Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, an animated film from 2024, opens with the DC Speedster heading off on a mission to defend the multiverse from an unidentified foe. Although he isn’t shown in the first part of the movie, the major antagonist will undoubtedly make a big appearance in the second, when the combined might of all the earth will oppose him.
I’ll do my best to describe the first part’s events as I understand them because, for those who haven’t read the original comics, they’ve been very confusing. Also to be mentioned is the fact that the animated movie deviates greatly from the comic book and thus has a distinct timeline of events. So let’s get started and follow Barry Allen on his quest to rescue the multiverse.
Fans were left wondering what might happen next as Justice League Dark: Apokolips concluded the DC Animated Movie Universe in 2020. Thanks to Barry Allen running off a different Flashpoint, the reality was eventually rebooted. This lead to the Tomorrowverse, beginning with Superman: Man of Tomorrow. Warner Bros.
Animation is continuing the Arrowverse four years later with a description of Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One. This first chapter is inspired by the legendary DC Comics event of 1985, in which a wave of antimatter tore across the DC Multiverse, wiping out numerous worlds.
The Monitor rallies heroes in the animated film adaption in an attempt to avert this catastrophic extinction event, setting up a stunning conclusion that suggests the trip is far from over. Amazo had no significance in the original text.
Fans are left to question why this robot is the focus of the opening act, though. The transformation of Amazo into a robot capable of absorbing metahuman energy, including the essence of extraterrestrials like Superman and Martian Manhunter, represents a significant departure from the original scenario in the film.
Professor Ivo, the man who created Amazo, joins Barry in the fray as the war on Earth-1 continues. Due to an ailment that caused him to age quickly, Ivo created the robot to both treat his condition and extend humankind’s lifespan.
Ending Explained
The events of Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths take place at the same moment when Barry Allen, who has appeared in numerous TV series and films starring the speedster, gains his powers following a tragic accident. In his lab, Barry heard an unusual voice, the meaning of which was revealed towards the conclusion of the movie.
As the movie went on, it became clear that the Flash had been hopping back and forth between two different Earths. The first was Earth-1, where Barry first acquired his abilities, met Iris West, and came up with the plan to form a superhero league to defend Earth against Lex Luthor’s evil android, Amazo.
The second reality was Earth-3, which was presented in Crisis on Two Earths. It was there that Barry met the evildoering Justice League, whose world was in danger of being destroyed. As these two distinct tales developed, Barry came upon an odd beggar likely Pariah in disguise who told him that the world was ending and that he was the only one who could save it from happening.
The Speedster was a good fit for the task because he possessed the capacity to move both throughout the multiverse and through time. Barry first didn’t comprehend the Beggar’s cryptic warning, but all made sense when he discovered the enormous antimatter wave that obliterated Earth-3.
The most formidable superheroes were to be brought to The Monitor’s starship by its devoted aide, Harbinger so that The Monitor (a DC Universe adaptation of Marvel’s The Watcher) could explain the peril that threatened the entire multiverse.
A gigantic wave of antimatter had been let loose into the universe, destroying everything in its path. Up until now, the wave has upset the multiverse’s equilibrium by wiping out entire realities. This is the reason the Monitor called in the superheroes: to assist it in averting the catastrophe and restoring equilibrium.
But the Monitor was dead wrong rather than being a sentient enemy, the antimatter wave was merely a natural event. The malicious Anti-Monitor, who was the opposite of the good Monitor, had let loose a wave that would wipe out entire planets to feed off the energies of the planets that supported life.
As the planet that is most habitable in the known universe, Earth may have been the reason it was targeted in every universe. Furthermore, in an attempt to prevent Earth’s superheroes from saving the world, Anti-Monitor increased the speed of his destructive wave.
The reason Anti-Monitor unleashed such a catastrophic force was likely to gain more power than his counterpart and possibly to establish his control over the multiverse. The superheroes aboard Monitor’s spacecraft began to discuss ways to neutralize the force, but they had no idea what to do until Barry Allen showed them how to use the Speed Force.
Although time travel was rendered impossible by the antimatter waves, as Monitor had previously stated, Barry managed to separate dimensions by vibrating between planes, suggesting that other superheroes might employ a similar tactic to withstand the collision.
Though building such enormous towers in such a short amount of time was practically unfeasible, it introduced the concept of a vibrating generator on each Earth. Barry Allen returned to Earth-1 and utilized his powers to slow down time, but the superheroes were unable to complete the assignment.
To power up the tower before the wave could destroy the earth, he employed Amazo’s talents and took Iris with him for the duration of their lifespan. Barry persevered and battled until the very end, but Iris passed away before the work could be completed.
In keeping with Dr. Anthony Ivo’s original intentions, he even granted Amazo the capacity to atone for its sins and benefit humanity. Due to Barry’s unrelenting efforts, few of the Earths withstood the impact of the antimatter wave, but regrettably, Amazo lost its life in the process.
As Barry was drawing his final breath, The Spectre visited him and warned him the danger had not yet ended. Even though the superheroes had escaped the destructive force, there was still a monster at large that needed to be stopped at all costs. Barry received a message from the Spectre telling him to halt it before the “beginning of everything.”
The elder Barry travelled back in time to the night of the tragic accident the moment we saw at the start of the film because he initially thought The Spectre was talking about the start of his Speedster voyage.
Barry the elder, however, soon concluded that The Spectre was discussing the origins of humanity or something similar, which is why he travelled further back in time before he could deliver the message. The first part of Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths featured various crucial characters like Doctor Light & Psycho-Pirate (the shady man who got into the costume-changing machine).
These characters will probably have significant roles in the second half of the movie when their deeds will advance the plot. Psycho-Pirate will support evil, while Doctor Light is expected to play a significant part in the group of heroes attempting to stop the Anti-Monitor.
To be the only being in charge of the multiverse, the Anti-Monitor also has a primary goal of going back in time to prevent the creation of the Monitor’s reality. Perhaps this was The Spectre’s motivation for wanting Barry to go back in time to the beginning of the multiverse’s existence to prevent Anti-Monitor from achieving his evil goals.
As we saw after Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part 1, Barry and several other superheroes and villains completely disappeared, suggesting that Anti-Monitor had already completed his mission and that the superheroes would have a very tough time competing with such a formidable opponent.
Since the Spectre and the Monitor are their only chance during these terrible times, the superheroes may be assisted in going back in time to stop the evil “from the beginning” by these two incredibly strong entities.
But Barry? It wouldn’t be incorrect to predict that the valiant Speedster may make an appearance in the second instalment and assist the Earth’s superheroes in stopping the Anti-Monitor, given that the entire movie is told from his point of view. The story will be improved in the movie’s next release.
