DC’s Earth Paradox: What’s Behind Its Origin?

Welcome to Comic Theory, where the details of comics are nitpicked and overanalyzed to create crazy theories. Well maybe not in this case. See this theory may actually bring up a point that can shed a positive white light.

In Green Lanterns #27 by Sam Humphries, Earth was revealed to have once been in the center of the universe. Life is flourishing due to the developing Life Entity; a primordial being that is the source of all life in the DC comic book universe. Which brings up a lot of other questions. If Earth is the planet that had life first; why are there no sentient life forms on it like on early Krypton, Mars, or Tamaran? Why did Tamaranians and Martians evolve while Kryptonians continue to look like humans; and display the same powers as modern ones? But now for the most important question. Why is the Earth at that time so different from the modern day Earth of the current DC year?

As the comic points out; the Earth of DC is at least 10 billion years old. On our Earth (and its twin Earth 33) on the other hand, the planet is 4.5 billion years old. As for being the center of the universe that’s more of a point of view.

Okay now I know what you’re thinking. ‘Frackadactyl, it’s a comic book; Some things are supposed to not make sense by real world standards’. Well if you haven’t read the above details about shoving fantasies away; then “shame on you!” for thinking we’re going with suspension of disbelief. Also sorry for those of you thinking that the paradox we’re referring to you has any relationship to time travel.

Meaning no, the theory isn’t that Green Lanterns Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz cause a paradox. Or any other character’s actions for that matter like Superman or any Flash. Maybe a certain glowing blue guy did that though.

The theory is that at some point, the early Earth split apart at different points in its lifetime. In the Green Lanterns comics, early Earth is composed of fauna and flora that seem to have mixed different species together by modern looks. Winged bird-headed gorillas, lava whales, and plants that feature flowers on stems it shouldn’t. Now I’m no biologist, but evolution is supposed to make work over generations of attempts and adaptations.

Also we can’t really compare this to anything on our Earth. This would mean that life sprung up from bacteria around 4 billion years prior to with the birth of the Life Entity. It took at least 5 million years just for humans to split up from chimps and even longer for chimps to form after several mass extinction events!

In any case looking at the wildlife won’t provide why our modern Earth is younger than DC’s. Now knowing Earth’s age is actually a best guess based on radiometric dating. Radiometric dating involves looking at materials like rocks and carbon to find radioactive impurities. Earth found out its age from studying a meteorite from Canyon Diablo. The meteorite was calculated with the presence of uranium decay detected from billions of years. Now uranium has a very long half-life, with four billion years worth of radiation. The presence of radiation means it continues to be exposed for years to come.

The same method was used to measure the Moon’s age; which as it turns out is slightly younger than Earth by .01 billion years. Astrophysicists theorize that the Moon may have formed from bits broken off from Earth and formed a natural satellite. So while being made from the same stuff that was Earth, the materials essentially hit a reset button in terms of age.

Now for where the theory really starts to rev up. According to the Multiversity series by Grant Morrison; there are always opposites and parallels to balance things out in the DC multiverse. Meaning that rather than looking for a Planet X in the DC universe; an event might have happened that caused Prime Earth to split into two with each having a reality on parallel. That’s why the species on Earth no longer exhibit the same exact characteristics as they did in the past. Also because of the split; Earth scientists like Lex Luthor can only go the route of known physics with the age of 4.5 billion years.

So what exactly is Prime Earth’s opposite? Well if the map of the multiverse is anything to go by; it’s Earth 33 aka Earth Prime aka our Earth. Unlike DC’s main Earth; this one lacks superheroes, gods, magic, and hyper advanced technology. Since it’s bound to the laws of physics, only ideas can penetrate its barrier. Hence the existence of its only superhero is in the form of a living comic book called Ultra Comics. Also every mind on this Earth shapes the course of creation since the makers and audience shape the DC multiverse; and Prime Earth is the focal point of this. These two worlds are cut from the same cloth and influence each other because of all these ideas.

But as always, nothing can be confirmed until somebody says so. Thanks for coming to the end; like, share, comment, and remember to look between the panels.