''Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths'' is a 2010 American

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...

superhero film A superhero film (or superhero movie) is a film that focuses on the actions of superheroes. Superheroes are individuals who possess superhuman abilities and are dedicated to protecting the public. These films typically feature action, advent ...

released on February 23, 2010. It is based on the abandoned direct-to-video feature ''Justice League: Worlds Collide'', which was intended as a bridge between the then-concluding ''

Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived b ...

'' animated television series and its then forthcoming sequel series ''

Justice League Unlimited ''Justice League Unlimited'' (''JLU'') is a 2004–2006 American superhero animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe ...

''. ''Crisis on Two Earths'' was reworked from the ''Worlds Collide'' script to remove references to the TV series' continuity. The film is directed by

Lauren Montgomery Lauren Eve Montgomery (born May 4, 1980) is an American storyboard artist, television director, film director, character designer, film producer, television producer, and television writer. Early life Lauren Montgomery became interested in drawi ...

and

Sam Liu Sam Liu is an American animation producer, director, storyboard artist and character designer. He is best known for directing animated superhero films at both Marvel Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation. Sam attended the University of Califor ...

and written by

Dwayne McDuffie Dwayne Glenn McDuffie (February 20, 1962February 21, 2011) was an American writer of comic books and television, known for producing and writing the animated series '' Static Shock'', '' Damage Control'', ''Justice League Unlimited'' and '' Ben ...

. (requires scrolldown) The premise of ''Crisis on Two Earths'' is borrowed from the 1964

Gardner Fox Gardner Francis Cooper Fox (May 20, 1911 – December 24, 1986) was an American writer known best for creating numerous comic book characters for DC Comics. He is estimated to have written more than 4,000 comics stories, including 1,500 for DC ...

''Justice League of America'' #29–30 story entitled "Crisis on Earth-Three!" and the 2000

Grant Morrison Grant Morrison, MBE (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, humanist philosophy and countercultural leanings. Morrison has written extensively for th ...

'' JLA: Earth 2'' graphic novel, with a heroic

Lex Luthor Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (cover dated: April ...

from an alternate universe coming to the

's universe for help against the Crime Syndicate. The film is the seventh of the

DC Universe Animated Original Movies The DC Universe Animated Original Movies (DCUAOM; also known as DC Universe Original Movies or DC Universe Movies or DC Animated Movies) are a series of American direct-to-video superhero animated films based on the DC Comics characters and sto ...

released by

Warner Premiere Warner Premiere was an American direct-to-video label of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, itself a subsidiary of Warner Bros. History Early years (2006–2008) In 2006, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced that they would enter the market ...

and

Warner Bros. Animation Warner Bros. Animation Inc. is an American animation studio which is part of the Warner Bros. Television Studios division of Warner Bros., a flagship of Warner Bros. Discovery. As the successor to Warner Bros. Cartoons, which was active from 19 ...

. The two-disc special edition also includes an animated short featuring the Spectre. On August 11, 2015, Warner Home Video re-released the film in a combo pack which includes a DVD and Blu-Ray copy, a digital copy, and the graphic novel on which it was based.

Plot

In an alternate universe, heroic versions of

and Joker (called the Jester) are stealing a device called the "Quantum Trigger" from the headquarters of the Crime Syndicate (villainous version of the

). When an alarm is tripped, the Jester sacrifices himself to allow Luthor to escape and kills J'edd J'arkus and Angelique (evil versions of

Martian Manhunter The Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and designed by artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in the story "The Manhunter from Mars" ...

and

Hawkgirl Hawkgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Hawkgirl, Shiera Sanders Hall, was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, and first appeared in ''Flash Comics' ...

respectively) with a bomb. Luthor is nearly captured by the remaining Syndicate members (

Ultraman ''Ultraman'', also known as the , is the collective name for all media produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman, his many brethren, and the myriad monsters. Debuting with ''Ultra Q'' and then ''Ultraman'' in 1966, the series is one ...

Superwoman Superwoman is the name of several fictional characters from DC Comics. Most of them are, like Supergirl, women with powers similar to those of Superman, like flight, invulnerability, and enhanced strength. Detective Comics, Inc. trademarked ...

, Power Ring,

Johnny Quick Johnny Quick are two fictional DC Comics characters, each with the power of superhuman speed. The first was a superhero who first appeared in '' More Fun Comics'' #71 (September 1941) during the Golden Age. The other was a supervillain, an evil ve ...

and Owlman) but escapes to the Earth of the Justice League by activating a device that enables interdimensional travel. Luthor locates a police station, but is mistaken for the evil Luthor and ends up strip-searched. The Justice League is summoned and Superman's

x-ray An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...

vision confirms Luthor's reversed organs indicate that he is from a parallel Earth and that their Luthor is still incarcerated at Stryker's Island. The Justice League take the alternate Luthor to the

Watchtower A watchtower or watch tower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to ...

, where they learn of the Syndicate threat. As the Justice League debates the matter, Luthor hides the Quantum Trigger on the satellite. With the exception of Batman, the rest of the Justice League (Superman,

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...

Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...

Flash Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * Flash (DC Comics character), several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Barry Allen) ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Wally West, the first Kid F ...

and Martian Manhunter) travel to Luthor's Earth. Arriving at the parallel Justice League's base, the heroes attack Syndicate targets. After a successful series of raids in which they capture Ultraman, the League confront United States President Slade Wilson, who releases Ultraman and explains that acceding to the Syndicate's demands saves millions of lives, e.g. hardly anyone would be brave enough to testify against the Syndicate, lest it be nearly impossible to guarantee safety until trial. His daughter,

Rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

, however, regards him as a coward. Martian Manhunter inadvertently reads her mind and explains that as a military man her father actually holds life more dear than others. Martian Manhunter later foils an assassination attempt on Rose by Archer (an evil version of Green Arrow), and the pair fall in love. Owlman has developed a weapon, the Quantum Eigenstate Device or Q.E.D., which the Syndicate intend to use as the equalizer to the threat of a nuclear reprisal. When pressed by Superwoman, Owlman reveals that he's secretly planning to overthrow Ultraman and take control of the Crime Syndicate. He also admits the weapon can destroy entire worlds. Believing there are many parallel Earths, and that each one develops from the choices that each person makes, Owlman becomes obsessed with the idea that nothing he does can possibly matter, as there will always be parallel worlds where he explored another option. As a result, he searches for Earth Prime, the very first Earth from which all other universes originated, intending to use the Q.E.D. to spark a chain reaction that will erase the entire multiverse. Superwoman is excited by the idea and agrees to help him. Owlman sends Superwoman with three of her lieutenants to the League's dimension, and on the Watchtower, they battle Batman,

Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in '' More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially a ...

, Black Canary,

Black Lightning Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character, created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Trevor Von Eeden, first appeared in ''Black Lightning'' #1 (April 1977), during ...

Firestorm A firestorm is a conflagration which attains such intensity that it creates and sustains its own wind system. It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bushfires and wildfires. Although the term has been used ...

, and

Red Tornado Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondary ...

. Superwoman and one of her lieutenants escape with the Quantum Trigger but are followed by Batman. After a fight that ended with him gaining a broken rib, Batman defeats Superwoman and summons the League. Johnny, hopeful to reinstate fear in the Syndicate, decides to come down to commit big crimes. Power Ring rejects this because Scarlet Archer had been arrested by J'onn. Rose decides to learn the location of the Syndicate base to allow the Justice League to confront them. The League arrives at the Crime Syndicate's moon-base with the captive Superwoman, and eventually battle the Syndicate. Owlman fights off Batman and takes the Q.E.D. bomb to Earth-Prime, finding it to be uninhabited and lifeless, having suffered an unknown cataclysm that caused it to leave solar orbit. Luthor speculates that a speedster might be able to vibrate and match the temporal vibration of the teleported Q.E.D. device and open a portal. Flash volunteers but Batman states that he isn't fast enough, only

is. Johnny agrees and opens a portal. Batman pursues Owlman to Earth-Prime, where they engage in a brutal battle. Owlman espouses his nihilistic philosophy, claiming that Mankind destroyed Earth-Prime, and that destroying Man in every universe is the only possible real choice to make. As they fight, both of them notice how similar they are to one another. Batman eventually manages to teleport Owlman and the Q.E.D. device to another uninhabited Earth, but not before telling Owlman, “There is a difference between you and me. We both looked into the abyss. But when it looked back, you blinked.” Seeing that the Q.E.D. is triggered, Owlman does not attempt to defuse the bomb, simply saying "It doesn't matter,” with a smirk and allowing the bomb to destroy the alternate Earth, killing himself in the process. Batman returns to the Syndicate's Earth, where the strain of acting as a vibratory conduit has exhausted Johnny Quick to near death. Before dying, Johnny correctly deduces Batman lied about Flash not being fast enough and knew what would happen. Despite this, he shows no ill will toward Batman and appreciates Batman’s ruse, dying with a smile. Martian Manhunter returns, accompanied by President Wilson and the

Marines Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...

, and together they arrest Ultraman, Superwoman, and Power Ring. Wilson thanks the heroes for helping save their world and tells them he had ordered the National Guard to support the local police forces and resume on arresting the remaining members of the Syndicate. Although Rose asks Martian Manhunter to remain with her, the group return to their dimension. Batman and Superman later discuss a membership drive with the five heroes summoned previously greeting the Justice League while Wonder Woman keeps Owlman’s invisible jet.

Voice Cast

William Baldwin William Joseph Baldwin (born February 21, 1963), Note: While birthplace is routinely listed as Massapequa, that town has no hospital, and brother Alec Baldwin was born in nearby Amityville, which does. known also as Billy Baldwin,is an American ...

as Bruce Wayne / Batman * Mark Harmon as Clark Kent / Superman *

Chris Noth Christopher David Noth ( ; born November 13, 1954) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as NYPD Detective Mike Logan on '' Law & Order'' (1990–95), Big on ''Sex and the City'' (1998–2004), and Peter Florrick on ''The ...

Gina Torres Gina Torres (born April 25, 1969) is an American actress. She is known for her starring roles as Zoe Washburne in the science fiction series ''Firefly'' (2002–2003) and its feature film sequel '' Serenity'' (2005), and as Jessica Pearson in th ...

James Woods James Howard Woods (born April 18, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for his work in various film, stage, and television productions. He started his career in minor roles on and off- Broadway. In 1972, he appeared in ''The Trial of the ...

as Owlman * Brian Bloom as

* Jonathan Adams as J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter *

Josh Keaton Joshua Luis Wiener (born February 8, 1979), known by his stage name Josh Keaton, is an American voice actor. He is known for his roles as Takashi 'Shiro' Shirogane in '' Voltron: Legendary Defender'', Spider-Man in various media in addition to ...

as Wally West / Flash (credited),

(uncredited) *

Vanessa Marshall Vanessa Marshall (born October 19, 1969 in Los Angeles, California, U.S.) is an American voice and television actress who is most active in films, cartoons and video games. She is the daughter of actress Joan Van Ark and reporter John Marshall. ...

as Princess Diana / Wonder Woman *

Bruce Davison Bruce Allen Davison (born June 28, 1946) is an American actor and director. Davison is well known for his starring role as Willard Stiles in the cult horror film '' Willard'' (1971) and his Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning perfor ...

as President Slade Wilson * Freddi Rogers as

Rose Wilson Rose Wilson is a fictional character appearing in American comic book, American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Art Nichols, first appearing in a 1992 issue of ''Deathstroke the Terminator'' #1 ...

James Patrick Stuart James Patrick Stuart is an American actor, currently portraying Valentin Cassadine on the daytime soap opera ''General Hospital'', for which he received three consecutive Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Dram ...

(credited), The Jester (uncredited) *

Nolan North Nolan North (born October 31, 1970) is an American actor best known for his voice acting roles. After his breakthrough role as Dr. Chris Ramsey on the ABC soap opera '' Port Charles'' in 1997, North moved into voice acting when the show ended ...

as Hal Jordan, Hal Jordan / Green Lantern (credited), Power Ring (uncredited) * Jim Meskimen as Captain Marvel (DC Comics), Captain Super (credited), Green Arrow, Archer (uncredited) * Kari Wührer as Looker (character), Model Citizen (credited), Black Canary (Dinah Laurel Lance), Black Canary (uncredited) * Bruce Timm as Uncle Marvel, Uncle Super (credited), Captain Marvel Jr., Captain Super Jr. (uncredited) * Carlos Alazraqui as Vibe (comics), Breakdance (credited), Secret Service Agent (uncredited) * Cedric Yarbrough as Jason Rusch, Firestorm (credited), Black Lightning, Black Power (uncredited),

(uncredited) * Richard Green (actor), Richard Green as Jimmy Olsen, Mister Action * Andrea Romano (voice director), Andrea Romano as Watchtower Computer (credited), Reporter (uncredited)

Production

In 2004, Bruce Timm revealed that a DC animated universe, DCAU direct-to-video ''

'' feature was in development to connect ''

'' and ''

''. The film was titled as ''Justice League: Worlds Collide''. One of the objectives of the film was to explain how

acquired her Invisible-Jet. The project was ultimately scrapped by Warner Bros.; however, in 2008, Timm stated that ''Justice League: Worlds Collide'' could be released someday in the future. Finally, ''Worlds Collide'' was rewritten by

for

as ''Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths'', but removing all connections with the animated series.

Soundtrack

Reception

''Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths'' received positive reviews. ''The World's Finest'' stated "...the film ranks up there as one of

's better works in the animated DC world and even though it’s reminiscent of stories we’ve seen in animation before, the brilliant work done by Moi, the directing by Sam Liu and Lauren Montgomery, and story make it more than worth watching again." It earned $9.2 million from domestic home video sales.

References

External links

* *
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths @ The World's Finest
{{Warner Bros. animation and comics 2010 animated films 2010 direct-to-video films 2010 films 2010s animated superhero films Animated Justice League films DC Universe Animated Original Movies 2010s English-language films Films about nuclear war and weapons Films about parallel universes 2010s American animated films 2010s direct-to-video animated superhero films Films directed by Sam Liu Films directed by Lauren Montgomery Films scored by James L. Venable Animated science fiction films 2010s science fiction films