List of DC Multiverse worlds

The DC Multiverse is a fictional continuity construct that is used in DC Comics publications. The Multiverse has undergone numerous changes and has included various universes, listed below between the original Multiverse and its successors.

Cataloged
Originally there was no consistency regarding "numbered" Earths—they would be either spelled out as words or use numbers even within the same story. For example, "Crisis on Earth-Three!" (Justice League of America (vol. 1) #29, August 1964) uses "Earth-3" and "Earth-Three" interchangeably. However, a tradition of spelling out the numbers emerged in "The Most Dangerous Earth" (Justice League of America (vol. 1) #30, September 1964). This convention was disregarded in Crisis on Infinite Earths, and it became common practice to refer to the various Earths with numerals instead. Infinite Crisis reverted to the original practice, but 52 and Countdown have referred to the alternate universes with numerals.

Unclassified
Before the formal creation of its Multiverse, DC would use the "imaginary story" label to denote stories that did not fit and were never intended to fit into its canon—a tradition it would continue even after the creation of the Multiverse with Alan Moore's "What Ever happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" (Action Comics vol. 1 #583 and Superman vol. 1 #423) in 1986 being the last pre-Crisis story to use the label.

By contrast other stories were clearly intended to be canonical but various details were wrong or there were stories told in other media that were never said to not be canonical. As a result, fans and editors would create other Earths to explain things like the Super Friends comic (set on what fans referred to as Earth-1A). Also there were many "one shot" Earths (such as the reality shown in "Superman, You're Dead, Dead, Dead" in Action Comics vol. 1 #399) that were never named and for which few details provided.

After the first Crisis, several new universes appeared despite DC's intentions to the contrary. These included parallel universes in the Darkstars and Justice League series. In addition, DC ran a number of crossovers with other companies that involved travel between different realities. Technically, none of these worlds were ever part of the Multiverse.

This was until the Infinite Crisis mini-series retroactively labeled the Tangent Comics universe and many Elseworlds as Earths of the Multiverse, even though they had been published long after the Multiverse was destroyed. Infinite Crisis did the same with many pre-Crisis Imaginary Tales.

In the "With A Vengeance!" storyline in Superman/Batman, the Multiverse is visited by Bizarro and Batzarro. The Joker and Mr. Mxyzptlk summon Batmen and Supermen from various realities, both previously established worlds as well as unexplored ones.

The 52
A new Multiverse was revealed at the end of the 52 weekly limited series. Unlike the original Multiverse, which was composed of an infinite number of alternate universes, this Multiverse is composed of a predetermined number of alternate universes, which were originally referred to as New Earth and Earths 1 through 51, although erroneously in Tangent: Superman's Reign #1, New Earth is referred to as Earth-1; however, in Final Crisis: Superman Beyond #1, New Earth is instead designated Earth-0. Dan Didio has since explicitly denied that New Earth is Earth-1. The alternate universes were originally identical to New Earth and contained the same history and people until Mister Mind "devoured" portions of each Earth’s history, creating new, distinct Earths with their own histories and people, such as the Nazi-themed version of the Justice League that exists in Earth-10. Each of the alternate universes have their own parallel dimensions, divergent timelines, microverses, etc., branching off them.

The Guardians of the Universe serve as protectors of the new Multiverse. Each universe within the Multiverse is separated by a Source Wall, behind which Anti-Life keeps the universes apart. The Bleed permeates the Anti-Life in unpredictable places behind the Source Wall, allowing for transport between the universes. The destruction of New Earth would set off a chain reaction that would destroy the other fifty-one alternate universes at the same time, leaving only the Antimatter Universe in existence. As a consequence of Alexander Luthor's attempts to recreate the Multiverse, fifty-two new Monitors were created to oversee the fifty-two universes created afterwards. The Monitors seek to protect the Multiverse from people who crossover from one alternate universe to another, through the Bleed or through innate ability, who the Monitors have labeled "anomalies". A partial list of some of the alternate universes that make up the new Multiverse was revealed in late November 2007.

The New 52
The Flashpoint story arc ended with the creation of an entirely new Multiverse, with new histories for its worlds.