Darkfather is an evil, cosmic Bruce Wayne from the Dark Multiverse who defeated Darkseid, absorbed his New God powers, and mastered the Anti-Life Equation. Created by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo for Dark Nights: Death Metal, he serves as a major antagonist who constructs the solar prison of New Apokolips to suppress Superman and Earth's remaining heroes.
La Scena
Darkfather serves as the autocratic ruler and warden of New Apokolips, a cosmic prison constructed within the hollow core of Earth's burnt-out Sun to contain Superman and surviving heroes. Operating under the orders of Perpetua and The Batman Who Laughs, Darkfather subjects Superman to the Death Drive, a machine channeling every known strain of Kryptonite to force him into submitting to the Anti-Life Equation. The defining moment of this appearance occurs when Wonder Woman, Batman, and Harley Quinn launch a covert raid on his headquarters to liberate the Man of Steel. When Darkfather confronts the infiltrators, he fires his modified temporal weapon and cosmic Omega Beams directly at Batman, intending to erase him from history. However, Batman utilizes a Black Lantern Ring to absorb the blast unharmed. Witnessing this defiance, Superman breaks free from his Kryptonite restraints and strikes Darkfather with a massive punch, sending the dark New God flying through deep space and liberating New Apokolips.
Significato
Darkfather is one of the most formidable lieutenants among the Dark Knights, embodying the terrifying scenario of Bruce Wayne obtaining the cosmic power of Darkseid. By absorbing the Anti-Life Equation and New God physiology, Darkfather combines Batman's unmatched strategic intellect with godlike invulnerability. His role in Dark Nights: Death Metal is central to the villainous regime of Perpetua and The Batman Who Laughs, as his solar prison on New Apokolips effectively neutralized Superman and kept Earth's remaining heroes captive. The battle on New Apokolips represents a pivotal turning point in the Death Metal storyline. Overthrowing Darkfather and freeing Superman provided the resistance movement with the strength and momentum needed to mount a full-scale counter-offensive. Furthermore, Darkfather's creation of the 'Pararobins'—Apokoliptian Parademons repurposed into Robin-clad minions—serves as a sinister distortion of Batman's legacy, corrupting his iconic partnership dynamic into cosmic tyranny.
Design
The physical design of Darkfather is an imposing blend of Batman's vigilante motif and Darkseid's New God aesthetic. Standing as a massive, towering figure, Darkfather possesses the craggy, grey stone skin iconic to Apokolips' dark ruler, reflecting his absorption of Darkseid's divine powers. Over his rocky body, he wears heavy-duty Batsuit armor featuring dark chest plates and a prominent, stylized bat emblem. His head is adorned with a modified Batman cowl that accommodates his hulking frame, featuring sharp ear horns and glowing red eyes that radiate Omega energy. Darkfather is outfitted with a specialized utility belt equipped to hold Alfred Boxes, technological devices engineered to harness Crisis Energy and power New Apokolips. The aesthetic design extends to his personal legion, the Pararobins, who are Parademons wearing modified red, green, and yellow battle suits modeled directly after Batman's sidekick, Robin.
