001: Multiverse Theory - Video

[partiallysquirrelblood]

Hey pals, Doreen here. I noticed a little confusion about some parts of the situation? Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of confusion to go around, but in this case, I think at least a few of us know what's going on? We just thought everyone else had figured it out by this point.

Sorry about that, but I'm going to try to make up for it.

[She picks up one of the paper plates.]

Pretend this is the world we're on.

[She puts the plate on the table, moving the camera around so it's facing it.]

Now, if anything we've told about this place is true, this is probably Earth.

Robbie and I? We're from Earth. [Another plate on the table.]

Sticky Ben? Yep, Earth. [Third plate on the table.]

Phosphophyllite, Armstrong, Kevin, Gadget? Earth, Earth, Earth, Earth. And another bunch of Earths for most of the rest of us, too. <[Plates just go all over the table.]

I know some of you are from other worlds. They're important, they're where you live, after all, but they're not super-relevant to my point right now. You might want to pay attention just in case, though.

Now, you're thinking, dang, Doreen, that's a lot of people from Earth. You might be wondering why I used so many plates if we're all from the same place.

The thing is while we might all be from Earth, we're not all from the same Earth. Hence all the plates.

See, everything, Earth, the sun, the stars, and other planets? They occupy a thing called the universe. But? There's more than one universe. Universes where life didn't develop, where it developed differently, where the laws of physics have ceased to make any sort of sense, where none of us have powers, where all of us have powers, where our moralities have been entirely flipped, where you decided not to have that donut last week...etcetera.

And in each of them, Earth, or whatever planet you're from, does or doesn't exist. This is what we call a multiverse. And in some cases, it's possible to visit or even be stuck in one of these alternate universes. Which is pretty much what happened here.

I hoped that cleared some things up. If it didn't, I'll try to answer any questions you have. Can't promise I'll be able to answer all of them, though. I'm not an expert in multiverse theory or anything, this is basically just stuff you pick up when you become a superhero.

Comments

video

[googledox]

A solid explanation for those unfamiliar with multiversal theory.

[Somewhat simplistic, but...well. There are people here that probably don't even have space travel yet, where the concept of alien worlds in the same universe is new. Brainy can appreciate when people dumb things down for others. Teaching is a skill like any other. All those classes teaching tech to the displacee Legionnaires had made it clear he's bad at it.]

Something of note is that interdimensional travel is more common in some universes than others. This is even the second incident I've been involved in where individuals were displaced en masse to another universe. My universe was the world they were drawn into in that instance, by a powerful being trying to bring us individuals that could help us defeat a terrible threat to the multiverse. No one had a choice in the matter so we had to make the best of it and ally together to stop the monstrous being we were fighting.

Robbie Baldwin was one of those individuals. Though we have a history together, we're actually native to different universes and times. I've lived primarily in space or on Earth for the last several years, but in another dimension with a different history, 1000 years in his future. Unfortunately, for unknown reasons, the ability that was allowing him continued interdimensional travel between other universes no longer works here.

This time I seem to also be one of the displacees. [A pause]. I much preferred when the situation was in my dimension. We were considerably more gracious hosts.

[Another pause.]

Though I have lived on a version of Earth, I am originally native to another world in the same universe, a planet called Colu.

[walkingballpit]

Legion World was definitely a softer landing, but nobody’s been talking up how bad vegan pizza and plooberry are, so that’s a win.

So is Colu a colander or a pasta bowl, in the unifying multiverse tableware theory? For that matter, where do pocket dimensions fit in?

[partiallysquirrelblood]

I think it's pretty obvious that pocket dimensions are Hot Pockets. It's even in the name.

[walkingballpit]

[ He’s laughing doesn’t hard at this. ]

Are you calling me a hot pocket? I don’t know if I’m flattered or insulted.

[partiallysquirrelblood]

You're more like a cup of Dippin' Dots.

And I'm gonna be honest: that would've been a way better codename than Speedball.

[googledox]

Dippin' Dots.

I concur. More whimsy, less accidental 21st century drug connotations - whether they were made by the press or not.

[He tilts his head.]

Then again, the USA in the 21st century is fairly litigious so offending a corporation might be unwise. [sarcasm] Who knows how possessive such a prestigious, dot-themed ice cream maker might be over their trademark.

[Interestingly, his 21st century references trend closer to the commercial than the cultural. His friends had been fascinated with the different products that could be found and different stores that existed. Talk about that happened when they were out searching for things they needed - often on mall trips where Cos desperately herded cats, or around the dinner table. His exposure to media had been spottier.]

[Which is why he knows what Doritos cool ranch is - and what it takes like (horrible) but has no idea why Superboy so often called him 'Spock.']

[walkingballpit]

It’s not like I picked it. That’s what the newspaper called me, and I was a 15-year-old from Connecticut. I didn’t know how bad an idea it was.