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| As a result of the New 52 in 2011, the entire line of DC characters was relaunched, incorporating properties belonging to the company's imprints: Wildstorm, Milestone, and Vertigo. As such, elements of this character's history have been altered in some way from the previous incarnation. For a complete list of all versions of this character, see our disambiguation page. |
Ra's al Ghul was the founder of the League of Assassins, an organization of deadly warriors that he used to achieve his goal of ridding the world of evil. The League's violent methods have made him a sworn enemy of the Batman. Through the continued use of a Lazarus Pit, Ra's has been able to live for thousands of years.
History
Early Years
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Deal with the All-Caste
Ra's al Ghul approached an organization called the All-Caste, to create a working relationship with the League of Assassins. Through the All Caste, the League gained a connection with the Untitled, an enemy organization of the All-Caste. As part of their deal, the League asked the All-Caste to train Jason Todd. Ra's eventually betrayed the All-Caste, and shortly after, the All-Caste was killed off by the Untitled.
Red Hood and the Outlaws
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Deathstroke
When Deathstroke's daughter, Rose, was on the verge of death, Ra's made an offer to Slade, telling him that if he swore his allegiance to the League of Assassins, he would heal his daughter. Slade reluctantly agreed to the terms, only to find out Ra's had tricked him, forcing Rose, along with Slade's son Jericho, to also swear their allegiance to the League.[3]
League of Shadows
Concerned with mankind's course of destroying itself, Ra's created a splinter group of the League of Assassins, called the League of Shadows, and put Lady Shiva in charge. After Shiva learned of Ra's' true purpose for the Shadows, she turned them against him and used them for her own path of destruction and power. When she used the Shadows to attack Gotham, Ra's met with Batman, seemingly trying to help him bring the Shadows down, although it was revealed he had made a deal with Shiva, in exchange for Batman.[4]
League of Lazarus
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Shadow War
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Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Lazarus Enhancement: Ra's al Ghul has lived for several centuries thanks to his use of Lazarus Pits, which he has used countless times to replenish his aged, injured, or even dead body. The Pits are partially made up of the chemical compound Dionesium, which has the supernatural ability to revive dead tissue, bringing those who encounter it back to life.[5] As a side effect of exposure to the pit, Ra's temporarily endures a "Lazarus Fever". This causes him to break out into uncontrollable rage, temporarily enhancing his physical attributes.[6]
- Immortality: Ra's has acquired an extended lifespan through the use of the Lazarus Pit. His unrestricted access to the Pit has rendered him nearly immortal.
- Magic: Though rarely displayed, Ra's is able to use magic spells for various purposes. Using his mother's spell book, Ra's was able to create a binding spell that imprisoned Mother Soul and the Lazarus Demon to a remote island.[7] He was later taught by Giovanni Zatara to invoke magic by speaking backwards. He has used this type of magic to erase memories from Batman's mind on multiple instances.[4][8]
- Necromancy: Ra's has been shown capable of utilizing magic to summon the dead. On one occasion Ra's used a spell to resurrect Solomon Grundy.[9]
- Power Absorption: When the Lazarus Pit's effect began to fade, Ra's was able to absorb Solomon Grundy's immortality through a spell.[9]
- Necromancy: Ra's has been shown capable of utilizing magic to summon the dead. On one occasion Ra's used a spell to resurrect Solomon Grundy.[9]
Abilities
- Alchemy[3]
- Aviation[12]
- Deception: Ra's is greatly skilled in the art of deception.[13]
- Eidetic Memory: Ra's knows the "Memory Palace Technique", a strategy of memory enhancement that allows him to treat and store memories like a museum. This is how he is able retain the vast knowledge obtained throughout his lifetime. Ra's also taught this technique to Bruce Wayne.[14]
- Escapology[4]
- Equestrianism[15]
- Firearms: Although not his preferred weapon of choice, Ra's has displayed the ability to handle himself well with firearms.[16]
- Fishing[17]
- Genius Level Intellect: Due to his greatly extended lifespan, Ra's has learned from the Earth's greatest minds for hundreds of years, granting him him the intellect of a genius.[17]
- Gadgetry[18]
- Historiography
- Intimidation[19]
- Leadership: Ra's is a highly capable leader, as he has successfully led the League of Assassins for centuries.
- Martial Arts: Ra's near-immortal life has allowed him to learn numerous fighting styles over centuries of training, making him rival even Batman in combat.[19] He was also skilled enough to defeat Deathstroke in combat, despite Slade's superior strength and speed.[13]
- Medicine: As a young man, Ra's served as a sultan's physician.[7]
- Meditation[17]
- Multilingualism: Ra's speaks several languages, including ancient Akkadian.[20]
- Occultism: Ra's possesses knowledge and understanding of magic and concepts of mystical nature.[7] He also has extensive knowledge of the arcane Lazarus Pits and their progenitor, the Well of Sins.[19][20] Ra's also knew about the existence of Themyscira and how to find the island, which normally cannot be done without guidance from an Amazon.[21]
- Science[7]
- Swordsmanship: Ra's is a master swordsman, honing his skills over centuries of training and combat. He stated that he had trained the sword masters of the first ever fencing academies on the planet.[19]
- Tactical Analysis: Ra's is a brilliant tactician, honing his tactical skills throughout the multiple centuries of his extended lifespan.
- Throwing: Ra's is a deadly marksman and can hurl projectile weapons such as knives, with precision.[22]
- Weaponry: Throughout his years, Ra's has displayed his mastery of weapons in combat, favoring a sword, although he has undoubtedly mastered many other forms of weaponry.
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Paralytic Toxin: Ra's carries a paralytic developed three hundred years ago from an extinct cousin of the poppy flower.[4]
- Synthetic Kryptonite Sword[12]
- Ultraviolet Light Grenade: Ra's has used U.V. light grenades on occasion, which replicate the effects of a red sun, making them harmful to Kryptonians.[18]
Transportation
Notes
- Ra's al Ghul was created by Dennis O'Neil, Neal Adams, and Julius Schwartz, first appearing in Batman #232. However, in the Prime Earth continuity, Ra's al Ghul first appeared as part of the New 52 DC Universe in Red Hood and the Outlaws #24 by James Tynion IV and Julius Gopez.
Trivia
- Ra's al Ghul's Lazarus Pit is composed of Dionesium, the same chemical compound that gave Vandal Savage his immortality and the Joker his limited healing ability.[5] However, it was revealed that there is also magical properties to the Lazarus Pit.[7]
Related
- Appearances of Ra's al Ghul (Prime Earth)
- Images featuring Ra's al Ghul (Prime Earth)
- Quotations by or about Ra's al Ghul (Prime Earth)
- Character Gallery: Ra's al Ghul (Prime Earth)
Footnotes
- ↑ Robin (Volume 3) #10
- ↑ Robin (Volume 3) #9
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Deathstroke (Volume 3) #19
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Detective Comics #954
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Batman (Volume 2) #38
- ↑ Batman Incorporated (Volume 2) #2
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Robin (Volume 3) #10
- ↑ Detective Comics #961
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 DC: The Doomed and the Damned #1
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Red Hood and the Outlaws #27
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Red Hood and the Outlaws #26
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Batman/Superman (Volume 2) #7
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Deathstroke (Volume 3) #20
- ↑ Detective Comics #985
- ↑ Batman and the Outsiders (Volume 3) #11
- ↑ Robin Rises: Omega #1
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Robin (Volume 3) #4
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Batman/Superman (Volume 2) #8
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Batman and Robin (Volume 2) #23.3: Ra's al Ghul and the League of Assassins
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Batman and Robin (Volume 2) #32
- ↑ Batman and Robin (Volume 2) #30
- ↑ Trinity (Volume 2) #12
  League of Assassins member |
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