God only knows - Infinite Crisis #3

Divine Intervention

Infinite Crisis #3

Cover Date: February 2006

Released: 21st December 2005

⋅ Writers: Geoff Johns ⋅ Pencilers: Phil Jimenez / George 

  Pérez ⋅ Inkers: Still Many Hands ⋅  Colourists: Jeromy Cox / 

  Guy Major ⋅ Letterers: Nick J. Napolitano ⋅ Editors: Jeanine 

  Schaefer /  Eddie Berganza ⋅

Continued from Infinite Crisis #2

So we start in the flooded city of San Diego, yeah remember when San Diego was a sunken city inhabited by Atlanteans? We get a quick fight between Aquaman and Mera against Black Manta, which is good as they happen to be the only Aquaman characters I actually do know! And no Aquaman is a cool bro badass, Superfriends was never really shown here, so I never thought of Aquaman as just the man who talks to fish! Anyway, this doesn't matter as the Specter, still unhinged without a human host just straight out destroys Atlantis before he and the plot moves on.

We then cut to Paradise Island, the caption calls it that, the Amazon's Themyscira, I'm lazy so we'll mix and match. Anyway, they're still dealing with the OMACs, including literally bringing out the big guns! Now why we've forgotten that the previous issue makes a big deal out of not harming the innocents inside the OMACs is not really covered. Batman who's been trying to talk the OMAC system down finally loses it finally peaking the dark loner Batman that the comics have been building up for quite a while, though I only know this from the crossovers unlike most I never had a Batman phase unless you could BTAS obviously. At this low point Earth-2 Superman, for simplicity's sake we'll call him Superman-2, telling Bruce that it's not too late to make amends and start again.

We then get more Power Girl talking to Lois about her sudden memories of Earth-2, her first words obviously about Helena, before Alexander ask's her to leave to run more tests on the dying Lane. Superboy Prime, Conner isn't using the name so we'll stick to Superboy, ask if Pee Gee is going to help them bring back Earth-2 but she's not sure if she wants to help concerned about everyone living on this Earth. To try and convince her he hands her Lois's journal, something that will get used in JSA, so now I can stop this crazy summary and go back to the easier path of explaining a JSA comic...

Oh okay! 

Shadowpack turns up in El Paso to try and stop fragments of the Rock of Eternity, that exploded last issue (the Specter was involved). A falling building is a bit too much for even Blue Devil, but luckily Superman-1 turns up to help out. Apart from showing that "our" Superman is just as concerned with saving people this whole part is to show some random kid finding a magical Blue Scarab. Yeah, this is the first appearance of Jamie Reyes, the new Blue Beetle now that the previous one is now out of the way!

We then get quick cutaways to a massive battle at the Center of the universe and Wally and Iris admiring their new twins before he runs off to help save the world. 

Then back to Batman! Superman-2 tries to bring Batman onside with bringing back Earth-2, showing him marrying Selina (the Bruce / Selina marriage that did happen) and Helena Wayne being the Huntress. He also mentions that Bruce became the police commissioner, including the part where he was actually killed.

To stop the OMACs from destroying everyone on Paradise Island Wonder Woman decides the best idea is to retreat from the world of man, so with a pretty nifty splash page, the island disappears to places unknown!

Then we have a few pages of Lex planning out the attack of Black Adam, before armored Lex (Lex-2) meets with our Businessman Lex (Lex-1) which doesn't go well for the Lex-2.

We then cut back to Batman who raises the same question as Power Girl and Superman-2 straight up admits that everyone will be replaced by their Earth-2 equivalent. He tries to hammer home the fact that this Earth is a corruption of his earth until Batman shoots him down by mentioning Nightwing, who is always a shining beacon in any universe it seems! Bruce tries to pull the good old Kryptonite ring, only for Supes-2 to destroy the rin saying this world Kryptonite doesn't work on him. 

We then cut back to the two Lexs fighting and we get the reveal that the Lex we've been following is actually Alexander who's been manipulating things behind the scenes, and armoured Lex is "our" Luthor.

We end with Power Girl returning to the crystal cave to discover that Alexander has built one of the towers from Crisis, incorporating the Anti-Monitor and various heroes including the Martian Manhunter, we cut to Batman discovering the same thing, Power Girl is taken down and we learn that Alexander and Superboy are behind the entire scheme.

We're at the halfway point, more or less, and everything has been set up almost perfectly. Superman-2 is well-intentioned but blinded by his love for Lois, whilst Alexander and Superboy are straight-up bad guys trying to do this regardless of what people want.

We're also doing some housekeeping taking out certain characters and plot whilst introducing new characters, in this case, Blue Beetle.

On to the next issue!