52 #52 is an issue of the series 52 (Volume 1) with a cover date of July, 2007. It was published on May 2, 2007.
Synopsis for "A Year in the Life"
Rip Hunter revealed to Booster Gold that, after the events of Infinite Crisis, the remaining Earths created by Alexander Luthor collapsed back together, combining historical remnants to form one New Earth. However, the single universe was too small to contain the energy inside it and it began replicating - into 52 identical Universes, a new Multiverse.
Further, in the few seconds after the creation of this new Multiverse, the Earths (and their corresponding Universes) "will occupy the same space, each on a different vibrational plane.
During their efforts to stop the vastly powerful Mister Mind from destroying every universe, Hunter described Mind's efforts as "eating years and events from this universe's history -- altering the Earth with every flap of his wings". This resulted in the Earths changing, becoming different from New Earth in varying degrees.
Hunter's plan to defeat Mister Mind rested with Booster, Supernova, and Skeets. By fortifying Skeets' shell with Sivana's invention, Suspendium, they managed to imprison Mister Mind in Skeets. Booster threw Skeets through an opening in time while Supernova ensured that it ended up in the correct time: Week 0 Day 0. Mister Mind's devolved form is found (again) by Sivana, who imprisons him. Hunter used the 52 seconds of missing time to bind Mr. Mind, forever condemned to live within that loop.
Hunter further states that "the notion that there's a Multiverse beyond the reality we know -- that's too dangerous a secret to spread." However, he had let that very thing slip in front of Doctor Sivana.
Appearing in "A Year in the Life"
Featured Characters:
- Rip Hunter
- Booster Gold
- Daniel Carter/Supernova (First appearance as Supernova)
Supporting Characters:
- Kate Kane
- Red Tornado
- Question (Renée Montoya) (Flashback and main story)
- Skeets
- John Henry Irons (Flashback and main story)
- Natasha Irons
- Will Magnus
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Adam Strange (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Alexander Luthor (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Animal Man (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Batman (Cameo)
- Beautia Sivana
- Black Adam (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)
- Chang Tzu (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Checkmate
- Alan Scott
- Mister Terrific (Cameo)
- Bruno Mannheim (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Doctor Sivana, Jr.
- Elongated Man (Flashback and main story) (Ghost)
- Flash (Jay Garrick) (Cameo)
- Georgia Sivana
- Isis (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- J'onn J'onzz (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Jean Loring (Possessed) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Lady Quark (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Lex Luthor (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Lobo (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Magnificus Sivana
- Mallory Kimball
- Vic Sage (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Sarge Steel
- Starfire (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Sue Dibny (Ghost)
- Superboy (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Superboy-Prime (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Superman (Cameo)
- Venus Sivana
- Wonder Woman (Cameo) (also as Diana Prince)
- Earth-2
- Justice Society Infinity (Cameo)
- Atom (Cameo)
- Doctor Fate (Cameo)
- Flash (Jay Garrick of Earth-2) (Cameo)
- Green Lantern (Alan Scott of Earth-2) (Cameo)
- Huntress (Cameo)
- Jade (Cameo)
- Obsidian (Cameo)
- Power Girl (Behind the scenes)
- Robin (Cameo)
- Superman (Behind the scenes)
- Wonder Woman of Earth-2 (Cameo)
- Justice Society Infinity (Cameo)
- Earth-3
- Crime Society (Cameo)
- Johnny Quick (Cameo)
- J'onn J'onzz of Earth-3 (Cameo)
- Owlman (Cameo) (First appearance)
- Power Ring (Cameo)
- Super-Woman (Cameo)
- Ultraman (Cameo)
- Crime Society (Cameo)
- Earth-4
- Blue Beetle (Dan Garrett) (Cameo)
- Captain Atom (Cameo)
- Judo Master (Cameo)
- Nightshade (Cameo)
- Question (Vic Sage of Earth-4) (First appearance) (Cameo)
- Peacemaker (Cameo)
- Earth-5
- Marvel Family (Cameo)
- Captain Marvel (Cameo)
- Captain Marvel, Jr. (Cameo)
- Dudley Marvel (Cameo)
- Mary Marvel (Cameo)
- Mr. Tawky Tawny (Cameo)
- Mister Atom (Cameo)
- Marvel Family (Cameo)
- Earth-10
- JLAxis (Cameo)
- Overman (Cameo)
- Brunhilde (Cameo)
- Green Lantern of Earth-10 (Cameo)
- Flash of Earth-10 (Cameo)
- Freedom Fighters (Cameo)
- Black Condor (Cameo)
- Doll Girl (Cameo)
- Doll Man (Cameo)
- Human Bomb (Cameo)
- Phantom Lady (Cameo)
- Ray (Cameo)
- Uncle Sam (Cameo)
- JLAxis (Cameo)
- Earth-17
- Atomic Knights (Cameo)
- Giant Dalmatians (Cameo)
- Earth-22
- Earth-50
- Daemonites (Cameo)
- Gen 13 (Cameo)
- Burnout (Cameo)
- Caitlin Fairchild (Cameo)
- Freefall (Cameo)
- WildC.A.T.s (Cameo)
- Grifter (Cameo)
- Maul (Cameo)
- Mister Majestic (Cameo)
- Voodoo (Cameo)
- Zealot (Cameo)
Locations:
- Phantom Zone
- Multiverse/Timestream
- Earth-2
- Earth-3
- Earth-4
- Earth-5
- Earth-10
- Earth-12
- Earth-17
- Metropolis briefly
- Daily Planet briefly
- Earth-22
- Earth-50
- New Earth
- United States of America
- Alabama
- Sheffield
- Fawcett City
- Sivana Mansion
- Gotham City
- Haven
- Metropolis
- Washington, D.C.
- Alabama
- Kahndaq
- Switzerland
- United States of America
Items:
- Amulet of Isis
- Rip Hunter's Chalk Board
- Ring of Volthoom
- Suspendium
- Brunhilde's Lasso (First appearance)
Vehicles:
Notes
- Final issue of the series. This issue shipped on May 2nd, 2007 (July by indicia).
- Although Skeets' metal frame is destroyed in this issue, his hard drive is downloaded into a Responsometer. A Responsometer is a miniature implant that provides the Metal Men with their personality and memories.
- This issue is reprinted in 52 Vol. 4 of the 2007 4-volume edition, 52 Volume Two of the 2016 2-volume edition, and 52 Omnibus.
Trivia
- The ticker-tape at the bottom of the cover reads, "The year without Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman is over..."
- This issue features a wrap-around cover.
- Special thanks is credited to editor Stephen Wacker.
- The cover to this issue is a re-imagining of the cover to Week 1.
- Sobek makes a cameo appearance as a pair of alligator skin boots.