How the DC Multiverse should be.

[llozymandias]

I imagine a multiverse having levels. The bulk being the level of the parallel universes. Parallel universes being separate entities from the begining. Hilbert space being the level of the divergent timelines. An infinite group of divergent timelines starts out as one universe, over time one universe becomes an infinite group of universes. Stupid ideas like the dark multiverse were never needed or even interesting. Hypertime originally came accross as the divergent timelines under a new name with many stupid rules. Like the idea that divergent timelines merge back into one universe.

[Dataweaver]

The merging of two timelines is not inherently stupid. It's only stupid if the timelines still have significant differences — something more significant than, say, what color shirt you wore last week. If that is literally the only difference between two timelines, they might as well be the same timeline. So they merge.

Using a more significant example: if a particular storyline was started but went nowhere and was ultimately forgotten, then it doesn't really matter if it was in the timeline or not. You could, if you choose, treat it as a split in the timeline where in one branch it happened and in the other it didn't. But since it had no lasting effects, the two timelines can merge.

Of course, with the miscolored shirt, a more appropriate solution would be to just ignore the coloring error: using Hypertime to explain it away is like using a nuclear warhead to kill a rabbit. But that's not a matter of Hypertime being stupid; is a case of the concept of Hypertime being abused. Reserve timeline splits for significant divergence points instead of every little thing, and the whole issue goes away.

[llozymandias]

The merging of two timelines is not inherently stupid. It's only stupid if the timelines still have significant differences — something more significant than, say, what color shirt you wore last week. If that is literally the only difference between two timelines, they might as well be the same timeline. So they merge.

Using a more significant example: if a particular storyline was started but went nowhere and was ultimately forgotten, then it doesn't really matter if it was in the timeline or not. You could, if you choose, treat it as a split in the timeline where in one branch it happened and in the other it didn't. But since it had no lasting effects, the two timelines can merge.

Of course, with the miscolored shirt, a more appropriate solution would be to just ignore the coloring error: using Hypertime to explain it away is like using a nuclear warhead to kill a rabbit. But that's not a matter of Hypertime being stupid; is a case of the concept of Hypertime being abused. Reserve timeline splits for significant divergence points instead of every little thing, and the whole issue goes away.

As i always understood it, timelines diverging (if real) is a natural ongoing process. All timelines being equally real. Also what we call divergent timelines are whole universes. Imagine you wore the wrong shirt last week. You had a job interview. A friend tells you that wearing that shirt would ruin your chances of getting the job. You take the time to change into a more appropriate outfit. You get to the interview late. They hired the guy who next in line. They interviewed him while waiting for you. He was equally qualified. But he was early & you were late. Sure you get a compareable job elsewhere. So basically you are fine. Except if you got the job you didn't get, one of you coworkers could have been your future business partner. In that timeline you and that person create one of the most successful companies to ever exist. And you both end up two of the richest people ever. But none of that happens in this timeline. All because you wore the wrong shirt. Even trivial choices can lead to big changes. As for the storyline that goes nowhere & is forgotten. You can ignore a storyline without retconning it out. Years or even decades later that storyline can inspire an epic. Just like in real life, where you can have an encouter that goes nowhere. So you forget it. But without realizing it, you inspired the other person in the now forgotten encounter. They go on to achieve something great, because of a conversation you had forgotten.

[Dataweaver]

Note: I said that the only difference was the color of your shirt a week ago. If someone reacted to a different shirt differently, that would be another difference. I get the butterfly effect. And I also get that it's much easier to diverge than it is to converge. But that doesn't make convergence stupid. It just means that it should be rare, compared to divergence.

Also, convergence is not the same as retconning something out. In a merged timeline where two histories converged, both histories would be possible histories. Just like when a timeline diverges, both futures are possible futures. Nothing gets erased.

[Restingvoice]

That is it in a nutshell. DC just for some reason seems to think the concept of a straight forward multiverse (which pretty much everyone and their brother understands) is somehow more complicated than the mess they have created with their "dark multiverse"s, hypertimes, and megaverses.

Because it's less about straightforward multiverse and more straightforward to the writers.

You get guys like Snyder, Morrison and Johns who's versed in the multiverse and follow the rules, but you also get guys like Snyder, Morrison and Johns who like to write their own thing.

So they make it flexible so they can have both.

[HsssH]

If hypertime had been done right, all DC continuities would have been available for use. Fans could have been reading about the adventures of their favorite versions of DC's characters, again. Istead a series of crisis events.

This sounds very naive. Maybe Batman and Superman would have gotten some focus on their different versions (which they do now anyway with frequent mini and maxi series), but other characters would have never been seen again asides of some rare cameos here and there.

[SuperX]

So they know the universe has rebooted and will again, BUT they remember all their past lives, and still live their lives, in the present universe even with thst knowledge

[comicstar100]

I feel like it will be a very Marvel approach. They will say everything happened in the characters history even though no way possible it did. As for the multiverse if we never get any titles set outside of the main DC earth does it really matter if it's still around?

[wonder39]

It just seems like they perfectly clarified the universe with DDC, and then figured that was too easy, so let's eff it up with with Metal.

DDC just seemed like the perfect answer...that 'events' didn't destroy what came before, but splintered off a new Earth, with it's own new reality, leaving the previous one intact and alive.

That gives us every version of every character we want, and the ability to have them crossover, etc.. but the focus is on the newest Earth. Linear. simple. No metaverse of copies of universes with their own Earth two, etc.

Too simple for DC i guess though...lol

[superduperman]

I think the best way to do this would be to have a book that explores the multiverse. Each issue takes place on a different Earth. A sort of anthology book. Each issue with a different hero. It could also be a way for writers to flex their muscles without the burden of continuity.

[llozymandias]

This sounds very naive. Maybe Batman and Superman would have gotten some focus on their different versions (which they do now anyway with frequent mini and maxi series), but other characters would have never been seen again asides of some rare cameos here and there.

This is why i said "fans could have been reading about the adventures of their favorite versions of DC's characters". Could have not would have.

[Alpha]

I think the best way to do this would be to have a book that explores the multiverse. Each issue takes place on a different Earth. A sort of anthology book. Each issue with a different hero. It could also be a way for writers to flex their muscles without the burden of continuity.

That's just Multiversity

[llozymandias]

It looks like DC might be kind of doing what i was hoping it would do. All the different continuities in their own universes/multiverses. And that is more than just comics' continuities. There are also the comic strips; cartoons; novels; tv shows; movies; movie serials; etc.. Since they are making it look like their new set up is infinite, maybe DC can go back to something it used to do. Acquire the continuities/universes/characters of some of the companies that disappeared over the years.

[Dataweaver]

To be fair, “infinite” doesn't automatically mean “everything”: there are infinite even numbers, but you won't find a single odd number among them.

[Gaastra]

DC history is such a mess. For dcs multiverse just do like marvel. It's that easy. Everything gets a universe number from the captain america serial, to the 90s hulk cartoon to the marvel vs capcom game to that combo man and fruit pies comic ads! Even stuff like that knock off spider-man vs captain america film from turkey and mad mags marvel spoofs had a number! Non owned ips not in the main universe are added also like gijoe, smurfs, thundercats, star wars, he-man and madballs! Even dc has at least three universes in the marvel mulitverse in fact the main dc universe has a marvel multiverse number!

If marvel wants to use that what if iron man in the west comic for a story they can but if not then they ignore it. They don't blow it up. (and when they did in secret wars 4 all of them were put back anyways with some new ones added!)

It makes all the movies, comics, books and games feel like they count for the multiverse but you don't need to know anything about robotix or starriors universes if you want to enjoy the main universe.