Chapter Summaries

Owlman forced Darkseid to help rescue Fiji’s civilians after a volcanic eruption, while Batman raced to evacuate them alone. The Justice League arrived to assist, leaving Batman surrounded by allies as the rescue continued.

• Owlman used Supreme Superboy to make Darkseid agree to send his Parademons to Fiji and ensure no civilians died.
• Superman Clark Kent and Wonder Woman Diana Prince each received a communication while training and recovering.
• Chen Tao transformed and raced through Fiji, carrying civilians to safety despite the strain of Red Death’s power.
• Darkseid’s Parademon army arrived through a Boom Tube as Superman, Wonder Woman, Hal, Martian Manhunter, and the Justice League joined the evacuation.

Darkseid helped evacuate Fiji’s residents and clear the volcanic ash, while Diana took charge of the Justice League as Batman left to meet Owlman. Meanwhile, General Zod slaughtered the League of Shadows in the Middle East and demanded that Ra’s al Ghul surrender the Lazarus Pit to Argo City.

• Darkseid used Apokolips’s technology and Parademons to clear the ash and move Fiji’s residents to a newly created island, while Wonder Woman saved a building and Batman mourned the loss of the place he had hoped to visit with Alfred.
• Batman reassured Diana that Fiji could be rebuilt, asked her to reorganize the Justice League, and left her a message for Alfred promising another trip after everything ended.
• Diana rallied the Justice League to help the refugees, while Batman accepted Darkseid’s summons to meet Owlman.
• General Zod broke into a secret League of Shadows base in the Middle East and killed its warriors despite their attempts to stop him with kryptonite.
• Ra’s al Ghul emerged from the Lazarus Pit as General Zod demanded the pool for Argo City and threatened war if Ra’s refused.

Owlman assigned Batman missions to manage threats gathering against their universe, including Lord Orm and General Zod’s Kryptonians. Nyssa al Ghul revealed that Zod had kidnapped Ra's al Ghul and Talia al Ghul after Ra's destroyed the Lazarus Pit Zod wanted to use.

• Owlman told Batman about his plans to obtain N metal from the Thanagarian Empire and asked him to draw Aquaman Arthur and Sea Woman Mera away from Lord Orm.
• Batman warned Owlman not to kill Lord Orm, and Owlman promised to change Orm’s mind and recruit him against the Anti-Monitor.
• Owlman explained that General Zod had raised a million Kryptonians with Anton Arcane, who had since defected to the Anti-Monitor, and said they needed to stop Zod and reclaim the army.
• Nyssa al Ghul told Batman that Zod had demanded Ra's al Ghul’s Lazarus Pit to resurrect Argo City, and Ra's had destroyed it after refusing him.
• Nyssa revealed that General Zod had kidnapped Ra's al Ghul and Talia al Ghul, then asked Batman for help.

Batman uncovered that Ra's al Ghul had possessed Nyssa and manipulated Oliver and the others to steer General Zod toward a supposed special Lazarus Pit. Ra's proposed using the Kryptonians against Anton Arcane, and Batman agreed to go while hinting he had another solution.

• Owlman explained that General Zod had reached an agreement with Anton Arcane, but Nyssa reported that Zod's Kryptonian army had not been resurrected or placed under Arcane's control.
• Batman inferred that Zod had not committed to Arcane and proposed giving him Lazarus Water to turn him against Arcane, while Owlman arranged to handle Lord Orm and Bane's investigation continued.
• Batman trapped the meeting attendees and seized Nyssa, revealing that Ra's al Ghul had taken over his daughter's body and manipulated Oliver into believing Zod had sided with Arcane.
• Batman and Owlman deduced that Ra's had guided Zod toward Lazarus Water and was trying to make Batman's group force Zod to deploy Kryptonians that Ra's could control.
• Ra's offered to lead Batman to the supposed special Lazarus Pit, warning that Arcane might otherwise gain control of the Kryptonians, and Batman agreed to go while suggesting he had another way to solve the problem.

Chen Tao captured Ra's al Ghul and traced General Zod to the Lazarus Pit in South America, where Zod had resurrected a Kryptonian who had gone mad. Chen Tao offered to restore the resurrected Kryptonians’ sanity in exchange for Zod and his people obeying the heroes, then demonstrated his method with a bizarre result.

• Chen Tao exposed Ra's al Ghul’s scheme, captured him, and ordered Owlman to imprison him while the heroes pursued Zod without his help.
• Owlman explained that he had guided Zod to Argo City, and Chen Tao proposed using his own method to give resurrected Kryptonians a normal personality.
• Chen Tao, Aquaman, and the others found Zod at the Lazarus Pit in a lost temple in South America, surrounded by dead guards and a mad, resurrected Kryptonian.
• The mad Kryptonian attacked Chen Tao, and Zod insisted he would not let Batman capture him because he was essential to reviving Krypton.
• Chen Tao offered to restore the Kryptonians’ sanity if Zod and the resurrected people obeyed the heroes, and Zod accepted.
• Chen Tao transformed the mad Kryptonian, who stopped attacking and then made a frog-like “Ribbit!” sound.

Chen Tao tried to recruit General Zod by reviving his Kryptonian comrades with the Lazarus Pit, but their sanity could only be restrained by beast transformations powered by The Red. Just as Zod agreed to help fight Anti-Monitor, a revived Kryptonian rotted and spoke with Anton Arcane’s voice, leaving Chen Tao poised to confront the master of The Black.

• Chen Tao explained that he could not restore the Kryptonians’ original personalities, and he repeatedly controlled one berserk Kryptonian by growing and shrinking a rooster’s head with The Red’s power.
• General Zod saw the grotesque transformation and objected, while Chen Tao argued that the Kryptonians were revived enough to help fight Anti-Monitor and could be restored further afterward.
• Zod defended his belief in rebuilding the Life Codex and assigning every Kryptonian a profession, but Chen Tao persuaded him to postpone those plans until they survived the crisis.
• General Zod agreed to join Chen Tao, but the revived Kryptonian suddenly decomposed and spoke as Anton Arcane, warning Zod that he could not escape Krypton’s fate.
• Chen Tao recognized that Anton Arcane was beside a Lazarus Pit, while Aquaman Arthur and Mera stood ready nearby.

Aquaman and Mera guarded the entrance to the Lazarus Pit while discussing their doubts about Batman’s growing burden and the League’s chances. After Batman summoned them, they used the Pit’s water to attack Anton Arcane, who was speaking through a corpse.

• Aquaman and Mera hid near the temple entrance while Arthur tested his new camouflage ability, which Mera doubted could fool a Kryptonian’s X-ray vision.
• The couple discussed Owlman’s claim that Batman needed to die to reach his full potential, and Mera worried that Batman was carrying an unusually heavy burden.
• Mera listed the League members’ preparations, and Arthur insisted that their growing powers and Batman’s leadership would bring them victory.
• Batman sent the couple a mobilization order, and they flew toward the Lazarus Pit on a stream of water.
• Aquaman asked Mera to control the Lazarus Pit Water, and she drenched Anton Arcane’s corpse with it, making white smoke pour from his body.

Chen Tao watched Aquaman and Mera defeat Anton Arcane’s controlled Kryptonian corpse, but General Zod betrayed him and revealed he had sided with the Anti-Monitor. Wounded by Arcane, Chen Tao faced both enemies and ordered Aquaman and Mera to eliminate them.

• Chen Tao tried to persuade General Zod to reject the Anti-Monitor while Aquaman and Mera fought Arcane’s controlled Kryptonian corpse.
• Aquaman and Mera worked together to weaken the corpse with Lazarus Pit water, kryptonite powder, and Aquaman’s Trident, driving Arcane away from it.
• Chen Tao realized the apparent victories had been too easy, then General Zod turned on him and Anton Arcane’s true form emerged behind Zod.
• Arcane pierced Chen Tao’s chest, but Chen Tao laughed at the betrayal and mocked the fate the Dark Multiverse had repeated.
• Zod explained that he had joined the Anti-Monitor in hopes of creating a new Krypton, and Chen Tao ordered Aquaman and Mera to eliminate Zod and Arcane.

Chen Tao’s plan to obtain an anchored item left him battered and apparently defeated as Anton Arcane and General Zod attacked him and his allies. After Arthur’s fish scales triggered a warning for the SS-grade Drowned Vengeance Batman file, Chen Tao rose and told Bane to stop The Black from corrupting Mera before preparing to settle the score.

• General Zod burned away the Kryptonite on Aquaman Arthur’s trident and beat Arthur back, while Anton Arcane attacked Chen Tao and isolated the battlefield from the Speed Force.
• Mera tried to help Chen Tao escape, but Arcane overpowered him and claimed that Batman’s allies and communication links could not help him.
• Mera summoned water from nearby lakes to attack Arcane, but a black-corrupted crab pierced her and caused her to collapse.
• Arthur fought Zod to protect Mera, but Zod beat him until his transformation spell expired and his original fish-headed form returned.
• Zod burned the spot where Chen Tao lay, but Chen Tao saw a warning that Arthur’s shed scales could target the SS-grade Drowned Vengeance Batman file.
• Chen Tao rose, told Bane to prevent The Black from corrupting Mera further, and prepared to settle the score with Arcane and Zod.

Chen Tao’s connection to Drowned Vengeance drove her into a violent fight with the other Dark Knights, destroying Red Death’s observation tower. After waking restrained in Arcane’s spatial barrier, Chen Tao hinted that he had an arrangement and sensed an approaching force capable of breaking the barrier.

• Red Death built an observation tower to watch Batman, while Drowned Vengeance sensed an unknown presence connecting to her mind.
• Influenced by Chen Tao, Drowned Vengeance attacked The Devastator and unleashed her Dead Water army, destroying the tower and drawing Red Death into the fight.
• Chen Tao synchronized with Drowned Vengeance for a short time, then woke bound while Bane fought Arcane and the Aquaman couple battled General Zod.
• Bane told Chen Tao that Arcane had trapped them inside a spatial barrier made from The Black.
• Chen Tao said he would tear the space apart and throw Zod and his allies into outer space, as Zod sensed a tremor in the barrier.

Chen Tao tried to turn General Zod and Anton Arcane against Anti-Monitor, but Arcane’s spatial trap kept Batman’s allies out. Supreme Superboy broke through the domain, allowing Chen Tao to seize The Red’s throne and free the monkey head and spine from Supreme Superboy, while Owlman demanded to know what Batman was doing.

• Chen Tao challenged General Zod’s faith in Anti-Monitor and warned that the destroyer would not keep his promises, but Zod insisted he had surrendered to save Krypton.
• Arcane claimed Batman could not break his control of the space, while Bane retreated and Aquaman Arthur and Mera continued fighting Zod.
• Chen Tao warned Aquaman and Mera to watch for Zod’s suspected Shadow Demon ambush, then tried to persuade Arcane to abandon his deal with Anti-Monitor.
• When Zod and Arcane refused, Chen Tao declared that he would take the chance to stop them, and Supreme Superboy shattered Arcane’s spatial domain to reach him.
• Chen Tao transformed through successive life forms and usurped The Red’s throne, causing Red-aligned beings across Earth to sense that its ruler had changed.
• Chen Tao used The Red’s power to remove the monkey head, spine, and partial ribs from Supreme Superboy, whose original head began to regain its vitality, while Owlman demanded an explanation.

Chen Tao uncovered how Owlman controlled Supreme Superboy and negotiated a deal to save the people on Owlman's world. He pretended to accept Owlman's plan while preparing to act on his own, and Supreme Superboy's divided personalities remained unstable.

• Chen Tao failed to silence Supreme Superboy Monkey, then used the disruption to confirm that Owlman was monitoring Supreme Superboy.
• Owlman revealed that he used the Anti-Life Equation, aided by Starro, to control Supreme Superboy's primary personality and explained how he had gained access to that power.
• Owlman disclosed that he had repeatedly rebooted his universe, killed its Darkseid, and controlled the Anti-Life power inherited by Superwoman's unborn son.
• Chen Tao demanded that Owlman risk returning to save the people on his planet, and Owlman agreed to transport them to his universe.
• Chen Tao pretended to finalize the alliance while concealing that he did not intend to follow Owlman's plan.
• Owlman warned Chen Tao that Supreme Superboy's divided personalities had to be reunited soon or Supreme Superboy would break free, and Chen Tao said he would resolve it quickly.

General Zod fled Earth aboard Mogo after Anton Arcane escaped, abandoning Talia in space to delay Batman. After several space jumps, Batman appeared on Mogo’s screen and announced that he was coming to catch Zod.

• General Zod discovered that Anton Arcane had secretly escaped, leaving behind an empty shell, and decided to flee on his own.
• General Zod created an illusion beside Arcane’s shell, opened a green portal, and returned to Mogo’s control room.
• General Zod ordered Fiora and Nam-Ek to flee Earth at full speed and keep jumping through space.
• General Zod ordered Nam-Ek to put the unconscious Talia in a spaceship and send Batman her location before Mogo made another jump.
• After several jumps, Mogo shook and Batman appeared on the screen, taunting General Zod that he was coming to catch him.

Chen Tao used Supreme Superboy Monkey’s head and spine as a weapon against Green Lantern Mogo, then let Supreme Superboy fight after the two personalities found a way to communicate. Supreme Superboy defeated General Zod and stopped short of harming Mogo, while Zod insisted that serving Anti-Monitor could have saved Krypton; Chen Tao then headed for Mogo’s planetary core.

• Chen Tao repeatedly pulled Supreme Superboy Monkey’s head and spine out of Supreme Superboy and used them to smash Mogo’s Green Lantern blasts.
• Supreme Superboy linked his consciousness with the monkey personality, allowing him to speak despite Chen Tao and Owlman’s control.
• Chen Tao agreed to let Supreme Superboy act freely so long as he captured General Zod and did not harm Mogo or anyone else.
• Supreme Superboy endured Mogo’s planet-sized Green Lantern beam and overwhelmed it with heat vision that dissipated before reaching the planet.
• Supreme Superboy captured General Zod after breaking all four of his limbs, and Zod claimed that submitting to Anti-Monitor could have preserved Krypton and its people.
• Chen Tao lost interest in arguing with Zod and announced that he was going to Mogo’s planetary core.

Chen Tao sought control of Mogo and Owlman’s cooperation to prepare for the Anti-Monitor, planning to make Supreme Superboy absorb centuries of sunlight inside the Sun. He secured control over the Speed Force storm’s creation and expected to remain behind to seal away the Anti-Monitor and face Supreme Superboy.

• Chen Tao took control of Mogo to use its ring-forging abilities and demanded Owlman make Supreme Superboy obey his orders.
• Chen Tao explained his plan to accelerate time around Supreme Superboy inside the Sun so he could absorb thousands of years of sunlight and become powerful enough to challenge the Anti-Monitor.
• Chen Tao convinced Owlman that Supreme Superboy would pose little danger to Owlman’s universe after Owlman moved Earth’s inhabitants there, but Owlman questioned whether he could be trusted to return for them.
• Chen Tao demanded control over the Speed Force storm and demonstrated that he could disturb the universe’s Speed Force, threatening to release the Anti-Monitor before the storm formed.
• Owlman agreed to share control of the storm’s creation, and Chen Tao said he would stay behind to seal away the Anti-Monitor and face Supreme Superboy while everyone else escaped.

Batman and Owlman prepared to evacuate Earth while Chen Tao used Starro and Mogo to create a supply of Purple Lantern Rings. The chapter ended with purple rings spreading through Mogo’s core like a tide.

• Two men emerged through a portal in Fiji, discovered that destroying the island had not changed Batman’s future, and decided they needed another plan.
• Batman and Owlman agreed to put Supreme Superboy to sleep before Chen Tao sent him into the sun, while Owlman revealed his preparations involving Starro and Martian Traveler.
• Chen Tao arrived at Mogo, knocked out Fiora and Nam-Ek, and learned that Starro had come to help him.
• Chen Tao placed Starro on his head and took control of Mogo’s will.
• Chen Tao used Mogo and his Green Lantern rings to forge Purple Lantern Rings, creating a rapidly growing tide of them.

Owlman and Luthor prepared to move their universe and transfer everyone on Earth, while Batman secretly used Starro’s telepathy to put Earth’s people to sleep and recruit them as Purple Lanterns. The Purple Lanterns began arriving, and Stan Lee was transformed into a Star Sapphire who declared his love for Batman.

• Owlman assigned the allied cosmic villains their roles in the universe’s escape and announced a plan to transfer the people of Batman’s Earth.
• Galactic Puppet objected to approaching the Anti-Monitor, but Luthor and the other villains pressured him into accepting the plan; Owlman and Luthor decided he would need to be killed afterward.
• Owlman worried that Supreme Superboy’s absence would leave him without a way to control the cosmic villains and considered keeping a way to cast them off the escaping universe.
• Batman told Hal that he had used Starro’s telepathy to put people around the world to sleep, then shared memories revealing the danger and his plan with him.
• Hal flew out of Justice Hall and saw Purple Lanterns overwhelm Earth, as a Starro clone transformed Stan Lee into a two-headed Star Sapphire who proclaimed love for Batman.

Deathstroke was overwhelmed by starfish-like aliens that turned people into two-headed Violet Lanterns obsessed with Batman. Across Earth, the Violet Lantern Corps grew beyond the Star Sapphire Corps’ control, and its central battery flew toward Batman as Predator chose him as its host.

• Deathstroke completed an assassination, then discovered that his client and the people around him had been transformed by alien starfish.
• A crowd of two-headed Violet Lanterns surrounded Deathstroke, overwhelmed him, and transformed him into one of their Batman-loving members.
• The Violet Lantern Corps’ numbers surged into the millions, leaving its creators in the Zamaron star system unable to control the Corps.
• The female Guardians realized that Predator had chosen the person loved by every Violet Lantern as its host.
• The central power battery exploded and flew toward its new master, leaving the female Guardians to wonder what to do.

Chen Tao recorded his last will, assigning the Justice League and his allies responsibilities and contingencies in case he died. After completing the global transformation, he fused with the Predator and unleashed the Metal Spirit as a fourth natural force, while wondering whether he would survive the new era.

• Chen Tao recorded a will naming Luther as the Justice League's next leader, outlining safeguards against the Court of Owls and possible threats, and leaving personal messages for his allies.
• Chen Tao's threat level reached C, and he received instructions to locate the Metal Spirit to load the Dark Multiverse Batman, Shattered Bat.
• Chen Tao used The Red to restore recently deceased people during the worldwide transformation, reducing deaths as the process completed.
• Chen Tao flew into the sky and welcomed the Predator, which fused completely with him and raised his threat level to infinity.
• Chen Tao released the Metal Spirit's power, and beings connected to The Red, The Green, and The Black realized that the Metal Spirit would become a fourth natural force and usher in a new era.

Time Master and Golden Pioneer argued over whether to preserve Batman’s altered timeline, while Chen Tao planned to use the Over-Time Stream as a safeguard. At Justice Hall, Chen Tao forced the First Lantern out of the Grim Lantern Ring and revealed his target, Huo Rong.

• Time Master told Golden Pioneer that Batman’s timeline had nearly solidified and was too costly for them to change.
• Golden Pioneer refused to help erase Batman’s future, and the two argued about the Anti-Monitor’s threat and the Over-Time Stream.
• Chen Tao reasoned that past timelines remained accessible through the Over-Time Stream and decided to use it as a final safeguard.
• Chen Tao trapped the Ventriloquist in Justice Hall and flooded the Grim Lantern Ring with violet lantern energy.
• Chen Tao forced the First Lantern out of the ring and identified him as Huo Rong.