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"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

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.
The Chronicler

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...

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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?

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Notes

  • The Dark Nights: Death Metal event continues from Dark Nights: Death Metal Robin King #1 and is continued in Dark Nights: Death Metal #5.
  • The first story introduces the Chronicler, a supreme being tasked by the Source to record the history of every dying Multiverse in the Omniverse.
    • According to the Chronicler, trillions of Multiverses had already existed and died in the history of the Omniverse.
  • Hypertime is almost completely destroyed in this issue, and Time is implied to have been erased. However, the events of Dark Nights: Death Metal #7 will reveal that the Timestream has not completely faded away.
  • The second story reveals for the first time that DC Bombshells is set on one of the seven unknown Earths of the local Multiverse.
    • It will be eventually revealed that this continuity is actually set on Earth 24.[1]
  • This issue features the only appearance of the Linear Men inspired by their Pre-Flashpoint incarnation.
  • 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

  • The Chronicler next appears in The New Gods #3, where his actions are heavily influenced by the events of this issue.
  • Most of the Chronicler's visions are references to famous DC comic covers, including Superman #1 and All-Star Comics #3.


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