'Crisis on Infinite Earths' may reference a moment from the Justice League-Avengers crossover
‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ is one of DC Comics’ biggest story events, seeing heroes not just from several titles, but several earths crossing over in an attempt to save the multiverse from the Anti-Monitor. But the CW may be building up to reference a moment from an event even bigger than when DC’s heroes met alternate versions of themselves - one where they met Marvel’s mightiest heroes, the Avengers.
In 2003, Marvel and DC teamed up to release a four-issue Justice League-Avengers crossover, simply titled ‘JLA/Avengers.’ It was written by Kurt Busiek, who at that point had written for both teams, and drawn by George Perez - artist for the original ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’. The series saw both teams fight against DC villain Krona, who was willing to destroy both their universes in an attempt to learn the secrets of creation.
The series had many outstanding moments(like the iconic sight of Superman wielding both Mjolnir and Captain America’s shield?), but most relevantly, we see Barry Allen’s death and sacrifice in ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ recreated, only this time with an archer by his side. Not Oliver Queen, though, the Flash was accompanied by the Avengers’ Hawkeye. The pair are seemingly killed in a manner that calls back to the Flash’s death in Infinite Crisis.
Note the parallels in hand placement, even though it’s different characters who do the killing. The art in both comics is done by George Perez, who pays deliberate homage to himself.
The death turns out to be a ruse, however, as just when it seems all is lost, the Flash distracts Krona by running circles around him, distracting him while Hawkeye destroys Krona’s cosmic apparatus with a well-placed TNT arrow. Doing so reorients the timeline, and Hawkeye and Barry Allen fades away in rectangles that hark back to Barry’s disintegration at the hands of the Anti-Monitor, leaving Wally West in their place.
With Oliver Queen possibly on a journey to create an anti-matter arrow, it would make poetic sense for Barry and Oliver - both characters with prophesied deaths in the Crisis - to work together to land the final blow on the Anti-Monitor, saving the multiverse in the process.
Or the Crisis can take their ambitions even higher and actually bring Hawkeye in. Either way, we’re building to one hell of a final moment.
‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ comes to the CW on December 8, beginning with 'Supergirl'.