to do it. Earth-90 Flash: “The Flash must die in crisis, but he never said which one.” He thanks Black Lightning for his help and asks Cisco to vibe him through the force field. His last words to Barry, “Thank you. Keep riding the lightning son. I know you’ll make us all proud.” As he runs on the treadmill, he thinks of Tina McGee (Amanda Pays) and disintegrates. His actions destroy the antimatter cannon and the antimatter wave headed for Earth-1 vanishes.
“Wait, so-so the Superman thing is real? Oh, damn! After all these years.” Black Lightning
Just before, they leave Purgatory a stranger named Jim Corrigan (Stephen Lobo) appears. He tells Oliver, “In another life, I was a decorated police officer, a hero in my own light, but then I was called to a higher purpose. It’s your turn now Oliver. Only you can light the spark, Oliver. It is your destiny.” Oliver: “What is my destiny?” Jim Corrigan: “To save everyone. Otherwise, all universes, all the people you love will perish.” Oliver decides to stay and with his new abilities sends Constantine, Diggle, and Mia back aboard the Waverider. Sara asks where’s Oliver and Mia tells her he decided to stay. Jefferson and Barry talk. Barry: “I appreciate you helping us, Jefferson. I know what you lost.” Jefferson: “My world. I lost the love of my life. My two girls. Nothing will ever be okay again.” Barry: “I know. That Flash, the Flash from Earth-90, he looked just like my dad. He was resilient man. He spent years in prison for the murder of my mom. A crime one of my enemies committed and framed him for. Through all that, he never lost the light. Times like this I try to do the same.” Jefferson: “My father, Alvin Pierce, he was a good man too. Reporter. He spent his life giving a voice to the voiceless. He was murdered when I was twelve. I still carry the lessons he taught me to this day and passed them along to my girls. My girls. Anyway, I get it. Look, I don’t thing Henry or Alvin raised any quitters. So, we should honor their memory, and rage against the dying of the light.” Barry: Dylan Thomas.” Jefferson: “Well alright then, Flash.” Barry: “It’s Barry. Barry Allen.” Jefferson: “Jefferson Pierce.” Kate and Kara discuss the situation they are in. Kate explains that she couldn’t let Kara use the Book of Destiny. Kara understands and thinks it was courageous of Kate to stand up to her. Kate wants to give her the Kryptonite she has in her pocket, but Kara tells her to keep it, she’ll have the courage that Kate won’t have to use it. Iris, Ray, and Ralph show up with the seventh paragon, Ryan Choi. She is surprised and grateful to see Barry, he tells her Earth-90 Flash sacrificed himself for him and that he’ll always come running back to her. Barry introduces everyone to Jefferson. He freaks out when he sees the two Supermen, “Wait, so-so the Superman thing is real? Oh, damn! After all these years.” Now they wonder what to do next when Harbinger shows up. She pretends as if she doesn’t remember what happened to her, but Barry is suspicious. She grabs Diggle and tosses him around. In the Anti-Monitor’s voice, she says, “It is time to end the age of heroes and everything you hold close.”
Harbinger/Anti-Monitor quickly defeats the superheroes on the Waverider. Monitor tells Pariah he’ll know what to do. Monitor and Harbinger/Anti-Monitor shoot energy beams at each other and the Anti-Monitor kills Monitor. The antimatter wave is back and destroys Earth-1. There is only 28 seconds before it hits the Waverider. Pariah knows what to do and sends the seven paragons off the ship. The Waverider with the remaining superheroes disintegrates. The paragons wonder where they are, Sara realizes they are at the Vanishing Point, which is outside time and space. Suddenly Earth-96 Superman is in pain and starts glowing. Kara holds him as he vanishes and Lex Luthor takes his place. Kara asks Lex what he did. When he saw the antimatter wave coming, he grabbed the Book of Destiny, “I thought destiny could use a little rewrite.” Lex has taken Superman’s place. What a sneak.
KBear Review [Read time: 1-3 minutes]
The rest of Team Flash shows up. They go on a mission with Barry to find the source of the antimatter wave. The antimatter cannon is in Central City, and Earth-90 Flash is on a cosmic treadmill providing the power. Earlier the Monitor restored Cisco’s vibe power, so he is able to vibe Earth-90 Flash off the treadmill. The only problem with that is the Anti-Monitor rigged the treadmill so all the Earths left would vanish immediately. To contain the energy from the device until they come up with another solution, Pariah brings Black Lightning, he is officially part of the Arrowverse now. Barry thinks he has to get on the treadmill and reverse the treadmill’s directional velocity to destroy the antimatter cannon, fulfilling that the Flash vanishes during the Crisis. Earth-90 Flash steals Barry’s speed and gets on the treadmill himself, sacrificing his life. A Flash vanishes during Crisis, but it isn’t our Earth’s Barry Allen. Diggle shows up and joins Mia and Constantine to go to Purgatory to retrieve Oliver’s soul. Constantine takes them to Earth-666 to cash in a favor with Lucifer himself. He gives them a playing card to get into Purgatory, but once it fades, they are lost for eternity. Since he is in Purgatory, Oliver memory is wiped, but Diggle’s friendship helps Oliver remember them. Before they leave a man named Jim Corrigan convinces Oliver to answer to a higher purpose and save humanity. Oliver doesn’t leave with Mia and Diggle. Lyla returns and pretends like she doesn’t remember what happened after she disappeared in the last episode. Lyla is possessed by the Anti-Monitor who attacks the Superheroes. Harbinger/Anti-Monitor kills Monitor and causes the antimatter wave to destroy Earth-1. With 28 seconds left, Pariah sends the seven paragons to the Vanishing Point to save them from the antimatter wave. Lex Luthor uses the Book of Destiny to replace Earth-96 Superman as a paragon.
Oliver becomes someone else, something else, he now is Spectre. In the DC universe Spectre is the Spirit of Vengeance, a powerful ghostly entity who punishes evil people. Spectre is bonded to a human host, the host now is an ex-cop named Jim Corrigan, but Oliver will be the new host. Spectre is one of DC’s most powerful characters, someone able to fight the Anti-Monitor head on. It appears Oliver will join the paragons in their fight to bring back the universe. Another really good episode with a lot of great scenes between Kara and Kate, Barry and Iris, Diggle and Oliver. The best scene was Earth-90 Flash vanishing during the Crisis. Our Barry Allen is saved. Aside for the paragons, the universe is gone, all the Earths are vanished. If you’re going to have a month’s break, you better have a great cliffhanger, and they provided one. After the crossover, I wonder how the different shows in the Arrowverse will change. Will there only be one Earth, with Supergirl and Black Lightning’s shows taking place on Earth-1. Will the multiverse be restored, will all the Earths come back, or only a select few? So far the crossover has delivered, I hope it can finish strong.
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