World War II (Earth-1)

World War II
Information
Location	Earth; Earth-1
Occurred on	1939-1945
Belligerents
Allies United States Soviet Union
Axis Nazi Germany Imperial Japan
Participants
Allies United States Army Justice Society of America Soviet Union
Axis Nazi Germany Imperial Japan
Casualties
Sergeant Rock Residents of New York City; NY (+12 million more; in an erased aberration timeline)
Many other global residents of Earth-1

"Man had no interest in splitting the atom until World War II. I'm just trying to make this world a better place, one war at a time."

—Vandal Savage on World War II^[src]

World War II was a war that occurred on Earth-1 in the 1940s, from 1939-1945. Among the opposing sides were the Axis Powers' Nazi Germany, and Imperial Japan, fighting against the Allied Forces' Soviet Union, and the United States. Originally, World War II was supposed to end in 1945, but when a time aberration occurred in 1942 which destroyed New York City, the war continued until 1947. This resulted in many more casualties - up to twelve million more, but the war still ended with an eventual Nazi defeat/Allied victory over the Axis forces. This aberration was prevented by the combined efforts of the Legends and the Justice Society of America (JSA), causing World War II to end in 1945, just as it was supposed to/in the original timeline.

History

Schemes of Vandal Savage

Vandal Savage alluded to World War II when discussing his motivations for global conquest, hinting that he was somehow behind the ignition of the conflict. For Vandal Savage, each war and each conflict represented a push that would allow humanity to progress further in technology, making the world a better place in the long run/in order to survive such future threats, as the Thanagarian invasion of 2175. Adolf Hitler, the Nazi German leader, was later called a "rank amateur" in comparison to Vandal Savage as far as conquerors go, according to Rip Hunter when he spoke to the Time Masters council, along with Julius Caesar of the Roman Empire.

Sergeant Rock of the U.S. Army, and one of the casualties of World War II on the French battlefield in the commune of Saint-Lô/the nearby Fontainebleau Forest.

During World War II, Nazi Germany's forces invaded the Soviet Union. According to Valentina Vostok, the invasion reduced the country to ashes, but it was able to rise again, harder and stronger during the Cold War.

In 1944, the commune of Saint-Lô, France became a battlefield in the war, with Nazi Germany and the United States as the opposing sides. Sergeant Rock served as a combatant in the United States Army at that time, fighting the Nazis' forces. As the two sides' armies were at/in the midst of battle, the time traveling Vandal Savage has arrived to claim his prize, an Nth metal meteor from Thanagar, which was a source of great powers. On the battlefield, Rock encountered Kendra Saunders, a recent escapee of Savage, and wondered if she was running away from the Nazis, and if not them, then from who else. Rock gave Kendra a pen and paper to write with, before allowing her to stuff the note in his helmet. Despite wielding a rifle, He was promptly stabbed with a knife thrown by Savage. Sgt. Rock's helmet eventually entered the possession of Rip Hunter aboard the Waverider, among numerous other artifacts over his various travels.

A military caravan, led by a Nazi officer, took hold of the Thanagarian meteor and was transporting it near Saint-Lô, France when it was confronted by Vandal Savage. Speaking to the officer in German, Vandal Savage demanded for the meteor to be handed over to him. The officer did not take the immortal's demands seriously, ordering him to move, only to be attacked by Vandal himself. The struggle was soon joined by the members of Rip Hunter's team, who, fighting both the Nazis and Vandal Savage, tried to make sure that the Nth metal meteor would not end in Savage's hands, while his prisoners, Kendra Saunders and Scythian Torvil, would escape. The battle ended with all the Nazis present dead or otherwise knocked out.

During World War II, every country on Earth (Earth-1) was trying to develop their ultimate weapon. The United States had "the Manhattan Project", the Nazi Germans had "das Uranverein", and the Japanese created the "Mirakuru", a chemical substance that was based on stem cell research and genetic therapies; decades ahead of their time, able to affect the physiological and mental state of human beings, turning them into superhumans - also with a mutation that rapidly increased cell regeneration, but at the cost of mental deterioration; much like the eventual Velocity serums of the future, which could turn their users into meta-human speedsters, but with negative effects for the mind. Additionally, the United States had a secret service-aligned vigilante team called the Justice Society of America (JSA) on their side, an organization that included meta-humans and other extraordinary members, who would go on successful secret missions against the Nazis.

A submarine of the Japanese Imperial Navy ran aground on the Chinese isle of Lian Yu at one point during the war, under heavy fire from the Alled forces. The submarine contained many dead bodies of people affected by the Mirakuru, as well as a stash of said substance, which was eventually discovered by Anthony Ivo and the crew of the ship Amazo in 2009, over sixty years later.

Historical Aberrations

The Legends discover an aberration where New York City was nuked in 1942; here twelve million additional casualties resulted on both sides, despite the Allies' assured victory over the Axis only by 1947.

Due to the timeline aberrations that started to appear throughout history after the fall of the Time Masters, there was a possibility for a certain reality, in which the Nazis attacked New York City, NY with a nuclear missile in 1942, to cement in time; in this reality, the Axis Powers/Nazis would still lose World War II by 1947, but with even more casualties - up to twelve million more - on all sides. Adolf Hitler's plan for this operation included the abduction of Albert Einstein and Mileva Maric and the cooperation of Damien Darhk, who provided the Nazis with uranium to build themselves a stockpile of atomic bombs. A number of Nazi secret agents were sent to a Physics symposium at Columbia University, where they prepared to abduct Dr. Einstein, disguised as decorated members of the military, whose exquisite decorations were instantly recognized by Rip Hunter and Mick Rory as fake. After realizing their cover was blown, the Nazis opened fire at/on the Columbia University physics symposium, before the soldiers were all killed by Rip Hunter. In the meantime, some of the other Legends, including Mick Rory and Martin Stein, both conducted a "friendly" abduction of their own, taking Einstein to the Waverider. The other Nazis, spied on by Sara Lance and Ray Palmer, were conducting a deal with Damien Darhk, who later acted as the commander of a Nazi U-boat located in the waters near New York.

An aberration where New York City was nuked in 1942. This event prolonged the war by two years; only ending in 1947, but now with twelve million more cumulative casualties on both sides.

The Legends countered the Nazis' plan and went on to stop a Nazi U-boat under command of Damien Darhk from destroying the city of New York. In his anger, Darhk ordered a nuclear attack on the Waverider, which was hit by the missile, but not before Rip scattered his crew throughout the timeline, with Mick Rory left on the drifting timeship underwater, placed in time stasis. After being rescued by Oliver Queen and Nate Heywood in 2016, Mick used the Waverider time ship to gather the Legends once again, who traveled back to the time period before the Columbia University physics symposium and, in the guise of some CIA agents, prompted Albert Einstein to inform the public of Mileva Maric and her accomplishments, forcing the US government to keep both of the Einsteins safe, disrupting the Nazis' plans. Meanwhile, on the Nazi U-boat, a Nazi naval officer came into conflict with Damien Darhk over the disruption of their plans. After the Nazi suggested using another bomb, Damien denied the suggestion - instead double-crossing the organization, and saying that his partner wants to "move on to other things". His partner being the Reverse-Flash, all of the Nazis aboard their Nazi U-boat were immediately slaughtered by the meta-human speedster's devastating attack.

In the French theater of World War II of 1942, the Justice Society of America was sent on a mission to oppose the Nazi German occupants. However, the Legends, back on the Waverider, found out about another aberration that would end with the deaths of the Justice Society in the Nazi-occupied French capital of Paris, probably related to Eobard Thawne's biomolecular enhancer ending up in the hands of Baron Krieger. The Legends joined the Justice Society on their mission, ending up in two confrontation with the troops of Nazi Germany, led by the SS-Standartenführer Baron Krieger. During the battles, Krieger used the biomolecular enhancer, mutating into a meta-human berserker dubbed "der Übermensch". In this form, Krieger was so powerful that he necessitated a United States Air Force bombing run to get rid of him.

Legacy

The Soviet Union's experience during World War II, with the conflict having effectively reduced the country to ashes, would later influence Dr. Valentina Vostok's motivation behind "Operation Svarog"; which would allow the Union to rise again, stronger than before, engaging against the United States in the Cold War thanks to the use of the Firestorm Matrix, the key to creating a Soviet Firestorm.

Although some Justice Society of America members like Amaya Jiwe thought that fighting Adolf Hitler would unite the United States and the Soviet Union, the two global super-powers ultimately ended up in a world-spanning rivalry called the Cold War. As the USA's friendship with the Soviet Union dissolved, the JSA continued fighting enemies while/as a cultural barrier known as the "Iron Curtain" descended over Central and Eastern Europe. A diplomatic cable from 1956 from the English/United Kingdom/British ambassador, warned the JSA about Soviet spies in their midst; but leading to President Ike Eisenhower suspecting Todd Rice/Obsidian as the traitor, a suspicion likely biased due to prejudice towards Rice's homosexuality. The team, now lacking Rice, was sent into the city of Leipzig, Germany, which was now under Soviet military control, on a secret mission. But They never made it back.

The samples of Mirakuru on the Chinese island of Lian Yu/from the stricken Japanese submarine, were discovered by Anthony Ivo and his team on board the ship Amazo in 2009, over 60 years after the war ended. The superweapon was ultimately used by Slade Wilson to create an army of super-strong individuals that would wreak havoc upon Starling City.

Appearances

Arrow

Season 2

• "Keep Your Enemies Closer" (mentioned)

DC's Legends of Tomorrow

Season 1

• "Pilot, Part 1" (mentioned)
• "Fail-Safe" (mentioned)
• "Legendary"

Season 2

• "Out of Time"
• "The Justice Society of America"
• "Compromised" (mentioned)

Season 3

• "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 4" (indirectly mentioned)

The Flash

Season 3

• "Attack on Central City" (mentioned)

Season 5

• "Failure is an Orphan" (mentioned)

Supergirl

Season 1

• "Worlds Finest" (mentioned)

Season 3

• "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 1" (indirectly mentioned)

Behind the scenes

• Historically, World War II was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although related conflicts began earlier. It involved the vast majority of the world's nations—including all of the great powers, eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries.
• In DC Comics, the depiction of World War II changed depending on age and continuity. In the original 1940s stories, heroes such as Batman and Superman used to fight in the war, or somehow support the war effort. These events were later retconned, with other superheroes and supervillains being depicted as veterans of World War II, while previous stories ended up as part of alternate continuities, such as the Arrowverse's Earth-2 War of the Americas.

References

Other versions of World War II (Earth-1)
To see other versions of this event, click the Earth name below for that Earth's counterpart of World War II.
New multiverse
Earth: Prime • TUD25
Original multiverse
Earth: 1 • X
Transmultiversal multiverse
Earth: