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 00:02:31 GMT

In article <Montague_Kevin-171292111409@130.252.131.164> Montague_Kevin@Tandem.com (Kevvy Kev) writes:
>In article <1992Dec17.101226.18607@husc3.harvard.edu>,
>silvers3@husc8.harvard.edu (Jolyon Silversmith) wrote:

>> In article <1992Dec17.060628.9699@sol.UVic.CA> jcowling@ophelia.UVic.CA (Scowling Jim Cowling) writes:
>> >I'm surprised that nobody's mentioned this yet.

>> >In the issue of The Flash which hit the shelves today (#73), we have the 
>> >apparent return of the one, the only...



>> However... Since he is fated to die (as you noted) and would eventually have to
>> return to the 30th century (and the pre-Crisis 30th century, at that), DC
>> continuity is about to achieve critical inconsistency if you're correct...

>Either I'm confused, or. . .well, I'm confused.  What the hell is going on 
>here?  
>1) How is he "fated to die."  He already died in the Crisis, so what's the
>   justification here?  

	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.  The
idea being kicked around is that in fact, during that 30th century
tenure, he travelled back to the late 20th century and that's where
this month's surprise comes in.  He's "fated to die" because he
eventually has to return to the 30th to die in the Crisis, according
to this scenario.  I don't think it likely myself, but it's not
impossible.  One problem, though, is that in _Crisis_ Barry
specifically said that he'd only been there about a month when he was
abducted, which sort of makes long adventures in the past unlikely.
Then again, since there aren't any _other_ scenes in Crisis which can
actually have happened the way they said they did, this can be
retconned as well.

>2) There is no "pre-Crisis" 30th century any more than there is a
>"pre-Crisis"  
>   20th.  The events that happened pre-Crisis (and, for that matter,
>apparantly
>   most of the events that happened during, but that's another can of
>worms)
>   have been wiped out by the Critical Rewrite.

	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!

>3) Which loops us back to 1: did the fight with the Anti-Monitor "happen?" 
>   When?  If we accept that, in post-Crisis continuity (used advisedly), 
>   Barry did his "faster than I've ever run" routine and was slingshot back
>   in time to his 'conception,' thus creating himself, then DC has SERIOUS
>   continuity problems.

	If we _don't_ accept that, DC has serious continuity problems.
DC will henceforward have serious continuity problems until and unless
someone cuts the Gordian knot they've made of continuity.  Which
probably won't be this decade, barring major changes in philosophy there.

And the waters are muddied further, if this is 
>   really Barry, making a time-travel visit.  Bleaghhh.  I'll have to take
>   a look at the Crisis, again. . .sigh. . .

	A worthwhile pursuit for its own sake, though personally I
suspect that it won't shed much light on the New, Retcons-R-Us
universe.  Though to be fair, Bill Messner Loebs and Mark Waid have
both been good about _using_ the old history rather than changing it
around, and that's one of the reasons I still read Flash when so many
old favorites have gone by the wayside.  I still have some hope that
this will be a poignant look back to bygone days rather than yet
another cheap resurrection gimmick.  But we shall see.

>* Prediction: In 19?? the Anti-Monitor will reappear.  However, *
>* Superman will trick him into saying "Rotinom-Itna" and every- *
>* thing will go back to where it was before the CRISIS.         *

	You know, at this point I'd pay hard money to see that happen.
:-)

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)
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