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I'm not completely out yet... The time difference mitigates any exposure I might have to Infinite Crisis #3. Though it's nearly noon here in Japan (on Wednesday) it's still Tuesday back home in the States. So I've got some time.

And it seems that that that time might be best spent -- how shall we say? -- speculating on the Infinite Crisis mastermind. It's becoming clearer and clearer that someone is behind the whole thing. But who could it be? I'll profile four possible culprits right here, right now!

1. The Anti-Monitor -- The Anti-Monitor. The big bad of all things... Anti. The villain of the first Crisis and arch-foe to all life in the universe. Could he be the one behind the Infinite Crisis?

Pros: Infinite Crisis is touted as a sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths. What would be more fitting than having the Anti-Monitor return to once again wreak havoc on all things made of matter? He certainly has (or at least had) the power to start a war in space, trick the Spectre, unite the villains, and set Max Lord on the path to villainy.

Cons: It's just not his style. Anti-Monitor was a schemer for sure. But not like this. It takes a vast genius to pull so many disparate threads together into a cohesive tapestry of villainy. I'm not sure that the Anti-Monitor is up to it. He's more of a "DESTROY!" type of villain. Plus it would be too obvious.

Verdict: Unlikely. He's got the skills, but not the drive. And no one really wants to see him again anyway.

2. Krona -- Rogue Guardian and brilliant scientist, Krona's genius is dwarfed only by his cruelty. Desperate to learn the origins of the universe, he will go to any lengths to achive his goal. Could he be the one behind the Infinite Crisis?

Pros: Krona certainly possess the requisite power and genius to pull it off. Plus, he was directly responsible for the creation of the multiverse in the first place. This ties him tightly to the Crisis narrative. Additionally, there's the little matter of the cosmic egg from Kurt Busiek's JLA run. And it's growing...

Cons: Krona recently headlined as a major cosmic villain in JLA/Avengers. Would he really come back to the forefront so soon? Also, as with the Anti-Monitor, the scheming required to engineer this Crisis isn't really Krona's style. He's the smash and grab "TELL ME!" type. Besides, how does this Crisis further his goals?

Verdict: Unlikely. It would be really out of character for him to engineer something like this. Plus there hasn't been so much as a peep from him since he got locked in that egg.

3. Alexander Luthor -- Son of the heroic Earth-3 Lex Luthor, Alexander played a vital heroic role in Crisis on Infinite Earths. But he's still a Luthor. Could he be the one behind the Infinite Crisis?

Pros: Alexander definitely has the genius to pull something like this off. And he's got the powers, too (as ill-defined as they are). He's half anti-matter, which would seem to betray a dark side. Plus, he's got the ear of Earth-2 Superman, who appears to be the villain of the piece.

Cons: Though Alexander seems to have everything he needs to pull this off, he lacks one clear thing: motive. That's not to say he doesn't have one. It could be revealed in time.

Verdict: Likely. My money is on Alexander Luthor to be the big bad. Though we don't yet know the why or how, everything (to me at least) points to him being more than he appears.

4. Doctor Polaris -- "The Man Who Mastered Magnetism." An insane and insanely powerful villain, Doctor Polaris has fins on his hat. Could he be the one behind the Infinite Crisis?

Pros: He's... Well... I like him.

Cons: He's dead.

Verdict: Impossible. Unfortunately, the dear Doctor is gone for good. And no amount of wishing will bring him back.