Wednesday, May 29, 2024

CRISIS on Infinite Earths #11

CRISIS on Infinite Earths # 11 (Feb 1986)
title: "Aftershock"
writer/editor: Marv Wolfman
penciller: George Perez
inker: Jerry Ordway
letterer: John Costanza
colorist: Carl Gafford
cover: George Perez

Order of Appearance: Phantom Lady and Uncle Sam are the only Freedom Fighters who appear in this story; Doll Man and the Ray join Phantom Lady and Uncle Sam in a cameo in Harbinger's re-telling of DC History

Other Stars: Superman of Earth 1, Superman of Earth 2, Jay Garrick Flash, Kid Flash, the Huntress, Robin of Earth 2, Wonder Girl, Batman, Harbinger, Alexander Luthor, Pariah, and a cast of hundreds

Opponents: The aftereffects of the Crisis, the anti-matter shadow demons, the Anti-Monitor

Overall Summary: 
The Crisis is over? After the events at the Dawn of Time, all worlds have somehow merged into one!? So where does that leave Earth-X and the Freedom Fighters?    


Plot Summary:
Superman from Earth 2 wakes up in his own bed and heads to work at the Daily Star, only to arrive there and realize that it's the Daily Planet. He is met by his "nephew" Clark, and they head off together. Believing that this is Earth 1 they try to cross back over, but the warp zones between Earths are gone. 

They head to Central City to use the Flash's cosmic treadmill, only to find that Central City and Keystone City are now Twin Cities on the same Earth. They find Jay Garrick's house, and although HE recognizes Superman from Earth 1, she doesn't know her old friend, Superman from Earth 2. Jay himself appears, and together with Wally West the four men realize that there ARE no other dimensional worlds anymore. 

All the heroes meet up at Titans' Tower, where the heroes originally from Earths 4, S, and X all understand the same thing: their "original" worlds have been folded into this one, unique world. 


As the Huntress and Earth 2 Robin tell about not "existing" on this Earth, Harbinger arrives and confirms Batman's theory: because of what happened at the dawn of time, there was only ever one Earth. The All-Star Squadron, Justice Society, and Freedom Fighters all existed on THIS Earth. 


Meanwhile, Dr. Fate, the Demon, Dr. Occult, and Amethyst are on the front lines when the Anti-Monitor's shadow demons return! 

Elsewhere, the gaping pit of anti-matter rises from the core of the Earth and swallows the whole planet, transporting it to the Anti-Monitor's anti-matter universe! 

Review: 
Well, this is it: the issue of CRISIS that changed everything. From this point on, the Freedom Fighters were never from Earth-X or Earth 2 or any other Earth except "Earth." 

Yes, the initial appeal of the Freedom Fighters, that they were long-time Nazi fighters, is discarded with this story. From here on in, the Freedom Fighters have lost their uniqueness. They are just six more All-Stars in an already crowded cast. 

And I do mean "six." As the panel reprinted below clearly shows, Firebrand is now definitely Danette Reilly, not her brother, Rod. In fact, I would bet that Rod never put on his uniform again after he was wounded at Pearl Harbor. For all intents and purposes, male Firebrand is no more. I wonder if this means that during Firebrand's adventures with the Freedom Fighters, Rod has been replaced by Danette? 

Join me next week, for the last hurrah of the Freedom Fighters!

Doll Man and The Ray Moment
Doll Man is on Sam's shoulder, and the Ray is in the air!   

Phantom Lady Moment 
Phantom Lady understands the situation  

Uncle Sam Moment
Uncle Sam learns that there is no way "back" to his world 

Freedom of Information

  • Uncle Sam appears on the cover. 
  • With the joining of all earths into one, Rod Reilly as Firebrand basically ceases to exist.  
The Freedom Fighters
assembled by Len Wein

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