"And Thus Shall The World Die" - - *On Earth-1, in July 1985, Supergirl has been called by Batgirl during the ongoing crisis. Batgirl, looking over the city, confesses her fear of dying in the catastrophe. Supergirl advises her that she herself is scared as well, but that fear must not make them stop trying to help humanity in its hour of need. To accent this, when she sights a plane cracking up in the anti-matter flux, she saves its pilot.
At the East Hampton mansion of Steve Dayton, alias Mento, John Constantine is visiting. Dayton himself is getting very drunk, feeling that there is nothing to do but give in to the crisis. Constantine advises him that neither he nor their world is going to die, and declares that he can sense everything that is happening and knows what the outcome will be.
Pariah appears suddenly on Earth-6, a hitherto unknown Earth, where the anti-matter is finishing its destructive work. The heroes of this world have been winnowed down to three: the lightning-powered Lord Volt, his wife, the nuclear-powered Lady Quark, and their daughter, the plant-mistress Liana. At the very edge of the anti-matter wave, Liana is killed. Lord Volt is also swallowed up and destroyed. Pariah, intent on saving at least one life, takes Lady Quark in his arms as he is drawn to another world.
From his satellite, the Monitor fires an energy burst at an unstable star in the Vegan system, which sends a beam of energy toward Earth-1.
In Japan of Earth-1, a group of astronomers is watching the onslaught of the anti-matter. Dr. Kimiyo Hoshi upbraids her astronomer father and his staff for cowardice. When she uses the telescope to observe the Vegan star, she is hit by a beam of energy and vanishes.
In the satellite, as the Monitor muses that Dr. Hoshi is being recreated, Harbinger is preparing to destroy him, and Alex Luthor, knowing her intentions, realizes that she is doing the Monitor's will, even by killing him.
Meanwhile, the unseen manipulator teleports the Red Tornado into his sanctum. The enemy informs him that he plans to have him fight on his side, and that thus a universe will be destroyed.
On Earth-2, in fabled Camelot, Firestorm and Killer Frost have materialized before one of the Monitor's machines. The Shining Knight appears on the scene and is about to attack Firestorm and Frost as wizards, when shadow demons emerge from the machine and merge into a single entity, towering over the Monitor's device.
In the Old West, in Arion's Atlantis, at the time of the Great Disaster, and in World War II Markovia, the shadow demons have followed the same tactic, uniting to form a towering figure of darkness.
This also takes place in modern New York City of Earth-1, where the Outsiders, Teen Titans, Superman, and Batman are struggling to form a plan of action. Starfire and Halo decide to mount an all-out attack against the machine. Abruptly, the newly created Dr. Light, formerly Kimiyo Hoshi, appears on the machine and warns the heroes not to damage it, as it is the only device that can save their planet. No one can understand her, since she is speaking Japanese, and she is forced to ward them off with a lightburst. In the crowd below, Katana comprehends, as does Superman, who approaches for a parley. Dr. Light reveals to him that hundreds of universes have already died, and only she can help to save the few that remain. Superman takes this news as confirmation of his own worst fears, and vows to act on her advice, even if it costs his life.
On Paradise Island of Earth-1, Wonder Woman, as Princess Diana, is attempting to enlist her mother and her sister Amazons in Earth's defense, but Queen Hippolyta and her warrior women have refused, instead doing the bidding of the oracle Athena. Since the Olympians gods cannot save themselves, the Amazons choose to chant prayers and quietly await death. Wonder Woman regrets that not even now, with the end of the world so close, can she make peace with her mother.
On the satellite, the Monitor observes the viewscreens with mounting anxiety. His strength lessens as each universe dies, and although the heroes fight valiantly, his plans are not ready to be brought to fruitation. Pariah appears, and the Monitor greets him by name, although he is a stranger to his visitor. He explains to Pariah that this satellite is his home, built before the day Pariah was cursed. The visitor tells him of his damnation to watch millions perish, but never to find death himself. The Monitor explains that he is the one responsible for Pariah's continued existence, since he saw the greater good to come of his survival.
The Monitor shows Pariah scenes of the heroes fighting shadow-warriors in Camelot, and points out to him one of the giant machines being defended. Pariah notes that he saw one of those constructions in Atlantis. He tells his guest that Earth-1 and Earth-2, linked together inextricably, are set to perish next, suffering from incredible catastrophes against which even super-beings are helpless.
Pariah asks why he was damned to survive the deaths of countless universes, and what the Monitor has done to allay the demise of others. The reply is that all his strength is being conserved for the end, for his enemy is able to move more swiftly than he, unhampered by morals or restraint. He begs Pariah not to harm "her" until "all is made clear." When Pariah asks who "she" might be, Harbinger shouts out, "Too late, old fool!"
The Monitor bids her to do what she must. Lyla and her corrupted Harbinger-self conflict, hesitate; then a bolt of energy rips from her hands and smashes through his body. He falls to the floor of his platform, dead.
Harbinger, switching back to Lyta, plummets helplessly several stories to the floor of the satellite. Pariah, stunned, begs for explanations, but then realizes that the Monitor is truly dead. Meanwhile, on the viewscreen before him, the Earth is being eaten away rapidly by the onrushing anti-matter.
On Earth-1 and Earth-2, none of the teams of heroes can do anything to delay the destruction. In Atlantis, in Camelot, in the American Old West, in World War II Markovia, in New York City of 1985, in the Great Disaster, all can only watch as the wave of white nothingness tears away at the planet, and everything in two universes vanishes as one. *Source: The Official Crisis on Infinite Earths Index #1 - Published by ICG.