Parallel universes in fiction

Aparallel universe, also known as analternative universe,parallel world,parallel dimension,alternative reality, oralternative dimension, is a hypotheticaluniverseco-existing with one's own, typically distinct in some way.The sum of all potential parallel universes that constitute reality is often called the "multiverse". Another common term for a parallel universe is "another dimension", stemming from the idea that if the 4thdimensionis time, the 5th dimension—a direction at a right angle to thefourth—is a direction into any of the alternative spacetime realities.
Fictionhas long borrowed an idea of "another world" frommyth,legendandreligion.Heaven,Hell,Olympus, andValhallaare all "alternative universes" different from the familiar material realm.Platoreflected deeply on parallel realities, resulting in the worlds ofPlatonism, in which the upper reality is perfect while the lower (earthly) reality is an imperfect shadow of the heavenly equivalent.
One of the first science-fiction examples of a parallel universe isMurray Leinster's short storySidewise in Time, published in 1934, which portions of alternative universes replace corresponding geographical regions in this universe.Sidewise in Timeanalogizes time to thegeographic coordinate system, with travel alonglatitudecorresponding totime travelmoving through past, present and future, and travel alonglongitudecorresponding to travel perpendicular to time and to other realities.
In modern literature, parallel universes can serve two main purposes: to allow stories with elements that would ordinarily violate thelaws of nature; and to serve as a starting point forspeculative fiction, asking the question "What if [event]turned out differently?". Examples of the former includeTerry Pratchett'sDiscworldandC. S. Lewis'sThe Chronicles of Narnia, while examples of the latter includeHarry Turtledove'sWorldwarseries.
A parallel universe—or more specifically, continued interaction between a parallel universe and our own—may serve as a centralplot-point, or it may simply be mentioned and quickly dismissed, having served its purpose of establishing a realm unconstrained by realism.Discworld, for example, only very rarely mentions our world or any other worlds, as Pratchett set the books in a parallel universe instead of in "our" reality to allow formagiconthe Disc.
While technically incorrect, and looked down upon by hard science-fiction fans and authors, the idea of another "dimension" has become synonymous with the term "parallel universe". The usage is particularly common in movies, television and comic books and much less so in modern prose science fiction. The idea of a parallel world was popularized in comic books with the publication ofThe FlashNo. 123,Flash of Two Worldsin 1961.
In written science fiction, "new dimension" more commonly—and more accurately—refer to additionalcoordinate axes, beyond the three spatial axes with which we are familiar. By proposing travel along these extra axes, which are not normallyperceptible, the traveller can reach worlds that are otherwise unreachable and invisible.
In 1884,Edwin A. Abbottwrote the seminal novel exploring this concept calledFlatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. It describes a world of two dimensions inhabited by living squares, triangles, and circles, called Flatland, as well as Pointland (0 dimensions), Lineland (1 dimension), and Spaceland (three dimensions) and finally posits the possibilities of even greater dimensions.Isaac Asimov, in his foreword to the Signet Classics 1984 edition, describedFlatlandas "The best introduction one can find into the manner of perceiving dimensions".
In 1895,The Time MachinebyH. G. Wellsused time as an additional "dimension" in this sense, taking thefour-dimensionalmodel ofclassical physicsand interpreting time as a space-like dimension in which humans could travel with the right equipment. Wells also used the concept of parallel universes as a consequence of time as the fourth dimension in stories likeThe Wonderful VisitandMen Like Gods, an idea proposed by the astronomerSimon Newcomb, who talked about both time and parallel universes; "Add a fourth dimension to space, and there is room for an indefinite number of universes, all alongside of each other, as there is for an indefinite number of sheets of paper when we pile them upon each other."
There are many examples where authors have explicitly created additional spatial dimensions for their characters to travel in, to reach parallel universes. InDoctor Who, the Doctor accidentally enters a parallel universe while attempting to repair theTARDISconsole in "Inferno".Douglas Adams, in the last book of theHitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxyseries,Mostly Harmless, uses the idea ofprobabilityas an extraaxisin addition to the classical four dimensions of space and time similar to themany-worlds interpretationofquantum physics, although according to the novel they were more a model to capture the continuity of space, time and probability.Robert A. Heinlein, inThe Number of the Beast, postulated a six-dimensional universe. In addition to the three spatial dimensions, he invokedsymmetryto add two new temporal dimensions, so there would be two sets of three. Like the fourth dimension of H. G. Wells'"Time Traveller,"these extra dimensions can be traveled by persons using the right equipment.
Perhaps the most common use of the concept of a parallel universe in science fiction is the concept ofhyperspace. Used in science fiction, the concept of "hyperspace" often refers to a parallel universe that can be used as afaster-than-lightshortcut forinterstellar travel. Rationales for this form of hyperspace vary from work to work, but the two common elements are:
Sometimes "hyperspace" is used to refer to the concept of additionalcoordinate axes. In this model, the universe is thought to be "crumpled" in some higher spatial dimension, and that traveling in this higher spatial dimension, a ship can move vast distances in the common spatial dimensions. An analogy is to crumple a newspaper into a ball and stick a needle straight through: the needle will make widely spaced holes in the two-dimensional surface of the paper. While this idea invokes a "new dimension", it is not an example of a parallel universe. Itisa more scientifically plausible use of hyperspace. (Seewormhole.)
While the use of hyperspace is common, it is mostly used as aplot deviceand thus of secondary importance. While a parallel universe may be invoked by the concept, the nature of the universe is not often explored. So, while stories involving hyperspace might be the most common use of the parallel universe concept in fiction, it is not the most common source of fictionaboutparallel universes.
Time travelcan result in multiple universes if a time traveller can change the past. In one interpretation,alternative historiesas a result of time travel are not parallel universes: while multiple parallel universes can co-exist simultaneously, only one history or alternative history can exist at any one moment, as alternative history usually involves, in essence, overriding the original timeline with a new one. As a result, travel between alternative histories is not possible without reverting the timeline back to the original.
There are exceptions to the above, and an alternative history doesn't necessarily overwrite the old one. There are no rules written in stone regarding this. Modern ideas of time travel pose the idea of branching timelines, such as the 2009Star Trekreboot andAvengers: Endgame. Technically, if a timeline is not explicitly stated to have been erased, it is still there.
Parallel universes as a result of time travel can serve simply as the backdrop, or it may be a central plot point.The Guns of the SouthbyHarry Turtledove, where theConfederate Armyis given thousands ofAK-47rifles and ends up winning theAmerican Civil War, is a good example of the former, whileFritz Leiber's novelThe Big Timewhere a war between twoalternative futuresmanipulating history to create a timeline that results in or realizes their own world is a good example of the latter.
Subscribing to themany-worlds interpretationofQuantum Physics, alternative histories in fiction can arise as a natural phenomenon of the universe. In these works, the idea is that each choice every person makes, each leading to a different result, both occur, so when a person decides betweenjamor butter on histoast, two universes are created: one where that person chose jam, and another where that person chose butter. The concept of "sidewise" time travel, a term taken from Murray Leinster's "Sidewise in Time", is used to allow characters to pass through many different alternative histories, all descendant from some common branch point.
Often, worlds that are more similar to each other are considered closer to each other in terms of this sidewise travel. For example, a universe where World War II ended differently would be "closer" to us than one where Imperial China colonized the New World in the 15th century.H. Beam Piperused this concept, naming it "paratime" and writing a series of stories involving the Paratime Police who regulated travel between these alternative realities as well as the technology to do so.Keith Laumerused the same concept of "sideways" time travel in his 1962 novelWorlds of the Imperium. More recently, novels such asFrederik Pohl'sThe Coming of the Quantum CatsandNeal Stephenson'sAnathemexplore human-scale readings of the"many worlds" interpretation, postulating that historical events or human consciousness spawns or allows "travel" among alternative universes.
Universe 'types' frequently explored in sidewise and alternative history works include worlds whoseNazis won the Second World War, as inThe Man in the High CastlebyPhilip K. Dick,SS-GBbyLen Deighton,FatherlandbyRobert Harris, andEarthsidebyDennis E. Taylor, and worlds whose Roman Empire never fell, as inRoma EternabyRobert Silverberg,RomanitasbySophia McDougall, andWarlords of UtopiabyLance Parkin.
The concept of counter-Earth might seem similar to a parallel universe but is actually a distinct idea. A counter-Earth is a planet that sharesEarth's orbitbut is on the opposite side of the Sun, and thus cannot be seen from Earth. There would be no necessity that such a planet would be like Earth in any way, although typically in fiction it is practically identical to Earth. Since Counter-Earth is within our universe and theSolar System, reaching it can be accomplished with ordinary space travel.
Convergent evolutionis a biological concept whereby unrelated species acquire similar traits because they adapted to a similar environment and/or played similar roles in their ecosystems. In fiction, the concept is extended whereby similar planets will result in races with similar cultures and/or histories. Again, this is not a true parallel universe since such planets exist within the same universe as our own, but the stories are similar in some respects.Star Trekfrequently explored such worlds, in episodes including "Bread and Circuses", "The Omega Glory", and "Miri".
The 2017 episode of Britishscience fiction televisionprogrammeDoctor Who, "The Doctor Falls", explains the different origins of theCybermenasparallel evolution, due to the inevitability of humans and human-like species attempting to upgrade themselves through technology; this perspective resolves continuity differences in the Cybermen's history.
Convergent evolution may also be due to contamination. In this case, a planet may start out differently from Earth, but due to the influence of Earth's culture, the planet comes to resemble Earth in some way.Star Trekalso frequently used this theory as well, for example, in "Patterns of Force" and "A Piece of the Action".
Simulated realities are digital constructs featured in science fiction such asThe MatrixorThe Thirteenth Floorwhich can parallel ours very closely.
It is common in fantasy for authors to find ways to bring a protagonist from "our" world to the fantasy world. Before the mid-20th century, this was most often done by hiding fantastic worlds within unknown, distant locations on Earth; peasants who seldom, if ever, traveled far from their villages could not conclusively say that it was impossible that anogreor other fantastical beings could live an hour away. Characters in the author's world could board a ship and find themselves on a fantastic island, asJonathan Swiftdoes inGulliver's Travelsor in the 1949 novelSilverlockbyJohn Myers Myers, or be sucked up into atornadoand land inOz. These "lost world" stories can be seen as geographic equivalents of a "parallel universe," as the worlds portrayed are separate from our own, and hidden to everyone except those who take the difficult journey there. The geographic "lost world" can blur into a more explicit "parallel universe" when the fantasy realm overlaps a section of the "real" world, but is much larger inside than out, as inRobert Holdstock's novelMythago Wood.
However, increasing geographical knowledge meant that such locations had to be farther and farther off.Perhaps influenced by ideas from science fiction, many works chose a setting that takes place in another, separate reality.As it is now not possible to reach these worlds via conventional travel, a commontropeis a portal orartifactthat connects our world and the fantasy world together, examples being the wardrobe inC. S. Lewis'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobeor the sigil inJames Branch Cabell'sThe Cream of the Jest.
In some cases, physical travel is not even possible, and the character in our reality travels in a dream or some otheraltered state of consciousness. Examples include theDream Cyclestories byH. P. Lovecraftor theThomas Covenantstories ofStephen R. Donaldson. Often, stories of this type have as a major theme the nature of reality itself, questioning whether the dream-world is as real as the waking world. Science fiction often employs this theme in the ideas ofcyberspaceandvirtual reality.
In a few cases, the interaction between the worlds is an important element, so that the focus is not on simply the fantasy world, but on ours as well. Sometimes the intent is to let them mingle and see what would happen, such as introducing a computer programmer into ahigh fantasyworld as seen inRick Cook'sWizardryseries, while other times an attempt to keep them from mingling becomes a major plot point, such as inAaron Allston'sDoc Sidhe.In that story, our "grim world" is paralleled by a "fair world" where the elves live and history echoes ours, where a major portion of the plot deals with preventing a change in interactions between the worlds.
The idea of amultiverseis as fertile a subject for fantasy as it is for science fiction, allowing for epic settings and superhuman protagonists. One example of an epic and far-ranging fantasy "multiverse" is that ofMichael Moorcock, who actually named the concept in a 1963 science fiction novelThe Sundered Worlds. Like many authors after him, Moorcock was inspired by themany worldsinterpretation ofquantum mechanics, saying, "It was an idea in the air, as most of these are, and I would have come across a reference to it inNew Scientist(one of my best friends was then editor) ... [or] physicist friends would have been talking about it. ... Sometimes what happens is that you are imagining these things in the context of fiction while the physicists and mathematicians are imagining them in terms of science. I suspect it is the romantic imagination working, as it often does, perfectly efficiently in both the arts and the sciences."
Unlike many science-fiction interpretations, Moorcock'sEternal Championstories go far beyond alternative history to includemythicandsword and sorcerysettings as well as worlds more similar to, or the same as, our own.
The term 'polycosmos' was coined as an alternative to 'multiverse' by the author and editorPaul le Page Barnett(also known by the pseudonym John Grant), and is built fromGreekrather thanLatinmorphemes. It is used by Barnett to describe a concept binding together a number of his works, its nature meaning that "all characters, real or fictional [...] have to co-exist in all possible real, created or dreamt worlds; [...] they're playing hugely different roles in their various manifestations, and the relationships between them can vary quite dramatically, but the essence of them remains the same."
There are many examples of themeta-fictionalidea of having the author's created universe (or any author's universe) rise to the same level of "reality" as the universe we're familiar with. The theme is present in works as diverse as H. G. Wells'Men Like Gods, Myers'Silverlock, and Heinlein'sNumber of the Beast.Fletcher PrattandL. Sprague de Camptook the protagonist of theHarold Sheaseries through the worlds of Norse myth,Edmund Spenser'sThe Faerie Queene,Ludovico Ariosto'sOrlando Furioso, and theKalevala– without ever quite settling whether writers created these parallel worlds by writing these works, or received impressions from the worlds and wrote them down. In an interlude set in "Xanadu", a character claims that the universe is dangerous because the poem went unfinished, but whether this was his misapprehension or not is not established.
Some fictional approaches definitively establish the independence of the parallel world, sometimes by having the world differ from the book's account; other approaches have works of fiction create and affect the parallel world:L. Sprague de Camp'sSolomon's Stone, taking place on an astral plane, is populated by the daydreams of mundane people, and in Rebecca Lickiss'sEccentric Circles, an elf is grateful toTolkienfor transforming elves from dainty little creatures. These stories often place the author, or authors in general, in the same position as Zelazny's characters in Amber. Questioning, in a literal fashion, if writing is an act of creating a new world, or an act of discovery of a pre-existing world.
Occasionally, this approach becomes self-referential, treating the literary universe of the work itself as explicitly parallel to the universe where the work was created.Stephen King's seven-volumeDark Towerseries hinges upon the existence of multiple parallel worlds, many of which are King's own literary creations. Ultimately the characters become aware that they are only "real" in King's literary universe (this can be debated as an example ofbreaking the fourth wall), and even travel to a world – twice – in which (again, within the novel) they meet Stephen King and alter events in the real Stephen King's world outside of the books. An early instance of this was in works byGardner Foxfor DC Comics in the 1960s, in which characters from the Golden Age (which was supposed to be a series of comic books within the DC Comics universe) would cross over into the main DC Comics universe. One comic book did provide an explanation for a fictional universe existing as a parallel universe. The parallel world does "exist" and it resonates into the "real world". Some people in the "real world" pick up on this resonance, gaining information about the parallel world which they then use  to write stories.
Robert Heinleinintroduces an extension of hisFuture Historyseries calledThe World as Myth. InThe Number of the Beast, Heinlein quantizes that the many parallel, fictional universes – in terms of works of fiction. He postulates thatallfictional universes are accessible by the "time twister" in the air vehicle named theGay Deceiver. Heinlein also "breaks the fourth wall" by having both Robert and his wifeVirginiavisit an inter-universal science-fiction-and-fantasy convention in the book's last chapter.
Heinlein continues this literary conceit inThe Cat Who Walks Through WallsandTo Sail Beyond the Sunset, using characters from throughout his science-fictional career, hauled forth from their own fictional universe. Heinlein also wrote a stand-alone novel,Job: A Comedy of Justice, whose two protagonists fall from alternative universe into alternative universe and after a number of such adventures die and enter a stereotypicallyFundamentalist ChristianHeaven (with many of its internal contradictions explored in the novel).
Elfland, or Faerie, the otherworldly home not only ofelvesandfairiesbutgoblins,trolls, and other folkloric creatures, has an ambiguous appearance in folklore.
On one hand, the land often appears to be contiguous with 'ordinary' land.Thomas the Rhymermight, on being taken by the Queen of Faerie, be taken on a road like one leading to Heaven or Hell.
This is not exclusive to English or French folklore. InNorse mythology, Elfland (Alfheim) was also the name of what today is the Swedish province ofBohuslän. In the sagas, it said that the people of this petty kingdom were more beautiful than other people, as they were related to theelves, showing that not only the territory was associated with elves, but also the race of its people.
While sometimes folklore seems to show fairy intrusion into human lands – "Tam Lin" does not show any otherworldly aspects about the land in which the confrontation takes place – at other times the otherworldly aspects are clear. Most frequently, time can flow differently for those trapped by the fairy dance than in the lands they come from; although, in an additional complication, it may only be an appearance, as many returning from Faerie, such asOisín, have found that time "catches up" with them as soon as they have contact with ordinary lands.
Fantasy writers have taken up the ambiguity. Some writers depict the land of the elves as a full-blown parallel universe, with portals the only entry – as inJosepha Sherman'sPrince of the Sidheseries orEsther Friesner'sElf Defense– and others have depicted it as the next land over, possibly difficult to reach for magical reasons –Hope Mirrlees'sLud-in-the-Mist, orLord Dunsany'sThe King of Elfland's Daughter. In some cases, the boundary between Elfland and more ordinary lands is not fixed. Not only the inhabitants but Faerie itself can pour into more mundane regions.Terry Pratchett'sDiscworldseries proposes that the world of the Elves is a "parasite" universe, that drifts between and latches onto others such as Discworld and our own world (referred to as "Roundworld" in the novels). In the young teenage bookMistbyKathryn James, the Elven world lies through a patch of mist in the woods. It was constructed when the Elven were thrown out of our world. Travel to and fro is possible by those in the know, but can have lethal consequences.
Isekaiis a subgenre of Japanese fantasy light novels, manga, anime, and video games revolving around a normal person being transported to or trapped in a parallel universe. Often, this universe already exists in the protagonist's world as a fictional universe, but it may also be unbeknownst to them.
The most famous treatment of the alternative universe concept in film could be consideredThe Wizard of Oz, which portrays a parallel world, famously separating the magical realm of theLand of Ozfrom the mundane world by filming it inTechnicolorwhile filming the scenes set inKansasinsepia.
In Frank Capra's 1946 Christmas classic,It's a Wonderful Life, George Bailey makes a wish that he had never existed, which an angel, Clarence, asks God to grant to teach George how important his life really is; he is about to be arrested for fraud in relation to money having gone missing from the bank he runs. He gets to see what his gentle sleepy town would be like if he never lived, including the death of his brother Harry at a young age, which in turn results in many troops dying in a kamikaze attack, whom Harry would have saved if George was around to save Harry.
At times, alternative universes have been featured in small scale independent productions such as Kevin Brownlow and Andrew Mollo'sIt Happened Here(1964), featuring an alternative United Kingdom which had undergoneOperation Sea Lionin 1940 and had been defeated and occupied byNazi Germany. It focused on moral questions related to the professional ethics of Pauline, a nurse forced into Nazi collaboration.
Another common use of the theme is as a prison forvillainsordemons. The idea is used in the first twoSupermanmovies starringChristopher ReevewhereKryptonianvillains were sentenced to thePhantom Zonefrom where they eventually escaped. An almost exactly parallel use of the idea is presented in the filmThe Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, where the "8th dimension" is essentially a "phantom zone" used to imprison the villainous Red Lectroids. Uses in horror films include the 1986 filmFrom Beyond(based on theH. P. Lovecraftstoryof the same name) where a scientific experiment induces the experimenters to perceivealiensfrom a parallel universe, with bad results. The 1987John CarpenterfilmPrince of Darknessis based on the premise that the essence of a being described asSatan, trapped in a glass canister and found in an abandoned church in Los Angeles, is actually an alien being that is the 'son' of something even more evil and powerful, trapped in another universe. The protagonists accidentally free the creature, who then attempts to release his "father" by reaching in through amirror.
InEvent Horizon(1997), directed byPaul W. S. Anderson, a space ship accidentally travels to another dimension (implied to behell), turning the crew insane and driving them to kill each other.
Some films present parallel realities that are actually different contrasting versions of the narrative itself. Commonly this motif is presented as different points of view revolving around a central (but sometimes unknowable) "truth", the seminal example beingAkira Kurosawa'sRashomon. Conversely, often infilm noirandcrime dramas, the alternative narrative is a fiction created by a central character, intentionally – as inThe Usual Suspects– or unintentionally – as inAngel Heart. Less often, the alternative narratives are given equal weight in the story, making them truly alternative universes, such as in the German filmRun Lola Run, the short-lived BritishWest EndmusicalOur Houseand the British filmSliding Doors.
More recent films that have explicitly explored parallel universes are: the 2000 filmThe Family Man, the 2001cult filmDonnie Darko, which deals with what it terms a "tangent universe" that erupts from our own universe;Super Mario Bros.(1993) has the eponymous heroes cross over into a parallel universe ruled by humanoids who evolved from dinosaurs;The One(2001) starringJet Li, in which there is a complex system of realities in which Jet Li's character is a police officer in one universe and aserial killerin another, who travels to other universes to destroy versions of himself, so that he can take their energy; andFAQ: Frequently Asked Questions(2004), the main character runs away from a totalitarian nightmare, and he enters into a cyber-afterlife alternative reality. The currentStar Trekfilms are set in an alternative universe created by the first film's villain traveling back in time, thus allowing the franchise to berebootedwithout affecting the continuity of any otherStar Trekfilm or show. The 2011 science-fiction thrillerSource Codeemploys the concepts of quantum reality and parallel universes. The characters inThe Cloverfield Paradox, the third installment of thefranchise, accidentally create a ripple in the time-space continuum and travel into an alternative universe, where themonsterand the events in thefirst filmtranspired. This concept has been also been passively depicted in the view of a romantic couple in the Indian Tamil FilmIrandam Ulagam.
In the 2000 filmThe Beach,Leonardo DiCaprio's character Richard, while sitting on the beach with love interest Françoise (Virginie Ledoyen), describes the utopia they have found in Thailand as their own parallel universe.
Following its introduction in the filmDoctor Strange, themultiversebecame central to theMultiverse Sagaseries of superhero films in theMarvel Cinematic Universe, being depicted inAvengers: Endgame,Spider-Man: No Way Home,Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,The Marvels, andDeadpool & Wolverine. This series of universes overlaps or encompasses with universes depicted inSony's Spider-Man Universeand the animatedSpider-Versefranchise. Upcoming films in the  MCU that also depict the multiverse includeThe Fantastic Four: First Steps,Avengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars.
The success of Marvel's Multiverse Saga, particularlyAvengers: Endgamein 2019, led to a noticeable rise in the popularity of multiverses and shared universes in films of the early 2020s, predominantly forsuperhero filmsbut also in Hollywood more broadly. Notable examples include the aforementionedSpider-Versefranchise, 2022's Academy Award-winningEverything Everywhere All at Once, theDC Extended UniversefilmThe Flash, andMighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always.Some filmmakers and critics, includingEndgameco-directorJoe Russo, have expressed concern that film studios may be embracing multiverse-centric plotlines to capitalize on characters and intellectual property with pre-existing popularity, ultimately to the detriment of originality and creativity in filmmaking.
The idea of parallel universes has received treatment in a number of television series, usually as a single story or episode in a more general science fiction or fantasy storyline.
Sometimes a television series will use parallel universes as an ongoing subplot.Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,Star Trek: EnterpriseandStar Trek: Discoveryelaborated on the premise of the original series' "Mirror" universe and developed multi-episode story arcs based on the premise. Other examples are the science fiction seriesStargate SG-1, the fantasy/horror seriesBuffy the Vampire Slayer,Supernaturaland the romance/fantasyLois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.
Following the precedent set byStar Trek, these story arcs show alternative universes that have turned out "worse" than the "original" universe: inStargate SG-1the first two encountered parallel realities featured Earth being overwhelmed by an unstoppableGoa'uldonslaught; inBuffy, two episodes concern a timeline in which Buffy came toSunnydaletoo late to stop the vampires from taking control;Lois & Clarkrepeatedly visits an alternative universe whereClark Kent's adoptive parents,Jonathan and Martha Kent, died when he was ten years of age, andLois Laneis also apparently dead. Clark eventually becomes Superman, with help from the "original" Lois Lane, but he is immediately revealed as Clark Kent and so has no life of his own.
In addition to followingStar Trek'slead, showing the "evil" variants of the main storyline gives the writers an opportunity to show what is at stake by portraying the worst that could happen and the consequences if the protagonists fail or the importance of a character's presence.
Once Upon a Timeoften talks about alternative realms or universes in which all different forms of magic, and non-magic may occur, depending on the realm. According to the Mad Hatter (Sebastian Stan), they "touch each other in a long line of lands, each just as real as the last". He referred to our world's tendency to deny such things as arrogant.
In the season 1 finale ofThe Flash, theReverse-Flashopens a singularity that connects his world to a parallel universe called Earth-2. In the second season,The Flashstarts facing villains from that earth who also have doppelgangers on Earth-1 sent byZoom. The array of Earth-2 villains consists ofAtom Smasher, Sand Demon,King Shark, andDr. Light; all are sent by Zoom to kill The Flash with the assurance of being taken back home. However, they are not the only ones who arrive from the singularity; this also includes theEarth-2 Flashafter a close death and loss of speed from a confrontation with Zoom. When the Earth-2 Flash (called Jay Garrick) introduces himself to Team Flash, Barry (The Flash) distrusts him at first and places him in the metahuman pipeline atS.T.A.R. Labs. When The Flash starts having a hard time facing off against Sand Demon, he frees Jay so that he could help him as well as train him in his speed. With a new trick taught by Jay, Barry defeats Sand Demon. Later on, the Earth-2 counterpart ofHarrison Wells, arrives on Earth-1 as well. He steals a weapon from Mercury Labs and saves Barry from the Earth-2 King Shark. When Jay confronts and sees Wells again, the argument gets heated between them before Barry intercedes. Up until season 7, a new version of Wells was featured every season.
There have been a few series where parallel universes were central to the series itself.
TheWolves ChroniclesbyJoan Aikenare a series of Children's literature novels set during analternative historywhere thechannel tunnelwas completed during theNapoleonic Warsand used by several subspecies of Canis Lupis made up ofSteppe wolf,Eurasian wolf,Tundra wolfand evenMongolian wolfandItalian wolfto use it tomigrateout of scarceness of food andpelt collectingto England. So in a parallel early 19th century during the reign of the fictional King James the Third the wolves have evolved to resemble theFlorida black wolfand are a constant presence in the background of all these characters in the stories, particularly the child protagonists in which those particular tales focus on.
Time Echoes Trilogyby Bryan Davis addresses the idea of parallel worlds as it delves into a plot in which the main character travels between three different "earths" each moving at a different speed of time so one Earth is 20 years in the past while another one is 10 minutes into the future when compared to the Earth from which the character exists.
Overstrikeby C. M. Angus features high-functioning schizophrenics with the ability to simultaneously perceive multiple realities.
Some later retellings ofPeter Panfeature alternative versions to those characters (and locations) created byJ. M. Barrie, transplanted into an alternate reality. Among these parallel Peter Pan interpretations are:Tigerheart,Shelby and the Lost Boy of Misbegot Islands,Peter Phantom: And the Curse of Nightmare Islands(and serials)Tales of the Airship Neverland,NevermorandEverland.
Parallel universes in modern comics have become particularly rich and complex, in large part due to the continual problem ofcontinuityfaced by the major two publishers,Marvel ComicsandDC Comics. The two publishers have used themultiverseconcept to fix problems arising from integrating characters from other publishers into their own canon, and from having majorserialprotagonists with continuous histories lasting, as in the case ofSuperman, over 70 years. Additionally, both publishers have used new alternative universes to re-imagine their own characters. (SeeMultiverse (DC Comics)andMultiverse (Marvel Comics)) DC'sMichael Moorcock's Multiversecollected 12 issues in 1999 with an introduction by Moorcock which offered a sophisticated description of his rationale.
DC Comicsinaugurated its multiverse in the early 1960s, with the reintroduction ofGolden Agesuperheroes theJustice Society of Americanow located onEarth-Two, and devised a "mirror universe" scenario of inverted morality and supervillain domination ofEarth-Threeshortly afterwards, several years beforeStar Trekdevised its own darker alternative universe. There was a lull before DC inaugurated additional alternative universes in the seventies, such as Earth-X, where there was anAxis victory in World War II, Earth-S, home to theFawcett Comicssuperheroes of the forties and fifties, such asCaptain Marvel, and Earth-Prime, where superheroes only existed in fictional forms.
Therefore, comic books, in general, are one of the few entertainment mediums where the concept of parallel universes are a major and ongoing theme. DC in particular periodically revisits the idea in majorcrossoverstorylines, such asCrisis on Infinite EarthsandInfinite Crisis, where Marvel has a series calledWhat If...that's devoted to exploring alternative realities, which sometimes impact the "main" universe's continuity. DC's version of "What If..." is the Elseworlds imprint.
DC Comics series52heralded the return of the Multiverse.52was a mega-crossover event tied toInfinite Crisiswhich was the sequel to the 1980sCrisis on Infinite Earths. The aim was to yet again address many of the problems and confusions brought on by the Multiverse in the DCU. Now 52 Earths exist and including some Elseworld tales such asKingdom Come, DC'simprintWildStormand an Earth devoted to theCharlton Comicsheroes of DC.CountdownandCountdown Presents: The Search forRay Palmerand theTales of the Multiversestories expand upon this new multiverse.
Marvel has also had many large crossover events which depicted an alternative universe, many springing from events in theX-Menbooks, such as 1981'sDays of Future Past, 1995'sAge of Apocalypse, and 2006'sHouse of Mand 2014'sSpider-Versestoryline involvingalternative versions of Spider-Man. In addition, theSquadron Supremeis a DC inspired Marvel Universe that has been used several times, often crossing over into the mainstream Universe in theAvengerscomic.Exilesis an offshoot of theX-Menfranchise that allows characters to hop from one alternative reality to another, leaving the original, mainMarvel Universeintact. TheMarvel UKline has long had multiverse stories including theJaspers' Warpstoryline ofCaptain Britain's first series (it was here that the designationEarth-616was first applied to the mainstreamMarvel Universe).
Marvel Comics, as of 2000, launched their most popular parallel universe, theUltimate Universe. It is a smaller subline to the mainstream titles and featuresUltimate Spider-Man,Ultimate X-Men,Ultimate Fantastic Fourand theUltimates(their "Avengers").
The graphic novelWatchmenis set in an alternative history, in 1985 where superheroes exist, the Vietnam War was won by the United States, andRichard Nixonis in his fifth term as President of the United States. The Soviet Union and the United States are still locked in an escalating "Cold War" as in our own world, but as the Soviet Union invadesAfghanistanin this world and threatens Pakistan, nuclear war may be imminent.
In 1973TammypublishedThe Clock and Cluny Jones, where a mysterious grandfather clock hurls bully Cluny Jones into a harsh alternative reality where she becomes the bullied. This story was reprinted inMistyannual 1985 asGrandfather's Clock.
In 1978MistypublishedThe Sentinels. The Sentinels were two crumbling apartment blocks that connected the mainstream world with an alternative reality whereHitlerconquered Britain in 1940.
In 1981JintypublishedWorlds Apart.Six girls experience alternative worlds ruled by greed, sports-mania, vanity, crime, intellectualism, and fear. These are in fact their dream worlds becoming real after they are knocked out by a mysterious gas from a chemical tanker that crashed into their school. In 1977 Jinty also publishedLand of No Tearswhere a lame girl travels to a future world where people with things wrong with them are cruelly treated, and emotions are banned.
The parallel universe concept has also appeared prominently in theSonic the Hedgehogcomic seriesfromArchie Comics. The first and most oft-recurring case of this is another "mirror universe" where Sonic and his various allies are evil or anti-heroic while the counterpart of the evil Dr. Robotnik is good. Another recurring universe featured in the series is aperpendiculardimension that runs through all others, known as the No Zone. The inhabitants of this universe monitor travel between the others, often stepping in with their Zone Cop police force to punish those who travel without authorization between worlds.
In more recent years, the comic has adapted the alternative dimension from the video gamesSonic RushandSonic Rush Adventure, home to Sonic's ally Blaze the Cat. The continuities seen in various other Sonic franchises also exist in the comic, most notably those based on the cartoon seriesSonic UndergroundandSonic X. For some years, a number of other universes were also featured that parodied various popular franchises, such asSailor Moon,Godzilla, and various titles fromMarvel Comics. Archie has also used this concept as the basis for crossovers between Sonic and other titles that they publish, includingSabrina the Teenage WitchandMega Man.
The variousTransformerscomics also feature the parallel universe concept, and feature the various continuities from different branches of the franchise as parallel worlds that occasionally make contact with each other. Quite notably, the annualBotconfan convention introduced a comic storyline that featuredCliffjumper, anAutobotfrom the original Transformers series, entering an alternative universe where his fellow Autobots are evil and theDecepticonsare good. This universe is known as the "Shattered Glass" universe, and continued on in comics and text based stories after its initial release.
Within the Wirestakes place in a parallel universe in which family structures and countries have been abolished after a "Great Reckoning" has killed a large share of the world population.
In The Gray Area, the seven part serial "Paths Not Taken" takes place in an alternative universe in whichDonald Trumphas won a second presidential term, gay people are criminalized and arrested, and a violent authoritarian movement known as the "Thanksgiving Cleanse" has swept the nation. In addition, the main universe of the series takes place in a timeline in whichHillary Clintonwon the 2016 presidential election.
Victoriocity takes place in an alternative 1887 London, where "Queen Victoria is a cyborg and a real-life architect is worshipped by a legion of laborers."