WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Dark Nights: Death Metal #1 by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, FCO Plascencia and Tom Napolitano, available now.

Dark Nights: Death Metal #1 plunged readers deep into a DC Universe they no longer recognized. After a cosmic battle between the Justice League and Perpetua, the sun was burnt out and reality was somehow remade into a dystopian, hellish wasteland ruled by the Batman Who Laughs and his evil Dark Knights from the Dark Multiverse. This new Metalverse is made up of four major continents with terrain that forms the shape of the Bat-logo. The first issue of the series dropped us in the middle of the action, but this grim new DCU is already a fully fleshed out and realized world.

A map at the start of Death Metal #1 identified these four continents as Castle Bat, the Hellscape, the Arkham Wastelands and Megapokalips, but most of the details of this new world had yet to be revealed -- that is, until now. DC has recently released an interactive map of the so-called Metalverse, and it reveals plenty of information on all four continents -- as well as other regions that weren't identified in the first map.

And one of the most interesting revelations that comes from this interactive map is an explanation as to why Arthur Curry, Aquaman, has agreed to join the side of the twisted Batman Who Laughs.

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Death Metal Batman Who laughs League

In Death Metal #1, we learned that the Batman Who Laughs had his very own Justice League. However, this version of the team featured superheroes we know, seemingly working more or less against their will. In fact, each of them has a Dark Multibersehandler: Harley Quinn has Dr. Arkham, Mister Miracle has the Darkfather, and so on. Aquaman is also a member of this League, and his handler is a tentacled Lovecraftian sea monsterBatman named Bathomet. And together, they rule the seas of the Metalverse.

Now, thanks to the interactive map of The DCU, we have learned why Aquaman agreed to work with the Batman Who Laughs: the King of Atlantis made a deal with Bathomet in order to keep protecting the oceans. Part of this deal also means that the people on land are protected from the oceans, so long as they stay there. In return, Aquaman leads the Batman Who Laughs' nautical army as the Admiral of the Black Fleet.

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Dark Nights Death Metal Aquaman

Therefore, it's clear the only reason Aquaman joined the side of the Batman Who Laughs is to keep people safe -- not unlike Wonder Woman and the Hellscape. It's an unfortunate situation for him, but it's likely one that allows him to be aware of what is happening throughout the Metalverse.

We have yet to see the Black Fleet in action, but it seems like it includes an army of Batman-themed ships. For the time being, it's unclear who the enemies of the Fleet are, but chances are they're probably whoever the Batman Who Laughs says they are. And given that the map likens Aquaman's predicament to a "Lovecraftian nightmare," it's a very strong possibility that the oceans of the Metalverse are home to some frightening monsters. As Death Metal rolls on, only time will tell what dwells in the dark waters of the Metalverse.

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