[Ra's Al Ghul: there is no madness like crazy madness]Written by GL
There are alot of bad bosses out there in the DC Universe; some are incompetant, and you kinda know that they're gonna lose anyways. Others lose but keep coming back over and over and over again. Ra's Al Ghul is like that: he can't stay down and he the closest thing to Earth's ultimate villain.
Ra's Al Ghul is a supervillain in more ways than one and an enemy of Batman. His name is Arabic for 'the ghoul's head'. Funnily enough, Ra's Al Ghul is considered by many, including comic writers as a 'James Bond'-style villain. He was created in response to the popularity of James Bond film during that time (the late 70's) and to give Batman a more epic enemy selection. However, Ra's Al Ghul's plans are sometimes so big that he has even come into conflict with the JLA. He's a bad mamma-jamma.
Ra's al Ghul was born over five hundred years ago to a tribe of nomads in a desert somewhere in Arabia. He was interested in science from an early age, but being unable to learn any science living as a nomad, he abandons his tribe to live in the city, where he can conduct his scientific research. He becomes a physician and married a woman named Sora, the love of his life.
Ra's Al Ghul discovers the secret of the Lazarus Pit and uses it to save a dying prince by lowering him into it. The prince, however isn't a nice fella to begin with, and is driven completely insane by the Lazarus Pit. He proceeds to strangle Sora. The king of the city, unwilling to admit to his son's crimes, declares Ra's Al Ghul guilty and sentences him to a slow, tortured death in a cage with Sora's corpse.
Ra's Al Ghul is set free by the son of an elderly blind woman. The son feels that he owes the man a debt for once helping his mother. So, Ra's Al Ghul and the son head into the desert to seek the old nomad tribe. Ra's Al Ghul convinces the head of his tribe to follow on a quest for revenge - promising the downfall of the king of the city. By his understanding the theory of disease hundreds of years before anyone else, Ra's Al Ghul is able to infect the prince with a deadly virus through contaminated fabrics. When the ruler of the city comes to ask Ra's Al Ghul to cure the prince again, he kills both him and his son. He then leads his tribe to level the city to the ground and kill all of its inhabitants. Subsequently, the man known as Ra's Al Ghul declares himself the 'Demon's Head'.
"I appear to be a vigorous fifty. I am actually a very vigorous four hundred and forty-eight...or is it four hundred and fifty-three? I lost count during the Black Plague,' said Ra's Al Ghul
There has been no definative account as to the age of Ra's Al Ghul.
Ra's Al Ghul spends the next several centuries journeying the world. During this time, Ra's Al Ghul, his uncle (the former tribe leader), and the boy are all using the Lazarus Pits to prolong their lives. In London, Ra's Al Ghul catches the boy writing memoirs in their old original language - of which he has forbidden. During a battle, Ra's Al Ghul kills the boy and flees to a Lazarus Pit, which he uses. When he returns to their home in London, his uncle has vanished with the remnants of their historical records.
Over time, he becomes a master of many forms of combat, notably fencing. He also builds up vast wealth and creates The Demon, a vast international organization. The famous League of Assassins is one of the many smaller organizations that make up The Demon, sometimes called 'The Demon's Fang' or 'Demonfang'.
Some good graphic novel reading on Ra's Al Ghul that you fans out there might like to consider are:
[Earth's Greatest Heroes: in paper for purchases]
Ra's Al Ghul is a supervillain in more ways than one and an enemy of Batman. His name is Arabic for 'the ghoul's head'. Funnily enough, Ra's Al Ghul is considered by many, including comic writers as a 'James Bond'-style villain. He was created in response to the popularity of James Bond film during that time (the late 70's) and to give Batman a more epic enemy selection. However, Ra's Al Ghul's plans are sometimes so big that he has even come into conflict with the JLA. He's a bad mamma-jamma.
Ra's al Ghul was born over five hundred years ago to a tribe of nomads in a desert somewhere in Arabia. He was interested in science from an early age, but being unable to learn any science living as a nomad, he abandons his tribe to live in the city, where he can conduct his scientific research. He becomes a physician and married a woman named Sora, the love of his life.
Ra's Al Ghul discovers the secret of the Lazarus Pit and uses it to save a dying prince by lowering him into it. The prince, however isn't a nice fella to begin with, and is driven completely insane by the Lazarus Pit. He proceeds to strangle Sora. The king of the city, unwilling to admit to his son's crimes, declares Ra's Al Ghul guilty and sentences him to a slow, tortured death in a cage with Sora's corpse.
Ra's Al Ghul is set free by the son of an elderly blind woman. The son feels that he owes the man a debt for once helping his mother. So, Ra's Al Ghul and the son head into the desert to seek the old nomad tribe. Ra's Al Ghul convinces the head of his tribe to follow on a quest for revenge - promising the downfall of the king of the city. By his understanding the theory of disease hundreds of years before anyone else, Ra's Al Ghul is able to infect the prince with a deadly virus through contaminated fabrics. When the ruler of the city comes to ask Ra's Al Ghul to cure the prince again, he kills both him and his son. He then leads his tribe to level the city to the ground and kill all of its inhabitants. Subsequently, the man known as Ra's Al Ghul declares himself the 'Demon's Head'.
"I appear to be a vigorous fifty. I am actually a very vigorous four hundred and forty-eight...or is it four hundred and fifty-three? I lost count during the Black Plague,' said Ra's Al Ghul
There has been no definative account as to the age of Ra's Al Ghul.
Ra's Al Ghul spends the next several centuries journeying the world. During this time, Ra's Al Ghul, his uncle (the former tribe leader), and the boy are all using the Lazarus Pits to prolong their lives. In London, Ra's Al Ghul catches the boy writing memoirs in their old original language - of which he has forbidden. During a battle, Ra's Al Ghul kills the boy and flees to a Lazarus Pit, which he uses. When he returns to their home in London, his uncle has vanished with the remnants of their historical records.
Over time, he becomes a master of many forms of combat, notably fencing. He also builds up vast wealth and creates The Demon, a vast international organization. The famous League of Assassins is one of the many smaller organizations that make up The Demon, sometimes called 'The Demon's Fang' or 'Demonfang'.
Some good graphic novel reading on Ra's Al Ghul that you fans out there might like to consider are:
[Earth's Greatest Heroes: in paper for purchases]- Trinity - the meeting of Earth's three greatest heroes, going against the mad Ra's Al Ghul
- JLA: Tower Of Babel - Ra's finds all the weakness of each JLA member and proceeds to take them out one by one
- Superman & Batman: Generations - Ra's Al Ghul convinces Batman to try the Lazarus Pits (that sounds like a cool one!)
Ra's Al Ghul has lived for several centuries thanks to his use of Lazarus Pits which he has used countless times. As a side effect to numerous exposures to the pits his strength, speed, stamina, agility, and durability has been enhanced.
However even without those enhancements his long life has given him vast wealth, knowledge, and power. This has allowed him to learn numerous fighting styles over the years, making him a rival in hand-to-hand combat and sword fighting with even Batman. In addition, he is a brilliant tactician. Ra's Al Ghul possesses a genius level intellect with knowledge in a wide variety of sciences and medicine, particularly in the field of alchemy. He is always accompanied by a servant known as Ubu, who is also an especially dangerous fighter. It should be noted that rather than being a single person, Ubu is actually a title held by a line of special servants.
[The Bat & The Demon: a tough match to call]
Because of all this, Ra's Al Ghul is among Batman's most formidable foes. Not only can he physically and mentally challenge the Dark Knight, Ra's Al Ghul is also one of the few supervillains who know of Batman's secret identity.
He has two daugthers; Nyssa (assasinated by Batgirl, Cassandra Cain) and Talia (new apparent leader of The Demon).
Of course, all of us know of the awesome portrayl of Ra's Al Ghul by Liam Neeson in Batman Begins. It was a very good representation of this totally insane, yet surprisingly self-directed, villain. But the question still remains, is Ra's Al Ghul immortal?
However even without those enhancements his long life has given him vast wealth, knowledge, and power. This has allowed him to learn numerous fighting styles over the years, making him a rival in hand-to-hand combat and sword fighting with even Batman. In addition, he is a brilliant tactician. Ra's Al Ghul possesses a genius level intellect with knowledge in a wide variety of sciences and medicine, particularly in the field of alchemy. He is always accompanied by a servant known as Ubu, who is also an especially dangerous fighter. It should be noted that rather than being a single person, Ubu is actually a title held by a line of special servants.
[The Bat & The Demon: a tough match to call]Because of all this, Ra's Al Ghul is among Batman's most formidable foes. Not only can he physically and mentally challenge the Dark Knight, Ra's Al Ghul is also one of the few supervillains who know of Batman's secret identity.
He has two daugthers; Nyssa (assasinated by Batgirl, Cassandra Cain) and Talia (new apparent leader of The Demon).
Of course, all of us know of the awesome portrayl of Ra's Al Ghul by Liam Neeson in Batman Begins. It was a very good representation of this totally insane, yet surprisingly self-directed, villain. But the question still remains, is Ra's Al Ghul immortal?
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