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Anti-Monitor

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For DC Comics organization, see Monitors (DC Comics).
Anti-Monitor
The Anti-Monitor as depicted in Brightest Day #3 (June 2010). Art by Ivan Reis.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceCameo:
Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 (May 1985)
Full appearance:
Crisis on Infinite Earths #6 (September 1985)
Created byMarv Wolfman
George Pérez
Jerry Ordway
In-story information
Alter egoMobius
Team affiliationsWeaponers and Thunderers of Qward
Shadow Demons
Sinestro Corps
Black Lantern Corps
Notable aliasesMonitor, Anti-God, The Destroyer
Abilities
  • Superhuman strength, stamina and durability
  • Enhanced senses
  • Antimatter manipulation
  • Cosmic powers
  • Reality warping
  • Immortality
  • Invulnerability
  • Size manipulation
  • Dimensional travel
  • Genius-level intellect
  • Absorption of entire universes
  • Power distribution
  • Energy manipulation
  • Energy absorption
  • Energy construct creation

The Anti-Monitor is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.[1] He served as the main antagonist of the 1985 DC Comics miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths and later appears as an enemy to the Green Lantern Corps and the Justice League.[2]

In 2009, Anti-Monitor was ranked as IGN's 49th-greatest comic book villain of all time.[3]

LaMonica Garrett portrayed the character as the main antagonist in the Arrowverse crossover "Crisis on Infinite Earths", as well as the Monitor.

Publication history

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The Anti-Monitor first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 (although he remained in shadow until Crisis on Infinite Earths #5) and was created by Marv Wolfman, George Pérez, and Jerry Ordway.[4] He was believed to have been destroyed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 only to return after a long absence in Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special #1 (August 2007).

Fictional character biography

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Origins

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The Anti-Monitor as depicted in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #1 (March 1985). Art by George Pérez.

The Anti-Monitor and his counterpart, the Monitor (Mar Novu), were created on the moons of Qward and Oa respectively. The two battle for a million years before eventually defeating each other, becoming inert for nine billion years.[citation needed]

In Final Crisis, it was revealed that the Monitor was originally a probe created by the Overmonitor to learn more about the multiverse. However, being unprepared to deal with the complexity of life and the passing of time, the probe-Monitor was split into two symmetrical, opposite beings: the Monitor, embodying the positive matter and goodness, and the Anti-Monitor, embodying anti-matter and evil.[5]

In the DC Rebirth relaunch, the Monitors and the World Forger were created by the Super-Celestial Perpetua.[6]

Crisis on Infinite Earths

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Main article: Crisis on Infinite Earths
The Anti-Monitor at war with the multiverse's heroes on Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 (March 1986). Art by George Pérez.

In more modern times, Pariah performs an experiment to view the multiverse, similar to the one Krona attempted long ago.[citation needed] This results in the reawakening of both the Monitor and the Anti-Monitor and the destruction of Pariah's universe.[citation needed] The Anti-Monitor rebuilds his army, taking over Qward and using the Thunderers and the Shadow Demons as an army.[citation needed]

The Anti-Monitor releases a massive anti-matter wave, absorbing the energies of the destroyed positive matter universes to grow in strength. The Monitor and his assistant, the Harbinger, gather a group of heroes and villains from various alternate universes to combat the Anti-Monitor.[7] This culminates in the multiverse being destroyed and replaced with a singular universe, after which the Anti-Monitor is destroyed when Superman of Earth-Two (Kal-L) punches him into a star.[8] The star goes supernova and generates waves of energy that threaten to destroy the antimatter universe. Kal-L, Lois Lane of Earth-Two, Superboy-Prime, and Alexander Luthor Jr. escape by traveling to another dimension.[9]

Infinite Crisis

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The Anti-Monitor's corpse turned into a tower. Panel from Infinite Crisis #3 (February 2006).
Art by Phil Jimenez.

In Infinite Crisis, the Superman and Lois Lane of Earth-Two, Superboy-Prime, and Alexander Luthor Jr. are revealed to be observing the events of the newly formed universe, as well as the actions of its heroes, from their pocket universe. They return to the main universe in an attempt to restore Earth-Two, at the expense of Earth-One.[10]

The Anti-Monitor’s remains are recovered from deep space and used as the central component in the construction of a multiverse-tuning tower created by Luthor to recreate the multiverse.[11] The tower is destroyed during a battle between Conner Kent and Superboy-Prime.[12]

Post-Infinite Crisis

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The Anti-Monitor resemblance seen in the background in DCU: Brave New World #1.
Art by Ariel Olivetti.

At the end of DC Comics' 2006 special Brave New World, it is revealed that there are five figures calling themselves "the Monitors" watching over the post-Infinite Crisis Earth. Four of the Monitors resemble Mar Novu, while the fifth resembles the Anti-Monitor.[13]

Sinestro Corps

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Prominent members of the Sinestro Corps with a Manhunter at far left, including (clockwise from top left): Hank Henshaw, Superboy-Prime, the Anti-Monitor, Parallax (inhabiting Kyle Rayner), and Sinestro. Art by Ethan Van Sciver.

The Anti-Monitor is resurrected following the recreation of the multiverse and fuels Sinestro's ideology, acting as the Sinestro Corps' "Guardian of Fear". In addition, he recruits Superboy-Prime, Cyborg Superman, and Parallax, who was using Kyle Rayner as its host, along with Sinestro as his heralds.[14] Superboy-Prime, enraged at the Anti-Monitor for destroying his home universe of Earth-Prime, mortally wounds him and hurls his body into space.[15]

The Anti-Monitor's body lands on a dark, lifeless planet, where he is imprisoned in the Black Lantern Power Battery.[15] Soon afterwards, the Guardian of the Universe Scar, corrupted by the Anti-Monitor's energy, dispatches Green Lanterns Ash and Saarek to recover the Anti-Monitor's body.[16]

Blackest Night

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Main article: Blackest Night

When the Black Lantern Power Battery is brought to Earth, the Anti-Monitor attempts to escape and drains the energy of Dove (Dawn Granger).[17] The Anti-Monitor is reanimated as a Black Lantern independent from Nekron's control, his body partially emerging from the Black Lantern battery.[18] The Anti-Monitor is eventually resurrected by a White Lantern power ring and fully escapes the battery, fighting Nekron in revenge for imprisoning him. Nekron then banishes the Anti-Monitor to the anti-matter universe.[19]

Powers and abilities

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Anti-Monitor is one of the most formidable foes ever faced by the heroes of the DC Universe. He is directly responsible for more deaths than any other known DC supervillain, having destroyed thousands of universes. The Anti-Monitor possesses immense strength and durability, the ability to absorb and project energy, and nigh-immortality.

Other versions

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In other media

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Film

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The Anti-Monitor appears in Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, voiced by Ato Essandoh.[23][24]

Television

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Video games

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Miscellaneous

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The Anti-Monitor makes a cameo appearance in Justice League Unlimited #32.

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Super-Villains. New York: Facts on File. pp. 7–8. ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.
  2. ^ Greenberger, Robert; Pasko, Martin (2010). The Essential Superman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-345-50108-0.
  3. ^ Anti-Monitor is number 49 Archived May 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, IGN.
  4. ^ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 15. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
  5. ^ Final Crisis: Superman Beyond #2 (March 2009)
  6. ^ Justice League (vol. 4) #19–22 (May - June 2019)
  7. ^ Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 (April 1985)
  8. ^ Crisis on Infinite Earths #11 (February 1986)
  9. ^ Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 (March 1986)
  10. ^ Infinite Crisis #2 (January 2006)
  11. ^ Infinite Crisis #4 (March 2006)
  12. ^ Infinite Crisis #6 (May 2006)
  13. ^ Supergirl (vol. 5) #18 (August 2007)
  14. ^ Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special (August 2007)
  15. ^ a b Green Lantern (vol. 4) #25 (January 2008)
  16. ^ Green Lantern (vol. 4) #27 (March 2008)
  17. ^ Blackest Night #7 (February 2010)
  18. ^ Green Lantern Corps (vol. 2) #46 (March 2010)
  19. ^ Blackest Night #8 (March 2010)
  20. ^ The Flash (vol. 2) #145–150 (February–July 1999)
  21. ^ Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #2 (August 2019)
  22. ^ What The--?! #2 (September 1988)
  23. ^ Harvey, James (February 21, 2024). ""Justice League: Crisis On Infinite Earths, Part Two" Arrives April 23, 2024". The World's Finest. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  24. ^ a b c "Anti-Monitor Voices (DC Universe)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved July 16, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  25. ^ Anderson, Jenna (July 20, 2019). ""Crisis on Infinite Earths": LaMonica Garrett to Play the Anti-Monitor". ComicBook.com. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  26. ^ Eisen, Andrew (November 2, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  27. ^ Eisen, Andrew (September 29, 2013). "Fortress of Solitude - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  28. ^ Michael, Jon; Veness, John (November 2, 2018). "Characters - LEGO DC Super-Villains Guide". IGN. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
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