Converse Convergence Finale Part 2 Of 2: Week 8 Of DC Comics’ 2015 2-Month Event Reviewed In Full! Spoilers! Time To Recreate!!

Columns, Reviews, Top Story

Welcome back to my 9-part column called Converse Convergence where I assess each week of DC’s 2015 2-month event. We’re now onto Week 8! The final week!

For part 1 of this finale, and its review of all of the Convergence minus Booster Gold, check this out. This finale part 2 will cover Convergence #8 and Convergence: Booster Gold #2.

In addition to yesterday’s and today’s 2-part finale, if you’re interested in the rest of my Convergence catalogue, check out the below:

    For my review of CONVERGENCE #1 proper, click here.
    For CONVERSE CONVERGENCE (CC) #1, click here.
    For CONVERGENCE #2 proper, click here.
    Carrying on with CC #2, click here.
    Followed by CC #3, click here.
    Continuing with CC #4, click here.
    Picking up steam with CC #5, click here.
    Revving it for CC #6, click here.
    Going really in-depth with CC #7, click here.

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Week eight! It is time to recreate!!! Do tell!! Parallax may have killed Deimos but he’s not exactly to be trusted. Let me re-phrase that: he’s completely off his rocker! It’s up to another baddie sitting on the sidelines to step up to the plate. Again?!? Heroics seems to be squat in this situation. That being said, DC dropped the mic big time!! I won’t spoil just yet but this mini-series served its purpose.

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CONVERGENCE #8 (of 8)
“Last Stand” (38 pages) by Jeff King & Scott Lobdell; Stephen Segovia, Carlo Pagulayan, Eduardo Pansica, Ethan Van Sciver; Jason Paz, Scott Hanna, Trevor Scott, Stephen Segovia, Ethan Van Sciver; Aspen/MLT’s John Starr w/ Peter Steigerwald; Travis Lanham

Parallax tore the universal forces of nature asunder when he slew Deimos. Long story short, the multiverse is at risk of collapsing! Telos puts the power-crazed Hal Jordan under wraps. It is beyond wise not to trust him. Not all hope is lost since Telos senses heroes with time-traveling abilities that can assist. Both Jay Garricks sense the planet’s vibrational frequency. Telos mentions that the countdown to extinction is under way. The trio of Booster Gold, Goldstar, and Waverider appear. The temporal energy emanating from the planet is too great even for the three of them. Waverider does not see any future, thus one can be constructed. He summons forth Brainiac!!

CONVERGENCE #8 pp. 6-7

The heroes are in an uproar. As soon as the bubble opens, they launch an assault. Brainy threatens to easily destroy them all. Superman retorts that if that course of action is taken then he is also erased from reality. Brainiac is experiencing identity amnesia, just like his apprentice Telos. He has forgotten his true purpose. He then recalls a name: Colu. Telos implores his former master to stabilize the planet. Brainiac acknowledges his failures, states his importance in the mission, and emphasizes that he wasn’t always rotten.

Brainiac gives a brief version of his origin. He hailed from the planet Colu. Collecting knowledge changed him drastically. After he came out unscathed from Flashpoint, he became obsessed. He peered into the multiverse and saw various realities with him in them. He wanted to evolve like the Monitors but things went seriously awry. Due to other’s impulsiveness and manipulation, he was re-formed in the New 52. His body now wracked with cancer from temporal radiation, he wants to return to his former husk. He also needs aid. Dick Grayson is outraged but Telos stresses that he needs to show compassion.

In the Prime Earth universe, Superman and Supergirl brace for impact as they witness Telos’ planet cracking. Brainiac has tapped into Telos (the planet) and will fine tune the temporal energies. EVERY SINGLE INDIVIDUAL will be sent back to their proper space and time. The Earth 2 heroes are homeless. Brainiac asks them to choose a universe and their wish will be granted. Grayson isn’t satisfied. If things are to be reset, it has to be his world proper before having lost his son. Brainiac might appear to be altruistic but in fact is self-persevering. It’s an egotistical but practical method to survive. The time-laced energies should eradicate the radiation and heal him.

CONVERGENCE #8 pp. 16-17

A hurdle presents itself. Brainiac can’t just make it so. It is the First Crisis :0 Supergirl and Flash from Prime Earth must ‘relive’ the cosmic event. They know of their fates and embrace them like the selfless super-heroes they are. Flash is willing to experience his death once again.

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Superman from pre-Flashpoint offers to tag along. Parallax also volunteers. He wants to be redeemed any which way. Superman is adamant in going but wants his wife and son to be safely removed. Val-Zod tells Supes that it is a fool’s errand and that he should stick with his family. Lois, ever the feisty one, refuses his request. She and baby John are a close-knit unit. It’s all of them or no one. The objective is a simple one: ensure that the multiverse remains intact. Off they go!!

Success!! The next four pages are two-page spreads of the many Earths that have been spared and brought back to prominence!!

CONVERGENCE #8 pp. 24-25

• pp. 24-25 – The Trinity is rightly placed in the middle :-) [top row] pre-Zero Hour, Earth-18 (Justice Riders); [middle row, left] Earth-11 (Justice Guild), [centre] Earth-0 (New 52), [middle row, right] Earth-31 (Flying Fox, pirates); [bottom row] Earth-32 (Elseworlds), Earth-29 (Bizarroworld)

CONVERGENCE #8 pp. 26-27

• pp. 26-27 – [top row] Earth-3 (Crime Syndicate), Earth-4 (Pax Americana); [middle row, left] Earth-26 (Zoo Crew), [prominent] Earth-2 (parallel of Earth-0), [middle row, right] Earth-10 (Freedom Fighters); [bottom row] Earth-33 (Ultra Comics), Earth-17 (Atomic Knights of Justice), Earth-51 (Kamandi, biOMAC)

All the timelines have been restored. Brainy makes a hasty retreat to his place of origin: Earth-0. All traces of his handiwork must be erased so that no one entity can feed off the chronal matter. The survivors of Earth-2 are still up a creek. They haven’t chosen a universe!! Brainy bids adieu by stating that he’s collected knowledge of all that has passed and that is plenty sufficient.

CONVERGENCE #8 pp. 28-29

Green Lantern manages to preserve their existence! Gasp!! He tapped into the planet’s core and extended his and his teammates’ lifespans.

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Just like Eden, the sudden barren wasteland becomes lush with life. Jay senses the planet’s vibes and informs them that not only are they firmly on a nascent world but it’s been transported to their actual universe!!!

CONVERGENCE #8 pp. 34-35

Telos is to thank for that. He is finally free of his calculated captor. He also regains knowledge of his true name and will begin searching for his loved ones. Telos tells Alan that he is able to locate the kin of the team before this major event transpired. Alan informs Dick that his ring heard a distress signal. He fires off an emerald beam. It reaches the shuttle where Dick’s son is in. He didn’t die!! The light tells them to follow it as there is a New Earth 2 to start from scratch. Superman and Supergirl from Earth-0 didn’t cease to exist after all. They see the green flash where Telos was once located. Kal has a feeling that they’ll cross paths with it in the near future!

CONVERGENCE #8 pp. 38

There you have it! After some cryptic remarks from Dan Didio, the bottom line is this — the Crisis on Infinite Earths has been rewritten since Parallax as well as Superman, Lois, and Jon Kent also ventured to that event. What does this now mean for the DCU?? It means that all those previous Earths remain in reality (as well as memory) and are fountains for innovative storylines.

In other words, to quote Mr. Didio: “Story will trump continuity.” He also goes on to say that: “I think one of the things we talk about is this need to catalog or number every world. Or understand where they sit next to each other, and that’s something that people push for more these days. But what we do is, if there’s an important story to tell with our characters that can’t be told in the normal confines of the way people perceive them right now, then we want to be able to give our writers and artists as much freedom as possible to tell those different interpretations.”

Let’s not forget Mr. King’s contributions. He confirms the following: “In the wake of CONVERGENCE, the original infinite Multiverse has been restored due to the heroes’ revision of CRISIS on INFINITE EARTHS, possibly with other incarnations of the Multiverse in existence as well.”

This change is so ‘upsetting’ that several debates have sparked online and harsh words have been thrown around. My thanks to two anonymous posters who really laid down the terms and appeased several irate readers. Since they do not identify themselves on the forum, I cannot give them proper credit.

• “Think Multiverse with a dash of Hypertime thrown in. All of the realities and status quos that don’t exactly fit into one of the 52 Earths are either precursors or deviations of the main Earths. Basically, 52 Earths, plus accessories. Tell whatever story you want. F*** continuity unless it helps, because everything can be canon if it’s fun.”
[The third sentence really sums it up. The fifth is a little blunt but it’s a free country ;-)]

• “Until further notice, it’s a single Multiverse with 52 Universes, each possessing an infinite number of timelines. Think of it in arboreal terms. The Multiverse is a forest, the Universes are trees, and the timelines are tree branches. Each tree branch stems from their specific tree, and generally do not directly cross over into neighboring trees or tree branches, save for when housing developments plan to buy the land and gentrify the area into subdivisions and suburbs.”
[The arboreal analogy really enlightened me, TBH]

One-liners: Dawnstar, Robin (Damian Wayne), John Stewart, Wonder Woman, Goldstar

Is there a doctor in the house??? Why, yes. There just so happens to be one! Dr. Fate!! It is who determines the nature of the tremors.

Show-stopper(s): Booster Gold and Waverider. Let’s be honest here. Waverider all the way!!

From bad to worse: Deimos, Parallax, Brainiac. Notice the progression here?

Sympathy for the devil? Do you believe Brainiac to have any remorse and regrets?

Temporal Mechanics: Ready to have your head pounding and see spots? Here we go!!

1. The planet Telos exists outside of the Multiverse. Its very existence threatens to destroy itself. In other words, it doesn’t belong where it is!
2. “This convergence of worlds has become a proverbial bullet that will shatter the multiverse.” – Dr. Fate
3. Telos trumps Parallax as a parent who takes a child’s toy away: “…and what? Another Zero-Hour level event? No. No more reality bending from you.”
4. Waverider is taking a huge gamble in having Brainiac as the catalyst for the new future.
5. “I was caught in a storm caused by a boy.” Brainy is referring to INFINITE CRISIS.
6. “And lost in a tear in reality created by a monster.” ???
7. “I re-emerged in a new reality, transformed […]” – The New 52!
8. “The First Crisis. It’s too strong. If it is not changed, the Multiverse will once again collapse into one universe.” This proves that not even a supposed deity can alter reality.
9. “I will send you back to the First Crisis. You must prevent the collapse of the Multiverse. Then everything will reset and return to what it was before I brought you all here.” Flash and Supergirl make the ultimate sacrifice.
10. “Reality is resetting. Stabilizing. Each world has evolved, but they all still exist.” Brainy’s gambit paid off. Reacquaint yourselves with those multiple Earths!

The Creation of Adam?
Is this who Telos really is? The First Man to walk the Earth?? Notice that iconic depiction of the grand gesture. (page 13, panels 7 & 8) [Read the Bible and inform yourself about Michelangelo!]

CONVERGENCE #8 pg. 13

Time will tell: We all know there’s no way in hell the Time Masters/Travelers are dead-and-gone.

Don’t leave us hanging! (a) Telos knows what he actually goes by. We’re happy for him but it’d sure be nice to be privy to that info. (b) Who is that one still unidentified time traveler from issue #4?

Major re-do: New Earth 2, recreated by GL’s power and Telos’ transportation.

Hits: 7.5/10

Thank you times a million to Grant Morrison and his MULTIVERSITY GUIDEBOOK!

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CONVERGENCE: BOOSTER GOLD #2 (of 2)
“Ride the Wave, pt. 2” (22 pages) by Dan Jurgens, Álvaro Martinez, Raul Fernandez, Chris Sotomayor & Sotocolor, Corey Breen

WARNING!! Do not tamper with temporal energies. WARNING!! Do not attempt to change pre-determined events. WARNING!! Do not diverge the timelines. As with last month’s first issue, this is THE BOOK to read over with a fine tooth comb! Add a magnifying glass for good measure. Take two Advil and call me in the morning.

Michael Jon Carter is in shock that his BFF Ted Kord is alive and more than well. Beetle inquires about Booster’s costume change and older mien. BG posits that he is in Metropolis pre-Zero Hour. BB has no clue what that means. Mention of Max Lord makes Gold revisit the unspeakable travesty done to Blue. He tells Ted to never trust Max. Booster begins to collapse. Beetle wants to have him hospitalized but modern medical science can’t save him. Ted drops a STAR TREK reference when he realizes BG is ageing due to unseen forces. Michael tells Ted that he is from a different future. Ted doesn’t care about that. He wants to take care of his bud. He’s determined to keep the Blue and Gold tight-knit!!

Goldstar encounters Rip Hunter and her brother Booster Gold (another version, duh!) Face off with the Legion of Super-Heroes is imminent. Booster mocks his potential adversaries by making up names. Skeets provides unintentional comic relief correcting his master in regards to the mismatched monikers. Brainy notices Booster wearing a Legion flight ring. This sets off Colossal Boy who thinks the trio are their captors. Rip tells him to desist and causes a minor distraction. The major threat is Superboy who has regained his powers. The Legion sense that the three know more than they’re letting on. Rip Hunter teleports his fam forty-five minutes into the future.

Michelle is worried about her brother (the current Booster’s older self). He is gravely ill. Skeets has located their absent associate due to his unique chronal signature. Ted has Michael hooked up to his tech. He pokes around wanting to know about his future. Michael remains tight-lipped. The situation is worsening. Ted’s tech isn’t advanced enough to help his pal. Michael spills the beans: simply put he’s dying of chronal radiation due to perpetual trips through time. Rip, Michelle, and the younger Booster materialize just outside Kord Industries. Rip knows what may come but he dares not divulge.

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Rip is devastated to see that his dad is barely a shell of a man. The ageing is accelerating. He wants to take his father to Vanishing Point but Michael points out that it is not meant to be used for personal gain and that he’s proud of his son. Rip orders young Booster to transport him there. He is hesitant and is unsure of Rip’s authorized access. Rip snaps at him when he brings up how Booster blurted the location to Brainiac. Booster has to redeem himself for having the time travelers imprisoned. Time jump activated!

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Ted tags along. Michael’s time is almost at an end. Rip mentions a secret vault in which young Booster was not made aware. The vault contains a chronal field. Its energy should rejuvenate and/or revitalize Michael. It is of such intensity that no human can survive it but Booster’s force field should do the trick. Into the breach they go. The radiation within Michael’s body is chaotic in nature. The field should expunge it and transform him. Rip’s father resurfaces as an alternate version of Waverider!! He begins to zap away. Ted, Booster, Rip and Michelle are all returned to their proper timelines. No hugs, no questions answered, no goodbyes.

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It doesn’t end there. To be continued in CONVERGENCE #8. Super spoiler: Waverider has a brief guest spot but does something major that affects the outcome of the entire DC mythos!!!

Me, myself and…I’m not quite the Booster you think I am. Let’s just say I’m from out of town.” (p. 3) – Michael to Ted
Your older self…” “An older, different me from a different universe.” “…disappeared.” (p. 10) – Michelle to Booster
I’ve left pieces of me throughout time. Different universes included.” (p. 12) – Michael to Ted
Kord? The kid inventor?” “A young inventor in your universe, Booster. In my father’s…well, he and Ted were the best of friends.” (p. 13) – Booster and Rip
If that’s his son, who are you?” “Booster Gold. Same name. Different zip code. Way different. With a very different Blue Beetle, I might add.” (p. 14) – Ted and Booster
Trying to save another version of yourself is really kinda weird, you know.” (p. 18) – Booster to Skeets as he lays Michael in the chronal field.

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Pointy barbs: The more youthful Booster is quite the whippersnapper! He mocks the Legion to no end! — Cosplay Superman, Sunshine, Star Boy [lucky guess], Twinkle Lass, Feather Girl, Big Shoe-Size Boy, Blackout Girl.

Wires crossed:That’s really Superman when he was a boy?” “Superboy.” – Booster to Rip

Prankster’s got nothing on these two: BB and BG bought every bag of Oreos to wean Martian Manhunter’s addiction.

Proud parentage: Skeets calls Michael “my father”. AAAWWW, even robots can feel.

Hang ten!Waverider. He can ride Time’s flow.”

The worst is yet to come! Waverider might as well be Harbinger with his portents of doom. “A planet-sized chunk of antimatter will break through and set off an explosion that ends life throughout the Multiverse.” As if that weren’t enough, “We are in Crisis. And I must do what’s necessary as only I can. Time is of the essence.”

Greatest Hero no one knew: This is a tie. (1) The obvious would be Booster Gold. Rip Hunter’s father is now Waverider. (2) This one might fly under your radar: Rip Hunter! His true name will remain unknown to everyone for his protection and that of his mother’s.

Greatest Hero people may know: Booster Gold 2.0 has vast potential. “You are from the newest of timelines. One that will endure, provided you fulfill your destiny. Your role will be key, filled with knowledge and insight that few others will ever come to know. Use that responsibility well.”

I will admit this: I know of Waverider but never expected an altered incarnation to turn up, especially one that was the former Booster Gold. My mouth was agape :0 He’s looking real sick slick and sleek!!

Hits: 9.5/10

—Sweet treat— DIVERGENCE: EARTH 2-SOCIETY [8 pages]

Comic book junkie, now blogger/reviewer. Trilinguist. Educator of many. Complex individual with simple insights.