DC has long had a complex and thriving mutiverse. These distinct and separate universes include dimensions where Lex Luthor killed Superman, to those where whales are the dominant species on Earth. The multiverse has always been a tool for telling interesting stories but it has also been used to explain continuity and to retcon events.
How the DC first introduced the multiverse is a fascinating part of its history and important in understanding it. To understand the origin of DC’s multiverse you need to start with the Justice Society of America.
The Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America were originally introduced in All Star Comics #3. This issue is monumental for comic book history as it created the first superhero team. It introduced a new group of heroes including the Spectre, Green Lantern, and Doctor Fate. Many of these characters at the time belonged to All-American Publications making it the first inter-company crossover as well.
All Star Comics #3 was originally published at the end of 1940 and the JSA enjoyed popularity for years. It did not last however, as interest in superheroes waned. Eventually All-Star Comics stopped in 1951 with issue #57. Some of the JSA’s members became incoporated into the JLA. Others would have to wait ten years to appear again, this time in The Flash.
Flash of Two Worlds
It can be understated how important The Flash #123 from 1961 is and has been hugely influential on DC’s history. It starts fairly innocuously though, as Barry Allen entertains children as Flash in lieu of an absent magician. A strange thing happens though when he was performing rope climbing trick: he disappears.
Flash had vibrated his molecules and suddenly found himself transported to a different city. It was Keystone City, not his own Central City, but he recognises it. Barry believes Keystone City to be a fictional place but he knows one resident. He then looks up Jay Garrick in the telephone book, knowing him from old comic books.
Barry visits Jay and confesses that he too is a speedster superhero called Flash. Jay tells Barry that he was just about to come out of retirement as three of his former villains had each just committed a daring theft. Unsurpisingly, the two heroes team up to defeat the villainous trio of Shade, Thinker, and Fiddler. That is not the important bit though.
Earth-One and Earth-Two
What this issue established was another Earth and, by extension, a DC multiverse origin. This would not be the last time any Flash would use their powers to visit another dimension but it was the first. Barry Allen’s vibrating of his molecules allowed DC to open up a multiverse of stories to tell and explain some continuity.
Although many future stories would build on the ideas presented here, there were some fundamentals introduced. Namely, that different universes vibrate a different frequencies. This is why Barry was able to travel there, albeit accidentally.
It was not until 1963 however that these Earths got their names. In Justice League of America #21-#22, the JLA and JSA meet for the first time to take on some villains on each world. It was in the stories Crisis on Earth-One and Crisis on Earth-Two that established the names for each world too. Earth-One would be for the main continuity, while Earth-Two would be for the Golden Age JSA.
Gardner Fox
It would be remiss not to mention some of the talent behind the origin of DC’s multiverse. The Flash #123 is ably coloured by Joe Giella and is illustrated by the legendary Carmine Infantino, who designed Flash’s classic all-red costume. He also illustrated the JSA in issues of All Star Comics.
The real brains behind the DC multiverse origin however Gardner Fox. He had written that first introduction of the JSA in All Star Comics #3. It was fitting then that it would be Fox who would reintroduce the almost forgotten team in The Flash #123.
Fox revived those characters and created the foundation for so many future stories from DC. He even expanded on the idea himself. The Crisis on Earth-One and Crisis on Earth-Two stories were both penned by him. Fox foresaw the potential he had created.
One interesting point is that Fox wrote himself into the story and therefore DC continuity. Barry had told Jay that he knew about him from Flash Comics. These comics were written by none other than Fox, who Barry said dreamed about Jay’s heroics.
A legacy of infinite possibilities
The DC multiverse origin was the catalyst for so many new ideas and storylines. The Flash #123 inspired annual team-ups between the JSA and JLA for many years. Barry’s vibrating to a different Earth would eventually lead to massive events for DC like Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Without it, we might not have Elseworld stories like Kingdom Come. It even allowed for DC to easily incorporate characters from the likes of Wildstorm and Milestone. Truly, without The Flash #123, DC would be very different.
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