The concept of the multiverse is becoming a go-to for superhero stories. From Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and even the Arrowverse's take on the legendary Crisis on Infinite Earths, there appears to be no shortage of Marvel and DC's costumed champions facing off against threats from a parallel universe. However, there's one film that was ahead of the curve: the 2010 DC Universe original animated film Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths.

Written by Dwayne McDuffie and directed by Sam Liu & Lauren Montgomery, Crisis on Two Earths finds the Justice League – which consists of Superman (Mark Harmon), Batman (William Baldwin), Wonder Woman (Vanessa Marshall), The Flash (Josh Keaton), Green Lantern Hal Jordan (Nolan North) and the Martian Manhunter (Jonathan Adams) – being approached by a parallel version of Lex Luthor (Chris Noth), who seeks their help battling the organization known as the Crime Syndicate. The Syndicate more or less rules Luthor's earth with an iron fist, even wiping out his version of the Justice League. The League agrees to help Luthor by traveling to his Earth, though they soon find themselves fighting for the fate of all reality.

From the jump, McDuffie, Liu, and Montgomery use the multiverse concept to play on audiences' expectations of the Justice League. Crisis on Two Earths opens with a heist sequence, as Luthor and the Jester – his earth's version of the Joker – break into the Syndicate's headquarters to steal a device called the "Quantum Trigger". At first glance, one might assume that this is a standard supervillain encounter that will be foiled by the Justice League. But certain details stand out. The Jester's outfit, for example, feels less like a supervillain costume – it's brighter and more playful than the suits the Joker usually wears. Not to mention what happens when the Jester runs afoul of Syndicate members Angelique and J'edd J'arkus. Angelique immediately impales the Jester with her flaming sword, twisting it to prolong his suffering – something even hardened antiheroes like Red Hood and Harley Quinn would flinch at.

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Image via Warner Bros

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That also extends to the interaction that Luthor has with the League, particularly Superman. Superman outright says he doesn't trust Luthor, which is not a surprise, given that he's probably fought his Luthor countless times and the two butt heads over leadership style. When Luthor proposes a plan for taking down the Syndicate, Superman shoots it down and gives an alternative, even pointing out that his League is different from Luthor's League. In the end, the two work together to take down Ultraman, and part on good terms.

The Syndicate's main members also happen to live up to their organization's title, running a series of operations similar to the Mafia. Ultraman (Brian Bloom), Owlman (James Woods), Superwoman (Gina Torres), Johnny Quick (James Patrick Stuart), and Power Ring (North) have completely intimidated the world's governments into overlooking their activities, with only the threat of nuclear retaliation preventing their complete takeover. And unlike the Justice League, they're willing to torture and kill others to achieve their goals, especially Superwoman. During a battle with Batman, she winds up dislocating one of his ribs with her thumb and wonders what else she can break. Much like their comic book counterparts, the Syndicate serves as the complete opposites of the Justice League.

The true antagonist of the film winds up being Owlman, as he has a rather nihilistic approach to the concept of alternate universes. Believing that nothing he does matters since his alternate selves will wind up making a different choice, Owlman intends to use a weapon that the Syndicate had been building to take over the world to find Earth-Prime, which is the keystone of reality, and destroy it, wiping out all existence in the process. "I choose to make the only possible real choice," he tells Batman on Earth-Prime, believing that his action is the only one that will have meaning. This is only made the more horrifying by Woods' performance, as Owlman keeps a relatively calm tone throughout the film. In the end, Owlman's nihilism is his undoing as Batman manages to send him and the device to a world barren of life. Even though he has a chance to defuse the bomb, Owlman refuses, saying, "It doesn't matter," right before perishing in a ball of flame. McDuffie would later confirm that in traveling to Earth-Prime, Owlman wound up creating another branch of reality, which may explain why he chose to die alone.

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Image via Warner Bros

It serves as another way to separate him from Batman. In order to get to Earth-Prime, Luthor tells the Dark Knight that he'll have to find someone fast enough to vibrate between dimensions and open a portal. Though the Flash volunteers, Batman says he's too slow. Enter Johnny Quick, who manages to open the portal. However, the strain of vibrating at a dimensional frequency rapidly ages Quick which leads to his death. Before he shuffles off the mortal coil, Quick correctly deduces that Batman considered this risk and lied to the Flash to protect him. It's proof that Batman cares about his teammates, as compared to Owlman who uses his in order to achieve his goals. And Batman isn't the only Leaguer who has an emotional connection to the Syndicate's world. While the League attempts to convince President Slade Wilson (Bruce Davison) to fight back against the Syndicate, Martian Manhunter forms a romantic bond with his daughter Rose (Freddi Rogers).

Much like how No Way Home united the three actors who played Spider-Man and Multiverse of Madness featured an Illuminati comprised of actors playing variants of beloved Marvel heroes, Crisis on Two Earths is stuffed to the gills with twists on established DC characters. The Syndicate's "made men," the powered enforcers who help oversee their operations, are villainous versions of DC characters. There's a muscle-bound Jimmy Olsen, and Superwoman has a trio of beings who are counterparts to Shazam and his family. But the big moment comes around the film's halfway point.

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Image via Warner Bros

When Superwoman and her Made Men travel to the League's earth to find the device Luthor stole. Batman intercepts them and winds up calling in a group of heroes to help him out. Aquaman, Red Tornado, Black Lightning, Firestorm, and Black Canary engage in one of the film's most inventive action sequences, which also double as a nod to its origins. McDuffie had originally written the script under the title Justice League: Worlds Collide, intending to bridge the gap between the Justice League animated series and Justice League Unlimited. In the final sequence, Batman suggests to Superman that they do a "membership drive" – and his first pick is that exact group of heroes, hinting at Unlimited's method of including multiple DC characters.

From its plot to its cast of characters and the A-list creative talent behind the scenes, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths may be the gold standard for a multiversal superhero movie. It's currently available to stream on HBO Max, as well as a breezy yet engaging 78 minutes, so if you're looking for a worthwhile watch or jonesing for a great DC movie it's a great pick.