Who Are The Main Villains In Dark Nights: Metal?

Barbatos and his nightmare Batmen were the highlight of 'Dark Nights: Metal' for me, especially as someone who geeks out over alternate realities. The main baddie, Barbatos, is this primordial force that’s been lurking in Batman’s mythos for ages, but here, he’s finally unleashed. His whole deal is corrupting Batman’s legacy by creating the Dark Knights—seven evil Batmen from universes where Bruce snapped in the worst ways. The Batman Who Laughs steals the show; he’s like if Batman and Joker had a lovechild raised by Stephen King. But the others are just as creative: there’s Murder Machine (Batman merged with a Brother Eye AI), and Dawnbreaker (a Green Lantern Batman who kills his own Corps). What’s wild is how each one reflects a different Batman trope gone wrong. It’s not just 'evil versions'—it’s a dissection of his character.

The event’s brilliance is how it turns Batman’s paranoia against him. These villains aren’t just strong; they’re psychological warfare. Even the lesser-known ones, like the Merciless (a Batman who stole Ares’ helmet), have gut-punch backstories. And let’s not forget the supporting villains like Hawkman’s evil counterpart, who adds to the chaos. The scale is insane—interdimensional invasions, ancient gods—but it’s grounded in Batman’s worst fears. No wonder it’s still a benchmark for DC events.

Man, 'Dark Nights: Metal' had the most unhinged rogues’ gallery I’ve seen in comics. Barbatos is the big bad, but the Dark Knights are the stars—each a Batman variant with a horrific twist. The Batman Who Laughs is the standout, but I’m obsessed with the Red Death, who’s basically Batman if he went full Speed Force vampire. Then there’s the Devastator, a hulking monster from a world where Bruce injected himself with Doomsday’s DNA. The creativity in their designs and powers is next-level. Snyder took Batman’s core traits—justice, sacrifice, intellect—and warped them into something monstrous. That’s what makes them terrifying: they’re Bruce’s potential futures gone wrong. The event’s climax, where they all converge, is pure comic book madness.

The villains in 'Dark Nights: Metal' are a Nightmare-fueled dream team that made my comic-loving heart race! At the forefront is Barbatos, this ancient bat-god who’s basically the DC Universe’s boogeyman—literally lurking in the dark multiverse. He’s the puppet master behind the whole event, pulling strings to unleash the Dark Knights, twisted versions of Batman from doomed realities. My personal favorite was The Batman Who Laughs, a Jokerized Bruce Wayne with a horrifying grin and a legion of robin-zombies. Then there’s the rest of the Dark Knights, like the Red Death (Batman fused with Flash’s powers) or the Devastator (a Doomsday hybrid), each representing Batman’s worst-case scenarios. What blew my mind was how they weren’t just brute force—they symbolized Batman’s fears turned against him. The story’s stakes felt cosmic, but also deeply personal, which is why it stuck with me long after I closed the comic.

Honestly, what made these villains unforgettable was their design and mythology. Barbatos isn’t just some random demon; he’s tied to Grant Morrison’s 'Batman: the return of Bruce Wayne,' giving him layers of lore. And the Dark Knights? Their backstories read like black mirror episodes—tragic, ironic, and terrifying. Like, the Drowned is an Atlantean-war Batman from a world where he lost Alfred, and it shows. Snyder and Capullo didn’t just throw in villains; they crafted a psychological horror show where Batman’s greatest strength—preparation—became his downfall. That last panel of the Dark Multiverse collapsing still gives me chills.