Chapter Summaries

Jack returned home to Harley after a frightening encounter at City Hall and discussed Gotham’s crime records, while Miao Mu and Brucie planned a trip to Star City. The chapter left them considering the trip and the search for Batmen.

• Jack described the strange man at City Hall to the police, then took pills when the man’s laughter troubled him.
• Jack went home to Harley and told her he had found that Gotham’s crime records matched manipulated city data tables.
• Miao Mu told Brucie that his trip to Earth-10 had failed to capture The Batman Who Laughs or the other Batmen.
• Brucie suggested that Miao Mu accompany Jason on a school exchange trip to Star City, and Miao Mu proposed that he and Brucie drive there together.

Oswald learned that Miao Mu's family was heading to Star City and set out to meet him with Aquaman's help. Days later, a masked driver began carrying out a deadly plot involving school buses in Gotham.

• Oswald watched news of Miao Mu and considered how to reach him while remaining hidden in Gotham.
• Oswald saw that Miao Mu's family was traveling to Star City and asked Arthur for a route there.
• Oswald climbed into his submarine, and Arthur pushed it through the water at high speed toward Star City.
• A few days later, a masked driver in a Joker mask waited beside a school bus and received orders to kill the second person who boarded.

Joker robbed Gotham Bank, killed his accomplices and the bus driver, and escaped by taking the place of a school bus driver. He then picked up Jason, Dick, and a girl along with the students and parents bound for Star City.

• Several masked robbers sabotaged Gotham Bank, then killed one another until only two remained.
• An orange-yellow school bus crashed into the bank, and Joker killed the last robber and driver before escaping in it.
• Joker changed into a bus driver’s uniform and joined the convoy carrying students and parents to Star City.
• Jason, Dick, and a gothic girl arrived late and were directed to board the empty bus behind the convoy, which Joker was driving.
• Jason complained about the trip and asked Dick why he had gone to his house looking for him.

Jason, Dick, and Alexis rode a school trip bus to Star City with teacher Pamela Isley, while the bus fell behind its group and took to the road. Jason met Edward Nashton during the journey, and the students settled in for the long ride.

• Dick and Jason joked and roughhoused on the bus until their teacher ordered Jason to sit beside Alexis.
• Pamela Isley took charge of the bus and confronted Dick about eating her desert cactus with Jason.
• Edward Nashton warned Pamela that road construction could delay them, so the driver hurried to catch up with the other bus.
• After the bus left Gotham, Jason borrowed Nashton's copy of Pride and Prejudice and introduced himself as Miao Jason Todd.
• Nashton gave Alexis a candy, and Jason promised to treat him to a meal once they arrived.

A bus carrying Palami, Jason, Alexis, Dick, and the students drove into a violent storm, where a winged creature attacked them. The chapter ended with Jason leaping up to defend a student from a shriveled hand reaching through a broken window.

• Dick entertained the bored passengers with a magic trick, and the driver told them a joke as the bus continued along its rerouted journey.
• The bus entered pitch-black storm clouds, and Jason admitted to Alexis that he was frightened of the dark before she kissed him to comfort him.
• A pair of glowing red eyes appeared outside the bus, and a winged figure flashed past as the driver swerved.
• The creature smashed a window and reached inside with a shriveled hand, grabbing a student.
• Jason shouted for everyone to get down and swung a high roundhouse kick across the seat tops.

Jason and the others escaped the cliff by reversing the bus, but the driver instead charged into the gate of an old manor. The crash awakened creatures inside, though a hidden guardian killed the first vampire to emerge.

• Nashton used a glow stick to reveal a withered hand grabbing a student, and Jason struck its wrist before a scream outside made the bus stop at a cliff.
• The passengers discovered their phones had no signal, and Alexis slapped a sobbing student to quiet the growing panic.
• Nashton, Jason, and the others urged everyone to retreat, and the driver reversed the bus before steering it into the manor gate.
• The crash stirred creatures in the manor, and a vampire crawled out of its nailed coffin after smelling the living passengers.
• A silver axe-shaped dart split the vampire's head, and pointed chains dragged its corpse to the ceiling as a bat-like monster closed its eyes again.

Jason and Dick fought Joker after the bus crashed outside a bricked-up old castle, but Joker revealed a grenade and the encounter ended when Nashton released pale green gas from the bus. The gas enveloped the area, leaving the characters’ fate unclear.

• Jason recognized the bus driver as Joker and tried to send a distress signal with the watch Brucie had given him.
• The bus crashed into the castle steps, and Dick kicked Joker before Joker shocked him with electrodes in his gloves.
• Jason confronted Joker about bringing them there, dodged his sulfuric-acid water gun, and fought him alongside Dick.
• Jason and Dick overpowered Joker and Jason crushed the electrode in Joker’s hand, but Joker produced a smoking grenade.
• Jason and Dick fled for cover as Joker secretly snuffed out the grenade’s smoke, then Nashton released pale green gas from the bus.

Joker opened the vampire castle and found Batman transformed into a vampire, while the awakened vampires attacked people outside and on the bus. Alexis struck a vampire who recognized her as Bruce, recalling their shared immortality and the banquet where they had drunk Dracula’s blood.

• Jason and Dick awoke in a drug-induced state, each seeing the other as a monster and screaming.
• Joker shot at the castle’s chained doors, then used a grenade to blast the lock open.
• Joker entered the castle, fought off vampires, and spotted Batman hanging upside down beneath the skylight.
• The vampires rushed outside and attacked two people who had gotten off the bus.
• Nashton shone a flashlight at the vampires, drawing one onto the bus, where it attacked a passenger and then targeted Alexis.
• Alexis punched the vampire with her metal knuckle duster, and it recognized her as Bruce from the immortal banquet.

Alexis, Jason, and Nashton fought vampires attacking their carriage, using improvised weapons and explosives to drive them off. After helping Dick fend off the attackers, Jason warned him to stay quiet as Alexis approached and he stared toward the castle.

• Nashton opened the carriage doors, and the passengers fled while Alexis attacked the blinded vampire with irritating gas and her metal knuckles.
• When the vampire turned into blood mist and tried to bite Alexis, Jason pulled her out of danger, and she struck the vampire again.
• Nashton restrained the vampire with a seat belt as Alexis planted a nitroglycerin perfume bottle in his pocket, and Jason kicked him outside, where the explosion tore him apart.
• Nashton explained that Jason had inhaled a diluted hallucinogenic gas, and Alexis kissed him in revenge after he called her ugly.
• Jason knocked away a vampire attacking Dick, then pushed Dick down and warned him to stay quiet as Alexis got off the carriage and Jason watched the castle.

Jason, Dick, Nashton, and the survivors escaped the castle after Vampire Batman threw Joker outside, while Batman Who Laughs forced Vampire Batman to drink blood wine and join his plan. Batman Who Laughs prepared to leave with his new recruit and an army, after learning that Doctor Manhattan was interfering in Los Angeles.

• Vampire Batman emerged from the castle, threw the unconscious Joker onto the bus, and ordered Jason and the others to leave.
• Jason and Dick helped the injured survivors, then tied Joker to the bus and prepared to drive away.
• Vampire Batman remembered how he had become a vampire after drinking Dracula’s blood at a ritual for Gotham’s elite.
• Batman Who Laughs arrived with the Devastator, pinned Vampire Batman down, and made him drink blood wine.
• The Murder Machine reported a hidden stretch of time in Los Angeles involving Doctor Manhattan, and Batman Who Laughs decided to prepare an army before departing with Vampire Batman.

Jason and the other hostages escaped the seemingly endless road and were rescued after their bus crushed a Star City police car, with Joker still tied to its hood. When Amanda Waller arrived to take control of the scene, Miao Mu confronted her and threw her to the ground.

• Jason drove the bus out of the woods and crashed it onto a police car beside Commissioner Quentin Lance and his officers.
• Gotham police Commissioner Milo arrived with a large search force and checked that Jason and the other hostages were safe.
• Milo told Jason that Miao Mu was on his way, while Jason said that several classmates had died after an attack by something he could not explain.
• Amanda Waller arrived by helicopter with armed personnel and claimed authority over the scene, then approached Jason and ordered him to hand over his pistol.
• Miao Mu arrived, ordered Milo to disarm Waller's team, and seized Amanda Waller before throwing her onto the ground.

Miao Mu escorted the survivors away from Star City while Batman investigated the dimensional disturbance and learned that the missing Space Stone was needed to save the Marvel Universe. Doctor Manhattan watched a mage approach through a magical rift and wondered whether his intervention had made matters worse.

• Miao Mu had Gotham police disarm Amanda’s special forces and escorted the survivors toward Gotham or Star City, while Nashton thanked him for helping Mrs. Gunn’s Orphanage.
• Miao Mu drove toward Star City with Jason and Dick, dismissed concerns about the people who had come from another world, and suspected Batman Who Laughs had caused the disturbance.
• Batman examined the crash site and briefly spoke with Professor X, who asked him to find the Space Stone and warned him about a mage from Kamar-Taj.
• Batman ordered Alfred to investigate Manhattan, blue skin, and mages, then headed back to the Batcave to prepare countermeasures.
• Doctor Manhattan watched a red-cloaked figure pass through a magical rift and reflected that his actions might have caused greater trouble.

Miao Mu tested Nashton's Hallucination Spray, recruited him to work in his laboratory, and went to meet Star City's business leaders while seeking information about Bronze Tiger and Lady Shiva. He exposed Oliver Queen as Green Arrow and asked him for help, then spotted Lex Luthor at the hotel.

• Miao Mu tested the Hallucination Spray, saw people and objects transform, and offered Nashton a paid assistant position in his laboratory.
• Green Arrow ambushed armed bodyguards in a dark alley, wounded them with arrows, and escaped on a modified motorcycle.
• Miao Mu and Brucie hosted a Queen Consolidated executive at the Seaside Resort Grand Hotel while discussing WM Security Company.
• Miao Mu grabbed Oliver Queen's hand, identified him as Green Arrow, and asked him to help locate Bronze Tiger and Lady Shiva.
• Brucie pointed out Lex Luthor talking with several people at the hotel.

At a gala, Miao Mu and Brucie spoke with Lex Luthor about other worlds and the Marvel world, while Rorschach investigated the death of Comedian and encountered sorcerers searching for Doctor Manhattan. Rorschach’s journal ended with the name Miao Mu as the sorcerers arrived.

• Lex Luthor approached Brucie and Miao Mu, declined to press Brucie after she rejected a weapons-contract partnership, and asked Miao Mu about his travels between worlds.
• Miao Mu discussed the Marvel world with Luthor, who said he wanted to speak elsewhere because their world—and perhaps others—needed help.
• Miao Mu and Brucie danced together while Oliver watched them and chose not to approach.
• Rorschach investigated the place where Comedian had died, found a yellow smiley-face badge, and encountered a magic shield protecting a pile of trash from another world.
• Rorschach wrote that sorcerers were pursuing him and searching for Doctor Manhattan, then discovered his journals had been stolen.
• As the sorcerers arrived, Rorschach wrote down Miao Mu’s name before his pen and journal fell into the grass.

On Star City's beach, Deathstroke warned Miao Mu that the Marvel timeline was in chaos and urged him to find the Space Stone, while Miao Mu asked him to investigate whether anyone from that world had crossed over. Lex Luthor revealed evidence of an unknown visitor in Los Angeles: Doctor Manhattan, whose presence suggested someone had smuggled themselves over from another universe.

• Deathstroke met Miao Mu on the beach, relayed Wade's warning about the disrupted Marvel timeline, and told him to return the Space Stone.
• Miao Mu asked Deathstroke to contact Wade and investigate whether anyone from their world had crossed over, then left to meet Lex Luthor.
• Oswald noticed people on the beach watching and photographing Miao Mu, while Arthur offered to help if Oswald was caught.
• Miao Mu asked Lex Luthor about the Space Stone, and Lex said its holder was not in this world and pointed him toward unusual energy readings in Los Angeles.
• Lex showed Miao Mu an image of Doctor Manhattan and said someone had smuggled themselves over from another universe.

Miao Mu left Lex Luthor to investigate Los Angeles and Silk Spectre II, while Lex prepared to travel in his green armor. Doctor Strange crossed into the DC Universe seeking help, and Miao Mu welcomed him after Lex and Strange made a pact.

• Miao Mu asked Lex Luthor to gather intelligence on Los Angeles and find Silk Spectre II, then left for the city.
• Lex Luthor donned LexCorp's green combat armor and questioned JARVIS about its mission to find Batman, Deathstroke, and Miao Mu.
• Doctor Strange trapped Lex Luthor in the Mirror Dimension, explained that he needed help facing a major threat, and asked Lex to take him along.
• Doctor Strange signed a contract invoking Thor's divine punishment, returning Lex's soul to his body as the Mirror Dimension collapsed.
• Miao Mu applauded and welcomed Doctor Strange to the DC Universe.

Miao Mu and Doctor Strange searched Los Angeles for the missing Space Stone after Doctor Strange explained how its absence had destabilized his world. Miao Mu was ambushed inside a Mirror Dimension, killed the demon-bound mage who attacked him, and reunited with Doctor Strange as the dimension collapsed.

• Miao Mu questioned Doctor Strange about his injured hands, his magic, and why his world needed the Space Stone.
• Doctor Strange explained that the Space Stone's absence had merged parallel universes and caused chaos, including a Spider-Man disaster in New York.
• Miao Mu and Doctor Strange parachuted from LexCorp's jet over Los Angeles to investigate the mages who had made deals with demons.
• A hooded mage trapped Miao Mu in a Mirror Dimension and demanded the Space Stone.
• Miao Mu shot the mage with an Elman Metal bullet, then destroyed the mage's monstrous soul with an Nth Metal pick hammer and a sickle.
• The mage's shadow shattered and the Mirror Dimension began collapsing as Doctor Strange entered.

Miao Mu and Doctor Strange faced a mysterious black shadow after defeating its first attacker. Miao Mu’s guns and grenade disrupted its magic but failed to destroy it, leaving the pair ready to respond to the shadow and whoever was watching nearby.

• Miao Mu asked Doctor Strange how they could find their enemies, but Strange sensed another attacker approaching.
• A robed mage carrying a Crystal Skull walked toward them, and Miao Mu shot him dead before he could cast a spell.
• A black shadow emerged from the mage and tried to use the Crystal Skull, but Miao Mu shot the artifact apart.
• The shadow lunged at Miao Mu and Doctor Strange, and Miao Mu fled after throwing a grenade while Strange escaped using the Cloak of Levitation.
• The blast barely affected the shadow, and Miao Mu asked Doctor Strange to fight while he watched for the other enemies.

Doctor Strange destroyed the shadow in the Mirror Dimension and broke the spell trapping him and Miao Mu, but they escaped into the street without finding Baron Mordo. On a rooftop, they discussed the Tesseract and the possibility of fighting a god while Miao Mu reflected on Doctor Manhattan’s origins and power.

• Doctor Strange used the Sword in the Stone spell to destroy the shadow and drain its energy.
• Doctor Strange cast Reverse to shatter the Mirror Dimension and return himself and Miao Mu to the street.
• A blonde woman named Dana screamed at the sight of the corpses, so Doctor Strange flew away with Miao Mu.
• On a rooftop, Doctor Strange worried that they had not found Baron Mordo, while Miao Mu said Mordo would come looking for them.
• Miao Mu discussed the need to find the Tesseract and considered Doctor Manhattan’s history, his ability to perceive the future, and his power to alter reality.

Miao Mu and Doctor Strange went looking for Rorschach, but Rorschach attacked them under Dormammu's influence. Miao Mu fought back in Demon Armor after Rorschach broke his finger, and their fight was still underway.

• Miao Mu beat and robbed a gang of punks, then continued searching for Rorschach with Doctor Strange.
• Doctor Strange sensed Dormammu's aura in a man approaching and tried to restrain him, but the man was Rorschach.
• Rorschach's mask made Doctor Strange hesitate, and Rorschach beat him and used Dormammu's power to seal his magic.
• Miao Mu shot at Rorschach, but Rorschach disarmed him and broke the finger he had hooked inside the trigger guard.
• Miao Mu covered himself in Demon Armor and punched Rorschach, who answered by forming another image on his inkblot mask.