Barbatos' Dark Knights aren't the only beings that inhabit the Dark Multiverse. Twisted reflections of Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and Superman scuttle about the Dark Multiverse like ants - literally, in some cases! All of these characters aren't evil per se, but that doesn't mean we're too fond of them in the end.
Today's going to be a two-for-one article: we're going to introduce a bevy of Dark Multiverse characters, giving you their backstories as we do, then tell you which ones we love and which ones we don't. If you thought that the Dark Knights were bizarre, you haven't seen anything yet!
10 Rant (More)
We weren't kidding when we said that some of the Dark Multiverse's inhabitants scuttle around like ants. What's even funnier is that Rant didn't come out of the woodwork. In fact, a Silver Age comic called The Invasion of the Super-Ants! inspired him.
For the most part, Rant seems like a stand-up guy - er, ant. The teenage superhero Sideways (who totally isn't a DC version of Spider-Man) encountered and few of the other characters in this article back in 2018. Time will tell if we see Rant pop up more often, or if he'll meet the Modern version of Superman.
9 Kentclark (Less)
There's not much that we like about Kentclark. His edgy design, powers, and that ridiculous name of his speak for themselves. Much like Rant, Kentclark references an old-school Superman story aptly titled The Negative Superman. To be specific, this story is from World's Finest Vol 1 #126 in case anyone wants to read it on their own time.
Whereas Rant is a funny concept of a character that you can't help but like, Kentclark instantly rubs you the wrong way. It doesn't help that Kentclark's essentially a villain (and a lame one at that). Hopefully, someone takes this guy out ASAP.
8 The Salesman (More)
The Salesman is an enigmatic figure who will grant someone's deepest desires for a steep price - much like Mephisto from the Marvel Universe. We don't know much about this character, other than the fact that "The Salesman" isn't his real name. But that's what's got us so intrigued with him - we want to know what his angle is, in the grand scheme of things.
Faustian deals tend to have drawbacks that are equal parts fascinating and horrifying. We'd love to see the Salesman approach our favorite DC heroes and villains with offers that sound too good to be true, only to pull the rug from underneath them at the worst possible moment.
7 Spiner (Less)
We love Superman's best pal, Jimmy Olsen, just as much as the next person. However, we're not all that crazy about Spiner, a Dark version of Jimmy based on another old comic. Coincidentally, this theme's going to be a running theme today.
Maybe it's just us, but Spiner gives us strong Sonic the Hedgehog vibes. That probably means he'll be cool for a minute, then he'll eventually fall off and spend years disappointing his fans. Then, out of the clear blue sky, he'll announce that he's starring in a movie with Jim Carrey.
6 Lori (More)
Have you ever noticed how all of the important women in Superman's life have names that start with L? Lara Lor-Van is his Mom, Lana Lang was his first love, and Lois Lane is his Wife. Back in the day, Lori Lemaris was an old flame of Superman's.
She and Clark met in college, and Supes became so smitten with her that he nearly revealed his secret identity! However, Lori turned out to be a mermaid with mind powers who broke things off amicably before returning to the sea. We wonder what might happen if Dark Lori encounters Prime Earth Superman and Prime Earth Lois Lane.
5 Dear Lois (Less)
Unlike Lori, Dear Lois doesn't have that same "creepy-cute" factor to her design - she straight up weirds us out! Dear Lois looks like a monster straight out of the Resident Evil franchise - the games or the movies, take your pick - more than something from the DC multiverse's darkest recesses.
Dear Lois isn't as unlikable as some of the other characters in this article however, we don't want her stealing the spotlight from another character we'll discuss later.
4 Perrus The Benevolent (More)
True to his name, Perrus The Benevolent is one of the more altruistic inhabitants of the Dark Multiverse. Even though Perrus looks pretty evil, he's actually a pretty nice guy. In fact, he shelters the Unseen and keeps them safe from otherworldly threats.
Granted, he has to siphon a little bit of their life energy to do so, but it's all for the greater good. Time will tell if Perrus is another Dark version of Superman, or if he's Perry White (as some DC conspiracy theorists believe).
3 Comet (Less)
Fun fact: back in the day, Supergirl used to care for a horse named Comet. But this steed wasn't a normal mare - it was a "Wonder Horse" with amazing powers and, a raging urge to date Supergirl! Yes, really.
It's somewhat telling that Comet's claim to fame stems from being a creep. His new design also looks like something out of a low-budget 1980s film, complete with loud colors and an overall BDSM vibe. The less we see of Comet, in any form, the better.
2 Eradicator Lois (More)
Eradicator Lois hearkens back to The Death of Superman and imagines what would happen if Lois Lane took up Clark's mantle - and was pissed off beyond all reason! Eradicator Lois is the star of a Tales from the Dark Multiverse one-shot, meaning DC probably doesn't plan to keep her around too long.
But, honestly, we hope that the company finds a way to make her a recurring character. We don't know much about Eradicator Lois right now, but what little we're aware of has us intrigued.
1 Grim Knight (Less)
Come on DC, the Grim Knight comes way too close to The Punisher's territory for comfort! We get it - it's a version of Batman who loves guns instead of hating them - but that's about all there is to the Grim Knight.
By far, the Batman Who Laughs is the most fascinating Dark version of the Gotham Knight we've seen. We'd rather see less evil Batmen running around the place and more Dark versions of other characters, as well as some new entities all together!