From: mss2@kimbark.uchicago.edu (Michael S. Schiffer)
Subject: Re: Flash 73:  SPOILERS!!!
Reply-To: mss2@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 18:57:39 GMT

In article <Montague_Kevin-181292100431@130.252.131.164> Montague_Kevin@Tandem.com (Kevvy Kev) writes:
>In article <1992Dec18.000231.7096@midway.uchicago.edu>,
>mss2@kimbark.uchicago.edu (Michael S. Schiffer) wrote:

>> 	The theory being proposed here is based on the fact that the
>> late events of Barry Allen's life involved his travelling to the 30th
>> century, staying there for a while, then being picked up by the
>> Anti-Monitor and beginning the events which led to his death.  

>This is where the problems start.  Why the hell is the Anti-Monitor still
>in the picture?  He was snatching heroes and villains, and mucking with
>the cosmic framework, simply because he wanted to eliminate the parallel
>universes (famous "white effect").  There ARE no more parallel universes. .
>what's his motivation?  This is especially stupid in terms of Barry;
>because
>the reason he was the first (!) the Anti-Monitor went after was Barry could
>travel between the parallel worlds unaided.  Since there are no more par.
>earths, there's NO reason for the Anti-Monitor to pick on Barry.

	Simplest theory:  in the revised history, rather than wanting
to absorb the parallel universes in order to increase his power, the
Anti-Monitor wanted to absorb the positive matter single universe for
the same reason.  And he wanted Barry because barry could travel to
and from the anti-matter universe unaided.  (Of course, every Green
Lantern seems to be able to do it with his ring, but then lots of
people could travel between parallel universes pre-Crisis who the A-M
didn't pick up.  Superman (several versions), for example, or the
golden age Flash, or Wally (prior to being powered down)).

>> 	True, though enough of the Crisis remains for Barry to have
>> died in it.  They've said that the Anti-Monitor's invasion happened,
>> and that Barry died in it, though all the parallel earth-related stuff
>> is retconned away.  At least that's the Truth this week.  Next week,
>> it may be different.  It's the New DC: Now, We _Really_ Can't Be Stopped!

>Hah.  For reference, what book(s) was this info in? 

	I think it's mostly been referenced in letter columns,
actually, when people have asked "how can so-and-so remember the
Crisis when he doesn't remember x?"  But I don't recall a particular
issue offhand, nor do I know to what extent different editors treat it
differently.  Basically, every character remembers exactly as much of
the Crisis as he or she needs to.  Sometimes they allude to the idea
that Really Powerful Beings remember everything (e.g. the wizard
Shazam, Merlin [in Swamp Thing], etc.) while other times they portray
it as if there never was a pre-Crisis multiverse and the history of
the single universe has unfolded constantly from the dawn of time.
But the official story, as far as I know, is still that Barry died in
the Crisis, which means that the Anti-Monitor has to have aimed an
anti-matter cannon at Earth.  At least until next month.

Mike
-- 
Michael S. Schiffer, LHN, FCS	"Indeed I tremble for my country
mss2@midway.uchicago.edu	 when I reflect that God is just."
mike.schiffer@um.cc.umich.edu	 -- Thomas Jefferson, Notes on
mschiffer@aal.itd.umich.edu	    Virginia (1784)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc