DC’s Greatest Immortal Villain Is Finally Dying For Good

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Robin #12

In the latest issue of DC’s Robin, it’s revealed that one of Batman’s greatest rivals is dying and is no longer immortal in the DC Universe. Damian Wayne’s grandfather, Ra’s al Ghul is the Head of the Demon and leader of the League of Assassins and is dedicated to reshaping the world and making it a better place by any means necessary Having been granted long life thanks to the restorative power of the Lazarus Pits, Ra’s al Ghul has lived for centuries. However, it seems as though that’s all coming to a surprising end as revealed by this new issue.

Ra’s al Ghul is one of Batman’s most complex villains. While they may be rivals with the Dark Knight often getting in the way of al Ghul’s efforts, the Head of the Demon carries a large amount of respect for Bruce Wayne and would like nothing more than for the World’s Greatest Detective to take his place despite Batman’s refusals. It’s for this reason that Batman’s son Damian exists, being a secret son between al Ghul’s daughter Talia and the Dark Knight, born and bred to circumvent Bruce as the Heir to the Demon. However, Damian is often at odds with his mother and grandfather, choosing instead to serve as Batman’s current Robin with the exception of the last couple of years. The death of Alfred Pennyworth led to Bruce and Damian becoming estranged, motivating Damian to leave Gotham in his new Robin series where he entered the Lazarus Tournament put on by a splinter group of the League led by Robin’s great-grandmother Mother Soul.

Following the end of the tournament which Mother Soul used in her attempt to unleash the literal Demon from the Lazarus Pits, Robin #12 features the aftermath of Talia and Ra’s al Ghul’s arrival to shut down his mother’s League of Lazarus as well as the League of Shadows. Reintegrating them into the League of Assassins, Damian also chose to stand by his mother’s side once more in this new issue. However, the issue’s end sees Mother Soul mocking her wayward son who never believed in the supernatural origins of the Lazarus Pits. Although Ra’s al Ghul always chose to believe in the science of the healing waters rather than the Demon, it appears as though the beast was quite real. Furthermore, Mother Soul also confirms what Ra’s already knows: the Pits are cursed and the Head of the Demon is dying from the very source that once made him immortal.

While al Ghul’s mother always believed in the actual Demon and supernatural power of the Pits, it was always something he’d ignored as delusion. It’s why Ra’s al Ghul took the name the Demon’s Head to prove his superiority over any myth or legend. However, it seems pretty likely that he believes, especially now that he’s apparently sick and dying from the Pits having been cursed. Furthermore, this new issue of Robin confirms that the story will continue in the upcoming Shadow War crossover which could very well feature the death of the Ra’s al Ghul that’s been long overdue.

According to the synopsis for Shadow War, “Slade Wilson commits an unthinkable act, and Talia al Ghul, the Daughter of the Demon, is out for blood!” Is this a tease that Deathstroke will learn of Ra’s al Ghul’s weakness and kill him, taking the League of the Assassins for himself to join the new army of supervillains he’s been building? It would certainly explain Talia’s rage as the crossover event brings together DC’s Batman, Robin, and Deathstroke Inc. titles. In any case, the loss of the Lazarus Pits and their resurrecting power guarantees the permanent death of Ra’s al Ghul in the coming issue from DC Comics.

About The Author

Kevin Erdmann
(2531 Articles Published)

Kevin Erdmann is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers. With a major in Cinema Studies and a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin is pretty sure he’s writing for the right site. While Kevin is a huge Marvel fan, he also loves Batman because he’s Batman and is a firm believer that Han shot first. Disney also shares a big part of his fan patronage. Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

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