A Crisis about Crisis, part One

Crisis on Infinite Earths is frustrating to talk about. Not because it’s bad, it’s a classic for a reason. Firstly it’s what I’d call a funfair comic, trying to include (and mostly succeeding) every aspect of the soon to be gone DC Universe. Also as one of the first event comics, along with Secret Wars, it ushered in a style of comics that you can say is perhaps now overused. With this rebooting the universe many better authors than me have spilled many words about the impact of Crisis on both the real and fictional universe.

Finally, this Crisis doesn’t do Power Girl a service, she cameos in about half of the story but only really plays a part in the last few issues, still let’s look at the entire thing as a whole including her fleeting appearances in Infinity Inc.

Crisis on Infinite Earths #1-6

Cover Date: May 1985 to September1985

Release Date: 3rd January to 6th June 1985

Infinity Inc #21-22

Cover Date: December1985 to January 1986

Release Date: 19th September 1985 to 17th October 1985

All-Star Squadron #53

Cover Date: January 1986

Release Date: 24th October 1985

Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 - "The Summoning" (April 1985)

We’re introduced to the basics of the Crisis from the get-go, with two Earths being destroyed within the first few pages (an unnamed Earth, and Earth-3), with Pariah having to watch it all. In a classic inversion, Earth-3’s Lex (who’s good) sends his child from this dying planet. 

Meanwhile, Harbinger is gathering heroes from through the multiverse to fight this destruction, and after surviving an attack from shadows before we get the reveal of the Monitor. If you’d been following comics at the time he and Harbinger had been set up for months as being information brokers for (mostly) the villains.

Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 - “Time and Time Again!” (May 1985)

Crisis on Infinite Earths #3 - “Oblivion Upon Us” (June 1985)

Crisis on Infinite Earths #4 - "And Thus Shall the World Die!" (July 1985)

We get a few repeating beats over these issues, some history of the DC Universe, Monitors chosen heroes defending his towers through time and space and the mystery thrown up by the Crisis, either Earth-3 Lex of Pariah. Also scattered through is Flash from various parts in his own timeline, it’ll all make sense in the end.

Crisis on Infinite Earths #5 - “Worlds in Limbo” (August 1985)

Issue six is more or less the same beats, but we get the first of the assembled heroes scenes, including our first appearance of Power Girl. Earth-1 and Earth-2 which are only separated from each other by a vibration and only several other Earths have survived and time is still running out.

We get a page or two of Power Girl also helping out on Earth-1 what with time and space out of whack causing Red Tornado to go crazy and form a story before just dying. We then get the reveal of the baddie of this Crisis the Anti-Monitor!

Infinity Inc. #21 - “Shadows at Midnight” (December 1985)

Most of this issue is about the wedding of Alan Scott and Harlequin, yeah I know it makes his future reveal complicated but it wasn’t uncommon at the time (for those not in the know Alan later comes out as gay). Just as the bouquet had been thrown almost everyone is taken away by Harbinger. Power Girl is just in a few background scenes even getting to have a dance with Dick Grayson.

That’s it for Crisis as the rest of the issue is introducing the new Hourman and Dr Mid-Nite, it’s a solid tale but has nothing to do with what’s going through this Crisis. This issue is also one of those drawn by Todd McFarlane, a sign that the 90s isn’t that far to go, though he’s more dial down than what we’ll see in the future probably the influence of the inkers and colourists.

Infinity Inc. #22 - “Uncivil Wars” (January 1986)

Most of this issue takes place just around the group shot of Crisis #6, then Power Girl goes off to do what she does there and we get the rest of Infinity Inc interacting with their foes like Solomon Grundy and Bones, with lots of background characters from throughout the multiverse.

Then after a quick catchup on the whole situation, we cut back to Minuteman and Dr Mid-Nite dealing with all the crazy. 

All-Star Squadron #53 - “Worlds in Turmoil“ (January 1986)

The story is mostly that of the Squadron taking on a bunch of villains before they get taken to the satellite for the by now classic Crisis talk.  They then get drafted into the same heroics that we saw in Crisis #5 including them interacting with Power Girl. In a nice touch, Kara is the one who says “I don’t know if any of us’ll ever be okay again.” which is interesting seeing what’s in store for her in the very near future.

Crisis on Infinite Earths #6 - “3 Earths! 3 Deaths!” (September 1985)

Over halfway through the Crisis, things are getting pretty chaotic with fights breaking out all over the place, the Satellite is destroyed as the Anti-monitor begins to make his presence known. Mean whilst the surviving Earth are merging further together, as the villains who were helping out are disappearing which is where we get the JSA and Power Girl appearing to comment on the changes going on.

At this point, the story begins to turn towards the end, and we get the most iconic cover of the entire Crisis, but that will be something to deal with in part two...