In the Dark Multiverse version of Dark Nights: Metal, Nightwing is one of the lone warriors still standing, wielding the coolest weapon ever
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Tales From the Dark Multiverse: Dark Nights Metal #1 from Scott Snyder, Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, and Karl Mostert
In the latest tale from DC Comics' Dark Multiverse, a new version of Scott Snyder's Dark Nights Metal is told, where Batman and the Justice League fail against the power of the Batman Who Laughs and Barbatos. In this world, the entire Justice League becomes corrupted into dark dragons that raze the entire planet, save for only a few lone warriors, who make their final stand in this new one-shot. One of these remaining warriors is none other than Dick Grayson, the man who was once Nightwing, wielding what is definitely one of the coolest weapons of all time.
According to Tempus Fuginaut, the cosmic being who's been observing and narrating Tales From The Dark Multiverse, Batbatos won in this alternate take on Dark Nights Metal, using Batman as his conduit to plunge all 52 worlds in the multiverse into darkness. Barbatos has since been destroying these worlds with a power known as the Deathwave, bathing them all in seemingly unstoppable dragon fire. However, one hero has been running from world to world, unable to do anything but survive until he was forced to return to Earth-0, the final world yet to be struck by the Deathwave.
In Tales From the Dark Multiverse: Dark Nights Metal #1, Duke Thomas has returned to this completely ravaged Earth in the hopes of setting things right. However, the last sidekick of the Batman once known as The Signal is quickly set upon by the dragonized Justice League. As a result, Thomas was nearly consumed by the Superman dragon, had it not been for the timely and epic arrival of one Dick Grayson, ready to shred an insane power chord with his battle axe/electric guitar, one of the coolest weapons of all time.
Once the dragons are warded off by Grayson's Parall-Axe, he explains to Duke that the weapon acts as a multiversal frequency disruptor, made from the last power rings of the DC Universe's Lanterns. However, the weapon only gets better as the one-shot continues. Duke manages to convince the former Nightwing and a handful of his fellow survivors to make one last stand against Barbatos and the other dragons before the Deathwave arrives. During this ultimate battle for the fate of the multiverse's last world, Grayson takes on the Superman Dragon once more. However, this time he uses a kryptonite guitar pick, delivering a devastating power chord that destroys the Superman dragon, while also allowing Dick to make an incredibly hardcore and awesome sacrifice at the issue's end.
While Dick Grayson and the other survivors end up giving their lives to defeat the dragons, Duke manages to live on after defeating Barbatos. Even so, the Deathwave still arrives and with it, the end of the entire multiverse. However, Duke armed himself in the hide of Barbatos to protect himself. Despite the death of the multiverse, Duke lived on as the Final Knight, and he also recovered Grayson's Parall-Axe, resolved to hunt down any and all monsters that still roam in the dark void. While this issue is rather dark and tragic with Duke being the only glimmer of hope by its end, it's hard to deny that the Nightwing seen in this issue is one of the coolest versions of the character ever (totally topping the Warrior Knight seen in Death Metal). However, much of that has to do with the Parall-Axe, which is absolutely one of the most amazing weapons ever created in the DC Universe. While doubtful, it would be really interesting to see it pop up elsewhere down the line, as opposed to just in this singular Dark Multiverse tale.
