Strange Visitor from Another Continuity?

CBR has an interview with Paul Dini, head writer for Countdown. We know that Karate Kid (as seen in the JLA/JSA teamup) will remain in the 21st century for some reason, for some period of time. Here's a quote from the interview, with my emphasis added to the last sentence:

CBR: Now, could "Countdown" be characterized as four monthly books all under the banner headline "Countdown." Is that really accurate? Will each team be handling their own piece of the story, or is it less that and more a collaborative, everybody works on everything experience?

Dini: You know, we're all working on every story together. We do have these six of seven major characters or major story beats running through each month. Not every story beat will be in every issue - a few of them will be - but occasionally we find ourselves saying, "You know what? We left Jimmy on a cliff-hanger, so we can take an issue off and let's concentrate on the Karate Kid or Mary Marvel or Holly Robinson," all of whom are key players in "Countdown." With Holly we get an entry into the Amazon's world. With Karate Kid we get a little bit more of the riddle of the great disaster and we have a connection to the Legion of Super-Heroes.

Now, that by itself wouldn't really merit a post here, but then they show a page from Countdown #50 (the second issue) where Karate Kid fights Batman. The caption under the page:

The Karate Kid, a visitor from another continuity's future

Another continuity's future, huh? Veddy interesting....