American comics: Starting with Luke the Maker

"I knew it, you would eventually meet me here one day." A dark, somewhat suppressed laughter, fragmented and breathless, suddenly broke the silence. A figure wearing a studded mask and bound in black chains rose from the darkness, exposed in the meager light.

The clownishly smeared red mouth, revealing the teeth within, was as terrifying as a blood-soaked hyena. His voice echoed through the space.

"I just didn't expect this day to come so soon. Is it because of the guidance of the person behind you? I hope you enjoyed the little gift I prepared for you, after all, I think that experience was so beautiful, it deserves to be relived, don't you think?"

"You shouldn't set your sights on this universe." Bruce's expression turned solemn, pacing back and forth, his eyes locked with the figure before him, the Batman Who Laughs.

"I'm not the only one eyeing this universe, you know? It was targeted long ago. Do you think your current universe is still your own? Don't deceive yourself, it already belongs to someone else! That's the undeniable truth.

If you can accept the rule of others, why can't you accept your own? Even though it's you from another universe, you and I are essentially a collective." The Batman Who Laughs chuckled, piercing the point Bruce most didn't want to admit.

Although Luke left many matters in this universe to him and the Justice League, it was only to avoid excessively provoking them and depleting the universe's potential and foundation. In fact, they were all aware that the true managers of this universe were Luke and his people. They possessed the power and confidence to take over everything at any time.

They called themselves collaborators, but in Bruce's eyes, it was more like a nicer way of saying 'employees.' The only good thing was that Luke had indeed relinquished all rights in matters other than psionics.

"I can see your heart, you don't want to start a war with that guy, but you need to make him wary, and show the power to destroy everything at a critical moment. That's why you're searching everywhere for possible great power, isn't it?

Then why not choose us? You've witnessed our power in your dreams, and even glimpsed a trace of Barbatos's power. We know all the secrets of this universe and can guide you to obtain the power to protect your world! Just join us! You can obtain the power to guard everything!" The Batman Who Laughs' words were like the whispers of a devil, directly seducing Bruce from within.

Bruce's expression did indeed reveal a struggle and hesitation, but soon, as if he had figured something out, he regained his composure.

"You're lying!" Bruce coldly pointed out the Batman Who Laughs' deception.

"I wouldn't deign to lie to you." The smile at the corners of the Batman Who Laughs' mouth widened slightly.

"Perhaps, but we both know that those who make deals with devils never have a good ending. You seem to be able to fulfill wishes, but is that wish really what you want? And the price to pay behind it is what the dealer least wants to see.

I know myself well, and I also know the Joker, so as a combination of the two, no matter how tempting your words are, I can't believe you." Bruce said firmly. He had clenched his fists and had no intention of continuing to communicate with the Batman Who Laughs.

Both he and the Joker were adept at insight and manipulation, especially the Joker, who seemed to have an innate talent. He could naturally grasp the weaknesses in a person's heart and gleefully use various means to release them from the depths of their heart, making them lose all mental and moral shackles, as well as bottom lines, becoming unrestrained! Free!

Bruce also had a similar talent, but he was better at controlling himself. But even so, he didn't dare to firmly believe that he could maintain his self under the long-term bewitchment and brainwashing of the Batman Who Laughs.

"What a pity." The Batman Who Laughs' voice was very sad, as if he was about to cry in the next moment. Under the violent fluctuations of his emotions, the darkness around him seemed to come alive, with deformed blisters.

"Why won't you join us? The universe is doomed to destruction sooner or later, and your so-called protection is meaningless. We can reshape a brand new world after all the universes are destroyed, a world where we set the rules!

For this goal, we need the power of every version of ourselves! Now, we need your power, Bruce! You in this universe can lead us to successfully enter the final perfect form!

You can't escape, Bruce! Join us, integrate into us, become us! It is your predetermined destiny!"

The Batman Who Laughs finally cried, but soon he laughed again and wiped away the tear stains that flowed down his skin under the mask. With his final roar, the dark blisters, like abscesses, burst open in front of everyone present in a popping sound, revealing figures who were strangely dressed, but particularly familiar to Bruce.

The Red Death, in a Barry Allen-modified red suit.

The cold figure with a helmet, the Merciless.

The Murder Machine, whose entire body had been transformed into metal, stripped of many emotions, and whose mind had been intellectualized with the Alfred Protocol.

The Dawnbreaker, in a Lantern Corps suit, representing the power of will's spectrum.

The Drowned, seemingly female, emanating a strong smell of seawater.

And standing behind them, just a figure alone could bring boundless pressure, the horrifying monster with various bone spurs - the Devastator.

The Dark Knights, recruited by the Batman Who Laughs, had met with Bruce in a miraculous way in a void place.

"Those are just projections from the other party's memories. It used the power of your mental world to project them. They are not the real bodies. Obviously, your dark side provided a lot of help.

You need to abandon those concepts that bind you, you can also use your own power in this mental world to find some helpers for yourself. Fighting doesn't matter, but this involves the battle for control of this mental world."

Stephen's voice was quickly and urgently conveyed to Bruce through the mental link, but in the next moment, the mental link in his hand was suddenly cut off by a black scythe, and his connection with Stephen was instantly severed. In the end, the key point he could vaguely grasp was only Stephen's guidance: will as the foundation, thoughts become reality.

The black scythe was bound by a mass of black liquid and held in the hand of the Batman Who Laughs. There were vaguely faces struggling to emerge on the scythe, each face was extremely familiar and shocking to Bruce.

Because that was his face! From childhood to adulthood, every negative emotion, the face he revealed. Especially representative was the terrified face in the well when he was young.

The scythe in the hands of the Batman Who Laughs was his dark side!

That was why the Batman Who Laughs was able to lurk in his mental world and run rampant.

"The troublesome person has been driven away by me. The surroundings are full of mist, even if you are close at hand, an inappropriate movement can instantly pull you and him an immeasurable distance apart. Even if he can find his way back here, everything here should be settled.

To be honest, he caught me off guard by bringing you here. Originally, I only needed a little more time to completely erode your mental world and easily make you fall into the embrace of darkness. But now this situation is not bad. You have no helpers, you can't do whatever you want in this world, the scene looks like I have all the advantages. I feel a little bored for a while. Maybe I should redirect your helper back?"

The Batman Who Laughs stuck out his tongue and licked the blade of the scythe, his laughter gradually became wild.

"I have more than one helper." Bruce recalled what Stephen wanted to express to him, and naturally thought of one trustworthy person after another.

Wonder Woman, Superman, Martian Manhunter, Barry Allen, Green Lantern Hal Jordan, Aquaman Arthur. And the last unexpected figure, the purple-skinned figure - Thanos!

"Wahaha! You really didn't let me down! I like your struggle, and the days of fighting you! Come, let us say hello to our old partners, you can once again abuse and kill the mortal enemies of this world! Although it's just a projection. But it's good to fight a preliminary battle to warm up."

The Batman Who Laughs' laughter stopped, but then the Joker-like corners of his mouth could no longer close no matter what, his whole person exuded an extremely joyful and surprised emotion, and he almost couldn't wait to launch the declaration of battle.

The first to attack was the Devastator, who stood behind the Batman Who Laughs and others, giving a great sense of pressure. He almost roared and charged out like a tank, launching an attack on Superman.

"Clark, hypocrite! Seeing you again makes me sick."

"Oh, my Diana! I love you, but I have to kill you again!" The Merciless, wearing the war god Ares's power helmet, found the fully armed Wonder Woman Diana.

The remaining ones, Red Death found Barry, Dawnbreaker found Hal, Murder Machine found Martian Manhunter, and The Drowned swept away Aquaman Arthur with a wave of death.

In the end, there were three people, or rather four people, left on the field. The Batman Who Laughs and Bruce, Thanos and the inhuman dark side of Bruce.

"I don't have any gems." Thanos glanced at his hands, as if he was not a projection, but a real existence, and cast an inquiring look at Bruce.

"Sorry, I can't manifest them here. Although I should be omnipotent here. But in fact, I am very fragile." Bruce did not regard Thanos as a mindless and emotionless puppet projection, and sincerely apologized.

"I can sense that you are in pain, child! But I want you to know that pain and death, survival and choice, are roads that life must experience and cannot escape." Thanos looked at the black scythe in the hands of the Batman Who Laughs, reached out and patted Bruce on the shoulder, then leaned slightly, swung his arms and took the lead in launching a charge.

Boom!

The surrounding mist shook and dissipated a little, and the buildings trembled as if they were about to collapse. The Batman Who Laughs was grabbed by the head by Thanos in a strange cry, and smashed through layers of walls, finally falling to the ground, splashing blood from his mouth.

"Come on, it's just us left." Bruce stepped forward and said to the black scythe that fell on the ground.

Under Bruce's gaze, the metal scythe slowly melted into a mass of black, filthy water. Just by looking at it, Bruce felt that his thoughts and will were being washed away by a torrent of negative emotions. It seemed to have a mysterious power that gave it extreme contamination. It was still hiding before, but now it completely erupted that power.

This power was unfamiliar but familiar.

Soon, a thin figure gradually emerged from the sewage. That familiar face was very similar to Bruce Wayne as a minor. Or simply when he was young, before he went out to travel, deeply trapped in fear and pain.

The black sewage meandered up the body of the young Wayne, turning into a black suit.

"You are not me, who are you?" Bruce looked at this evil young version of himself, no matter what point made him extremely familiar, but his senses were always reminding him that the other party was not him! In his own mental world, Bruce chose to listen to the teachings of professionals, that is, he trusted his feelings. Even if he had almost lost his life because of this feeling. But since Stephen didn't remind him, it meant that this suggestion was still useful.

"I am you. What you don't want, suppress, and want us to disappear at all times." The young Wayne grinned, his smile was bright, but it gave people a sense of evil and unease.

"If you are me, then I would have been affected by you long ago, right?" Bruce's will dam was in a state of crisis at this moment, and the other self opposite him had already made him somewhat irresistible even if he did nothing. This also made Bruce even more understand that the other party must not be his dark side! If his dark side was so powerful, he should really be glad that he had been able to maintain his bottom line and had not fallen and darkened these years.

"I just borrowed some external power under the guidance of myself in another universe." The young Wayne's smile became even brighter, "It favors me very much, regarding me as its contractor and resonator. I can feel its existence and borrow a certain amount of power from it."

At this time, Stephen, who was working hard to find his way back in the mist, suddenly looked up at a certain direction in the mist, and said somewhat brokenly: "Abyss?"