Chapter Summaries

Dr. Manhattan explained that he had altered events across the multiverse to test how changing Superman would affect reality. After Superman repeatedly returned, Manhattan sought to learn whether he would destroy the world or be killed by Superman.

• Hal Jordan questioned whether Dr. Manhattan was insane, while Batman demanded his identity and purpose.
• Dr. Manhattan recounted how he had changed Alan Scott's fate, preventing the first Green Lantern and the Justice Society from forming as they originally had.
• Dr. Manhattan described entering the DC Universe, studying Cahill Coleman, and discovering Superman's importance to the multiverse.
• Dr. Manhattan traced shifting versions of Superman's history and saw that Superman's story persisted across the multiverse despite repeated changes.
• Dr. Manhattan admitted that he had altered Alan Scott's fate, the Kents' lives, and Superman's death to observe the consequences.
• Dr. Manhattan told the gathered heroes that he wanted to know his own ending, and asked whether he would destroy the world or Superman would kill him.

The Justice League attacked Dr. Manhattan on Mars, but his control over matter and energy overwhelmed them. Luke arrived and struck Dr. Manhattan with a punch that tore through space-time, leaving both men vanished from Mars.

• Shazam and Aquaman urged Batman to stop wasting time and subdue the naked blue man, while Batman’s assembled heroes surrounded Dr. Manhattan.
• Green Lanterns attacked Dr. Manhattan, but he evaded their weapons, removed Hal Jordan’s ring, and examined its emotional energy.
• Zatanna, Swamp Thing, and Shazam attacked with magic, plants, and lightning, but Dr. Manhattan disassembled their powers and destroyed the palace with an explosion.
• Dr. Manhattan created kryptonite to weaken Supergirl, while the rest of the Justice League fell; Luke watched with the Flash and then stepped forward.
• Luke told Dr. Manhattan that Adrian sent his regards and threw a punch that shattered space and distorted time, after which Luke and Dr. Manhattan disappeared.

Luke pursued Dr. Manhattan through timelines, defeated the Anti-Monitor during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, and recruited Dr. Manhattan to help confront Perpetua and The Batman Who Laughs. He ended the chapter by striking The Batman Who Laughs through the sixth dimension and into the shattered Source Wall.

• The Justice League found Dr. Manhattan and Luke gone, and Barry told Batman about Luke Cahill, a Kryptonian from another universe who had helped him avert a universal catastrophe.
• Luke trapped Dr. Manhattan in the Crisis on Infinite Earths, defeated the Anti-Monitor, and absorbed the Anti-Life energy.
• Dr. Manhattan escaped into a future where The Batman Who Laughs battled Perpetua, and he realized that multiverse reboots reflected the revision and deletion of stories.
• Luke explained the multiverse's fate to Dr. Manhattan and offered him a role as a forger, observer, or guardian if they defeated Perpetua and The Batman Who Laughs.
• Dr. Manhattan agreed to confront Perpetua while Luke attacked The Batman Who Laughs, shattering the sixth dimension's barriers and hurling him into the Source Wall.

Luke killed The Batman Who Laughs and the Dark Multiverse collapsed before the Multiverse rebooted and merged with another timeline. Months later, Luke's family and the Justice League adjusted to the new reality as he prepared to begin another story.

• Luke used his Superboy-Prime template to defeat The Batman Who Laughs and burned him to ash in the dying sun, causing the Dark Multiverse to collapse.
• After the Multiverse rebooted, Luke appeared as Golden Superman and vanished; months later, he told Flash he had met two fellow townsmen planning for the future of two Multiverses.
• The timelines involving Doomsday Clock and Crisis on Infinite Earths merged, and Batman and Lex Luthor discussed the exposed Multiverse and Luke's authority over it.
• Luke reunited with Diana on Paradise Island, and her sealed memories returned as she embraced him.
• Luke finished reading his story to his young daughter, then opened a new book and wrote that a new story was about to begin.