Recaps

Lois interviewed Miao Mu about Batman and arranged to meet Commissioner Gordon for information, while Barry watched the familiar figures in a changed timeline. Meanwhile, Oswald the Penguin fled a pursuer and came face-to-face with a corpse-like monster carrying a scroll marked with a spear.

• Lois asked Miao Mu about Batman, and he described the hero and offered to introduce her to Commissioner Gordon.
• Clark said he planned to return to Kansas for Christmas, and Miao Mu explained that Jason was staying with his teacher.
• Oswald the Penguin fled through an alley with an iron-chain wound in his hand, fearing the monster chasing him.
• A corpse-like figure in a black uniform, chains, spiked bracers, and a crimson cape landed in Oswald's path and unfurled a scroll bearing a spear outline.

Lois and Clark visited Gotham’s Major Crimes Unit to ask Gordon about Batman, while Constantine escaped the Hell Brand by transferring it to a half-demon. The chapter ended with Constantine asking Papa Midnight for a portal to find out more about Malebolgia, who planned to turn a city into Hell’s territory.

• Miao Mu brought Lois and Clark to the Gotham police station, where they asked to speak with Gordon about Batman.
• Renee Montoya complained about her overtime work and told Miao Mu that Gordon was in his office.
• Miao Mu told Gordon that Metropolis reporters wanted to hear about Batman, and Gordon agreed to meet them.
• Papa Midnight used a chain to pull the Hell Brand out of Constantine and transfer it to a half-demon, whom he banished to Hell.
• Constantine asked Papa Midnight for a portal to the Reversal Plane Library so he could learn Malebolgia’s name and stop his plan to claim a city for Hell.

Miao Mu confronted Joker in a restroom, but their fight sent him to Hell, where Joker acted as his guide. Joker explained that the newly arrived souls were burned by Hellfire and reborn as low-ranking demons.

• Miao Mu found a Joker doll in a restroom stall, shot it, and crushed it when it spoke to him.
• Miao Mu’s Holy Flame Hammer ignited the doll, and the resulting blast sent a charred claw through the mirror to seize him.
• Miao Mu shattered the mirror, but Joker made the restroom floor collapse beneath him.
• Miao Mu landed in Hell, where Joker appeared in a burned form, took away his Holy Flame Hammer, and grabbed him by the throat.
• Joker tossed Miao Mu aside to inspect several souls that fell from the sky and became low-ranking demons in Hellfire.

After Joker dragged Miao Mu’s soul into Hell, he marked him and sent him back with a flood of memories. Miao Mu realized Gotham was connected to Hell and learned that stopping the demons would require finding them host bodies.

• Joker grabbed Miao Mu in Hell, awakening him in the police station restroom with a strange brand on his wrist and Joker’s memories in his mind.
• Miao Mu recalled a suspicious doctor at Arkham Asylum who had claimed to be Barbatos and serve Darkseid, then rushed out of the station.
• Miao Mu discovered through Joker’s memories that Joker had the Dionysium Factor, Constantine had made a deal with a demon king, and Hell had connected to Gotham.
• Joker urged Miao Mu to stop Gotham from becoming Hell and explained that demon kings needed host bodies to leave Hell.
• Joker mentioned forgetting to eat birthday cake, and Miao Mu recognized the memory of Joker meeting Faust beside two corpses on a magic circle.

Miao Mu recruited Deadshot Lawton as an instructor for his security company, offering him a gun store, company shares, and help with his criminal record and custody case. Lawton took a letter to Arkham Asylum to find Otis, while Miao Mu invited Lois and Clark to lunch after Lois interviewed Gordon about Batman.

• Lawton asked Miao Mu for a proper job, and Miao Mu offered him work as a security instructor along with a gun store, ten percent of the company, and help with his record and daughter’s custody.
• Lawton accepted the offer, and Miao Mu sent him to Arkham Asylum with a letter for Otis.
• Lois thanked Gordon for information about Batman, and Miao Mu invited her and Clark to lunch while Gordon returned to work.
• Clark noticed the Hell Brand on Miao Mu’s wrist through his X-ray vision but did not ask about it.
• Lawton reached Arkham Asylum and asked its security guards for Otis so he could deliver Miao Mu’s letter.

Nygma recruited Deadshot Lawton into the Arkham Gang and equipped him for a mission involving a patient, while Miao Mu arranged a seafood meal with Lois and Clark before leaving to deal with trouble. The chapter left Miao Mu heading out as Clark remained available to help.

• Nygma met Deadshot Lawton at Arkham Asylum, confirmed that Miao Mu had sent him, and welcomed him into the Arkham Gang.
• Nygma gave Lawton a sniper rifle, an earpiece, and a specially made bullet, telling him to aim for the heart if possible.
• Doctor Simon Hurt and several doctors departed Arkham Asylum in an ambulance to attend to a patient.
• Miao Mu prepared a seafood feast for Lois and Clark, then said he had to deliver something and might encounter trouble.
• Miao Mu concealed the Hell Brand on his wrist and left, while Clark offered to help and Miao Mu told him to keep eating.

Miao Mu confronted Simon Hurt, revealed him as a traitor connected to the Joker, and discovered that Hurt was Barbatos, a monstrous being tied to the Wayne family. As Simon attacked Miao Mu and the others on the beach, Superman arrived to help.

• Miao Mu stopped the ambulance, reassured Otis, and confronted Doctor Simon Hurt inside.
• Miao Mu tested the Joker’s warning by pulling the trigger on an empty chamber, then shot Simon Hurt repeatedly after Hurt revealed his hatred of the Joker.
• Simon Hurt regenerated, declared himself Barbatos, and transformed into a winged monster that tore apart the ambulance.
• Simon Hurt regained memories of his human life as Thomas Wayne, a Wayne family follower who had summoned Barbatos’s messenger.
• Simon Hurt attacked Miao Mu and the others with black flames and bone claws, but Superman arrived and knocked the claws aside with his heat vision.

Superman and Miao Mu fought Simon Hurt on the beach, with Superman’s strength countered by Simon’s magic from the Dark Multiverse. Miao Mu’s holy flames repelled Simon, and Superman broke free of the spell and drove him back.

• Superman arrived and attacked Simon Hurt, but Simon teleported and struck Miao Mu, forcing Superman to carry him to safety.
• Superman fought Simon with crushed guns, punches, Heat Vision, and Freezing Breath, but Simon escaped the ice and trapped Superman with magic.
• Miao Mu remembered Superman’s vulnerability to magic and confronted Simon with the Holy Flame Hammer.
• Miao Mu’s holy flames blocked Simon’s massive sword and consumed its dark magic.
• Superman broke free, blasted Simon with Heat Vision, and snapped the ice sword in two.

Superman battered Simon Hurt while Miao Mu spotted Deadshot Lawton aiming from a lighthouse. Lawton fired during Superman's attack and fled, then crossed paths with Oswald and a mysterious figure with green eyes.

• Superman froze Simon Hurt and flew him into the sky, then struck him downward with a powerful punch.
• Miao Mu noticed a sniper's lens at the distant lighthouse.
• Deadshot Lawton fired at Simon Hurt during Superman's attack, packed away his rifle, and rappelled down the lighthouse to escape.
• Lawton encountered Oswald and a trench-coated, top-hatted stranger, whose eerie green eyes made Lawton ready his wrist guns.
• The stranger turned away, and Lawton continued on, unsettled by Gotham's monsters.

Superman killed Simon Hurt with an Nth Metal bullet, and Miao Mu found a dangerous artifact inside the corpse. After discovering Simon Hurt's Wayne Family crest, Miao Mu saw Superman fighting another red-caped figure at the pier.

• A bullet pierced Simon Hurt's heart, and he crashed onto the beach, where his injuries killed him.
• Superman flew toward the lighthouse while Miao Mu checked Simon Hurt's corpse and found the Hyper-Adapter, a Darkseid-forged artifact that could enter parallel worlds and accumulate Omega Destruction Energy.
• Miao Mu pocketed the Hyper-Adapter and removed Simon Hurt's black glove, revealing a Wayne Family crest tattoo.
• Miao Mu photographed the crest, then heard an explosion and saw Superman fighting another red-caped figure at the pier.

Spawn, acting under Malebolgia’s orders, mistook Superman for a heavenly hunter and fought him at the docks. After their clash sent a towering wave into the sea, Spawn departed, and Superman wondered if he was not a bad person.

• Al Simmons arrived at the docks and attacked Superman with Hell-charged chains after seeing his golden soul.
• Superman countered with Heat Vision, and Spawn leaped from his severed fishing boat to the dock and opened fire with a weapon made from many guns.
• Superman broke through Spawn’s bullet barrage and fired Heat Vision, which Spawn blocked with chains spilling from his cape.
• Spawn unleashed Destructive Plasma Energy Manipulation, and the collision with Superman’s Heat Vision blinded Oswald and sent a vast shockwave toward the sea.
• Superman and Spawn diverted the blast away from the docks, and Spawn departed as Superman wondered whether he was a bad person.

Miao Mu drove to the pier and helped Oswald escape the storm with the unconscious Al Simmons. When Oswald revealed that the man was Spawn, Miao Mu abruptly braked and asked which generation.

• Miao Mu drove toward the pier through strange rain and found Oswald carrying Al Simmons away from the tsunami-like waves.
• Oswald loaded the unconscious, rotting Al Simmons into Miao Mu's police car, and Miao Mu warned him not to expect help covering up a murder.
• Oswald explained that he had rescued Al and urged Miao Mu to drive somewhere safe as seawater continued to rain from the sky.
• Miao Mu called Lois, then asked Oswald what secret he had been trying to explain.
• Oswald asked whether Miao Mu knew Spawn, and Miao Mu slammed on the brakes and asked which generation.

Miao Mu recognized Al Simmons as Spawn and feared Malebolgia’s plans for the coming Christmas. In Gotham, Bruce traced unusual footage to Miao Mu while the black cat revealed herself to be Selina, determined to regain her freedom.

• Miao Mu identified Al Simmons as Spawn and connected him to Malebolgia’s plan to gather wicked souls for a war against Heaven.
• Miao Mu wondered where he could find Batman as he drove with Oswald.
• Bruce reviewed footage of an explosion and strange rain, then traced a police car in the area to Miao Mu.
• The black cat showed Bruce a pearl necklace and drew his attention to the footage on the Batcomputer.
• After Bruce picked her up, the black cat fled beneath an operating table and revealed her reflection as Selina, vowing to change back and remain free.

Miao Mu met Hellspawn, who believed Miao Mu was Malebolgia’s contact, and learned that they were searching for the Spear of Destiny. Later, Faust investigated Hell magic at the docks, where Batman sensed someone nearby and pursued a mysterious figure.

• Miao Mu woke Simmons in a warehouse and introduced himself as the sheriff of Arkham District.
• Simmons recognized Miao Mu’s Hell Brand and assumed he was Malebolgia’s contact, though Miao Mu had not received any mission.
• Simmons showed Miao Mu a picture of the Spear of Destiny, and Miao Mu agreed to investigate while letting Simmons stay in the warehouse.
• Faust detected Hell magic at the damaged lighthouse and found that the area also carried a powerful aura of life.
• Batman arrived in the Batmobile and sensed Faust, who slipped away as Batman pursued a dark figure that appeared to transform from a beautiful woman into a cat.

Selina Kyle learned that she could only become human at night unless she found a weapon Faust showed her, and she blamed Batman for her predicament. After Selina vandalized the Batmobile, Batman spotted her fleeing in a taxi.

• Batman checked the Batmobile’s signal feed, then investigated energy fluctuations at the dockside lighthouse.
• Faust revealed that Selina Kyle had been transformed into a black cat and said she needed to find a weapon to become human by day.
• Selina blamed Batman for her transformation and set out to give him a very bad night.
• Batman investigated the lighthouse, collected a strangely shaped bullet, and returned to the Batmobile after tracking a weapon-smuggling freighter.
• Selina spray-painted “You idiot Batman!” on the Batmobile and escaped in a taxi.
• Batman followed her trail to a rooftop and spotted the taxi driving away.

Selina met Sophia to ask for help finding the place marked on a parchment, but Batman ambushed them outside the Zero Seven Icehouse Bar. Selina helped Sophia escape, then fled from Batman herself.

• Selina met Sophia outside the bar, and they discussed Falcone, Fifi, and Selina's recent troubles.
• Selina gave Sophia a parchment and asked her to find what it showed as quickly as possible.
• Batman surprised Sophia with the Batmobile's headlights, and she fired at him before he knocked her down.
• Selina attacked Batman, helping Sophia run toward the bar, then disabled the brace on his right leg.
• Batman identified Selina as Catwoman, and she ran while he sent the Batmobile away in self-driving mode.

Selina escaped Batman and made her way toward the city lights, cold and barefoot. Batman intercepted a weapons truck linked to the Confession Cartel, marked its container with a tracker, and called Gordon as he prepared to follow the weapons’ trail.

• Selina realized Batman had not followed her, changed into stolen clothes, and headed toward the lights in search of warmth.
• Batman pursued a truck carrying weapons through a cross tunnel on Fifth Avenue while its armed escorts joked about going to Kiefer Park.
• The truck’s men opened fire on Batman, but the Batmobile’s armor held and Batman disabled the truck by shooting out its tires.
• Batman rammed the truck, used an explosive airbag to knock its occupants unconscious, and found a Confession Cartel tattoo on one man.
• Batman marked the weapons container with an explosive and a tracker, then called Gordon to report the crash and track where the weapons would go.

Miao Mu was attacked by a masked woman wielding metal yo-yos and became caught between her and another fighter. The woman escaped with the black-clad man, while their argument revealed that she called herself Punchline and rejected his attempts to save her.

• Miao Mu left Zero Bar and noticed someone following him through Gotham.
• A woman attacked Miao Mu with a metal yo-yo rigged with cutting wires, and he narrowly avoided being sliced apart.
• The woman struck Miao Mu with a fear-inducing dart, but he resisted the hallucination and saw her fighting another person with a glowing fist.
• The two fighters fled across the rooftops, and Miao Mu searched the wreckage before leaving with the red-feathered dart.
• Punchline confronted a man named Alex, rejected her former identity as Alexis, and jumped from a high-rise after telling him to kill her.
• A bolt of black lightning carried Punchline away as Alex said he could still change everything.

Miao Mu learned that Barry had regained a small amount of the Speed Force and that Reverse-Flash had interfered with Barry’s past. Barry planned to use Miao Mu’s Time Grandfather Clock to return to his own time, then fled when Miao Mu pressed him for details about their future.

• Barry ate dozens of cans of Parham meat to replenish his Speed Force, then demonstrated that he could crush the cans but could not yet run through time.
• Barry told Miao Mu that Reverse-Flash had tried to stop him from becoming The Flash and that changes to the timeline had already begun.
• Miao Mu and Barry shared a drink, and Barry confirmed that he loved Iris West and that he and Miao Mu would become close friends.
• Barry said he would need to borrow the Speed Force from Miao Mu’s Time Grandfather Clock to return ten years to the future.
• Miao Mu asked Barry about his future girlfriend and Jason’s name, but Barry abruptly ran off before answering.

Alfred welcomed Wayne Estate’s longtime suppliers and brought the injured, confused Hangina home, while Miao Mu and Nygma investigated a murdered gang leader in Arkham. Miao Mu considered gaining a presence in City Hall and asked Nygma to look for Harvey Dent.

• Alfred spoke with Morse and Nudef about Christmas, the Wayne family retainers, and Philip’s questions about Bruce.
• Morse brought Hangina to Wayne Estate, and Alfred recognized her, fed her, and noticed her dirty fur and wounded paws.
• Miao Mu and Nygma examined the waterlogged corpse of Kiruanlovsky, the Whisper Gang leader, at the dock.
• Miao Mu and Nygma discussed the spreading gang conflict, Arkham’s supplies, and the coming mayoral election.
• Miao Mu asked Nygma to look for Harvey Dent, a lawyer he hoped might run for district attorney.

Selina escaped her cat curse by searching the Batcomputer and discovering that the Spear of Longinus was headed to the Gotham Museum. She repurposed Bruce's equipment into a Catwoman suit and rode out to find the spear, while Joker appeared with an unidentified find.

• Selina waited for Batman to leave, then used the piano passage to reach the Batcave.
• Selina searched the Batcomputer and found that Philip Kane had acquired the Spear of Longinus for the Gotham Museum.
• Selina used Bruce's suit materials and tools to make herself a new Catwoman costume.
• Selina took Batman's folding bicycle and rode out of the Batcave toward the Gotham Museum.
• Joker appeared holding an umbrella and announced that he had found something.

Batman fought Spawn in a Gotham alley, where Spawn used necroplasm to animate the charred bodies of three criminals. Spawn escaped after battering Batman with chains, and Batman discovered Superman hovering behind him.

• Batman attacked Spawn after finding three burned corpses, and the two began fighting in the alley.
• Spawn used chains and necroplasm to attack Batman and animate the three corpses, but Batman defeated the undead attackers.
• Batman used a remotely controlled Batarang to unbalance Spawn and lock Transforming Handcuffs around his wrist.
• Spawn struck Batman with a barrage of chains, then fled when the handcuffs cut into his wrist.
• Batman recovered from his injuries and turned to see Superman hovering behind him.

Batman and Superman met in Gotham after Batman fought a group of attackers, while Miao Mu and Nygma tested an alchemical potion in a hidden air-raid shelter. The chapter ended with Miao Mu considering restoring the shelter as his base.

• Superman arrived in Gotham and offered to help Batman, who refused his concern and warned him not to wander around at night.
• Batman left in the Batmobile, coughing blood and deciding to investigate the man who had become his greatest enemy.
• Miao Mu worried that Nygma’s alchemical test tube might explode, while Nygma explained that the previous blast had likely resulted from faulty materials.
• Miao Mu and Nygma worked in a concealed Cold War air-raid shelter beneath Arkham District that had been partly repaired during the asylum reconstruction.
• Miao Mu planned to assemble a construction crew and restore the shelter as his core base.

Miao Mu asked Nygma to develop a way to produce purified holy water for fighting demons, while Batman discovered Catwoman had broken into the Batcave and left him a clue. Catwoman then stole the Spear of Longinus from the Gotham Museum and wondered whether to deceive Miao Mu with a replica.

• Miao Mu showed Nygma an alchemical healing experiment that had exploded and asked him to develop cheap, mass-producible demon-fighting supplies.
• Nygma became intrigued by demons as Miao Mu relied on his expertise and management of Arkham's business.
• Batman found that Catwoman had stolen equipment from the Batcave and left behind lace panties, while Alfred tactfully changed the subject.
• Batman noticed Catwoman's clue about the Spear of Longinus at the Gotham Museum and planned to confront her after examining it.
• Catwoman broke into the Gotham Museum, took the Spear of Longinus from its display, and considered passing off a replica to Miao Mu.

Catwoman fled Batman as the curse began turning her into a cat, and she reached her home before disappearing inside. Al Simmons sensed her transformation and headed toward the house, leaving Batman and the cats nearby.

• Catwoman went to Faust’s usual meeting place but found Batman waiting, tracking her with a signal transmitter.
• Catwoman kissed Batman, then fought free and fled when he tried to arrest her.
• As dawn broke, Catwoman felt fur growing on her palms and ran toward her home in the Upper East Side.
• Batman followed Catwoman to the Kyle family house, where Holly Robinson mistook a black cat for a pet Selina had sent.
• Al Simmons sensed Batman nearby with Soul Vision, then noticed a woman had been turned into a cat and went to investigate.