WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Dark Nights: Death Metal #3
Lobo doesn’t let anyone get in his way and Dark Nights: Death Metal #3 shows just how unstoppable the Main Man is once his sights are set. As the multiverse remains fragmented, several heavy-hitters have their sights set on rebuilding reality to their liking. The Batman Who Laughs has already established himself as the main threat, but that doesn't mean he's the only one making moves.
Scott Snyder’s story follows a group of heroes - including Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman - working to stop the ever-present and growing danger of the Batman Who Laughs and his army of Dark Knights hailing from all over the Dark Multiverse. The early issues of the series have already introduced many twists, including Batman possessing a Black Lantern ring and Wonder Woman killing the Batman Who Laughs, only for him to come back with more power. Amidst all of the chaos, Lobo has been in the background retrieving artifacts from across the galaxy for some unseen entity.
In Death Metal #3 - from Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, FCO Plascencia, and Tom Napolitano - Lobo’s mission leads him to the Fifth Dimension, a place existing outside of the space/time continuum. As always, Lobo knows how to make an entrance. The scene opens as Lobo mows down an army of Fifth Dimensional Imps with a barrage of bullets. The Imps are caught by surprise as Lobo’s attacks manage to hurt them, which should be impossible. As on Imp points out, killing has no place in their “realm of imagination.” Lobo remarks that coming up with different ways to kill is one of the best ways to use one’s imagination.
Although the Imps return fire with their own weapons, they are unable to injure him and he easily slaughters what remains of the army. Finally, he approaches a cartoon tree begging for its life to no avail. Lobo reaches down the tree's throat and retrieves the object for which he had been searching. In the last pages of the issue, Lobo reports back to his mysterious partner that he has retrieved the item. It's here that readers learn that Lobo's cohort is none other than Lex Luthor. Luthor tells him that what he has obtained is called Death Metal and he plans on using it to rewrite the universe.
Despite the cartoonish appearance of the Fifth Dimensional Imps, they are some immensely powerful beings. The Imps do not have to obey the lower dimensions’ normal laws of physics and they possess magical and reality-altering capabilities. Essentially, they are like gods compared to most of the heroes in the main DC Universe. Mister Mxyzptlk, one of Superman’s adversaries, is a prime example of the sheer power that these beings possess. What makes Lobo better suited for this battle than the rest of the Justice League, though, is his dark, twisted mind. While most heroes would only think to kill as a last resort, the Main Man has no problem taking lives.
Lobo’s brief appearance in Dark Nights: Death Metal #3 proves not only his incredible power, but also the lengths that he is willing to go to help Luthor. Much remains unclear about what exactly the two have planned but it is likely to have a huge impact on the main story. Lobo and Lex Luthor may be the key to the Justice League’s victory, or they might be another huge obstacle for the heroes to overcome.