- There is so much innate power in this Multiverse. How could it be allowed to get corrupted to the point of destruction? This is a place of Heroes and Villains, of Cosmic Fairy Tales that should go on forever.
Dark Nights: Death Metal Rise of the New God #1 is a one-shot with a cover date of December, 2020. It was published on October 27, 2020.
Synopsis for "Rise of the New God"
The Batman who Laughs stole the Manhattan energy of Wally West and also took the power of the Mobius Chair for himself, completing his transformation in the Darkest Knight and ascending to a level of god-like powers. He now can finally take on Perpetua, head to head, to see who will shape the new Multiverse. As the two deities battle, a being from the Omniverse is called to do his duty: he is the Chronicler, a functionary of the Source who records all the stories of a Multiverse before it dies. Because that's where this Multiverse is headed: to death.
He feels different sources where he might gather information, people who, crisis after crisis, still retained the general view of things. The first is Roger Hayden, known as the Psycho-Pirate, currently caged in Hell, a prison inside Earth-0. Getting to him, the Chronicler takes the information he needs. He will do the same with Vril Dox, son of Brainiac. As he gets to know more and more of this Multiverse, he starts doubting the fate and the doom surrounding him: how could something so full of potential, with still so much to tell be blown away? What kind of corruption could destroy it, after so much great stories were produced inside of it?
He knows he cannot intervene: he is just a functionary, there are much higher beings in the Source compared to him. He's just here to record, to chronicle, to enscript the history of a dying Multiverse in the Codex Omniversa. But still he believes this should not be an end. And so, he resurrects someone who, like him, saw this Multiverse from a general perspective: a god here in this Multiverse, called Metron. This Metron explains him he believes that belief itself is the key of this Multiverse. The little mortals believe in gods, and so they exist, just like him. And the gods like him believe in the Source, so the Source exists. He's not sure, but if the Chronicler, who stands in the Omniverse, will believe in this Multiverse, so this Multiverse will live on, eternally.
The Chronicler then decides to ask Metron to give him all his knowledge, so that he might piece together all the history of this condemned, but so beautiful Multiverse. And he sees, he sees it all. And he believes...
Appearing in "Rise of the New God"
Featured Characters:
- The Chronicler (Omniverse) (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Brainiac 2.0/Vril Dox (Earth 0)
- Brainiac Drones (Destroyed)
- Metron (Post-Flashpoint) (Also as a corpse) (Resurrected)
- Psycho-Pirate/Roger Hayden (Earth 0)
- The Source of All Things (Behind the scenes)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Angels (Post-Flashpoint) (Cameo)
- Demons (Post-Flashpoint) (Cameo)
- Earth 0 characters
- Adam Strange (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Brainiac (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Captain Cold (Cameo)
- The Dominators (Cameo)
- The Joker
- Gotham Knights (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Batman (Bruce Wayne) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Batwoman (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Clayface (Basil Karlo) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Orphan (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Red Robin (Tim Drake) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Spoiler (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Green Lantern Corps (Also in a vision)
- Arisia Rrab (Also in a vision) (Cameo)
- Chaselon (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Guy Gardner (Also in a vision) (Cameo)
- Hal Jordan (In a vision) (Cameo)
- John Stewart (Also in a vision) (Cameo)
- Kilowog (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Kyle Rayner (Cameo)
- Mogo (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Salakk (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Soranik Natu (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Tomar-Tu (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Mongul (In a vision) (Cameo)
- The Riddler (Cameo)
- Wonder Woman (Diana of Themyscira) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Earth-One characters (In a vision)
- Justice League of America (Cameo)
- Aquaman (Cameo)
- Batman (Cameo)
- Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) (Cameo)
- Martian Manhunter (Cameo)
- Superman (Cameo)
- Wonder Woman (Cameo)
- Justice League of America (Cameo)
- Earth-Two characters (In a vision)
- Justice Society of America (Cameo)
- Doctor Fate (Cameo)
- Green Lantern (Alan Scott) (Cameo)
- The Flash (Jay Garrick) (Cameo)
- Hawkman (Cameo)
- Hourman (Rex Tyler) (Cameo)
- The Sandman (Wesley Dodds) (Cameo)
- The Spectre (Jim Corrigan) (Cameo)
- Superman (Cameo)
- Justice Society of America (Cameo)
- Linear Men (Post-Flashpoint) (First appearance)
- Linear Man (Travis O'Connell) (First appearance; unnamed) (Cameo)
- Linear Woman (Liri Lee) (First appearance; unnamed) (Cameo)
- Matthew Ryder (First appearance; unnamed) (Cameo)
- Rip Hunter (Cameo)
- Ryak the Ravager (First appearance; unnamed) (Cameo)
- Waverider/Michael Carter (Pre-Flashpoint) (Cameo)
- Pre-Flashpoint characters (In a vision)
- Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner) (Cameo)
- Starman (Jack Knight) (Cameo)
- New Gods (Post-Flashpoint) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Darkseid (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Highfather (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Apex Predators (Mentioned only)
- The Fuginauts (Multiverse) (Mentioned only)
- Gods (Mentioned only)
- The Hands (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Omniverse
- Dark Multiverse (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- World Forge (Mentioned only)
- Hypertime (In ruins)
- Vanishing Point (Cameo)
- Timestream (Mentioned only)
- Post-Flashpoint Multiverse
- The Bleed (Cameo)
- House of Heroes (In ruins) (Cameo)
- Earth 0/Prime Earth/Metalverse (Also in a vision)
- Dominion (Cameo)
- Rao System
- Krypton (Destroyed) (In a vision)
- Solar System
- Earth
- Gotham (Also in a vision)
- "Hell"/Themyscira
- Earth's Moon
- Jupiter (Also in a vision) (Cameo)
- Mars (Cameo)
- Saturn (Cameo)
- Earth
- Warworld (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Colu (Destroyed) (Mentioned only)
- Sphere of the Gods (In ruins) (Cameo)
- Apokolips (Mentioned only)
- New Genesis (Mentioned only)
- The Bleed (Cameo)
- Pre-Crisis Multiverse
- Pre-Flashpoint Multiverse
- New Earth (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Overvoid (Cameo)
- Dark Multiverse (Flashback only) (Cameo)
Items:
- Bracelets of Submission (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Codex Omniversa (First appearance)
- Cosmic Staff (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Dark Matter
- Flaming Sword (Cameo)
- Green Lantern Ring (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Helmet of Fate (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Hermes' Helmet (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Lasso of Truth (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Medusa Mask
- Mobius Chair (Flashback and main story)
- Rannian Jet Pack (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Wonder Woman's Tiara (In a vision) (Cameo)
Vehicles:
- Brainiac's Skull Ship (In a vision) (Cameo)
- The Carrier
- Kryptonian Rocket (In a vision) (Cameo)
Concepts:
- Anti-Crisis Energy
- The Crises (Mentioned only)
- Crisis Energy
Synopsis for "The Weight of Leadership"
John Stewart must face a hard task: the carrier transporting him and his comrades is falling apart inside the Bleed, and they must find a way to come home. Guiding the Lanterns and using Hal Jordan's ability as a pilot, he finds a way to unite himself, Kyle, Hal, Guy, Jessica and Simon to break the barrier that separates their ship from Earth-0. But once there, they found out their home is no more, because now the Darkest Knight rules over all creation. But a leader never surrenders, and so he tells all the comrades he has that he cannot give them what they want. but he will give them a chance: will they accept to become all new members of the Green Lantern Corps?
Appearing in "The Weight of Leadership"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Justice Incarnate (Multiverse)
- Batman/Bruce Wayne (Earth 17)
- Batman/Bruce Wayne (Earth 43)
- Batwoman (Earth 24)
- Bizarro (Earth 29)
- The Bug (Earth 8)
- Captain Carrot (Earth 26)
- Dino-Cop (Earth 41)
- Green Lantern (Earth 9)
- Kid Flash/Irey West (Earth 22)
- Machinehead (Earth 8)
- President Superman (Earth 23)
- Shazam/Robert Rogers (Earth 6)
- Superdemon/Etrigan (Earth 13)
- Uncle Sam (Earth 10)
- Wonder Woman/Maria Mendoza (Earth 6)
- Wonder Woman/Nubia of Themyscira (Earth 23)
- Wonderhawk (Earth 32)
Locations:
Items:
- Earth 17's Bat-Armor (Cameo)
- Batsuits
- Bracelets of Submission
- Earth 9's Green Lantern (Cameo)
- Green Lantern Rings
- Machinehead Armor
- Nth Metal
- Wonder Woman's Tiara
Vehicles:
Concepts:
Notes
- The Dark Nights: Death Metal events continues from Dark Nights: Death Metal Robin King #1 and is continued in Dark Nights: Death Metal #5.
- John Stewart and the Green Lanterns' story continues from Dark Nights: Death Metal Multiverse's End #1.
- The first story introduces the Chronicler, a being tasked by the Source to record the history of every dying Multiverse in the Omniverse.
- It is also stated that trillions of Multiverses had already existed and died in the history of the Omniverse.
- The second story reveals for the first time that DC Bombshells is set on one of the seven unknown Earths of the original 52 realities.
- This issue features the only appearance of the Linear Men inspired by their Pre-Flashpoint incarnation.
- In the reborn Multiverse,[2] they will eventually reappear as the Linear Bureau in The Flash (Volume 6), while Rip Hunter will be the head of the Time Masters.[3][4]
- Themyscira is incorrectly referred to as "Hellscape" in the first story, whereas in the rest of the Dark Nights: Death Metal event, it has only been called "Hell" while the rest of the ruined United States is called "Hellscape".
- This issue is collected in Dark Nights: Death Metal - The Multiverse Who Laughs.
Trivia
- In Chronicler's vision, there are several glimpses that are references to famous comic covers like Superman #1 and All-Star Comics #3.
See Also