CRISIS on Infinite Earths #10

CRISIS on Infinite Earths #s 10 (Jan 1986)
title: "Death At The Dawn Of Time!"
writer/editor: Marv Wolfman
penciller: George Perez
inker: Jerry Ordway
letterer: John Costanza
colorist: Anthony Tollin
cover: George Perez

Order of Appearance: The Ray, the Human Bomb, Uncle Sam, and Phantom Lady

Other Stars: The Spectre, Batman, Atom (E2), Fury, Robin (E1), Superman (E2), Wonder Woman (E2), Metamorpho, Norda, Hawkman (E2), Harbinger, Alexander Luthor, Pariah, and a cast of hundreds.

Opponents: The Anti-Monitor, Krona, Silver Ghost, Calendar Man, Deathbolt, Emerald Empress, the Dummy, the Tigress/Huntress, and a cast of hundreds

Overall Summary: 
The Spectre brings all of the super-heroes to the Dawn of Time in order to stop the Anti-Monitor from changing the positive universe into the anti-matter one.    

Plot Summary:
The super-heroes from Earths 1 and 2 are battling the super-villains on Earths 4, S, and X until the Spectre appears on all Earths and orders the fighting to cease. He knows that the Anti-Monitor has returned to the dawn of time in order to recreate the multiverse as an anti-matter universe, killing untold billions of people. Faced with total annihilation, the super-villains give up and agree to help fight the Anti-Monitor. 

The Spectre leads the heroes to the actual dawn of time, where they hope to prevent the Anti-Monitor from reaching through the time portal and infecting the universe when the renegade Oan, Krona, does his unlawful experiment to see the dawn of time. 

Before heading off on their missions, Uncle Sam gives everyone a pep talk. It's received as corny by most of the super-villains, but even Luthor agrees that living with the super-heroes is a better life than under the Anti-Monitor's rule. 

The super-villains, meanwhile, are sent to Oa ten billion years ago to try to prevent Krona from beginning his experiment at all. 

The super-villains fail to prevent Krona from opening up the time portal to the dawn of time. But strengthened by the courage and power of all of the super-heroes, the Spectre is able to defend the dawn of time, stopping the Anti-Monitor from entering our positive universe.....or is he? 

Review: 

Well, this is it: the last "real" appearance of all of the DC Universe characters, including the Freedom Fighters, before the events at the end of this issue re-creates them all on the same Earth, with different histories and character biographies. So this is, for all intents and purposes, the last appearance of Earth-X in the DC Universe (abridgement: for many, many years). 

The story as always is well told and very well illustrated. George Perez and Jerry Ordway are at the top of their game. None of the characters look bad, and in fact, everyone looks great! 

If I had just one comment to make, I would have liked to have seen the Freedom Fighters be free from the vines that Poison Ivy and Jason Woodrue had them tied up in last issue. I would have been nice to have seen some actual Freedom Fighter whoop-ass one last time....

Freedom of Information

• Uncle Sam, Phantom Lady, and the Human Bomb appear on the cover. 
• Black Condor, Doll Man, and Firebrand do not appear in this story. It is strongly implied that they are with the others who go back to the Dawn of Time, but they are not actually shown. 
• Although Uncle Sam, the Ray, the Human Bomb, and Phantom Lady appear in the story, the only character with any dialogue is Uncle Sam, as reprinted above. 
• Although it appeared that Aqualad and Tula were on Earth 4 last issue, and Mera was on Earth-S, they are all back on Earth-1 in this issue. 
• The Emerald Empress appeared on Earth-S last issue but is on Earth-X this time. 

The Freedom Fighters

assembled by Len Wein