52 Earths (or, Why Isn't the DCU as Cool as the Real Universe?)

[Ceridwen]

Hi friends!

So, I'm curious about something. Is there an in-story reason for why the DCMultiverse only contains fifty-two permutations of itself? And beyond that, has there been an editorial explanation for this decision?

The reason I ask is that it seems needlessly limiting to me. Current scientific theory would suggest that there are actually a limitless number of parallel realities, that the possible number of Earths is, as the 1985 mini-series would have it, infinite. The possibilities are endless, and I don't understand why you'd hamper that.

To me, there seems something strange about living in a universe that's potentially more fantastic than a fantasy comic book one.

[ryerye17]

because arbitrary numbers are fun.

[Jaded Devil]

Well, DC did the weekly series 52, which is the number of weeks in a year, of course. At some point somebody decided the title was going to have a double-meaning and, at the end, it was revealed that the number also represented the number of parallel earths out there.

So, 52 for an in-story reason? No. For a marketing reason? Yes.

[Thok]

Originally Posted by Ceridwen

So, I'm curious about something. Is there an in-story reason for why the DCMultiverse only contains fifty-two permutations of itself? And beyond that, has there been an editorial explanation for this decision

Warning, lots of technobabble to come.

First of all, there's two sources of multiverse in current physics. One is the "many worlds" explanation of Quantum Mechanics, which basically says "The universe is probabilistic, and any time you run it you get a new outcome." This version is (effectively) being modeled by the current Booster Gold series to explain why time travel changes the Earth-1 universe.

The other version is roughly "String theory tells us we are a 4 dimensional slice of a 11/26/large dimensional multiverse." The other universes in the current multiverse would likely be distinguished 4 dimensional slices that were focused by Alexander Luthor Jr.'s device during Infinite Crisis, and it's possible the other ones exist put are harder to reach. As for why there are 52 special ones rather than 348, well, the book wasn't called 348.

(Also, from a literature point of view an actual multiverse would be a bit boring. Lots of the universes would vary by really minor changes that aren't interesting. For example, some of the universes in a multiverse would reflect you waking up a microsecond earlier or later today, with effectively no other changes. That's not an interesting story telling device.)

[CYOTI]

A finite countable set of world would be interesting to readers than an infinite set that eventually would denigrate into a crutch used to explained continuity errors.

[Mat001]

The reason is that that's the number of universes that resulted from Alexander Luthor's tampering in "Infinite Crisis". 51 Earths and Earth-Prime. The reason it's small is that it makes the Multiverse more manageable as opposed to the last time, where Earth numbers and letters were being pulled out the writers rear ends without a second thought. There's a master list for each Earth and what's so special about them, which is far more easier than before. However, there's a Megaverse somewhere that Rip Hunter mentioned and so there are probably more worlds beyond what's known right now.

[bongoes]

I read some complicated explanation for why it's 52,which I can't find right now, but it probably wasn't why that number was chosen.(though with Morrison involved you never know.)

Originally Posted by Mat001

However, there's a Megaverse somewhere that Rip Hunter mentioned and so there are probably more worlds beyond what's known right now.

Yes. But what still confuses me is how Superboy Prime found his home dimension (one that was destroyed) but Power Girl counldn't find her's. She only found the new Earth 2. Did SBP escape the 52 and enter the Megaverse?

[CYOTI]

Because he is Superboy Prime...

[Munkiman]

It's because Earth-Prime was recreated exactly as it was, and Earth-2 wasn't. No in-story reason, just luck of the draw. It probably helps that Earth-Prime didn't have more than like two superheroes tops at any given time, and usually none, so there wouldn't be anyone out there messing with the cosmic... stuff.

Also, the reason given in 52 for there being 52 universes is that the new infinite multiverse created in Infinite Crisis collapsed into a single universe, New Earth, but it contained too much energy for a single universe, and over the course of a year it vibrated apart into 52 universes so that all that energy could be safely and evenly distributed instead of kept in one place. They were originally identical copies of New Earth, until Mr. Mind "ate" parts of reality, creating new histories for the new Earths.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Originally Posted by Munkiman

They were originally identical copies of New Earth, until Mr. Mind "ate" parts of reality, creating new histories for the new Earths.

Did they catch him and punish him for that?

Or did he worm his way out of it?

[revolver86]

Wasn't the implication after Final Crisis that the infinite multiverse HAD returned?

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Originally Posted by revolver86

Wasn't the implication after Final Crisis that the infinite multiverse HAD returned?

Going off my faulty memory, I think it was that everyone is aware of the 52 Earths, and that contact/travel between them is possible.

[superchick]

Originally Posted by revolver86

Wasn't the implication after Final Crisis that the infinite multiverse HAD returned?

I think so, there were more than 52 supermen

[MikeCr]

Originally Posted by revolver86

Wasn't the implication after Final Crisis that the infinite multiverse HAD returned?

I would say the point was that there was ALWAYS an infinite multiverse regardless of what DC editorial says today. I took the multiple Supermen, particularly the versions that were analogues of Supermen published by companies other than DC, to mean that not even DC's ownership of the character couldn't prevent the strength of the idea from endlessly expanding into new story channels. And if the stories exist they'll influence one another even if they're not part of the same "continuity". Actually, they'll probably even end up crossing over whether those crossovers are recognized or not. It's a spin on Callahan's "all superhero books are really telling one polyphonous story" idea.

[Mat001]

Originally Posted by bongoes

Yes. But what still confuses me is how Superboy Prime found his home dimension (one that was destroyed) but Power Girl counldn't find her's. She only found the new Earth 2. Did SBP escape the 52 and enter the Megaverse?

Superboy-Prime hit the Time Trapper which is what sent him back in time and to Earth-Prime. Time travel isn't as easy if one isn't carefully navigating the time stream, because they can wind up on a different Earth. Supergirl wound up on Earth-Prime due to what happened in I think it was "Infinite Crisis" or "World War III". Likewise, the Starman of Earth-0 wound up going to Earth-22 on his way to the 21st century of Earth-0. This is why Brainiac 5 put the map of the Multiverse on his uniform. When Thom had some semblence of his sanity, he was able to see clearly where Earth-22 was and send Superman back there. Rip Hunter knows the routes through the Multiverse and thus has programmed the Time Diver to make sure it follows the correct path to the past and not wander off into the Multiverse.

When Wally and Jay attempted to enter the Multiverse, they couldn't because the Bleed doesn't allow vibrational trips like it used to. Entering the Bleed is required.