The Final Night

Infobox comic book title
title=The Final Night


imagesize=190
caption=Cover from "The Final Night" TPB starring the Justice League, art by Stuart Immonen and Jose Marzan Jr..
schedule=Weekly
format=Mini-series
limited=y
publisher=DC Comics
date=November 1996
issues=4
Superhero=y
SciFi=y
multigenre=y
main_char_team=Justice League of America
writers=Karl Kesel
artists=
pencillers=Stuart Immonen
inkers=Jose Marzan Jr. Jeff Albrecht Del Barras
colorists=Lee Loughridge Patricia Mulvihill
creative_team_month=November
creative_team_year=1996
creators =Karl Kesel Stuart Immonen
subcat=DC Comics
sort=Final Night

"The Final Night" was a 1996 comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics, which featured the main heroes of the DC Universe. At the end of each issue is an in-story text piece written by S.T.A.R. Labs, giving advice and support.

Plot

The story begins as a young alien woman named Dusk arrives on Earth to warn the population that a giant extraterrestrial being, known as the Sun-Eater, is heading our way. Dusk is a member of an unknown alien race, and does not speak or understand a word of English, so Saturn Girl uses her telepathic powers to translate for her. Dusk has attempted to warn hundreds of worlds, prior to Earth, about the Sun-Eater. Each planet had tried, in its own way, to stop the Sun-Eater, but every attempt was as unsuccessful as the last one. This has convinced Dusk that the Sun-Eater is indestructible.

Despite her warnings, the Justice League still try to stop the Sun-Eater. For their first attempt, Mr. Miracle tries using his boom tube to send it into another dimension. This proves unsuccessful, since they discover that the Sun-Eater isn't entirely in our dimension. As a last resort, Superman and several other "heat-producing" heroes combine their energies to create second sun and try to lure the Sun-Eater away from Sol. The Sun-Eater quickly consumes that sun before moving on to Sol.

As Sol is extinguished, Earth falls into chaos, and the planet starts to freeze. Powerless (especially Superman, since his powers are fading due to the lack of sunlight) to do anything to stop the freeze, the League tries to help control the chaos and to keep hope alive. Many people freeze to death. Wildcat is badly injured. Etrigan the Demon offers the entire world heat at the cost of their souls; the world rejects him. Lex Luthor teams up with the League to try to reignite the Sun.

The events of the this series cross over into other books as well. Superman encounters Ferro Lad, who would later make an abortive attempt to destroy the Sun-Eater. Ray devotes his attentions to a small Mexican town. Tommy Monoghan, Hitman holes up in his favorite bar.

Seeing Earth as just another failure (and after being attacked by an angry mob who had accused her of bringing the Sun-Eater to Earth), Dusk decides its time for her to move on. As she prepares for take-off, she encounters a stranger, and is shocked that he understands her language. The stranger takes Dusk on a quick trip around the world and shows her the League's efforts to keep hope alive. Dusk doubts that there's any hope left for the world. Eventually, the stranger disappears and Dusk is left alone in an alleyway. She's found by a small group of people and, thinking they're going to attack her again, prepares to defend herself. To her surprise, the group offer to take her to a shelter where she'll be safe. This act of kindness gives her hope for the planet.

The assembled heroes construct a technological means of destroying the Sun-Eater. Lex Luthor angrily bows out of piloting the ship needed, revealing that he was in it simply to save his own skin. Ferro Lad steals the ship, only to be shunted back to earth by Hal Jordan, the former Green Lantern then known as Parallax. He sacrifices his life to reignite the Sun.The League watches in astonishment, and Dusk says she no longer believes anything is impossible.

Impact

One lasting effect of "Final Night" was Hal Jordan's role as God's "Spirit of Vengeance", known as The Spectre and the resurrection of Oliver Queen (otherwise known as Green Arrow). This resurrection was not revealed until years later in his own comic series when he was found living homeless in an alley; he had had been resurrected by Parallax before the final fight with the Sun-Eater. "Final Night" also established the seven core members of the Justice League.

Awards

The story earned the most votes for the "Comics Buyer's Guide" Fan Awards for Favorite Comic-Book Story and Favorite Limited Series for 1997.

External links

* [http://users.rcn.com/aardy/comics/awards/cbg.shtml Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards]