DC Comics’s Dark Nights: Death Metal event is in full swing this summer, and has already had quite a few different twists and turns even in the first few issues thus far. Featuring a multiverse that’s threatened by one that is much, much, darker and in direct opposition to it, that The Batman Who Laughs has allied himself and become servant to Perpetua, the rogue Super Celestial and mother of the Monitor, Anti-Monitor, and the World Forger.

In the very first issue, The Batman Who Laughs was murdered by Wonder Woman, however it was all part of his plan to become a new Batman that is the most powerful alternate version of Batman the DC Multiverse has ever seen. However, the best part about the character is what DC Comics decided to name him.

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In his bid to amass power to one day overthrow Perpetua, the Batman Who Laughs found and kept secret an alternate Bruce Wayne from a universe where Batman is exploring the Comedian’s button he found in his Batcave. In the original and primary universe, Batman also investigated the origins of the button with the Flash, which kicked off DC and Watchmen’s recent Doomsday Clock crossover event. However, in this universe, Bruce goes further, taking it upon himself to construct an intrinsic field generator to study the button’s odd energies, the very same machine from the Watchmen comics that gave Jon Osterman his god-like powers as Doctor Manhattan. The Batman Who Laughs then pushes this Bruce Wayne into the generator, then activates the machine with him still inside, the same way that Osterman gained his powers.

As revealed in Dark Nights Death Metal: Legends of the Dark Knights #1, from writers Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, and Joshua Williamson with art by Tony S. Daniel in the story titled “I Am Here”, DC Comics has given their Batman/Dr. Manhattan the perfect name: Batmanhattan. It’s almost too ridiculously awesome, regardless of the fact that the reason Osterman took the name “Manhattan” was because he was involved with the Manhattan Project at the time. For this version of Bruce Wayne, there’s no real reason for using “Manhattan” other than it’s ability to perfectly mesh with “Batman”, and that’s reason enough. Forget the Flash/Batman named Red Death, or Cybrog/Batman’s Murder Machine. Banmanhattan dominates. (However, Batmanasaurus Rex could be a close second.)

However, Thanks to the Batman who Laughs, Batmanhattan doesn’t last for long in his new form, as the evil Batman quickly lobotomizes the new god-like being before his powers can fully manifest themselves, keeping the body waiting in the wings until he’s ready to make use of it. Now, after his death at the hands of Wonder Woman, the Batman Who Laughs’s minions take his brain and put it into Batmanhattan’s body. Merged with his new form, the Batman Who Laughs has now become the Darkest Batman, using his new powers to pull aspects of the most lethal, savage, and dark Batmen from across the Dark Universe into himself, becoming an ultimate and final form, and a powerful force to be reckoned with as Dark Nights: Death Metal continues. However, it wouldn’t have been possible without Batmanhattan, having one of the greatest names of all time.

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Kevin Erdmann
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Kevin Erdmann is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers. With a major in Cinema Studies and a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin is pretty sure he’s writing for the right site. While Kevin is a huge Marvel fan, he also loves Batman because he’s Batman and is a firm believer that Han shot first. Disney also shares a big part of his fan patronage. Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

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