First Appearance Of
The Flash #123 (1961). Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino. The 'Flash of Two Worlds' issue that introduced the multiverse framework.

1st Appearance

First Appearance of DC Multiverse

The Flash #123

September 1961 · DC · Silver Age

Gardner Fox's 1961 cosmological framework. The DC Multiverse is the structural concept of parallel Earths existing alongside each other, allowing multiple versions of the same heroes to coexist. The foundational organizing principle of DC's continuity for sixty-four years.

Key Issue

Created by Gardner Fox · Carmine Infantino

By Atomm Updated

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DC Comics Concept DC's parallel-Earth framework.

The DC Multiverse first appears in The Flash #123 (September 1961), Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino, the 'Flash of Two Worlds' issue. The framework lets DC's Golden Age heroes (Earth-Two) coexist with Silver Age heroes (Earth-One). Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985-1986) collapsed the multiverse; 52 (2007) restored it as a fifty-two-Earth structure. Grant Morrison's The Multiversity (2014) and The Multiversity Guidebook #1 (March 2015) formalized the post-Flashpoint multiverse cataloging with Earth-0 / Prime Earth as the primary universe. The multiverse has been one of DC's most-rebooted structural elements; the basic concept has held across all variations.

Firsts Timeline

  1. The Flash #123 cover
    First Appearance September 1961

    The Flash #123

    By Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino

    Gardner Fox writes; Carmine Infantino pencils. 'Flash of Two Worlds' is the foundational multiverse issue. Barry Allen vibrates between dimensions and meets Jay Garrick on Earth-Two; the framework gives DC publishing a structural mechanism for coexisting Golden Age and Silver Age heroes.

  2. Crisis on Infinite Earths Collapse April 1985

    Crisis on Infinite Earths #1

    By Marv Wolfman, George Pérez

    Marv Wolfman writes; George Pérez pencils. Crisis on Infinite Earths collapsed the multiverse into a single post-Crisis 'New Earth' continuity. The multiverse was effectively retired from 1986 to 2007.

  3. 52-Earth Multiverse Restoration May 2007

    52 Week #52

    By Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid, Keith Giffen

    Multiple writers. The 52 weekly series restored DC's multiverse as a fifty-two-Earth structure. The framework has been canonical in various forms since.

  4. Multiversity Codification October 2014

    The Multiversity #1

    By Grant Morrison, Ivan Reis

    Grant Morrison writes; Ivan Reis pencils. Morrison's Multiversity series formally cataloged the post-Flashpoint multiverse, including Earth-0 / Prime Earth as the primary universe.

What the multiverse is

Gardner Fox introduced the multiverse framework in The Flash #123 (September 1961). The ‘Flash of Two Worlds’ issue established that Barry Allen and Jay Garrick exist on parallel Earths, with Earth-One as Barry’s home and Earth-Two as Jay’s. The framework solved the continuity-rationalization problem of having two Flashes by treating them as inhabitants of separate but parallel realities.

The multiverse expanded across the 1960s and 1970s into a much larger structure. By the early 1980s, DC’s multiverse included Earth-One, Earth-Two, Earth-Three (the Crime Syndicate), Earth-S (Captain Marvel/Shazam), Earth-Four (Charlton Comics characters), Earth-X (Quality Comics characters), and various others. The 1985-1986 Crisis on Infinite Earths collapsed the multiverse into a single post-Crisis New Earth.

The multiverse was retired through 2007 and restored as a fifty-two-Earth structure in the 52 weekly series. Grant Morrison’s The Multiversity (2014-2015) formally cataloged the post-Flashpoint multiverse with Earth-0 / Prime Earth as the primary universe.

Collector context

The Flash #123 trades in the high four to low five figures at CGC 9.4 and above. The book is the foundational multiverse-framework issue. Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 (April 1985) is the second-tier collector key for multiverse continuity events.

Frequently asked questions

The questions readers and collectors ask most.

What is DC's multiverse first appearance?

The Flash #123 (September 1961), Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino. The 'Flash of Two Worlds' issue introduced the framework as Barry Allen vibrates into Earth-Two and meets Jay Garrick.

How many Earths are in DC's multiverse?

Currently fifty-two, codified in the post-2007 framework. The number of canonical Earths has varied across DC's editorial regimes (infinite pre-Crisis, single post-Crisis through 52, fifty-two from 2007 forward). Specific Earths: Earth-0 / Prime Earth is the primary universe; Earth-2 is the Golden Age universe; Earth-3 is the Crime Syndicate universe; etc.

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