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"My readings indicate you were exposed to an extra-universal material that destroys positive matter on contact, a substance known as antimatter."
Gideon to Barry Allen[src]

Antimatter or anti-matter[1] is an extra-universal substance that destroys any matter on contact within the multiverse, having the ability to completely destroy a universe and erase it from existence. During the Anti-Monitor Crisis, a wave of antimatter, brought on by the malevolent Anti-Monitor, destroyed all Earths in the multiverse and killed all living beings within them, leaving only seven paragons, seeking refuge at the Vanishing Point, as survivors.

Overview

Non-sapient species, such as animals, can easily pick up on incoming antimatter. Supergirl noted that all the animals in National City were going nuts before the antimatter even entered the solar system.[2]

It cannot reach extra-dimensional plains of existence like the Speed Force and Purgatory, and locations outside of space of time such as the Vanishing Point.[1][3]

Origin

According to Gideon, antimatter is an extra-universal material, meaning that it does not exist within the multiverse, which is mostly made up of matter; rather, antimatter exists outside it: in the netherverse or the antimatter universe.[4] Cosmic beings originating from the netherverse such as the Anti-Monitor can manipulate antimatter and use it to obliterate entire universes.[2]

Antimatter walls

Antimatter wall

Barry finding an antimatter wall.

In the Speed Force, barriers known as antimatter walls appear when an antimatter wave has a possibility of hitting on a specific date in the respective universe. This can bar a speedster's physical body from time travelling to that date and the few succeeding dates (such as when Barry Allen attempted to time travel to December 11, 2019, a day after a supposed crisis, but was ejected by the Speed Force). Though speedsters in their prime are able to beam their mind to those dates with less lethal consequences, as opposed to inexperienced and/or old-aged speedsters. With the assistance of a machine such as a neural hyper-collider, which can harness neural electricity and transfer it across superluminal particles (also known as tachyons) to project one's consciousness across space-time.[4]

History

Used by Kryptonians

According to Supergirl, Kryptonian pods use antimatter to propel them through space. Malefic J'onzz stole Superman's pod to use its engine to complete a makeshift Phantom Zone projector in order to free Midnight from the Phantom Zone. Supergirl originally thought Malefic would instead create a bomb from the pod's engine, which Brainy theorized would capable of destroying all life across three solar systems, although this process would need great skill and enormous resources.[5]

Discovery and detection

Multiverse map

Jay Garrick detects antimatter readings across the multiverse

"For the past year, I've been detecting antimatter signatures across the multiverse. Now, we don't know their origin. But if my algorithm is correct, all Earths could be in danger."
Jay Garrick[src]

Between 2018 and 2019, Jay Garrick detected a number of antimatter signatures throughout the multiverse. By October 2019, he had marked multiple antimatter signatures on his map, as he detected them near Earths-2, 6, 7, 17, 21, 26, 32, and X.[4]

Barry's leg wounded by antimatter

Barry's leg wounded by antimatter.

When Barry Allen attempted to travel to December 11, 2019 in October 2019, an antimatter wall blocked his path, causing the Speed Force to eject Barry back to his native time period, and if not for his accelerated healing factor, the antimatter would've consumed him out of existence. The reasons for the antimatter's presence within the Speed Force were the impending antimatter wave to hit Earth-1 on December 10, 2019 and the uncertainty and numerous possibilities of future events.[4]

Consuming universes

Earth-2 destroyed by antimatter

Earth-2 is destroyed by antimatter.

In October 2019, antimatter was unleashed upon Earth-2, killing its population and ultimately destroying the universe.[6]

Argo City destroyed by antimatter

Argo City being consumed by antimatter.

On December 10, 2019, an antimatter wave came to Earths 9, 66, 89, and X. All inhabitants are deceased.

An antimatter wave heads towards Earth-38's Earth

Earth-38 is about to be destroyed by antimatter.

The antimatter wave reached Earth-38 and destroyed Argo City first, leaving Clark Kent, Lois Lane and their son, Jonathan, as the only survivors. Although the quantum towers that Mar Novu had established held the wave at bay, the shadow demons of the Anti-Monitor attacked the quantum towers and eventually destroyed it, allowing the antimatter wave to destroy Earth along with the rest of the universe. However, thanks to the coordinated efforts of heroes from both Earth-1 and Earth-38, as well as L-Corp, the D.E.O., the governments of Earth, Harbinger, Novu, and Oliver Queen's sacrifice, 3 billion humans and aliens were able to escape to Earth-1.[2]

Also, on December 10, 2019, the antimatter wave reached Earth-TUD5 and as a result, it destroyed the entire universe. However right before that, Pariah managed to teleport Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning to Earth-1, leaving him the only survivor.[7]

Antimatter wall destroys Earth-1

Earth-1 is about to be destroyed by antimatter.

The antimatter wave continued to destroy universe after universe, until it finally reached Earth-1, not only killing the native lifeforms on its surface, but killed the Earth-38 refugees. After a brief battle against a Mobius-possessed Lyla Michaels, it consumed those on the Waverider time vessel as well, except the seven Paragons, whom Pariah teleported to the Vanishing Point before the multiverse was destroyed.

After the Crisis, when Jefferson Pierce traveled back to Freeland, he and Jennifer Pierce were scanned by Peter Gambi who had found that both of them had small traces of antimatter on them.[8]

Appearances

The Flash

Season 6

Arrow

Season 8

Supergirl

Season 5

Batwoman

Season 1

Black Lightning

Season 3

DC's Legends of Tomorrow

Season 5

Comics

Crisis on Infinite Earths Giant

Trivia

  • Antimatter causes planets to have world-wide earthquakes even when outside their solar systems.[2]
  • Antimatter cannot reach spiritual planes of existence, like the Speed Force and Purgatory. Logically, Heaven and Hell would also be unaffected.
  • Antimatter disrupts more complicated forms of magic the stronger its presence is in the multiverse.
    • Constantine noted that the ritual to restore Oliver's soul post-Lazarus Pit revival didn't work because of it.
  • Although the Monitor seems to have something of an immunity to antimatter, as he was not killed by an antimatter arrow shot by Oliver, it did bring him to his knees and left him unable to bring Oliver back to Earth-1 until he was fatally injured, suggesting that antimatter weakens the Monitor but doesn't destroy him outright.

Behind the scenes

  • In the real world, antimatter is defined as the "antiparticles" of regular matter found in the universe. Particle accelerators around the world regularly produce tiny amounts, with only a few nanograms having been produced in total.
  • In the DC comics, antimatter is an alternate form of matter comprised of antiparticles. It functions in direct opposition to positive matter and contact between the two will ultimately destroy the particles of both.

References

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