Map of the Pre-Crisis Multiverse

This is a continuation from my Intro to the First Crisis and discusses in brief what the DC multiverse was before the events of that story.

 

Earth-1 : The home of most modern mainstream DC heroes. The Justice League  of America (JLA), the Teen Titans, the Outsiders, the Doom Patrol, the Challengers of the Unknown.

On this world, Superman is a man in the prime of life, named Kal-El, who began his career as Superboy. Superman has the company of other Kryptonian survivors such as his cousin Supergirl (Kara Zor-El) and Krypto the super-dog. There is also a colony of Kryptonian survivors from the city of Kandor who have recently founded "New Krypton." In this reality, Superman's two biggest enemies are the living android Brainiac and the scientist Lex Luthor, who has recently taken to wearing alien techno-armor that allows him to physically hold his own in combat with Superman.

Batman is likewise in the prime of life. Months before The Crisis begins, Batman split with Dick Grayson AKA Robin. Dick Grayson now operates under the new name Nightwing while a young boy named Jason Todd has just become the new Robin.

In this reality, Barry Allen is the Flash, Hal Jordan is a member of the Green Lantern Corps (a group of inter-galactic space cops), and Wonder Woman is a modern-day champion with a sidekick named Donna Troy AKA Wonder Girl.

The future of Earth-1 will produce the group known as the Legion of Super-Heroes (LSH).

Earth-2 : This is the home of most of DC’s heroes who fought during World War II. The Justice Society of America (JSA) and their children/protégés in Infinity, Inc. are the only real super-teams here.

Earth-2 has its own version fo Superman. This version is named Kal-L and arrived on Earth decades earlier than the Earth-1 Superman, early enough to be around for World War II. This Superman is now older, with gray temples, and is less powerful than the Earth-1 Superman. In his secret identity of Clark Kent, he became editor of the Daily Star newspaper and married his Earth's version of Lois Lane. One of his biggest enemies is Alexei Luthor, a red-haired mad scientist. In this universe, the only other survivor of Krypton is Kal-L's cousin Kara Zor-L, who calls herself Power Girl.

On this world, Batman was also born early enough to have begun fighting crime in 1939. He eventually became police commissioner of Gotham City, only to die in battle years later when he was forced to become Batman one last time. He is survived by his Earth's version of Dick Grayson, who never gave up his Robin identity in this reality. Likewise, this Earth's Bruce Wayne had a daughter named Helena who has taken up crime-fighting as "The Huntress."

Jay Garrick is the Flash of this world, a man named Alan Scott of Gotham City is the one and ONLY Green Lantern in this universe, and the Earth-2 Wonder Woman is a retired hero, married to her love Steve Trevor.

Earth-3 : Also known as the “mirror world.” Here, Columbus journeyed from America and discovered Europe. Later, the European States declared their independence. After that, Abe Lincoln shot and murdered President John Wilkes Booth.

In the modern-day, the only super-hero on this world is Alex Luthor who fights for justice with a red and blue suit of techno-armor.

This world is plagued by the Crime Syndicate, an evil version of the Justice League. The Crime Syndicate members are Ultraman (evil Superman who gains power from Kryptonite), Owlman (evil Batman with mind-control abilities), Johnny Quick (evil Flash, not to be confused with the Earth-2 hero who is coincidentally named Johnny Quick), Power Ring (an evil Green Lantern) and Superwoman (evil Wonder Woman).

Earth-4 : These heroes were originally published by Charlton Comics before DC bought them. Before the Crisis, these characters had no dealing with the other DC heroes and none of them had ever traveled to any parallel worlds.

The most powerful hero on this world is Captain Atom, gifted with incredible energy abilities. The two most famous vigilantes are the Blue Beetle (Ted Kord, the second man to use the Beetle identity) and the mysterious Question (Vic Sage), both of whom team-up often and are frequently seen riding in the Bug, an air-ship of the Beetle's own design and creation.

Less popular heroes of this world are the World War II hero Judomaster (with his sidekick Tiger), the woman called Nightshade, the soldier called Peacemaker and Peter Cannon (a paragon of human physicality called "Thunderbolt"). There is also government agent Sarge Steel.

ATTENTION WATCHMEN FANS! Originally, Alan Moore's story Watchmen (published) right after the Crisis was going to feature the Charlton Comics heroes. But then DC said "no, we actually want to integrate them into the DC Universe." So Moore said "okay" and made analogues to serve in place of the Charlton characters. Peacemaker became the Comedian, Captain Atom became Dr. Manhattan, Peter Cannon became Ozymandias, Nightshade became the Silk Spectre, Blue Beetle became Nite-Owl, and The Question became Rorschach.

You have been educated. Be grateful!

Earth-S : Originally the world of Fawcett Comics. Here lives Billy Batson aka Captain Marvel and his whole “Marvel Family”, most of whom are blessed with powers by the wizard Shazam (hence, Earth-S). Along with the Captain, there's his sister Mary Marvel, his pal Captain Marvel, Jr., the non-powered "Uncle Marvel" and Hoppy the Marvel Bunny. There are also the three Lt. Marvels: Tall Marvel, Fat Marvel and Hillbilly Marvel, all of whom were born with the name Billy Batson and thus are also able to call on the same powers.

The main villains of this world are Dr. Sivana and the evil talking worm known as Mr. Mind. There's also Black Adam, a man gifted with the same powers as Captain Marvel (making him an "evil Marvel"). But before the Crisis, he only fought Captain Marvel a couple of times and so he hardly qualifies as an arch-enemy.

Earth-X : Several heroes from Earth-2 were sent here, a world where World War II lasted several extra years and which had no heroes of its own. These Earth-2 heroes became the Freedom Fighters, a team that consists of Uncle Sam, Phantom Lady, the Ray, the Human Bomb, Black Condor, Doll Man and Firebrand. Originally, this was going to be Earth-swastika, but editor Julius Schwartz did not wish to have a swastika in the comic for personal reasons. So the letterer was asked to redo the swastika as an "X."

 

Earth-Prime : Originally, this was supposed to be the real world, where you and I live.

When Superman arrived on Earth-Prime and checked it out and was shocked to see how much smaller the east coast was, as it was missing Gotham City and Metropolis. Upon further investigation, Superman learned that in this world not only were there no super-heroes. And what's more, the inhabitants of Earth-Prime actually read stories about the heroes in Earth-1 in a variety of comic books, believing that Superman, Batman and the Justice League et al were just fictional characters created by imaginative writers.

The TV show Sliders used "Earth-Prime" to refer to the homeworld they originally came from and the writers said they took it from DC Comics, so it's now become a general sci-fi term people use when they want to refer to the real world that lies beyond the fourth wall and outside of fiction.

A few years before the Crisis began, the DC writers decided to make this so-called "Earth-Prime" just another alternate reality, introducing a nuclear war and a super-hero called Ultraa. Ultraa later encountered the people of Earth-1, who didn't exactly get along with him. During the Crisis, we discover that this Earth also has its own version of a teenage Clark Kent.

The Anti-Matter Universe : Also known as the "Anti-Matter Universe of Qward", since for years the planet Qward was the only known world to inhabit this reality. Travel between the anti-matter universe and any of the other positive matter universes is only possible through special portals designed to change that state of the traveler's body. Otherwise, once positive and anit-matter meet, there will be an uncontrollable explosion of matter and energy.

The planet Qward in the anti-matter universe occupies the same space that the planet Oa inhabits in the Earth-1 universe. In the universe of Earth-1, the planet Oa is home to the Guardians of the Universe, ancient immortal beings who created the Green Lantern Corps. Qward meanwhile is home to the Weaponers and Thunderers, evil warriors whose planet is run by a militaristic dictatorship. Many of the Qwardians worship death and destruction and have fought the Green Lantern Corps and the Justice League on different occasions. The Weaponers of Qward created a yellow power ring for Sinestro, a former Green Lantern Corps member who became a villain.

Earth-C : The cartoon animal world that contains heroes such as Captain Carrot and the Zoo Crew. Not really featured during The Crisis. Also, not to be confused with EARTH-C - (that's "C minus") which is the home of the super-hero animal team called Justa Lotta Animals (or "JLA"). 

So I think that just about covers them all. Congratulations, you have just enjoyed a map of the DC Pre-Crisis Multiverse.

Now, if you just want a basic nutshell summary of what happened during the first Crisis, follow this link.

Or, if you want a more in-depth play of play of what happened during each issue of the First Crisis, you should begin with my CRISIS PROLOGUE.