- 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. I will be the bullet. The Multiverse will be the dark alley. And its worlds will fall like pearls before me.
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:
- The Darkest Knight/Batman/The Batman Who Laughs/Bruce Wayne (Earth -22) (Flashback and main story) (Origin)
Supporting Characters
- Army of Alfreds (Real name revealed)
- Alfrood
- "Borg" Alfred (Unnamed)
- "Thug" Alfred (Unnamed)
- Barbatos (Dark Multiverse) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Bat-like monster creatures (Dark Multiverse) (Unnamed) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Dark Knights (Dark Multiverse) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Bathomet (Dark Multiverse) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Batmage (Dark Multiverse) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- B-Rex (Dark Multiverse) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Darkfather (Dark Multiverse) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- The Dawnbreaker (Earth -32) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- The Devastator (Earth -1) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Dr. Arkham (Dark Multiverse) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- The Drowned (Earth -11) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- The Grim Knight (Dark Multiverse) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- The Merciless (Earth -12) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- The Murder Machine (Earth -44) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Alfred Protocol (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Groblins (Earth -22) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Secret Six (Earth 0) (Jokerized)
- King Shazam (Billy Batson) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Scarab (Jaime Reyes) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
Antagonists:
- Batman/Bruce Wayne (Earth 0) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Batman Villains (Earth -22) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Joe Chill (Earth -22) (Single appearance) (Flashback only) (Also in a vision) (Cameo)
- Justice League (Earth -22) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- The Flash (Barry Allen) (Dies in flashback) (Cameo)
- Martian Manhunter (Dies in flashback) (Cameo)
- Plastic Man (Dies in flashback) (Cameo)
- Wonder Woman (Diana of Themyscira) (Dies in flashback) (Cameo)
- Perpetua (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Apex Lex (Earth 0) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Wonder Woman/Diana of Themyscira (Earth 0) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
Other Characters:
- Alfred Pennyworth (Earth -22) (First appearance) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Batmen of the Dark Multiverse (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Batmanhattan/"Final" Bruce Wayne (Flashback only) (First appearance as Batmanhattan) (Origin)
- Batman/Bane Mashup (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Batman/Lex Luthor Mashup (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Batman/Mr. Freeze Mashup (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Batman/Neron Mashup (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Batman/Prometheus Mashup (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Batman/Ra's al Ghul Mashup (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Batman/Talon Mashup (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Cannibal Batman (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Catwoman (Earth -22) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Gargoyles (Statue only) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Commissioner Gordon (Earth -22) (First appearance) (Dies in flashback) (Cameo)
- Harley Quinn (Earth 0) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- George the Hyena (Unnamed) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Joker of the Cannibal Batman's Earth (Dark Multiverse) (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Dies in a vision) (Cameo)
- League of Assassins of Batman/Ra's' Earth (Dark Multiverse) (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Martha Wayne (Earth -22) (Single appearance) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Penguin of Batman/Prometheus's Earth (Dark Multiverse) (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Dies in a vision) (Cameo)
- Robin/Damian Wayne (Earth -22) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Robins of Batman/Mr. Freeze's Earth (Dark Multiverse) (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Suicide Squad (Earth 0) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Captain Boomerang (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Deadshot (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Katana (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Killer Croc (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Teen Titans (Earth 0) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Kid Flash/Bar Torr (Unknown Future) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Red Robin (Tim Drake) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Superboy (Kon-El) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Thomas Wayne (Earth -22) (Single appearance) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Doctor Manhattan (Watchmen Universe) (Mentioned only)
- God (Mentioned only)
- The Hands (Mentioned only)
- Wally West (Earth 0) (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Omniverse (Real name revealed) (Behind the scenes)
- Dark Multiverse (Flashback only) (Also in a vision)
- Batman/Bane's Earth (Unnamed) (Behind the scenes)
- Batmanhattan's Earth (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- United States of America
- Gotham City
- Batcave (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Gotham City
- United States of America
- Batman/Lex Luthor's Earth (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Earth
- United States of America
- Gotham City (In a vision) (Cameo)
- United States of America
- Earth
- Batman/Mr. Freeze's Earth (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- United States of America
- Gotham City
- Batcave (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Gotham City
- United States of America
- Batman/Neron's Earth (Unnamed) (Behind the scenes)
- Batman/Prometheus' Earth (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- United States of America
- Gotham City
- Batcave (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Gotham City
- United States of America
- Batman/Ra's al Ghul's Earth (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- United States of America
- Gotham City (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- United States of America
- Batman/Talon's Earth (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- United States of America
- Gotham City (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- United States of America
- Cannibal Batman's Earth (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Earth
- United States of America
- Gotham City (In a vision) (Cameo)
- United States of America
- Earth
- Earth -22
- Himalayas (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- United States of America
- Gotham City
- Crime Alley (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Monarch Theater (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Wayne Manor (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Gotham City
- Watchmen's Dark Earth (Unnamed) (Mentioned only)
- Multiverse (Also in a vision)
- Dark Multiverse (Flashback only) (Also in a vision)
Items:
- Batman's T-Rex (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- The Batman Who Laughs' Visor (Flashback only)
- Earth -22's Bat-Signal (Flashback only) (Destroyed)
- Batsuits (Flashback and main story)
- Utility Belts (Flashback and main story)
- Blue Beetle Scarab (Infected) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Bracelets of Submission (Flashback only)
- Chainsaw of Truth (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Comedian's Button (Mentioned only)
- Cryo-Suits (Flashback only) (Also in a vision)
- Dawnbreaker's Ring (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Doomsday Virus (Flashback only) (Behind the scenes)
- Drowned's Trident (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Intrinsic Field Generator (Flashback only)
- Joe Chill's Gun (Flashback only) (Also in a vision) (Cameo)
- Joker Venom (Mentioned only)
- Lasso of Truth (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Lex Luthor's Warsuit (Flashback only) (Also in a vision)
- L-Signal (Single appearance) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Martha Wayne's Pearl Necklace (Mentioned only)
- The Merciless' Helmet (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Mister Freeze's Ice Gun (Flashback only) (Also in a vision)
- Venom (Also in a vision) (Cameo)
- Wonder Woman's Tiara (Flashback only) (Cameo)
Vehicles:
- Batmobile (Flashback only) (Cameo)
Concepts:
- Anti-Crisis Energy
- Dark Multiverse Invasion (Flashback only)
- Justice/Doom War (Flashback only)
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 (First appearance; dies) (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
- Gotham City Police Department (Single appearance)
- James Gordon (Single appearance; dies) (Flashback and main story)
- Martha Wayne (First appearance) (Dies in flashback)
- Thomas Wayne (First appearance) (Dies in flashback)
Antagonists:
- Robin King (Bruce Wayne) (First full appearance) (Flashback and main story) (Origin)
Other Characters:
- Joe Chill (First appearance) (Dies in flashback)
- Barbara Gordon (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Dark Multiverse
- Robin King's Earth (Single appearance) (Unnamed)
- United States of America
- Gotham City
- Crime Alley (Flashback only)
- Monarch Theater
- Wayne Manor (Flashback and main story)
- Gotham City
- United States of America
- Hell (Mentioned only)
- Robin King's Earth (Single appearance) (Unnamed)
Items:
- Joe Chill's Gun (Flashback only)
- Martha Wayne's Pearl Necklace (Destroyed)
- Robin King's Utility Belt (First appearance)
Vehicles:
- Waynes' Car (Flashback only)
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 (Single appearance) (Flashback and main story) (Narrator)
Antagonists:
- B-Rex/Batman (Bruce Wayne) (Flashback and main story) (Origin)
Other Characters:
- Arkham Asylum guards (Single appearance) (Cameo)
- Batman Villains (Single appearance)
- Calendar Man (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Mad Hatter (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Dies in flashback)
- Magpie (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Mister Zsasz (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Appears only as a corpse) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Two-Face (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Dies in flashback)
Locations:
- Dark Multiverse
- B-Rex's Earth (Single appearance) (Unnamed)
- United States of America
- Gotham City
- Arkham Asylum
- Batcave (Destroyed) (Mentioned only)
- Gotham City
- United States of America
- B-Rex's Earth (Single appearance) (Unnamed)
Items:
- Batman's T-Rex
- Mad Hatter's Hat
Concepts:
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:
- Castle Bat (Bruce Wayne) (Real identity revealed) (Merges with Gotham City) (Origin)
Supporting Characters:
- The Bat God (Unnamed) (Behind the scenes)
- Batman (Damian Wayne) (Single appearance; dies)
Antagonists:
- Clayface-like monsters (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Cameo)
- Crocodile-like monsters (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Cameo)
- Gotham Organized Crime (Single appearance) (Cameo)
- Joker Gang (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (All die) (Cameo)
Other Characters:
- Alfred Pennyworth (Single appearance) (Deceased) (In a photograph only) (Cameo)
- The Cult of the Bat God (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Flashback only)
- Gotham City Police Department (Single appearance) (On a TV or computer screen) (Cameo)
- Commissioner Barbara Gordon (Single appearance) (On a TV or computer screen) (Appears only as a corpse) (Cameo)
- Martha Wayne (Single appearance) (Deceased) (In a photograph only) (Cameo)
- Thomas Wayne (Single appearance) (Deceased) (In a photograph only) (Cameo)
- Demons (Mentioned only)
- Dick Grayson (Deceased) (Mentioned only)
- Jason Todd (Deceased) (Mentioned only)
- Tim Drake (Deceased) (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Dark Multiverse
- Castle Bat's Earth (Single appearance) (Unnamed)
- 17th Century
- Gotham (Flashback only)
- 21st Century
- Gotham City
- Arkham Asylum (In ruins) (On a TV or computer screen) (Cameo)
- Wayne Manor
- Gotham City
- 17th Century
- Castle Bat's Earth (Single appearance) (Unnamed)
Items:
Concepts:
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:
- Batmobeast (Bruce Wayne) (Flashback and main story) (Origin)
Supporting Characters:
- Batman Robots (Single appearance) (Flashback only)
Antagonists:
- United States Army (Single appearance) (Flashback only)
Other Characters:
Locations:
- Dark Multiverse
- Batmobeast's Earth (Single appearance) (Unnamed)
- United States of America
- Gotham City
- Batcave (Flashback only)
- United States of America
- Batmobeast's Earth (Single appearance) (Unnamed)
Items:
Vehicles:
- Batmobiles (Flashback only)
- Bat-Truck (First appearance chronologically)
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 (Bruce Wayne) (First appearance) (Flashback and main story) (Origin)
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Gotham Organized Crime (Mentioned only)
- The Joker (Mentioned only)
- The Penguin (Mentioned only)
- Scarecrow (Mentioned only)
- Two-Face (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Dark Multiverse
- Baby Batman's Earth (Single appearance) (Unnamed)
- Cyberspace (Mentioned only)
Items:
Concepts:
Notes
- Alfred Pennyworth's dark counterparts are referred to as "Army of Alfreds" in the "Gotham" section of the "Metalverse Guidebook".
- In the first story, during the One who Laughs' flashback from Dark Nights: Metal, a battle between the Teen Titans and the Murder Machine (and his Alfred Protocol) is briefly glimpsed. However, it was never shown in the original series.
Trivia
- In the first story:
- The Earth -22 Justice League's death was originally shown in the one-shot The Batman Who Laughs #1;
- The events that led to the birth of Batmanhattan mirror the creation of Doctor Manhattan in Watchmen #4;
- One of the Dark Batmen that the Darkest Knight glimpses through the Dark Multiverse is the mashup between Batman and Lex Luthor who was previously considered as a member of the original Dark Knights.[1]
- Castle Bat's reality from the "This Man. This City." story is very reminiscent of the Batman in Bethlehem future as Damian Wayne is Batman, like his counterpart, and Barbara Gordon is the GCPD Commissioner, like her "positive" counterpart.
- The two realities diverge as Bruce Wayne is still alive by the time Damian Wayne becomes Batman.
- In the Robin King's origin from the "King of Pain" story, 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 that is usually seen in the original Batman origins.
- In this version, Bruce Wayne actually hated the film instead of loving it.
See Also