The Flash (Barry Allen) vs. the Anti-Monitor: rematch?

[Buried Alien]

The last time that the Flash (Barry Allen) and the Anti-Monitor confronted each other way back in COIE # 8, it proved a momentuous turning point in DCU history. Barry died for twenty-two years of realtime, and the Anti-Monitor was denied the victory he could have achieved then and there had Barry not destroyed his antimatter cannon.

This past year has seen both Barry and the Anti-Monitor revived. What do you think...is a rematch on the horizon between the Fastest Man Alive and the Overlord of the Antimatter Universe?

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Kid Impulse]

Anti-Monitor is trapped in the giant Black Lantern

[Buried Alien]

Anti-Monitor is trapped in the giant Black Lantern

That Black Lantern is going online in next year's big GL event. It wouldn't surprise me if the Anti-Monitor popped out in one form or another.

He's definitely not CRISIS-dead anymore...

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Jack Tango]

No. No I do not.

[Kevinroc]

Hhmm... I dunno... Blackest Night is primarily a Green Lantern story so I don't see how anyone who is not a member of the Green Lantern Corps could have a truly major role in the storyline.

[Buried Alien]

Hhmm... I dunno... Blackest Night is primarily a Green Lantern story so I don't see how anyone who is not a member of the Green Lantern Corps could have a truly major role in the storyline.

Actually, from what I gathered at the various panels at SDCC, it seems like a large portion of the DCU dead (including many of those who aren't directly tied into the GL mythos) will be a part of this.

Barry and the Anti-Monitor both recently returned from long periods of publication death. We know their history with each other. We also know their connections with the GL Corps (Barry as a friend and Anti-Monitor as an adversary). They could meet up here.

Superman has had his rematch with Doomsday (several times over, in fact).

Batman has had his rematch with Bane (again, several times over).

Even Jason Todd has had an opportunity to beat the Joker to within an inch of his life with a crowbar and nearly blow him up with explosives.

I think Barry ought to get a chance to KO the Anti-Monitor for old time's sake. :)

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[carabas]

That Black Lantern is going online in next year's big GL event. It wouldn't surprise me if the Anti-Monitor popped out in one form or another.It really didn't seem like he was going voluntarily into that Battery. I reckon he's stuck inthere, basically being enslaved by whoknowswhat to power Black Lantern rings. The Anti-Monitor getting freed from his prison probably will be how the Black Lantern Corps will be defeated.

[Kevinroc]

Actually, from what I gathered at the various panels at SDCC, it seems like a large portion of the DCU dead (including many of those who aren't directly tied into the GL mythos) will be a part of this.

Yes. But this is primarily a story revolving around Green Lantern. While I expect this to have a bit more connected to the DCU than the Sinestro Corps were (because Sinestro Corps was a big success and DC is obviously hoping to cash in on Blackest Night more than they did on Sinestro Corps), this is still mostly about the GL mythos.

Barry and the Anti-Monitor both recently returned from long periods of publication death. We know their history with each other. We also know their connections with the GL Corps (Barry as a friend and Anti-Monitor as an adversary). They could meet up here.

Potentially but I wouldn't expect any kind of big deal because this is primarily a GL story.

Superman has had his rematch with Doomsday (several times over, in fact).

And each subsequent battle tarnished Doomsday.

Batman has had his rematch with Bane (again, several times over).

Bane didn't "kill" Batman. And like Doomsday, subsequent battles with Batman tarnished Bane.

Even Jason Todd has had an opportunity to beat the Joker to within an inch of his life with a crowbar and nearly blow him up with explosives.

Jason Todd's return has been pretty horrible...

Let's look at this from the Marvel side of the equation because I have a good comparison for you. Robbie Baldwin (formerly Speedball, currently Penance) had his confrontation with Nitro (the super villain that blew up the town that kickstarted Marvel's Civil War) and defeated the villain.

Captain Marvel (okay, the brainwashed skrull that thinks he is Captain Marvel) has not encountered Nitro. Even before he realized he was a brainwashed skrull, he did not encounter Nitro. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it does not (although you could argue that the skrull could encounter Nitro later and that is certainly possible).


I think Barry ought to get a chance to KO the Anti-Monitor for old time's sake. :)

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

I understand your fanboy excitement at Barry being back but I wouldn't expect a huge battle where Barry overshadows the Green Lantern Corps. in a primarily Green Lantern story.

Besides, even with how much the Anti-Monitor was depowered for Sinestro Corps, he wasn't even killed after Guy Gardener and John Stewart blew up War World and the Yellow Central Power Battery next to him. We did get Superboy-Prime to act as the character who got revenge against the AM following John and Guy's attack.

As far as the AM now, isn't he the power source for the Black Lanterns now? Yeah, I really don't see anyone other than a Green Lantern (probably Hal but it might be a team effort among multiple GLs) destroying the Black Lanterns power source.

[Lupek]

Me like this rematch idea.

[Shellhead]

Will it be a fight to the death? *snicker*

[Jack Tango]

I really don't see why Barry NEEDS to have a rematch. He was instrumental in the defeat of the Anti-Monitor. It's not as though they had a straight-up battle and Barry lost and now needs to redeem himself.

However, if I were to guess, it'd probably go something like Wally's battle with the Anti-Monitor circa Flash #150 (ish, specific issue unsure).

[Rutsah]

I agree with the earlier post about historic rematches and hope to see Barry construct something instrumental to the Anti-monitor's defeat. But i want ti see this in a issue of the Flash. Final Crisis seems to be about something else.

[Kelson]

Will it be a fight to the death? *snicker*

Well, Geoff needs Black Lanterns...

(It was a running gag at various DC panels this weekend, where every time someone asked about a dead character or someone who might die, Geoff Johns would say, "I need Black Lanterns.")

[fly on the wall]

Anti-Monitor is trapped in the giant Black Lantern

The giant Black Lantern? I have no idea what that is and I have subscribed to GL every issue since the lastest revival. Maybe I was just turning the pages to fast and missed the giant Black Lantern.

Granted I have not gotten every issue of GL Corps, but tell me what the giant Black Lantern is and how the Anti-Monitor got trapped in it.

[fly on the wall]

Actually, from what I gathered at the various panels at SDCC, it seems like a large portion of the DCU dead (including many of those who aren't directly tied into the GL mythos) will be a part of this.

Barry and the Anti-Monitor both recently returned from long periods of publication death. We know their history with each other. We also know their connections with the GL Corps (Barry as a friend and Anti-Monitor as an adversary). They could meet up here.

Superman has had his rematch with Doomsday (several times over, in fact).

Batman has had his rematch with Bane (again, several times over).

Even Jason Todd has had an opportunity to beat the Joker to within an inch of his life with a crowbar and nearly blow him up with explosives.

I think Barry ought to get a chance to KO the Anti-Monitor for old time's sake. :)

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

I see your point but somehow the Flash versus Anti-M (Auntie Em! Auntie Em!) didn't seem like a real struggle between the two. Flash had been imprisoned by Anti-M, Flash got out and sacrificed his life destroying the anti-matter cannon. It was less like an epic grudge match and more like a guy throwing himself heroically on a hand grenade.

I've never seen Flash's death in Crisis as being an epic battle between two arch foes the way the Superman/Doomsday, Batman/Bane, Jason Todd/Joker are.

[carabas]

The giant Black Lantern? I have no idea what that is and I have subscribed to GL every issue since the lastest revival. Maybe I was just turning the pages to fast and missed the giant Black Lantern.

Granted I have not gotten every issue of GL Corps, but tell me what the giant Black Lantern is and how the Anti-Monitor got trapped in it.
How exactly it happened is still unclear.
But somewhere (I'm assuming the anti-matter universe, but the book doesn't actually say so) there stands a big, giant, black lantern battery, like there's a green one on Ao. And the Anti-Monitor, still weakened from being used as a punching bag by superboy Prime, got drawn into it, which caused the thing to activate.

It was in the final issue of the Sinestro Corps war.

[Hypestyle]

barry is back?

so how's this going to square with Wally still being around?

wally's married and has kids! don't kill him off!

...i actually don't have much history reading barry.. how are writers going to handle him?

[Jack Tango]

I see your point but somehow the Flash versus Anti-M (Auntie Em! Auntie Em!) didn't seem like a real struggle between the two. Flash had been imprisoned by Anti-M, Flash got out and sacrificed his life destroying the anti-matter cannon. It was less like an epic grudge match and more like a guy throwing himself heroically on a hand grenade.

I've never seen Flash's death in Crisis as being an epic battle between two arch foes the way the Superman/Doomsday, Batman/Bane, Jason Todd/Joker are.

I agree with -- HOLY CRAP ON TOAST, FLY?! -- on the wall; my opinion was poorly worded and bows to his superior thoughts.

[fly on the wall]

I agree with -- HOLY CRAP ON TOAST, FLY?! -- on the wall; my opinion was poorly worded and bows to his superior thoughts.


I'm back Jack but then I'm gone again.

I've had internet connection problems and can't really post from work anymore.

[Choppa]

Since when is this the same Anti-Monitor from COIE? Has that actually been confirmed? It seems like some authors refer to him as the same, but the official stance is that this is a new MV, so I assume that means a new Anti-Monitor.

[carabas]

He's native to the old Anti-Matter universe though. IIRC Final Crisis will deal with the origin of the Monitors at some point.

[Buried Alien]

Since when is this the same Anti-Monitor from COIE? Has that actually been confirmed? It seems like some authors refer to him as the same, but the official stance is that this is a new MV, so I assume that means a new Anti-Monitor.

It was explained that the current Anti-Monitor was "rebuilt" after his destruction during the First Crisis, so it is the same being.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Choppa]

It was explained that the current Anti-Monitor was "rebuilt" after his destruction during the First Crisis, so it is the same being.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

When and where was that explained?

[Buried Alien]

When and where was that explained?

It was the SUPERMAN PRIME one-shot from the SINESTRO CORPS WAR series. The book was originally titled THE ANTI-MONITOR, but its focus was really Superman Prime, and the title was changed to reflect that.

Everybody on the heroes' side certainly referred to the Anti-Monitor as if he were the same guy from COIE, but interestingly, I don't think the Anti-Monitor from SINESTRO CORPS WAR mentioned anything about what he had done during the First Crisis.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Choppa]

It was the SUPERMAN PRIME one-shot from the SINESTRO CORPS WAR series. The book was originally titled THE ANTI-MONITOR, but its focus was really Superman Prime, and the title was changed to reflect that.

Everybody on the heroes' side certainly referred to the Anti-Monitor as if he were the same guy from COIE, but interestingly, I don't think the Anti-Monitor from SINESTRO CORPS WAR mentioned anything about what he had done during the First Crisis.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

The Guardians did say something about how last time they didn't act, and now they would make up for it in Sinestro War.

[Sean Walsh]

Someone asked at SDCC if the whole Black Lantern craze (dead characters being revived and serving as BLs) would affect not just dead people, but also people who were dead and had since returned.

....there was a bit of surprise from the DC folks (Johns and Didio, IIRC) at that question. Either it was something they'd never thought of........or had and didn't think anyone else would ask about before Blackest Night.

So perhaps, since he was dead for 22 years, Barry may very well be part of Blackest Night after all. As an ally of Hal and the GLs.........or an enemy....?

[Buried Alien]

They'd almost need to include the returnees because so many of the prominent DCU dead (i.e. Jason Todd, Ollie Queen, Barry Allen...even Hal himself) have since returned to life.

As it is, the ranks of the dead will be populated mostly by second-stringers.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[TeamED209]

wonder if superboy will be a black lantern..could be some interesting one's actually ted kord, bart allen (could be what leads to barry gettin involved)..
Didn't mongul die in GLC in the last issue?

[fly on the wall]

Buried, I don't see how you keep all the current trivia straight. I read the stuff today and most of it slides right out of my head.

I guess I'm getting old.

Correction, I guess I'm old.