Multiverse (DC Comics) - Contact Between Universes

Contact Between Universes

Originally in the pre-Crisis Multiverse, most inhabitants of these various Earths were completely unaware of the other universes, outside of the superpowered populace. The writers at DC Management changed this condition for the main post-Crisis Earth populace who are completely aware of the Multiverse, as shown in Final Crisis #7. It is unclear if the populace of most of the alternate Earths of the post-Crisis 52 Multiverse are also generally aware of other Earths, though many of the superpowered populace have been shown to be aware of, and interact with these other Earths and their inhabitants.

The first character recorded to cross the gap between these various Earths was in pre-Crisis reality (chronologically in continuity, not publishing order as this tale was revealed in the series All-Star Squadron in the 1980s) and done by Uncle Sam of Earth-Two, who accidentally crossed over into Earth-X. DC Comics' first published story involving travel between alternate universes was Wonder Woman's crossing into an unnamed parallel Earth, in Wonder Woman #59 (1953). Barry Allen, the Flash of Earth-One became the first recorded individual during the Silver Age to visit another Earth, accidentally vibrating at just the right speed to appear on Earth-Two, where he met Jay Garrick, his Earth-Two counterpart, in The Flash #123.

Other characters with super-speed powers have been able to duplicate the trick, but it has not been done routinely. Magic and technological devices have done the job as well. The Justice League of America's "transmatter" device (ordinarily used to transport the team between their satellite headquarters and the ground), was pressed into service for annual events in which the League and some of their counterparts on other Earths faced a universe-crossing "crisis" of one sort or another. Wonder Woman's invisible jet was also shown to be able to vibrate her across the multiversal barrier, in Wonder Woman #300, and she also crossed over when her magic lasso was struck by lightning, in Wonder Woman #59. Superman could travel to other Earths at will while Captain Marvel used the magical Rock of Eternity to gain access to all of the Earths.

Writers have occasionally put characters from different Earths together in the same story without explanation, a continuity error often cited as a reason for eliminating the Multiverse in Crisis on Infinite Earths or as an extension of "Earth-B" (cited by DC staff as the setting for team-up stories told in The Brave and the Bold, or edited by Murray Boltinoff or written by Bob Haney, which did not always conform to established continuity for Earth-One, or any other established Earth). For instance, one such story featured Catwoman committing murder, which neither the Earth-One nor Earth-Two versions would ever do as it was strictly against each character's moral code.

Earth-616, Marvel Comics' main universe, is typically acknowledged as being part of a different multiverse entirely; in the JLA/Avengers crossover, even after the barriers between Earth-616 and the post-Crisis DC Earth had been deliberately weakened, it was incredibly hard to make the voyage. Thor's hammer and the Flash's speed can allow travel between the Earths; however, as the Speed Force does not exist on Earth-616, Flash cannot travel back.