Battle of Metropolis
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| Battle of Metropolis | |||||||
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 The Battle of Metropolis, as seen on the cover to Infinite Crisis #7. Art by George Pérez |
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| Combatants | |||||||
| Virtually all then-living Earth-based superheroes in the DC Universe, along with an unspecified number of United States National Guardsmen | The Secret Society of Super Villains | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| Martian Manhunter, Oracle, Green Arrow, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Kal-L | Alexander Luthor, Jr., Calculator, Talia al Ghul, Deathstroke, Dr. Psycho | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Several hundred heroes and National Guardsmen (total strength unknown) assembled by Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow and Oracle and brought to the scene by the Blackhawk Express. Later reinforcements arrived in the form of Black Adam (operating independently), heroes arriving from the Arctic with Superman, and Bart Allen arriving from Tokyo | Several hundred villains (total strength unknown; likely all members of the Secret Society of Super Villains); later reinforced by Superboy-Prime (killing heroes and villains indiscriminately, and leaving the battle before its end) | ||||||
| Casualties | |||||||
| Estimated at several dozen, plus civilian casualties | Estimated at several dozen | ||||||
The Battle of Metropolis is a fictional DC Comics event. It was the culmination of two years of events and storylines leading into the limited series Infinite Crisis, involving the majority of superheroes and supervillains in the DC Universe.
Contents |
[edit] Build up
[edit] The new Secret Society of Supervillains
Another Lex Luthor (actually Alexander Luthor, Jr. from Earth-Three in disguise), formed a new Secret Society of Super Villains (calling themselves 'the Society'), headed by himself. His inner circle included Doctor Psycho, Talia al Ghul, the Calculator, Deathstroke the Terminator and Black Adam (who was later betrayed). Using the mind wiping of Doctor Light by the Justice League as a propaganda tool to inflame the villain community, and threatening to kill anyone who refused to join their group, the new Society gained over two hundred members within its ranks. The Joker, however, was excluded from the group on the grounds of his insanity and completely unpredictable nature. Six of those who refused to join the Society were assembled into the Secret Six by the real Lex Luthor in order to oppose the disguised Alexander and the Society.
[edit] Operation: Hope Abandoned
With the destruction of the dimensional tuning fork[1] which Alexander was using for his attempts to find a "perfect Earth" (having convinced the villains he would use it to do to the heroes what they did to Dr. Light), the Society began phase one of an unknown backup plan: "Operation: Hope Abandoned[2]," initiating the release of all metahuman criminals in prisons all over the world. The Secret Six, deciding to remain neutral during the upcoming war, captured the Scarecrow and Amos Fortune as they escaped from Enclave M. After speaking with them, they learned that the freed villains had been given instructions to head to Metropolis and engage whatever heroes were available using the reasoning that "...if Superman's city falls, the rest will follow..." (with Alex's secret machinations having been largely unknown to the supervillain community at large, it seems the Society was motivated to make their last stand solely because of the possibility of Superman's city falling, with Alex asserting others would follow). The Six quickly informed the hero community through Green Arrow, Oracle and the Martian Manhunter.
[edit] Heroes United
All assembled heroes (many of whom were retired, new faces to the crime-fighting world, vigilantes, or second-string metahumans; all lacking the aid of main players such as Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman) and National Guardsmen lined the streets as the villains started marching into the city. Although all had been expecting the Society's heavier hitters such as Bizarro or Sinestro to lead the march, they discovered it was Doctor Psycho who was doing so, and Doomsday, the monster who had once battled Superman to the death. Though the heroes were in awe, they did not break ranks.
[edit] The showdown
Following the death of Kon-El, Hal Jordan informed Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman of the situation at Metropolis among the ruins of Alex Luthor's multiverse tower. Joined by other heroes including Kal-L, Nightwing, Robin,and Wonder Girl, they made their way to Metropolis to help fight the villains.[3]
The Supermen attacked Doomsday together and incapacitated the monster, Superman vowing that he would never allow the Society to take his city or his Earth. Launching their assault, the Supermen took down Bizarro, Hal Jordan and John Stewart tackled Sinestro, Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl immobilized the Cheetah, and the Bat-family confronted Deathstroke. After blasting Nightwing, Alex Luthor was held at gunpoint by Batman. Wonder Woman was able to convince him not to kill Alex, who was lost in the melee. The recently arrived Superboy-Prime was confronted by Bart Allen, who used the last of his connection to the Speed Force to attack him. Superboy-Prime abandoned the fight, in favor of attempting to fly through Oa and destroy it to create a new Big Bang, which he believed only he would survive to become the universe's only hero. Despite several heroes going into outer space after Superboy-Prime, the battle was eventually won thanks to Batman and Wonder Woman's aid, and the rebuilding of Metropolis started.
[edit] Aftermath
- Superboy-Prime was finally defeated on the planet of Mogo by Kal-El, the Earth-1 Superman, but not before killing Kal-L (Earth-2 Superman) and 32 Green Lantern Corps members. After his defeat, he was imprisoned on Oa, in a quantum containment field surrounded by a Red Sun-Eater and guarded by fifty Green Lanterns.
- After the defeat in the Arctic and with the Society in disarray, Alex Luthor was murdered by the Joker and Lex Luthor in Gotham City.
- Bart Allen apparently loses his connection to the Speed Force, leaving Jay Garrick as the only active speedster.
- Superboy-Prime's rupture of Breach caused Captain Atom's return from the WildStorm Universe.
- Superman , Batman and Wonder Woman all retired for nearly a year from crime-fighting, with Superman, temporarily bereft of his super powers after defeating Superboy-Prime, focusing entirely on his journalism career, Bruce Wayne went on a nearly year-long sabbatical to "rebuild Batman" and was joined by Nightwing and Robin, and Wonder Woman deciding to do some soul searching after her recent violent actions.
- There have been 5,079,432 deaths during Infinite Crisis, including the Battle of Metropolis.[4]
