7 Greatest Moments From Crisis on Infinite Earths, Ranked

1985 marked a turning point for DC Comics with the launch of Crisis on Infinite Earths, widely considered their greatest story ever. This twelve-part series, crafted by Marv Wolfman and George Perez, fundamentally changed the DC Universe. The story centers on the Anti-Monitor, a seemingly unstoppable villain who threatens to destroy all of existence. As worlds crumble, heroes from the remaining universes must unite to stop him. Crisis on Infinite Earths revolutionized the comic book industry by establishing the modern event format, delivering a massive crossover, introducing impactful character deaths, and completely rebooting the DC Universe. These elements cemented its legendary status.

In the 1980s, DC Comics faced major problems. Years of adding new storylines and characters had created a confusing mess of timelines and inconsistencies, making it difficult for fans to follow the different eras of heroes. Complicating things further, DC had also absorbed characters from other companies like Quality, Charlton, and Fawcett. To fix this, DC launched Crisis on Infinite Earths, a bold attempt to completely revamp the universe and consolidate all its characters into a single, unified storyline. It was a huge risk, but it ultimately succeeded, becoming one of the most celebrated events in comic book history.

7) Destruction of Earth-3

The central conflict in Crisis on Infinite Earths revolved around the destruction of the entire multiverse by unstoppable waves of antimatter unleashed by the Anti-Monitor. To immediately emphasize the danger, the story began with the annihilation of Earth-3, the home of the evil Crime Syndicate – the twisted counterparts to the Justice League. Despite fighting bravely, the villains were completely destroyed. This scene was particularly impactful, as it showed the Crime Syndicate working together like heroes to save their world. The moment also subtly mirrored Superman’s origin story, with Alexander Luthor of Earth-3 sending his son into space to escape the planet’s destruction.

6) Heroes of the Multiverse Assemble

When the incredibly powerful Anti-Monitor began destroying universes, the Monitor gathered heroes and villains from across all remaining realities to fight back. This massive team-up, one of the biggest ever in comics, brought together characters from DC’s long history – including those from its earliest days and different eras. As time itself became unstable, with figures from the past suddenly appearing, the Monitor’s assistant, Harbinger, called on even more heroes. Essentially every DC hero ever created was present, from classic World War II teams like the Blackhawks to futuristic groups like the Legion of Superheroes, and even different versions of Superman met face-to-face. It was a celebration of DC Comics’ entire publishing legacy.

5) The Death of the Anti-Monitor

It’s no surprise that the Anti-Monitor, capable of destroying entire universes, was a nearly impossible villain to defeat. Several times throughout the story, characters thought he was gone, only for him to return and cause more destruction. Even when severely weakened, the Anti-Monitor continued to fight, attempting a final, desperate attack even while facing a powerful alliance including two Supermen, Superboy Prime, Alexander Luthor Jr., and Darkseid. After countless deaths caused by the Anti-Monitor, the Golden Age Superman had enough and delivered a universe-altering punch that finally ended the villain’s reign.

4) Battle at the Beginning of Time

The DC Comics multiverse started when an alien named Krona tried to witness the universe’s creation. Looking into a special machine, Krona saw a hand holding the entire cosmos, and this act caused a massive explosion that birthed multiple universes. Later, the villain Anti-Monitor attempted to destroy these universes by traveling back in time and becoming that original hand. Heroes and villains clashed with the Anti-Monitor in a huge, universe-spanning battle. Just when it seemed the Anti-Monitor had won, the powerful Spectre appeared, and the fate of everything came down to an unbelievable showdown. Ultimately, when Krona saw two hands at the beginning of time instead of one, the multiverse ended, and a completely new reality was born.

3) The Birth of New Earth

The culmination of the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline saw the destruction of the entire multiverse, leaving behind only a single universe called New Earth. This new reality was formed by merging five previously existing worlds – Earth-1 (from the Silver Age of comics), Earth-2 (the Golden Age), Earth-4 (Charlton Comics), Earth-5 (Fawcett Comics), and Earth-X (Quality Comics) – which had survived the Anti-Monitor’s destructive waves. The story effectively introduces this new world and powerfully portrays the emotional impact of the reboot, especially through characters like Superman and Huntress from Earth-2, who find themselves in a universe where they have no past or belonging. DC masterfully conveys the weight of this change through this pivotal scene.

2) The Death of Supergirl

One of the most devastating scenes in Crisis on Infinite Earths was Supergirl’s death. During a fight with the incredibly powerful Anti-Monitor, the heroes were forced to retreat. Supergirl bravely attacked him to buy them time, and actually came close to defeating him. But as she checked to make sure her friends were getting away, she briefly lowered her defenses. The Anti-Monitor seized that opportunity, killing her with an energy blast and escaping. It was a truly impactful death, made even more heartbreaking by the grief it caused. Supergirl stayed dead for 19 years, and her death remains one of the most memorable moments in comic book history.

1) Barry Allen’s Sacrifice

The most memorable moment of the Crisis on Infinite Earths was undoubtedly the death of Barry Allen, also known as the Flash. Throughout the story, hints were dropped that Barry would eventually turn to dust. This came true when the Anti-Monitor created a weapon to destroy the remaining universes. To save everything, Barry ran faster than ever before, gathering enough energy to destroy the weapon, but at the cost of his own life. For the next 23 years, Barry’s apprentice, Wally West, took on the role of the Flash. As the hero who launched the Silver Age of comics, Barry’s death was deeply impactful and signaled a new era for DC Comics.

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2026-03-19 19:48