Earth Prime

Not to be confused withEarth-One.

Earth Prime(orEarth-Prime) is a term sometimes used in works ofspeculative fiction,most notably inDC Comics,involvingparallel universesor amultiverse,and refers either to the universe containing "our" Earth, or to a parallel world with a bare minimum ofdivergence pointsfrom Earth as we know it — often the absence or near-absence ofmetahumans,or with their existence confined to fictional narratives likecomics.The "Earth Prime" of a given fictional setting may or may not have an intrinsic value to or vital connection to the other Earths it exists alongside (although it appears to be the case that such Prime Earths — and sometimes the 'central universes' in which those Prime Earths exist as well — are portrayed in fiction to be vital to the existence of the other Earths).

DC Comics

Earth Prime
First appearance	The Flash#179 (May 1968)
Characters	Superboy-Prime Legion of Super-Heroes (2004 team) Ultraa
Publisher	DC Comics

In theDC MultiverseEarth-Prime is the true Earth from which all the other worlds within the Multiverse originate, the "actual" reality where the readers of DC Comics live (and where DC Comics operates as a publisher), and is an Earth where all superheroes are fictional. Earth-Prime does, however, become an alternate reality in its first appearance inThe Flash#179 (May 1968), when theFlashaccidentally travels there from Earth-One by being pushed by a creature calledThe Nok.The Flash, stranded, contacts then-DC Comics editorJulius Schwartz,who helps him construct acosmic treadmillto return to Earth-One. Eventually, it was stated that the writers of DC Comics of Earth Prime subconsciously base their stories on the adventures of the heroes on Earth-One and Earth-Two.

InThe Flash#228 (July/Aug 1974),Earth-Prime'sCary Batestravels to Earth-One, where he discovers that the stories he writes are not only based on events on Earth-One, but can actually influence these events as well. This power turns for the worse inJustice League of America#123 (October 1975),when Bates is accidentally transported to Earth-Two. The interdimensional trip temporarily turns Bates into a supervillain, and he quickly kills theJustice Society of America.Luckily, fellow DC writerElliot S. Maggin,with the help of the Justice League and theSpectre,is able to restore matters on both Earths inJustice League of America#124 (November 1975).The characterAmbush Bugin the DC Universe is technically the only canon character that is aware he's a character in a comic book and therefore he, and the rest of the DC Universe, only really exist on Earth Prime. He often addresses readers directly as he did in Ambush Bug #3 (1985) when he explained the most obscure parts of the universe.

Ultraa

Main article:Ultraa

The first superhero of Earth-Prime is Ultraa, introduced inJustice League of America#153.Like Superman, Ultraa was the sole survivor of a destroyed alien world, rocketed to Earth-Prime as a baby. After his first encounter with the Justice League, Ultraa decided Earth-Prime was not ready for superheroes and relocated to Earth-One. Post-Crisis on Infinite Earthsin 1985, when there was no longer an Earth-Prime or greater Multiverse, Ultraa was retconned into being from the planet Almerac, homeworld ofMaxima.

Superboy-Prime

Main article:Superboy-Prime

The second superhero (later turned super-villain) of this Earth is Superboy-Prime, revealed as the true Superman from which all the other Supermen originate. He first appeared inDC Comics Presents#87 (Nov. 1985). This Superboy's powers first manifested around the time of the passage of Halley's Comet in 1985.Just after manifesting his powers, Superboy-Prime met Earth-One's Superman. Very soon thereafter, Earth-Prime was destroyed inCrisis on Infinite Earths#10. Superboy-Prime escaped his universe's destruction and later joined Earth-Two's Superman, Earth-Two's Lois Lane-Kent and Earth-Three's Alexander Luthor in a "paradise dimension".

Superboy Prime also possesses powers far exceeding those of the modern "New-Earth" Superman (Kal-El).

In issue #6 of theInfinite Crisismini-series, a now anti-heroic Superboy-Prime convincedAlexander Luthorthat Earth-Prime was the ideal world and urged him to draw his inspiration for making a new Earth from Earth-Prime. Luthor began searching through the myriad Earths for Earth-Prime and, in a metatextual nod to Earth Prime's original status as the keystone Earth, looks directly at the readers and reaches out towards them to grab our reality.

In 2004, DC revisited the Earth-Prime concept in theminiseriesSuperman: Secret Identity.WriterKurt Busiekstates in the introduction to the collected volume of the series that the original appearance of Superboy-Prime was the inspiration for his graphic novel.

Legion of Super-Heroes

Main article:Legion of Super-Heroes (2004 team)

The 2008Final Crisistie-in seriesLegion of Three Worldsmakes various references to Earth-Prime during a time that Superboy-Prime is still looking to make his "Perfect Earth". He starts by rebuilding theLegion of Super-Villainsto fight Superman and the three versions of the Legion of Super-Heroes. During the battle, the 2004 team'sElement LadcreatesKryptonitethat unexpectedly affected Superboy-Prime; the Kryptonite of New Earth had previously had no effect onSuperman (Kal-L)and or Superboy-Prime duringInfinite Crisis.

At the end of the mini series, it's revealed thatEarth-Prime has been rebornand that Superboy-Prime was returned there. It was also revealed that the Threeboot Legion are from Earth-Prime's future. After the events ofFlashpointSuperboy-Prime was not seen again until Geoff John's "Shazam and the Seven Magic Lands". During that appearance the character is shown imprisoned in the Dungeon of Eternity, and when he is free he fights the Shazam family. As magic can still hurt Superboy-Prime, both Shazam and Black Adam quote "Shazam" which knocks out Superboy-Prime. It was mentioned that Superboy-Prime was handed over to the Justice League as the Shazam Family didn't know what else to do with him. The character would appear again, for perhaps the final time, in the pages ofDark Nights: Death Metal.

The Multiversity:Ultra Comicsand Earth-33

In September 2011,The New 52rebooted DC's continuity. In this new multiverse, Earth-33 is introduced inGrant Morrison'sThe Multiversityseries as the additional designation for Earth-Prime. This Earth continues the tradition of having minimal superhero activity – in this case, the minds of Earth-33's comic book readers have empowered a superhero namedUltra Comics.Ultra is the only metahuman on Earth-33, fighting the encroachment of the "Gentry" (the series' lead villains) by confining their presence on "our" world to the pages of an 'entrapment comic book' built around the title character.

Marvel Comics

In the fictional Marvel Universe, the 'Earth Prime' of that setting is designated by extradimensional cartographers as Earth-1218,where real-life readers buy Marvel Comics. On some occasions, various characters of the Marvel Universe, looking for their version of God, encounter 'real world' figures such asJack KirbyandStan Lee.Yet other characters (such asShe-HulkandDeadpool) are capable of breaking thefourth wall,addressing the readers directly. Still others, such as the Earth'sWatcher,Uatu,is possessed of the ability to seeallalternate Earths in the Marvel Universe setting at will, including the real one in which he and all other beings are nothing more than fictional characters (in some early issues ofWhat If?,the Watcher actually addressed the reader by showing them which issues of whichcomicsthe past exploits of a given character could be found in). Having a similar name, "Prime Earth" is the new designation of "Earth-616".

Sliders

Earth Prime, as used in the television showSliders,is the name of the alternate Earth where the four original sliders (Quinn Mallory, Wade Welles, Rembrandt Brown, and Maximillian Arturo) started their journey. This Earth was the same as ours until 1997 or 1998, when the Kromaggs slid onto Earth Prime and conquered it.

The Dark Tower

Much of the action in the last few books ofStephen King'sDark Towerseries takes place in "the keystone world", essentially the Earth Prime concept under a different name, complete with appearances by King himself as a character.

The Chronicles of Amber

Though not using the term "Earth Prime",Roger Zelazny'sThe Chronicles of Amberfantasy seriesfeatures a similar concept. In the Amber stories, Amber is the only true world; all others, including ourEarth,are but "shadows" of the tension between it and Chaos.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Main article:Turtles Forever

In theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesmade-for-TV film,Turtles Forever,Ch'rell(or2003 series's version ofThe Shredder), took thetechnodromefrom his1987 seriescounterpart andKrangand upgraded it with Utrom technology. He later decided to destroyTurtle-Primeto destroy themultiverse.He was stopped by the three teams of turtles from the Prime, 1987, and 2003 universes. Although the true "Earth Prime" of the movie would be that inhabited by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird in the closing shot, shown putting the finishing touches on the first issue of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book.

In other media

DC Entertainment

• In the DC animated featureJustice League: Crisis on Two Earths,the villainousOwlman's ultimate goal is to locate a universe that he designates as Earth Prime, the so-called "original" universe that all other universes stem from, and destroy it, thus leading to the destruction of all reality as well, due to believing that the existence of a multiverse meantnothing truly matters.Earth Prime is shown to be a desolate barren wasteland of a planet which has been ripped out of orbit, with ruins as far as the eye can see. It is unknown what exactly caused its desolation, though Owlman reasons thatmankind was destroyed by itself.
• In theArrowversecrossover "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Four",after theAnti-Monitordestroyed the original multiverse,The Spectreand the seven Paragons (Supergirl,The Flash,Lex Luthor,Batwoman,Ryan Choi,Sara Lance,andJ'onn J'onzz) merged elements from Earth-1 (Arrow,The Flash,Legends of Tomorrow,andBatwoman) with Earth-38 (Supergirl) and the unnamedBlack LightningEarth to create a composite universe known as Earth-Prime that is unknown to those from Earth-Prime, as part of a new multiverse. Only the Paragons themselves, as well as their allies and families, are aware of the previous reality.

Marvel Entertainment

• In the final episode ofSpider-Man: The Animated Series,after saving the multiverse fromSpider-Carnage,an evil version of himself from an alternate Earth,Spider-Manbriefly visits Earth Prime and meets his own creator,Stan Lee.