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  1. #1
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    Default It's 2004 and you're tasked with writing a sequel to COIE. What do you do?

    I enjoyed Infinite Crisis at the time if only because I was thrilled to see the Multiverse reintroduced along with Kal-L and Superboy Prime. I was disgusted to see how both were treated but was happy overall with the changes IC made to DC continuity, especially restoring Silver/Bronze Age elements to Superman's mythology.

    In hindsight, I think it's needlessly dark and depressing (thanks to Dan DiDio and not Geoff Johns) and I would have preferred a sequel that reintroduced the Multiverse while also adjusting DC's continuity of the time without wholesale deconstruction and murder.

    If I were writing a sequel to COIE set twenty years later, I would have done much of what Johns did but would have gone for a very different tone and outcome overall.

    Some bullet points:

    - Alexander Luthor, Kal-L, Lois, and Superboy Prime return. Luthor is the main villain, though we learn that a remnant of the Anti-Monitor's consciousness entered Luthor just before he and the other survivors left for "paradise." He's been slowly consumed by the Anti-Monitor's presence.

    - Luthor convinces Kal-L and Superboy Prime that "New Earth" needs to be replaced but his true goal is to restore the infinite Multiverse so that he can destroy it again.

    - The "paradise" dimension was what we saw in Kingdom Come: The Kingdom, a copy of Earth-Two but with only two superheroes: Kal-L and Superboy.

    - Kal-L and Lois have served as surrogate parents to Superboy. Though time had no meaning, he's developed into a heroic young man as a result.

    - The first goal of Luthor's plan is to separate New Earth into its constituent parts: Earth-One, Earth-Two, Earth-Four, Earth-S, and Earth-X. This happens by the end of the second issue and leads to respective characters returning to their original Earths and universes.

    - The Anti-Monitor fully consumes Luthor and accesses Qward. He then creates and destroys new universes, quickly growing in power.

    - Alexander Luthor leads Kal-L, Superboy, and the heroes and villains of five Earths in battle with the Anti-Monitor. Barry Allen returns from the Speed Force and aids the heroes in weakening the Anti-Monitor before imprisoning him in the Source Wall.

    - In the aftermath, a new Multiverse has been created, consisting of Earth- One, Earth-Two, a new Earth-Three, Earth-Four, Earth-5 (former Earth-S), Earth-10 (former Earth-X), and unknown universes that together number eighty-six.

    - Kal-L and Lois return to Earth-Two and retired to a farm in Smallville.

    - After reconnecting with Iris, Wally, and Bart, Barry sets off to help Superboy Prime find Earth-Prime and explore the new Multiverse in the process.

    - Though New Earth has been separated, continuity from 1985-2011 is largely intact. JSA/JLA and other character team-ups happened through dimensional travel as was the case pre-COIE. Team-ups and Multiversal travel is again possible and happens frequently.

    - One of the new eighty-five universes is Universe-Zero, with a continuity completely rolled back: no JLA, no Robin, no Titans. This universe would be home to an "Ultimate DC" in the vein of the New 52 and the Earth-One OGNs.
    Last edited by Kirk Brent; 05-25-2022 at 10:25 AM.

  2. #2
    Incredible Member James Cameron's Avatar
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    My biggest issue with Infinite Crisis was that they couldn't just leave Earth 2 Superman alone. He got his happy ending and they brought him back just to kill him. If that aspect wasn't in the book at all it would have been far more enjoyable.

  3. #3
    Ultimate Member Gaius's Avatar
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    Batman would suffer actual consequences for helping build discount Skynet that got scores of people killed and not allowed to morally lecture other characters on how great he is for not killing.

    or

    There would be no Max Lor neck snap by WW that would derail WW's book and characterization for a stupid event comic no one cares about over 10 years later.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by James Cameron View Post
    My biggest issue with Infinite Crisis was that they couldn't just leave Earth 2 Superman alone. He got his happy ending and they brought him back just to kill him. If that aspect wasn't in the book at all it would have been far more enjoyable.
    My biggest issue was Kal-L and Superboy Prime's treatment. Both were assassinated in different ways. I edited my initial post to include my plans for both of them.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gaius View Post
    Batman would suffer actual consequences for helping build discount Skynet that got scores of people killed and not allowed to morally lecture other characters on how great he is for not killing.

    or

    There would be no Max Lor neck snap by WW that would derail WW's book and characterization for a stupid event comic no one cares about over 10 years later.
    I hadn't thought of changing anything that led up to the IC, but I agree neither of the stories you mentioned should have ever happened.

  6. #6
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    Undo everything except for the Batman stuff. His revamp is really the only one that proved to have any real staying power.
    Keep in mind that you have about as much chance of changing my mind as I do of changing yours.

  7. #7
    Extraordinary Member Restingvoice's Avatar
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    Well first of all I'm in early 2004 and rejects the pitch of Identity Crisis....

  8. #8
    Ultimate Member j9ac9k's Avatar
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    I'd have Hal Jordan actually appear in it this time, for starters...

  9. #9
    Astonishing Member Stanlos's Avatar
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    I would tell everyone to work on character bibles and publish those instead while relaunching Elseworlds in a premium format

  10. #10
    Extraordinary Member Restingvoice's Avatar
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    Wait I just realized I'm the writer, not the editor, so I can't do anything about Identity Crisis.
    WELL for starter I'm not going with evil Max Lord or evil COIE characters...


    I'm jumping ahead and assuming Ted isn't dead, Jaime will be called The Scarab or Blue Scarab instead

    Bludhaven is not gonna get Chemo'd. I don't have an idea on Slade's alternative revenge plan yet but not that
    Last edited by Restingvoice; 05-25-2022 at 07:48 PM.

  11. #11

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    First, I would ask why they hired an 11 year old to write it. Because that's how old I would have been when it came out. Actually, I wouldn't be asking that, some adult would be, my younger self would probably just go along with it.

    Second, if 11 year old me was penning the event the whole thing would be about Batman since my 11 year old self only cared about Batman and no other heroes with the exception of Spider-Man. My 11 year old self will also probably throw a fit at the Brother Eye nonsense. It would probably be this wild Silver Age mix of B:TAS and The Batman (which would have come out that year) and akin to that episode of Dexter's Laboratory that was written by an actual 9 year old. The villain would probably be a Batman villain.

    It's kind of hard to say 'what should have been done' especially when we have the benefit of hindsight now and the zeitgeist of the era was completely different. Plus it's not like they'll just allow us to make whatever changes we want. Just ask Dwayne McDuffie or Phil Jimenez.

    Looking back:

    -I'm fine with the restoration of the Multiverse (which actually happened in the 52 weekly series).

    -Diana being restored as a founding member of JL should have fixed Donna's origin once and for all. The Post Crisis period could have been stretched over a longer period of time allowing for more stories to have happened in between. Instead, they pushed Warrior Woman while trying to establish a pre crisis inspired status quo. Just half thought out ideas being thrown around.

    -Similarly, Hawkman's origin should have been fixed by having Hawkworld take place around the same time as Batman: YO instead of the then present day.

    -I like Peeg being a survivor of another earth and I wish they had kept that going and even when she returned to a familiar version of Earth 2 it wasn't the same as the one she lived before.

    -Booster Gold becoming DC's time cop, which again happened during the 52 weekly series was one of the best things DC did with the character.

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  12. #12
    Extraordinary Member superduperman's Avatar
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    Superman wakes up in a liquid tank. Breather unit on his face. Martian Manhunter is talking in his head. Martian Manhunter helps free him and he's in shock. The last 20 years have been a dream while he was in the tank. Him and Lois aren't married, Kara is still alive. The COIE never happened. The rest of the JL are also in tanks. Their memories have also been altered. Superman helps free the rest. Turns out they were all being held hostage by Darkseid who was using their life forces to power his war engine. With all the heroes free, they defeat Darkseid and go back to Earth. Some traumatized by what they experienced in the tanks. Clark goes to Lois apartment and knocks on her door. He asks if he can come in because he has something important to tell her. That's how it ends.
    Assassinate Putin!

  13. #13
    Mighty Member SixSpeedSamurai's Avatar
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    I would have said, "nope, this is unnecessary and we are fine without the multiverse."
    Pulls: Batman, Detective Comics, SiKtC, Catwoman, Nightwing, Titans, Godzilla, Wonder Woman, Batman & Robin, Brave and the Bold, No/One, Kill your Darlings, and Deviant.
    My runs: Batman #230-, and Detective #420-

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by superduperman View Post
    Superman wakes up in a liquid tank. Breather unit on his face. Martian Manhunter is talking in his head. Martian Manhunter helps free him and he's in shock. The last 20 years have been a dream while he was in the tank. Him and Lois aren't married, Kara is still alive. The COIE never happened. The rest of the JL are also in tanks. Their memories have also been altered. Superman helps free the rest. Turns out they were all being held hostage by Darkseid who was using their life forces to power his war engine. With all the heroes free, they defeat Darkseid and go back to Earth. Some traumatized by what they experienced in the tanks. Clark goes to Lois apartment and knocks on her door. He asks if he can come in because he has something important to tell her. That's how it ends.
    What are you doing here, Jeff Lemire??
    "Never assign to malice what is adequately explained by stupidity or ignorance."

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  15. #15
    Extraordinary Member Restingvoice's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SixSpeedSamurai View Post
    I would have said, "nope, this is unnecessary and we are fine without the multiverse."
    Then nothing change because they'll just give the job to someone else

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