Dark Nights: Death Metal The Last Stories of the DC Universe #1 is a one-shot with a cover date of February, 2021. It was published on December 8, 2020.
Synopsis for The Titans in "Together"
Earth-0, the Metalverse. The Hellscape, formerly known as Themyscira
Donna Troy is seated, alone, on a beach, when Beast Boy reaches her, trying to see if she is all right. She tells him she often came to this place: it was the beach where Steve Trevor and Diana first met each other, a moment Wonder Woman describes as life-changing. It gave her a purpose, and so Donna hoped that she could live a moment like that as well. But memories aside, Donna is afraid: this conflict they are in, they never faced something so scary, and impossible to overcome. Two deities are fighting each other to see who will finish them off, and the Multiverse is almost cancelled.
She never joined the Teen Titans to fight the bad guys, and she thinks none of the members did it for the battle: they just wanted to meet and live together with boys and girls who understood what meant living in the shadow of a larger-than-life superhero. Many times she wishes to come back to those times. And so Beast Boy tells her that while the heroes were waiting for news about the Hail Mary Diana, Bruce and Clark threw, they gathered together. And nearby, almost everyone who ever was a Titan stands together with the others. They should join the party.
After thanking Gar, Donna knows who she wants to be with: her original teammates, Dick Grayson and Garth. As Nightwing leaves because Batman called for him, Donna and Garth talk about how much the Titans changed, expanded, found new life in young heroes standing there right now. But then, someone unexpected, and unwanted, appears: Wally West. Donna seems ready to fight, but instead he reaches him and hugs him, telling him he is where he should be: among Titans. And so Donna delivers a powerful speech, telling them that sometimes it seemed the universe hated the Titans, and that many times they faced worse dangers than the League while being kids. When you fight one Titan, you fight all of them.
And so, the atmosphere changes: stories of old missions and funny moments come out. And then, Batman resurrects Roy Harper with his Black Lantern Ring, and Roy just looks at Wally, and tips his hat, forgiving him for what happened. And so they live their last night on Earth, and the key to all their lives as Titans, until now, was about just one thing: being together.
Appearing in The Titans in "Together"
Featured Characters:
- Wonder Girl/Donna Troy (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
- Arsenal (Flashback and main story) (Zombified)
- Batman (Bruce Wayne) (Flashback and main story)
- The Flash (Wally West) (Flashback and main story)
- Justice League
- Cyborg (Flashback and main story)
- Nightwing/Robin (Dick Grayson) (Flashback and main story)
- Starfire (Flashback and main story)
- Teen Titans (Flashback and main story)
- Crush (Flashback and main story)
- Djinn (Flashback and main story)
- Red Arrow (Emiko Queen) (Flashback and main story)
- Roundhouse (Billy Wu) (Flashback and main story)
- Tempest/Aqualad (Garth) (Flashback and main story)
- Titans (Flashback and main story)
- Beast Boy (Flashback and main story)
- Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner) (Flashback and main story)
- Miss Martian (Flashback and main story)
- Raven (Flashback and main story)
- Steel (Natasha Irons) (Flashback and main story)
- Young Justice
- Aqualad (Jackson Hyde)
- Arrowette (Cissie King-Jones)
- Impulse (Bart Allen) (Flashback and main story)
- Robin (Tim Drake) (Flashback and main story)
- Spoiler (Stephanie Brown)
- Superboy (Conner Kent) (Flashback and main story)
- Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark) (Flashback and main story)
Antagonists:
- The Darkest Knight (Earth -22) (Flashback only)
- Perpetua (Flashback only)
Other Characters:
- Andy Curry (Cameo)
- Aquaman (Arthur Curry) (Cameo)
- Argent (First appearance; unnamed) (Flashback and main story)
- The Atom (Ray Palmer) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Batgirl (Barbara Gordon)
- Black Canary (Dinah Drake)
- Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes)
- Bumblebee (Flashback and main story)
- Bunker (Flashback and main story)
- Dove (Dawn Granger)
- Fearsome Five
- Gnarrk (Flashback only)
- Green Arrow (Oliver Queen)
- Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)
- Green Lantern (Sinestro)
- The Harlequin (Earth 3) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Hawk (Hank Hall) (Flashback and main story)
- Herald (Flashback and main story)
- Queen Hippolyta
- Jericho
- Joto (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- The Flash (Barry Allen)
- Kid Flash (Bar Torr) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Lex Luthor (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Lois Lane
- Mera
- Mirage (First appearance; unnamed) (Cameo)
- Omen
- Prysm (First appearance; unnamed) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Ravager
- Red Hood
- Risk (First appearance; unnamed) (Flashback and main story)
- Robin (Damian Wayne) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Skitter (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Solstice (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Superboy (Jon Kent) (Cameo)
- Superboy/Kon-El (The New 52) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Superman (Flashback and main story) (Cameo)
- Titans West/Teen Titans (First appearance) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Bat-Girl (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Dove (Don Hall) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Golden Eagle (First appearance; unnamed) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Terra (Tara Markov)
- Wonder Twins
- Wonder Woman (Diana of Themyscira) (Flashback and main story)
- Comet the Horse (Mentioned only)
- Gods of Olympus (Mentioned only)
- Separated Man (Mentioned only)
- Steve Trevor (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Multiverse
- Earth 0/Metalverse
- Earth
- The Hellscape
- United States of America
- Titans Tower (Mentioned only)
- The Sun
- New Apokolips (Mentioned only)
- Earth
- Speed Force (Behind the scenes)
- Earth 0/Metalverse
- Last 52 Multiverse (Mentioned only)
Items:
- Black Lantern Ring
- Blue Beetle Scarab
- Bracelets of Submission
- Green Lantern Ring
- Inertron
- Kinetic Hammer
- Natasha Irons' Steel Armor
- Trick Arrows
Concepts:
- Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum
- The Sanctuary Incident (Mentioned only)
Synopsis for Green Lantern in "Last Knights"
Earth-0, the Metalverse. Coast City
After all that happened, Hal is still surprised by the fact that Coast City, and his father's tomb, still stands here. All the other Lanterns found something to do: John is with the recruits, like the soldier he is. Kyle went to meet the Teen Titans. Guy, well, he's having a couple of beers, of course. Maybe he should have joined him, or John. But what he wants to do before the final battle is to fly. He only wanted that, to fly and forget fear. But right now, it seems fear it is what everyone finds at the end of the road: when you are flying, you already know the time will come when you must fall.
And so he reaches the Valley of the Rainbow Rings, a cemetery for all the dead Lanterns succumbed in the Multiverse. And here he finds his mentor and nemesis, Thaal Sinestro. And he is shocked when Sinestro has the audacity to ask another opportunity at being an agent of will. But in the end, Hal understands everyone deserves a chance to fight fear: he tells Sinestro all he needs is to remember the words. Then, Sinestro recites the Oath of the Green Lantern Corps, and transforms into a Green Lantern. Together with Hal, he flies towards the sky, to find some Blue, some hope, for the incoming battle.
Appearing in Green Lantern in "Last Knights"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Other Characters:
- Martin Jordan (Grave)
- Ghosts (Mentioned only)
- Green Lantern Corps (Mentioned only)
- Guy Gardner (Mentioned only)
- John Stewart (Mentioned only)
- Titans (Mentioned only)
- Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner) (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Earth 0/Metalverse
- Megapokolips
- Coast City (Destroyed)
- Valley of the Rainbow Rings (Single appearance)
- Megapokolips
Items:
Concepts:
Synopsis for Wonder Woman in "The Question"
Earth-0, the Metalverse. The Hellscape, formerly known as Themyscira
Diana struggles to understand why she felt nothing when she killed the Batman who Laughs with her Invisible Chainsaw. Was it because she knew it was not a true victory? Even her mother cannot make her feel the push she needs for the battle. But she finds it in Donna Troy: not her Donna, but one of another world, a world that was a stepping stone for the Darkest Knight, a world that was massacred. And that pain, and the pain of all others, will be the drive for Diana. Because the burden she takes is about people suffering for the evil deeds of the enemy, and when the time comes, she will be the warrior she always has been, to protect the weak and to stop the pain.
Coming back to her sisters, she is now ready for the final battle.
Appearing in Wonder Woman in "The Question"
Featured Characters:
- Wonder Woman (Diana of Themyscira) (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
- Amazons of Themyscira
- Donna Troy (Unknown Earth) (Single appearance) (Flashback and main story)
- The Riddler
Antagonists:
- The Batman Who Laughs (Earth -22) (Dies in flashback)
- Dark Knights (Dark Multiverse) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Batmage/Bruce Wayne (Dark Multiverse) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Robin King/Bruce Wayne (Dark Multiverse) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Groblins (Earth -22) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Dark Knights (Dark Multiverse) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
Other Characters:
- Amazons of Themyscira (Unknown Earth) (Flashback and main story)
- Wonder Woman (Diana of Themyscira) (Single appearance) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Batman (Bruce Wayne) (Mentioned only)
- Perpetua (Mentioned only)
- Zeus (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Multiverse
- Donna Troy's Earth (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Flashback only) (Destroyed)
- Themyscira (Flashback only)
- Earth 0/Metalverse
- The Hellscape
- "Hell"/Themyscira (Flashback and main story)
- The Hellscape
- Donna Troy's Earth (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Flashback only) (Destroyed)
Items:
- The Batman Who Laughs' Visor (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Bracelets of Submission
- Chainsaw of Truth (Flashback only)
- Dark Matter
- Wonder Woman's Tiara
Concepts:
Synopsis for Green Arrow and Black Canary in "Dust of a Distant Storm"
The Hellscape, formerly Themyscira
Dinah and Oliver are watching what once was Paradise Island, home of the Amazons. Black Canary tells Ollie she always wanted to have an Oath, something like the Lanterns, to recite when hope seemed lost. Ollie instead tells her he would have liked them to have a real first date. They went from disliking each other to be lovers in no time, and they never had that "first time" moment every couple has. It would have been nice having it, to remember it in days like these. So why not having a romantic date right here? They try, and they laugh together, even if it's a little bit impossible to find something romantic in the Hellscape. Then, Ollie kneels, and Dinah thinks he was about to propose. But he recites her an oath he invented, who remembers Dinah he will always stand between her and the dark, to protect her.
Dinah tells Ollie she thought he was going to propose, but she's glad he did not. Not because he does not love him, but because she wants to accept in a place of hope, and not of dread like this one. As they are talking, a figure comes by: she calls herself Black Arrow, but her real name is Laurel Lance-Queen. In her Earth, destroyed by the Darkest Knight, she was the daughter of their counterparts. So before the battle, she needed to see them: she knows they are not her real parents, but still she feels a bond with her. And they do feel the same for her: they promise to each other to stand side by side in the battle. And as they are gathering with the others, Ollie brings out a ring, and tells himself to have no regrets.
Appearing in Green Arrow and Black Canary in "Dust of a Distant Storm"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Black Arrow/Laurel Lance-Queen (Earth 11) (First appearance)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Black Canary (Earth 11) (First appearance) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Gloom Patrol (Earth Goth) (Single appearance) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- The Chief (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Elasti-Girl (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Negative Man (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Robotman (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Green Arrow (Earth 11) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Amazons of Themyscira (Mentioned only)
- Black Canary/Dinah Drake (Unknown Earth) (Mentioned only)
- The Darkest Knight (Earth -22) (Mentioned only)
- Green Lantern Corps (Earth 0) (Mentioned only)
- Helena Bertinelli (Earth 11) (Mentioned only)
- Joker (Earth 0) (Mentioned only)
- Lady Blackhawk/Zinda Blake (Unknown Earth) (Mentioned only)
- Perpetua (Mentioned only)
- Solomon Grundy (Unknown Earth) (Mentioned only)
- Wonder Woman/Diana of Themyscira (Earth 0) (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Multiverse
- Earth 0/Metalverse
- The Hellscape
- "Hell"/Themyscira
- The Safe Haven (First appearance)
- United States of America (In ruins)
- New York City
- Ellis Island (Mentioned only)
- New York City
- The Hellscape
- Earth 11 (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- "Earth Goth" (Mentioned only)
- Sphere of the Gods
- Heaven (Mentioned only)
- Earth 0/Metalverse
Items:
- Black Arrow's Crossbow (First appearance)
- Green Arrow's Bow
- Oliver Queen's Wedding Ring (First appearance)
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Aquaman in "Whale Fall"
Arthur leaves an heartfelt letter to his daughter Andy, about why he chose to be Admiral of the Black Fleet, and about why he chose to die in war so that a world with her living inside it could become possible.
Appearing in Aquaman in "Whale Fall"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Andy Curry (Cameo)
- Mera (Cameo)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Batman (Bruce Wayne) (Cameo)
- The Flash (Wally West) (Cameo)
- Jonah Hex (Cameo)
- Sgt. Rock (Cameo)
- Superman (Clark Kent) (Cameo)
- Wonder Woman (Diana of Themyscira) (Cameo)
- Zombie Sharks (Cameo)
- The Darkest Knight (Earth -22) (Mentioned only)
- Dark Knights (Dark Multiverse) (Mentioned only)
- Bathomet (Dark Multiverse) (Mentioned only)
- Black Fleet (Dark Multiverse) (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Multiverse
- Earth 0/Metalverse
- The Hellscape
- The Seven Seas
- Earth 0/Metalverse
- Dark Multiverse (Mentioned only)
Items:
Concepts:
Synopsis for The Bat-Family in "We Fight for Love"
Earth-0, the Metalverse. The Hellscape, formerly known as Themyscira
Batman stands in the night, reflecting about what makes him, and his family, go on: Batgirl reaches him, and tells him he should rest. He asks her to go and gather everybody to meet one last time before the fight. Tim was playing cards with Despero, Croc and Magpie. Jason was dealing with an old woman because he wanted a sword. And Dick, he was cooking. And he remembers a date he had with Babs. He would like to tell her how he feels about them, but Barbara does not want to hear an emotional stuff before the battle.
So they all gather together, and Batman tells them they now have all they need to win: the love of their family. And seeing Dick and Barbara arguing about things unsaid, he tells them to get to the end: Dick asks Barbara to marry him. And without waiting for the answer, Batman marries them, even if he has no authority to do so. In the end, Barbara and Richard decide to stay married for this night: it will be void if they live through the battle. But if they live, Dick promises her he will conquer her love back. And so they kiss...
Appearing in The Bat-Family in "We Fight for Love"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Alfrenia's son (Earth 45) (Single appearance) (Unnamed)
- Despero
- Killer Croc
- Magpie
- Mara (Unknown Earth) (Single appearance)
- Alfrenia (Earth 45) (Mentioned only)
- Batman/Bruce Wayne (Earth 45) (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Earth 0/Metalverse
- The Hellscape
- "Hell"/Themyscira
- The Safe Haven
- "Hell"/Themyscira
- United States of America (In ruins)
- Gotham City
- Burnside (Mentioned only)
- Gotham City
- The Hellscape
- Earth 45 (Mentioned only)
- Sphere of the Gods
- Heaven (Unnamed) (Mentioned only)
Items:
Concepts:
Synopsis for Superman in "Man of Tomorrow"
Superman debates how to spend his last night on Earth: he wants to be with his loved ones but knows that millions of human beings need help and inspiration. Using shards from his son's Time Bubble, he constructs a make-shift device that will allow him to travel back in time for one hour. He decides that he will use the time travel machine as many times as he can before it breaks and then he will spend time with his family. While reliving the same hour thousands of times over, he finally gets the chance to be everywhere that he is needed at once: repairing a broken bridge, giving food to the homeless, dredging up a shipwreck to give gold to a soup kitchen, installing a solar farm, comforting a deathly ill woman, constructing a high school, hugging Supergirl, convincing a man not to kill himself, reconstructing the Taj Mahal, spending time with Jimmy Olsen and Perry White, saving fisherman from a storm, and inspiring humanity across the globe. When the device is spent, he meets his wife and son on the top of the Daily Planet to fly across the world together.
Appearing in Superman in "Man of Tomorrow"
Featured Characters:
- Superman (Clark Kent) (Infected)
Supporting Characters:
Other Characters:
- Jimmy Olsen (Cameo)
- Perry White (Cameo)
- Supergirl (Cameo)
Locations:
- Earth 0/Metalverse
- Bermuda Triangle
- Fortress of Solitude (In ruins)
- The Hellscape
- Lake Manitoba High School (Single appearance)
- India
- Taj Mahal
- Megapokolips
- Bermuda Triangle
- Post-Rebirth Legion's Future (Unnamed)
- 31st Century (Mentioned only)
Items:
- Chronal Device (Single appearance)
- Super-Computer
Vehicles:
- Time Bubble (Destroyed) (Mentioned only)
Concepts:
Notes
- The Dark Nights: Death Metal events continues from Dark Nights: Death Metal #5.
- All the stories from this issue take place on the night before the events of Dark Nights: Death Metal #6.
- Reprinted in Dark Nights: Death Metal - War of the Multiverses.
Trivia
- The variant cover was originally made for the "Generations" event, before the story got reworked.
See Also