Earth-Three
Earth-Three, or simply Earth-3 or Earth 3, is a “partially-reversed” Earth, where supervillainous counterparts of the mainstream DC superheroes reside. It first appeared in Justice League of America #29 (August 1964), and the concept has been rebooted several times.
| Earth-Three | |
|---|---|
The Crime Society of America from 52 Week 52, art breakdowns by Keith Giffen. | |
| First appearance | Justice League of America #29 (August 1964) |
| Created by | Gardner Fox Mike Sekowsky |
| In-universe information | |
| Race(s) | Humans |
| Locations | Malevolent counterparts of the Justice League (Pre-Crisis / The New 52): Other counterpart characters from DC Universe
Justice Underground |
| Characters | Crime Syndicate of America Alexander Luthor Jr. |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
Publication history edit
1964–1985: Original concept edit
Earth-Three was introduced by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky in the August 1964 issue of Justice League of America. Earth-Three's history is depicted as a mirror image to that of the Earth we know.[1] On Earth-Three, Christopher Columbus was American and discovered Europe; England (a colony of America) won freedom in a reversed form of the Revolutionary War (with George Washington surrendering his sword to Charles Cornwallis) in 1774; President John Wilkes Booth was assassinated by actor Abraham Lincoln. Crucially, Earth-Three was home to a villainous analogue to the Justice League, the Crime Syndicate of America.[1]
The Crime Syndicate would recur as powerful enemies of the Justice League until DC's 1985 company-wide crossover, Crisis on Infinite Earths. Crisis revealed that Lex Luthor, here called Alexander Luthor, is the only superhero on an Earth otherwise occupied entirely by villains, most of whom are reversed analogues of heroes on other DC Earths.[2] Earth-Three is destroyed by waves of antimatter in the opening scenes of the series. The sole survivor is the son of Alexander and Lois Lane Luthor, Alexander Luthor, Jr.[2] At the conclusion of the series, all other worlds in the Multiverse were merged.
1992–2011: Anti-matter Earth, new Multiverse edit
DC used Crisis on Infinite Earths to simplify its complex continuity and multiverse into a single narrative set on a single universe, not counting the antimatter universe which was integral to the story of how the Green Lantern villain Sinestro acquired his powers. Editorial mandate initially meant stories featuring the Crime Syndicate were entirely unavailable to writers, but DC later attempted to reintroduce the Crime Syndicate without the setting of Earth-Three in 1992's Justice League Quarterly #8, which featured a group of aliens from the planet Qward (the antimatter counterpart of Oa) who functioned as "more powerful" Justice League analogues.
This first attempt at bringing back the Crime Syndicate did not stick, and the principle concept behind Earth-Three would be revisited in Grant Morrison's JLA: Earth 2. Morrison recast much of Earth-Three's history as that of the Antimatter Universe's own version of Earth, which is home to the Crime Syndicate of America. He makes notable departures to this formula however, by presenting this world as the product of an alternate history and by reimagining various Crime Syndicate members (for example, by recasting Owlman as Batman's brother Thomas Wayne, and by recasting Ultraman not as the alien Kal-El but a human astronaut who acquires Kryptonian abilities). At the end of JLA: Earth-2, Amerika had launched a nuclear strike on London, against Britain's independence movement.
In Superman/Batman Annual #1, three members of this Crime Syndicate of Amerika—Ultraman, Owlman, and Superwoman—appear on the main DC Earth, along with an unnamed antimatter doppelganger of Deathstroke (whose behavior, including humorous breaking of the fourth wall, and powers are the same as Marvel Comics' Deadpool) hired to protect Bruce Wayne. The story supposedly takes place as the first time Superman and Batman figure out each other's identities, and matches Batman, Superman, and Deathstroke against their respective antimatter selves. The story is told by Mr. Mxyzptlk and may therefore be completely untrue.
In the final issue of the 52-issue weekly series 52 in 2007, a new Multiverse is revealed, originally consisting of 52 parallel realities. Among the parallel realities shown is one designated "Earth-3". As a result of Mister Mind "eating" aspects of this reality, it takes on visual aspects of the pre-Crisis Earth-Three.[3] The Earth-3 concept was not heavily explored after this, but does figure in a couple of issues of 52's follow-up weekly series, Countdown to Final Crisis (2007–8). The name of the new Earth-3 team is revealed to be the Crime Society of America. The Crime Society are considered to be evil versions of the heroes of Earth-2, acting as a new Golden Age counterpart to the Antimatter Earth.[4] A hero known as the Jokester operates in this universe, as later do the Riddler, Three-Face (Evelyn Dent), and Duela Dent. In Countdown #31 the version of Zatanna (Annataz Arataz) from this world was used by Superman-Prime to keep Mister Mxyzptlk in check. Based on comments by Grant Morrison, this alternate universe is not the pre-Crisis Earth-Three.[5] Despite the return of the DC Multiverse and the creation of a new Earth-3, the Antimatter Earth still exists in Qward, acting as an inverted microcosm of New Earth. The pre-established Crime Syndicate of Amerika from the Antimatter Universe were then featured heavily in Trinity, DC's third year-long weekly series.
2013–2016: The New 52 edit
DC again rebooted its continuity in 2011 as part of The New 52. In 2013, the "Trinity War" crossover event reintroduces Earth 3. It is mentioned as the home of true evil and of the Crime Syndicate and that it was destroyed by an unknown entity. The Crime Syndicate is largely modeled after Morrison's, with the introduction of new characters, and by re-envisioning Ultraman once again as an alien with an origin story which more closely parallels Superman's. In the closing scenes of "Trinity War", Ultraman, Superwoman, Owlman, Johnny Quick, Power Ring, Deathstorm, Alfred Pennyworth and Atomica reveal themselves to the Justice League of New Earth. Sea King also inhabited Earth 3, but quickly died after passing through the gateway to New Earth.[6] An Earth 3 version Martian Manhunter is also revealed to exist.[7] Alexander Luthor, who can become Mazahs, is also from Earth 3, and an enemy of the Crime Syndicate.[8] The official site of DC Comics describes Earth-Three as a world where the values of "good" and "evil" are reversed, with "evil" being the way of the world.[9]
2019–2021: DC Rebirth edit
At the end of Superman #8, it is revealed that Superman's son, Jon Kent, arrived on Earth 3 where he is confronted by the Crime Syndicate after leaving his grandfather, Jor-El.[10] In issue #9, Jon further expands on his time on Earth 3. He was sent into a volcano where Ultraman kept him prisoner and described Jon's predicament to him, being stuck on another Earth. From what was shown, it appears that Ultraman kept Jon prisoner for years until Jon formulated a plan to escape and eventually did so. He sought out the heroes of this universe and found the Earth 3 version of the Hall of Justice. But, it turned out to be the headquarters of the Crime Syndicate, and Jon is confronted by Superwoman, who is apparently the wife of Ultraman.[11]
Later, Young Justice found themselves trapped on Earth 3 after traveling through several different Multiverse Earths. They were soon attacked by their evil counterparts from that world.[12]
2021–present: Infinite Frontier edit
War for Earth-3 edit
The Titans and The Flash arrived on Earth 3 to find a missing student. The crossover between Suicide Squad, Teen Titans Academy, and The Flash saw Amanda Waller who wants to claim the Earth 3 with new members of her Justice Squad team. It is a five-part miniseries with two core issues. [13]
Characters edit
| Earth-Three[14] (1964–1985, 2007–2011) | Anti-matter Earth (1992–2011) | Earth-3 The New 52 (2011–present) | Notes | New Earth / Prime Earth counterpart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultraman | Lieutenant Clark Kent/Ultraman | Kal-Il/Clark Kent/Ultraman | Similar to the story of Superman, the Ultraman was sent from the planet Krypton to Earth-Three where he first encountered Kryptonite in outer space which began to change him into a super-powerhouse possessing vast powers and abilities. Upon reaching adulthood, he renamed himself Ultraman and began a life of conquest and destruction. It would be during his conquering that he encountered four other superpowered beings who would all loosely gather together in various schemes to overtake their world and become the Crime Syndicate of America. His real name is unknown. Following 52, another version of the character appeared, apparently being killed by quantum energy unleashed from Monarch, in the Earth-51 dimension, along with his entire team, the Crime Society. The antimatter Ultraman was a human astronaut, whose ship was imploded into hyperspace and an unknown alien race reconstructed Kent in an attempt to repair the damaged astronaut, which ended up altering the human both mentally and physically, giving him ultrapowers. The process also twisted his mind. Ultraman's power relies on his proximity and exposure to a substance called Anti-Kryptonite; the longer and farther he is separated from it, the weaker he becomes. Ultraman is unhappily married to his Crime Syndicate teammate Superwoman. He later died in Final Crisis. In The New 52, Ultraman comes from a version of Krypton whose people worship strength and despise weakness. When he arrives on Earth, he decides to blend into society until he is ready to conquer the planet, and puts into slavery a young abusive couple of drug addicts. When he turns seven, he murders them and burns down their farm. As Clark Kent and later on Ultraman, he went on to found the Crime Syndicate and take over the world. After Earth-3 is devastated by the same being that destroyed Krypton, Ultraman leads the Crime Syndicate to the main DC Earth to conquer it. This version of Ultraman is empowered by Kryptonite (and even snorts it like a drug) and is weakened by sunlight. After being defeated by the Justice League, Ultraman is in the custody of the authorities. | Superman |
| Owlman | Thomas Wayne Jr/Owlman | Owlman is an unnamed super-intelligent supervillain and a member of the Crime Syndicate of America. In some of his appearances, Owlman also had the ability to briefly control other people's minds, though it is unclear how he acquired this ability. He was also able to see in the dark. He developed artificial devices to enhance his mental abilities, most notably the large reflective owl eyes in his helmet which he uses as a focusing transmitter onto his target. Following 52, another version of the character appeared. In The Search for Ray Palmer: Crime Society battling the Jokester, a heroic doppleganger of the Joker.
In the antimatter universe, Thomas Wayne, Jr. is the older brother of that reality's Bruce Wayne. Young Bruce is killed along with his mother by a policeman when Thomas, Sr., the Commissioner of GCPD, refused to accompany him for questioning. Thomas, Jr., escapes and grows up to become Owlman, a master criminal and ally to Boss Gordon. While Ultraman is the leader of the Syndicate, Owlman is the brains behind the group. Further complicating issues is that Owlman has carried on a longtime affair with Ultraman's wife Superwoman. Ultraman is aware of the affair, but due to Owlman having undisclosed photographic blackmail material against the villain, he is unable to seek retribution against Owlman for the betrayal. In The New 52, Thomas, Jr., with the aid of Alfred, murders his parents so he can inherit the Wayne fortune. He grows up to become Owlman and joins the Crime Syndicate. He had a secret affair with Ultraman's wife and teammate Superwoman. Thomas takes Richard Grayson under his wing and trains him to become his sidekick, Talon. He along with the rest of the Crime Syndicate moved to the main DC Earth to conquer it. After being defeated by the Justice League, Owlman is mentioned to still be at large. During the Darkseid War, he recruits the remaining members of the Crime Syndicate to help the Justice League in their fight against the Anti-Monitor. He is also present at the birth of Superwoman's child, who is later used by Darkseid's daughter, Grail, to resurrect her father. He then takes the Mobius Chair from Batman and downloads Grid into the chair, leaving the battle. In the epilogue, he is seen conversing with Metron on the Moon. As he is about to ask the chair the secrets of the Universe, himself and Metron are obliterated by an unknown entity. | Batman[a] | |
| Superwoman | Lois Lane/Superwoman | Similar to the story of Wonder Woman, Super-Woman is an Amazon. Her golden lasso can change shape into any form she desires. Superwoman is a renegade who left Paradise Island on her own accord after finding out about the outside world. Following 52, another version of the character appeared as a member of the Crime Society. This Superwoman is Lois Lane and Ultraman's wife, like her antimatter counterpart. She is apparently killed by quantum energy unleashed from Monarch, in the Earth-51 dimension, along with the rest of her teammates. In the antimatter universe, Superwoman (alias Lois Lane) is an Amazon born on Damnation Island. She is the chief editor of the Daily Planet in what she calls "Patriarch's World". It is mentioned that she murdered all of her fellow Amazons. She is assisted by Jimmy Olsen, a compliant sexual deviant, who does what she tells him in exchange for the favor of watching when she changes her outfit. Superwoman has also joined the Crime Syndicate. She is married to Clark Kent/Ultraman, who hates Superwoman's frigidity towards him, while carrying on a torrid affair with Owlman. Her magic lasso is able to release the inhibitions of anyone tied with it. She also possesses heat vision.In The New 52, Superwoman/Lois Lane along with the remaining Syndicate members arrive on Prime Earth to conquer it. Her true past and identity are still a mystery. She carries the lasso of submission, which compels the tied individual to obey and love the wielder. She is pregnant and engaging in a secret affair with Owlman, while being married to Ultraman. It is revealed that Superwoman is also in a relationship with the crazed Alexander Luthor, who is the father of her child. She betrays Ultraman and the Syndicate, revealing her child is prophesied to bring the world to an end. After being defeated by the Justice League, she is placed in captivity. Immune to Wonder Woman's lasso of truth, she does not reveal any information. | Wonder Woman | |
| Johnny Quick | Jonathan Allen/Johnny Quick | Most of Johnny Quick's history is unrevealed. He was born with an enhanced speed, and later found a helmet that allowed him to focus his considerable speed into far greater levels. Adopting the name of "Johnny Quick" he began his lifelong career of criminal conquest, and is a founding member of the Crime Syndicate of America. His real name is unknown. Following 52, another version of the character appeared, as a member of the Crime Society. He is apparently killed by quantum energy unleashed from Monarch, in the Earth-51 dimension, along with the rest of his teammates. In the antimatter universe, Johnny (Wally West's counterpart) receives his powers by injecting himself with a drug called "Speed Juice". He is addicted to it and goes into massive physical withdrawal without it. As part of the Tribute the world's leaders pay the Crime Syndicate, they supply Quick with this drug. His real name is unknown. In The New 52, Johnny Quick is one of the members of the Crime Syndicate to arrive on Prime Earth in order to conquer it. He is a high-profile criminal, on the run with his equally criminal girlfriend, Rhonda Pineda. Together they have committed several crimes, many of them against police officers like Detective Mardon, Sergeant Scudder and Officer Walker. "Johnny and Rhonnie", as they were known, ended up cornered on the roof of S.T.A.R. Labs during a storm, after being chased by two police officers, Snart and Rory. Lightning hit a satellite, electrocuting Johnny, causing him to gain his powers.[6] After that he and his now also empowered girlfriend joined the Syndicate. On Prime Earth, when Lex Luthor's team infiltrates the fallen Watchtower, Johnny Quick joins in the fight. Captain Cold uses his freeze gun to freeze Johnny Quick's leg and break it off. When Alexander Luthor from Earth-3 is freed, he kills Johnny Quick and steals his powers.[8] | The Flash | |
| Power Ring | Joseph Harrolds/Power Ring | Harold Jordan/Power Ring | He was actively seeking out mystical power for some reason and found it when a mad monk gave him a lamp and a matching ring of unlimited power. He is a founding member of the Crime Syndicate of America. His real name is unknown. Following 52, another version of the character appeared, as a member of the Crime Society. He was apparently killed by quantum energy unleashed from Monarch, in the Earth-51 dimension, along with the rest of his teammates. In the antimatter universe, original Power Ring Joseph Harrolds tricks an unnamed, cowardly slave marine (Kyle Rayner's counterpart) into accepting the ring and the power lamp that contains the mad god Volthoom. The unnamed individual are changed, and the second Power Ring's physical appearance is changed from a white blonde man to an African-American bald man. His origin and anonymity remain the same. In The New 52, Power Ring is one of the members of the Crime Syndicate to arrive on Prime Earth in order to conquer it. Harold works as a janitor at Ferris Air, where he spies on Carol Ferris' operations. Abin Sur's ring of Volthoom chooses Harold. Abin begs Harold to take the ring, which he does, freeing Abin Sur. The ring opens a pocket dimensional portal to charge itself, unleashing a creature that attacks Harold. Wielding the ring causes Harold Jordan great pain and the cursed weapon often acts on its own accord. On Prime Earth, Power Ring battles Sinestro, but Sinestro cuts off his right arm, releasing him from the ring's control. The ownerless ring then flies off to find a new host.[15] | Green Lantern[b] |
| unnamed | mentioned only | unnamed | Following 52, a monstrous version of J'onn J'onzz is shown as a member of the Crime Society. In the antimatter universe, a White Martian is member of the Syndicate and is Ultraman's chief rival until he kills him. In The New 52, Martian Manhunter's counterpart is left on Earth-3 during its destruction.[7] | Martian Manhunter |
| Alexander Luthor | Lex Luthor | Alexander Luthor/Mazahs | Alexander Luthor is a scientist and the heroic counterpart of Lex Luthor who opposes the Crime Syndicate of America. Alexander and his wife Lois Lane are able only to save their son Alexander Luthor Jr. ("Alex") from the complete destruction of their reality by placing him in a capsule which takes him to Earth-One. The existence of the Earth-Three reality is ultimately erased from all history. Alexander Luthor Jr. survives not only the demise of his native reality, but also the collapse of the Multiverse. He alone maintains memories of Alexander Luthor, Sr. and his world. In the antimatter universe, Lex is the only known hero at the time. It is revealed the Luthor is allowed to live because Ultraman likes the challenge of hunting down Luthor when the hero makes one of his inevitable escapes from custody. During one such break-out Luthor jumps dimensions, landing on New Earth. In The New 52, Alexander Luthor is revealed as Mazahs, the Earth-3 version of Shazam. He operated as a "hero" who killed Will Batson and Hawkwing while absorbing their powers. The Crime Syndicate brings Alexander as their prisoner to Prime Earth. Lex Luthor and his team sneak in to the Justice League Watchtower where the Syndicate has Alexander hostage, and remove the duct tape holding his mouth closed. As soon as this is done, Alexander speaks the word, 'Mazahs', transforming himself into an evil version of Shazam, and kills Johnny Quick. It is also revealed that Superwoman is in a relationship with Alexander and is responsible for tricking her teammates into bringing him with them. She also reveals she is carrying his child, who is prophesied to bring an end to the world. Exploiting his ability to use the powers of those he has killed, Mazahs easily takes down both the Syndicate and Luthor's team where he killed Johnny Quick, Deathstorm, and Bizarro while absorbing their powers. The Lex Luthor of Prime Earth, having the same voice as Mazahs, manages to call down the lightning and transform Mazahs into his human form. Sealing Alexander's mouth, Lex stabs him with a knife, killing him and avenging Bizarro.[8] | Lex Luthor |
| Lois Lane-Luthor | see Superwoman* | In the parallel reality known as Earth-Three, Lois Lane married Earth's greatest champion, Alexander Luthor. Shortly before the event known as the Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Luthors gave birth to a baby boy, Alex, Jr. When the Anti-Monitor, released a wave of Antimatter energy that swept across the Multiverse, Lois and Alex placed their son inside of a specially designed module and launched him away from the beleaguered planet. Alex, Sr. and Lois Lane died in each other's arms as the Antimatter swept across their world. | Lois Lane | |
| Jur-Li/The Crime-Lord | — | Jor-Il | He was trapped in the Phantom Zone for his crimes. One day, he was able to flee from the Zone and reached Earth-One's Kandor on the exact day that Brainiac shrank and stole Kandor. In diminutive size, he became a crime boss there. Decades later, Jur-Ll battled Kandor's costumed crimefighters Nightwing and Flamebird. The people of Krypton of Earth 3 had gained great power from the radiation of their world, but through the machinations of Jor-Il, a mysterious being came to their planet and began a process that would lead to the planet's destruction. Thanks to a shooting spree, Jor-Il is able to secure a lifepod for his son, who he regarded as his best chance of revenge. | Jor-El |
| Alexander "Alex" Luthor Jr | — | unnamed | The son of Alexander Luthor, Sr. and his wife Lois Lane-Luthor. Alex was the last survivor of his world, as his parents placed him in an experimental device which carried the infant to the relative safety of Earth-One. His passage through the anti-matter storm grants him power over both matter and anti-matter, dramatically accelerating his aging process. He drastically transforms from a hero into a villain. In The New 52, Lois Lane (Superwoman) is pregnant with Alexander's child. The child is prophesied to bring an end to the world. | |
| Jackie/The Jokester | — | The Joker | Bullied and abused for much of his life, Jackie found happiness with the beautiful, loving Evelyn Dent, only to lose her when her split personalities developed. He became a struggling comedian at the Last Laugh comedy club, but witnessed the club's owner being murdered by the vicious Owlman. Sick of being bullied, Jackie redesigned his act, focusing all his jokes on Owlman. Aided by manager Harleen Quinzel, he became a kind of hero to the frustrated Gotham populace for boldly ridiculing every aspect of the thuggish villain. Owlman's retribution, however, was deadly. Harleen was murdered and Jackie's mouth was sliced open, leaving him with an unusually wide grin. Whatever sanity he had possessed vanished in that moment as he became the Jokester, dedicating his life to ruining and humiliating Owlman and his sidekick Talon. It is revealed that Duela Dent, who has escaped to New Earth, is his daughter. Jackie later discovers that she was killed at the hands of a Monitor, and he commits suicide by jumping in front of the blast, presumably to try to stop the Monitor from killing anyone else. The New 52 introduces a different take on the character. After killing Talon and assaulting Alfred Pennyworth, the Joker is killed by Owlman. He blamed Owlman for his unstable state.[16] | Joker |
| Quizmaster | Riddler | — | Riddler is married to Three-Face (Evelyn Dent) and is the stepfather to the Jokester's daughter Duela Dent. He was killed by Ultraman. In the antimatter universe, Edward Nashton was fascinated by puzzles and games from an early age. He was considered one of the smartest men on his Earth and naturally inclined to altruism. He operated as a crimefighter under the moniker "the Quizmaster", eventually becoming a founding member of the Justice Underground. Quizmaster was a thorn in the side of Owlman and the Crime Syndicate of Amerika for many years. He later has the right half of his face burned by Ultraman, leading him to don a half-face and temporarily take on the name "Enigma". | Riddler |
| Talon | — | Richard "Dick" Grayson/Talon | Talon had been an apprentice to Owlman. He was in a relationship with the Jokester's daughter, Duela Dent, which led to him leaving Owlman's service for a time. Unfortunately, the truth caused Jokester to disown Duela. Somehow, Duela and Talon ended up on New Earth, where both spent time as temporary members of the Teen Titans. It is unknown what has happened to Talon beyond that. His real name is unknown. It has been indicated that there have been more than one Talons and this specific iteration is the second one. In The New 52, Talon is the Dick Grayson of Earth-3. His parents were acrobats and money launderers who ran a corrupt circus, obtaining it after murdering the previous owner a clown. Dick also had a sister named Rachel. After his family was murdered, Owlman took Dick under his wing and he eventually became his sidekick. Their relationship fell apart when Dick learned that Thomas Wayne, Jr. was responsible for the Graysons' deaths. Dick is later killed by the Jokester.[16] | Robin[c] |
| Duela Dent/Harlequin | — | — | Even though the character was created in 1976, her origin story and true parentage were not revealed until Countdown Presents The Search for Ray Palmer: Crime Society (2007). Before that she claimed to be the daughter of various villains, such as the Joker, Catwoman, the Scarecrow, the Penguin, Doomsday, Doctor Light, and Punch and Jewelee. Through the years, she has assumed many aliases, with most of them indicating her "true" parentage. In Countdown it is revealed she is from Earth-3 and is the daughter of the Jokester and Evelyn Dent. She was raised by her mother and her stepfather, the Riddler, and together the three formed the Riddler Family. When she was finally introduced to her birth father, she dropped cryptic hints implying that she or her consciousness shifts unknowingly from Earth to Earth, which is the source of her parental confusion. When the Jokester joined the Riddler Family, Duela revealed that she had been in a relationship with Talon. The Jokester renounced her as his daughter and Duela left with Talon moments before the Crime Society stormed their apartment. | The Joker's Daughter |
| — | — | Alfred Pennyworth/The Outsider | Alfred, also known as the Outsider, is the butler to Owlman.[6] He helped Thomas kill his parents, ultimately firing the shots that killed them, and he continued to serve the boy as he grew into the crime lord known as Owlman.[16] At some point, Pennyworth was dosed with Joker venom, turning his skin grey-white and making him laugh at inopportune moments. He is transported on Prime Earth along with Atomica, preparing the world for the arrival of his master and the rest of the Syndicate. He is killed by Black Manta when the Injustice League breaks into the Watchtower.[8] | Alfred Pennyworth |
| Ray Palmer (mentioned only) | — | Ray Palmer/Atomico (mentioned only) Rhonda Pineda/Atomica | Introduced in The New 52 version of the Crime Syndicate. She is in a relationship with Johnny Quick.[6] One night after killing two cops, "Johnny and Rhonnie", as they are known, end up cornered on the roof of S.T.A.R. Labs during a storm. Lightning hits a satellite, electrocuting Johnny, causing him to gain his powers, while Rhonda falls into the labs and lands near Ray Palmer's Atomico work, gaining her powers. During the final battle with the Crime Syndicate, a shrunken Atomica is killed when Lex Luthor steps on her. | Atom |
| — | — | Deathstorm | Introduced in The New 52 version of the Crime Syndicate.[6] Professor Martin Stein experimented on humans to unlock the secret of life through death. He is recruited by one of the Crime Syndicate's enemy's to determine what the Syndicate's individual weaknesses are. He used the new lab he was in to continue his human experimentation on himself, eventually fusing his body with a corpse and becoming Deathstorm. He is killed when Mazahs steals his powers. | Firestorm[d] |
| — | — | Sea King | Introduced in The New 52 version of the Crime Syndicate who resembled Aquaman's design from the 1990s. He died shortly after exiting the gateway from Earth-3 to Prime Earth.[6] The design of Sea King resembles that of Aquaman in the 1990s. However, when his body is placed at the bottom of the ocean, it is revealed that during the Crime Syndicate's initial attack, Deadman entered the lifeless Sea King's body for protection. John Constantine was able to break Sea King's conscious hold on Deadman so that Sea King's body can be used to help defeat the Crime Syndicate. His real name is unknown. | Aquaman |
| — | — | Drake | The counterpart of Tim Drake, he calls himself "Drake" because he considers them one of the most dangerous types of birds. He has red hair instead of black. | Tim Drake |
| — | — | Luthor-El | The counterpart of Superboy. He has a mohawk and wears a T-shirt somewhat resembling Conner's "T-shirt and jeans" costume. | Superboy (Kon-El) |
| — | — | Speed Zone | A black teenager who more resembles Wallace West, but who wears an Impulse-styled costume. | Bart Allen |
| — | — | Amaxon Thunder | The counterpart of Cassie Sandsmark, she looks more like a classic Wonder Girl design, with long black hair and a costume that closely resembles Wonder Woman's, but with black stars on her pants. | Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark) |
| — | — | Hex | The counterpart of Jinny Hex. | Jinny Hex |
| — | — | Hack | The counterpart of Teen Lantern, she has blond hair. | Teen Lantern |
| — | — | Batwoman | A rare case of a character who is a hero on both Earth-0 and Earth-3, Stephanie Brown has taken on the mantle of Batwoman and fights against the Earth-3 counterparts of Young Justice. | Stephanie Brown |
Groups edit
| Earth-Three[14] (1964–1985, 2007–2011) | Anti-matter Earth (1992–2011) | Earth-3 The New 52 (2011–present) | Notes | New Earth / Prime Earth counterpart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Syndicate of America/Crime Society of America | Crime Syndicate | In their first appearance, the Crime Syndicate (CSA), bored with the ease with which they were able to commit crimes on their Earth, discover the existence of parallel worlds. Intrigued by the existence of super-heroes, they cross the dimensional void and attack the JLA and JSA. They are ultimately defeated and imprisoned. Over the ensuing years, the Syndicate or one of its members would occasionally escape and attempt to wreak havoc on Earth-One and/or Earth-Two. Earth-Three and the original Crime Syndicate are destroyed along with the rest of DC's parallel worlds in the 1985 twelve-issue maxi-series Crisis on Infinite Earths. As shown in the first issue, Earth-Three and all of its inhabitants were obliterated by an anti-matter wave that was the catalyst for the story. The five founding members (Ultraman, Owlman, Superwoman, Johnny Quick and Power Ring) of CSA have appeared in all additional iterations of the team.
The Crime Syndicate is reintroduced in the graphic novel JLA: Earth 2. Unlike the previous incarnations, this Crime Syndicate of Amerika rules their world, collecting kickbacks from the world governments. The antimatter Crime Syndicate's motto is "Cui bono?" ("Who profits?"). The team's roster consists mainly of the five founding members. The Crime Syndicate later reappears, where they lay waste to the planet Qward out of boredom. In The New 52, the leader of the Secret Society, previously known as "the Outsider", is actually working for the Syndicate. He gains possession of Pandora's Box to open a portal to Earth-3 from which the Crime Syndicate emerges. The Syndicate proceeds to attack the fallen Justice League members and claims Prime Earth now belongs to them. The line-up consists of the five founding members as well as Deathstorm, Sea King (who does not survive the trip to Prime Earth), Atomica (who had posed as Atom while working as a mole for the Secret Society), and Grid(a sentient computer virus in a robot body made from Cyborg's old prosthetic parts). When heroes and villains unite to defeat the Syndicate, Outsider is killed by Black Manta and Power Ring is murdered by Sinestro. Johnny Quick and Deathstorm are killed when the Syndicate's enemy Mazahs is freed, while Lex kills Atomica by stepping on her. In the aftermath, Ultraman and Superwoman are captured with Owlman still on the loose. The other former members of the Syndicate, along with the rest of Earth 3, are killed when that universe is destroyed. | Justice League | |
| — | Justice Underground | — | The Justice Underground is a heroic superpowered group from the Anti-matter Universe. One by one the Justice Underground members are all defeated, captured or killed. The captured members are placed into cryogenic storage, ready to be reanimated in a zombified state if the Syndicate decides it necessary. The Justice Underground is eventually released by J'onn J'onzz as a team of associate JLA members reversed back into the Matter Universe. The team's roster consists of Quizmaster, Sir Solomon Grundy, General Grodd, Lady Sonar, Star Sapphire, and Q Ranger. | Legion of Doom |
| see Crime Society * | Crime Lodge | — | Another criminal organization in the Anti-matter Earth. | Justice Society |
| — | Metal Marauders | — | They are listed amongst the opponents of the Crime Syndicate of Amerika. | Metal Men |
| — | Young Offenders | — | Mentioned in JLA #109 by Owlman to work for the Crime Syndicate. | Teen Titans |
Notes:
- ^ The superhero known as Owlman from New Earth was Roy Raymond Jr. In Prime Earth, the presumed Thomas Wayne Jr., was raised by the Court of Owls and lives under the alias of Lincoln March.
- ^ The entity that charges Power Ring, Volthoom, has a counterpart in Prime Earth as well, where he is known as the First Lantern. Jessica Cruz, a native of Prime Earth, becomes the new Power Ring.
- ^ In Prime Earth, Talons are the deadly assassins who work for the Court of Owls.
- ^ On New Earth, Deathstorm is the name of a Black Lantern Firestorm, who fused with the Firestorm Matrix to become his own entity. Martin Stein has counterparts in both New and Prime Earth, and in the former he was part of the original duo, who became Firestorm.
In other media edit
Television edit
- Earth-Three appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold animated series episode "Deep Cover for Batman".
- A variation of Earth-3 appears in live-action media set in the Arrowverse. Introduced in The Flash television series, this version of Earth-3 is home to Jay Garrick (portrayed by John Wesley Shipp) while elements of the comics' version of Earth-3 were used for Earth-2 instead. It is initially alluded to in season two before appearing in later seasons.[17] During the events of the Arrowverse crossover "Crisis on Infinite Earths", Earth-3 was destroyed off-screen by the Anti-Monitor.
Film edit
Earth-3 appears in the animated film Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths.
Video games edit
Earth-3 is mentioned in Lego DC Super-Villains. It is the reality that the Crime Syndicate and the game's primary customizable character the "Rookie" came from.
References edit
- ^ a b Fox, Gardner (w), Sekowsky, Mike (p), Sachs, Bernard (i), Saladino, Gaspar (let), Schwartz, Julius (ed). "Crisis on Earth-Three" Justice League of America, no. 29 (August 1964). National Periodical Publications.
- ^ a b Wolfman, Marv (w), Pérez, George (p), Giordano, Dick (i), Tollin, Tony (col), Costanza, John (let), Wolfman, Marv (ed). "The Summoning" Crisis on Infinite Earths, no. 1 (April 1985). DC Comics.
- ^ 52 Week 52 (2007)
- ^ . Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
- ^ Brady, Matt (May 8, 2007). . Newsarama. Archived from the original on May 10, 2007. Retrieved May 12, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f Johns, Geoff (w), Reis, Ivan (p), Prado, Joe, Oclair Albert, Eber Ferreira (i), Reis, Rod (col), Napolitano, Nick J. (let). "Trinity War Chapter Six: Conclusion" Justice League, vol. 2, no. 23 (October 2013). DC Comics.
- ^ a b Fawkes, Ray (w), Portela, Francis (a), Hi-Fi (col), Esposito, Taylor (let). "End of the Curse Part 1: The New World" Trinity of Sin: Pandora, vol. 1, no. 4 (December 2013). DC Comics.
- ^ a b c d Johns, Geoff (w), Finch, David (p), Friend, Richard (i), Oback, Sonia (col), Leigh, Rob (let). "Forever Evil Chapter Six: The Power of Mazahs!" Forever Evil, vol. 1, no. 6 (May 2014). DC Comics.
- ^ "Earth-3". October 2014.
- ^ Bendis, Brian Michael (w), Reis, Ivan (p), Prado, Joe (i), Sinclair, Alex (col), Reed, Josh (let). "The Unity Saga: The House of El, Pt. 2" Superman, no. 8 (February 2019). DC Comics.
- ^ Bendis, Brian Michael (w), Reis, Ivan (p), Prado, Joe and Albert, Oclair (i), Sinclair, Alex (col), Reed, Josh (let). "The Unity Saga: The House of El, Pt. 3" Superman, no. 9 (March 2019). DC Comics.
- ^ Bendis, Brian Michael (w), Timms, John (p), Eltaeb, Gabe (col), Abbott, Wes (let). "Lost in the Multiverse, part 2" Young Justice, no. 8 (September 2019). DC Comics.
- ^ "War For Earth-3 crossover event reading order". March 28, 2022.
- ^ a b Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010) on IMDB.com
- ^ Johns, Geoff (w), Finch, David (p), Friend, Richard (i), Oback, Sonia (col), Leigh, Rob (let). "Forever Evil Chapter Five: Hit and Run" Forever Evil, vol. 1, no. 5 (March 2014). DC Comics.
- ^ a b c Johns, Geoff, Sterling Gates (w), Kudranski, Szymon (a), Kalisz, John (col), Esposito, Taylor (let). "The Wild Card" Justice League, vol. 2, no. 23.4 (November 2013). DC Comics.
- ^ "(#309) "The Present"". TheFutonCritic.com. Retrieved November 18, 2016.