'What-if' stories are nothing new to comic books. That being said, if there is any universe ripe for alternate takes on classic stories, it's the DC Universe. DC's strong focus on multiple universes has opened up avenues for an infinite number of possible timelines and parallel dimensions, and such stories serve as some of the best the company has ever released.
The Multiversity is writer Grant Morrison's multi-verse crown jewel. The series was originally planned to take stories following the 52 and Final Crisis events, and examine what happened to the different worlds following the DC Universe's massive restructuring. Unfortunately, the books was delayed for years and was finally reworked to fit in with the New 52 continuity. Despite being announced in 2009, the Multiversity series only just began publication earlier this year. Thankfully, despite years of waiting, the series is now going strong.
Thanks to Uproxx, fans now have an idea of what's next for The Multiversity. Casting heroes as villains has always been popular with fans, and there's no hero bigger than Superman. However, what if Superman came into power in an alternate reality where the Nazis won WWII?
That's right: in Multiversity: Mastermen #1, Superman - or 'Overman' - now works for Germany. Instead of landing in Smallville, Overman crash-landed in Germany circa 1938. After being raised by Adolf Hitler, Overman and the Third Reich dominated the world...until Overman realizes the cost of their utopia, that is. Here's the official description from DC:
THE MULTIVERSITY: MASTERMEN #1
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art and cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMSOn sale FEBRUARY 18
Superstar writer Grant Morrison joins legendary artist Jim Lee on Earth-10 for one of the most dynamic, action-packed issues of this entire world-shattering series - THE MULTIVERSITY: MASTERMEN!
Imagine a world where the Nazis not only won World War II but went on to direct world culture for the next 60 years with the help of an orphaned, alien super-weapon known as Overman! But hope is not lost! Rising from the ashes of oppression are a diverse band of heroes raging against the fascist regime - a band of heroes known as THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS!
Sure, alternate World War II-timelines can be a bit old hat, but few stories are as consistently interesting as 'Superman turned evil.' Again, it's been done before, but watching the Man of Steel truly let loose isn't something fans get to see every day. On top of that, Grant Morrison has proven that, if a story sounds boring or cliche, he can make it amazing.
Multiversity: Mastermen #1 is set to hit newsstands on Feb. 18, 2015.
Photo: DC
