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.
The Metalverse is a dark, decimated version of the DC Universe that's controlled by the denizens of the Dark Multiverse, as featured in Dark Nights: Death Metal. Since the Batman Who Laughs reshaped the world, many villains have found ways to fourish to this hellish new landscape, including a relatively minor Superman villain with a great deal of destructive potential.
The newly released interactive map of the DC Metalverse reveals that Solaris now controls Metropolis, and it's even turned an iconic location from the city into essentially its throne.
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WHO IS SOLARIS, THE TYRANT SUN?
Megapokolips is one of the main four continents of the Metalverse, the newly corrupted and splintered DC Universe. The continent is a largely technologically-influenced part of the world, where corrupted figures have conquered many of the remnants of the DC Universe. This includes the remains of Metropolis, now a desolate city at the northern tip of the continent. Although most of the continent is controlled by Darkfather (a version of Batman who seems to have been fused with the corrupting influence of Darkseid), the new map of the Metalverse reveals that Metropolis itself is ruled over by a major threat from the distant future: Solaris, the Tyrant Sun.
Solaris was introduced by Grant Morrison and Val Semeiks during the events of the DC One Million crossover. As a robotic force created to counteract a destructive computer virus created in the far future, Solaris tried to turn on humanity but was forced to the edge of the universe by the future incarnation of Starman. This massive artificial star is fated to become a consistent threat to Superman and his long line of descendants, eventually becoming one of the single greatest enemies of the Superman dynasty. Solaris eventually attacked the galaxy again in the 700th century, leading a series of wars against the universe until he's confronted by the return of Kal-El, the original Superman.
Working with Vandal Savage in the 853rd century to try and destroy Superman once and for all, the two tyrants hatched to trap the Justice League of the present within the distant future and assassinate Kal-El when he leaves the Sun after centuries of being within it. However, this plot was foiled by the actions Justice League members who'd remained in the past, and Solaris was eventually destroyed by Superman, who wielded the power of a hidden Green Lantern ring. Solaris also appeared in All-Star Superman as an ally of Lex Luthor. Battling Solaris for the fate of the Earth became one of Superman's legendary labors. Solaris was able to destroy the Sun-Eater that Superman released, but it couldn't withstand Superman's powers and was defeated. However, Superman didn't destroy Solaris, because it was fated to ply an important role in the future of the DC Universe.
However, Solaris now rules over the remains of Superman's city of Metropolis, even positioning itself in the place of the giant globe atop the Daily Planet. It all seems like an insult by the villain towards Superman, a shattered remnant of the world that was and a reminder of just how bad things have gotten for the DC Universe. With the actual sun transformed into New Apokolips -- a prison for the remaining superheroes and powered by a captured Superman -- Solaris has finally achieved its ultimate goals. With most DC heroes are corrupted, captured, or killed, there's little recourse to take against Solaris. But if Superman were to eventually be freed from his prison, then there might yet be a chance to beat back this sun and rescue Metropolis.
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