How to deal with the issue of the Multiverse

[TELLE]

I think this is a very good question.  Starchild is quite right that the only reference to other Earths in Supermanica should be based strictly on canonical sources.  It's very noteworthy that numbered Earths appear much more frequently in JLA and Flash (ie essentially Silver Age characters whose books had been cancelled in the 50s) than in Superman or Batman.  However, the concept of parallel universes, dear to the heart of science-fiction fans of all stripes, including the editors and writers of Superman, pop up everywhere in Superman stories, usually without numbers attached.

I say include Earth-2, etc. but only where absolutely necessary.  Fleisher imaginatively incorporated so-called Earth-2 stories into the "Earth-1" mythos (the concept had been around for 20 years when he wrote his books) and we should too.  Again, the emphasis should be on the books, not on received fan wisdom or extra-textual evidence.

 

[dto]

Take a look at this:  http://www.io.com/~woodward/chroma/atlas.html

Main Sequence, Major and Minor Pre-Crisis Universes are our prime interests.  But be aware that some Universe names were unofficial, and certainly the vast majority of residents would only know their home as simply "Earth" with no number attached.  But THOSE WHO KNOW (which includes the JLA and JSA) would add the "1" or "2" ONLY in reference to other worlds.  The number was only a technical classification used only by those who had an interest in these multi-universal matters, but not in everyday usage.

But in terms of Supermanica, I say we should identify the various alternate Earths.  After all, the Supermanica is based on Earth-ONE, so shouldn't we be proud of that distinction?   :wink:

"We're Number One!  We're Number One!  We're Number One!"  

[Klar Ken T5477]

I added the entry "Parallel Worlds" which was how they were described back in the Silver Age which was a popular concept of sci-fi novels and pulps way before Buckaroo Banzai. :wink:

[nightwing]

I think the problem is going to be HOW to write these entries.

Fleisher treated his book as a sort of biography, with Superman portrayed as one man who went active in 1938 and stayed on the job until 1964.  Thus the Superman who met the Legion was the same one who fought the Ultra-Humanite, and so on.

I don't see anyway to handle the multiple Earths concept without undoing this basic premise of the Great Superman Book, and editing Fleisher's original entries to reflect what happened to which guy.

[Klar Ken T5477]

A Theoretical Concepts category has been created for the Multiverse, Parallel Worlds, Time Travel and canonical Imaginary Stories.


Asterisk them there if need be.

That should fit the square pegs into round holes without major rewriting of TGSB. :wink:

[Admiral Chew]

I think the problem is going to be HOW to write these entries.

Fleisher treated his book as a sort of biography, with Superman portrayed as one man who went active in 1938 and stayed on the job until 1964.  Thus the Superman who met the Legion was the same one who fought the Ultra-Humanite, and so on.

I don't see anyway to handle the multiple Earths concept without undoing this basic premise of the Great Superman Book, and editing Fleisher's original entries to reflect what happened to which guy.

The same way Fleisher handled contradictions. Just note them.

That's why in the Multiverse entry I stated that "some Superman historians" believe that the earliest Superman chronciles are actually the history of the earth-2 Superman.

Some of these issues are simply unresolvable. We can't pretend that the earth-2 Superman is that same is the Earth-1 Superman because the two have met.

But we can't pretend that the Earth-2 Superman is the Golden-age Superman because that leads to its own set of contradictions (earth-1/earth-2 crossover point anyone?)

The ambiguity has to simply be incorperated into the database because it exist in the chronicles.

Personally, I'd prefer the articles to be written from a real world point of view. To me that makes the issue easy to deal with.

But the ambiguity can still be dealt with when writing from the point of view that Superman is in fact real. Just write articles from the point of view that some of the chronicles may be inaccurate or disputed and when neccessary include both sides of a contradictory issue as if it's something that "historian" are themselves fighting over.

[Super Monkey]

We are still in the early stages with this project, and this is Everyone’s project. There is no right or wrong answers, yet anyway

That is why we have these types of threads and polls.

Fleisher's way of doing things is not perfect, as it just gives way to a whole host of problems. So we have to figure out how to do this our way that everyone or at least nearly everyone can be happy with that is just as good and as high quality as Fleisher's book, that should be the goal.

In my humble opinion:D

[Klar Ken T5477]

Beppo,

...and maybe even transcend our source inspiration. :roll: