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Dark Nights: Death Metal Legends of the Dark Knights Vol 1 1

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"I Am Here": The Batman Who Laughs recalls his origins, while he just woke up from the operating table in Castle Bat, his home inside his version of Earth 0, the Metalverse. He was born Bruce Wayne and, just like all Batmen, he grew up to witness the murder of his


Quote1.png Even the most dominant Batman is still a reaction to some fear that has shaped him, built him into a newer, crueler incarnation, perfectly designed to overcome it. Now understanding this, I know I am not a Batman of any kind. Not a Batman Who Laughs, not a Batmanhattan, not even a culmination of all dark Batmen. I am more. And to be more, I must not be a reaction. I must be the thing that creates the reaction. Quote2.png
— The Darkest Knight

Dark Nights: Death Metal Legends of the Dark Knights #1 is a one-shot with a cover date of October, 2020. It was published on August 4, 2020.

Synopsis for "I Am Here"

The Batman Who Laughs recalls his origins, while he just woke up from the operating table in Castle Bat, his home inside his version of Earth 0, the Metalverse. He was born Bruce Wayne and, just like all Batmen, he grew up to witness the murder of his parents in that same Dark Alley of every single Gotham in existence. He trained, and he became a bat. He fought with his allies against all kinds of villains. And if he was the original Batman, the true one, this will be the final sentence in his story. But he was not: he was born in the Dark Multiverse, a reflection of the Multiverse's own darkest fears.

He was product of Batman's fear of being brought too far by the Joker. In his world, he killed the Joker and was victim of his final joke: a toxin coming out of his heart, transforming him in the new Joker. He became a man with Batman's mind and Joker's black heart, a Batman who Laughs, a Batman who always wins. Then, he learned from Barbatos the true nature of the Dark Multiverse and rose with him in the conquest of the Multiverse above. A conquest which failed, but which also gave him the knowledge of the existence of Perpetua.

He then developed a plan to overtake Lex Luthor as Perpetua's right hand, and now he is proceeding with his plan about taking over Perpetua as well. In fact, he never revealed to anyone that in his travelling inside the Dark Multiverse, searching for new Dark Knights to recruit in Barbatos' army, he found a special one. A Bruce Wayne who, after finding the Button, experimented with it to recreate the energy flowing inside it. The energy of Doctor Manhattan. As Bruce entered the field of energy he himself created, he transformed into a being equal to Manhattan, but still weak in power. The Batman who Laughs lobotomized him, and took his body so that one day it could be his.

Now, he took hold of that body, and of that power. And thanks to it, he reached to all the universes in the Dark Multiverse, absorbing strengths and knowledge from all the Dark Batmen existing. Then, he reached a conclusion: all Batmen, even the original one, were reactions to that same event, himself included. But now, he has what it takes to be more: he will be the cause. He will be the Bullet, and the Multiverse his alley, it's planets the pearls spreading on the street. He will take Wally West, who has inside the power of the original Manhattan, and kill him to make his power his. With it, he will create a Multiverse of nightmarish planets, each and every one a bullet to shoot against Perpetua and beings like her.

He will make a Multiverse of conquest, that will engulf all the other Multiverses existing, so that the Darkest Knight, the thing he is now, will one day be the only thing standing in the Omniverse...and so, he wakes up on the operating table. And his first word is BANG!.

Appearing in "I Am Here"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters

Antagonists:

  • Joe Chill (Flashback only)
  • The Joker (Dies in flashback)

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:


Synopsis for "King of Pain"

In this Dark Universe, Bruce Wayne showed the signs of being a future serial killer and psychopath since childhood. He killed his parents in Crime Alley, then put on a facade to make authorities believe he was a victim as well. Alfred of course knew he was the murderer, and when he also killed James Gordon when he arrived at Wayne Manor to question little Bruce on the case, Alfred tried to stop him, but was not able to, and was killed as well. Bruce, now naming himself the Robin King, rules over the Manor, and soon over Gotham, too...

Appearing in "King of Pain"

Featured Characters:

  • Alfred Pennyworth (Flashback and main story) (Only appearance; dies)

Supporting Characters:

  • Gotham City Police Department (Flashback only)
    • James Gordon (Only appearance; dies)
  • Thomas Wayne (Dies in flashback) (Single appearance)
  • Martha Wayne (Dies in flashback) (Single appearance)

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • Joe Chill (Dies in flashback) (Single appearance)

Items:

Locations:

Synopsis for "Batmanasaurus Rex"

Bruce Wayne's brain is absorbed inside his T-Rex trophy in the Bat-Cave, giving birth to the Batmanasaurus Rex.

Appearing in "Batmanasaurus Rex"

Featured Characters:

  • Scarecrow (Flashback and main story)

Antagonists:

  • B-Rex (Flashback and main story)

Other Characters:

  • Mad Hatter (Flashback only)
  • Magpie (Flashback only)
  • Mister Zsasz (Dies in flashback)
  • Two-Face (Dies in flashback)

Locations:

Items:

Synopsis for "This Man. This City."

Sacrificing his own son, Damian, and using his blood to make a demonic ritual, Bruce Wayne becomes Gotham City itself.

Appearing in "This Man. This City."

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • Batman (Damian Wayne) (Only appearance; dies)

Other Characters:

  • Gotham City Police Department (On a TV or computer screen)
    • Barbara Gordon (On a TV or computer screen) (Appears only as a corpse) (Single appearance)
  • Dick Grayson (Mentioned only) (Deceased)
  • Jason Todd (Mentioned only) (Deceased)
  • Tim Drake (Mentioned only) (Deceased)

Locations:

Synopsis for "Road Warrior"

Batman lived in a world deprived of resources to produce energy. To help humanity, he put a piece of his conscience in all technology, but the people revolted against him, destroying him. Batman though had a backup plan: he transferred himself inside a Bat-Mobile, who became the Batmobeast.

Appearing in "Road Warrior"

Featured Characters:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

Synopsis for "I Shall Become..."

After dying, Batman transferred his mind into the Cyberspace, uploading it inside a new body. A Batman of two lifetimes, unstoppable. He just forgot the new body would be newborn baby...

Appearing in "I Shall Become..."

Featured Characters:

  • Baby Batman (First appearance) (Flashback and main story) (Origin)

Other Characters:

  • The Joker (Mentioned only)
  • The Penguin (Mentioned only)
  • Scarecrow (Mentioned only)
  • Two-Face (Mentioned only)

Locations:

Items:

Notes

  • Castle Bat's universe shown in "This Man. This City." is a resemblance to Batman in Bethlehem with Damian Wayne in his Batman counterpart and Barbara Gordon as the police commissioner.
  • In the Robin King's origin in "King of Pain" the film that the Waynes saw was Beware the Gray Ghost which is named after the episode of the same name from Batman: The Animated Series instead of The Mark of Zorro usually seen in the original Batman origin.
    • Also in this version Bruce Wayne actually hated the film instead of loving it.



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