Chapter Summaries

Constantine and Zatanna traveled to Leighton Juvenile Detention Center to find Abby Arcane and learn why The Black had become unusually aggressive. Zatanna remained suspicious of Constantine and entered the ruined facility without trusting his explanations.

• Constantine told Zatanna that Deathstroke had used voodoo to control him and explained his failed plan to use The Rot against The Black.
• Constantine brought Zatanna to Leighton Juvenile Detention Center, saying Abby Arcane might be there and that he wanted to question her.
• Zatanna accused Constantine of trying to protect Abby because she was his former lover and the mother of his daughter.
• Zatanna unlocked the gate with magic and challenged Constantine's explanation of the Arcane Family as they approached the detention center.
• Constantine sighed as Zatanna refused to believe him.

Constantine and Zatanna opened a passage from the Leighton Juvenile Detention Center to Rot Country by sacrificing the ghosts sealed inside. They entered the Heart of the Corrupted Realm, where monsters crawled from a pool beneath a massive black heart.

• Zatanna demanded that Constantine explain the Spirit of Vengeance Seal on the detention center's door.
• Constantine explained that he planned to use the detention center's ghosts and corpses to open a path to Rot Country.
• Constantine broke the seal with his golden key and a demonic incantation, sacrificing the ghosts to create a passage.
• Constantine and Zatanna opened the doors and saw a vast hall filled with black water, rotting remains, and monsters emerging from the pool.

Constantine and Zatanna crossed into Rot Country, where Constantine used Death Vine to enter the gigantic heart and find Abby. Zatanna fought off the approaching monsters, but a girl’s scream from a passage across the lake revealed that someone else had arrived.

• Constantine and Zatanna crossed the bone bridge into Rot Country and learned that the realm was a dream-space connected to the brink of death.
• Zatanna recognized the Death Vine growing beneath the heart, and Constantine ate its leaves to gain a vision of how to find Abby.
• Constantine entered the black heart in a hazy, energy-like form and asked Zatanna to keep the monsters away.
• Zatanna unleashed lightning that burned the monsters attacking across the bridge.
• A girl screamed from a passage on the far side of the lake, complaining that the sudden light had blinded her.

Deathstroke, Bobo, Diana, and Zatanna converged in Rot Country, the mental plane of The Black, where they confronted monsters around the Heart of the Corrupted Realm. Zatanna and Diana held the island bridge while Constantine remained missing, and bubbles began rising from the Black Mud behind them.

• Harley was blinded by Zatanna's lightning when she saw the enormous black heart, while Bobo recognized the space as Rot Country.
• Bobo explained that Rot Country was a mental plane like Dreaming, and Deathstroke suspected The Upside-Down Man was watching them.
• Deathstroke and Bobo discussed the mysterious plan and considered using the Death Vine and The Green's power to escape.
• Diana joined Zatanna on the island, where Zatanna said Constantine had entered Abby's dream and explained that they had come to deal with a zombie fungus outbreak.
• Diana warned Zatanna to conserve her magic and took the bridgehead while Zatanna rested; neither noticed bubbles rising from the Black Mud behind them.

Constantine fell into Abby Arcane’s dream and watched her first meeting with Alec Holland, the man who would become Swamp Thing. The dream recounted Alec’s transformation and ended with the FBI sending Abby to investigate his disappearance.

• Constantine fell through the dream’s layers and landed in a swamp near a younger Abby Arcane.
• Abby waded into the water and encountered Alec Holland as Swamp Thing, while Constantine recognized the scene as their first meeting.
• Alec developed a powerful herbicide, began hearing plants speak, and learned his boss planned to sell the formula as a biochemical weapon.
• Alec fled with his research, crashed into a swamp during a chase, and died when his herbicide and psychiatric drugs triggered his rebirth through The Green.
• The FBI investigated Alec’s disappearance and sent newcomer Abby Arcane as part of its team.

Constantine entered Abby’s layered dream in Rot Country and rescued her from a nightmare of Swamp Thing’s death. As Abby’s memories reshaped the dream, Constantine became a younger version of himself and was drawn into her old memories.

• Abby’s memories traced her life with Swamp Thing, the birth and troubled upbringing of Tefe Holland, and the family’s eventual separation.
• Abby recalled how Anton Arcane deceived her into becoming The Black’s representative, leaving her trapped in Rot Country and dreams of the past.
• Abby’s dream of meeting Swamp Thing turned into a nightmare as the monster became a burning skeleton that tried to drown her.
• Constantine blasted the skeleton with a fireball, pulled Abby from the lake, and revived her with CPR.
• Abby’s dream shifted to the old cabin, where Constantine became a younger, cleaner version of himself and the dream drew them together.

Deathstroke held back the beast tide while Diana defended the island and Zatanna worried about Constantine’s absence. A figure rose from the Black Mud, attacked Zatanna, and revealed that it knew she was Giovanni Zatara’s child.

• Bobo questioned Deathstroke about leaving the women to fight, and Deathstroke explained that the Power Ring was holding back most of the monsters.
• Harley refused to cross the bridge, giving Bobo several excuses while touching up her makeup.
• Deathstroke waited for the hidden enemy to act and wondered whether The Upside-Down Man was behind the attack.
• Zatanna considered entering the deeper dream to find Constantine, but a blast of black energy struck and incapacitated her.
• A figure emerged from the boiling Black Mud, stepped onto the island, and told Zatanna that it knew her as Giovanni Zatara’s child.

Su Ming fought the witch doctor while Zatanna fell victim to a curse that trapped her soul in the Nightmare of Rot Country. He kept her body alive and used True Faerie blood to drive the hidden enemy out of the lake.

• Su Ming beheaded the witch doctor, whose body and head fell into the lake, but he sensed that the creature was still beneath the water.
• Bobo examined Zatanna and determined that her soul was trapped in the Nightmare of Rot Country, while Strangle protected her body from the black water.
• Su Ming told Harley to guard Bobo and poured True Faerie blood into the lake, causing the golden liquid to spread and overwhelm the Black Mud.
• Su Ming explained that the blood would drive the creature into madness and that Power Rings could affect the dreamlike realm because they wielded emotional power.

Su Ming and his allies trapped Anton Arcane in Rot Country, but Anton revealed that The Black had restored him as its agent and claimed he could not be killed there. The chapter ended with Anton re-forming after Diana attacked him and boasting that he was a god of Rot Country.

• Su Ming pinned Anton Arcane against a wall with a Power Ring beam, while Bobo identified him as Abby's uncle and mocked his appearance.
• Anton escaped by turning into a swarm of flies and explained that The Black had brought him back after Abby betrayed him and joined The Green.
• Bobo's feigned surprise drew Anton into revealing how he had returned and what The Black thought of Abby.
• Diana attacked Anton's swarm with her shield, but the flies became gray powder and re-formed into Anton, who declared that she could not kill him in Rot Country.

Constantine entered Abby’s dream and helped her regain control of herself by reminding her of Swamp Thing’s love and sacrifice. As Rot Country’s dream began to collapse, Abby chose to wake up and face her grief, leaving with Constantine.

• Abby realized Constantine, not Alec, had been with her in the dream and panicked over what had happened.
• Abby’s grief triggered Rot Country’s power, transforming the cabin into a nightmare as she began to lose control.
• Constantine falsely told Abby that Alec had spoken her name before dying, and the memory restored her humanity.
• Constantine urged Abby to trust The Black and embrace death and loss, while Queen of May’s vines pulled him toward an exit from the collapsing dream.
• Abby grabbed Constantine’s hand, choosing to wake up and carry on Alec’s final wish.

Su Ming and Deathstroke waited for Constantine while Wonder Woman kept Anton occupied above the island. Constantine returned from the lower dream realm, exhausted and nearly naked, as Deathstroke told Anton that his wait was over.

• Wonder Woman attacked Anton, whose ability to turn into flies and ash made her sword strikes ineffective.
• Su Ming examined the stopped heart while Deathstroke and Bobo discussed waking Constantine and gathering intelligence from The Black.
• Anton offered to spare Zatanna if Deathstroke helped The Black rule the Parliament of Life, but Deathstroke rejected the deal and called Anton a discarded tool.
• Anton argued that he could not be killed in Rot Country, and Deathstroke said they were waiting for Constantine instead.
• Death Vine pulled Constantine through a bubble and dropped him at Su Ming's feet, exhausted and wearing only underwear and a tank top.

Deathstroke and his allies confronted Anton in the Rot Country, where Abby joined the fight against her uncle. As Diana and Harley guarded the unconscious Little Zatanna from Constantine, Deathstroke went to help Abby battle Anton.

• Constantine emerged from a portal with Abby, who carried his clothes and wore his trench coat.
• Deathstroke asked Abby to help stop Anton, and Constantine recognized him as the enemy pursued by Diana.
• Anton accused Abby of betraying The Black and threatened her, while Diana handed the fight over to Abby.
• Diana and Harley prevented Constantine from touching Little Zatanna, and Bobo mocked his lost standing with the heroes.
• Deathstroke told Bobo to keep watch over the others, then appeared behind Anton to join the fight.

Su Ming coordinated a plan to drive Anton out of Rot Country by recruiting Abby and offering Queen of May a path to expand through the Metal Spirit. Queen of May accepted, and its vines flooded the island as the power of plants entered Rot Country.

• Su Ming asked Abby to force Anton out of Rot Country so they could kill him in the real world, and Abby agreed to try.
• Su Ming asked Harley to tell Poison Ivy that he would fund a vast alloy-mesh border wall if Queen of May helped defeat Anton.
• Su Ming considered contacting The Rot if Queen of May refused, reasoning that bacteria could help bring down Anton.
• Queen of May sensed Su Ming's offer and chose to help.
• Queen of May's roots burst through the island and its vines spread across the golden lake, bringing the power of plants into Rot Country.

Queen of May’s attack forced The Black and its followers out of Rot Country and into the Main Dimension. Su Ming and Abby killed Anton, and Deathstroke sent Diana and the others back to the Hall of Justice while he stayed behind to negotiate with the vines.

• Queen of May invaded Rot Country through the dreams of the dying, and Abby’s resistance weakened The Black as Death Vine broke through its barriers.
• The vines carried Su Ming, Abby, Anton, and the others into the Main Dimension, where Abby restrained Anton while Su Ming stabbed him with the Nightfall Greatsword.
• Queen of May’s vines enclosed Anton and drained his body until he vanished, leaving Su Ming and Abby to emerge from the vine ball.
• Bobo reflected on Anton and Swamp Thing’s deaths, then celebrated the group’s victory over The Black.
• Deathstroke told Diana to have Green Arrow send her and the others to the Hall of Justice, while Bobo and Harley stayed with him to discuss cooperation with the vines.

Su Ming sent his allies back to the Hall of Justice while he went deeper into the rainforest to meet the Queen of May. Diana and Constantine realized that Zatanna and Diana might be targets of the Upside-Down Man, and they returned to the Hall with Zatanna to await Su Ming’s news.

• Su Ming warned that someone had manipulated the attacks and sent the others to guard the Hall of Justice while he pursued the Queen of May.
• Su Ming tasked Constantine with distracting William Arcane by bringing Tefe to visit Abby, and Constantine agreed.
• Su Ming told Diana to handle the Mushroom Zombie aftermath and alert M'gann and the Teen Titans before following Harley into the rainforest.
• Diana contacted The Mustache to activate a Boom Tube, while Constantine warned that the Upside-Down Man might target Zatanna and Diana.
• Diana carried Zatanna into the transport craft, and Constantine went with them to the Hall of Justice.

Deathstroke explained to Detective Chimp why he distrusted magic tied to The Upside-Down Man and rejected a lasting alliance with the Lords of Order or Chaos. He revealed that he intended to rely on the Vishanti through the Spectre Universe, while preparing to speak privately with the Queen of May.

• Deathstroke took Detective Chimp and Harley to Orpheus I in the Spectre Universe, where he explained why Diana, Zatanna, and Abby could not be fully trusted.
• Deathstroke named several magical allies he considered safer, and Detective Chimp accepted the need to cooperate with former enemies despite Swamp Thing and Blue Devil’s deaths.
• Deathstroke told Detective Chimp that he would not trust the Lords of Order, Chaos, angels, or demons as lasting allies.
• Deathstroke revealed that he could draw limited help from the Vishanti through the Spectre Universe, but fully connecting the universes risked a catastrophic Multiversity event.
• Deathstroke sent Detective Chimp to watch Harley while he went to discuss a contingency plan with the Queen of May.

Mercy struggled to rebuild her life in Metropolis while ARGUS agents watched her, then found her supposedly dead former boss, Luthor, inside her apartment. Luthor returned looking pale and monstrous, and calmly told her not to scream.

• Mercy told her mother that her job search had gone badly and that black-suited ARGUS agents were watching her.
• Mercy refused to leave Metropolis for Kansas, despite her mother's advice and her financial difficulties.
• Mercy returned to her apartment and noticed signs that someone had broken in.
• Mercy took out the Ray Gun Luthor had given her and entered her bedroom.
• Mercy found Luthor alive, working at a high-tech terminal, and screamed.
• Luthor turned toward Mercy and told her that screaming was unbecoming.

Lex Luthor returned from hiding in Mercy’s apartment, explained how he survived and rebuilt his resources across parallel worlds, and recruited her to help monitor multiversal anomalies. Their reunion was interrupted by a smiling visitor who claimed to be Lex’s old friend, The Batman Who Laughs, and had brought two corpses.

• Lex revealed that he had survived, hidden in Mercy’s apartment, and protected Metropolis during the Mushroom Zombie Crisis with his nanomachine network.
• Lex offered Mercy ten million dollars to return to work and explained that he had built shell companies across ten parallel worlds to restore LuthorCorp’s resources.
• Lex asked Mercy to monitor a multiversal data device and call him if a red exclamation mark appeared, while he sought a pure blood sample from an old man infected with The Batman Who Laughs Virus.
• Lex declared that he intended to eliminate The Batman Who Laughs before continuing his contest with Superman.
• A man dressed for a Hawaiian vacation arrived at Mercy’s door, asked for Lex, and displayed two corpses dragged there by a woman.

Luthor confronted the resurrected Joker, who explained that Perpetua had approached him after his victory and revealed she was an unreliable ally. Luthor recognized Joker’s warning about relying on her, and the two ended the conversation on friendly terms.

• Luthor tore Joker from the doorway and beat him while Harley entered with two corpses and told Mercy that Joker had returned.
• Luthor stopped attacking and questioned Joker’s identity, but Joker dismissed the suspicion and said the news of his death did not tell the whole story.
• Joker asked Luthor to recall Perpetua’s silence when Joker defeated the Legion of Doom, prompting Luthor to realize she had kept him as a backup.
• Joker said Perpetua had offered him a Batwoman-filled paradise, but he refused because he wanted the real Batwoman and considered Perpetua untrustworthy.
• Luthor admitted he had only recognized Perpetua’s betrayal after she captured the Legion of Doom, and he asked Mercy to bring drinks for him and Joker.

Luthor questioned Joker about his return from the dead, then agreed to join him in hunting The Batman Who Laughs. Meanwhile, another Joker emerged from a patient inside Arkham Asylum and killed the guard who let him out.

• Joker told Luthor a bizarre story about waking on a Hawaiian beach and introduced his new assistant, Punchline.
• Joker proposed that he and Luthor work together to kill The Batman Who Laughs, and Luthor stood up to go.
• In an Arkham cell, a living tumor burst from a patient and transformed into another Joker.
• The newly emerged Joker killed the patient, dressed in his hospital gown, and painted a smile on his face.
• A guard opened the cell and addressed him as Mr. J, so Joker killed the guard with a spoon.