Chapter Summaries

Batman, Owlman, and Diana prepared a plan to track The Batman Who Laughs by using Black Lantern Rings to revive dead heroes and send them into the Dark Multiverse. After seeing the destruction and deaths he had caused, Diana agreed that he had to die.

• Diana followed Batman through the underground complex to a hall lined with sealed coffins, where he met Owlman.
• Owlman revealed that he had selected a little over two hundred suitable corpses, and Batman said more would be needed to track The Batman Who Laughs.
• Batman introduced Diana as their protector, and Owlman explained that they would use Black Lantern Rings to revive dead heroes and send them across Dark Multiverse Earths to locate their enemy.
• Diana condemned the plan as desecration, but Owlman showed her records of the worlds and heroes The Batman Who Laughs had destroyed.
• After viewing the evidence, Diana vowed to kill The Batman Who Laughs and warned Batman and Owlman not to stop or lecture her.

Deathstroke wiped out the Faceless Men in the city and turned his attention to the rift still producing more of them. He called Gabriel for help, leaving the rift unresolved as someone answered the phone.

• Deathstroke lured the Faceless Men together by setting fires across the city, then killed them with Orange Lantern Constructs and Strangle.
• Deathstroke and Bobo flew to the rift, where Deathstroke sent Constructs to kill the Faceless Men emerging from it and considered how to stop the invasion.
• Bobo suggested he had an idea, but Deathstroke said he already had a plan and asked for Bobo’s phone.
• Deathstroke found Gabriel’s number in Bobo’s contacts and called him while Dr. Quinzel and Bobo discussed phones in the Dreaming.
• An extremely weak, hoarse voice answered Deathstroke’s call.

Su Ming contacted Gabriel and Beelzebub to arrange a deal while the battle at the Dream Dimension’s castle continued. After negotiating by phone, Beelzebub agreed to send an avatar to meet him, and a giant fly arrived.

• Su Ming called Gabriel to ask for Beelzebub’s contact information, but Gabriel quoted escort rates and demanded fifty dollars for the number.
• Bobo recalled Gabriel’s past and mourned his own failure to stand with Jim against the Dark Knights, before Su Ming asked him to pay for the call.
• Su Ming contacted Beelzebub, who greeted him warmly and guessed that he wanted to sell something.
• Su Ming proposed exporting ingredients to Hell and invited Beelzebub to discuss the deal at the Dream Dimension’s castle.
• Beelzebub declined to come in person but agreed to send an avatar, and about fifteen minutes later a gigantic fly arrived from the woodland.

Su Ming sold the falling Faceless Men to Beelzebub in exchange for help against the Parliament of Flowers, then went to collect his payment from Lucien. Lucien had found dreams belonging to Commissioner Gordon, Wonder Girl Donna, and Supergirl Kara, leaving Su Ming to inspect them.

• Su Ming negotiated with Beelzebub, offering him the Faceless Men in exchange for flies to destroy the Parliament of Flowers.
• Su Ming and Beelzebub signed Su Ming’s contract, and Beelzebub moved the Spiked Gate beneath the rift to send the Faceless Men into Hell.
• Mazikeen watched the deal but allowed it to proceed because the influx of souls would strengthen Hell.
• Su Ming took Dr. Quinzel and Bobo to the land of Dream Bubbles to collect his payment from Lucien.
• Lucien produced dream bubbles for Commissioner Gordon, Wonder Girl Donna, and Supergirl Kara, and Su Ming asked to use the mask to inspect them.

Deathstroke entered Gordon’s beautiful dream and disrupted the fantasy in which Batman saved Barbara from Joker, revealing that Gordon was dreaming. He used a Resonance Bell to pull Gordon into Dream God’s dreamscape, leaving the dream to crumble.

• Gordon enjoyed a warm evening with Barbara but remembered that Joker was about to attack their home.
• The Batman Who Laughs killed Joker and his henchmen, then convinced Gordon and Barbara that he had saved them and that they were a family.
• Deathstroke appeared behind The Batman Who Laughs, cut him in two, and then killed Barbara in front of Gordon.
• Deathstroke explained that The Batman Who Laughs had entered Gordon’s dream using Nth Metal resonance and showed Gordon the Resonance Bell.
• Deathstroke took Gordon’s hand and rang the bell, making Gordon vanish as the dream faded away.

Su Ming brought Commissioner Gordon out of The Batman Who Laughs’s dream control and explained that Gordon’s body remained imprisoned beneath the Hall of Justice. After arranging for Gordon to recover in Lucien’s castle, Su Ming prepared to send Bobo and Dr. Quinzel to Paradise Island while he continued investigating the virus.

• Su Ming checked Gordon’s condition and explained that Nth Metal Resonance and the virus had drawn him into a beautiful daydream.
• Bobo helped Gordon recover, and Su Ming startled him into full awareness by claiming his children were in danger before admitting it was a joke.
• Gordon learned that he had been controlled by The Batman Who Laughs and had fought Batwoman and Superman while imprisoned beneath the Hall of Justice.
• Su Ming told Gordon that Joker would treat him in reality and directed Cloak to take Bobo and Dr. Quinzel to Paradise Island.
• Lucien arranged lodging for Gordon in one of the castle’s story dimensions, and super-strong rabbits carried him away.

The Joker forced Gordon to swallow the pills he had vomited up, leaving the police chief’s eyes spinning as a vision of Donna Troy’s life began. In the vision, Donna felt overshadowed and belittled by Diana and the people around them, and the chapter ended with her questioning what she was experiencing.

• The Joker listened to Mr. Spoon, then punched himself until he vomited up the pills another Harley had made him swallow.
• The Joker collected the pills and forced them into Gordon’s mouth, making the chief’s eyes spin.
• Donna Troy’s history revealed that she had grown up in Diana’s shadow despite being treated as her sister.
• Donna sat with Diana in the Hall of Justice cafeteria, where Diana took Donna’s cherry and flower wreath before accepting Bobo’s date invitation.
• Donna’s Teen Titans teammates ignored her and praised Diana, while Diana and Beast Boy insulted Donna as weak and burdensome.
• Donna felt that something was wrong, but the scene seemed real as she faced everyone’s contempt.

Donna Troy dreamed that the Justice League dismissed her while Batwoman praised her, but Deathstroke revealed the scene as a nightmare and helped her become lucid. Donna recognized him, confirmed she was infected with the Batman Who Laughs Virus, and went with him into the Dream Dimension so he could help save her soul.

• Donna dreamed that Diana and the Justice League mocked and ignored her while Batwoman encouraged her and declared her stronger than Diana.
• A Black Light killed Batwoman in the dream, and Deathstroke appeared, destroyed the corpse and Robin Hounds, and told Donna she did not need to live in Diana's shadow.
• Donna struck her own head and changed the cafeteria dream into a palace on Paradise Island, then recognized Deathstroke and asked how she could cooperate.
• Deathstroke told Donna she was infected with the Batman Who Laughs Virus and needed his help to save her soul.
• Donna took Deathstroke's hand, and they walked together out of the collapsing dream and into the Dream Dimension.

Deathstroke freed Donna’s mind from The Batman Who Laughs’ influence, and she agreed to replace her virus-infected body with a new one. He arranged for Maze to pressure the Titans into creating it while Raven went to Paradise Island to oversee negotiations.

• Donna recovered her memories and explained how the Titans had created her to kill Diana, but she rejected their plan and chose to leave Paradise Island to become a hero.
• Deathstroke reassured Donna that she had never been Diana’s replacement and praised her for choosing her own path.
• Donna asked whether Deathstroke would choose her or Diana as a permanent teammate, and he answered that he wanted them all.
• Donna agreed to replace her infected body, and Deathstroke called Maze and asked Donna to contact Raven about negotiating with the Titans.
• Deathstroke planned to have Maze torment the imprisoned Titans until they made Donna a new body, with Raven watching over the process.

Batwoman and Wonder Woman prepared to use Owlman’s Black Lantern army to fight The Batman Who Laughs, despite Diana’s objections to disturbing the dead. When the Orrery detected activity on Earth -24, Batwoman and Diana set out to investigate while Owlman stayed behind.

• Batwoman explained that Owlman had secretly gathered the dead Heroes in the Hall of Heroes and would use their Black Lantern-controlled bodies against The Batman Who Laughs.
• Diana objected that the Black Lanterns had stripped the revived Heroes of love and light, while Batwoman assigned them to different worlds as detectors and defenders.
• Batwoman, Owlman, and Diana watched the Orrery of Worlds until five black points lit up, identifying Earth -24 as a possible lead.
• Batwoman and Owlman debated whether the apparent lead was a trap, then agreed not to commit all their forces at once.
• Batwoman gave Owlman the Three Artifacts of Sin and left with Diana for Earth -24, while Owlman stayed behind to recall the Speedster’s Black Lantern Zombie.

Luthor developed an initial Serum to counter the Batman Who Laughs Virus and planned to leave his Safehouse for Central City. Joker revealed that Deathstroke had rescued Commissioner Gordon, while Luthor arranged to hire the League of Assassins and explained why Barry Allen would not interfere that night.

• Joker tried to get the Serum from Luthor, who warned that it was untested and refused to let Joker use it on Commissioner Gordon or his secretary.
• Joker revealed that Deathstroke had rescued Gordon and that Gordon's madness had been cured, though he remained in a vegetative state.
• Luthor told Mercy to contact Lobo for mercenary services, but Joker said Deathstroke had knocked Lobo out of Earth's atmosphere.
• Luthor instructed Mercy to contact Ra's al Ghul and arrange a meeting with the League of Assassins, then announced they would move to Central City after abandoning the Safehouse.
• Luthor said Barry Allen would not interfere because his purchases and plans suggested he had a date that night.

Batwoman and Wonder Woman arrived on Earth-24 to search for The Batman Who Laughs and the fallen Heroes. In the Dream Dimension, Su Ming received Donna’s new body and negotiated with Mazikeen for her help with another task.

• Batwoman and Wonder Woman traveled through the Bleed Layer in a transport pod and landed in a black-leaved forest on Earth-24.
• Batwoman launched a Bat-Drone to track Black Lantern Energy and headed into the forest while Diana flew ahead.
• Su Ming took Donna’s new body from Mazikeen as Donna’s soul entered it.
• Mazikeen asked Su Ming to make a movie featuring his cousin and animals, and Su Ming offered her a contract for another task.

Donna recovered her strength after being resurrected, while Deathstroke brought Kara into the group after rescuing her soul from the Dreaming. Kara questioned whether Superman had been right to leave her in DEO’s custody, and Superman arrived in the Dreaming to answer her.

• Donna told Raven that her new body felt healthy and stronger than her old one, and Raven said Nightwing had rejoined the Titans.
• Raven told Donna that Deathstroke had rescued her from The Batman Who Laughs, and Donna expressed relief that her friends were safe.
• Su Ming arranged to send Kara’s body into the sun to try to purge the virus affecting it, while Kara remained trapped as a soul in the Dreaming.
• Su Ming told Kara that DEO’s leaders were incapacitated and that she was safe with the Justice League, then asked Raven and Donna to explain their views of DEO.
• Kara asked whether Superman had been wrong to tell her to cooperate with DEO, and Su Ming called Superman into the Dreaming.

Superboy-Prime took young Supergirl for a walk while Deathstroke gathered allies and prepared to hunt the Upside-Down Man. Deathstroke led the group into Hell, hinting that he had a way to defeat the magical concept.

• Deathstroke persuaded Superboy-Prime to patiently care for Supergirl, and the two Kryptonians flew off together.
• Raven reported that Zatanna had awakened and Constantine was in trouble, while Donna and Raven agreed to accompany Deathstroke.
• Deathstroke sent Cloak to retrieve Bobo and Harley, then learned Harley had dismembered Joker and left him in a refrigerator in Gotham.
• Deathstroke announced that the group would hunt the Upside-Down Man before he could join The Batman Who Laughs.
• Bobo warned that the Upside-Down Man was a conceptual aggregate and questioned how they could defeat him, but Deathstroke took the group into Hell and suggested thinking beyond magic.

Su Ming and Bobo visited Madame Xanadu in Greenwich to seek a reading, while Harley, Donna, and Raven went off to trade antiques for cake. Madame Xanadu welcomed the visitors and began a Tarot reading, keeping her ability to appear in many places a secret.

• Harley insisted on going back for a chainsaw-pierced wedding cake, and Su Ming gave her antique silver candlesticks to trade for it.
• Bobo suggested that Harley, Donna, and Raven leave because Harley disliked Tarot Cards and Raven should not be present during the divination.
• Su Ming and Bobo entered Madame Xanadu’s shop, where she said she already knew why they had come.
• Su Ming offered Madame Xanadu a gold bar and asked how she could run shops or appear in several places at once.
• Madame Xanadu called the matter a trade secret and pushed a Tarot deck toward Su Ming and Bobo.

Su Ming left Madame Xanadu’s shop determined to pursue the force she warned would bring a world crisis, while his companions dealt with a criminal and prepared to investigate disturbances. Beneath the South Atlantic, a vast swarm of deep-sea monsters attacked an Atlantean outpost, ending with a colossal creature about to bite it.

• Madame Xanadu warned Su Ming that a being had escaped its restraints and would come for him, but he rejected waiting on Destiny and left with Bobo.
• Su Ming and Bobo rejoined Harley, Raven, and Donna, discovering that Harley had killed an artist who drugged and trafficked women; Harley arranged to send the rescued victims to Arkham.
• Su Ming said he would use Brother Eye at the Hall of Justice to locate large-scale disturbances, while Donna joined the others for cake.
• Deep beneath the South Atlantic, a vast army of deep-sea creatures advanced on Atlantis, and an outpost captain warned the capital of the threat.
• A gigantic sea monster suddenly appeared at the outpost and opened its jaws to attack.

Su Ming and his companions rushed to Atlantis after Arthur sent a distress signal and found it under attack by crazed mythical beasts. They discovered the creatures had tunneled from the Aegean Sea to the South Atlantic, while Su Ming prepared to unleash the Light of Creation against them.

• Su Ming brought Bobo and the others to Atlantis after Arthur reported an attack by a many-headed monster.
• Su Ming assigned Raven to support Arthur, sent Donna to fight alongside him, and tasked Harley and Bobo with rescuing civilians.
• Su Ming and Donna fought Griffins, Sirens, and Manticores that attacked Atlantis from the sky.
• Bean Sprout found no monsters underwater, while Strangle read a beast's memories and revealed that the creatures had tunneled from the Aegean Sea to the South Atlantic.
• Donna worried that the Titans might escape, and Su Ming activated his Power Rings to invoke the Light of Creation.

After Deathstroke destroyed the magical beasts attacking Atlantis, he joined Arthur and the others to investigate where they had emerged. They found a portal near Saint Helena Island, far from Paradise Island, and learned that the creatures came from a prison at Earth's core called Tartarus.

• Deathstroke used the Power Rings to destroy more than a hundred thousand magical beasts, while their healing light restored Atlantis's wounded.
• Donna thanked Deathstroke for a Silk Pouch, and Arthur reunited with him and described losing track of a gigantic Sea Monster.
• Deathstroke learned that the magical beasts had emerged from somewhere south of the Atlantic, and Arthur agreed to investigate while Mera stayed to help Atlantis.
• Deathstroke gathered Harley, Bobo, Arthur, Donna, and Raven, then had the Adjutant teleport them near Saint Helena Island.
• The group saw monsters pouring from a mountain-like opening, and Donna explained that Tartarus was a prison at Earth's core beneath Paradise Island.
• Raven said she and Satan had found no magical beasts in the prison they had entered, leaving Deathstroke to question whether the Titans and beasts were imprisoned separately.

Su Ming and his team entered the undersea passage to stop magical beasts pouring out of Tartarus, blocking the entrance behind them and fighting their way toward Paradise Island. As they advanced through the tunnel, Donna, Raven, and the others battled the creatures while Bobo and Harley joked about collecting monster trophies.

• Su Ming suspected someone had exploited the volcanic tunnels, and Deathstroke decided the team would seal the opening and fight through to Paradise Island.
• Raven sent a message to Justice League Dark, and Donna asked that Young Justice be notified as well.
• Deathstroke led the team down the shaft, and Su Ming blasted apart the mountain above them to block the entrance and slow the magical beasts.
• Su Ming explained that the team was in a shallow undersea passage and that they needed to keep moving through the beasts toward the prison route.
• Donna fought ahead, Arthur guarded the group from a flying carpet, and Raven killed creatures with spells while Harley and Bobo watched and joked.
• Harley shot a Hippogriff in the groin, sending it crashing onto the passage floor and sliding toward the Abyss.

Su Ming’s group fought through enraged magical beasts and discovered they were targeting Donna because they mistook her for Diana. Su Ming identified their destination as The Spectre’s abandoned human host, whose uncontrolled wrath had infected the creatures, and prepared the group to meet him.

• Arthur sensed that the magical beasts were driven by revenge and especially focused on Donna.
• Su Ming had Harley give Donna a wig, which changed her appearance and redirected the beasts toward him.
• Bobo explained that the beasts had mistaken Donna for Diana because they recognized her long, wavy hair.
• Su Ming told the group they were searching for The Spectre, whose uncontrolled vengeance was spreading through the creatures.
• Su Ming clarified that they were heading for The Spectre’s abandoned host and told everyone to attach Tenth Metal to their heads to protect their minds.