You’re reading The Complete Infinite Crisis, a Comprehensive and Encyclopedic look through the universe-changing superhero event published by DC from 2005 to 2006. Shelfdust are proud to provide a complete overview of the story, and everything that happens in it. We thought this would be easy, but we’ve had to bring in a bunch of experts to help us out and explain all the really confusing bits!

Yesterday we heard about something called Countdown to Final Crisis, which I think happens after Infinite Crisis. You HAVE to be clear on these things though, so let’s bring in Tom Speelman to clear the air here!

Countdown to Final Crisis comes after Infinite Crisis? What was it about?

Tom Speelman: Countdown was, in conception, a reverse answer to 52. Where that series had served as an explainer for the events that contributed to the new status quo of One Year Later (where Batman Superman and Wonder Woman were absent), Countdown was meant to be a prequel ramping things up in the DC Universe in preparation for the world-shattering events of Final Crisis.

In terms of plot, the series was basically a follow up to Jim Starlin’s Death of the New Gods and featured Darkseid manipulating heroes and villains while a group of disparate heroes tried to take him down.

Which characters were involved in it? Who were the “stars”?

Speelman: There were many characters involved (more so than 52 given Countdown crossed over with many regular titles) but the core cast opposing Darkseid were Donna Troy, Jason Todd/Red Hood, Kyle Rayner/Green Lantern, Ray Palmer/The Atom, Harley Quinn, Mary Marvel, Jimmy Olsen, Trickster, Pied Piper, Forager and Holly Robinson. There’re many others who show up but those are the stars.

Roughly speaking… what happened at the end?

As for the ending, well…Darkseid was seemingly murdered by Orion, his plans foiled; Mary Marvel was brainwashed, turned evil, recovered and was then abandoned by all and sundry close to her; Apokolips was assimilated by Brother Eye and then blown up; finally, after the Monitors turned out to be corrupt, Donna, Kyle, Ray and Forager agreed to serve under the Monitor Nix Uotan as a new version of the Challengers of the Unknown to both defend the Multiverse and monitor the Monitors.

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Oh boy, I regret asking. That’s a LOT to have to deal with! I’m going to, uh, step away from all that with no further questions right now. Let’s try and get back on track, shall we? Graeme also mentioned Countdown to Infinite Crisis, so let’s head across to that one next, eh?

 

Tom Speelman is a critic whose work has appeared at CBR, Polygon and The MNT, amongst others. Find him on Twitter here!