The Dark Nights are the evil version of Batman that hail from the Dark Multi Verse. They were the henchmen of Barbatos, the Bat God and the primary antagonist of Dark Nights Metal. Here is the official ranking for the Evil Batmen of Dark Nights: Metal
The Drowned
Bryce Wayne is the Bat Woman of Earth -11. When the love of her life Sylvester Kyle is murdered by rogue meta-humans, Bryce decides that any super powered individual is a threat to her existence. After massacring the last known meta-human, she is greeted by the forces of Atlantis led by Aqua Woman. Peace talks between the surface and the ocean world fail with things reverting to chaos and violence. Bryce ended up killing Aqua Woman with her own trident. Atlantis retaliated by submerging a large part of Gotham, and then the rest of the world in water. But by that time Bryce had surgically implanted under-water breathing technology into her body and given her-self various other abilities like controlling an army of ravenous minions called Dead Water. She also has accelerated healing hydrokinesis, and superhuman physical attributes.
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Dawnbreaker
Batman wearing a Green Lantern Ring is not new. There have been multiple alternate reality else worlds story arcs where Batman wore a Power Ring to become a lantern. There were also times when Batman wore a ring other than the Green Lantern Power Ring like when he became a Yellow Lantern in another else worlds arc. In the 1994 Darkest Night arc, Batman is in close proximity to a dying Abin Sur when his parents are murdered. As a result of watching his parents’ death, Bruce gains enormous willpower, having decided to eradicate all evil no matter what it takes. He thus becomes a Green Lantern. In Dark Nights Metal, we are introduced to another version of the tale. Batman wears the Power Ring but is a rogue Green Lantern. The Guardians knew the Lantern Ring is the most powerful weapon in the universe so they had put safeguard protocols to limit its power. Batman’s gigantic willpower broke those protocols and when the Green Lanterns came to stop him, he literally decimated the entire corps.
Murder Machine
The Murder Machine belongs to Earth -44. After years of fighting crime, Batman comes home to see his only ally Alfred being tortured and then killed in the Bat Cave. This vision drives Batman into a state of extreme grief and anguish. With Cyborg’s help, Batman tries creating an A.I that could do all the work that Alfred used to. The Alfred Protocol was a powerful sentient holo-computer that could manifest itself as a projection of Alfred and form weapons out of nano-technology in the same way Cyborg makes weapons out of his body. The Alfred Protocol soon takes over Batman’s mind and starts a campaign of mass murder, deeming everyone even Bruce Wayne himself, a threat to his master’s life. Batman’s body is replaced with a purely mechanical vessel that comes with cybernetic upgrades that far surpasses anything even Cyborg has to offer.
The Merciless
On Earth -12, the Greek God of War Ares, a long time Wonder Woman villain, found a way to amplify his powers using a specially designed helmet. The Helmet gave him the strength of a hundred Gods and made him virtually invincible. Batman and Wonder Woman gathered all the heroes and fought Ares and his army for two years. When the duo finally confronted the God, Wonder Woman was killed in battle. Batman swore vengeance and wore the Helmet of Ares. He used the added powers to kill the God. He then found out that Diana was not killed, merely knocked out. When she tried to get the helmet off of him, Batman killed her, not wanting to let go of the power. The Merciless has the ability of pathokinesis and can amplify his target’s base emotions. He has energy absorption powers as well as mind control abilities.
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Devastator
On Earth -1, Batman went on to truly believe in Superman’s ideals of hope and trust. So when Superman went rogue, killing everyone in a murderous rampage, Batman did whatever he can to help Clark see the error of his ways. Batman failed. Superman was almost on the verge of killing him and stomping on every ideal he had originally preached to the world. Bruce had one final trick up his sleeve – the Doomsday Virus. The Doomsday Virus allowed Batman to gain the power and strength of the genetically engineered creature Doomsday. Batman became the Devastator, a being of sheer strength and raw, brutal violence. Superman was easily dispatched but the Devastator was not done. He decided the entire world must be immune to Superman’s ideals so he started infecting everyone in his world with the Doomsday Virus.
Red Death
Batman has always remained fascinated with stopping crime before it even happens. His intentions are noble. His thirst for power is not because of selfish reasons. He genuinely wants to do some good and make a difference. In an alternate reality, Batman realized that the Speed Force could be used to serve justice even better. He theorized that he could do a much better job than the Flash, so he captured Barry, strapped him onto his modified Bat-Mobile, and dived straight into the speed force. What emerged was Bruce Wayne who had literally taken over the Flash’ body and abilities. As Red Death, Bruce would serve quick, violent, and ruthless justice in blistering speeds to the criminals of Gotham City. But you know what they say – power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely!
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The Batman Who Laughs
The Batman Who Laughs does not have any special powers like the rest of the Evil Dark Batmen on this list. So why does he get to be on top? Batman, as you know, does not need super powers to be a God. If he wanted to, he could take down the entire universe through sheer strategic thinking and meticulous planning. What if Batman decided to do just that? What if he became evil, truly hundred per cent evil, and judged the entire multi verse to be unworthy? We give you The Batman Who Laughs. After having his ‘One Bad Day’ all thanks to the Joker, Batman is infected by a powerful modified version of the Joker Venom. He is the epitome of evil and immorality. He is the deadly combination of the Joker’s Insanity coupled with the Batman’s gifted mind.
