An image on Monitor-Mind's page...

[Kuwabara!]

Hi all,

There is something that has been bugging me for a little while, namely this image on the Monitor-Mind's page:

http://i.imgur.com/rf8DXHn.png

Although it is a generally good description of Monitor-Mind, there are two flaws in using the page to describe Monitor-Mind. First is that the page is more relevant to Pralaya, who has a matching description of herself later in the comic:

http://i.imgur.com/DHTU0pY.jpg

The second flaw is in the wording of the description. The "Unmanifest Void" is also referred to as "God's Unconscious". This suggests that the Void is a part of God. DeMatteis has said something similar in the past as well (where he stated Pralaya/Unmanifest Void is an Aspect of God). There is only one, maybe two times in DC Comics that I know of where the Void is stated to be a part of God. There are MANY times where the Monitor-Mind is stated to be above the Presence and also many times where they are shown as being separate, so it is inconsistent with the overall source material.

I'm wondering if these scans should be taken off the Monitor-Mind's page and put onto Pralaya's page.

 

[Antvasima]

This is a valid point. I do not think that the first scan is from Final Crisis or Multiversity, but rather from the J.M. DeMatteis story about Pralaya. I will ask Matthew Schroeder.

 

[Matthew_Schroeder]

You're wrong. Pralaya is an aspect born from the void proper, and her wish is to return all of existence to the void.

It being God's Unconscious is a reference to in-world mythology, the same page actually describes it as predating God.

"Before Creation, before the Creator, was the infinite ocean of Nothing"

 

[Antvasima]

Okay. Never mind. We should probably close this thread then.

 

[Kuwabara!]

You are wrong. Pralaya is said by DeMatteis to be an "Aspect of God":

http://i.imgur.com/Uex7A39.png

The Unmanifest Void is quite literally intended to be God's Unconscious (with good reason if you know a bit about Hinduism). The idea is that the Void, the Creator and Creation are all but aspects of a much greater God/Existence. This isn't a new concept (as the idea exists in some Hindu and Judeo-Christian schools of thought), although I must stress that it is inconsistent with the proper continuity. That is why I brought it up in the first place.

The comic also does state that the Void existed in the timeline before the Creator. This means either the Void gave birth to the Creator or the Creator exists beyond the Void and simply showed up later. In some schools of Hindu thought, both are true: the Creator (Brahma or Narayana...depends) is said to be the self-manifested form of Brahman who begins the cycle of Creation. The Void is the nothingness that exists after Pralaya (the cycle of Dissolution), which is when Brahman sleeps (or is unconscious). At that point in time, only Brahman remains. When Brahman "wakes up", the Creator appears anew and the cycle begins again. In a way, both the Creator and the Void are aspects of Brahman (the closest Hindu equivalent of a Supreme Being or "God").

Getting back on topic, I still think the image in question should be moved to Pralaya's page. DeMatteis clearly stated that Pralaya is an Aspect of God and referred to the Void as such in the comic. This is inconsistent with other depictions of the Void and should not be on the Monitor-Mind's page. Most importantly, the comic is more about Pralaya than the Void and should be treated as such by being on her page.

 

[Kuwabara!]

To further back up my statements earlier, DeMatteis has confirmed that the Creator is an aspect of God. This is consistent with the idea that the Creator, the Void and Creation are all a part of God.

http://i.imgur.com/5HnEAFo.jpg

Although I personally love the concept, I don't know how well it fits in with the more consistent material. This concept of God has been done in the Spectre comics, but not much. Only once, maybe twice.

That is why I think the scan should be moved to Prayala's page. It just makes more sense being there.

 

[Antvasima]

What do you think Matthew?

 

[AndrewBennet]

Pralaya embodies great darkness/void that predates light which is not the same as overvoid which is beyond all the voids due to being complete nothingness . It refers to her being more of an aspect of great evil beast /Darkness.