Crisis On Infinite Earths: All Of The Monitor’s Powers, Explained – CBR – Comic Book Resources

With his remarkable and seemingly infinite power, the Monitor is a fascinating character in the DC Comics universe. He made his first appearance in 1982 in New Teen Titans but is better known for his appearance in the Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series from 1985. He has sparked attention again since showing up in the CW Arrowverse, delivering dangerous goods and watching the heroes scramble to combat the new threats in their midst.

RELATED: 10 Things Every Arrowverse Fan Should Know About The Monitor

The Monitor possesses incredible cosmic abilities but they are never formally defined or explained in his storylines. Nonetheless, DC fans are shown a wide variety of Monitor's impressive powers over the course of his appearances in comics and on TV.

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The Monitor is not exactly immortal--after all, it becomes apparent that he can be killed. He does, however, possess amazing longevity. The Monitor spent billions of years watching over the multiverse prior to the events of Crisis, indicating his ancient status. He didn't age or deteriorate noticeably despite the passage of eons and never sustained injuries substantial enough to cause his downfall. The Monitor is essentially unlimited in ability, so it's really not surprising that he has been able to live such a long life. The actual extent of his longevity, though, is extraordinary.

The character of the Monitor is intricately linked with the concept of the multiverse in DC Comics. He was born shortly after the singular universe split into multiple and he later took on the role of overseer for all the worlds made of positive matter. In order to effectively observe these worlds, it was necessary for him to jump from one to another. He also had to take a trip across the multiverse in order to recruit the most capable heroes and form a team that would be able to overcome the impending threat looming in the Arrowverse TV shows.

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After the Monitor was born on Oa's moon, he began to meditate. While in this state he used his innate power to gather as much information as he could about the universe. This act alone provided him with a massive amount of knowledge that would act as a foundation for his future decisions. Over the course of his incredibly long life, this knowledge naturally continued to grow through exposure to events across the multiverse. The Arrowverse has featured its fair share of brilliant characters, but few are likely to compare to the Monitor.

When it comes to moving throughout the multiverse, teleportation is the most practical method of travel. The Monitor is able to disappear and reappear as needed and takes the opportunity to use this power for dramatic effect. In the first issue of the Crisis series, he teleports into a room where his chosen heroes are gathered, a blinding flash of light announcing his arrival. He also appears able to transport others via teleportation, as seen in the Arrowverse's "Elseworlds" crossover event when he brought the Green Arrow from a building on Earth-1 to an isolated, starry space.

Teleportation isn't always necessary for moving from one place to another, and that's when the power of flight comes in handy. Some superheroes are defined by their ability to fly, being so closely associated with it that it overshadows many of their other powers. This is far from the case for the Monitor; his abilities are so tremendous and so varied that flight is not often seen from him and is easily forgotten. However, flight is still an impressive and notable ability to have and should not be overlooked, even in the case of a being as capable as the Monitor.

The Monitor has a level of awareness well beyond that of the average human. He often gives warnings to the heroes he encounters indicating that he has an idea of what will unfold in the near future, even if he isn't completely certain. He is more sensitive to what is going on in the present as well. During "Elseworlds", Cisco used his vibing abilities in an effort to quietly peek in on the Monitor. However, the Monitor became almost instantly aware of the hero's power use, looking back at Cisco and addressing him directly.

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Telekinesis is an extremely useful power when it comes to facing off with super-powered beings, allowing the user to inflict damage to their enemy without having to get too physically close. While the Monitor has an extensive arsenal of other powers as well, telekinesis is one that has benefited him greatly, though not always as an attack. When he first approaches John Deegan in the "Elseworlds" crossover event, the psychiatrist is understandably skeptical of him. The Monitor uses his telekinetic power to crush a car, effectively demonstrating his power and intimidating Deegan.

Finding the individuals he is looking for is no challenge for the Monitor. Whenever he has needed to contact someone, he has been able to simply teleport directly to their location, appearing in front of them regardless of where in the multiverse they are. This act suggests that he is able to sense where an individual is at any given time. He is also described as being able to sense his brother, the Anti-Monitor, a being that is his equal but existing in a universe made of anti-matter. His awareness of his brother's existence allowed him to track him and fight with him from his home moon.

RELATED: 10 Fan Theories About Arrowverse's Crisis On Infinite Earths That Are Likely To Happen

Living for billions of years is an amazing thing, but without the ability to hold strong in lengthy endeavors there's little point to having such an extended lifespan. Luckily for the Monitor, superhuman stamina is in his toolkit. Neither his body or his mind tire easily and he is able to push through challenges with strength and determination. Without his impressive stamina, he would not have been able to keep up the fight against the Anti-Monitor, a battle which raged on between them for millions of years before they knocked each other out.

Metron, an explorer of mysterious origin, once described the Monitor as a being capable of creating from thought. This description suggests that the Monitor has the ability to bring anything into existence and supports the notion that his power is practically unlimited. Compared to the most powerful of Earth-1's heroes, the Monitor is more or less a god. He used this power to save Pariah after his world was destroyed by the Anti-Monitor and likely used it to create some of the weapons he provided to various villainous characters across the multiverse.

NEXT: 10 Strangest Ways DC Heroes Got Their Powers

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