Western Animation / Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths

Worlds will live, worlds will die, and the universe will never be the same.

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths is a three-part Animated Adaptation of the storyline of the same name. It is also the eighth, ninth and tenth film in the Tomorrowverse.

Part 1 begins as death is coming. A deadly anti-matter wave threatens to wipe out every universe in the multiverse, leading the mysterious Monitor to gather heroes from many worlds. Meanwhile, the Flash finds his sense of time to be in flux, constantly jumping between different points in his life such as shortly before the Justice League formed, travelling to Earth-3 and meeting the Crime Syndicate and the far future where he's happily married to Iris. But a mysterious figure haunts him in all these eras with a dire warning.

Part 2 features the assembled heroes holding the line against a seemingly endless onslaught of shadow demons as they work to protect the cosmic tuning fork towers, which may be the only hope of stopping the antimatter waves. The task is made more difficult when the Psycho-Pirate broadcasts waves of hatred that cause people to turn on one another, and secrets the Monitor and Supergirl hold that may doom them all.

Part 1 released on January 9, 2024, Part 2 released on April 23rd, 2024, and Part 3 is expected to be released later in 2024.

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Tropes for Part 1

• Adaptational Relationship Overhaul:
  • Part 1 shows that the Earth-2 Superman and Wonder Woman are now a couple, having gotten together after the Earth-2 Lois passed away. This wasn't the case in the comics.
  • A flashback reveals that Batman never adopted Dick Grayson on Earth-1, instead deciding he should go to the Central City orphanage. As a result, he's surprised when he encounters a version who was adopted by Batman and became Robin.
• Adaptational Heroism:
  • Dr. Ivo in the comics was just your old fashioned Mad Scientist, here he's just an old man that created Amazo for prolonging his life and to help.
  • As above, Amazo isn't just a machine created to steal powers, but acts more like a child trying to save his father.
• Advancing Wall of Doom: The antimatter wave is a planetary scale mass of antimatter passing through reality after reality, destroying everything it touches.
• Agony Beam: Superwoman's Lasso of Submission still has the effect of forcing people to tell the truth... under constant electric torture.
• All for Nothing: Despite everything the heroes did and the antimatter waves disappearing, somehow Earth-1's future still disappears, meaning that something (or someone) will destroy all earths.
• Alternate Self: Superman meets his much older Earth-2 counterpart, the two having a few discussions. Meanwhile Batman meets the Dick Grayson of an alternate universe, who was adopted by his Batman and became Robin unlike on Earth-1 where Batman had Dick be taken in by the Central City orphanage. The Crime Syndicate also acts as a counterpart to the Justice League.
• Alternate Universe: There are many introduced in this film, with Earth-2 making a reappearance:
  • Earth-3, a Crapsack World that's home to the Crime Syndicate and is destroyed by the anti-matter wave.
  • Earth-4, which isn't fully developed but is presumably the home reality of Blue Beetle, Nightshade and the Question and the setting of DC Showcase: Blue Beetle.
  • Earth-149, a world where the Earth is covered by the sea due to the actions of the surface world and home to Aquaman. Nicknamed Earth-Atlantis by Batman.
  • Earth-X which is home to characters like the Ray.
• Animated Adaptation: Of the 1985-1986 comic of the same name.
• Ascended Extra: While Batman was part of the original Crisis, he was way out of his league against the Anti-Monitor and his henchmen and fought other villains. Here, he's a much larger part of the action, is seen fighting large-scale threats, and acts as the team strategist.
• Asshole Victim: Except for one (maybe two) of them, the Crime Syndicate are shown to be without any redeeming qualities, which would make their deaths fully deserved; subverted with Earth-3 being completely annihilated.
• Becoming the Mask: The Justice League’s formation was announced purely to lure out Amazo and reveal the true purpose behind his creation to him. But Batman then decides to form an actual super group with the gathered heroes.
• The Bus Came Back: John Constantine and the Spectre, last seen in DC Showcase – Constantine: The House of Mystery which was part of a different franchise, return to warn Barry that he is to blame for the current threat.
• Canon Character All Along: Among the gathered heroes is a shifty looking man in a suit, who swiftly uses a superhero-costume generating machine to reveal that he’s Psycho-Pirate.
• Composite Character:
  • The Harbinger of the animated multiverse is Kara Zor-El.
  • The role of Pariah is now give to John Constantine as his punishment.
• A Day in the Limelight: While the Justice League and other superheroes and villains feature, the main story follows the Flash from his beginnings to a seasoned member of the League and the reveal that the oncoming doom is somehow his fault.
• Dead Alternate Counterpart:
  • The Earth-2 Superman, after being asked by his Earth-1 counterpart, admits that he did have a Lois that he married. However, she passed away from old age, which is why he's now with Wonder Woman, who also understands the pain of outliving a loved one.
  • Meanwhile, Batman meets the Dick Grayson and Helena Wayne of another universe, who mention that their version of Batman has been dead for a few years now.
• "Eureka!" Moment: Barry explains to the think tank how he is able to vibrate between realities, giving them the idea to construct cosmic tuning forks on each of their worlds that will allow the antimatter wave to pass right through them harmlessly.
• Face Death with Dignity: As Earth-3 is consumed by the Antimatter Wave, the Crime Syndicate goes out to fight it, even though they know it's futile. In particular, Superwoman chooses to calmly let the wave engulf her after seeing that nothing she does is affecting it in the slightest, and Ultraman defiantly punches it.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Dr. Ivo, knowing his life is soon to end anyway, orders Amazo to transfer the metahuman energy he's gathered to him, which Amazo has been led to believe will cure his condition. When the energy kills him instead, Amazo is shown that the purpose Lex claimed he was built for is a lie.
• Hope Spot: As Earth-3 is devastated by lightning storms, Ultraman stops a falling building that is heading for the Syndicate headquarters, seemingly saving the civilians within. Then they have to watch in horror as he pushes the building just enough to make it topple over in the other direction.
• The Multiverse: Several Earths are shown with many heroes coming from unknown realities, to stop a threat the threatens all their worlds.
• Mundane Utility: Flash travels between universes to gather ingredients for the best cup of coffee ever. Granted, he intended to use the coffee as a morale booster for the team figuring out how to stop the anti-matter wave. The Monitor is incredulous that Harbinger would use her ability for such a trivial matter, but Barry reveals he can use his powers to move between universes. His explanation of how he can move between universes inspires the team to create a possible solution to the anti-matter wave.
• Mythology Gag:
  • The older Superman and Wonder Woman from Earth-2 started a relationship after Lois Lane's passing, like they did in Kingdom Come. Though in this case Lois passed away from old age.
  • Zatanna is sporting her outfit and design from DC vs. Vampires.
  • Johnny Quick has an Australian accent like he had in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths.
  • Superwoman turns silently resigned in her final moments as the destructive energy wave reaches her, like Queen Diana in Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox.
  • At Iris and Barry's wedding, it appears that a relationship is developing between John Stewart and Shayera Hol, like in the DCAU continuity.
• Powerful and Helpless: Batman correctly surmises that the gathering of heroes haven't been called together because of their superpowers and cannot "punch" their way out of the crisis, and that they're actually a think-tank.
• The Reveal: Both Spectre and John Constantine reference the events of Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, confirming that the DCAMU and Tomorrowverse are connected. They also confirm that the Tomorrowverse Flash is the DCAMU Barry Allen, and his actions are somehow to blame for the Crisis itself.
• Shout-Out: When Barry meets the Spectre, he asks if he is death. The Spectre clarifies who he is and that Death is "better looking".
• Unstuck in Time: Flash keeps randomly shifting between alternate realities and points in his own timeline.
• Villainous Valor: The Crime Syndicate, with the exception of Johnny Quick, choose to go down fighting when the anti-matter wave hits their world and charge at it, even when it becomes clear it's futile. Even Quick, who does run rather than fight a losing battle, acknowledges that he's in no shape to escape with Barry and accepts he isn't going to make it as a car strikes him, thus allowing Flash to escape.
• Villainesses Want Heroes: It’s subtle, but there might just be some kind of attraction that Superwoman feels for the Flash. She flips her hair when Johnny Quick introduces the Crime Syndicate to Barry, and most of her screentime has her constantly manhandling Barry to get information out of him, with her seemingly enjoying it.
• Wham Line:
  The Homeless Man / DCAMU John Constantine: I walk all worlds that are doomed to die. My punishment.
  The Flash: For what? What did you do?
  The Homeless Man / DCAMU John Constantine: So long, I don't remember... But I know... You share my guilt.
• Wham Shot: As they're finishing the cosmic tuning forks, the antimatter wave suddenly appears ahead of schedule. As a natural phenomenon shouldn't do that, Batman reasons that there can be only one explanation: an intelligence is guiding its actions and adapting to their plan.
• You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Subverted. When Flash explains his ability to cross universes to the Crime Syndicate, and how he presently can't thanks to sharing the Speed Force with Johnny Quick, Owlman notes that killing one of them would solve the problem. Quick protests because he doesn't know how to cross universes, clearly missing the implication that Owlman thinks he's expendable. Pariah interrupts before discussion becomes action.

Tropes for Part 2

• Adaptational Origin Connection: The Monitor saved Supergirl shortly after Krypton's destruction and looked after her until she left for Earth, while her anger at his decision to not prevent Krypton's destruction encourages him to eventually break his code to stop the Crisis.
• The Blade Always Lands Pointy End In: Averted, then played straight. When Damien throws his sword at the Joker, Batman uses his grapple to save Joker from what he assumes would have been a fatal blow, only for Damien to defensively state he threw it so it would strike hilt-first. It's played straight moments later, when the sword flies past Joker and lands blade-first in the concrete.
• The Cameo: The Earth that Dick Grayson and Helena Wayne come from is also home to Batgirl, Damian Wayne, and even Batman Beyond.
• Composite Character: It's revealed that Psycho Pirate has been traveling to other Earths and assuming different identities, two of which were Doctor Spectro from the Blue Beetle short and a version of Rainbow Raider called Rainbow Warrior.
• Darkest Hour: Part 2 ends with the heroes falling to the giant Shadow Demon, Supergirl being brainwashed by Psycho-Pirate to kill the Monitor, and the Anti-Monitor successfully destroying the multiverse.
• Doppelgänger Gets Same Sentiment: Despite being told that this Hippolyta and her Amazons are not her mother and sisters, Wonder Woman's only response is "They are close enough". It's implied she has Survivor's Guilt because Amazons of her own Earth have been wiped out.
• Enfant Terrible: A young Charles Halstead uses his budding psychic powers to either turn people in his boarding school into his slaves or make them commit Psychic-Assisted Suicide.
• Hate Plague: Psycho-Pirate uses his powers to compel the heroes across the various universes to fight each other instead of the Shadow Demons.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Solovar, already badly injured, sacrifices himself to help Kamandi against the Shadow Demons by setting his gun to the highest velocity and using it as a makeshift bomb, blowing himself up and taking the Shadow Demons with him.
• He's Back!: John Stewart saying his full name at Pariah’s request restores the latter’s true identity and personality as John Constantine. He then casts a spell to clean himself up and restore his usual look.
• Idiot Ball: Whoo-boy. Both Dr. Fate and the Monitor decide it's a good idea to give more powers to Psycho Pirate, despite knowing full well what kind of a sociopathic treacherous monster he is. While in the former's case it's implied to be due to his Omniscient Morality License, the latter simply buys Pirate's claims that he needs more power. True, the Monitor thought that Psycho Pirate didn't have any options other than continuing to work for him but giving this guy power without a leash was still an extremely dumb move.
• Lady Land: Wonder Woman is dispatched to an Earth where the Amazons conquered the world centuries prior and enslaved all men.
• Living Shadow: The Anti-Monitor's shadow demons are a heavy focus, with a doglike demon attacking Batman and a swarm of others attacking the League. Later, the remaining demons merge into armor for the Anti-Monitor himself.
• Mythology Gag: The teacher in Psycho Pirate's flashback resembles the comic design of Charles Halstead.
• Principles Zealot: Rather than take Diana's suggestion to release all her male slaves to help against the Shadow Demons, Hippolyta would rather go down fighting them herself. Downplayed, as at this point Psycho Pirate is broadcasting his Hate Plague and she may have been more reasonable absent that.
• Weakened by the Light: The Shadow Demons are invulnerable to physical attack, but are scattered by intense light. Anything from flashbangs to light-emitting superpowers works, though Batman observes that more mundane things like flashlights are insufficient.
• What the Hell, Hero?: When Kara learns about Krypton's destruction, she gets furious at the Monitor for keeping this from her.
• Whole Episode Flashback: The first half of the film reveals the backstory of Psycho Pirate and how Supergirl became the Harbinger.

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