by Marv Wolfman
He looked at the Beetle. "That was going to be your next question, wasn't it? It's for reasons of safety. As for who I am..." He paused, more of a showman than I imagined he'd be.
"I am the Monitor," he said. "And I brought you here to save the multiverse."
Wonder Woman Earth—1
Diana wasn't looking forward to going home.
Her plane, transparent from the outside, but clearly visible within, streaked across the Atlantic at a nearly impossible mach-7. Themyscira, as always hidden behind Athena's mists, was still another half hour away, but Diana's stomach was already churning with worry. For several years relations between her and her mother, Hippolyta, had been strained. They had barely spoken at all for almost eight long months. The problem was, Diana thought, the same as always. She had left home against her mother's wishes. She had gone to America, which represented today the ultimate in Man's power as had Greece so long ago. And, as Wonder Woman, she vowed to protect the Amazon's enemies from harm. But, Diana believed, this was no longer the old world. Ancient hatreds, long since outdated, had to die.
Hippolyta and the Amazons fled Greece because they had been tormented and ravaged by men. They founded Themyscira as a haven for women. Their civilization grew and prospered because, they believed, they remained apart.
Diana was not born in Man's world, but in that paradise, a being fashioned from primal clay and given life by the breath of the Gods themselves. She was born never knowing the cruelty and bigotry her mother and sisters had suffered at the hands of hateful and lustful savages. Free from oppression, she was trained to believe in the goodness of the soul and the kindness of the heart. She was taught Amazon history but was unable to accept that man could, by nature alone, be so cruel. Crisis on Infinite Earths
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"We will never associate with the outside world again," her mother had drummed into her since childhood. "Man is evil and whether they kill themselves one-on-one in anger or by the thousands in their endless stupid wars, makes no difference to us."
"But mother," Diana always asked, "weren't Amazons once warriors, too? What if man learned to better themselves as we have?" Hippolyta scoffed at that idea. "Man will never learn. That is why we are better off being alone."
But Diana never believed it.
She knew her mother once loved a demigod named Heracles, but she never learned what had happened between them.
When Diana spoke to her Amazon sisters, she discovered that they, too, had freely given their hearts to men. Indeed, some of them left Themyscira to be with their loves. Though a handful eventually returned in tears, begging their sisters' forgiveness, many raised large and happy families. Diana vowed to learn the truth for herself.
Fate intervened when a man crashed his airplane near the Amazon's island. He was injured and unconscious, and though Hippolyta was content to let him die—the better to preserve their secret—the others convinced her he should be returned to his kind for treatment. Men may be tyrants, but Amazons had to show mercy.
A contest was held to see who would take him back to his world. Hippolyta was crushed when Diana won that right.
Man's world was not what Diana expected. She hoped they might have achieved the same kind of peace the Amazons enjoyed, but their world was filled with hatred, anger, and violence.
But Diana also saw the compassion the doctors showed the unconscious pilot and their other patients.
She saw men working peacefully alongside women. She saw them laughing together and taking care of their children together. When she first met the fledgling Justice League of America, at that time six men with great and potentially fearsome powers, Diana finally understood that though this was not nearly a perfect world, her mother was very wrong about the heart of man.
Diana's plane penetrated Athena's mists. Themyscira lay below, but home was not an inviting sight. Hippolyta had turned her back on Diana 72
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when told she was not only going to stay in Man's world, but would use all her powers to fight at their side.
Although Diana was later welcomed back by her sisters and her unofficial situation officially sanctioned—Wonder Woman would be the Amazon's informal ambassador to the outside world—Hippolyta showed her little warmth or love.
And now I come begging for her help, Diana thought. But the world's in danger. How can she turn me down?
She was very afraid of the answer.
Seventeen
The Monitor walked with slow, faltering steps, physically weaker than he'd been when I last saw him, but the fiery blaze in his eyes was still burning strong. There was nothing majestic about his presence, but the heroes and villains both sensed a humbling inner power. Lyla helped him to a chair. Before he acknowledged the others, they huddled together, speaking in whispers. I rushed over and hunkered at their side, eavesdropping. So I'm rude. Sue me.
"Maybe we shouldn't do this now. You need to rest." The Monitor answered with a hoarse laugh. "I don't have any choice. As my health fails, he grows stronger."
He? Who was he talking about?
His face, white and drained of life, sagged with tiredness. Lyla offered him water but he waved it aside. "Can I get you anything? Can I do anything?"
He gently shook his head. "Stay with me. I'll need Harbinger's powers if some of them prove difficult."
She took a seat next to him.
The others were growing impatient waiting for him to explain himself and tell them what he expected them to do.
Superman was the first to sense the unrest. "Alright, quiet down," he said. They did as he turned back to the Monitor. "We're starting to get unexplained weather on my Earth. Blue Beetle says it's happening on his Earth, too." He looked around the room. "Anyone else?" Jon Stewart interrupted. "I tried to contact the Guardians, but my signal is being blocked. Most of you know that to affect my ring, whatever is out there has got to be pretty big and very bad."
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Superman brought their attention back to him. "So something's happening not only to the universe, but to the multiverse." Superman turned back to the Monitor, "Let's hear him out. If he's telling the truth, we're being given a chance to save our worlds. If he's lying," he turned back to the others, "we'll know what to do then, too." He then turned to our foes, obviously uncomfortable standing next to us, their former enemies. "We'll give him the benefit of the doubt, won't we?" Superman wasn't asking.
Superman accepted their silence as acquiescence. "Monitor, it's your show now."
Eighteen
The Monitor sat up in his chair, slowly drawing on whatever strength he could muster. His face tightened and his eyes focused.
"In the past fifteen hundred hours, more than nineteen thousand universes have been destroyed. That translates to more than a hundred million populated worlds. Earth-3, and its universe, ceased to exist less than two hours ago. As usual, there were no survivors."
"Impossible." Superman shook his head in disbelief. "Earth-3's populated with our super-villain equivalents. They're as powerful as any of us." Psycho Pirate laughed. "My kinda guys. Toothless, couthless, and ruthless."
"Pirate, shut the hell up." Cyborg shot a look that instantly quieted him.
"Their world's gone, man. You want to be next?" The Monitor continued. "The threat is a wave of antimatter that moves between universes. But before the wave appears, your planets experience devastating climactic shifts followed by crimson skies." Some of the heroes who had already encountered the changing weather suddenly paid closer attention. He continued. "Beyond inexplicable weather patterns, there will be seismic disturbances that will rip apart major land masses. Your coastlines will be crushed by mile high waves. Only the very tops of your tallest skyscrapers will be seen above the new water levels."
"And the bad news is...?" Psycho Pirate laughed. Psimon glared at him and an airtight bubble formed around the Pirate's head. "You were told to shut up, idiot." The Pirate gasped for breath and fell to his knees
. Superman-2 was at his side in less than a second. "Psimon, release him. Now." Psimon smiled and the bubble dissipated, leaving the Pirate gulping for air and gasped, "I'll kill you for that." Psimon smiled in response. 76
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"Monitor, continue. I trust there won't be any further interference." Psimon glared at the Pirate, his hands rubbing at his throat, soothing it.
"I hope not. We haven't time for delays. The antimatter wall is the last of the plagues. It will simultaneously exist in different time periods and make a coordinated sweep across your planets. Everything it engulfs is instantly erased from existence. To date there has only been one survivor, a young baby from Earth-3."
Cyborg interrupted. "I thought you said they all died."
"He was removed before his planet was destroyed. Should events worsen, his special abilities will prove useful.
"But that brings me to why you are here." We all listened, even the Psycho Pirate, our attentions now undivided.
"Where I am linked to positive matter, our enemy wields the forces of antimatter. As he destroys each positive matter universe, and his energies fill the resulting vacuum, I become weaker. Soon, I will be too frail to help when you will most need me."
"So why didn't you seek us out earlier?" asked Solovar, suspicious.
"And why did you choose us? My power is limited. The Beetle has none to speak of."
I saw Blue Beetle perk up. "Hey! You wanna compare arrest records, monkey boy? I haven't heard any complaints before." Solovar sneered, almost forcing me to laugh. Gorilla faces can express emotions better than say, a dog, but not by much. His scoff twisted his lips making him look more like he had an upset stomach than being bothered with the Beetle. "I am discussing power levels, Beetle, not competence of intent or duty."
He turned back to the Monitor. "You chose one Superman, but why not two? Why not Wonder Woman, who possesses the power of the gods? If our universes are truly imperiled, why not bring in everyone to fight for our side?"
I could see the Psycho Pirate react, his face contorted through a series of emotions as if all the gears finally clicked into place. "Hey, good point, hairy. Why didn't I think of that?"
Firebrand laughed. "Maybe it's 'cause you're a moron. But yeah, Monitor, what the ape said. Why us?"
The Monitor's eyes closed as his head silently sagged into his shoulders. Harbinger kneeled, supporting him. I could see she was in love with him, and at this moment I wasn't sure she knew she was going to kill him. Crisis on Infinite Earths
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"He chose you because the enemy can't be stopped in a single action." Her voice was cold and angry. "He's been watching all of you for a long time. He knows what you can do and he told me your specific powers are what's needed for phase one of his plans. But if that fails..." Her voice trailed as she tried to contain her anger. "For God's sake, why are you questioning him? Don't you realize he's the only one who can save you?"
"Lyla, don't," the Monitor said weakly. "They have a right to their suspicions.
He slowly turned back to the others. "Lyla is right," he said. "This battle will be conducted in different phases, depending on the different results." Superman wasn't sure. "And you think we can stop him? Us or the others down the line?"
"You have to, Superman. What is at stake now is greater than mere good or bad. Literally, we are fighting for the fate of all life." The Monitor paused, his eyes lost as if trying to remember where he was. Suddenly, his head rolled back. I tried to grab him but my hands went through him.
But then he stirred again. "Forgive me. I fear another universe has just been extinguished. So many more lives are now gone." He turned to Lyla, his eyes half closed but still hopeful. "Tell them. Please." He closed his eyes again and his arms dropped to his side. His breathing was slow and shallow, but he was alive.
"The Monitor placed certain machines in five crucial eras. His hope is that when the attacks commenced, the machines will be powerful enough to stem the antimatter.
"And we fit in, how?" Cyborg asked.
"Our enemy will send his shadows to destroy the machines. You must protect them at all costs and then, on our command, activate them." Firestorm flew across the room, a trail of flame burned the air around him. He paused in mid-air, hovering before the unconscious Monitor. "That's it? He brought us here so we could be glorified security guards?"
"Do you intend to help us, Firestorm? Or perhaps you'd rather see all life come to an end?"
Blue Beetle laughed. "A. Choose answer A, you idiot." Firestorm looked like the rest of us, mature and enormously powerful, but I knew he was actually a teenager controlling a manifested adult body. His bluster gone, he backed away and joined the others. "Yeah. Well. Okay."
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The Beetle looked almost disappointed. "Okay, Lyla, Harbinger, or whatever you said your name is, exactly where are you sending us?" Her eyes flashed a brilliant golden light. "See for yourself, Blue Beetle."
A yellowish glow surrounded them, and when it dissipated a moment later, they were gone.
But I was still here.
Lyla kneeled before the Monitor, tenderly holding his hand. "Rest now," she said. "Conserve your strength."
Her eyes narrowed, and the look of love I saw in them disappeared instantly, replaced with a cold, angry glare.
This was the Harbinger who was going to betray the man she loved. Psycho Pirate Earth—1
Pirate." This was a voice he never heard before. The Psycho Pirate was used to hearing voices. They called to him in the most inopportune times, asking him questions he didn't want to answer, interfering with his day as he planned his next crime, interrupting his sleep when he most needed peace and quiet. Why were they always telling him what he was supposed to do? Why didn't they just shut up? Why didn't they leave him the hell alone?
"Go away."
"Pirate."
They never listened to him.
"I said leave me alone. Stop bothering me." The voices always wanted something. Scare him. Make her cry. That child needs to suffer. That girl needs to be afraid. Don't allow him to stop laughing until he dies.
He never wanted the voices inside him. But the only way he could ever have any peace was to do what they demanded.
Make him angry. Make her sad. Happy. Envious. Lustful. Fearful. Greedy. Vengeful. Control their emotions. Make them do what we want them to do or you will suffer forever.
"Pirate."
The new voice was back. He tried to ignore it.
"I can give you peace."
"You can shut the hell up, that's what you can do."
"You don't want to be on this satellite."
"Like that's news."
"Let me bring you to me."
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"Get out of my head and go to hell. You're not real anyway." He cupped his ears and shook his head hard as he could. Sometimes that would drive the voices away for a few minutes. Of peace. Of quiet. Of glorious loneliness.
"The Medusa mask has driven you crazy. It controls you. But come to me. Help me and I will free you from its spell." The Pirate lowered his hands as he looked around him. Nobody was there, but then nobody ever was when he heard the voices.
"You know about the mask?"
"Agree to help me, Roger, and I will free you from its curse."
"No more voices?"
"Never again. You will be free."
Free? Could it be true? And even if it wasn't, what did he have to lose? How much worse could it get?
"All right, take me. I'm yours," he said. "Happy now?" The voice didn't answer. The Psycho Pirate laughed. It was always the same. The voices always wanted something from him. Oh, well. What will it be next time?
But his body suddenly felt cold. His skin began to pull away. He screamed in pain.
And he disappeared.
"Very happy," The voice said.
Nineteen
My first thought was to go with my friends, to he
lp them in whatever way I could, but I stayed behind, perhaps realizing whatever Lyla was going to do would happen very soon.
"Is something wrong?" The Monitor's voice was weak, but loud enough to interrupt her concentration. "You seem distracted." She kept her back to him, but I could see the struggle in her eyes. She was fighting to resist whatever was taking her over. I shouted, for all the good it would do. "C'mon, Lyla, don't give in. You can fight it. Concentrate, Lyla. Concentrate!" I kept hoping I'd get angry enough, or anxious enough, that I would take on a physical presence as I did with Batman and Solovar. But whatever happened then wasn't working now.
She stared at the far door, focusing on a single rivet welded into the metal frame. Something kept her staring at that one special spot. "Just thinking," she said, her voice cold and emotionless. "Our enemy has great power. We
:an slow his progress, but do you really believe we can stop him?"
"Would you prefer we give up?" The Monitor asked.
"Just wondering if resisting him is a futile effort. Maybe we'd be better off expending our energies elsewhere."
"Care to elaborate?"
She circled the room, picking up objects here, putting them down there, but always carefully avoiding looking at him.
"Perhaps whatever he's creating in the void will be better than what currently exists."
"He's creating death, Lyla, not birth. And he's destroying, not building. How could that be better?"
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He knew she was going to kill him. Why didn't he stop her? Even weak as he was, I knew he had the power.
"I'm not saying it is. But every world I've traveled to on your behalf was pretty much out of control even before the antimatter came. Their people always hated each other. Usually they were even trying to kill each other. Maybe we should give them their wish and start the whole thing over again."
"That's not his intent. You know that."
"I'm afraid I no longer know what I know." She started to leave. "Lyla." She stopped, waiting to hear what he had to say, but not turning to him.