Renaissance - The Sundering
The Sundering is a Crisis event unique to the DC Heroes Rebirth universe, with no direct analog in DC Comics. It serves to set up the relatively current status quo for many of the DC heroes in the campaign universe, and effectively replaces the Doomsday Clock crisis event, which has no analog in the DC Heroes Rebirth Timeline. The story follows on from Dark Nights: Metal and serves as a sequel to the Multiversity story by Grant Morrison, with the Empty Hand returning to destroy the Multiverse.
The events and cosmology established in the Sundering also effectively negate the possibility of the DC Heroes Rebirth universe having Death Metal and Dark Crisis events.
The Sundering
Prelude
At the end of the Darkseid War, Owlman of Earth-3 has taken control of the Mobius Chair and Metron is cautiously mentoring him on its use. As Owlman begins expanding his awareness with the chair, he discovers the void beyond the Multiverse and senses that the void had once contained another Multiverse. This exposes him to the Empty Hand and the Gentry, who exist outside the Multiverse. The Empty Hand captures both Metron and Owlman along with the Mobius Chair.
The Source Wall was broken as a result of the Justice League using Element X to raise the Earth back from the Dark Multiverse during Barbatos' invasion. The cracks in the Source Wall provide the Empty Hand with a way into the Multiverse, starting with Earth-51.
Part One
On Earth-51, reality has begun altering and breaking down. Kamandi's allies have been corrupted and he flees from them to the Island of the God Watchers. On the island he enters the broken Tomb of Darkseid and, inside the Tomb, Kamadi tumbles through a crack in reality. He emerges in Castle Gentry, a twisted MC Escher horror fortress on the bleak shores of a dead universe. Kamandi finds himself in the dungeons, where Metron is being held, and Metron warns him of what is happening and tells him how to use one of the doors to get back through the crack in reality. A corrupted Owlman returns from overseeing the expansion of Gentrification beyond Earth-51 and starts stalking Kamandi. Fleeing Owlman, with Metron's warning echoing in his ears, Kamandi jumps through a door which hurls him into the Multiverse where he arrives at the House of Heroes.
Across the Multiverse the same scene repeats on dozens of Earths, as agents of the Gentry and corrupted heroes from already fallen worlds subject other heroes to the horrors of the Anti-Death Equation. Thus corrupted themselves, these heroes turn on their allies in the name of the Empty Hand, leaving their Earths open for Gentrification. On Earth-0, the linchpin of the Multiverse, the servants of the Empty Hand have chosen their targets, selecting heroes who can hide the physical changes wrought by exposure to Anti-Death, including Red Hood, Blue Beetle, Martian Manhunter, Cyborg, and Doctor Fate.
At the House of Heroes, Justice Incarnate listens to Kamandi's stories of the attack on Earth-51. They wonder why no alarm has been raised, and try to see how many Earths have been affected and are horrified to see that dozens of worlds have already fallen. As they observe, the heroes realize that one of the fallen worlds is Earth-8, home to one of their own. His ruse exposed, Machinehead (Earth-8) attacks, killing the Atomic Knight Batman (Earth-17). Superman (Earth-23) strikes Machinehead, shattering his helmet and revealing the corruption within. The sight shocks the heroes, giving enough time for Machinehead to trigger a Trojan Horse. Transmatter gates open, allowing a horde of corrupted heroes from fallen Earths to invade the House of Heroes. The members of Justice Incarnate leap to the defense of their headquarters, desperately trying to hold back the tide of corrupted heroes streaming through the gates. When it becomes clear that the House has fallen, Superman (Earth-23), Aquawoman (Earth-11), Wonder Woman (Earth-27), Thunderer (last survivor of Earth-7), and Abin Sur (Earth-20) try and hold off the invaders long enough for the others to use the Bleedship Ultima Thule to escape and warn the Multiverse. As the heroes fall, it is Red Racer (Earth-36) who gives the boost needed for the Ultima Thule to flee into the Bleed with Mary Marvel (Earth-5), Captain Carrot (Earth-26) and Kamandi aboard along with a copy of the Harbinger A.I. system.
Unaware of the true scale of the threat, several groups on Earth-0 are still able to detect echoes of the danger to the Multiverse, including the Justice League from their Watchtower.
Part Two
In Castle Gentry, the imprisoned Metron questions Owlman why the Empty Hand has kept him alive and uncorrupted. Owlman explains it is because the Empty Hand can think of no greater torture for one who seeks to learn all the secrets of creation than to bear witness to the undoing of all that exists. Metron turns his efforts to reaching the true Owlman, buried in the corrupted shell, but to no avail as the Anti-Death Equation appears to have succeeded in destroying all that remained.
On Earth-0, several different hero teams assemble at their respective headquarters, either because of the dangers detected or lured there by corrupted allies. The Justice League are on the Watchtower, where Steel is briefing them while a secretly corrupted Martian Manhunter looks on. In San Francisco, Cyborg, the corruption hidden in his machine half, is at Titans Tower with the Teen Titans and some of the older Titans. A secretly corrupted Doctor Fate is with the Justice Society assembled at the JSA headquarters in Monument Point; and elsewhere a corrupted Red Hood is ready to strike at Batman's allies.
In Gotham City, the corrupted Red Hood has called several of the Bat Family to Oracle's Clock Tower with claims of an undefined threat. Batman, Nightwing, and Red Robin are absent, instead having answered summons for the Justice League, Titans, and Teen Titans respectively; so it is only Oracle, Batgirl, Robin, and Huntress who have responded to Red Hood. While his helmet disguises Red Hood's corruption, Robin senses something is amiss. It is not enough, however, as Red Hood sets off powerful explosives that destroy the Clock Tower, apparently killing all those within.
At the same time, the corrupted Doctor Fate has called together most of the Justice Society to their headquarters with similar vague warnings. While his helmet hides his corruption, Doctor Fate knows that anyone with mystical senses might detect his true nature. As such he must make his move before Jakeem Thunder arrives with the Thunderbolt. He also knows that once his fellow corrupted heroes make their moves, the Earth's heroes will be alerted to the danger. With more than a dozen members of the Justice Society present, Doctor Fate knows that a direct attack will not work given the power that would be directed against him. Instead, before any of the others can react, Doctor Fate casts a spell that transports everyone to a Hell dimension, knowing they will be trapped there and counting on the demonic forces to deal with the heroes. His task accomplished, he heads off to deal with his next targets.
Titans Tower in San Francisco is now the site of a gathering of both the resident Teen Titans as well as several of the older Titans. Once everyone is gathered, the corrupted Cyborg triggers his trap. Cyborg's systems, corrupted by the meta-viruses of the Digityrant, Machine Devil of the Gentry, have now infected Titans Tower and turned it into a death trap. In the heart of the Tower, Vic Stone's human half is powerless as his corrupted systems manipulate every aspect of Titans Tower to try and kill his friends. As several Titans fall to the corrupted Tower a latecomer arrives on the scene: Blue Beetle, apparently having also succumbed to corruption. The corrupted Cyborg systems allow him inside to help eliminate the Titans, but it is a trick. The Blue Beetle reveals that with the help of his Scarab he had been able to resist corruption, and so he is able to ambush Cyborg and separate him from the Tower. The remaining Titans rally and join Beetle, and together they are able to capture Cyborg, ending the assault.
On the Justice League Watchtower, Steel is starting to brief the League on the dimensional disturbances the sensors have started detecting. The corrupted Martian Manhunter stands to one side, planning to ambush the other Leaguers one-by-one and use his telepathic abilities to start the corruption process in them. Before Manhunter can make a move though, everyone is interrupted by proximity alarms. The Ultima Thule has materialized outside the Watchtower and is on a collision course. Steel is able to use tractor beams to guide the craft towards one of the launch bays, where it crashes causing much damage. The Leaguers race down, where Mary Marvel, Captain Carrot, and Kamandi emerge from the wreck, dazed from the desperate flight from the House of Heroes. Kamandi is able to blurt out a warning of the spread of corruption on different Earths, and the sensors on the Ultima Thule, now attuned to the danger after the assault on the House of Heroes, warn the heroes of the presence of a corrupted individual. His nature exposed, Martian Manhunter attempts to flee, but once the rest of the Justice League overcome their shock they are able to capture him.
Part Three
Alerted by the arrival of the Ultima Thule at Earth-0, the last Monitor, Nix Uotan, transports to the Watchtower. With his help the League sets up a means to keep the corrupted Martian Manhunter and Cyborg contained as Uotan explains what has happened to them. The team also learns of the attacks in Gotham and Monument Point. Batman discovers that, thanks to quick thinking by Robin, no one was killed in the destruction of the Clock Tower, but he, Batgirl and Oracle were badly injured. The Birds of Prey, including Black Canary and Huntress, are tasked with tracking down the corrupted Red Hood, while Zatanna assembles a group of magical heroes to locate and deal with Dr. Fate.
Learning of the fall of the House of Heroes, and just how much damage the Empty Hand and the Gentry have done without him noticing, Nix Uotan is overcome with guilt over his failure as the last Monitor. Through the salvaged Harbinger A.I., Uotan realizes that nearly every other Earth is either under attack or has already fallen to the Gentry and the ever-growing army of corrupted heroes led by Owlman. He tells the Justice League all that he knows, including that the Empty Hand is most likely still operating from the ruins of Earth-7. He also knows that with the initial strike against Earth-0's heroes at least partially successful, a full invasion cannot be far behind.
With the threat imminent, the League comes up with a series of plans. Batman gives Nightwing the job of assembling Earth's remaining heroes to defend against the inevitable arrival of Owlman and his corrupted army. Batman also believes that there must be a reason that the Empty Hand has chosen to imprison Metron rather than corrupt or eliminate him, so he suggests a rescue mission to free the New God from Castle Gentry. He assembles a team consisting of Mr. Miracle (Shilo Norman), Batwoman, Captain Atom, and Guy Gardner and assigns them to the task. As for the Justice League themselves, they will take the fight to the enemy and have Nix Uotan transport them to Earth-7 to confront the Empty Hand and the Gentry.
At the Hall of Justice, the heroes of Earth are starting to gather. In addition to many reserve Justice League members, there are the Titans and Teen Titans who are still mobile after the attack at Titans Tower; regular Earth-based Green Lanterns Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz plus Lanterns John Stewart, Kyle Rayner, and Kilowog; and many independent heroes. Superman, Nightwing, and Donna Troy set about getting the assembled heroes up to speed on the threat. Elsewhere in the Hall, Batman briefs the team who will be going after Metron, with Kamandi telling them of his brief experience in Castle Gentry and Nix Uotan detailing the dangers of the Gentry themselves and the potential for encountering corrupted heroes from the fallen parallel Earths.
Once the rescue team is briefed, they travel via Boom Tube to Earth-51 courtesy of Mr. Miracle's Mother Box. There they see the chaos as that world is in the process of Gentrification, but remain focused on their goal. They access the Tomb of Darkseid and enter the crack in reality that first brought Kamandi to Castle Gentry, emerging in the enemy's fortress just as he had. From there Mr. Miracle and Batwoman take the lead, scouting ahead, bypassing security, and searching for where Metron is being held, while Captain Atom and Guy Gardner stand ready to bring the power should they be discovered.
In Fawcett City, the corrupted Doctor Fate has ambushed the Marvel Family and trapped them with the Wizard at the Rock of Eternity facing off against the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man that Fate has released. Zatanna's team of mystic heroes, including Ragman, the Demon Etrigan, Raven, Frankenstein, and John Constantine, catch up with Fate and attempt to subdue him. Even outnumbered, the corrupted Doctor Fate is more than a match for his attackers. In the end it is Constantine who secures their victory. He tricks Fate into absorbing him into the Amulet of Anubis. From inside the Amulet, Constantine rallies the spirits of former Fates that reside in the House of Souls. Combined, they shatter the Amulet, releasing its power in an explosion of mystic energy. The blast stops the corrupted Fate, but unfortunately does so by killing the host, Kent V. Nelson. The Helm of Fate vanishes, and the freed John Constantine notes that they'll undoubtedly see it again once it has found a new bearer for the mantle of Doctor Fate.
The team pursuing Red Hood has less luck. They track their target across Gotham City, finally believing they have him cornered in the city's East End, only to realize too late that it is a trap. In an abandoned theater the Birds of Prey confront the corrupted Red Hood, only to be surprised by the sudden appearance of Owlman, which in turn reveals the presence of dozens of corrupted heroes from across the Multiverse.
Part Four
In Gotham City, the Birds of Prey are facing Owlman's ambush with the corrupted heroes of the Multiverse. Black Canary uses her Canary Cry to collapse the building to delay their attackers, long enough for the Birds to escape. The alarm is raised at the Hall of Justice and teams of heroes are dispatched to face the enemy. Batman fights the urge to join the battle to try and save Red Hood, but agrees that the enemy will be focused on the attack and will not be prepared for them to launch a counterattack on Earth-7. Nix Uotan takes the helm of the partially repaired Ultima Thule and with the Justice League aboard launches into the Bleed to reach the enemy.
Far away, in the Void outside the Multiverse, the rescue team has managed to penetrate into the depths of Castle Gentry. Mr. Miracle's Mother Box has been homing in on Metron's location, leading the heroes through the maze of dark corridors. Finally they emerge into the dungeons, a vast array of technologically advanced cells, some meant to immobilize or imprison, others clearly intended to torture those held within. They find Metron in such a cell, held in place, being bombarded by images of the dozens of Earths undergoing Gentrification, the God of Knowledge forced to watch the undoing of all he believes he knows.
As Mr. Miracle works on freeing Metron from his bonds and Capt. Atom and Guy Gardner stand guard, Batwoman scouts the other cells. She finds a large chamber where a trio of the Gentry are observing a quintet of strange pods, which based on their discussions contain five more heroes being subjected to the Anti-Death Equation, and that the process is nearly complete. Batwoman begins making her way back to the others when a faint voice from a strangely lit cell calls out to her. Inside she sees a man hooked up to a machine of some kind, with the light coming from tubes running from the machine into the man's flesh. Batwoman asks who he is, and the man answers that his name is Will Payton, but he used to be called Starman.
In Gotham City, the heroes launch a counterattack against Owlman and the invading corrupted army. Against the odds they appear to be victorious, driving the invaders back through the transmatter gates that brought them to Earth. Nightwing leads a small team to try and find Red Hood. They track him down and find him with Owlman, who gladly allows Red Hood to be captured to ensure his own escape. The Red Hood is taken to the Watchtower to be held with Martian Manhunter and Cyborg as efforts to free them from the corrupting effects of Gentrification continue.
Back in Castle Gentry, Mr. Miracle has freed Metron from his bonds just as Batwoman returns with news of the captive Starman. Guy Gardner and Captain Atom remember Starman and want to rescue him. Despite the danger Batwoman agrees, pointing out that like Metron there must be a reason the Empty Hand is keeping him prisoner. She leads them to the cell, and Mr. Miracle discovers that Starman's prison seems to be draining energy from the hero. Miracle points out that unlike the monitors in Metron's cell that he was able to fool, the loss of energy flow once Starman is freed can't be disguised. The heroes decide to take the risk, and sure enough as soon as Mr. Miracle frees Starman several alarms sound out. The heroes race towards their original entry point, but it soon becomes clear that their way is cut off. All seems lost but Metron, despite his weakness from captivity, is able to use his New God essence, combined with the energy Starman is generating, to power Mr. Miracle's Mother Box enough for it to generate a Boom Tube back into the Multiverse. Everyone is able to get through the Boom Tube and close the portal before any of the Gentry catch up with them.
With Mr. Terrific missing alongside the Justice Society and Batman gone with the Justice League, the Titans have called in the Atoms, Ray Palmer and Ryan Choi, to help try and find a way to cure the corrupted heroes being held at the Watchtower. The two have barely begun their work when an intruder alarm sounds. The Titans converge on the location of the alarm in time to witness a Boom Tube deposit the returning rescue team along with their liberated charges. The returnees are quickly briefed on the current situation When it is mentioned that the Justice League has gone to Earth-7 to confront the enemy, Metron takes note, indicating that now that he is back in the Multiverse he can sense the Mobius Chair is on Earth-7 as well, meaning the Empty Hand must have some need for it there. Before anyone can react, however, more alarms sound. In the Monitor Room, the heroes see that the Watchtower sensors have detected several transmatter gates opening, many of them in cities that are home to super heroes like Metropolis, Central City and Keystone, Coast City, and Star City, with others opening across the globe. Hundreds of corrupted heroes from across the Multiverse are emerging, launching a full-scale invasion of Earth-0.
Nix Uotan expertly guides the Ultima Thule through the Bleed. All around, his higher dimensional senses can see the damage to the Multiverse being caused by the Gentrification of so many different Earths. In order to traverse the turbulence surrounding Earth-7, Uotan enlists Superman, the Flash, and Green Lantern; with Superman using his strength to help steer while the Flash uses his affinity with vibration to navigate and Green Lantern's ring helps reinforce the vessel's hull against the massive stresses inflicted by the attempt.Finally the Ultima Thule breaks through the distortions and emerges on the decimated world.
The landscape is a cacophony of ruined cities, twisted into mockeries by the breakdown of reality caused by the Gentrification of this world. The Justice League know they must act quickly, so leap into action as the Gentry rushes to attack the interlopers. Despite the scale of the evil they face, the League have the advantage of years of teamwork. Acting as the tight-knit unit they are, the Justice League are able to cut a path through the cosmic horrors before them. Nix Uotan watches on in awe, feeling there may yet be some hope despite his better judgment.
At last the heroes come into the presence of the Empty Hand itself, a towering ebon figure with a crown of massive horns sitting on a ruined throne. Before him is a massive technological nightmare, the Oblivion Machine. Uotan tells the League to focus on the Machine, to destroy it before the Empty Hand can use it to destroy the Multiverse. The heroes prepare to strike, but at the last second Superman calls them to a halt; he can detect a heartbeat inside the Machine. Before their eyes the Oblivion Machine opens up revealing its power source; it is Thunderer, the weather god and last survivor of Earth-7, captured during the attack on the House of Heroes. Nix Uotan also spies another key component of the Machine, the Mobius Chair. He then realizes that the Empty Hand and the Gentry have made little effort to stop the Justice League from approaching the Machine; it is in fact a trap.
The Thunderer screams as the Oblivion Machine is activated. With the Mobius Chair as a focal point, a great beam of energy fires out, enveloping the Justice League. In a flash Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash and Green Lantern have disappeared. Nix Uotan shouts accusingly that the Empty Hand has destroyed the greatest heroes of their world, but the Empty Hand corrects him; he has erased the greatest heroes of their world. The paragons of Earth-0 have been unmade by the Oblivion Machine, and their erasure will echo across Creation. The Multiverse's greatest defense system, super heroes, has been dealt a potentially fatal blow.
Part Five
In shock, Nix Uotan can only recoil in horror as the realization washes over him. The Justice League had served as a template repeated across the Multiverse, and their removal will result in the unraveling of super heroes across all Earths. Nix Uotan barely registers the approach of the Gentry as they close in on him, and it is only the shout of Thunderer that snaps him out of it. Thunderer yells that before it was Nix Uotan who sacrificed himself to allow him to escape with a warning, now it is his turn. Before the Empty Hand or the Gentry can move to stop him, the storm god unleashes all his divine power, sacrificing his life and very essence to transport Nix Uotan away.
Across Earth-0, the world's heroes are battling the invading Gentrified army. Befitting the Empty Hand's goal of eliminating super-heroes, the attacks continue to be concentrated on locations where such heroes make their home. Metropolis is the site of one of the larger attacks, so it is there that the Titans are leading the defense. With the Justice League and Justice Society absent the heroes are at a disadvantage, but are managing to hold their own. Just as they think they are gaining some ground, word reaches Metropolis that over in San Francisco, where the Teen Titans are defending that city, several members of that team disappeared into thin air. As the Titans try to understand what happened to their younger counterparts, several of the other heroes present with them in Metropolis see them begin to fade as well.
Nix Uotan materializes in Metropolis in the middle of the battle in time to also witness the Titans beginning to fade. He immediately rushes to their side and uses his Monitor power to stabilize them. He takes the Titans aside and quickly explains what befell the Justice League on Earth-7. When he learns of the disappearance of several Teen Titans, notably Red Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, and Superboy, he says it is only the start, with those most closely tied to the Justice League among the first to fade away as the League's erasure echoes across the Multiverse. The older Titans lasted a little longer than their younger counterparts because many of them had established their own unique identities over the years. Now it is only Uotan's power that is preventing them from disappearing into nothingness.
Though they are loathe to leave the defenders in Metropolis, the Titans are brought by Nix Uotan to the Hall of Justice, where he gives more details on how the Oblivion Machine erased the Justice League and the ramifications, that the Multiverse is doomed to Gentrification if they cannot undo it. Uotan shocks the Titans when he reveals that he believes the key to restoring the League is comic books. He goes on to explain that it is stories that truly underpin the Multiverse, and comic book stories have the ability to cross worlds. If they can recreate the idea of the Justice League, it might be a start to restoring them. This power is greatest on Earth-33, a world without superheroes but where the power of ideas is able to cross the Multiversal membrane in the form of comic books.
Simply recreating the idea of the Justice League will not be enough, however, with the limited time the Multiverse has left. The idea would need to be amplified and focused to truly restore the League. Metron knows of a substance that might help to focus that power, crystallized fragments of the Multiverse. Metron also indicates that another critical component would be the Mobius Chair, which is still a repository of knowledge and which Uotan points out now forms part of the Oblivion Machine on Earth-7. Nightwing staves off the looming feeling of despair by pointing out that they have a chance, and that they need to get moving. First, how to get to Earth-33 and create a Justice League comic. Nix Uotan indicates that traveling to Earth-33 is almost impossible, that it is generally only ideas that can penetrate its fictive barriers, but that there is a chance as despite its lack of superheroes that world does still retain a connection to the Rock of Eternity. Tempest points out that the Rock of Eternity has been cut off by the corrupted Doctor Fate, but Mary Marvel of Earth-5 believes that she can get the heroes there. Kyle Rayner volunteers for the mission to Earth-33, pointing out that as an artist he is well suited to creating the comic book. The team still needs a writer, and Captain Carrot indicates that his secret identity of Rodney Rabbit is a comic book writer, and in fact he writes the comic for his world's fictional superheroic JLA, Just'a Lotta Animals.
Surprising the other Titans, Nightwing reveals that he knows where to find the Multiversal fragments, correctly pointing out that it was the material that formed the walls of the dimension that once held Superboy Prime, Alexander Luthor Jr. and the pre-Crisis Superman and Lois Lane-Kent. The fragments of that wall can still be found at Alex Luthor's secret base of operations from the Infinite Crisis. The Titans will seek out those materials, with Kamandi volunteering to join them. Nix Uotan is ready to go along with them, but Metron receives a message from Mr. Miracle on the Watchtower satellite, and after listening to the message he tells Uotan that something else requires his attention and the two must travel to the Watchtower. Time is of the essence and the heroes cannot wait, so the trio of Mary Marvel, Kyle Rayner and Captain Carrot head for Fawcett City while the Titans head for the ruins of Alex Luthor's old base.
In Fawcett City, Mary Marvel is horrified when she, Kyle Rayner, and Captain Carrot are confronted by a corrupted Marvel Family from Earth-5, revealing that her home world has been Gentrified. The corrupted Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. launch their attack, but Kyle Rayner is able to throw up a shield with his Green Lantern ring just in time. This shakes Mary Marvel out of her shock, but she still cannot bring herself to fight back. Captain Carrot readies to fight their attackers, but is ambushed by the corrupted Earth-5 tiger man, Tawky Tawny. The trio are in danger, but help arrives via Boom Tube as Mr. Miracle arrives with a group of heroes to assist, including Bulleteer and Ibis the Invincible. With the new arrivals running interference, Mary Marvel leads Kyle Rayner and Captain Carrot to the subway station that serves as a gateway to the Rock of Eternity. They follow the tunnel only to find the magical barrier erected by the corrupted Doctor Fate. Together the three are able to penetrate the barrier, but find themselves facing the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man, who are guarding the imprisoned Marvel Family of Earth-0. The Enemies turn to face the intruders, but Mary Marvel directs Kyle and Captain Carrot to the tunnel that will take them to Earth-33, telling them to go and leave the Seven to her.
In New York City, the battle between the heroic defenders and the corrupt invaders rages. People everywhere scatter to escape the danger. Hiding in the Brooklyn Museum, pre-med student Khalid Nassour hears a strange voice calling his name. Seeking the source of the voice he finds himself staring at the golden Helmet of Fate. Elsewhere the magicians led by Zatanna have been trying to reverse the spell that exiled the Justice Society to another dimension. They believe they have identified the dimension, but there is no sign of the JSA there. Deep in the darkness of the Shadowlands, Obsidian and Jade are attempting to guide the lost Justice Society out. They had hoped to use Obsidian's connection with the Shadowlands to escape the dimension they'd been sent to, but now they are lost. Somewhere in the darkness, however, a faint green flame begins to flicker to life.
The Titans, with Kamandi, reach the location of Alex Luthor's base in the frozen tundra. Nightwing leads them through the security measure placed around the location by the Justice League and they head down to where they hope to find the Multiversal fragments. Before they can search the area an explosion sends them flying. A large hole has been opened in the ceiling, and descending in are Owlman and several other corrupt heroes. The others with him are the former residents of the House of Heroes, all transformed by the Gentry in their dungeons. Owlman reveals the Gentrified Superman (Earth-23), Aquawoman (Earth-11), Wonder Woman (Earth-27), Abin Sur (Earth-20) and Red Racer (Earth-36). They are the Injustice Incarnate and are here to destroy the Titans.
Part Six
Aboard the Justice League Watchtower, Cyborg's corrupted cybernetics have managed to invade the satellite's systems and have freed him, Martian Manhunter and Red Hood. The Atoms, Mr. Miracle, and Starman must not only face their corrupted former friends but also the Watchtower's internal defenses. The Atoms run interference while Mr. Miracle uses his Mother Box to try and free the Watchtower systems. Though still weak from his lengthy imprisonment at Castle Gentry, Starman enters the fray and it is discovered that for some reason the corrupted heroes are vulnerable to his energy blasts. The Atoms rig up an amplifier and trick Martian Manhunter, Red Hood, and Cyborg into an ambush where Starman releases a powerful energy burst through the amplifier. The effort nearly kills Starman, but the effect is astonishing as it appears to burn away the corrupted husks, freeing the three from the decaying effects of Gentrification. Mr. Miracle examines Starman with his Mother Box and proceeds to contact Metron to relay what it has revealed.
On Earth-33, Kyle Rayner is hunched over a drafting table frantically drawing out the pages of a Justice League comic. Sitting on a nearby desk is a fluffy rabbit, oddly dressed in a cape, attempting to type on a touchscreen computer. The nature of Earth-33 means that Kyle's Green Lantern Ring will not function, and also means that there is no such thing as super-powered anthropomorphic rabbits, so Captain Carrot is a regular rabbit, though thankfully he retains his intelligence and is still able to help write the comic, with the added difficulty of trying to type with rabbit paws. Despite the difference in how time flows on Earth-33, the two know they still need to finish as quickly as possible and hopefully return through the Rock of Eternity.
Over at the Rock of Eternity, Mary Marvel is fighting a losing battle against the Seven Deadly Enemies. Mary worries she will fail her allies and Earth-0's Marvel Family, but through the great skill bestowed on her by Ariadne she realizes that the Enemies have been deliberately keeping her away from the empty throne of the Wizard. With the speed of Zephyrus she gets past the Enemies and sits on the throne. Instinctively knowing what is needed, Mary shouts out the magic word SHAZAM!, calling down the magical lightning. There is a mighty explosion and when the smoke clears the throne is shattered and there is no sign of Mary, but the Marvel Family have been freed. They make short work of the Enemies, then head back to Earth-0 to help defend the planet.
In the ruins of Alex Luthor's base, Injustice Incarnate are doing battle with the Titans. The groups seem to be evenly matched, though the Titans are slowly losing ground. The corrupted Owlman presses every small advantage he has to thwart Nightwing, and seems to be on the cusp of victory when he notices the barest hint of a smile on his target's lips. Owlman looks around and realizes that the Titans have not been fighting to win, but to distract. Seeing that the ruse is discovered, Nightwing confirms Owlman's suspicions. The Titans have been keeping Injustice Incarnate busy to give Kamandi time to gather up enough crystals. Not only that, but while he and Red Racer have been chasing each other around the ruins at superspeed, Wally West has also been watching for any fragment that shows a link to Earth-7. Having successfully identified one, Wally uses his power to control vibrations to use that crystal to open a portal to Earth-7. Kamandi jumps through with his gathered treasure while the Titans place themselves in the path of their enemy, determined to keep Injustice Incarnate from getting to the portal at all cost.
Back on Earth-0, the remaining heroes are fighting a losing battle against the Gentrified army. The return of the Marvel Family brings a brief respite, but the numbers are still overwhelming. Metropolis has become a last stand for the defenders, and just as all hope seems lost there is a flash of green light in the sky. In a great burst of emerald energy the Justice Society returns, and at their head is a resurrected Alan Scott, once again wearing the mantle of the Sentinel of the Green Flame. The Justice Society rallies Earth's heroes and they take the attack to the enemy. With the battle joined, Supergirl risks checking on the Titans with her super senses. She sees that they are in trouble and rushes to help. Her arrival helps them against Injustice Incarnate, but it is not enough and she and the Titans are overpowered by the enemy.
Kamandi emerges from the portal onto the desolate plains of Earth-7, the Oblivion Machine looming before him as the Empty Hand and the Gentry turn to face the intruder. There is a flash of lightning and the roar of thunder, and Kamandi is suddenly not alone as the Wizard arrives bringing Kyle Rayner, Captain Carrot, and their freshly published comic book from Earth-33. Moments later a Boom Tube heralds the arrival of Nix Uotan, Metron, Mr. Miracle and Starman. The Empty Hand is taken aback for a moment, but then laughs at Nix Uotan as the Injustice Incarnate emerges from the portal dragging the unconscious bodies of the Titans and Supergirl through behind them. With the Gentry and Injustice Incarnate here, what hope do the Last Monitor and his motley crew have?
The Empty Hand's laughter is cut short when the Wizard revives the fallen Titans and Supergirl by sharing the power of SHAZAM with them - the Wisdom of Solomon (Nightwing), the Strength of Hercules (Donna Troy), the Stamina of Atlas (Supergirl), the Power of Zeus (Tempest), the Courage of Achilles (Red Arrow) and the Speed of Mercury (Flash). The Titans coordinate with Supergirl and Kyle Rayner to keep the comic book away from the enemy. With years of experience working as a unit, and Supergirl and Kyle following their lead, the Titans are able to hot potato the comic book between them until they are able to place it on the Mobius Chair within the Oblivion Machine. Metron then reveals that they know why the Gentry had Starman imprisoned, that his powers are somehow connected to the Source. They use Mr. Miracle's Mother Box to boost Starman's power and he directs a beam of energy through the crystalline Multiversal fragments gathered by Kamandi. The beam strikes the Mobius Chair and, from the pages of the comic book spectral forms of the Justice League begin to coalesce in the air.
The phantom Justice League continues to shimmer, but the figures do not seem to be solidifying. The Empty Hand gloats that the Oblivion Machine has done its job and no fragment of the Justice League remains in the Multiverse, the heroes are too late. Nix Uotan steps forward and tells the Empty Hand that he is wrong, there is still a part of the Justice League that has survived, and he redirects the beam from the Mobius Chair to strike Injustice Incarnate. The Source energy strips away the corrupted husks to reveal the tiny sparks of the original beings not yet completely eradicated by the Gentrification process: a Superman (Superman of Earth-23), a Wonder Woman (Wonder Woman of Earth-27), a Batman (Owlman of Earth-3), an Aquaman (Aquawoman of Earth-11), a Green Lantern (Abin Sur of Earth-20), and a Flash (Red Racer of Earth-36).
The liberated sparks merge with the spectral League emerging from the Mobius Chair. Giant forms take shape, nth-dimensional avatars of the six heroes, born from the purest idea, a true Justice League Incarnate. The Avatars immediately move to attack the Empty Hand and the Gentry, starting a battle that seems to take up the entire sky. As the world shudders around them, Nix Uotan explains that the battle is happening on multiple dimensional planes simultaneously. He directs them to destroy the Oblivion Machine and free the Mobius Chair, which the heroes proceed to do. Metron reclaims the Chair and together he and Uotan transport the Titans, Supergirl, Kyle Rayner, Captain Carrot, Kamandi, Starman and Mr. Miracle to the ruins of the House of Heroes at the center of the Multiverse.
Though it was all but destroyed in the attack by the Gentrified, the hull of the House of Heroes still offers a safe haven from which to try and observe the battle between the Justice League Incarnate and the Empty Hand and his Gentry. Even with the higher dimensional views provided by the House of Heroes, the Titans can barely comprehend what they are witnessing. Time and space lose meaning as the giant figures exchange blows against the background of the Bleed. On Earth-0 the fighting in Metropolis pauses as the towering figures flicker across the sky. Nix Uotan worries that the Orrery of Worlds may not survive the battle, but in the end the Justice League Incarnate gain the upper hand. The Empty Hand and his forces are driven back through the cracks to Castle Gentry. Even this offers them no respite as the League levels the castle and forces the enemy back into the Void beyond.
Their power fading, the Justice League Incarnate repair the cracks in the Orrery of Worlds. That still leaves the husks of the Gentrified universes, but as the heroes watch new universes begin to emerge, growing like crystals in the Bleed until the Orrery is once again home to 52 worlds. On Earth-0 the Gentrified husks crumble to dust, releasing the surviving essences of the once-corrupted heroes to be reborn on these new Earths. Finally the Justice League Incarnate begin to split, some fragments also seeking out new worlds while the core essences return to Earth-0 where the Justice League are reborn. With their restoration, the other heroes who had vanished in the wake of the League's erasure also reappear.
Nix Uotan offers his thanks to the Titans and the others and Mr. Miracle opens a Boom Tube to return them home where they reunite with the restored Justice League and the other heroes. Though the battle for Earth-0 has been won there is still much destruction, but the returned Justice League immediately sets about repairing the damage. Other heroes join in as they are able, and soon the League and their allies succeed in undoing much of the devastation. The United Nations praises the world's heroes, honoring them for their service and sacrifice.
Epilogue
At the House of Heroes, Nix Uotan and Metron are observing the reborn worlds of the Orrery. Captain Carrot and Kamandi are also present, and Nix Uotan offers to send them to their reborn worlds. Captain Carrot agrees and is sent to the new Earth-26 where his memories realign to fit the reborn world. Kamandi asks what will happen if he does not go to the new Earth-51, and Nix Uotan tells him that another Kamandi will emerge on that world. Kamandi wishes to remain himself, so Uotan sends him to Earth-0 instead. Once he and Nix Uotan are alone, Metron comments on the new universes, and Uotan notes that even he was unsure if the Multiverse could be restored. It appears, for now at least, that the World Forge is still active.