- One last fight. Everyone together.
- — Batman
Dark Nights: Death Metal #1 is an issue of the series Dark Nights: Death Metal (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 2020. It was published on June 16, 2020.
Synopsis for "An Anti-Crisis, Part I: It All Matters"
In this new universe created by The Batman Who Laughs, Wonder Woman and a deformed Swamp Thing guard Themyscira which has been transformed into a twisted version of a prison hell, used to hold villains that refuse to defect to The Batman Who Laugh's new world order. After dropping off a new and mysterious prisoner that seems familiar to Diana, three new Batmen (Batmage, B-Rex, and Beyonder) escort Diana and Swamp Thing to meet The Batman Who Laughs on a graveyard site, along with seemingly different versions of Harley Quinn, Aquaman, and a strapped up Mister Miracle, respectively accompanied by three others: Dr. Arkham, Bathomet and Darkfather.
Mister Miracle and Darkfather confirm that Superman has nearly succumbed to the Anti-Life Equation, to which The Batman Who Laughs follows up with the news that Earth 22 has fallen to Perpetua and her forces. Batman reaches Diana through a copy of Martian Manhunter's psychic link. Bruce reveals his plan to create a single world in which the little good that remains can exist in peace, without the interference of Perpetua's army.
Diana disagrees with his plan, believing they need to save everything somehow, they are soon interrupted by The Batman Who Laughs, who senses Diana is out of the moment. Soon after, Bruce uses the Black Lantern Ring to raise the dead, creating a zombie army to fight the army of evil Batmen that The Batman Who Laughs summoned, which include Batman versions of Plastic Man, Etrigan, Deathstroke, Clayface, and Scarecrow.
Bruce informs Diana that this is what he had meant by winning the little battles, but Diana still refuses to let go of the universe before Perpetua. Meanwhile, on the planet Ossex, Lobo finds an undisclosed item that he has been implied to have been searching for, announcing it's his time to make a return. Searching for a way to return everything that the world has lost, Diana enters the prison where the mysterious prisoner is being kept, who is revealed to be Wally West. He informs Diana that there are two separate sets of energy: Positive connective energy (the Speed Force, the Emotional Spectrum, and the forces of justice), and Crisis energy (the Anti-Life Equation, Chaos Magic and the forces of doom) an equal and powerful counterpart.
Perpetua is apart of a race of powerful beings that are responsible for creating multiverses with positive energy and dying, giving their essence to their respective universe. However, when Perpetua created the prime multiverse, she used Crisis energy to do so, in an attempt to create an evil and chaotic multiverse. Once she was found out to have done this, her species decided to trap her in the Source Wall, hoping she may eventually grow to love the multiverse. However, all her years in the Source Wall had made her bitter and she would whisper to those with evil thoughts, hoping to bait them into freeing her. Eventually, this worked on Lex Luthor and he nursed Perpetua back to health after the Source Wall was broken in the Justice League's fight with Barbatos, and she escaped.
Wally continues to reveal that Doctor Manhattan had attempted to mend the fractures in the multiverse created by all the prior crises, but he failed. So instead, the Quintessence gave the Justice League all of the positive energy in the multiverse, to fight off Perpetua who had all the crisis energy in the multiverse. The Justice League lost the fight, and Perpetua was given a direct conduit into the Dark Multiverse from the Batman Who Laughs, in exchange for the second-in-command position being taken away from Lex and given to him instead. Diana suggests that the remaining heroes create the first Anti-Crisis in order to have a fighting chance against Perpetua and bring back the multiverse, but the Batman Who Laughs overhears the conversation and interrupts.
The Batman Who Laughs reveals that he has his bat-army torturing Swamp Thing in the upper level of the dungeon, and tells Diana to continue playing her role in his plans for her friends not to be killed at his hands. In fact, the Batman who Laughs is keeping several heroes alive because with their memories, they keep the Dark Multiverse going, and with it a constant source of crisis energies for Perpetua. After further antagonization from the Batman Who Laughs, Diana decides to kill him with an Invisible Chainsaw. In the final panels, Batmage reveals to the Batman Who Laugh's Robins that he has died. He tells them not to worry, and it's time to reveal the Batman Who Laugh's true plan, the "Final Bruce Wayne", a Bruce Wayne that appears to have the Doctor Manhattan symbol on his forehead, much like Wally. A severed and possibly confused Sgt. Rock is rambling about the toughness and brutality of war, while Batman comes to recruit Rock to his cause, picking him up for "one last fight".
Appearing in "An Anti-Crisis, Part I: It All Matters"
Featured Characters:
- Wonder Woman/Diana of Themyscira (Earth 0) (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
- Batman/Bruce Wayne (Earth 0) (Flashback and main story)
- Dead Bats (Earth 0) (First appearance) (Zombified)
- Jonah Hex (Earth 0) (Resurrected)
- Sgt. Franklin Rock (Earth 0) (Flashback and main story) (Resurrected) (Narrator)
- Doctor Manhattan (Watchmen Universe) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- The Flash/Wally West (Earth 0)
- Harley Quinn (Earth 0)
- George the Hyena (Earth 0) (First appearance; unnamed)
- Justice League (Earth 0) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- The Flash (Barry Allen) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Superman (Clark Kent) (Flashback and main story) (Also as an hologram) (Cameo)
- Swamp Thing/Alec Holland (Earth 0)
Antagonists:
- The Batman Who Laughs (Earth -22) (Flashback and main story) (Dies)
- Dark Knights (Dark Multiverse) (Reforms) (Flashback and main story)
- Bathomet (Dark Multiverse) (First appearance)
- Batmage (Dark Multiverse) (First appearance)
- Batman/Clayface Mashup (Dark Multiverse) (First appearance; unnamed)
- Batman/Etrigan Mashup (Dark Multiverse) (Single appearance) (Unnamed)
- Batman/Deathstroke Mashup (Dark Multiverse) (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Cameo)
- Batman/Doctor Destiny Mashup (Dark Multiverse) (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Cameo)
- Batman/Penguin Mashup (Dark Multiverse) (Single appearance) (Unnamed)
- Batman/Plastic Man Mashup (Dark Multiverse) (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Cameo)
- Batman/Scarecrow Mashup (Dark Multiverse) (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Cameo)
- Beyonder/Terry McGinnis (Dark Multiverse) (First appearance)
- B-Rex/Bruce Wayne (Dark Multiverse) (First appearance)
- Darkfather (Dark Multiverse) (First appearance)
- The Dawnbreaker (Earth -22) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- The Devastator (Earth -1) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Dr. Arkham (Dark Multiverse) (First appearance)
- Vampire Bats (Dark Multiverse) (First appearance; unnamed)
- The Drowned (Earth -11) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- The Merciless (Earth -12 (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- The Murder Machine (Earth -44) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- The Red Death (Earth -52) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- "Final" Bruce Wayne (Dark Multiverse) (First appearance) (Cameo)
- Groblins/Robins (Earth -22) (First appearance as Groblins)
- Joker Dragons (Dark Multiverse) (Cameo)
- Dark Knights (Dark Multiverse) (Reforms) (Flashback and main story)
- Perpetua (Flashback only) (Also in a vision)
- Alexander Luthor Jr. (Earth-Three) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- The Anti-Monitor (Pre-Crisis) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Shadow Demons (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Brother Eye (Pre-Flashpoint) (Flashback only) (Behind the scenes)
- OMAC (Pre-Flashpoint) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Barbatos (Dark Multiverse) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Darkseid (Pre-Flashpoint) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Dan Turpin (Pre-Flashpoint) (Possessed) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Mandrakk the Dark Monitor/Dax Novu (Pre-Flashpoint) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Parallax/Hal Jordan (Pre-Flashpoint) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Superboy-Prime (Earth-Prime) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
Other Characters:
- Aquaman/Arthur Curry (Earth 0) (Flashback and main story)
- Batman/Bruce Wayne (Earth 22) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Captain Cold (Earth 0) (Cameo)
- Captain Marvel/Billy Batson (Earth 22) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Eclipso (Earth 0) (Cameo)
- The Joker (Earth 0) (Cameo)
- Killer Croc (Earth 0) (Cameo)
- Lex Luthor (Earth 0) (Unnamed) (Voice) (Cameo)
- Lobo (Earth 0) (Cameo)
- Mister Freeze (Earth 0) (Cameo)
- Mister Miracle/Scott Free (Post-Flashpoint)
- Riddler (Earth 0) (Cameo)
- The Spectre/Jim Corrigan (Earth 22) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Amazons of Themyscira (Earth 0) (Mentioned only)
- Apex Predators (Mentioned only)
- British Army (Earth -22) (Mentioned only)
- Captain Atom (Earth 0) (Deceased) (Mentioned only)
- Dead Bats (Earth -22) (Deceased) (Mentioned only)
- Demons (Mentioned only)
- Neron (Post-Flashpoint) (Mentioned only)
- Neron (Earth -22) (Mentioned only)
- Martian Manhunter (Earth 0) (Mentioned only)
- Parliament of Trees (Mentioned only)
- The Presence (Mentioned only)
- The Quintessence (Earth 0) (Mentioned only)
- The Source (Mentioned only)
- The Hands (Mentioned only)
- Thomas Wayne (Earth -22) (Mentioned only)
- Wonder Women of the Dark Multiverse (Mentioned only)
- Zatara (Earth 0) (Mentioned only)
- Zatara (Earth -22) (Mentioned only)
- Zatanna (Earth 0) (Mentioned only)
- Zatanna (Earth -22) (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Omniverse (Mentioned only)
- Dark Multiverse (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- B-Rex's Earth (Unnamed) (Mentioned only)
- United States of America
- Gotham City
- Batcave (Mentioned only)
- Gotham City
- United States of America
- Earth -22
- United States of America
- Gotham City (Mentioned only)
- Wayne Manor (Mentioned only)
- Gotham City (Mentioned only)
- United States of America
- B-Rex's Earth (Unnamed) (Mentioned only)
- Hypertime (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Post-Flashpoint Multiverse (Flashback and main story) (Also in a vision)
- Earth 0/Prime Earth/Metalverse (First appearance as Metalverse)
- Earth
- Arkham Wastelands (First appearance) (In picture only) (Cameo)
- Gotham
- Castle Bat (First appearance)
- Sgt. Rock's Bunker (First appearance; unnamed)
- The Hellscape (First appearance)
- Megapokolips (First appearance) (In picture only) (Cameo)
- The Sun
- New Apokolips (First appearance) (Hologram) (Cameo)
- Ossex (First appearance)
- Earth
- Earth 22 (In a vision) (Destroyed) (Cameo)
- Speed Force (Mentioned only)
- Source Wall (Destroyed) (Mentioned only)
- Watchmen Universe (Unnamed) (Mentioned only)
- Earth 0/Prime Earth/Metalverse (First appearance as Metalverse)
- Pre-Flashpoint Multiverse
- Antimatter Universe (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Perpetua's Multiverse (Mentioned only)
- The Void (Mentioned only)
- Dark Multiverse (Flashback only) (Cameo)
Items:
- The Anti-Monitor's Armor (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Batarangs (Mentioned only)
- Bathomet's Trident (First appearance)
- Batman's Crossbow
- The Batman Who Laughs' Visor
- Batsuits
- Batman's T-Rex
- Black Lantern Ring
- Bracelets of Submission (Flashback and main story)
- Chainsaw of Truth (First appearance)
- Cloak of Erasure (First appearance)
- Cosmic Tuning Fork (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Dark Matter
- Green Lantern Ring
- The Merciless' Helmet (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Superboy-Prime's Armor (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Trident of Neptune (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Trident of Poseidon
- Wonder Woman's Tiara (Flashback and main story)
Vehicles:
- Bone-Mobile (First appearance; unnamed)
- Batmobile (Mentioned only)
- Black Fleet (Mentioned only)
- Death Drive (First appearance; unnamed) (Hologram) (Cameo)
- Invisible Jet (Destroyed)
Events:
- American War of Independence (Mentioned only)
- The Crises
- Crisis on Infinite Earths (Flashback only)
- Dark Multiverse Invasion (Flashback only)
- Final Crisis (Flashback only)
- Infinite Crisis (Flashback only)
- Zero Hour (Flashback only)
Concepts:
- Anti-Life Equation
- The Green (Behind the scenes)
- Magic
- The Seven Dark Forces of the Universe/Crisis Energy/Direct-Crisis Energy
- The Seven Positive Forces of the Universe/Connective Energy/Anti-Crisis Energy
Notes
- The story continues from the epilogues of Justice League (Volume 4) #39 and Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #4.
- The events of Dark Nights: Death Metal Infinite Hour Exxxtreme! #1 reveal that this story takes place six months after the Dark Knights conquered and remade Earth which is shown in "The Fall of Earth" story from Dark Nights: Death Metal Guidebook #1.
- This issue briefly retells the history of the DC Multiverse from its creation to the Seven Crises and reveals that The Eternal Return, the endless cycle of Crises, is all part of Perpetua's masterplan.
- This will be repeated once again by John Stewart.[1]
- It will later be confirmed that the Great Darkness did the same.[2]
- The idea of the Crises happening because of an higher being was originally suggested to Batman by Molly the Keeper in Justice League (Volume 3) #25.
- This story ultimately reveals that Doctor Manhattan became an higher being imbued with The Seven Forces of the Universe as a consequence of his accident in the Intrinsic Field Chamber.[3]
- Wonder Woman also reveals that, before leaving for his last journey to the Watchmen Universe,[4] he tried to heal the damages to the timeline but ultimately failed so The Quintessence collected the leftovers of his energy and gifted them to the League in the epilogue of Justice League (Volume 4) #39.
- This story also renames the Seven Positive and Dark Forces of the Universe as "Connective Energy" and "Crisis Energy".
- There's a continuity error in this story, as in the flashback of the Justice League entering the Dark Multiverse to fight Perpetua, Hal Jordan was present instead of John Stewart.
Trivia
- Perpetua whispering to Barbatos' ears through her cage in the Source Wall was first referenced in Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #4.
- Wally West was previously imbued with Doctor Manhattan's Connective Energy by the Mobius Chair in the epilogue of Flash Forward #6 and eventually decided to fullfill his predecessor's role as the "fixer" of the timeline in the "Flash Forward: Epilogue" story from The Flash #750.
- The Flash became aware of the One Who Laughs' rise to power during the epilogue of the "Generations Zero" story from Flash Forward collected edition.
- The Batman Who Laughs suggests to call the Connective Energy "Anti-Crisis Energy" (AC) and the Crisis Energy "Direct-Crisis Energy" (DC). These names are obviously references to the hard rock band, AC/DC.
- The button that opens the Final Bruce Wayne's chamber is an homage to the Comedian's Button from Watchmen.
- Scott Snyder revealed on Twitter that the Beyonder is an evil version of Terry McGinnis.[5]
See Also