End of the World

Overview

End of the World scenarios are a popular thematic device in just about every medium. It takes the notion of the disaster movie and expands it to encompass the whole of humanity or even the whole of creation. The usual format is for a portent to appear and be investigated and shown to be leading up to the destruction of the Earth, a colonized planet or universe. This gives a timeframe of sorts that informs the story arc. The genre also covers themes such as disease reducing the modern infrastructure of the world we know back to a primitive state by depopulation.

There are a number of related themes that often tie in as a cause of the impending doom:

• Aliens
• Natural planetary disasters
• Solar system-wide disasters
• Universe wide disasters
• Plague and disease (such as zombies or parasites)
• War
• Nuclear War
• Apocalypse
• God War
• Machine uprising

One way or another, humanity's days are numbered.

Some notable extinction event arcs are:

• DC Comics' Crisis on Infinite Earths mini-series.
• Chaos Comics' Armageddon series.

Versions

Throughout history, the end of the world has been told in many stories and religions.

Ragnarök

In Norse mythology, Ragnarök is the battle at the end of the world. It is to be fought between the gods or Æsir, led by Odin; and the fire giants, the Jötnar and other monsters, led by Loki and Surtr. Not only will most of the gods, giants, and monsters die in this battle, but almost everything in the universe will be destroyed.

Armageddon

In the Christian Bible, Armageddon is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies for a battle during the end times.

Dagor Dagorath

According to the prophecy of Mandos, when the world is much older, and the Gods weary, Morgoth will come back through the Door, and the last battle of all will be fought. Fionwë will fight Morgoth on the plain of Valinor, and the spirit of Túrin shall be beside him; it shall be Túrin who with his black sword will slay Morgoth, and thus the children of Húrin shall be avenged. In those days the Silmarils shall be recovered from sea and earth and air, and Maidros shall break them and Belaurin with their fire rekindle the Two Trees, and the great light shall come forth again, and the Mountains of Valinor shall be levelled so that it goes out over the world, and Gods and Elves and Men shall grow young again, and all their dead awake.

The Great Conjunction

"The Great Conjunction is the end of the world...or the beginning. End, begin. All the same! Big change! Sometimes good, sometimes bad!"
--Aughra

The Great Conjunction is the event that occurs when the Three Suns of Thra - the Great Sun, the Rose Sun, and the Dying Sun - align in the sky. The alignment of the suns forms an intense beam of light that shines directly onto the Crystal.