This week started our really weird for our Arrowverse heroes on Elseworlds. Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) switched identities. Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) is the only person who knew who was who.
Dr. John Deegan (Jeremy Davies) has re-written reality, courtesy of the Book of Destiny. A being named Mar Novu, the Monitor (LaMonica Garrett) gave the book to Deegan so he could test if Earth 1 is ready for the Crisis of Infinite Earths. Batwoman (Ruby Rose) teamed up with the super trinity to get the book away from Deegan, but Mar Novu gave it right back. Deegan has changed reality again. This time, Oliver and Barry are the bad guys. And Superman (Tyler Hoechlin), in a black suit, is there to bring them to justice.
RELATED: Read the Full Recap of ELSEWORLDS Part 1
RELATED: Read the Full Recap of ELSEWORLDS Part 2
Trigger Twins
After Barry and Oliver escape the cops, they are stopped by Superman, in a black suit. He knows who they are, but he’s not who they think he is. Oliver figures out that this is actually John Deegan as the Man of Steel. Deegan admits that he rewrote reality where he is there hero with unlimited power. Oliver shoots down a crane. He tells Deegan that he can either save the children below or take him and Barry into custody. Deegan chooses to save the kids.
Barry and Oliver run from the police. Oliver suggests they get off the streets, but Barry is having a hard time running, lol. They come up with a plan to find Cisco (Carlos Valdes) and vibe to Earth 38 to get the real Superman.
Superman HQ
When Deegan returns to his headquarters, the former STAR Labs, he is greeted by applause. John Diggle (David Ramsey) and Killer Frost (Danielle Panabaker) praise his heroic work, but Deegan is angry that Oliver and Barry got away. They get an alert about a prisoner in the pipeline. Deegan says he will take care her.
The prisoner is Kara and she knows that he’s not really Superman. Deegan is imitating her powers and transformed himself to look like Superman. He didn’t see Superman or Supergirl in the book. It’s like they don’t exist in this world. That’s why he chose to take her powers. He says he’s the hero this planet needs.
Alex Danvers (Chyler Leigh) shows up and activates a high pitch noise that hurts Kara. Deegan says the cells are constantly patrolled so she shouldn’t try to escape. Kara tries to talk to Alex, but Deegan say he scrambled everyone on earth. No one is who they were. Deegan says he will kill Alex if Kara isn’t a good prisoner. Kara calls him a monster, but he corrects her saying, he’s Superman.
The Test
Barry and Oliver enter an apartment building and Mar Novu transports them to his realm. He is impressed by their ability to outwit the powers of Superman. Oliver gets angry because he is testing them. Mar Novu asks if he’s eager to die. Oliver is ready and willing to die for this world. Mar Novu says self sacrifice won’t save them. Only knowing your true self can save them. And this world is doomed. Oliver has had enough, but Mar Novu transports them back.
Who’s the Boss?
They have to find Cisco, but if everything is flipped, that means he is a bad guy. They go to a bar in the bad part of town and meet Gary Green (Adam Tsekhman). Gary is best known from the Time Bureau, but in this reality, he’s the bartender. And he’s a big fan of the Trigger Twins. They ask where to find Cisco Ramon and Gary points them to a back table where Cisco is counting money.
The duo approaches Cisco, but he shoos them away. His bodyguards take notice. Their leader, Jimmy Olsen (Mehcad Brooks) steps in and agrees to take care of the duo for Cisco. Oliver is confident they can take him, but Jimmy and his two companions are too much for Barry and Oliver.
Do you Vibe?
Cisco stops the fight to remind Jimmy to kill the Trigger Twins in the alley. Barry stops them by mentioning that he knew Cisco’s brother Dante. And Dante would want Cisco to hear their proposal to get rid of Superman. Cisco takes them to his office and they ask if he can vibe. That’s how Cisco got all of his money. He vibed into bank vaults and stole the money. Barry offers to show him how to vibe to other earths and Cisco is intrigued.
Cisco vibes the Trigger Twins to Earth 38 and they land in the Fortress of Solitude to find Superman and Lois (Elizabeth Tulloch) is with him. Barry and Oliver explain how reality was changed again. They don’t know what happened to Kara and that worries Clark. He returns with them to Earth 1.
Sistas 4 Lyfe
Kara overhears a conversation between Killer Frost and Alex about her personal life. On this earth, Alex is a little timid and hides the truth about her sexuality. To kill time, Kara tries to freeze the door to her cell. Alex catches her and activates the high pitch noise. Kara tries to talk to her, telling her about Alex on her earth. She describes Alex as her sister who is brave in every way and never hides who she is. She is confident and believes she can have everything she wants. Earth 1 Alex likes the sound of that Alex and internally wishes she could be braver. Kara’s words inspire her to let Kara out of her cell.
They run through STAR labs and encounter Deegan, Diggle, and Killer Frost. Deegan is disappointed that Alex tried to help Kara. Kara tries to cover for Alex saying she doesn’t know her. Alex corrects Kara, telling Deegan that they are sisters. Deegan says they will have to burn together. Before he can attack, Oliver, Barry and Cisco return with the real Superman.
Bizarro
Superman chases Deegan who flies away. Cisco runs away from the fight. Oliver fights Diggle and Killer Frost and yells for Barry to find the book. Alex puts Barry in a headlock, but Kara informs her that he’s not really a bad guy. Alex tells them that Deegan would hide important things in his Fortress of Solitude.
While they look for the book, Superman and Deegan fly through Central City, fighting. At one point Deegan drags Superman through a building. When a lady sees Superman, she calls him Bizzaro. Deegan asks how it feels to be the villain before throwing him out of a window.
Deegan’s Fortress of Solitude is actually the the Time Vault at STAR Labs. When they find the book, it is unlocked. Kara opens it, but it hurts her eyes to look at it. Alex suggests they move the book before Deegan returns. Kara takes the book and finds Clark. She tells him to read it to fix reality. Clark opens the book, a light emerges, fixing reality as it covers the city.
We Have Normality
Kara becomes Supergirl, Barry gets his speedster powers and supersuit back, and Oliver steps out of the elevator as the Green Arrow. Barry meets Supergirl and Superman outside. Deegan flies in and grabs Barry. He threatens to kill Barry unless they give the book back. Oliver aims an arrow at Deegan’s head, but Barry tells him not to give into his darkness, he can overcome it. He can be better. That’s the Monitor’s test. Deegan claps at Superman instead, making him drop the book and Deegan flies away with it.
Alex and Supergirl put Diggle and Killer Frost in the pipeline. Alex understands that Deegan rewrote her life, but she says it feels like she has always been this person. Supergirl says it is her, a person who does what is right. And when reality returns to normal, she will be the same good person. Supergirl has to go.
Can’t Fight Destiny
Deegan hit STAR Labs with a blast. He’s rewriting reality again. Barry comes up with an idea for Supergirl to fly one way and he will run the opposite way to slow down time. If they run at Mach 7, it create enough centrifugal force to slow down the earth’s rotation. That will give them a chance to take the book from Deegan. Superman warns them that when he looked into the book, he saw their death doing exactly what Barry suggests. If it’s in the book, it’s destiny. Oliver agrees with Clark, they shouldn’t do this. Supergirl says they have to try. She leaves with the Flash before they can stop them. Oliver tells Clark to find Deegan. He’s going to see if destinies can be rewritten.
Oliver returns to the apartment building where they met Novu. Novu appears, because Oliver yelled loud enough to summon a god. Oliver says he’s not a god. He says Novu isn’t testing them to see if they are strong enough. He believes they are being tested to see if they are good enough and no other world has stood up to Novu.
Oliver says he is not who Novu needs. Novu told him he would pass the test if he was his true self. Oliver’s true self is filled with darkness. But Barry and Kara are good. They inspire hope. They are the best this world has to offer. And if Novu’s test kills them, then he is not a smart god. Novu says in order to change their destinies, another change will have to be made. He asks Oliver how he would maintain that balance.
Time to Slow Down
Deegan stands in the middle of Central City with the book open, causing chaos. The police arrive to confront Deegan and he changes them into cab drivers. Superman arrives. He says Deegan can’t wear that symbol and call himself a hero. He doesn’t have what it takes to control the power of Supergirl and Superman. Deegan says he didn’t’ think big enough and he brings forth AMAZO. Deegan says there is no defeating him. He is the master of this world.
Lois, carrying a large hammer, arrives with J’onn (David Harewood) and Brainiac-5 (Jesse Rath). Brainy is very excited to fight AMAZO and thanks Lois for including him. J’onn does what he can to protect the civilians while Superman takes care of Deegan. Superman tells Deegan it’s over, but Deegan says he decides when it’s over. Lois says she likes him better in blue and hits the hammer on the ground. The light blinds Deegan, causing him to drop the book. He recovers quickly and picks the book back up, pointing the light at Lois. The light throws Lois into the air and Superman watches her fall. But time slows down. As the Flash and Supergirl race around the world, their faces begin to burn.
Deegan sees Oliver walk up and grab for an arrow. Deegan turns the book toward Oliver, but Oliver is quicker and he shoots the book, causing it to explode. Time returns to norman. Superman catches Lois before she hits the ground. Deegan transforms to some kind of bizzaro Deegan and the Book of Destiny is toast.
Barry and Kara are okay. Brainy also returns, throwing a burnt AMAZO to the ground and asking what he should do with the robot’s motherboard. The fight is officially over.
New Beginnings
Back at STAR Labs, Kara asks if their teaming up will become a yearly thing. Barry hopes not. Kara catches Oliver smiling. He admits that he kind of likes Barry and Kara. Cisco opens a breach in the speed lab so Team Supergirl can return to Earth 38. Kara says her goodbyes and they leave.
At the Kent farm, Clark is showing Kara the new barn he built for his mom. He tells Kara that she doesn’t need the DOE or any other organization to keep the world safe. And no matter what universe she is in, Alex will always be there for her. He says she is so much stronger than he is. And that’s why he’s okay with a decision he made.
Lois joins them and tells Clark to stop beating around the bush. They tell Kara that Lois is pregnant. They are moving to Argo City because the baby won’t have powers there and Lois will be safe to carry the baby. Kara assumes they will return after the baby is born, but Clark says they plan on staying indefinitely. The fight reminded Clark of everything he could lose. He feels safe hanging up his cape because he knows the world will be safe in Supergirl’s hands.
Later, in the Fortress of Solitude, Clark gets distracted as Lois reads Kara’s latest article. Their food starts burning, so Lois puts out the fire. What was actually happening was, Clark was burning a piece of coal. He has to squeeze the coal to break it and pull out a diamond ring. Clark starts to propose to Lois and she kisses him before he can pop the question.
Better Men
Back at Central City, Oliver and Barry go out for a drink. Oliver talks about his experience as the Flash. He says at one point while he was running, he felt his mind clear. Barry calls that Flashtime.
Barry knows that Oliver went back to talk to the Monitor. He asks what he did to get the Monitor to change his and Kara’s destiny. Oliver says they changed their own destiny by being heroes. He calls Barry a good man. Barry answers that Oliver is a good man too, even if he doesn’t want people to believe it. Barry tries to hug Oliver, but Oliver tells him no. He’s hugged him twice now and to not do it again. Instead they toast to appreciating everything they have.
Oliver gets a phone call from Batwoman. She says she hoped his doctor wouldn’t become a problem for her. But she hears he’s made a friend in Arkham. Deegan sits in a cell next to a man in a gold mask, known as Psycho Pirate.
Thoughts
WOW! The crossovers get better every year. I really liked the body swap. It brought a lot of comedy to the story and gave Oliver an opportunity to be a more positive character. I didn’t mind Barry brooding a little, but let’s not make that a permanent thing. Part of Barry’s charm is is positivity. And bringing Superman into the mix really gave the story a more ‘Justice League’ feeling. I didn’t even miss Batman.
I love that Gary from Legends of Tomorrow got a small part in the crossover. This man is always in the right place at the right time. I did catch the latest episode of LoT and they had issues with reality being rewritten on their show as well. It was a little different though and just as hilarious. They even took a jab at the crossover and how they didn’t want to be a part of it.
Give a round of applause for Danielle Panabaker. I love that Caitlin Snow/Killer Frost got a major role in the story. She is one of the most underutilized characters. It’s nice to get to see her be a part of the crossover team as both Caitlin and Frostie.
So, this crossover set up the next crossover in 2019, titled Crisis on Infinite Earths. I have a bad feeling about this one. Only because Oliver wouldn’t tell Barry what he gave up to save Barry and Kara. It’s my advice to everyone reading this to keep an eye on Arrow for the remainder of the season. Especially if Batwoman is calling Oliver for backup.
News Editor, Senior Contributor, and Press Editor. Coordinate breaking news, trailers and press releases. I also contribute reviews, recaps and interviews. Creator of the Indigenerd Wire, a column dedicated to the Indigenous creatives in pop culture.
GGA's resident Indigenerd, a little bit rez, a little bit classy...with a love for all things Star Wars, zombies, science fiction, and Indigenous. My ultimate goal is to start my own podcast.
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