The Flash – Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three

By starrymag | December 16, 2019

By: Malasha Parker

 

 

Huntress (Ashley Scott) from Earth-203 is running through New Gotham when Oracle calls. She is then obliterated by the red wave. 

 

The Waverider is circling Earth-1 as Mar Novu (LaMonica Garrett) tells Iris (Candice Patton), Batwoman (Ruby Rose), Supergirl (Melissa Benoist), Earth-96 Superman (Brandon Routh), Earth-38 Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) and Lois (Elizabeth Tulloch) how they have only located four of the seven Paragons. Ray (Brandon Routh) is repairing the paragon detector when Barry (Grant Gustin) comes through a portal with Cisco (Carlos Valdes), Ralph (Hartley Sawyer) and Frost (Danielle Panabaker) to help. Cisco immediately goes to help Ray. J’onn J’onzz (David Harewood) informs them everyone saved on Earth-38 has been accounted for. Earth-96 Superman says he will join J’onn to help rescue people and take them to Earth-1 while Lois says she’ll run comms to keep everyone updated. Supergirl also decides to stay behind. They get the paragon detector fixed and it brings up three new additional paragons: the Paragon of Honor, Love and Humanity— Martian Manhunter, The Flash, and Dr. Ryan Choi (Osric Chau). Iris, Ray and Ralph go to find Ryan Choi. Novu says their next task is to figure out how to stop the antimatter wave. The Waverider tells everyone that Diggle (David Ramsey) has arrived.

 

Diggle and Sara (Caity Lotz) are arguing over Oliver’s (Stephen Amell) dead body. Sara tells him how they have to go retrieve his soul. They have to go to purgatory and he’s all in. She also tells him that Lyla (Audrey Marie Anderson) is missing. Novu tells him that there are infinite possibilities for Lyla’s location. Diggle says he’s not losing his wife and Oliver, so Novu tells him that Lyla could be with The Anti-Monitor. 

 

Novu tells them all of this is why he has been testing all of them– in preparations for the battle with the Anti-Monitor who wants to eliminate the multiverse and replace it with one that he can control. Supergirl storms off and we see Batwoman go after her looking at the kryptonite in her hand. Sara tells Diggle that he knows how to get Oliver’s soul back so he should do that while she tries to find Lyla. 

 

Cisco is trying to locate the source of the antimatter wave and tells Frost to meet him in the Cargo Bay. Novu overhears and catches Cisco in the hallway. He tells Cisco that Vibe must live again. He must answer the call and purpose. Cisco doesn’t want to, but he gives Cisco his powers back anyway. 

 

Barry and Iris are having a moment alone. She asks him if he really wants her to go and he tells her yes. He tells her to go find Ryan Choi and then come back. The two share a kiss before they part. 

 

Vibe, Frost and Flash breach back to Earth-1 Central City. Flash does a perimeter check of where the Anti-Monitor’s hideout has been. Pariah (Tom Cavanagh) joins them before so he can bear witness to tragedy. He’s being controlled by another god because he wanted to expose Novu. He tells Vibe that he can vibe Nash’s memories that are lost to him as Pariah to open the door. 

 

Supergirl is trying to figure out how to use The Book of Destiny by asking Lex (Jon Cryer), but he laughs in her face. Kate takes the barrier down and slams him into a wall demanding he tell them how to use the book. He explains the book handles ancient and endless power, but it takes immense willpower and focus to make it work. He focused on his hatred for Superman, but he tells Supergirl if she uses it for what she wants it will be too much and may drive her mad. They throw him back into the barrier and Supergirl picks up the book. Kate tries to stop her, but Kara says that if she’s supposed to be the paragon of hope that maybe her bringing back all the earths is her way to fix this. 

 

Diggle, Constantine (Matt Ryan) and Mia (Katherine McNamara) are on Earth-666 in Los Angeles so that they can find someone who can get them into purgatory. Just then, Lucifer (Tom Ellis) comes out of a back alley bar. Constantine tells them it’s time and Lucifer introduces himself to Mia. He asks her what she desires and she says to get her father back. He says he will return the favor. He gives them a card that once the picture fades their souls will be trapped for eternity. He leaves them and Constantine holds up the card that lights up in flames and transports them to Purgatory, which looks a lot like Lian Yu. Constantine tells them that Oliver will have no memories as well and they need to hurry because the card is already starting to fade. 

 

Barry flashes back to Vibe and Frost. Vibe tells them once they get inside the wall they can stop the antimatter wave right at the source. They unlock it and go inside to see an antimatter cannon. The source us running on a treadmill and Barry sees that it’s Earth-90 Flash (John Wesley Shipp). 

 

Pariah explains that Novu sent him away where he wound up in the Netherverse when the Anti-Monitor found him and used his speed to build the cannon. He test-fired it and it destroyed Earth-2. They have to stop the cannon, but nothing of positive matter can penetrate the force. Barry thinks this is Vibe’s purpose to get Flash-90 off the treadmill. He does, but he tells Barry that he has to be put back on it otherwise the machine will destroy all remaining earths at once and they only have a few minutes. They look to Pariah but he is gone.

 

Iris, Ray and Ralph visit Ryan in Ivy Town on Earth-1. He’s talking to his wife. He gets excited to see Ray, but Iris stops his fanboying by telling him he needs to come with them right now. He laughs, but Ralph shows him his powers and they tell him how he’s a paragon. They tell him that they need him. He says that he can’t help them and he needs to be with his wife if this is the end of the world. 

 

Lois watched as Earth-73 gets obliterated and she says that there are only seven earths left. Novu tells her that these earths are not the only ones destroyed. His earth died along with his family. He wishes he’d cared for them more than his work. Earth-96 Superman joins them with an angry slam to the ground because he couldn’t save that earth. She asks him if he needs a breather, but he tells her he put the crest on to save lives. She asks why he added black to his crest and he tells her that, “Even in the darkest times, hope cuts through. Hope is the light that lifts us out of darkness.” He leaves and Lois realizes that she’s left alone. 

 

Barry tells Flash that they figure something out when they see a light and Black Lightning (Cress Williams) comes  in demanding to be sent back to Freeland. He fires lightning and Frost calls him “electric guy.” He tells them the name is Black Lightning and then tries to hit Frost with his lightning, but Barry intersects causing them to both shoot back from all the power. Pariah states that he did not bring him here to fight, but to save lives. Pariah informs the others of who Jefferson is on his earth. He then tells Jefferson that his earth has been destroyed. Jefferson grabs him up angrily saying he should have saved his family instead of him. Barry tells him that he’s sorry, but they need his help and he knows what it’s like to lose his family. Jefferson asks what they need and they tell him that they need him to contain the energy in the machine to disable it. He goes to the machine and shoots his lightning at it.

 

Kate stops Kara from opening the book, telling her that she doesn’t know what will happen. Kara says she can’t be okay with all those people dying and Kate replies that if she does this she’ll have to stop her. They have a standoff and Kate tells her that if she takes a chance on the book and it doesn’t work and something happens to her then everyone is doomed. 

 

Black Lightning urges them to hurry and so Barry and Flash-90 use their speed to slow down time so that they can talk and figure out a solution. Barry says that every second they wait that the wave gets closer to his wife. Flash-90 tells him that he was married once and that his wife always said that keeping him running was her purpose. He tells Barry that sometimes in order to find his purpose as a hero he has to take a couple steps back and reverse the way he sees the situation. Barry figures it out and tells Cisco and Frost that it’s time for Flash to vanish. 

 

Reversing the treadmill’s direction could end this all and free Pariah from the Anti-Monitor’s control. Black Lightning is still taking in the machines volts while he chants his mantra as everyone else walks over.

 

Oliver jumps down and grabs Constantine as they’re walking through Purgatory. Diggle quickly starts to apologize for not being there during Crisis, but says he needs Oliver to come back to them. He does and the two share a hug.  

 

Iris comments on Ryan’s family photo and introduces herself. She tells him she isn’t a superhero. She knows though it’s a lot to ask and she knows he wants to be with his family. He asks her if she feels the same because he can see that she has someone she wants to go back to. She tells him her husband is a superhero and faces whatever to keep his city safe. Iris tells him she knows he’s not like her husband, but he’s human and they have a purpose too – they remind superheroes what they’re fighting for. He tells Iris he and his wife just had a baby. Iris asks him if he wants to hold her knowing that he had a hand in making the world safer. He leaves to go call his wife when Ralph and Ray come in to tell Iris six more earths have been destroyed and Earth-1. Ralph asks Iris how she knew what to say to Ryan. We see her think about a moment she shared with Barry before she left.

 

It’s the same moment from before her and Barry in the hallway of the Waverider. Barry asks her what of stopping the wave is his purpose as the Paragon. Iris immediately starts to tear up and tells Barry that if this is it then she wants to go with him as she doesn’t want him to die without her. He tells her that she can’t go with him. He tells her that her intelligence, her resourcefulness and her heart is her superpower and that’s what will help her convince Ryan. Iris says she doesn’t want to live this life without him, but Barry caresses her wedding ring as he tells her that he promised to always come running home to her. He tells her that no matter what he will be running home to her. They share a kiss and then we see the final moments of the scene. She leaves him as he stares after her saying, “I’ll see you soon.”

 

Barry says his goodbyes to Cisco and Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) and they all embrace in a hug. He asks them to tell Joe and Iris he loves them, but when he turns to get on the machine Flash-90 temporarily steals his speed because Novu said that The Flash must die in Crisis yet he never said which one. Jefferson stops using his powers on the machine and asks Vibe to breach him into the force field. He does it to Barry’s dismay. Flash-90 tells him to “keep riding the lightning, son.” He flashes in and Barry tries to go in after him. Cisco grabs him and tells him that sometimes the leader has to make the tough choices. They have to get out, but Barry is fighting to stay. Flash-90 starts to vanish and we see a scene from the original Flash show of Barry and his wife. Flash fully vanishes and the machine is destroyed, leaving Flash-90’s emblem amongst the debris.

 

Jim Corrigan (Stephen Lobo) comes out looking for Oliver before they can escape from purgatory. He tells him that he’s a spector and his eyes glow green. He explains to Oliver it is his turn now to save everyone or all universes will parish. He tells Mia that he’s sorry, but he has to and looks to Jim who he transfers his powers to Oliver. Diggle, Constantine and Mia all appear back on the Waverider to tell the others that Oliver wouldn’t come back with them. They inform them that the antimatter wave was stopped with one earth left. 

 

Barry tells Jefferson that he appreciates his help because he knows what he’s lost. Jefferson thinks about his losses and says that nothing will ever be okay again. Barry discloses that Flash-90 looked just like his father, Henry Allen. He tells him about his family issues and Jefferson does the same by telling him about his father. He shares with Barry that he still carries his father’s lessons to this day. They look to each other with tearful eyes and he says they have to rage against the dying of the light to honor their fathers. Barry states who the quote is from and Jefferson smiles and the two shake hands. They introduce their non-superhero names to each other. 

 

Kate tells Kara that she just doesn’t want to see her get hurt. Kate states that she has hope that there is a better way and says that she wants to give her the kryptonite that was Bruce’s. Kara tells her to keep it. 

 

Barry runs straight to Iris who has returned with Ralph, Ray and Ryan. He tells her that it was the Barry Allen from Earth-90 and she hugs him tightly. Barry introduces Jefferson to everyone. They realize that they still need to find Harbinger. Iris says they can retask the search grid and they head to the controls, but Lyla shows up in front of Diggle. She tells them that she tried to get word, but she can’t remember where she was on Earth-1. Everyone is looking at her strangely and Barry wonders if the Anti-Monitor wanted her back on the ship. They start to piece things together and Barry states something about “a great tragedy.” Lyla’s eyes glow white and she wrestles Diggle to the ground. She is now speaking the Anti-Monitor’s voice as she says, “It is time to end the age of heroes and everything you hold close.”

 

They try to fight her, but she balls a fist and everyone falls to the ground except Novu and Pariah. Pariah will know what to do when the moment arrives. Novu and The Anti-Monitor shoot their energy at each other and the Anti-Monitor gains the upper hand. Then, he takes Novu’s power. We see Earth-1 being destroyed and everyone waking up. The Waverider tells them it’s destroyed and Pariah says that he knows what he must do. He gathers his powers and sends them around the room to the seven paragons. They’re all zapped out of the Waverider. The Anti-Monitor gets mad and Iris, Jefferson and Superman tells them that wherever they are, “They’re going to fight them by any means necessary until their last breath.” Then, the antimatter wave overtakes the Waverider.

 

The seven have ended up in the vanishing point. Kal-el starts to glow and he gets destroyed with Lex appearing in his place. He added his name to The Book of Destiny.