The Arrowverse began in 2012 on The CW with Arrow, and what started as a grounded superhero show quickly blossomed into a vast universe with various superpowered individuals. The Flash premiered in 2014, which was followed by 2016's Legends of Tomorrow and 2019's Batwoman. Supergirl premiered in 2015 on CBS but was established as part of a multiverse, and officially moved over to The CW for season two.

Black Lightning premiered on the CW but was established as its own universe. Constantine, which originated on NBC in 2014, had the lead character join Legends of Tomorrow. An annual tradition began to occur with epic crossover events. While the DCEU struggled with Justice League, on the small screen the various heroes united in 2016 for Invasion, 2017 for Crisis on Earth X, and a smaller event in 2018's Elseworlds. However, this was all setting the stage for the big one, an adaptation of the groundbreaking comic Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Crisis on Infinite Earths

ArrowVerse Crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths
Warner Bros. Television Distribution

Published in 1985 to mark the 50th anniversary of Superman and the birth of the DC Comics universe, Crisis on Infinite Earths was written by Marv Wolfman and penciled by the late great George Pérez. The intention was to help streamline the DC Universe and get rid of the multiverse, and did so in a grand epic spectacle that united various heroes from different realities (from different publications that DC had purchased, like the heroes of Fawcett Comics and Charlton Comics).

This was the intention for the CW crossover event, to finally bring in the heroes like Supergirl and Black Lightning into the Arrowverse while also being a giant celebration of all DC adaptations over the past six decades, with appearances and references from the 1960s Adam West Batman and the 1978 Superman film, to DC series on other networks at the time like Lucifer and Titans. While the intent was to streamline the universe and lead to more crossovers, the COVID-19 pandemic shifted those plans and in recent years many of the series have concluded or been canceled. The announcement that The Flash season 9 will conclude the series puts an end to the Arrowverse and makes Crisis on Infinite Earths the last epic crossover of the series.

The crossover event aired over the course of five episodes, one episode on each of the main series: Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Batwoman, and Legends of Tomorrow, and were aired during the normal season runs. This can make it a little difficult to sort out how to watch these series in order, jumping not just between different TV shows but sometimes different streaming platforms. Here is a guide to watching Crisis on Infinite Earths in chronological order and some bonus material for those who want the full experience of an event comic.

Crisis on Infinite Earths' Chronological Viewing Order

  • Supergirl - Season 5, Episode 9 'Crisis on Infinite Earth: Part One'
  • Batwoman - Season 1, Episode 9 'Crisis on Infinite Earth: Part Two'
  • Black Lightning - Season 3, Episode 9 'The Book of Resistance: Chapter Four: Earth Crisis'
  • The Flash - Season 6, Episode 8 'Crisis on Infinite Earth: Part Three'
  • Arrow - Season 8, Episode 8 'Crisis on Infinite Earth: Part Four'
  • Legends of Tomorrow - Season 5, Episode 1 'Crisis on Infinite Earth: Part Five'

Crisis on Infinite Earths: Prologue

Crisis on Infinite Earths Is the 2019 Arrowverse Crossover
Warner Bros. Television Distribution

In many ways, Crisis on Infinite Earths was the Arrowverse version of Infinity War and Endgame, as they had been building to it for years, planting the first seeds back in the pilot episode of The Flash in 2014. The first real tease came in 2018 at the end of the previous crossover event Elseworlds, which saw Psycho Pirate teasing the epic crossover event. The first eight episodes of season six of The Flash and the first seven episodes of Arrow's season eight are about establishing the Crisis (which was reportedly being planned to reset the DCEU).

Barry Allen starts making preparations for his death, as a vision shows him the only way the multiverse survives is with his death. Meanwhile, Oliver Queen is on a mission from the Monitor to gather items from across the multiverse and witness the destruction of Earth 2. He meets his adult daughter Mia Queen from the future, and they work together to prepare for the Crisis. Just like a comic book event, this is not necessary to enjoy the main storyline, but for those looking to truly capture the whole extended experience and scope, these additional episodes might add some more weight to the main event.

Part 1: Supergirl

Supergirl Crisis on Infinite Earths
Warner Bros. Television Distribution

Crisis on Infinite Earths kicks off on Supergirl in season 5, episode 9 titled 'Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part One' which sees Kara Danvers aka Supergirl and her friends on Earth 38 facing off against an impending wave of anti-matter that threatens to destroy the entire universe. The anti-matter wave has already destroyed Earth 89 (Tim Burton's Batman), Earth 66 (Adam West Batman), and Earth 9 (Titans).

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The Monitor recruits various heroes from across time and space on the main Arrowverse including Green Arrow, Flash, Kate Kane aka Batwoman, The Atom, Sara Lance, and Mia Queen to help Kara, her cousin Superman, and her friends at the DEO prepare for the people of her dimension for evacuation. Earth 38 is destroyed in the anti-matter wave, and while the heroes escape, Green Arrow sacrifices himself to give the rest a fighting chance.

Part 2: Batwoman

Batwoman Crisis on Infinite Earths
Warner Bros. Television Distribution

Batwoman season 1, episode 9 picks up during the destruction of Earth 38, the heroes are aboard a Waverider from Earth 74 and go on a multiversal mission to recruit heroes from across the multiverse who are Paragons that can help save the day. Kara Danvers and Kate Kane go to Earth 99 to recruit an old beaten-down Batman (played by Batman: The Animated series voice actor Kevin Conroy) that is hiding a dark secret.

Meanwhile, Superman, Lois Lane, and Iris West go across various universes looking for a Superman who has suffered more than others but held on to hope. They meet Tom Welling's Clark Kent from Smallville before finally meeting the Superman of Earth 96 (played by Brandon Routh, making this the Superman of not just Superman Returns but also Christopher Reeve's incarnation). Meanwhile, Sara Lance, Mia Queen, and John Constantine go to try and resurrect Oliver Queen using the Lazarus pits.

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Interlude: Black Lightning

Black Lightning
Warner Bros. Television Distribution

While not technically part of the Crisis on Infinite Earths event, Black Lightning season 3, episode 9 titled 'The Book of Resistance: Chapter Four: Earth Crisis' is adjacent to the story. It sees a red sky covering Black Lightning's home of Freeland before anti-matter strikes, with only Black Lightning being transported away before the universe is destroyed, setting up his appearance in the next episode. While it's not vital viewing to understand the main story, this does serve to help establish the stakes being shown across the multiverse.

Part 3: The Flash

Grant Gustin in The Flash
The CW

At the midpoint of the event, and also ending on a cliffhanger since the event took a month-long hiatus, The Flash season 6, episode 9 features more destruction as Earth 203 (WB series Birds of Prey) and the heroes start to gather their forces to prepare to do battle with the Anti-Monitor, now including Black Lightning. Right as Barry Allen is about to face death that he has been preparing for to destroy the Antimatter cannon, the Flash of Earth 90 (John Wesley Shipp from the 90s Flash series) exploits a loophole that Barry Allen must die, and takes his Arrowverse version's place, sacrificing himself.

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With the help of Earth 666 Lucifer (Tom Ellis reprising his role from Lucifer), Constantine, Mia, and John Diggler visit purgatory to save Oliver Queen's soul, but they discover that Oliver has been chosen to become the Spectre. Back on the Waverider, the Anti-Monitor arrives and destroys the heroes with an anti-matter wave and ends the multiverse. Right before their destruction, the Monitor sends the seven paragons (The Flash, Supergirl, Martian Manhunter, Batwoman, Sara Lance, Superman of Earth 96, and newcomer Ryan Choi) to the Vanishing Point, a place outside of time and space, to save them. But at the last minute, Superman vanishes and is replaced by Lex Luthor, who rewrote the Book of Destiny to take his place.

Part 4: Arrow

Arrow Season 3 Midseason Premiere Trailer
Warner Bros. Television Distribution

As Arrow's final season was one giant build-up to Crisis on Infinite Earths, it makes sense that Arrow season 8, episode 8, which is close to the series finale helps wrap up Crisis on Infinite Earth and makes Oliver Queen the central character of this part of the story. He returns as the Spectre to help the heroes, but applying Barry's power he can travel across time to various points to prevent the Crisis, including meeting the DCEU incarnation of The Flash played by Ezra Miller. The Paragons fight the Anti-Monitor and use his power as the Spectre Oliver Queen can rewrite the multiverse. Oliver dies again with his friends by his side and a new world waiting for the heroes.

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Part 5: Legends of Tomorrow

Legends of Tomorrow cast
Warner Bros. Television

The first episode of Legends of Tomorrow season 5, and the final episode of Crisis on Infinite Earths, helped set up the new status quo of the Arrowverse. It is established that Supergirl and Black Lightning now no longer take place in different universes but are part of the Arrowverse. There is one more final action scene that shows the new united heroes, and at the end sees the formation of the Arrowverse Justice League which consist of The Flash, Supergirl, Batwoman, Sara Lance, Black Lightning, Superman, and Martian Manhunter.

The episode ends with a glimpse at the new reborn multiverse that was created by Oliver Queen, featuring glimpses of other DC properties like Stargirl, Doom Patrol, Swamp Thing, and the 2011 Green Lantern film, showcasing that despite networks, mediums, and time periods, each aspect of the entire DC Universe exists alongside each other in a vast multiverse.

Crisis on Infinite Earths: Epilogue

Supergirl Crisis on Infinite Earths
Warner Bros. Television Distribution

For viewers looking for a little epilogue to Crisis on Infinite Earths, the immediately subsequent episode of The Flash and the series finale of Arrow add an extra sense of added closure. Season 6, episode 10 of The Flash, titled "Marathon," shows not only Team Flash dealing with their new reality but also Barry and John Diggle undertaking one last mission that Oliver Queen sent for them before his death, putting some nice closure on the friendship formed between Green Arrow and the Flash.

Season 8, episode 10 of Arrow, titled "Fadeout," features many of the heroes of the Arrowverse gathering at Oliver Queen's funeral to say goodbye. The various members of Team Arrow go their separate ways, and the episode jumps forward to 2040 where The Monitor meets Felicity Smoke to reunite with Oliver in the afterlife. This is not necessary viewing and in many ways is more for those who had stuck around Arrow for its eight-season run, but it does provide a nice little bow on top of the Crisis crossover, ending this big massive multiverse event about the love between two mortal humans.

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