The Button: How Batman and The Flash Brought Watchmen Into the DC Universe - CBR - Comic Book Resources

At the end of the DC Rebirth Special #1, by Geoff Johns, Ethan Van Sciver, Gary Frank, Jason Wright and Brad Anderson, Batman finds the familiar smiley face button in the Batcave signaling to fans that the Watchmen have officially been brought into the main DC Universe. When Batman and The Flash conduct their investigation into the strange button, fans realized the full extent this object had on both the Flashpoint timeline and how it sets up Doomsday Clock.

"The Button" is a four-issue storyline that ran through Batman #21-22, by Tom King, Jason Fabok and Brad Anderson and The Flash #21-22, by Joshua Williamson, Howard Porter and Hi-Fi Design. During the conclusion of DC Universe: Rebirth#1, Wally West was pulled out of the Speed Force by Barry Allen which makes West realize that the Flashpoint wasn't the cause of the New 52 and that whatever was took ten years of everyone's life and screwed around with people's relationships that existed prior to the New 52.

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In his investigation of the button, Batman comes up on one dead end after another until and after constantly being frustrated, he throws the button next to the Psycho-Pirate's mask. There's an immediate reaction as the Dark Knight is hit in the chest by a bolt of lightning and sees the Flashpoint Batman, Thomas Wayne. The vision fades quickly, and after he asks Flash to meet him in the Batcave, he's attacked and beaten mercilessly by Reverse-Flash. Thawne picks up the button and is transported away. Upon his return, Thawne's body is mutilated and he describes seeing "God" right before he dies.

Flash arrives in the Batcave and together they decide to further investigate the button. They hop on the Cosmic Treadmill to chase down the odd energy signature as well as find out who killed Thawne and who is manipulating the reality of their universe. As soon as they enter the timestream, they are caught in a "Time Storm" and witness moments from the Pre-Flashpoint DCU, the Pre-Crisis origin of the Justice League, and scenes from Identity Crisis and Crisis on Infinite Earths. The two wind up in the Batcave in the Flashpoint timeline. They escape from this timeline quickly as it's unraveling and they run into Reverse-Flash, who is holding the button, right before he dies.

They try to warn Thawne of his impending death, but Thawne claims he already knows "who the power of the button belongs to". He charges ahead as the Treadmill begins to break apart. Thawne arrives at the source of the button's energy and confronts the mysterious entity who is responsible for everything. He boasts of his newfound power saying, "I cannot be erased. By you. By anyone." However, when Thawne sees the being's true face, he's struck with fear and starts pleading for mercy. He is then disintegrated and transported back to the Batcave at the start of the story.

After making it back to their correct timeline, the two detectives contemplate what they just experienced. Bruce concludes that everything they just experienced "can't all be by accident." The final panels show the button being picked up by the familiar hand of Doctor Manhattan as the button is morphed into Superman's "S." There aren't too many answers found in "The Button" but the threads left behind all point to the upcoming Doomsday Clock and the Watchmen finally being part of the main DC Universe.

Keep Reading: Doomsday Clock: Is There Now More Than One Smiley Face Button?

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Scott Shoyer (86 Articles Published)

Scott Shoyer is an avid comic book collector & reader, a writer, and a podcaster in the Austin, TX area. A former chef in high-end restaurants and food salesperson, Scott is now doing what he truly loves: writing. He has four novels and four short stories published so far. When not writing, you can hear Scott on the Kirby's Kids podcast.