Metal Part I Update - The Batman Who Laughs!
/DCUO just released a new image teasing us of the brand new character that was announced to arrive this September in Episode 35: Metal Part I! Gaze upon the face of The Batman Who Laughs!
This maddened Batman originates from Earth -22, (Negative 22) from the Dark Multiverse, from where the Joker had forced this Dark Knight to witness and relive the traumatic night of losing his parents in Crime Alley, several times over re-enacted by Joker and several other families, while he Jokerized the orphans. Overcoming what Joker had done to him and his restraints, his hand was forced and took the Joker’s life in his universe, but not without Joker gas escaping his enemies’ dying breathf, entering this Batman’s system. Within a week, it was revealed that the gas was in fact a purified strain of Joker Venom, transforming this once noble hero into a monster, all of Batman’s abilities and gadgets coupled with Joker’s morality made for a deadly combo no one on his universe was prepared for, especially not the Batman Family, who he called in to announce it to them, only to gun them down.
A week later, donning the new suit pictured, he had decimated his universe’s Justice League, showcasing what he had done to Robin and the orphaned children Joker had transformed with an incurable dose of Joker Venom, making them into his own Dark Robins, holding them at bay with chain leashes, only able say Crow, and yield to the twisted Batman’s order of Bar, a reference to the weapon which Joker used on former Robin, Red Hood. With all but Superman in his way, he used a modified Black Kryptonite which caused both Superman and his son, Superboy to go on a rampage, destroying Lois Lane and themselves, forging this monstrous being into The Batman Who Laughs.
None of the citizens were able to stop him, as he controlled the universe with his Dark Robins in tow, leaving only Alfred Pennyworth last, who put up a fight, but not until tricking him into believing that there was still good in the Batman he knew, trapping Alfred, keeping him a hostage only to break him into becoming his loyal servant. Eventually, like all Dark Multiverse universal realities, his started to fade, with Barbatos choosing him as his lieutenant, to lead and assemble a team of Dark Knights from other Earths of the Dark Multiverse to fight against the true Multiverse.
Also confirmed were two other Dark Knights, The Merciless and The Red Death set to be in Metal Part I and Barbatos confirmed to appear in Metal Part II, it seems to be only a matter of time until the rest of the Dark Multiverse Dark Knights and more make themselves known. Are you ready to take on such twisted yet formidable enemies? Prepare yourselves, you only have one month left!
The Batman Who Laughs was created by writer Scott Snyder & artist Greg Capullo, first appearing in Dark Days: The Casting #1 (Sept 2017).