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"So, Jay is saying he's from, like, a mirror-world. Or a parallel universe that's very, very similar to ours."
"Multiverse would be a more apt description.
"
Cisco Ramon and Martin Stein[src]

The multiverse, briefly referred to as the manyverse by Ralph Dibny,[1] is a concept that refers to the existence of infinite universes that comprise everything that exists. Each universe within the multiverse is referred to as a different "Earth," and each vibrates at a different frequency so that they can't normally interact with or be seen by each other. If someone is able to travel fast enough, it is possible to breach the dimensional barrier and travel between these Earths,[2] although breaches can also be created by Vibers or through technological means. Another option is Magic which can also be used to create interdimensional portals to other universes and dimensions.

There were originally 52 known Earths in the multiverse, with an additional one lacking a formal designation due to its horrific state, becoming known as Earth-X.[3] However, the wider scope of the multiverse included at least 1938 parallel universes, which may or may not have been a part of a "local" 52-multiverse.[4] Theoretically, for every decision a person makes, there was a parallel universe where they didn't act on that decision in the same way.[5] Some universes, like Earth-666 and Earth-18, are known to have been further in the past than other universes. For others, such as Earth-99, the opposite holds true, with their respective timelines being further ahead than other universes.

The creation of the Flashpoint timeline resulted in the splintering of the multiverse into two halves, leading to a version of the multiverse where Flashpoint occurred, and one where it didn't (known as the transmultiversal multiverse). The timeline of these two multiverses had a number of differences, with the no-Flashpoint multiverse having a Crisis in 2018 and having an Earth-27 with a significantly changed timeline.[6][7][8][9]

During the Anti-Monitor Crisis, the multiverse was completely destroyed with all lives lost, except for the seven Paragons (who took refuge at the Vanishing Point), Jennifer Pierce (who took refuge in her "safe space") and the planet Earth of one universe (thanks to that world's Brainiac 5 bottling it to save it from the incoming antimatter wave), by the malevolent Anti-Monitor; it was temporarily replaced by a single antimatter universe. A month after the destruction of the original multiverse, Oliver Queen and the Paragons successfully created a new multiverse. For unknown reasons, some universes from the original multiverse (such as Earth-167 and Earth-666) were restored exactly as they'd been prior to the Crisis, while others (such as Earth-2 and Earth-19) were replaced by completely new universes. Aspects of a number of the old universes from the original multiverse were merge into a new single universe, Earth-Prime. However, these new Earths are separated by a different constant other than vibrational frequencies, given that Earth-Prime residents cannot reach other universes through vibes,[10][11] and hence are unaware that the new multiverse exists. until 3 years later team flash finds out about the new muliverse by oliver queen

History[]

Pre-Crisis[]

Birth of the multiverse[]

"In the beginning, there was only one. A single black infinitude. Then the infinitude found release, and, finally, the darkness broke, filling it with life. With the multiverse. Every existence multiplied by possibility. And spread out before space and time in infinite measure. Civilizations rose and fell. And rose again across reality's grasping expanse."
Mar Novu[src]
Big Bang (original multiverse)

The original Big Bang.

Before the birth of the multiverse, an infinitude of darkness existed. This infinitude found release through the Big Bang, allowing for the creation of the multiverse. This gave rise to infinite universes with infinite possibilities through space and time.[12][13][14][15]

Rise of the Old Gods[]

Finding the power the Loom of Fate granted too great to be possessed, and wishing for mortals to determine their own destiny, Clotho broke it into three[16] pieces and scattered them across the multiverse, disguising them as rings.[17]

Age of heroes[]

"This is our Earth. Let's call it Earth-1. And this second Earth, let's call it Earth-2. This is where Jay claims to be from. And these other Earths, 3, 4, 5, to infinity, all of them, are nearly identical to ours. And they all exist at the same time, giving us endless alternatives to what we have here. For example, the Joe West on Earth-2, your doppelgänger, he might not be a detective. He could be a Nobel Prize-winning physicist. And you, the Barry Allen here is the Flash, but over there, he could be an electrician."
Martin Stein explaining the multiverse to Team Flash[src]
Singularity

The Singularity.

Earth-1

Earth-1 was one of the many worlds of the multiverse.

In January 2015, John Constantine and Ritchie Simpson investigated a case related to the Egyptian dream temple technique. The spell was originally created by priests of Ancient Egypt as a pathway to "the dream temple". It was rediscovered in the twenty-first century by philosophers and researchers of the occult, such as Jacob Shaw. Shaw, who already showed psychopathic tendencies in life by killing his assistant, created an alternate reality, in which he would lure curious students and hunt them down. Ritchie eventually managed to wrestle control over the alternate universe from Shaw, and wished to stay there and make it into something beautiful. However, he was convinced by Constantine to abandon such escapism and come back to his old life on Earth-1.[18]

In early 2015, Barry Allen and the rest of Team Flash accidentally opened the Singularity above Central City; though they succeeded in closing it,[19] a series of 52 breaches between Earth-1 and 2 were opened throughout the city as a result of their actions.

Magnetar

Zoom tried to destroy most of the multiverse with a Magnetar.

Between mid-to-late 2015 and early 2016, an evil speedster from Earth-2 known as Zoom began exploring the multiverse[20] before using the breaches created between Earths-1 and 2 to launch an assault on Earth-1's Central City in an attempt to steal that world's Flash's speed. Zoom sent numerous meta-humans through the breaches, each tasked with killing The Flash, but none succeeded. Team Flash, in an effort to stop Zoom's onslaught, systematically sealed each of the breaches, leaving only one open (named the speed cannon) on a lower level inside S.T.A.R. Labs. Barry, Cisco Ramon, and Harrison Wells used the breach to travel to Earth-2 in order to rescue Jesse Wells,[21] sealing the breach upon their return.[22] However, "Jay Garrick" was killed by Zoom and pulled through the breach; the former was later discovered as a time remnant of Zoom himself.

Cisco later reopened a breach to Earth-2, through which Zoom came through.[23] Attempting to increase his speed, Barry used a tachyon device, which in turn caused him to run so fast that he accidentally created a breach between Earth-1 and Earth-38.[2] He used the same device to return back; Team Flash did not realise how long he was gone for.

The heroes take on the Dominators in a final showdown

A group of heroes during the Dominator invasion.

During his travels, Zolomon discovered that Earth-1 happened to be in the center juncture of the entire multiverse and that from there one could travel to any of the other infinite numbers of Earths. Enthralled by the idea of conquering all of existence, in May 2016 he attempted to use the Mercury Labs Magnetar to instantaneously destroy every Earth in the multiverse besides Earth-1; using its central location as a means of targeting every other universe at the same time. Through the sacrifice of his own time remnant, Barry Allen was able to stop the device moments before it destroyed the multiverse, and also managed to defeat Hunter in the process;[20] Zoom was converted into an enforcer of Speed Force, for example tracking down Eobard Thawne across time and erasing him.[24]

With the knowledge of the multiverse, the heroes of Earth-1 soon found new allies with whom to fight various threats. People like Jay Garrick from Earth-3 would aid Team Flash several times,[25][26] and Supergirl would travel to Earth-1 for the first time in order to help the heroes fight an alien race known as the Dominators that were trying to invade planet Earth.[27]

Crisis on Earth-X[]

Earth-X villains crash Barry and Iris' wedding

Earth-X villains crash Barry and Iris' wedding.

The New Reich from Earth-X organized an invasion on Earth-1 during the wedding of Iris West and Barry Allen in 2017. They were looking for Supergirl so that they could steal her heart for her Earth-X doppelgänger. However, the Team Arrow, the Legends, and the Team Flash, along with Supergirl, and her adoptive sister Alex Danvers, managed to prevent the attack.[28][3][29][30]

Coming Crisis[]

Sometime prior to late 2018, Mar Novu began testing various Earths across the multiverse, stating that he was testing them for an impending crisis. He tested an unknown number of Earths, but after testing and decimating Earth-90, Earth-90's Barry Allen, a speedster known as The Flash, managed flee to Earth-1 to warn its heroes that their universe would be next to be tested.[31]

The Crisis begins[]

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 Earth-2, 6, 7, 17, 21, 26, 32, and X.[32] In that same time frame, antimatter was unleashed upon Earth-2, killing its population and ultimately destroying the universe.[33] Some of the universes tracked on the map would also follow.[34]

Complete destruction[]

"It is done. The infinite Earths are gone. Soon only the antimatter universe will remain."
Mobius[src]
An antimatter wave heads towards Earth-38's Earth

Antimatter wave nearing Earth-38.

Antimatter wall destroys Earth-1

An Antimatter wall near Earth-1.

During the Anti-Monitor Crisis, all of the multiverse, as well as all life contained within it, was systematically destroyed by the Anti-Monitor (though the "other half" or #Transmultiversal multiverse was unaffected by the Crisis). Moments before her Earth's destruction, Jennifer Pierce unwittingly teleported to her 'safe space" and survived the Crisis. On the Waverider, at the final moment of Earth-1 before the ship's (after the Earth's) destruction, Pariah sent the seven Paragons: Kara Danvers, Kate Kane, Sara Lance, Barry Allen, Ryan Choi, J'onn J'onzz, and Clark Kent to the Vanishing Point; a point outside the space-time continuum, putting them outside the Anti-Monitor's reach. However, Lex Luthor re-wrote the Book of Destiny and replaced Clark as the Paragon of Truth, thus killing him.[35]

Post-Crisis[]

Rebirth[]

Big Bang (new multiverse)

The new Big Bang.

With the rebirth of the multiverse, some things changed: Earths were now separated by a different constant (likely not vibrational frequencies.) As such, the residents of Earth-Prime with knowledge of the pre-crisis timeline appear to be unaware of the new multiverse's existence and still believe it is destroyed. Survivors of some universes began popping up on Earth-Prime; a new universe with aspects of Earth-1, Earth-38, and Earth-TUD5.[36]

The Spectre soon realized that along with Earth-Prime, a new multiverse was also created after Crisis. So he started keeping track of the new Earths by numbering them.[37]

Consequences[]

For more information, see List of changes caused by the Crisis.
"Thank God J'onn gave me my memories back."
"Yeah, I know, I wish he could do it for everyone."
"Well, according to him, restoring the world's collective memories would reconfigure relationships on such a massive scale that everyone's minds would literally be blown."
"Ugh, gross.
"
Alex and Kara Danvers[src]
Fractured Phantom Zone

The portal to the fractured Phantom Zone.

With the multiverse being reborn, a tremendous number of changes were caused onto the new Earths and while a number of people kept or regained their memories through various means, the majority of the population are not aware of the changes.[36]

A handful of doppelgangers made it to Earth-Prime, including one Beth Kane, Al and Winn Schott Jr, four Brainiac 5s and a trio of Kryptonian Witches.[38][39][40]

Once scattered throughout the multiverse, the rings of the Fates were now on one Earth and able to create the Loom of Fate;[41] the deities were able to rewrite reality as Loomworld,[42] but were ultimately stopped by the Legends.[43]

During the Anti-Monitor Crisis, the Phantom Zone became fractured,[44] but the Superfriends used the Tower as a ship to travel the Phantom Zone and free Supergirl and Zor-El, in which they succeeded. (Nyxlygsptlnz also came along.)[45]

Earth-TUD22 is destroyed by antimatter

Earth-TUD22 is destroyed by antimatter.

Possibly, the crisis destroyed Earth-TUD22, causing John Henry Irons and his daughter Natalie to take refuge on Earth-TUD25.[46][47]

After Iris West-Allen told her brother Wally about Team Flash's recent battle against the Red Death, an alternate Ryan Wilder, Wally started to project his consciousness into the Speed Force to find "alternate timelines", hoping to find a version of himself that could teach him how to let go of all his baggage, but he was unsuccessful. Is later revealed that what Wally saw on the Speed Force weren't alternate timelines, but other earths.[37]

The Inverse World[]

Inverse World portal

The portal to Inverse World.

A portal in the Shuster Mine leads to the Inverse World, a "bizzare" alternate dimension to Earth-TUD25. Ally Allston wears her family pendant as a way for her followers to go there. It differs from Earth-TUD25 in a number of ways, such as having a red sun and square Earth.

The Inverse Society tries to merge with their shadow selves

The Inverse Society tries to merge with their shadow selves.

After stealing the pendant of the Inverse World's Ally Allston, Bizarre Kal-El went to Earth-TUD25 to destroy it before they could merge together.[47][48] The pendants were later fused by Mitch Anderson, but the combined Oblivion Stone was destroyed by Superman and Tal-Rho.

Later, Ally Allston managed to merge with her Inverse World counterpart and she becomes a god-like being. Eventually, Ally began to merge the worlds,[49] but she was defeated by Superman and the worlds were separated.[50]

Bloodwork Crisis[]

Bloodwork infects the multiverse

Ramsey Rosso infected the multiverse with his cells.

On Barry Allen's birthday, Ramsey Rosso planned to spread his infectious cells throughout the multiverse by infecting Wally West, who could use his ability to project his consciousness into the Speed Force to let Ramsey access other Earths. Ramsey eventually infected Wally's brain, so the young speedster opened a breach to the multiverse in Central City, allowing Bloodwork to feed it his cells. The Green Arrow later shot a Spectre infused arrow to the breach after telling Ramsey that he "failed this city", cleansing the whole multiverse of Bloodwork's infectious cells and himself too; ironically curing Ramsey of his HLH disease but depleting his powers.[37]

Known parallel universes[]

Multiverse map

Jay Garrick's map of the original multiverse, illustrating each Earth's proximity with one another. Note Earth-1 and Earth-3 in the center, from one's point of view.

Original multiverse[]


New multiverse[]

Unseen universes[]

Transmultiversal multiverse[]

Known extra-dimensional planes[]


Pocket dimensions[]

Known parallel timelines/realities[]

Known constants in the multiverse[]


Appearances[]

Constantine[]

The Flash[]

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Season 5

Season 6

Season 7

Season 9


Supergirl[]

Season 1

Season 4

Season 5

Season 6


Arrow[]

Season 5

Season 6

Season 7

Season 8


DC's Legends of Tomorrow[]

Season 3

Season 5

Season 6

Season 7


Freedom Fighters: The Ray[]

Season 1[]

Batwoman[]

Season 1[]

Season 2[]

Black Lightning []

Season 3[]

Season 4[]

Superman & Lois[]

Season 1[]

Comics[]

Crisis on Infinite Earths Giant[]

EARTH-PRIME[]

The Chronicles of Cisco[]

Trivia[]

  • In "Untouchable", Barry Allen asks how Cisco Ramon is going to vibe Flashpoint, if it no longer exists. Cisco and H.R. Wells then explain that there might be a different Earth where Flashpoint was never undone, because the daughter universe theory in quantum mechanics says "for every decision you make, a universe exists where you don't". However, this is inconsistent with how Cisco's powers work, as he was previously able to vibe the timeline where he was killed by Eobard Thawne, which also didn't exist anymore. Therefore, it is unknown if the Flashpoint timeline Cisco vibed was truly a different Earth or not.
  • According to Barry and Cisco respectively, following the events of the Anti-Monitor Crisis; the multiverse no longer exists, as Earth-Prime is the only parallel universe in existence. But unbeknownst to anyone (at the time); when the late Oliver Queen as Spectre created Earth-Prime, he also rebooted the multiverse; by restoring some of the old parallel universes and also creating new ones as well, thus, the multiverse still exists. However, Team Flash eventually learned approximately three years after the Crisis that more universes than Earth-Prime had been re/created.[37]

Behind the scenes[]

  • The number of breaches that opened in Central City being 52[67] is a reference to both the multiverse crisis storyline known as 52 and The New 52 imprint in the DC Comics.
    • Harrison Wells and Jay Garrick both stated that there were an infinite number of Earths in the multiverse. On the other hand, Kara Danvers claimed that there were only 52 of them but Wells himself corrected her, describing Earth-X as a 53rd Earth, indicating that, aside for Earth-X, there were 52 known Earths in the multiverse.[3] Since then, these have expanded to at least 1,938 universes.
      • In the DC Comics, this has been explained with the introduction of a "local multiverse" concept, consisting of 52 universes, and infinite universes outside of the prime multiverse.
  • During an interview, the producers of the NBC television show Powerless, jokingly referred to the multiverse by saying that their show takes place on "Earth-P" as it was a DC Comics comedy. This is of course, unofficial and they actually revealed, at the time of the interview, that there were no plans to crossover with any other DC property; the show has since been canceled.
  • In the mobile version of the Injustice 2 game, Black Lightning is named "Multiverse Black Lightning" just like the rest of the Arrowverse characters, indicating that he could possibly exist in the Arrowverse.
  • The official young adults' novel series, written by Barry Lyga, starting with The Flash: Hocus Pocus, and including the Supergirl trilogy novels written by Jo Whittemore, take place in a multiverse that had splintered from the main "Arrowverse" during Flashpoint. Lyga refers to this multiverse as the "Barryverse".[68] The Barryverse follows a version of Arrowverse history where the Flashpoint event never took place. Respectively, the #Transmultiversal multiverse is set on Earth-1A and Earth-38A for each series.
    • When Cisco Ramon of Earth-1 meets the Cisco from the Barryverse, he explains that the splintering Flashpoint seperated from Earth-1 and created Earth-1A, respectively.[7] Furthermore, the characters of the Barryverse refer to the original multiverse as the "TV world", thus differentiating the novel canon and the television canon. The characters of the Barryverse also learn of the Infinite Earths Crisis, which does not affect their multiverse but is happening simultaneously to their Anti-Matter Crisis.[69]
    • Just as the Infinite Earths Crisis resulted in the merging of multiple Earths into Earth-Prime, the Anti-Matter Crisis resulted in the creation of Earth-∂ from numerous Earths from the transmultiversal multiverse, including Earth-1A and Earth-38A. Due to the acknowledgement of Green Lantern, it is possible that Earth-12A (an as-of-yet unconfirmed Earth) also became part of the foundation of this Earth.[69]
    • The Time Trapper from Earth-1A is aware of both multiverses co-existing. He refers to both of them as being halves of a "megaverse".[69]

References[]

  1. "Nora"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Worlds Finest"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 2"
  4. "Infinite Luthor, Part 1"
  5. "Untouchable"
  6. The Flash: Hocus Pocus
  7. 7.0 7.1 The Flash: Johnny Quick
  8. The Flash: The Tornado Twins
  9. The Flash: Green Arrow's Perfect Shot
  10. "Marathon"
  11. "The Bottle Episode"
  12. "Non Est Asylum"
  13. "The Devil's Vinyl"
  14. "The Saint of Last Resorts"
  15. "Fellowship of the Spear"
  16. "Zari, Not Zari"
  17. "Romeo V. Juliet: Dawn of Justness"
  18. "A Whole World Out There"
  19. "Fast Enough"
  20. 20.0 20.1 "The Race of His Life"
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 "Welcome to Earth-2"
  22. "Escape from Earth-2"
  23. "Versus Zoom"
  24. "Aruba"
  25. "The Present"
  26. "Into the Speed Force"
  27. "Medusa"
  28. "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 1"
  29. "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 3"
  30. "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 4"
  31. "Elseworlds, Part 1"
  32. 32.0 32.1 "A Flash of the Lightning"
  33. "Starling City"
  34. "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part One"
  35. "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three"
  36. 36.0 36.1 36.2 "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Five"
  37. 37.0 37.1 37.2 37.3 "It's My Party and I'll Die If I Want To"
  38. "The Bottle Episode"
  39. "An Un-Birthday Present"
  40. "Back From the Future - Part One"
  41. "Ship Broken"
  42. "The One Where We're Trapped On TV"
  43. "Swan Thong"
  44. "A Few Good Women"
  45. "Fear Knot"
  46. "Through the Valley of Death"
  47. 47.0 47.1 "Into Oblivion"
  48. "Tried and True"
  49. "All Is Lost"
  50. "Waiting for Superman"
  51. 51.0 51.1 51.2 51.3 51.4 "'Crisis on Infinite Earths' boss answers burning questions about Earth-Prime, Ezra Miller, and more" - Entertainment Weekly
  52. "Smallville's Superman Is Still Alive Post-Crisis, Confirms Arrowverse Producer" - Screen Rant
  53. "Tom Ellis Explains When Crisis Fits Into Lucifer's Timeline" - CBR.com
  54. "Goldfaced"
  55. "Past Sins"
  56. "Elseworlds, Part 3"
  57. 57.0 57.1 "The Death of Vibe"
  58. "Marathon"
  59. "Shade"
  60. "The Adventures of Supergirl"
  61. "Tribute"
  62. "Tell Me the Truth"
  63. "Revenge of the Rogues"
  64. "Livewire"
  65. 65.0 65.1 "Dead or Alive"
  66. "Running to Stand Still"
  67. "Flash of Two Worlds"
  68. Barry Lyga interview
  69. 69.0 69.1 69.2 The Flash: The Legends of Forever


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