Ra's al Ghul is a fierce and imposing leader treated by his direct subjects with most respect and reverence. All his Shadows will do his bidding; he can even order them to go to sleep.[3] Despite having their total submission, Ra's only provides his assassins with the information they need to fulfill a job.[4]
Ra's al Ghul is a tall and daunting man with green eyes. He has black hair with gray streaks. He has a long black mustache and wild, black eyebrows.
He dresses in a regal manner, with the majority of his clothes covered by a high-collared green cloak with large gold buttons. Underneath, he wears a black vest with gold hems, a white undershirt, and a golden sash. He wears black pants and knee-high black boots.
[4]
Ra's al Ghul was born 600 to 700 years ago[1]in the Arabian desert.[5]He was a hero to some at one time or another,[6]and at some point in his long life, he founded the League of Shadows.[2] Eventually, Ra's became aware of Batman's secret identity as Bruce Wayne,[7] and he thought the Dark Knight would be a suitable heir to his empire and mate to his daughter, Talia. Even after Batman refused both, Ra's kept wishing it could be accomplished.[3]
Still heartbroken about Batman's refusal, Talia got in a relationship with Matthew Hagen, a minor Shadow. Ra's did not like the thought; Sensei had told him Hagen was not even a good Shadow. But after his daughter's insistence, he gave his blessing.[3]
After the Fog was destroyed, Sensei reported to the Light that they had successfully stolen data from STAR Labs, but were unable to get data from Wayne Tech due to the young heroes' interference. Ra's took solace with the fact they had an operative on the inside.[8]
Ra's oversaw the hijacking of a rocket. He had the original research payload replaced with a diamond lens that could channel solar rays into a death ray, with which he could wipe out world cities. When Batman arrived to stop him, Ra's offered to spare Gotham City if he were to join his cause. Batman refused.
While Batman and Ra's talked, Robin dismantled the lens. When he discovered it, Ra's lunged at Robin, but fell down the launch tower to his death.[7]
Ubu and Talia managed to bring their master to their headquarters, where Sensei revived him in the Lazarus Pit. Directly after coming out of it, Ra's ordered Sensei to prepare their secret weapon, the Serpent.[7] Moments after he had walked out of the pit, another figure emerged from the pit—Matt Hagen. After being betrayed in her trust, Talia had locked him in the pit for half a year which led to his transformation into Clayface. Though Sensei and Talia tried their best, it was only Ra's that could restrain the creature: he was still Hagen's master, and demanded him to sleep. He had the creature sealed in a container and sent to Gotham City. He would bother Batman, out of spite for foiling his scheme at Cape Canaveral.[3]
After the peace summit between North and South Rhelasia came to a gridlock, Lex Luthor was brought in to act as an arbitrator. In order to unify the two, Ra's al Ghul staged a hit on the summit, meant to fail, so the united Rhelasia would be under the Light's influence.[4]
After the arrest of the Injustice League, Ra's was present with the other members of the Light to hear Vandal Savage's view of the Kobra Venom Plant test and the heroes believing they had exposed the Secret Society.[9]
Ra's al Ghul was attending a video conference, along with the rest of the members of the Light, when the Riddler and Sportsmaster arrived with the regenerated remains of the echinoderm.[10]
Ra's al Ghul was present at the conference held with Black Manta, in which Vandal Savage lauded the latter for his efforts and officialized his induction into the group.[12]
Black Manta summoned Ra's al Ghul and the other members of the Light to introduce his son, Kaldur'ahm. Ra's al Ghul praised Kaldur's initiative, vision and loyalty to his kin, and announced it was time for him to meet their Partner.[13]
Ra's al Ghul was present with the rest of the Light as Sportsmaster aired his grievances regarding the death of Artemis and the revelation that Deathstroke has replaced Sportsmaster as the Light's new enforcer.[14]
Ra's al Ghul attended the summit held between the Reach and the Light in an underground cave, with Ubu as his personal bodyguard. When the Ambassador tried to fault the Light for allowing the Team to cleanse both Blue and Green Beetle in Bialya, he helped his colleagues deflect the criticism by pointing out the Reach's own failings: sales of their drink were abysmal, their public opinion was at an all-time low, and they themselves failed to keep both cleansed Beetles, the Team, and the Runaways who rescued them, in captivity.[15]
The discussions turned sour when Black Manta took offense at being called a subject of the Reach. A fight broke out between the two sides, Tigress deflected a stinger blast that would have hit the ancient. She apologized profusely, but he told her it was unnecessary. His eyes, however, were drawn towards her pendant—this was the first time he has seen Tigress up close, and he recognized it as a glamor charm.[15]
Eventually, Aqualad managed to calm both sides down, and discussions resumed. Ra's al Ghul was extremely curious about what Tigress was hiding, so he ignored the discussion and strode towards her. He ripped the pendant off her neck, revealing Tigress to be Artemis in disguise. He announced that he recognized it as a glamor charm, no doubt conjured up by Zatanna or Doctor Fate. The assembled villains started to put things together, realizing that Artemis was a plant, and Aqualad was a traitor. Before Black Beetle could kill them, Deathstroke shot them in the chest with his gun.[15]
Aqualad's death unleashed a pre-recorded message that completely obliterated the alliance between the Light and the Reach. When Vandal Savage let slip that he had the Warworld's crystal key in his possession, the "dead" Aqualad and Artemis stood up. Ra's al Ghul was dumbstruck by this turn of events, but it turned out Deathstroke was really Miss Martian in disguise, and the murders were staged with Hollywood special effects.[15]
Aqualad called in the Team, and closed the trap on both the Light and the Reach. The Light still had contingencies—League of Shadows agents were posted around the island. But the Team managed to infiltrate them as well. In the ensuing battle, Vandal Savage was teleported away by Klarion, prompting Black Beetle to brand him a coward. Ra's al Ghul disagreed—the heroes had no jurisdiction in Santa Prisca, so they need not resist. Disgusted at the cowardice of every "meat" on the Light, Black Beetle stabbed Ra's al Ghul through the chest, killing him.[15]
Ubu witnessed the stabbing, and quickly took off with his master's corpse. Claiming that the master would be resurrected, he escaped the underground cavern.[15]
Ra's al Ghul has been one of Batman's most prominent enemies, first appearing in the seventies. He is a practically immortal ecoterrorist who sees Batman as a suitable mate for his daughter Talia, and the natural heir to his empire.
Young Justice marks Ra's's fourth animated appearance. He previously appeared in the DC Animated Universe (Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond), in the TV series Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and in the DC Universe animated film, Batman: Under the Red Hood.
Edit
