WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Dark Nights Death Metal: Rise of the New God #1 by James Tynion IV, Jesus Merino, Vicente Cifuentes, & Ulises Arreola, on sale now
The circumstances caused by Dark Nights: Death Metal has pushed most of the DC Multiverse to the edge. Almost every reality has been destroyed, almost all the heroes have been wiped out, and there are only the machinations of the empowered Batman Who Laughs left to play out. However, there might secretly be a way to restore everything.
The Chronicler just proved how powerful his people are, and potentially set up a way to restore the DC multiverse even if the Darkest Knight succeeds in wiping out all of creation.
The Fuginauts are a strange and mysterious race. Tasked with watching over the various Multiverses that make up the Omniverse, they may be among the most powerful forces in the entirety of DC history. One of their number, Tempus Fuginaut, played a role in the DC Universe shortly before the events of Death Metal. Tempus became something of an unexpected mentor to the young hero Sideways and helped Wally West seemingly complete his destiny by claiming the Mobius Chair and saving both the Multiverse and the dark multiverse in Flash Forward.
Whatever mysterious force commands the Fuginats has finally made its way to the core-DC Multiverse in the form of the mysterious Chronicler. Stepping through a tear through the fabric of space-time, the Chronicler is revealed to be a "functionary of the source of all things." He's been sent to learn the history of the current DC Multiverse before it collapses into nothingness. He explains to the people he visits for information that the DC Multiverse is unique, partly in the circumstances of its destruction -- most Multiverses fade away or decay, instead of going out in a massive blaze of destruction such as the one being caused by the battle between Perpetua and the Darkest Knight.
With his Codex Omniversa, the Chronicler can record the history of the DC Universe from the collective memory of the living beings. It's also quickly shown to be more powerful than almost any force in the DC Universe. The Chronicler casually destroys waves of Brainiac Drones, and revives Metron of the New Gods with a simple outpouring of energy. As the Chronicler crafts the book and adds the history of the DC Universe, Metron notes that the Chronicler has begun to believe in what the heroes and villains of the DC Universe are capable of. Becoming a believer in their stories, Metron argues that even if the current DC multiverse is destroyed, their legend will go on as a part of the Omniverse in Chronicler, and allow them to live on in at least some form.
All of this could give the heroes of the DC Universe a potential out just in case they fail to save their current multiverse. It's clear that the Chronicler can easily survive the destruction of the multiverse by returning to the Omniverse, but as a convert to the importance of the superhero universe, it's also likely that it would decide the universe should and could continue. He's already displayed his ability to resurrect something as powerful as a New God, and to do so with ease. After absorbing the knowledge, experience, and history of the DC Universe, the Chronicler could even potentially recreate the DC Universe and restore the heroes after it is destroyed, allowing the heroes to survive even if they lose. While it's still a long-shot, DC may have just quietly revealed how the world will be restored following the events of Dark Nights: Death Metal.