Anti-Monitor

"My curse. My destiny. My reason. It no longer matters. As you are now the witness, I am the destroyer."

- Anti-Monitor

The Anti-Monitor is a major villain in DC Comics and the chief antagonist of the 1985 miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths. He first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 (although he remained in shadow until Crisis on Infinite Earths #5), and was destroyed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, only to return after a long absence in Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special #1 (2007). In 2009, Anti-Monitor was ranked as IGN's 49th greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.

Origins
The Anti-Monitor is not only a dangerous enemy of the Green Lantern Corps, but he is an enemy of the entire Multiverse. Billions of years ago, on the planet Maltus, there existed a race of beings, blue-skinned and immortal. One of these beings, Krona, was a scientist obsessed with the origins of the universe, even though a taboo existed amongst the ancient Oans concerning the viewing of the origins of the universe.

Krona created a machine that allowed him to see into the moment of creation. Somehow, his experiment disrupted the process of creation, with terrible consequences. The exact consequences have been rewritten over the years; originally, it was the unleashing of evil itself in the universe; later, it was assumed to be the creation of the evil antimatter universe of Qward.

During the Crisis on Infinite Earths, it was also revealed to be the cause of the existence of all parallel universes in the Multiverse; several villains were sent back in time to stop him, but were defeated by Krona and the other Oans. In a final revision, it was established that it increased entropy in the universe, shortening its existence by a billion years. In any event, two beings were created on both the moon of Oa and the moon of Qward. On the moon of Oa, the being known as the Monitor was instantly aware of his counterpart, the Anti-Monitor (although his official name is the Monitor, and he is often addressed as such, the name Anti-Monitor is used to distinguish him from his heroic positive matter counterpart). By this time, the Anti-Monitor had quickly conquered Qward, as well as the rest of the Antimatter universe. In searching for other places to conquer, he also became aware of his counterpart. These two beings battled for a million years, unleashing great powers against each other, but to no avail. At the end of their stalemate, they rendered each other inert for nine billion years with a simultaneous attack.

In Final Crisis, it is revealed that, in the wake of the birth of the original Multiverse, an unfathomable being of limitless imagination, the Original Monitor, became aware of the life germinating in the budding Multiverse occupying the void space in which he resided, and which he encompassed. Curious about it, and wanting to interact and know better the lesser life forms birthed by the Multiverse, he fashioned a probe - a smaller Monitor. Unprepared to deal with the complexity of life and the passing of time, the probe-Monitor upon coming in contact with the Multiverse itself was instantly split into two symmetrical and opposite beings: the Monitor, embodying the positive matter and the goodness, and the Anti-Monitor, embodying the antimatter and evil.

Crisis On Infinite Earths
In more modern times, the being known as Pariah performed an experiment similar to the one Krona attempted long ago on a parallel earth. This experiment resulted in the reawakening of both the Monitor and the Anti-Monitor, and the destruction of Pariah's earth and his universe. Anti-Monitor rebuilt his army, taking over Qward and using the Thunderers as his own private army, as well as creating the Shadow Demons from the elite of the Thunderers.

Anti-Monitor then released a massive antimatter wave, absorbing the energies of the destroyed positive matter universes and growing stronger even as his counterpart grew weaker. Anti-Monitor also employed the second Psycho-Pirate, using his emotion control powers to terrorize the populations of the planets he sought to conquer and destroy. Monitor, along with his aide Harbinger, gathered a group of heroes and villains from various alternate universes in order to combat the threat of the Anti-Monitor.

After defeats from various heroes, including the Flash and Supergirl sacrificing themselves to destroy an antimatter cannon and to save Superman respectively, the Anti-Monitor absorbed the entirety of the antimatter universe and traveled to the beginning of time, intending to stop the formation of the positive matter multiverse and to create a multiverse where antimatter prevails. When the heroes followed him there, he began to drain the power from most of them. However, the actions of the Spectre, empowered by the sorcerers of the surviving Earths, brought the Anti-Monitor to a stalemate. Villains of said Earths, sent to stop Krona from viewing the origins of the universe, failed due to squabbling, allowing Krona to see the hands of the Anti-Monitor and the Spectre struggling for domination, which shattered the current multiverse.

From the ashes rose a new and singular universe. While various persons adjusted to the newly singular Earth (including those whose worlds and histories had been destroyed with the loss of the Multiverse), the Anti-Monitor was enraged and drew this new Earth into the antimatter universe, intending to destroy this last bastion of positive matter once and for all. What followed was the Shadow Demon War, wherein many heroes and villains lost their lives against the Anti-Monitor's forces. Finally, the combined efforts of various superheroes and villains, destroyed the Anti-Monitor by punching him into a star. The star went nova and caused antimatter waves to erupt, threatening to destroy the entire antimatter universe. Kal-L and Superboy-Prime were willing to resign themselves to their final fates, when Alexander Luthor, using his power to open dimensions, revealed that he had created a "paradise dimension", and he used it to prevent the Lois Lane Kent of Earth-Two from being erased from existence when the post-Crisis universe was formed, as he foresaw how events would unfold and refused to allow Superman to have to deal with such a terrible loss. Using his own body as a portal, Alexander Luthor, Kal-L, and Superboy-Prime went into the "paradise dimension" alongside Lois.

Infinite Crisis
Superman (and Lois Lane) of Earth-Two, Superboy of Earth-Prime, and Alexander Luthor, Jr. of Earth-Three, from their home in the hidden pocket universe, were revealed to be observing the events of the newly-formed universe, as well as the actions of its heroes. Upon observing the events leading up to Infinite Crisis, the heroes returned to the universe in an attempt to restore Earth-Two's existence, at the expense of Earth-One.

Anti-Monitor's remains were then used as part of a tuning fork, similar to the ones used during the first Crisis. This construct then created the vibrational frequency that Earth-Two was on prior to its nonexistence, which in turn recreated Earth-Two with no visible expense to Earth-One, save the movement of characters who originated on Earth-Two to the recreated Earth-Two. Alexander Luthor then recreated the other Earths with his tuning fork, with their respective heroes forcibly migrating to said Earths. Superboy-Prime then returned from the Speed Force wearing what appeared to be select elements of the Anti-Monitor's armor, using it as a yellow sunlight collector. How he obtained it is still unrevealed, although evidence suggests that he built it himself while he was imprisoned and it merely resembles the Anti-Monitor's armor, although whether by intention or coincidence is unconfirmed. Ultimately, the tower was destroyed when Kon-El, the modern Superboy, and Superboy-Prime crashed into it while fighting each other; Kon-El died in the arms of Wonder Girl as Superboy-Prime fled.

Legacy
Despite his extremely limited exposure (he only appeared in the Crisis on Infinite Earths mini-series, a single issue of Wonder Woman, and Flash #149-150), the Anti-Monitor was responsible for one of the most profound changes in the entire history of DC Comics, the DC Universe, and all of its parallel universes. The antimatter universe still exists, now with both Qward (said to be the counterpart of Oa) and an alternate Earth populated by counterparts of the positive matter heroes and villains (each taking the opposite role) known as Earth-2.

Perhaps the most notable impact the Anti-Monitor had on the post-Crisis universe was the elimination of the multiverse aspect of the DC Universe. Previously, there existed an infinite number of Earths, each one with a unique history, that could be accessed through various means, the most common being vibrational attunement. Post-Crisis, with the restart of the universe as one thanks to the machinations of the Anti-Monitor, a simpler, more streamlined DC Universe seemed imminent, with characters acquired from Charlton Comics, Fawcett Comics, and Quality Comics all becoming incorporated into the new DC Universe.

Sinestro Corps
It was revealed that the Anti-Monitor was reborn following the recreation of the Multiverse and that he had been fueling Sinestro's ideology since the return of Hal Jordan, acting as the Sinestro Corps' "Guardian of Fear". His body was rebuilt by the Manhunters, and in addition, he recruited Superboy-Prime, the Cyborg Superman, and Parallax, who was using Kyle Rayner as its host, along with Sinestro as his 'heralds'.

During the war between the Sinestro Corps and the Green Lantern Corps, the Anti-Monitor contacted Cyborg Superman to inquire about the status of New Warworld. The cosmic tyrant stated that he would soon abandon Qward and that he would kill Henshaw for his services, allowing him the peace that had for so long evaded the Cyborg. When the Lost Lanterns made their way to the antimatter universe to save Hal Jordan and the Ion power, they inadvertently stumbled upon the Anti-Monitor in a basement chamber of his stronghold on Qward. He was seemingly experimenting on or torturing the Ion entity previously inhabiting Kyle Rayner. He proceeded to kill Ke'Haan before the other Lanterns forced him back, taking the Ion entity from the planet and the antimatter universe. The Anti-Monitor pursued the Lanterns for a short while, long enough for Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, and the other Lanterns to learn of his return. Having this vital information, they then leave Qward.

Shortly after, the Sinestro Corps launched its attack on Earth. The Anti-Monitor traveled to the planet aboard New Warworld, and landed shortly thereafter, along with Sinestro. He was attacked by Sodam Yat and other members of the Green Lantern Corps, but the tyrant killed the two unnamed beings and severely injured the Daxamite Lantern.

The Anti-Monitor began to siphon the positive matter of New York City to create his traditional antimatter waves. However, he was attacked by the Guardians of the Universe, angry at being impotent during his first war. The Anti-Monitor was able to counter the vicious attack, permanently scarring the face of Scar. John Stewart and Guy Gardner brought down New Warworld, which, along with Yellow Central Power Battery, were detonated next to the Anti-Monitor, of which all were surrounded by a shield created by hundreds of Green Lanterns to contain the explosion; even this was not enough to kill him. Superboy-Prime, seeing an opportunity to defeat the now-weakened Anti-Monitor and thereafter pursue his own agenda as he had intended to do from the very start, finished the battle by flying through the Anti-Monitor's chest and then hurling his shattered body into space.

The Anti-Monitor's shriveled and glowing form crashed on an unknown planet. He was recognized by a dark voice that bade him rise. Too weak to resist or escape, a Black Power Battery formed around him. In Green Lantern issue 43 this was revealed to be the planet Ryut in sector 666, homeworld of Atrocitus - last of the Five Inversions and founder of the Red Lantern Corps. Recent events related to storylines in both the "Green Lantern" and "Final Crisis" titles make the strong implication that the Anti-Monitor's attack on the female Guardian now known as Scar exposed her to the power behind the Blackest Night; she is currently engaged in machinations in the very presence of the other Guardians, who thus far do not suspect her of any wrongdoing. Thus far, these machinations have led to her assigning Green Lanterns Ash and Saarek to the recovery of the remaining armor of the Anti-Monitor, and a deadly ambush of the Green Lanterns by the Sinestro Corps, whom she fed inside information on a prisoner transfer.

Blackest Night
Green Lanterns Ash and Saarek find the Black Central Power Battery and after touching the battery, Saarek reports that their presence has awoken something. The two lanterns try to escape just before two monstrous hands emerge from below them to the sound of the battery calling: "flesh." Both are killed off-panel.

The Guardian Scar also reveals that she had died long ago after the Anti-Monitor's attack, making her the Guardian of the Black Lantern Corps and through her death she made contact with the demon Nekron, who is the one that imprisoned him in the black battery as its power source. Despite possessing the Anti-Monitor's essence, it is unclear of why Nekron would need to send Scar to find the remains of his armor.

The Anti-Monitor will be appearing as a Black Lantern in Green Lantern Corps #46. However, once Dove of the Teen Titans is near the Black Central Power Battery, the Anti-Monitor is revived, telling Nekron to let him out. As the Lantern Corps make their way to Earth, Guy Gardner finds the Battery, and the Anti-Monitor as he is trying to break free. Despite having a Black Lantern Symbol, the Anti-Monitor is not truly under Nekron's control and is being used as a energy for the Black Lantern Corps. Ultimately, Dove, because of her connection to the White Light of Creation, is shot by Bevodian of the Sinestro Corps into the Anti-Monitor's eye. For the first time since the original Crisis, the Anti-Monitor is killed. However, the Battery pulls his corpse back into itself, despite the efforts of the Lantern Corps. After Black Hand is revived by the White Light, he coughs up a white ring and it passes through Nekron, and into the Black Central Power Battery, reviving the Anti-Monitor and destroying the battery, who attacks Nekron for his imprisonment. Nekron, however, banishes him back to the Antimatter Universe. After the end of the Blackest Night, the Anti-Monitor is back, waiting to make a move.

New 52
The Anti-Monitor's origin and history was changed for the New 52. In this continuity, The Anti-Monitor was originally a scientist named Mobius who was born on the planet Qward in the Anti-Matter Universe. Mobius was obsessed with learning the secret of his universe's creation and constructed a device called the Mobius Chair to help him achieve this goal. After ruthlessly murdering many people in his pursuit for the forbidden knowledge, Mobius eventually laid eyes upon the answer to his reality's existence, the Anti-Life Equation, which transformed him into the living embodiment of Anti-Life known as the Anti-Monitor.

Millennia later, the Anti-Monitor had drained all of the energy from Earth-3 before he met a woman named Grail, who claimed herself to be the daughter of Darkseid. She told Mobius that he could free himself from the Anti-Life Equation by killing her father, which would blur the line between mortals and Gods. With this knowledge, the Anti-Monitor planned to destroy Darkseid on Earth and end the age of the New Gods, replacing it with the age of the Anti-Gods.

Power-Level
Anti-Monitor was one of the most formidable foes ever faced by the heroes of the DC Universe (or Multiverse, as it was then and now). He is directly responsible for more deaths than any other known DC supervillain, having destroyed nearly all of an infinite number of universes. He was powerful enough to kill a distracted Supergirl almost effortlessly, though it could be suggested that when the universe "restarted", most of the deaths attributed to him, in effect, never happened. He consumed thousands of positive matter universes to increase his power, and was able to personally battle scores of the multiverse's strongest heroes simultaneously.

The Anti-Monitor was also responsible for the death of Barry Allen, the hero better known as The Flash. After capturing Barry because his ability to traverse the multiverse unaided made him a dangerous variable, the Anti-Monitor created an Antimatter cannon that would destroy the five remaining earths with a concentrated beam much faster than the wave of entropy he had originally unleashed. The cannon was destroyed by The Flash when he escaped and forced the energies of the weapon's power source into itself, causing it to explode and Barry to disintegrate.

In addition to possessing vast size (varying from several meters to hundreds of meters), superhuman strength, extraordinary durability (by the end of the Crisis series he was able to effortlessly withstand blows from Superman, and even surviving a blue star going supernova), the ability to project destructive bolts of energy, and greatly augmenting another beings' powers (as he did with Psycho-Pirate, whose powers were increased to levels too much for him to handle), the Anti-Monitor also possessed reality-warping abilities, which he displayed by removing Psycho-Pirate's face. The Anti-Monitor also commanded an army of Qwardians and shadow demons, and had access to highly advanced technology capable of shifting, merging, or destroying entire universes. By far, his most devastating power was the ability to absorb the energies of his surroundings into himself — he created antimatter and made it collapse with matter, turning the positive matter universes into energy and then absorbing them. In addition to devouring the energies of untold numbers of universes, he also absorbed the energy of "over one million worlds" in his own antimatter universe in order to gain the power to travel to the beginning of time, to attempt to stop the creation of the positive matter universe. When Earth's heroes followed him to the beginning of time, he then absorbed all of their power and energy; this made him strong enough to alter the creation of the universe until he was opposed by The Spectre, a being with powers equivalent to that of God. During his final battle in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, the Anti-Monitor maintained his power by "feeding on" a nearby star; and when his power was drained and he was reduced to a state of near death, he absorbed his own antimatter demons to rejuvenate himself.