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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. |
History
Talia al Ghul is the daughter of the immortal world conqueror Ra's al Ghul. While she frequently allies herself with her father's League of Assassins, Talia herself led the Leviathan Organization.
Meeting Jason Todd
During the Zero Year in Gotham City, Talia fought through the city's criminal underworld seeking information on the Red Hood Gang for herself. Her inquisition earned her a back alley fight, which Jason Todd witnessed from an overlooking fire-escape. When the young boy entered the fray, Talia told the other thugs to run for their lives, and, assessing Jason's likely age, she held back in her fighting with him, wanting only information. Jason agreed to take her to the meeting place that night, introducing himself as Red Hood #4. Teaching Jason a skill taught to her by Ducra of the All-Caste, and impressed by his skill with it, she still decapitated the incipient new leader of the gang that she had infiltrated the meeting of, stopping the re-assembly of the Red Hood Gang cold.[1]
Seducing Batman
In her dealings with Bruce Wayne as the Batman grew in prominence, Talia managed to seduce him into what he thought was love, but turned out to be nothing more than an attempt to merge the Wayne and al Ghul bloodlines to produce an heir for the League of Assassins, as the attempt to wed the two had evidently failed.[2] Upon the birth of her son Damian from an artificial womb, she immediately began a very harsh training regimen to groom him for the League.[3]
Despite being told by her father that her mother had died in childbirth, Talia had later met her mother Melisandre. The woman had posed as a fortune teller, and told her future with the demon star Algol. Algol is a binary star seen as the eye of the Gorgon in the constellation Perseus. It represents Medusa, a once-beautiful woman scorned and turned into a monster whose gaze could destroy men. Before Melisande was dragged away, she counselled her daughter to hide strength by appearing helpless. The fortune made Talia recall her early loving relationship with Batman.[4]
Resurrecting Jason Todd
When Jason Todd, at the time Robin, was murdered by the Joker, Talia brought him back to life through the use of a Lazarus Pit.[5] She thereafter brought him to the Acres of All, where she asked Ducra to teach him to be an assassin, a request to which the mystic reluctantly agreed.[6]
Rise and Fall of Leviathan
Main article: Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes
Main article: Batman Incorporated Vol 2
Following Batman's return following his "death", Talia built up Leviathan to counter his incipient Batman, Incorporated. To distract Batman, she placed a $500,000,000 bounty on her son.[7]
Talia al Ghul met with her father to discuss Batman, explaining that Dedalus had advised her to evoke the imagery of terrifying female archetypes, such as Kali Ma, Medusa, and Tiamat. Ra's praised her work, but demanded that she end her war with Batman. Talia explained to Ra's that she offered Batman love and Batman chose war. Defying Ra's, Talia's loyalists take control of the League of Assassins, and her monster the Heretic killed Ubu. Ra's remarked that this was the first time he had been afraid for Batman.[4]
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Resurrection
Following the resurrection of her son, an unclothed and amnesic Talia al Ghul found herself near Nanda Parbat, where she killed a group of nomads.[8]
Powers and Abilities
Abilities
Weaknesses
- Amnesia: After her resurrection, Talia apparently lost her memory
Notes
- Talia al Ghul was created by Dennis O'Neil and Bob Brown, first appearing in Detective Comics #411. However, in the Prime Earth continuity, Talia al Ghul first appeared as part of the New 52 DC Universe in Batman and Robin (Volume 2) #2 by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason.
Related
- 169 Appearances of Talia al Ghul (Prime Earth)
- 62 Images featuring Talia al Ghul (Prime Earth)
- 18 Quotations by or about Talia al Ghul (Prime Earth)
- Character Gallery: Talia al Ghul (Prime Earth)
Footnotes
  Batman Villain(s) |
 League of Assassins member |