Final Crisis Vol 1 3

In New York, Frankenstein is leading a SHADE strike team in a raid on the Dark Side Club. Inside, they find nothing but the desiccated corpse of Boss Dark Side - and the Question, who is also in the middle of a raid. She asks them to look into the fate of Dan Turpin and escapes in a cloud of binary gas. The team is about to follow her, but a digital picture of a hand appears in the air and spells out 'know evil'. Frankenstein suspects prophecy, but Father Time has other worries - top Checkmate agent Taleb Beni Khalid has just informed him that the Command-D Bunker in Blüdhaven has been taken over by a local crimelord.

Outside, Renee Montoya walks out of an alleyway and continues down the street. A flash in the sky heralds the arrival of a woman who survives falling through a building. The woman refers to herself as "Überfraulein", and starts babbling in German that "the sky is bleeding". However, SHADE agents arrive to take her away for questioning.

At the Big Belly Burger, Nix Uotan has been fired; he kept asking the customers bizarre questions. As he walks home, he sees a television in a shop window, which shows Cave Carson and his team, who have discovered a Paleolithic carving which echoes the design on Metron's chest. A similar design was also found in a crop circle in England. As Nix Uotan watches the monitor, he in turn is watched by Zillo Valla.

In Keystone City, Jay Garrick, Joan Garrick and Iris West-Allen are at Wally West's house. Jay tells the women that at the strip club, they saw the bullet break into reality and travel back through time. He says they ran, "three generations of the Flash," but they could not catch up with the bullet before it killed Orion. However, in trying to change history, they incurred the ire of the Black Racer. Running back along the same path, Jay's knee gave out and he was dropped in the present day, while the Black Racer charged past. Iris and Linda don't understand, and Joan fears time-travel or parallel Earths, but Jay is adamant - Barry Allen is back from the dead.

At the Hall of Doom, Libra is giving the Human Flame modified equipment, in honour of his new position in something "greater than himself". Human Flame is uneasy of Libra's intentions, but accepts the equipment. He hears a voice in the helmet, but Libra holds the helmet down before he can ask anymore questions. Within seconds, the Anti-Life equation broadcast to the helmet has erased his free will. Lex Luthor then arrives, and delivers the news - the Daily Planet building was bombed, and Superman hasn't been seen in 18 hours. This convinces Lex Luthor that Libra is too dangerous to live. However, Human Flame levels a flamethrower on Lex Luthor, and Libra gives a counter-offer: put on the helmet, or renounce his former life and swear his alleigance on the Crime Bible.

At Metropolis Memorial Hospital, Lois Lane is in a coma. Clark Kent has not left her side for 18 hours: his heat vision is the only thing keeping her heart beating. The bombing resulted in at least one death, and between hospital visits and injuries, Jimmy Olsen is the only active member of the journalist staff. As Clark is left alone, he remarks that he would give anything to save Lois. At this moment, Zillo Valla appears in the doorway: she knows he is secretly Superman, and she offers him "one ultimate chance" to save Lois. In the process, they must leave Earth immediately.

At the Hall of Justice, the Alpha Lanterns are departing with Hal Jordan in chains. Wonder Woman insists that he did nothing, but 'Kraken' is dismissive. Hal is confident of his own innocence, and the shield around the Earth means nothing can get in or out until the Alpha Lanterns come back. As they leave, Wonder Woman remarks that Superman is occupied, Batman and Flash are missing, and now both Green Lantern are taken out of commision. She believes it is the work of the New Gods of Apokolips. Alan Scott remarks that, in the past, they have always relied on the heroes of New Genesis to help them; without them, and with the loss of so many heroes, they will have to rely on the article Franklin D. Roosevelt passed to help him form the All-Star Squadron - Article X, which allows for the drafting of superheroes.

With the help of Oracle, now ensconsed in the Hall of Justice with full access to the Justice League's communication gear in addition to her own rig, who is acting as the team's communications officer, they are able to contact Aquaman, Freddy Freeman and Tawky Tawny, Supergirl and Green Arrow... in addition to the Justice Society, the Teen Titans, the Outsiders, the Shadowpact, and several other others. Alan Scott prepares to lead into what may their biggest fight since the Crisis.

In Tokyo, Mister Miracle must leave. Sonny Sumo is still unconvinced that the forces of Evil are truly gaining control. Mister Miracle remarks that, in a fight of such a scale, everyone must fight eventually. They are suddenly attacked by a gang of armed men wearing helmets similar to the one Libra gave the Human Flame. Although both heroes fight, they cannot win - until the Super Young Team arrives to drive them to safety. Sonny Sumo admits the danger of the situation.

In Blüdhaven, Wonder Woman is investigating the incident at the Command-D Bunker. With the Atomic Knights, she travels into the wrecked city, where she discovers the corpses of Replika, Agent of SHADE. They were apparently killed by Mary Marvel, who now wears a revealing leather catsuit and has been turned evil. She kills one of the Knights before Wonder Woman breaks her arms. Mary reveals that Darkseid's New Gods have been hiding in mortal bodies, and that is why they have passed undetected. In five minutes, the Anti-Life Equation will go global, and no-one has a clue. In addition, Mary reveals her trump card - Wonder Woman has been selected by Darkseid to serve as an infection vector... for the plague in the test tube Mary just broke in her hand.

In the Command-D Bunker, Mokkari prepares to spread the Anti-Life Equation. In Switzerland, Mister Terrific has spotted something unusual happening. In the Hall of Justice, Oracle sees that someone in Blüdhaven is sending an e-mail to every address in the world... an e-mail which is opening itself. Oracle shouts that they have to unplug the internet. Her last message, before the Anti-Life Equation becomes active, is "Pull the plugs before it - !"

Wally West and Barry Allen slow down. They have run a month into the future. Barry remarks that it was impossible to save Orion, and he doesn't know why he was brough back. Then he looks up - the sky is red, and Wonder Woman is leading a group of murderous superwomen to kill both Flashes...

Notes

DC Comics Solicitation:

Batman missing in action! Superman immobilized! Green Lantern on trial for his life! A shadow is falling across Earth's super heroes — and now it's Wonder Woman's turn to face the Evil Gods! What bizarre warning from beyond awaits Frankenstein, The Question and the agents of S.H.A.D.E. in the shadows of the Dark Side Club? What grim fate lies in store for The Human Flame? What happens when the Anti-Life Equation hits the internet? Can the Fastest Men Alive outrun The Black Racer — Death himself? And who are the Justifiers? The answers are all here as the unstoppable rise of evil continues in FINAL CRISIS #3 by Grant Morrison and J.G. Jones.

This issue's cover date is September 2008.

Trivia

One of the heroes present at the Article X draft is Bombshell. Her placement in this issue is unlikely because:

A. She's a villain who masqueraded as a hero and betrayed the Teen Titans.
B. She was killed by Batgirl in Teen Titans (Volume 3) #43

Recommended Reading

Final Crisis

Event Synopsis:

D. O. A.: The GOD of WAR!

There was a war in heaven, and Evil won.

A mysterious and long forgotten supervillain named "Libra" has returned to Earth, and is assembling a new Secret Society of Super-Villains for unclear purposes. He has promised an "end to the age of superheroes," and to every villain who helps him their heart's desire. When asked what his team is for, Libra ambiguously responds "Anything you want. Anything at all." The full extent of his capabilities are unclear, but he has already slain the Martian Manhunter, at the behest of one of his line-up's villains, The Human Flame. Libra claims to be serving a higher power, although exactly what is unclear.

In Blüdhaven, Dan Turpin meets a new crimelord, "Boss Dark Side," who appears to be a human reincarnation of Darkseid himself. "Dark Side" has been abducting metahuman children, and giving them to "Granny," brainwashing them into evil creatures beyond the point of redemption; he has been teaching them how to use the Anti-Life Equation. Darkseid tells Turpin that there was a war in heaven, and that he won. The "future belongs to Dark Side now."

Meanwhile, the Monitors have been growing increasingly different as their realities do. Whereas once they were 52 identical beings, now time has entered their world after their interactions with mortals, and they are aging, and falling in love, and becoming capable of betrayal. For what have been deemed his failures in the Multiverse, Monitor Nix Uotan is given the harshest punishment for a monitor. He is stripped of his powers, and sentenced to a life of mortality on Earth as a human.

Ticket to Blüdhaven

In Tokyo, Sonny Sumo agrees to team up with Mister Miracle (Shilo Norman) and the Super Young Team in response to the news that the New Gods of Apokolips have come to Earth. However, the evil Gods have already prepared their base; in the atomic ruins of Blüdhaven, where they have trapped hundreds of people to transform into slaves, among them Batman. The gods can only act in the world through human agents - grim news for Dan Turpin, who has been selected as a host by Darkseid.

The Secret Society has expanded with the news that they killed the Martian Manhunter. Lex Luthor does not approve of Libra or his policies, but Vandal Savage has sided with Libra. The Human Flame is about to discover the price of his request to kill the Martian Manhunter, while the Society targets its next victim - the Daily Planet, workplace of Clark Kent, which is destroyed by a bomb set by Clayface.

The investigation of Orion's murder continues to drag on, through several disturbances: the assault on John Stewart at the crime scene, the double-cross of Alpha Lantern Investigator Kraken, the sublimation of Orion's corpse back to the Source, and the discovery of a good candiate for murder weapon - a bullet made of Radion, a substance fatal to New Gods - in undisturbed fifty-year-old soil. Batman's only theory, before being kidnapped, was that the bullet was fired backwards through time itself.

Nix Uotan has adjusted to his newfound humanity, searching for his Monitor's "word of command" while sketching the images of otherworldly superhumans which he gets occasionally gets.

In Central City, the Flashes have tracked a small earthquake to the site of the Martian Manhunter's murder. Searching the crimescene, they find a Crime Bible, specks of Martian blood, and a replica of Metron's Möbius Chair. The replica chair suddenly the focus of a Boom Tube which, out of which comes the Radion bullet, chased by the long-dead Barry Allen and the mysterious Black Racer of the Fourth World.

Know Evil

SHADE hits the Dark Side Club, finding Boss Dark Side's corpse. Command-D Bunker is taken over by a crimelord.

Question encounters a falling woman called Uberfraulein, who dies saying "the sky is bleeding".

Jay Garrick tells his wife of Barry Allen's return.

Libra enslaves the Human Flame with the Anti-Life Equation.

Clark Kent keeps Lois alive and Zillo Valla offers him the chance to save her.

The Alpha Lanterns arrest Hal Jordan, while a protective shield around the Earth means nothing can get in or out until the Alpha Lanterns come back. Wonder Woman believes the events are the work of the New Gods. Alan Scott invokes Article X, which allows for the drafting of superheroes.

Wonder Woman investigates Command-D. Mary Marvel appears and infects Wonder Woman with a plague from Darkseid. In the bunker, Mokkari spreads the Anti-Life Equation via email to the entire planet.

The Flashes have run a month into the future. Barry remarks that it was impossible to save Orion, and he doesn't know why he was brough back. Then he looks up - the sky is red, and Wonder Woman is leading a group of murderous superwomen to kill both Flashes...

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Final Crisis Vol 1 5

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Final Crisis Vol 1 6

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Final Crisis Vol 1 7

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Annotations on Final Crisis #3

Final Crisis Crossover
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Final Crisis Vol 1 3

From DC Database

Appearing in "Know Evil"

Synopsis for "Know Evil"

Notes

Trivia

See Also

Recommended Reading

Links and References