Warning: Spoilers ahead for Harley Quinn #36!
Summary
- Harley Quinn discovers a new gadget called Option Optics that allows her to traverse the multiverse by making specific choices.
- Option Optics narrows down the infinite possibilities of the multiverse, helping travelers reach the specific versions of Earth they want.
- Harley Quinn's new gadget, Option Optics, makes navigating the multiverse easier and more accessible for DC characters.
Harley Quinn's latest gadget has officially unlocked the secret to multiversal travel in the DC Universe. The multiverse has become a hot topic among fans in recent years, with the MCU tackling the concept for their latest multiphase arc. However, DC has long been the original champion of the multiverse, as various Earths are home to multiple variants of fan-favorite heroes. Now, Harley Quinn has discovered the most effective way to traverse the multiverse with a brand-new gadget.
In Harley Quinn #36 by Tini Howard and Sweeney Boo, Harley and her newest detective ally, Lux Kirby, find themselves in the space between Earths known as the multiways in search of Harley's friend Kevin. In order to find him across infinite potential universes, Kirby gives Harley a device called Option Optics — a pair of blue goggles — that present Harley with various scenarios.
In order to find her version of Kevin, she must figure out what choices he would make to avoid finding an alternate version of him, making the search far less cumbersome. This new device ultimately defines the key to multiversal travel as choice rather than simply navigating between dimensions.
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Harley Quinn Meets Everything Everywhere All at Once with Her New Device
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), dir. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
Every choice made in the DC Universe creates an alternate branch that leads to a timeline where a different decision was made, so having a device to narrow down these options makes navigating the multiverse much simpler. What's interesting about this new device, however, is how familiar it feels for fans of the Oscar-winning film Everything Everywhere All at Once by the directing team known as the Daniels. In that story, in order for the characters to connect to a specific timeline, they had to make specific and sometimes strange choices.
Here, Harley engages with a similar concept as she makes choices she believes Kevin would make in order to eventually find him. Her choices range from life-saving options — like Kevin asking for Harley's help to save a turtle in the road — to the most mundane choice, such as deciding what he would have for dinner. This allows Harley and Lux to zero in on the Kevin she knows, rather than risk finding a Kevin from an alternate universe. The fascinating thing about the Option Optics, however, is how they might ultimately define traversing the multiverse going forward.
Harley Quinn's New Device Could Change DC Multiversal Travel Forever
For years, DC has simplified traveling between Earths by simply opening a portal to a new dimension — or, of course, the Flash creating a whole new possibility through time travel. Now, with the Option Optics, it's much more complicated than that. There are infinite possibilities that could change the Earth that travelers could be trying to reach, making it not the version of the Earth that they want. With this device, travelers can hone in on which version of Earth they wish to travel to and prevent mistakenly going to an alternate timeline of their destination.
It's unlikely that multiverse stories will be going anywhere anytime soon, given how popular the topic has become in recent years. Plus, the concept of infinite possible universes allows for multiple engaging story ideas that not only give fans interesting new worlds to explore but also allow storytellers to expand their creativity. Now, with Harley Quinn's new gadget, the Option Optics, DC has made navigating the confusing concept of the multiverse so much easier, potentially making the infinitely expanding universes more accessible for its characters.
Harley Quinn #36 is available now from DC Comics!
