Ra's al Ghul

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Biography

Early life

Ra's al Ghul's early life is told in the graphic novel Batman: Birth of the Demon (1992) by Denny O'Neil and Norm Breyfogle.

Related Topics:
Graphic novel - 1992 - Denny O'Neil - Norm Breyfogle

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Ra's al Ghul was born between six to seven hundred years ago to a tribe of nomads in a desert somewhere in Arabia, near a city whose inhabitants' ancestors had journeyed to the Arabian Peninsula from China. Ra's was interested in science from an early age. Unable to learn any science living as a nomad, he abandoned his tribe to live in the city, where he could conduct his scientific research. He became a physician and married a woman named Sora, the love of his life.

Related Topics:
Nomad - Desert - Arabia - Ancestor - China - Science - Scientific research - Physician

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Ra's discovered the secret of the Lazarus Pit, and he saved a dying prince by lowering him into it. The prince, who was sadistic to begin with, was driven completely insane by the Lazarus Pit and strangled Sora. The ruler of the city, unwilling to admit to himself his son's culpability, declared Ra's guilty of the crime and sentenced him to a slow and tortuous death in a cage with Sora's corpse.

Related Topics:
Sadistic - Tortuous - Corpse

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Ra's escaped, however, and took his revenge; understanding the germ theory of disease hundreds of years before anyone else did, Ra's was able to infect the prince with a deadly virus by sending him contaminated gifts. When the ruler of the city came to ask Ra's to cure the prince again, Ra's killed both him and his son. Ra's then led his tribe to raze the city to the ground and kill all of its inhabitants.

Related Topics:
Revenge - Germ theory of disease

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Subsequently, Ra's declared himself the "Demon's Head."

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Building an empire

Ra's spent the next several centuries journeying the world. He would become a master of many forms of combat, notably fencing. He also built up vast wealth and created such organizations as the League of Assassins/League of Shadows.

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Daughters

Nyssa

In Batman: Death and the Maidens (2004) by Greg Rucka, it is revealed that while traveling in Russia in the 18th century, Ra's had a child named Nyssa Raatko. Enamored by the romantic stories told to her as a child by her mother about Ra's, Nyssa set out to find Ra's and eventually located him at his headquarters in North Africa. Impressed by her beauty, her warrior skills, and the fact that "she was able to locate him," he promoted her to a high position within his organization. Ra's was so impressed with her abilities, he even allowed Nyssa to use his Lazarus Pits.

Related Topics:
2004 - Greg Rucka - Russia - 18th century - Nyssa Raatko

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Nyssa eventually became disillusioned with Ra's ideals and methods, and disassociated herself from her father sometime in the 18th century. Ra's reluctantly approved this with the idea that she would return to him and that she and/or her children would become his future heirs. To his disappointment, Nyssa refused to give herself or her family to Ra's, causing him to officially disown her for good. During World War II, as part of the Holocaust, Nyssa and her family were sent to a concentration camp where Nyssa was rendered infertile by gruesome Mengele-esque experiments, as the rest of her family was exterminated. Nyssa began plotting her revenge, which would take fruition years later.

Related Topics:
18th century - World War II - Holocaust - Concentration camp - Mengele

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Talia

As explained in Batman: Birth of the Demon (1992), Ra's met a woman of mixed Chinese and Arab ancestry at Woodstock. From that union, Ra's second daughter, Talia al Ghul, was born, and she would accompany him for many years.

Related Topics:
1992 - Chinese - Arab - Woodstock - Talia al Ghul

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Batman

After Talia encountered and fell in love with Batman in Detective Comics #411 (May 1971), Ra's began to consider Batman as a possible heir in light of his great abilities and skill. Ra's first deduced Batman's secret identity as Bruce Wayne; he was then ready to put Batman to a final test.

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The story of Ra's first encounter with Batman is told in Batman #232 (June 1971), "Daughter of the Demon", by Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams. The story is widely considered one of the greatest classic Batman stories. Ra's surprised Batman in the Batcave, seemingly to enlist his aid in rescuing both Talia and Dick Grayson, the first Robin, both of whom had apparently been kidnapped. The whole affair was a charade orchestrated by Ra's to test Batman, however, which he passed; He refused to be Ra's's heir, however, and also actively began to oppose Ra's' genocidal plan to cleanse the world.

Related Topics:
1971 - Denny O'Neil - Neal Adams - Batcave - Dick Grayson - Robin - Kidnap

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From that point forward, Ra's al Ghul and Batman would repeatedly find themselves in conflict.

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In the 400th issue of Batman, known as 'Resurrection Night', on the anniversary of Bruce Wayne's first donning the cape and cowl, Ra's helps all of Batman's foes escape from Arkham Asylum and the Gotham State Penitentiary, setting them on a plan to kidnap certain individuals across Gotham who are linked in one form or another to Batman. However, Ra's' true intent is to show Batman the folly of his efforts to protect the 'corrupt' and imperfect society and morality which allows criminals and psychopaths to exist and flourish. Ra's eventually uses the Pit while still healthy, endangering himself yet granting himself increased strength, in an attempt to outmatch the Dark Knight, a plan which backfires as Ra's is left writhing in the pit, seemingly destroyed.

Related Topics:
Arkham Asylum - Kidnap - Psychopath

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Talia, disillusioned with her father and his plans, left him to run LexCorp for former U.S. President Lex Luthor, before selling the company to Bruce Wayne for his Wayne Foundation to aid Batman and Superman's victory over Luthor.

Related Topics:
LexCorp - Lex Luthor - Wayne Foundation - Superman

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Ra's blames Batman for his failed relationship with Talia, and had his right-hand servant Ubu stage an assassination attempt on Grayson shortly before Wayne officially adopted his now fully grown ward.

Related Topics:
Assassination - Adopt

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JLA: Tower of Babel

In the "Tower of Babel" storyline, as told in JLA #43-46, Ra's discovered Batman's notes on the weaknesses of the other members of the Justice League of America and used them to almost destroy the group. Though defeated, Ra's did cause the (temporary) exit of Batman from the JLA.

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Death and the Maidens

In Batman: Death and the Maidens (2004), Nyssa, furious at Ra's abandoning her in a concentration camp, began plotting to destroy him. Nyssa befriended Talia and then kidnapped and brainwashed her. Nyssa plotted to destroy all hope and optimism in the world by assassinating Superman with kryptonite bullets she stole from the Batcave. While Batman stopped Nyssa from killing Superman, he was unable to stop her from mortally injuring her father. A dying Ra's revealed that this was all part of his greater plan to ensure that his daughters, both initially dissatisfied with his plans, would realize that he was right about the world and what needed to be done to it, and would come to accept their destinies as his heirs. Ra's plan worked: both Nyssa and Talia became the heads of the League of Assassins. Talia disavowed her love for Bruce Wayne, and both sisters declared Batman to be their enemy.

Related Topics:
2004 - Brainwash - Superman - Kryptonite - Batcave - Destinies

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Other continuities

In the graphic novel Son of the Demon, Ra's successfully enlisted Batman's aid in defeating a rogue assassin who had murdered Sora. During this story line, Batman married Talia and she became pregnant. Batman was nearly killed protecting Talia from the assassin's agents. In the end, Talia concluded that she could never keep Batman, as he would always be defending her. She claimed to have miscarried and the marriage was dissolved.

Related Topics:
Pregnant - Miscarried

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The child was eventually born and left with an orphanage, and was eventually adopted with the name Ibn al Xu'ffasch. The only identification provided was Talia's jewel encrusted necklace, which had once belonged to Talia's mother. This story is stated to no longer be in continuity, although two Elseworlds, Kingdom Come and Brotherhood of the Bat, feature two alternate versions of Ibn as an adult, coming to terms with his dual heritage.

Related Topics:
Orphanage - Ibn al Xu'ffasch - Elseworlds - Kingdom Come

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Ra's had previously been revealed as alive in the 30th century setting of Legion. The rebooting of Legion of Super-Heroes continuity means that this is no longer the "official" future, however.

Related Topics:
30th century - Legion of Super-Heroes

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In the first series, created by John Byrne, Batman replaces Ra's after combat and uses his criminal empire to set up an anti-crime information network. He also gains immortality. The series, though, is an Elseworlds and has no effect on continuity.

Related Topics:
John Byrne - Elseworlds

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