BATMAN V SUPERMAN: Explaining the Post-Apokoliptic vision…

Okay, I’ve got three theories mostly sussed out that explain the “vision” of the future that we see in BATMAN <3 SUPERMAN. *SPOILERS* after the pic…

Note that I’m referring only to the sequence which begins with future Batman leading a group of rebels to collect a sample of Kryptonite from some unidentified agent/ally and ends with his execution at the hand of Superman, Kal-El Ma’ed.
=)

So, what *are* these scenes from a post-Apokoliptic Earth?

1. They are an older, future Batman’s memories of an “earlier” timeline, one that has been overwritten with the timeline we’re focused on. The overwrite happens as a direct result of “our” Batman acting on information gleaned from future Flash’s message. Batman is able to retain these paradoxical memories (at least for a short time, I suspect they fade, leaving behind general impressions, like a dream) since—according to standard comic book physics—he is an agent responsible for the change that creates the new timeline. That’s just science, people. =)

2. They are a payload, delivered to Bruce’s psyche via the Boom-time Tube that Flash helps generate in the future. This is NOT an ability of the Flash’s, but made possible w/the help of telepathy (provided by a certain Martian Manhunter or other meta, perhaps a once-villain?), magic (Wonder Woman’s backstory should connect us to “magic” in the DCCU), or advanced/exotic tech (in MAN OF STEEL, Zod & company demonstrated a shared mental virtual world that could be manipulated, a la the Matrix), or maybe some combo. Maybe future Bats had some kind of implant that recorded his experiences, to be dispatched in just this way to his youthier self as an ultimate contingency plan. One of those if-you’re-seeing-this-then-I’m-dead contingency plans.

3. The scenes are purely cinematic storytelling. A cut to the future. A simple flash forward meant for *our*—the audience’s—eyes, not Bruce’s, to show *us* a possible future, one in which Batman has not already stolen Luthor’s Kryptonite (or, hasn't held onto it, but I'm gonna ignore that possibility =).
All of these explanations fit the data, such as it is, presented in the film I saw in the theater. Will any or all of them hold for the "director's cut" or whatever it is we'll get on DVD? No idea, but I hope so. Honestly, the mystery and ambiguous nature of the scenes are okay with me in this movie built from comic book parts. It can fuzz up the logic of things, but emotionally and anecdotally, it gets us where we need to go…

1. We understand that Superman is just one bad day away from being Earth’s alien overlord.

2. It helps sell Bruce's hyperbolic line to Alfred: If there is even a one percent chance he could go bad, we have to take it as an absolute certainty (pardon the paraphrasing, can't recall the exact words). That's some dangerous invective he's trying to sell there, but with the vision of a future firepitted Earth fresh in our minds, if not his, it doesn't sound quite as fascist-alarmist, right?

2.a. It also helps legitimize Luthor's purported stance on planetary security. Justifying rich white men scheming to destroy the hard-working law-abiding immigrant.

3. We can piece together that Batman can avoid this future by acting in the present. In the future, he is engaged in acquiring Lexcorp's Kryptonite sample when he's capture by Super's soldiers. If he can get his hands on that in the present, that future may never come to pass. Cut to: Lex finding a Batarang embedded in his just-robbed-by-Batman Kryptonite sample chamber.

4. It also serves as a treat (not sure if 10 minutes of action can really be an "Easter egg") to the DC reading and gaming geeks in the audience, potential movie evangelists/apologists.
Here endeth the crazy talk.

For now, at least. =)

Keep on keepin' on~

Click for my earlier take on BVS Futurama!
Click for a breakdown of the Knightmare!
Click for all my BATMAN <3 SUPERMAN crazy talk! =)

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: Breaking down the Knightmare…

So, what's up with the memory-within-a-vision-within-a-dream-within-a-bad-burrito sequence in BATMAN <3 SUPERMAN? *SPOILERS* after the pic!

First, we see a vision of an Apokoliptic future, one in which Darkseid has come to Earth and transformed it into a New Apokolips. This vision is not a story or a message. The best way to describe it is a memory. A memory of Batman's own experiences in this future. We see Darkseid's omega symbol burned into the Earth, firepits in the distance. Batman leads a group of rebels who are meeting with another group who has promised to deliver a sample of Kryptonite. When Batman opens the Lexcorp-branded case, he learns that he's been betrayed—no Kryptonite. Why would the Batman need Kryptonite to fight Darkseid? The answer becomes apparent as the the trap is sprung and the couriers reveal themselves to be part of a military police force, sporting uniforms with the Kryptonian character for "Hope" sewn into the shoulders. Superman is working for Darkseid.

Batman resists, but when Parademons join the fray, he's overpowered and knocked unconscious. He comes to in an underground cell, chained to a wall. Superman enters the cell and approaches him, casually powering up and executing the prisoners chained beside him with his heat vision. He removes Batman's cowl and considers it. He then puts his right hand on Bruce's chest, looks him in the eye and says, "She was my world, and you took her from me." Superman then kills Bruce.

The events we see here (and *maybe* Bats sees as well) unfold in the future of the, oh, let's call it timeline Omega.

In the film, this is when Bruce of 2016 snaps awake, seated at the Batcomputer, apparently from the shock of dying in the vision (based on the cinematic cut), but perhaps also or only due to the eruption of a spacetime portal just a few feet away from him in the Batcave. The energies of the portal are throwing the cave into chaos, whipping anything that's not bolted down around the cave and wreaking havoc with the electronics. Through the portal we see an older, scruffier looking Flash, sporting some variation of his red suit as well as some extra bits of wearable tech or armor. I don't remember his exact words, but he is yelling over the chaos, telling Bruce, "Lois—Lois is the key! You were right about him! Oh, am I too early? I'm too early! Find us, Bruce. Find us!" Those aren't the exact words and order, but those are the substance of the four parts of his message I remember.

This Flash is communicating with Bruce from the same future in the timeline Omega. I'd wager it's *after* future Batman is Kal-El Ma'ed, probably following orders left as part of a worst-case-scenario Batman contingency plan.

I forget the order of Flash's statements, but let me start with "You were right about him, Bruce." I think there was some emphasis like, "You were right about him all along… Fear him!" Something that stressed that Bruce didn't trust this "him" from the get-go. Given the context of Batman's future memories and the recent devastation caused by Supes v. Zod we're meant to think that Flash is talking about Superman.

But take into account "I'm too early!" This tells us that Flash's message is reaching Bruce too early, too far back in Flash's past, which means that the "him" that Bruce was right about could be someone he has not met yet, perhaps one of the metahumans—a future Justice League member. Given the four metas in Lex's files, I'd say Aquaman, heh. But, like I said, it could be anybody. Perhaps a DCCU Steve Trevor?

"Lois is the key." The key to what? Given everything we've seen so far, we should conclude: Superman's humanity. Next to Clark's parents, she's the emotional touchstone that enables the superhuman to appreciate and relate to the human. Taken with future Kal's last words to future Bats, we can surmise that Lois dies in the near future, and Kal blames Bats, or the League, or humankind in general, and the Flash is correct—losing Lois drives Superman to go fascist tyrant on the planet, apparently in service to Darkseid.

But then again, there's a chance that she might be the key to something/someone else. She is a snoopy journalist, supposedly an excellent one (although I suspect that's info we bring to the movie, not info the movie actually presents to us). Maybe she ends up uncovering some important secret or connection? A government/military plot to subdue, control, or destroy the League? Maybe she knows or has something vital, but doesn't know it? Perhaps the engagement ring is the key to Kal's as-yet-unseen Fortress of Solitude? Just a thought. =)

And "Find us!" Here the Flash urges Batman to seek out the metas, unite them, prepare them to protect the world and fight the future that he's living. The urgency may be about gathering them SOONER this time, that maybe if they'd been ready for Darkseid (and/or other Big Bads), the Apololiptic future could be averted. Then the portal seems to collapse.

And with it, timeline Omega.

This is when Bruce of 2016 really snaps awake, seated at the Batcomputer, no rip in spacetime, no mini-tornado of chaos in the cave. Just the computer, ticking away.

This is timeline JL. Divergent from timeline Omega at the point when Flash contacts Bruce and imparts information that leads to him taking actions different from those his timeline Omega counterpart took. Most immediately, the Bat-theft of Luthor's Kryptonite. When Bruce decides to do that, it ripples forward in time, leading to events unfolding in timeline JL differently from timeline Omega, enough so that the future Flash of timeline JL does not need to contact Bruce in the past. Y'know, cuz he's too busy fighting off his kooky Rogues at the ground breaking of the Flash museum; Supes is preoccupied rescuing malfunctioning spaceplanes and kittens from trees; and Batman enjoys a picnic w/his wife and kids while Nightwing and Batwoman BOFF! SOCK! and POW! the streets of Gotham clean of crime.

Or perhaps, Flash simply can't reach Bruce in the past because he's been Omega Beamed by Darkseid. =(

But probably not, right? =)

Keep on keepin' on~

Click for my earlier take on BVS Futurama!
Click for 3 explanations of the Knightmare!
Click for all my BATMAN <3 SUPERMAN crazy talk! =)

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: Alternate Futurama *SPOILERS* (Batman's "Vision")

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS follow. Turn back now if you haven't fought your way thru BATMAN <3 SUPERMAN yet!

Welcome… to the world of the TOMORROW!~

So, what the heck was it that Bruce saw/experienced in the Batcave? It appeared to be a vision of an Apokoliptian future Earth, delivered via a future Flash, perhaps harnessing some combo of Boom Tube tech and Speed Force, maybe some Martian telepathy or backwards-speaking magicks for good measure?

But how many visions was it? I think there are two, nested within each other. The innermost one, vision 1, is a packet of Bruce's own future memories/experiences. This starts with that view of a desert Earth (future Gotham?), with the "Omega" character branded into the ground… Firepits burning in the distance… An apparent rebel operation run by him to acquire a chunk of Kryptonite, contained in a Lexcorp-branded case… And a betrayal by the courier of his forces and himself to a contingent of armed —in uniforms sporting the Kryptonian character for "Hope" on the shoulders—as well as a platoon of Parademons.

Tangent: RE: The Parademons. I was a little disappointed at their apparent inspect/wasp-like design, but that final Parademon who knocks Bats's lights out looked the part to me. Maybe the waspy ones are a different breed? I really hope the Parademons are all chunky winged Luchador types, a la Kirby's style.

When future Bats awakes, he's chained to a wall in an underground jail. Supes drops in to judge, jury, and execute the prisoners hanging beside him. When he approaches Bats, he tears off his cowl and tells Bruce, "She was my world." Maybe he said something like "and you took her from me," too? I can't be sure now, but that's the kind of line that feels right there, right?

Tangent: "She was my world" is what Jonathan Kent's ghost tells Clark about Martha on his Canadian(?) walkabout.

Then Kal places his hand on Bruce's chest, pauses a moment, and then applies pressure, apparently killing Bruce and snapping him out of the vision and back to the Batcave in 2016, when and where he apparently wakes up at the Batcomputer and sees the head and shoulders of what looks like a future Flash (a scrubby and aged version of the kid we see in the metahumans Lex files), wearing some kind of red armor or tech, ringed by some kind of portal in spacetime, and yelling at him that "Lois is the key!" He also asks/exclaims something like, "Is it too early? I'm too early!" This could be directed at Bruce, someone off-portal, or maybe himself. I think the last things we hear him say are "Find us!" and "You were right about him! You were always right about him!"

Bats was Kal-El Ma'ed!

This is vision 2, and within it, vision 1 was part a payload delivered to Bruce of 2016.

Meanwhile, the portal phenomenon is making a mess of the Batcave, blowing anything not bolted down around the cave, and perhaps wreaking havoc w/the Batcomputer. When the portal closes, Bruce snaps out of this vision, and back to the Batcave in 2016, when and where he apparently wakes up at the Batcomputer and sees… Nothing out of the ordinary.

What happened? What did we see?

I believe we saw events that transpired in two realities or timelines, first an original, or at least, "earlier" one, and then a second one, that diverged from the original due to actions taken by Batman based on the Flash's message.

So, in the first timeline, a few years into the future, Darkseid comes to Earth and manipulates or controls Superman into becoming his enforcer after the death of Lois Lane (ostensibly due to machinations of Batman) drives him to Ubermenschism. A group of metahumans (maybe they had enough time to call themselves the JL before Darkseid's arrival?) attempt to resist, but apparently find Darkseid + Superman to be unbeatable (as it would be). Indeed, in this future, Batman is dead, Kal-El Ma'ed. So—executing a plan that I'm willing to bet is future Batman's own last resort contingency plan—the Flash sends his message back to Bruce of 2016. And although the message is delivered too early, it motivates Bruce to do something different—steal the Kryptonite from Lexcorp *now*, in 2016—and thusly change the future, apparently eliminating the need for a future Flash to send that message in the first place (but maybe possibly creating a future in which a future Flash CAN'T?). So, that time-Boom Tube portal dealio (pardon the technical jargon) never opened in the Batcave of the Bruce we see fighting Clark in BATMAN V SUPERMAN.

But, since Batman is an agent of the difference/s that change the future—comic book rules—he retains a memory/vision/echo/dream of the message. And since it's a movie, we get to SEE it. =)

At Clark's funeral, when Diana asks Bruce why he says that they need to find the other metas, why they'll need to come together, he says something like, "Just a feeling" or something, right? Sure, he could be playing it cagey, close to the vest, as is every Batman's nature, right? But what if right then, that's the truth.

Tangent: I think it's kind of funny-slash-bold to assign Batman the job of assembling a team. Classically, while he always ultimately acknowledges the value of a Justice League, he is the last one to be a joiner. It will be interesting to see his recruiting technique (and Wonder Woman's). Man, is Flash gonna be Barry or Wally? If it's Wally, how many times is WW gonna be kindly (or violently? =) shooting down his hormonal behavior?

So, does Bruce remember the details of the events of this earlier iteration of reality? Perhaps they were fresh when he "woke up" from them in the Batcave, and they've been fading since? While I think I'd dig Bruce Wayne retaining the insight of this alternate future—can't trust whoever that courier is in the future, that Flash kid can time travel!—I kinda like him moving forward on instinct and momentum.

When it's still fresh, the vision—of his future hunt for Kryptonite and the "Super-soldiers"—certainly seems like a direct inspiration for him deciding to steal the Kryptonite and confront Superman. "I'm older now than my father ever was. This may be the most important thing I ever do." Something like that, right?

But think of those memories dissolving, or resolving, into a desire, a will, maybe even just a hunch, to find and collect the other metas, to stand together against an imminent threat (Lex can help fill in those blanks), and perhaps keep an eye on Lois Lane. That's enough, isn't it?

And—hey!—who does Bruce NOT keep track of once the Super-$hit goes down? Lois Lane. So maybe those echoes fade quickly.

Maybe we'll get other glimpses into alternate, Apokoliptic, futures in the next couple of DCU movies. The future changes just enough that the Flash (of the same future, or perhaps successively different Apokoliptic futures) needs to try to contact a different hero at a different critical moment in each one.

Keep on keepin' on~