Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5
For all its many faults as a story, I still think this Epilogue ties it together quite nicely. Join me now for the end of…
Epilogue: The World to Come/A World that Is
In the thirtieth century, the Legion’s lab has exploded in a ball of fire, sabotaged by Brainiac 5 before he fled to the twentieth century. As the Legion masses to contain the damage, they discover a dying Mon-El amid the wreckage. Saturn Girl plucks recent events from Mon-El’s short-term memory and Element Lad is easily able to reactivate the serum that keeps Mon-El alive.
Once Mon-El recovers, his post-hypnotic suggestion kicks in and he remembers what happened in the twentieth century…and also recites from memory a message Brainiac 5 implanted a thousand years ago.
MON-EL: I apologize to you all for my actions, and especially to Mon-El, not only for using him as I did in the twentieth century, but also for putting his life in danger in the thirtieth. I remain confident that no permanent harm will come to him, as any number of you are capable of assisting him. I am truly sorry for using you so, Mon-El. But I could not risk having the Legion follow me back through time. The Time Trapper’s attention is so focused on our era and our activities that I knew he would take advantage of the Crisis to attack if we gave him the chance.
I also knew that the most likely outcome of my adventure in the past would be that time travel would become more difficult, if not impossible. And our era needs the Legion too badly for any of you to be trapped in this primitive age with me.
Time travel is still possible…but I recommend against it. In fact, I insist that you not attempt to rescue me from the twentieth century. I am perfectly prepared to live out my days here, and though my people are long-lived, I will be long dead by the time you hear this message.
Every time travel action will now weaken the Trapper’s Iron Curtain of Time, making it more likely that he will someday break through our barrier and take his revenge. Therefore, time travel must be halted, voluntarily. I know that, given enough time, Rond can rebuild everything I’ve destroyed. I am asking him not to.
I believe that — mis-steps such as Computo and Omega aside — I have been an asset to the Legion. Computo1 can help you build a list of potential replacements from Coluan academies. You’ll want someone who is capable of functioning in the field as well as in the lab.
I have one final request. Please put the statue next to hers. Goodbye.
Later, Mon-El walks through the Hall of the Dead, past the statues of Ferro Lad, Invisible Kid, Chemical King, Karate Kid, and Triplicate Girl. At the end of the Hall is a statue of Supergirl, holding hands with a statue of Brainiac 5. Mon-El looks up at it, a tear in his eye, and says, “Goodnight, my friends.”
Cut to: a beach. Night time.
Lex Luthor opens his eyes.
Six months2 later, Lex is in a library. His inner monologue reveals to us that it has taken him this long to adapt to this new world and learn how to master and exploit its primitive technology. The librarian refers to him as “Dr. Thorul.”
Lex’s research turns up no references to a Dr. Thomas Wayne, nor to a Wayne Foundation. There is no STAR Labs. The only company worth mentioning in terms of advanced technology is an outfit called “Kord Omniversal Research and Development,” but it’s not that impressive. Captain Atom seems to be the only truly powerful super-hero…and Lex has already figured out half a dozen ways to eliminate him.
That night, Lex goes to a stellar telescope lab. His forged credentials make it easy for him to gain access. With hours on the telescope, he confirms that not only is there no Krypton in this universe, but that the solar system that housed Krypton doesn’t exist either. He spot-checks and finds that there is no Tamaran, no Daxam, no Rann, no Thanagar…
No Lexor.
What really persuades Lex, though, is that he goes to a newsstand and buys a Superman comic book, where everything is revealed: Clark Kent, the true origin. Everything. He realizes that Superman would never place his greatest enemy in this position…unless there was absolutely no way out.
LUTHOR: So, you’ve done it, old foe. You’ve done what I could never do: You eliminated yourself from the universe. A bit of a cheat, but well-played, I admit. Not only do you not exist here, but there’s no chance that you ever could.
So where does that leave me?
I suppose it’s time to stop thinking about what I’ve been…and start thinking about what I am and what I can be…
…just like everyone else.
The End!
Except…
There are a couple of additional notes at the end of the file. Apparently, sequel-itis infected me at a young age. Here you go…
Crisis on Qward: The Green Lantern Corps has franchised to other Earths and dimensions. The Earth-S Green Lantern is Mr. Tawky Tawny.
Crisis on Earth-4: (There are no notes as to exactly what this Crisis would be, but we would return to Earth-4 to learn that…) Luthor is wealthy and successful as Dr. Thorul. He has bought DC Comics and shut it down in order to kill Superman in that universe.
Thanks for reading, everyone!