And just ignore all the other cosmic deities. In my opinion, this doesn't really clarify anything. It just makes it more confusing.

Tynion has actually simplified a lot of Morrison’s concepts. He uses the terms “Overvoid”, and “World Orrery” but really, this is the simplest explanation of a 5th dimensional concept that I’ve seen.

From both NE’s “Trinity” and “JLA/Avengers” the cosmology has an egg giving birth to the Multiverse. That’s wayyyy wierderer. Especially since Krona had become one of those cosmic eggs.

The last time Krona was shown opening the rift to the beginning of time was GL Vol 5 17 from 2013; and he saw Volthoom’s hand shaping the universe. Three issues later, Volthoom reached back to the beginning of time and restarted the Multiverse. Who knows what changes happened?

Of course, the Multiversity Guidebook is from 2015 and makes no mention of Perpetua; though the Anti-Monitor (of either appearance - COIE or Mobius) makes repeated appearances and the over-Monitor reforms in DN:M. So pieces of Perpetua’s cosmology *have * been building for a while.

Bottom line: I like it because most of it tracks with current PE continuity, and it still seems to take CoIE into account. Also, I'm glad that Tynion IV handled this issue as he tends to allow the personal struggles into even the most insane narratives.

While it may seem kind of trite that Mar Novu establishing the Source Wall to seal away Perpetua miffed Mobius (his reason for being now moot), I do think it gives us a peak into their interactions as characters, not just "entities."

Perpetua is Agent Smith in The Matrix, chafing against the rigid system that says she's disposable once her purpose is fulfilled. She simply decided not to comply, although given her powers and importance, it's more than a simple women's rights issue!

Is Perpetua evil? Undoubtedly. But we at least know WHY it is that she set a course towards Doom, now.

Of course, given these revelations, I'm going to have to agree that Lex is WAY out of his Legion. Perpetua wants to keep this universe chaotic as an act of rebellion, and also to give her an army worthy of combating The Source. Is Lex ready for THAT fight? I doubt it.

The Raptor? My guess is that it's either an agent of The Presence, or perhaps an agent of an even higher power (is there one? We don't know where the hierarchy goes beyond Perpetua, just that there IS one and she isn't the top).

Alpheus the World Forger, when he is screaming at the JL in #21, demands that they know what the price of setting up the Source Wall was.

What was the price that the WF paid?

?1) Mobius and his carnivorous cosmology? Untold trillions died in some version of COIE. But would this concern the World Forger? (See JL #21) He’s somewhat indifferent to beings from ‘lower’ dimensions - considering that he is going to over-write Multiverse 1.

?2) The Anti-Monitor’s estrangement from his family? Or both the Monitor and Anti-Monitor’s dissolution and rebirth?

?3) The World Forger seemed to take it particularly personally. He did not seem eager to vacay in Multiverse 2 or anything, and just wanted to work on his forge. Was he a momma’s boy? As Grimm points out, Tynion is excelling at giving the cosmo’s a personality and this seems to be the source of the WF’s upset.

There's a lot of hands out there in the DCU. Can you find Manhattan's?

That’s the one! It’s got my man Metamorpho in it.

The Iron Hand. Small time guy that goes cosmic.

************

EDIT: At the beginning of PE the hand was Volthoom’s; wearing a ring. (Second from the top left) We would have expected the hand to be Manhattan’s but at this point *his* seems more to be a meddling hand; moving Alan Scott’s Green Lantern those deadly six inches.

The claws are distinctive, and a bit of the look is just Manapul’s style. Kelley Jones sometimes draws fingers the same way.