'Kingdom Come': What's the story behind the world featured in 'Crisis on Infinite Earths'?

For those wondering just which earth Kevin Conroy’s Bruce Wayne will be coming from, confirmation has arrived. He is from the same world that Brandon Routh’s Superman comes from, the world of ‘Kingdom Come.’ Now that we have at least two superheroes on ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ who will be springing from the pages of the classic DC Comics story, it’s worth taking a closer look at. 

As part of their ‘Elseworlds’ line, which reimagines DC characters in completely different settings, DC released ‘Kingdom Come’ in 1996. Written by Mark Waid with art by Alex Ross, the series is set several decades in the future of the DC Universe. Superman has been missing for years, and the world is largely at the mercy of the children and grandchildren of DC’s greatest superheroes. The younger generation battles each other with reckless abandon, with little to no regard for human safety, and humanity taking a backseat to the reign of metahumans. 

The story is from the perspective of pastor Norman McKay, who has been chosen by a heavenly spirit of vengeance known as the Spectre. Having been granted the powers of prophecy by a dying Wesley Dodds (the Sandman), the Spectre needs human perspective to help him fulfill a very important task - judging, and then punishing those responsible for an upcoming catastrophe. 

The Spectre takes Norman to witness events as they happen, while Norman is intermittently plagued by apocalyptic visions. We see that the current generation’s overzealous approach to superheroism resulted in an accident that led to the nuclear-powered Captain Atom being killed, exploding and destroying all of Kansas. Wonder Woman then visits Superman, who is living in exile at the Fortress of Solitude, and tells him what has happened to the world in his absence, and Superman decides that it’s time to return.

The world has moved on in the years since Superman’s self-imposed exile. Many heroes have retired in their old age. Green Lantern lives in an emerald fortress high above the earth. The Flash is in permanent superspeed mode. Wonder Woman has been stripped of her royal heritage for failing in her role as an ambassador for peace. Batman keeps Gotham City under tight control, using an army of Bat-robots to keep Gotham citizens living in fear. 

Superman returns to end the chaos brought about by the current chaotic metahuman generation. He tries to convert heroes to serve humanity, truth and justice, and to value human life. There are some who join his cause, but many, many more who oppose him. Being left no choice, Superman has them all locked up in a giant prison.

In the meanwhile, believing Superman’s actions paramount to facism, Batman and his team join forces for Lex Luthor and the Mankind Liberation Front to put an end to Superman’s rise to power. The Mankind Liberation Front is made up of former supervillains who manipulate crises for personal gain. Also on Lex Luthor’s team is a brainwashed Billy Baston - Captain Marvel (more popularly known as Shazam, now, for legal reasons) - the only being alive powerful enough to take out Superman. 

Things come to a head when the prisoners of Superman’s prison break out, and it’s an all-out superhuman war. While the superheroes fight, the UN sends nukes, hoping to take superhumans out of the equation once and for all. In the midst of battle, Superman convinces Bill Batson that as someone who has walked as both a human and a god, he is the person most suited to deciding everyone’s fate. 

Billy sacrifices his life to stop the nuke and save as many as he can. There are survivors, but Superman is still left kneeling at the center of a great many deceased. It takes Norman McKay reminding Superman that he needs to be a symbol of hope, not fear, that stops Superman from burning the UN down for their actions in the superhero war.

The series ends on a positive note. The younger generation of superheroes are being taught a better way by Wonder Woman. Superman and Batman have reconciled, and when Wonder Woman and Superman announce that they’re having a child together, they ask for Batman to be the godfather. As the final issue comes to a close, the three heroes are left talking about their legacy, and the idea of what a child raised by Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman would be like. 

In the DC comics Multiverse, the ‘Kingdom Come’ universe has been designated Earth-22. That universe’s version of Superman has crossed over into regular continuity a few times. It is uncertain what point of the story ‘Kingdom Come’ will be featured in ‘Crisis’ - Batman and Superman could be allies, fiercely opposed to each other, or raising a child with Wonder Woman together. No matter what, it’s a whole new dynamic for the World’s Finest as they work together to save the Multiverse.

‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ starts December 8 on ‘Supergirl’, airing on the CW.