"Dark Nights: Death Metal" is a 2020–2021 comic book storyline published by the comic book publishing company DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous central miniseries by writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo, and a number of tie-in books. The seven-issue miniseries was released from June 16, 2020, to January 5, 2021. The crossover was received with acclaim, with critics praising the unique plot, the art, the action, and the ending. It serves as the conclusion of the five-year Dark Multiverse Saga, taking place near the end of the New Justice era.
Publication history "Dark Nights: Death Metal" is the sequel to 2017's "Dark Nights: Metal" and concludes Scott Snyder's run in DC Comics; he stated "Everything is coming back, we want to pay it forward. The Omega Titans, Barbatos, the Forge, it's all coming back. Everything you read, our goal is to reward. All of it culminates in like a year in like a "Metal" event." "Death Metal" not only concludes the three-year spanning Dark Multiverse narrative that began with "Dark Nights: Metal", but will bring an end to the New 52 and DC Rebirth continuities that began with 2011's "Flashpoint" storyline.
In April 2020 during an interview on DC Daily, Snyder assured that the purpose of "Death Metal" is to unify every storyline from mainline DC Universe comic books, including the standalone stories.
The series was set to launch on May 13, 2020, but was rescheduled to June 16 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Background Following the final battle between Batman and the Batman Who Laughs, the Source Wall is shattered,Dark Nights: Metal causing a chain of events that frees Perpetua from her cosmic prison.Year of the Villain. DC Comics. Despite Apex Lex capturing the Batman Who Laughs, the latter reveals that the future Lex saw was a hoax made by Perpetua to manipulate him. After this revelation, Perpetua strips Lex of his powers and returns him to Earth. She starts to get the inhabitants of some of the Earths on her side, like the Crime Syndicate of America of the revived Earth 3.Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #4 (2019). DC Comics.
Meanwhile, the Justice League survived their battle with Perpetua after they were saved by the Quintessence, who reveal they were protecting something very important. The Quintessence then sent the League to an unknown location in order to search for it.Justice League (vol. 4) #39 (2019). DC Comics.
Somewhere, Tempus Fuginaut revised several Earths from the Dark Multiverse and then recruits Wally West to access Metron's Mobius Chair (which is upgraded with Doctor Manhattan's powers) and restore the balance between the Light and Dark Multiverses. This action causes Wally to assume a new persona and, with his new powers, he wants to mend all of reality into one single timeline, but the presence of the Batman Who Laughs prevents that from happening.
Plot Issue #1 The goddess Perpetua, who is destroying all realities to restart the Multiverse in her image, takes over Prime Earth. Her lieutenant, the Batman Who Laughs, aided by an army of evil Batmen from the Dark Multiverse, enforces her rule. All resistance has been crushed, and Earth's heroes have been impressed into her servitude. However, a mysterious prisoner awakens memories in Warden Wonder Woman, who rules over the Tartarus Pits of Hell (formerly Themyscira).
A meeting with the Batman Who Laughs' Justice League—consisting of Harley Quinn, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and Mister Miracle, who are each paired with a Dark Knight of the Dark Multiverse—is interrupted by the main Batman. Wonder Woman argues with her former teammates, saying that they need to fix everything, not just what is left. Wonder Woman returns to the Tartarus Pits and discovers that the mysterious prisoner is Wally West. He retells Diana the story of Perpetua and how she covertly manipulated many previous Crises. Wonder Woman decides to create the first Anti-Crisis and is confronted by the Batman Who Laughs, whom she kills with the invisible Chainsaw of Truth. Though dead, the Dark Knights work to unleash the Batman Who Laughs' true plan of preparing the body of the final Bruce Wayne. In an underground bunker, Batman enlists the help of a severed Sgt. Rock.Dark Nights: Death Metal #1 (2020). DC Comics.
Issue #2 In the Hellscape (outside of what used to be Washington, D.C.), Wonder Woman, Wally West, and Swamp Thing go to Valhalla Cemetery, a secret graveyard guarded by the surviving members of the JSA: Alan Scott, Jay Garrick, Doctor Fate and Wildcat. There, Batman and Jonah Hex work to conscript an army from the tombs in the crypt, which include Atom, Black Condor, Dove, Johnny Quick, Phantom Lady, and Sandman, among others.
Batman plans take Castle Bat, a version of Bruce Wayne who became a living Gotham City, to forge a new Earth. Meanwhile, Diana plans to travel to the original Crises through the Dark Universe, steal the energy taken by Perpetua, and give it to Wally, who would then restart the Multiverse. Jay calls in Barry Allen, who takes Wonder Woman and Batman to New Apokolips, a prison that houses the remaining heroes, to save their friends. At Castle Bat, the Dark Knights secretly transfer the Batman Who Laughs' brain into an energy construct based on Doctor Manhattan's powers.
Perpetua ravishes Earth-30 and warns the Batman Who Laughs of similar beings that may try to destroy her. The Batman Who Laughs proceeds to wipe out the remaining Dark Knights, except for one Robin, whom he decides to make the "Robin King"; he then transforms into the Darkest Knight. He exclaims that he knows of Diana's plans, and he plans to create "52 Planets of Nightmares". In the Arkham Wastes, Wonder Woman, Batman, Barry, Jonah Hex, and Harley Quinn enther the Toymaster's workshop to use his stealth ship designed as a composite version of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman to head to New Apokolips.
Legends of the Dark Knights Prior to events, the Batman Who Laughs recruited five new Dark Knight members:
The Robin King, a psychotic child version of Bruce Wayne who kills anyone, even his own family, to get what he wants. Batmansaurus Rex, a Batman who turned his body into a robot dinosaur. Castle Bat, a Batman who killed his son as part of a ritual to transfer his soul into Gotham City. Batmobeast, a Batman who transferred his soul into a cybernetic vehicle. Baby Batman, a Batman who made himself a cloned body in order to still live but who was reborn prematurely.
In the middle of this, the Batman Who Laughs discovers the existence of Batmanhattan (the "final" Bruce Wayne), who replicated the formula of Doctor Manhattan's powers. The Batman Who Laughs incapacitated Manhattan to access his body and transform into the Darkest Knight.Dark Nights: Death Metal: Legends of the Dark Knights (2020). DC Comics.
Issue #3 On New Apokolips, Wonder Woman's team defeats an army of Para-Robins, hybrids of Parademons and various Robins. The planet's ruler, Darkfather, is a version of Batman who absorbed the powers of Darkseid. Batman works to free Superman from Darkfather's torture machine, but Darkfather shoots him. The gun, which was modified to erase Batman from history, has no effect. Superman breaks free with Batman's Black Lantern ring and punches Darkfather into space. They free the remaining heroes, and Wonder Woman relays her plan to save all reality.
The heroes use Jarro, the baby Starro, to avoid detection from the Dark Knights and re-enter the Dark Multiverse. Meanwhile, the Darkest Knight and the Robin King break into Valhalla Cemetery. Knowing that he is there to steal Wally's powers, Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, and Wally West lead Darkest Knight into a chase. Lobo acquires the fifth and final box of "Death Metal" needed for his employer, Lex Luthor, who is planning to begin work on his own reality-warping plans.
Dark Nights: Death Metal Guidebook Lex Luthor narrates the invasion of Earth by the Dark Knights, led by the Batman Who Laughs. The irradiated Western Coast split off and became the Arkham Wastelands, where Harley Quinn rules under Doctor Arkham. The East Coast becomes Megaopokalips, transformed by Darkfather. Gotham City split off into its own continent, where it replaces Canada and contains the Batman Who Laughs' headquarters, Castle Bat.
Themyscira turned into the Tartarus Pits governed by Wonder Woman, and Gemworld became part of the new Hell. Mexico is replaced by Skartaris. The Rock of Eternity fell into Fawcett City, freeing the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man. Bathomet gave Aquaman control of Earth's ocean and the mechanical Black Fleet. Afterward, Lex hired Lobo to help him rescue the Legion of Doom.Dark Nights: Death Metal Guidebook (2020). DC Comics.
Trinity Crisis Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman travel back to the three great Crises to stop Perpetua's manipulation. On the way, they encounter Barbatos, who taunts them for needing a Crisis to mend their failures. The trinity rejects their idea and continues on: Batman visits the original Crisis, Wonder Woman visits the Infinite Crisis, and Superman visits the Final Crisis. However, they are confronted by a victorious Anti-Monitor, Superboy-Prime, and Darkseid, respectively. Superboy taunts Wonder Woman, claiming that Perpetua has already changed the outcome of these events.Dark Nights: Death Metal: Trinity Crisis. DC Comics.
"Doom Metal Part 1" Nightwing, along with a band of allies, including Hawkgirl and a reluctant Detective Chimp, is tasked by Lex Luthor to rescue the Legion of Doom.Justice League (vol. 4) #53 (2020). DC Comics.
Speed Metal Barry, Wally, and Jay team up with Kid Flash and the rest of the Flash family to outrun the Darkest Knight and his army of Dark Multiverse Flashes in order to reach the Mobius Chair.Dark Nights: Death Metal: Speed Metal (2020). DC Comics.
Multiverse's End The Green Lantern Corps and the Justice Incarnate unite against the remaining Earths that have sworn loyalty to Perpetua: Earth-3, Earth-10, Earth-29, Earth-43, and Earth-50. Meanwhile, John Stewart tries to convince a reluctant Owlman to betray Perpetua and rise against the destruction of the Multiverse. He does so and uses a special gun made on Qward to kill Ultraman and Superwoman.Dark Nights: Death Metal: Multiverse's End (2020). DC Comics.
Issue #4 Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are trapped in Dark versions of the original Crisis Trilogy, where the main villains have won. Across Gotham, the Flash family burn up the Speed Force to outpace the Darkest Knight. Wally contacts Jarro, who is trying to stop Harley Quinn from killing the Robin King after he murdered Hex. Wonder Woman learns how Superboy-Prime killed Alexander Luthor Jr. and holds her responsible. Superboy-Prime prepares to direct all Crisis energy into Darkest Knight. Wonder Woman convinces Superboy-Prime to reconsider, and he shatters the Crisis worlds, saving Batman and Superman, while also directing the energy to Wally. However, their plan fails, as Darkest Knight has rigged the Mobius Chair to always direct the power to himself.Dark Nights: Death Metal #4 (2020). DC Comics.
"Doom Metal Part 2" Starfire and Cyborg are fresh from their return to Earth and unite with Nightwing's team, where they come face-to-face with a valley of Starros. Meanwhile, the Martian Manhunter matches wits with the Dark Knight equivalent of himself called the Mindhunter.Justice League (vol. 4) #54 (2020). DC Comics.
"Doom Metal Part 3" Lex Luthor and Nightwing help the others escape the valley, which is revealed to be a giant Starro. Lex constructs a vessel,, which he names after Lana Lang, to continue the journey to Brimstone Bay. However, Detective Chimp is disheartened by the whole experience, and Hawkgirl is more prioritized with saving Martian Manhunter.Justice League (vol. 4) #55 (2020). DC Comics.
Robin King