Hypertime

Hypertime is a fictional concept in DC Comics which first appeared in the 1999 The Kingdom limited series.[1][2] It is a variation of the Multiverse concept that existed in DC Comics before Crisis on Infinite Earths and was devised by Mark Waid and Grant Morrison.[3][4]

The idea, described in The Kingdom #2 as "the vast interconnected web of parallel time-lines which comprise all reality", was an attempt by Waid to resolve the many tangled continuity issues that were supposed to have been solved by 1985's Crisis on Infinite Earths. Keith Dallas and Jason Sacks write, "Through Hypertime, Waid sought to resolve the contradictions in DC's continuity once and for all. Indeed, Hypertime allows for contradictions because anything that didn't make sense can be attributed to overlapping timelines."[5]

Concept

Hypertime is a network of alternate timelines that branch off from the DC Universe.[2][6] It has been analogized to a river network that branches out, and then runs 'up stream' to feed itself,[6] like an ouroboros or tesseract.[2] These timelines sometimes overlap with each other, causing alterations in reality. Characters can cross from one timeline to another if needed.[7] Hypertime has been used as a device to explain continuity errors. As such, it is not universally acclaimed. Some fans welcomed the idea as an explanation for earlier continuity errors while others criticized it for being a license to create more narrative problems.[5]

The Hypertime concept was first introduced in The Kingdom, Mark Waid's sequel to Kingdom Come.[2] It exists within the larger Multiverse used within DC Comics publications.[3][4] It is a "cosmic construct" collecting many of the fictional universes in which the published stories take place. The worlds in this multiverse share a common space and fate, and its structure has changed several times in the history of DC Comics.[8]

Writer Mark Waid stated that "The possibilities are endless. Hypertime is an unashamed reaction to nearly 15 years of comics being made ‘more realistic,’ less ‘larger than life.’ As far as we’re concerned, DC Comics shouldn't be about rules and regulations and ‘can’t happen’s and ‘shouldn’t be’s; they should be about anything and everything that tells a good story and gets fans excited."[6]

52

Mister Mind, disguised as Skeets, refers to Waverider as "the seer of Hypertime".[9]

Booster Gold

An older Booster Gold, while explaining his duties to his son Rip Hunter, mentions the concept of Hypertime.[10]

Multiversity

Hypertime is used to explain the formation and alteration of the 52 universes formed at the end of 52.[11]

Rebirth

Hypertime has been mentioned several times in the Prime Earth continuity.[12][13]

See also

References
  1. Ndalianis, Angela (2011). Science Fiction Experiences. New Academia Publishing. p. 83. ISBN 9780982806180. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  2. Kieran, Shiach (May 20, 2017). "What Does Hypertime's Return Mean For The DC Universe's Rebirth?". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  3. Wolk, Douglas (2008). Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean. Da Capo Press. p. 281. ISBN 078672157X.
  4. Klock, Geoff (September 6, 2002). How to Read Superhero Comics and Why. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 23–24. ISBN 0826414192.
  5. Dallas, Keith; Sacks, Jason. American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1990s. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 268. ISBN 9781605490847.
  6. Yarbrough, Beau (December 31, 1998). "HYPERTIME! Mark Waid on the origins of Hypertime". Comic Wire. Comic Book Resources. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  7. The Kingdom #2 (Feb. 1999)
  8. Wallace, Dan (2008). "Alternate Earths". In Dougal, Alistair (ed.). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. London: DK Publishing. pp. 20–21. ISBN 9780756641191.
  9. 52 Week Twenty-Seven (Nov. 2006)
  10. Booster Gold (vol. 2) #30 (May 2010)
  11. The Multiversity Guidebook (March 2015)
  12. The Flash (vol. 5) #22 (May 2017)
  13. Justice League (vol. 3) #25 (July 2017)

Further reading
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