Janan al Ghul, also known as Sister Shadow, was the daughter of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul from a reality in the Dark Multiverse where the Empire of Shadows had taken over the world. She later became the leader of the Blue Earth Movement on Earth 0 as Norah Stone.
History
Early Life
The Empire of Shadows controlled not only their own world, but multiple worlds across the cosmos of their corner in the Dark Multiverse.[1] Seeking to spread their dominion beyond the stars of their home world, Janan discovered a Fuginaut and learned that their world was a mere shadow of the positive matter Multiverse above by studying the visteges of its bodily remains. She came up with a plan to invade Earth 0 and spread the al Ghul's peace across all reality. She forced the Fuginaut to send a distress call to Earth 0 in order to lure The Enchantress to their reality, so they could use her magic to open a portal big enough to allow their forces through. They were able to kidnap the Enchantress and open a small portal that allowed Janan and her brother Saif to cross over, but they were quickly repelled by their father's counterpart and a suspiciously similar hero known as Midnighter. Meanwhile the Enchantress' teammates Superman and The Authority defeated the forces lead by Janan's other brother Taj sent to kill them. Janan and her brothers reported their first ever failure to their parents, but their father told them that their defeat carried no dishonour as it had taught them the valuable lesson that they were not invincible. He predicted that they would see their enemies again.[2]
However, this was not to be. As a result of the Authority's actions, the Empire not only lost their ability to travel across realities. But the universe of worlds Theye'd conquered were retaken by the people of said same planets, and they even faced rebellions in their own version of Earth. The uprising was eventually crushed, but all the al Ghuls besides Janan were killed, leaving her as the sole leader of her fallen Empire.[1]
Blue Earth Movement
Janan as Sister Shadow
Janan discovered another method of crossing over to other universes by travelling through Hell, using a magical artefact called an "Organum Infernialis" created from the spirits of two hellspawn: Bloodwynd and Etrigan the Demon.[1] However, her use of this dangerous magic caused her to rapidly age, requiring her to transfer her mind into a new body in order to survive.[3]
She went through to Earth 0 where she adopted a false identity as "Norah Stone" and set up an extremist anti-alien group called the Blue Earth Movement. Blue Earth spread division by agitating resentment against refugees from Warworld and worked to turn humanity against the Superman Family.[4] Janan gave an interview to the Daily Planet and insisted that she would only speak to Clark Kent, who she knew was Superman.[5] Using this close proximity to drain Superman's powers into her bracelet and use them to create her own team of humans possessing Kryptonian-like powers which she could use to destroy the Family of El.[6]
Janan identified Otho-Ra, Superman's adopted Phaelosian daughter, as someone who could be turned to the Empire's side and as a potential new host for her dithering soul. She recognized that the young supergirl was having trouble adjusting to life on Earth and missed Warworld on some level. Janan sent members of Blue Earth with stolen Kryptonian powers to draw out the Super-Family, and when they did, the Al Ghul made psychic contact with Otho and told her that she didn't belong with the others; giving Otho-Ra her necklace. Later, she used the jewelry to teleport Otho to the Empire's base in the Dark Multiverse. Telling Otho that big things were happening, and it all depended on her.[7][3]
Otho-Ra tried to blast Janan and her soldiers, but she was able to easily disperse the energy with her magic. When Otho-Ra tried to escape, Janan chased after her and once again entered her mind, showing Oth-Ra a version of herself from a reality where she never left Warworld and grew up to be Valkyrie General of the Warworld Engines and Soulbearer of Olgrun. She told Otho that that was who she was meant to be, and she had brought her to the Dark Multiverse to give her back her "iron".[1]
Janan gathered her forces to prepare for an invasion of Earth 0 and tried to brainwash Otho-Ra to make the powerful alien a host for her consciousness. Putting her waiting host in a telepathic illusion of fighting in the arenas of Warworld, becoming the warrior, she had always dreamed of being. Otho-Ra managed to break out of it when she killed her opponents, saying that El's don't kill and asking where her brother was, but Janan forcibly put her back under. Her invasion fleet was attacked by three Supermen, who had followed her to the Dark Multiverse, thanks to Bloodwynd and Etrigan having been broken free of the Organum by Kal-El.
Etrigan went in first, as Superman was vulnerable to her magic, and ordered Janan to release Otho-Ra, but the girl was now fully under her control and stabbed Etrigan in the back. Superman flew in and so Janan created the illusion in Otho-Ra's mind that he was Mongul and ordered Otho to kill him. Otho-Ra attacked her father, but he was able to get through to her and break the brainwashing. Enraged, she blasted at them and Etrigan and Bloodwynd tried to restrain her, but she turned her magic on them, draining their power to create a huge construct of a demon around the three of them. She opened a portal to Earth 0 and charged the invasion fleet through.
On Earth 0 Janan unleashed her forces on the people of Metropolis. The Superman Family charged into battle against her, alongside her own Blue Earth followers who had realized their benefactor had deceived them. Osul-Ra broke away from the others and flew directly at Janan and attacked her, demanding that she give back his sister. Janan managed to overpower him, then realized she erred in her initial judgement about his worth. But before she could do anything to him, Otho-Ra and Superman had followed her through the portal and blasted her away. The three of them battled Janan and Superman was able to pull her out of the construct, freeing Bloodwynd and Etrigan of her control. The two hellspawn closed the portal and her forces disintegrated, while Etrigan dragged her soul into Hell. She swore that she would have her revenge on Superman as she disappeared into the infernal abyss.[3]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Magic: Sister Shadow is skilled in a form of magic unknown in the positive matter Multiverse.
- Dimensional Travel: Sister Shadow can open portals to other universes, although she requires an additional source of power to do so.[3]
- Eldritch Blast[3]
- Energy Construct Creation[1]
- Energy Negation: Janan was able to disperse Otho-Ra's energy blasts with a wave of her hands.[1]
- Energy Transference: Sister Shadow was able to drain Superman's powers and grant them to her followers.[6]
- Flight[1]
- Power Absorption: Sister Shadow has the power to drain the magical energy of others to enhance her own.[3]
- Telepathy: Sister Shadow can communicate telepathically and project images into another person's mind.[7][1]
Abilities
Weaknesses
- Accelerated Aging: The use of her magic caused Janan to rapidly age and decay, requiring her to take on another body to survive.[3]
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Orcanum Infernalis: A magic cauldron created from Bloodwynd and Etrigan that allows Janan to cross over to other realities by travelling though Hell.[1]
- Magical Nanotech: Janan possessed a wrist mounted broach which she'd spliced with mysticism, Lazarus effect and microtechnology brewed from within her own labs.[5] She would use this as a carrier device which could siphon and relocate the powers of a Superman to any group of people she chose to.[7]
Related
- 7 Appearances of Janan al Ghul (Earth al Ghul)
- 7 Images featuring Janan al Ghul (Earth al Ghul)
- 2 Quotations by or about Janan al Ghul (Earth al Ghul)
- Character Gallery: Janan al Ghul (Earth al Ghul)
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Action Comics #1060
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Batman/Superman Authority Special #1
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 Action Comics 2023 Annual #1
- ↑ Action Comics #1056
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Action Comics #1057
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Action Comics #1058
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Action Comics #1059
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