In his lair, the Anti-Monitor stands over the Flash, who has begun to recover from Psycho-Pirate's spell of fear. The villain declares that when the Monitor's remaining energies fade, which now protect Earth-One and 2, the ultimate power will be his. As promised, he imbues the Pirate with enough power to control the emotions of the people on three Earths. This will counter the Monitor's plan to save those worlds with the aid of super-beings from Earth-One and Earth-2.

Back on the satellite, the heroes are trying to save themselves while their shelter falls apart. Pariah disappears, drawn to a new disaster. Alex hooks himself to one of the machines, to draw Earths 4, S, and X into the Monitor's netherverse. Harbinger knocks him unconscious to prevent his sacrifice, then she enters the power-well at the center of the satellite, moments before the satellite blows apart. On Earth-2, the Atom carries Wildcat to a bed in an apartment. Wildcat, in pain from his shattered legs, moans that he was useless before, and now he is helpless. Atom replies that Ted Grant gave Al Pratt lots of inspiration, not only by being a champion prizefighter, but by struggling to live in a hard and cruel world. He urges Wildcat not to let AI Pratt, or himself, down. Outside, clinging to the windowsill, is Yolanda Montez. She mourns for Ted, vowing that a new Wildcat will live in his honor. On Earth-One, Lex Luthor, fleeing from Superman, is transported to Brainiac's ship. Luthor is surprised, never having seen Brainiac in his robotic form.

The living computer reveals a plan to make them rulers of the universe. On Earth-X, Steel, Northwind, Dr. Light, Starfire, and Hawkman of Earth-2 are suddenly teleported to a rooftop near where the anti-matter is devastating the city. Then they see a giant figure of Harbinger within the curtain of anti-matter. On the street below they see a crowd of humans running directly for the curtain. Northwind streaks down, but is blasted by the Ray, who reveals himself, along with the other Freedom Fighters. Hawkman goes to North-wind's aid but is pummelled by the Black Condor, who, like his fellows, is entranced into thinking that the costumed newcomers are foes. Dr. Light stops the people from reaching the curtain by erecting a barricade of light-energy, before the Ray blasts her. She is caught safely by Hawkman. In the anti-matter universe of the Anti-Monitor, the Psycho-Pirate, controlling the emotions of the populations of Earths X, S, and 4, begs his master to let him stop, as the strain is killing him. However, the Monitor replies that once he had yearned for a world to mold, and now he has three.

On Earth-Four, Azrael, Flash of Earth-2, Blok, Katana, and J'onn J'onzz materialize before an anti-matter curtain in the American Midwest. They too see Harbinger's image amidst the anti-matter, and overhead, is the descending bug-ship of the Blue Beetle. He is blasted to the ground by an entranced Captain Atom. Peacemaker and Nightshade appear nearby. Katana is thrown for a loss in her first encounter with Judomaster, displaced from his own era of World War II. The Blue Beetle and the Question realize that they are being forced to attack the heroes, but know that they are helpless to do anything about it. On the merging Earths 1 and 2, the Atlantis of Anion's time now exists above the waves, while the underwater Atlantean cities of Tritonis and Poseidonis have been transplanted to a future Earth. Lori Lemaris, Aquaman, Aqua-lad, and Aquagirl are unable to locate their homes. Aqua-man takes off on a tangent, searching for Mera. His movements are observed by Ocean Master, Black Manta, and Dolphin, who sees the two villains disappear.

On Earth-S, Black Canary watches Changeling, in elephant-form, being thrown through a wall, while Supergirl flies down from above. The three Earth-One heroes are then attacked by Captain Marvel, who has been manipulated into fighting them. Supergirl holds him off, and tries to reason with him, but the World's Mightiest Mortal will not listen, and nearly buries them by knocking down a building. Black Canary deduces that the Psycho-Pirate, of her mother's Earth, must be controlling Captain Marvel, and then notices that the people of Earth-S, running toward the anti-matter curtain, as did their counterparts on Earths X and 4, have been stopped by a crystal barrier erected by Kole. Here too, Harbinger's image can be seen within the anti-matter. Wonder Woman of Earth-One is almost overwhelmed by Captain Marvel, Jr. and Mary Marvel, before Black Canary's sonic blast incapacitates the Earth-S heroes. Changeling, as a boa constrictor, has managed to tie up Uncle Marvel. On Earth-X, Steel is preventing people from destroying themselves in the anti-matter. On Earth-Four, Katana, Blok, and J'onn J'onzz have stalemated the Blue Beetle, Judomaster, and Question. Harbinger, existing simultaneously in Earths S, X, and 4, suddenly draws their universes away from the anti-matter and pulls them through her focussed image.

In the lair of the Anti-Monitor, the Pirate suffers feedback from losing control over the populaces of three Earths. In the netherverse created from the being of the deceased Monitor, Harbinger now accomplishes the incredible task of linking Earths S, X, and 4 with the merging Earths 1 and 2. Doing so, Harbinger ceases to exist; she reverts to the identity of Lyla, dazed, standing on an asteroid beside Alex. He marvels that she had sacrificed so much to save three universes; she replies that she hadn't sacrificed everything—the Monitor did, while she is still alive. But their job is still not finished. The five worlds, all separated by different vibratory rates, are slowing to synchronization... and at that point, they will destroy each other. The immediate problem, however, Alex notes, is getting off the asteroid. On Earth-2, Power Girl, Green Lantern, and Johnny Quick, in pursuit of Star Sapphire, Deathbolt, and Per Degaton, see their quarry disappear without a trace. In the apartment where he was taken, Ted Grant sleeps. A figure stands over him for a moment, proclaiming that the world still needs a Wildcat, and will have one. In space, Lyla reassures Alex that the Monitor had seen a special destiny in the crisis for him. On Earth-2, Yolanda Montez takes to the rooftops as the New Wildcat.