Monitors (DC)
The Monitors are a powerful group of beings from DC Comics.
Contents |
History
Origin
According to the Book of Limbo, the primal origins of the Monitors race were traced to the time of creation itself when there was only a single Monitor. This was a being that was so immense that it was bigger than entire universes and thus beyond comprehension by even superpowered beings. It was an abstract intelligence and among the biggest lifeforms ever encountered that acted as a living conscious void. At that point, a flaw was discovered at the heart of Monitor perfection and a concept was created in order to contain this flaw. An examination later revealed that within this flaw were terrifying unforseen complexities and complications. Further magnification revealed a structure of infinissmal rippling manifolds that contained germ-like processes that thrived and multiplied. These were in fact the various universes within the muliverse that were growing inside the Monitor. As a result, a probe was sent that was designed to blend with its surroundings and investigate. It managed to make contact and lead to the Monitor discovering something it had never encountered before which was a chaotic mass of events within the flaw that consisted of stories of the lives as well as deaths of heroes along with villains. There existed no precedent for this encounter of stories and there was no understanding of how much damage they could cause to an immense awareness without any limits or definition. Lacking any defense, the Monitor was blinded and the probe split into two before withdrawing after which the flaw was sealed with divine metals. Though seemingly safe, the effects leads to the remains of that first contact leads to the Overmonitor being overwhelmed at the thought of a story which spread as if it were a contagion. This led to the emergence of a race of hyper-gods that were descended directly from the first immense unknowable Monitor. (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond v1 #1)
Among the greatest of their kind was Dax Novu who held a brilliant rebellious intellect that allowed him to map the Bleed where he brought its knowledge along with its riches to the Monitor-beings. However, he became corrupted by its power and thus showed the dark truth of his kind as being celestial parasites that fed on the multiverse where they fed on it dry and gave it a slow death. By showing them their true nature, the Monitors shunned Novu and locked him within the Pit of the Sepulchre of the Abyss. However, he entered into his exile, Novu of the Monitor beings forged a weapon of cosmic armor known as the thought-robot to be used against Mandrakk. This served as the dark secret of their kind in existence with this being a guilt held by them and they believed it to be their responsibility. (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond v1 #2)
52
The existence of the Monitors was traced to the first Multiverse where only two such beings existed that were known as the Monitor of the Positive Matter Universe and the Anti-Monitor who was formed from the Anti-Matter Universe. Both these beings were involved in a multiversal war that became known as the Crisis of the Infinite Earth's where both were killed.
Despite their death, Alexander Luthor worked to restore the original Multiverse through the use of a tower he had constructed. However, this was destroyed which activated a seed programming that created a Monitor for each of the 52 Earth's that were born in that time. As a result, a new race of 52 different Monitors were formed and worked to protect the Multiverse from corruption by working as a unified community. Each member was assigned their own world and only differed slightly in appearance.
In the Earth-48 reality, the Monitors were responsible for cultivating the existence of the Forerunners. This reality consisted of the Nine Houses that populated the worlds of the Sol system that warred with one another as part of a combat treaty on a devastated Earth. The survivors of these skirmishes later interbred and led to the emergence of a new hybrid race called the Forerunners. Initially, the Nine Houses intended to eliminate the Forerunners but were stopped by the Monitors who took them under their care and intended to use them as their agents. Unknown to the Forerunners, their genetic makeup prevent any member of their race from harming a Monitor though they willingly provided their best to serve their masters in their goals of policing the Multiverse.
Final Crisis
At some point Zillo Valla began collecting various incarnations of Superman from throughout the universe in order to deal with the threat of Mandrakk. Among these included Superman, Captain Marvel, Ultraman, Overman and Allen Adams from their respective Earth's where she promised them their hearts desire. (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond v1 #1)
Ultimately, the existence of the Monitors ended during the events of the Final Crisis when Superman used the Miracle Machine. This act restored the Multiverse to a state before the interference of Darkseid. In the aftermath Nix Uotan returned to his kind where he provided his report on his findings. By this point, the damage to the Orrery of Worlds caused by Darkseid's fall was under repair and the Monitors began to consider replacements for their fallen members. Uotan reported that it was the germ-creatures that had re-established the Orrery, also known as the Multiverse, to symmetry and noted their accomplishments. As such, he advised immediate withdrawal of all Monitors and an end to their exploitations of the Multiverse. Though the Multiverse was restored, some such as Monitor Tahoteh believed that their story was toxic and needed to be ended though others instead ignored his words with them instead seeking to reinstate Nix Uotan. However, Uotan condemned his fellow Monitors and stated that the Multiverse deserved to be free from their kind's interference. Thus, afterwards, the entirety of the Monitors race simply disappeared as a result of Superman's wish of a happy ending. Though all the Monitors faded from existence, Nix Uotan was returned to Earth in his Human form thus he became the last of their kind. (Final Crisis v1 #7)
Overview
Their nature on feeding on the multiverse meant that the Monitors acted as vampire gods. (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond v1 #2)
Once the 52 universes were formed, each of the Monitors created were all identical in appearance. However, it was believed that the events following their creation led to each evolving as well as acquiring increasingly divergent identities, physicality and disposition.
As a collective group, the Monitors had a vast range of resources available at their disposal. This ranged from individual agents of destruction such as the Dark Angel or Viza'Aziv who were dispatched to eliminate anomalies in the Multiverse. Their greatest weapon was the capacity to control the hordes of Shadow Demons which they were able to use to obliterate an entire reality if such a need arose.
The Monitors of Nil were considered masters of the overvoid. (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond v1 #1) The circle of Monitors were responsible for the placement of each of their kind on target universes and was able to either exile a member or reinstate them. (Final Crisis v1 #7) They had knowledge of both anti-life and the Bleed but the formers true understanding was still elusive to them whilst the latter bedeviled them as they did not know when intrusions from it would appear. (Countdown v1 #39) In their culture, it was given a different name amongst their kind as they called it Ultramenstruum which they did consider the Bleed to be a universal medicine and the secret substance of life itself. A single drop of it was akin to holding ultimate power either for healing or annihilation. However, it was incapable of being touched, held or bottled by anyone except the Monitors. (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond v1 #1)
The Monitors observed the multiverse from a multiversal nexus that was in a unique adjunct within the timestream which existed everywhere and everywhere at once. It acted as the hub of a wheel from which their kind could observe all of the multiverse except for the Bleed. (Countdown v1 #39) They also had 5555 different words for nothing. (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond v1 #2) Their classification system involved giving each universe a number and its own coordinates. (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond v1 #1) The inhabitants of the multiverse were seen as germs by the Monitors themselves and the planets they inhabit as the germ-worlds. (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond v1 #2)
Their advanced technology allowed individual Monitors to craft items such as a chrono paralyzer that was able to freeze time in select locations yet leave its wearer and those they deigned to be immune to its effects. Its power allowed it to effect a single world in the Multiverse whilst the rest remained unaffected. (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond v1 #1) They were also able to create Sprites that served as an artificial intelligence for their machine constructs. The greatest creation was that of Dax Novu who forged a thought-robot capable of instantly adapting to counter any future threat. This sentinel-suit was designed with the singular purpose of protecting all of existence against the ultimate enemy. (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond v1 #2)
They held a variety of vessels at their disposal which included Carriers, Destroyers, Tankers and Explorers. Though from humanoid's perspective, these were all considered aspects of Monitor nanotechnology. (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond v1 #1) These craft operated and were powered by the Bleed which was considered life itself. (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond v1 #2) A spacecraft of their kind was capable of moving through Bleedstorm space and between universes with only fourth dimensional vision comprehending the travel. Their vessels capabilities allowed them to even cast an overshadow onto a designate universe from the outside. The personal transport of a Monitor such as the "Ultima Thule" held an artificial intelligence with it holding 10 yottabytes of data on multiversal navigation alone. The glowing power that allowed these vessels to move through the overvoid was a Monitors own heart. Thus, a damaged vessel held only one way of replenishing its reserves which was by tapping into its Monitor. (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond v1 #1) Destroyers were capable of being dispatched to sterilize target universes and were able to evolve on their carapace reality blitzing missiles that were able to make entire races of living beings extinct. (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond v1 #2) One noted Destroyer was known as the "Echo of Midnight" and were massive compared to a Carrier with them being 70 miles long. At high speeds, an impact by them onto a planet was capable of splitting the core and mantle with the resultant act eliminating 98% of terrestrial life. (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond v1 #1)
Members
- Monitor
- Tahoteh : he came to believe that his peoples story had become toxic to the Multiverse and needed to end though others such as Hermuz dismissed him as being senile. (Final Crisis v1 #7)
- Bob
- Solomon
- Rox Ogama
- Zip Hermuz
- Weeja Dell
- Zillo Valla : female Monitor who was the lover of Dax Novu and later brought a number of Supermen of the Multiverse in order to defeat Novu after he became Mandrakk. She spoke out against him and in his anger he lashed out where he accidently killed her. (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond v1 #1-2)
- Dax Novu : male Monitor known as the Radiant One and the first son of the Monitor who was considered the bravest of the science gods. He held a brilliant yet rebellious intellect that probed the flaw in the Multiverse and had mapped its horrors as well as brought both the knowledge along with the riches of the Bleed to his kind. Novu eventually became an outcast amongst this brethren by being the dark Monitor known as Mandrakk. (Final Crisis: Superman Beyond v1 #1)
- Nix Uotan : He became the last of the Monitors after his kind faded from existence. (Final Crisis v1 #7)
- Mandrakk
Other versions
Smallville
Within Smallville Season 11, the Monitors were shown to be destroying alternate Earth's one by one and some of their kind held the view that they needed to hide the existence of the Multiverse to the inhabitants of these worlds. The destruction of the world's was following a set agenda though one Monitor by the name of Ray-Lan believed in accelerating this plan though this was a decision not approved by his superiors. One of them were responsible for the destruction of Earth-2 with one of their kind following that planet's only survivor Chloe Sullivan to Earth. She attempted to meet her counterpart but her body was riddled with the Bleed that was the Anti-Matter of the Multiverse causing the two to be repelled by one another. The Monitor managed to track her down and ultimately killed her where he revealed that Earth itself would be destroyed. Following that point, the body of a Monitor known as Ray-Lan fell from the sky in Russia several months later where the unconscious being was taken for kept locked away by the government. The Monitor was later imprisoned when Lex Luthor uncovered his existence and where Ray-Lan revealed his name who offered to remove the gaps in his memory. Superman later arrived at the facility that was being defended by Rocket Red's when Ray-Lan managed to free himself. The Monitor proceeded in killing the soldiers when he encountered Luthor who asked Ray-Lan why he was killing people to which he responded that if Lex did not understand then he did not deserve to live. It was only the timely arrival of Superman who managed to wound the Monitor with Ray-Lan escaping though he managed to wound Kal-El as well. He later returned to his space ship at Chernobyl where he was once more confronted by Clark Kent and Lex Luthor where he revealed his intention to destroy the planet as it had outlived its usefulness. On board the ship, he managed to knock Clark Kent outside the vessel whereupon Ray-Lan proceeded to drown Luthor. However, Superman arrived where he destroyed the Monitor's arm cannon and proceeds to destroy his vessel. At some point in the battle, Ray-Lan was killed by some falling debris where secretly Luthor stole a communication device. A regretful apologized for not saving his foe and closed his eyes whereupon the body of the Monitor was studied by Dr. Emil Hamilton who performed an autopsy on it. Agent Diana Prince of the DEO managed to determine a piece of the Monitor's equipment was missing and at that time Lex Luthor amplified the taken communication device in order to send a signal into the Multiverse.
Infinite Crisis
During the events of Infinite Crisis: Fight for the Multiverse, its said that the Monitors were a race of beings native to the world of Nil that resided outside all realities in the Overvoid. Their existence came following the creation of the Multiverse and the Bleed where they watched the infinite Earth's and sought to protect the infinite strands of creation. It was claimed that they were a people that cared little about the existence of the inhabitants of these universes and more for the preservation of their grand order. Such was their existence until one of their kind turned against the others and became the Anti-Monitor. A Crisis emerged as a result whereby many universes were destroyed but the Anti-Monitor was defeated but at the cost of almost the entire Monitor race. From this Crisis, there existed only 52 universes left in the Multiverse that were kept in perfect balance. The only survivor of their race was Nix Uotan who detected a new Crisis emerging from an unknown menace who made use of corrupted Monitor technology and struck at Earth-48. Nix Uotan returned to his peoples homeworld in order to reactivate the machinery to help contain the damage from the Crisis. As a result, he began to seek out champion's and even villains to help combat this menace from across the Multiverse. These individuals would be charged with recovering artifacts from across the many Earth's that were being taken by the mysterious enemy to aid in their assault. Among his agents was a human female from Earth-48 who went by the name of Harbinger.
In this reality, the Monitors had access to energy constructs that were able to record messages and transmit communiques across the Multiverse. They also forged orbs that glowed with light and served as a guide across the alternate universes as well as serve as a communicator with the Monitors. On their homeworld of Nil, there were spatial engines that could be used to help prevent large scale universal breaches that would damage the Multiverse.
Notes
- According to Grant Morrison, each of the Monitors are named after the writer gods from different cultures. Uotan is named after Odin, Ogama on Ogma from Celtic gods, Hermuz after Hermes of the Greek pantheon and Tahoteh on Thoth of the Egyptian gods whilst Novu was after Nabu from Babylonian myth. The female names of Weeja Dell and Zillo Valla were inspired from Shalla-Bal from Stan Lee's Silver Surfer.[1]
- In the Smallville Season 11 comics, a Monitor known as Ray-Lan was introduced who was responsible for destroying Earth-2 and eliminating anyone that learns of the Crisis leading to a confrontation with Superman.
Appearances
- Countdown v1 #39
- Final Crisis: Superman Beyond v1 #1-2
External Link
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