The Flash (Earth-D)

Crisis on Infinite Earths

The Multiverse: an infinite number of parallel universes, each distinct. Each about to die. A being from the antimatter universe had unleashed a wave of antimatter to consume each positive matter universe until his realm was all that existed.

In the end, the few surviving universes were merged into one. Memories slowly adjusted to the new history as the new timeline fell into place, and worlds like Earth-D ceased to have ever existed.

The Flash (Earth-D)

On an earth slightly less violent than Earth-1, superheroes dealt primarily with mad scientists and the like and were deputized by the law. No hero had ever died. Though metahuman activity was, like Earth-1, focused on North America, the heroes and villains came from a greater variety of ethnic backgrounds, and comics were based on subconscious awareness of Earth-1, much as Earth-1’s comics were based on subconscious awareness of Earth-2. Thus, as Barry Allen of Earth-1 was inspired by the comic book exploits of Jay Garrick, Tanaka Rei of Earth-D was inspired by the stories of Barry’s adventures.

Tanaka finally had the chance to meet his idol—but under unpleasant circumstances. Facing the Crisis in the 30^th Century, Barry sought help in his own era but arrived in the wrong universe. After seeing Tanaka in battle with his universe’s Mirror Master, he introduced himself and his problem. The two of them then went to the Justice Alliance headquarters and, with the help of Earth-1’s Justice League, began to mount a defense against the Anti-Monitor’s shadow demons. Ultimately, though, they were unable to save the world.

What they could do was mount an evacuation. Building a giant cosmic treadmill, the two Flashes, along with Earth-1’s Superman, Earth-D’s Martian Manhunter, and the Supergirls of both worlds, opened a dimensional gateway to Earth-1. They got several million people through by the time Barry was kidnapped, and Tanaka powered the gateway by himself while the others held off the shadow demons. At the last, the Justice League was sent back to their own world, and the Alliance remained, fighting off the demons in the last thirty-nine seconds of their universe.

Primary Sources

• Legends of the DC Universe: Crisis on Infinite Earths (February 1999) - Marv Wolfman

Art

• Legends of the DC Universe: Crisis on Infinite Earths (February 1999) - Paul Ryan and Bob McLeod

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