Ra's Al Ghul

## Biography:

### History:

The man who would be named Ra's Al Ghul has lived for 600 years due to a device named the Lazarus Pit. He would go on to found the League of Assassins and become a eco-terrorist and frequent enemy of the legend known as the Batman. He has tried multiple times to slay the Dark Knight or encourage him to be his successor which Batman always refuses.

## Worlds Collide:

Main Article: The Demons Gauntlet (Storyline)

Ra's went to Gotham City to once again confront his would be successor to challenge him to a series of Demon Trials and rescue his family members from death. In order for Batman to accept this offer he offered his surrender to the Dark Knight and the GCPD (Gotham City Police Department) if Bruce succeeds in the trials. Cordis Die interrupted the trials however with their invasion of the Nexus so Ra's needed to give up on that mission.

Ra's was next spotted in the Arctic with his two factions of the League, reviving the ancient villainous bird known as Clockwerk but got stopped by members of The Avengers who stopped the ritual from being completed and hired Ikol Laufeyson to put Clockwerk to sleep for 3000,0000 years and trapped in ice in the process. It's currently unknown what happened to the league.

## Personality:

There are basically three sides to Ras Al Ghul’s personality.

The first side is a man touched by destiny.

He has a self-righteous drive. He’s technically a religious zealot who believes in something akin to a divine, god appointed mission that he alone can lead because he is the only one who is worthy.

The second side is the strict disciplinarian.

He does not believe in weakness. He takes Bruce under his wing because he knows that Bruce Wayne has the strength to be great. He goes out of his way to insult the weakness of Bruce’s father for not fighting the gunman, in an attempt to break Bruce’s control.

Everything he does is to install the greatest of control, both of the mind, body and spirit. When he hands Bruce the sword to kill the thief, he views it not so much as a betrayal of Bruce Wayne, as much as a lack of control and discipline in his young disciple. He most likely would have embarrassed Bruce Wayne had he returned.

The third side is a father figure.

He’s been alive for so long, he has learned a lot of wisdom. Much like in the last point where he took Bruce under his wing because of his strength, he shows genuine interest in young Bruce Wayne. He’s a man who while never unguarded, is open and you see that Bruce Wayne is able to confide in him and talk with him.

As much as Ra's Al Ghul wants his disciples to be strong and controlled, he also demands devotion from them. We devote ourselves the most to people we consider to be father and mother figures. While he does have ulterior motives for everything he does and how he treats people, there is a genuine desire to help people.

## Appearance:

Ra's has had many appearances but in Worlds Collide he wears the outfit he wore in Arkham City. His face is even the same as his Arkham City model but fit for Prime DC Earth.

## 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. 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.

* **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.

* **Toxic Immunity**: Ra's' immortality has made him immune to the effects of toxins, such as Scarecrow's Fear Toxin.[*citation needed*]

* **Magic**: Ra's is able to use magic spells for various purposes. He was 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.

* **Necromancy**: Ra's has been shown capable of utilising magic to summon the dead. On one occasion Ra's used a spell to resurrect Solomon Grundy.

* **Resurrection**

* **Power Absorption**: When the Lazarus Pit's effect began to fade, Ra's was able to absorb Solomon Grundy's immortality through a spell.

**Well of Sins Enhancement**: After bathing in the Well of Sins, the very first, and purest form of the Lazarus Pit, Ra's gained mystical powers.

* **Immortality**: After submerging in the waters of the Well of Sin, Ra's gained true immortality.
* **Eldritch Blast**: After submerging in the Well of Sins, Ra's was able to project a powerful mystical energy. This also caused his body to glow with a green aura.
* **Energy Construct Creation**: The energy of the Well of Sins magnifies every dark corner of a person's heart. While fighting Jason Todd, Ra's used the energy to get into Jason's head, creating animated constructs from the ground, resembling the Joker. Ra's was also able to construct a sword from the energy.
* **Fear Projection**
* **Enhanced Senses**: After bathing in the Well of Sins, Ra's stated he could feel the very essence of the world pulsing from the power in his fingertips. He was also able to sense that Jason Todd was "marked" by the same power.
* **Levitation**: After submerging in the Well of Sins, Ra's was capable of levitating in the air.

## Abilities:

* **Alchemy**
* **Aviation**
* **Deception**: Ra's is greatly skilled in the art of deception.
* **Equestrianism**
* **Firearms**: Although not his preferred weapon of choice, Ra's has displayed the ability to handle himself well with firearms.
* **Fishing**
* **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.
* **Gadgetry**
* **Historiography**
* **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. He was also skilled enough to defeat Deathstroke in combat, despite Slade's superior strength and speed.
* **Medicine**: Ra's stated that he was a physician when he was young.
* **Meditation**
* **Occultism**: Ra's possesses knowledge and understanding of magic and concepts of mystical nature. He also has extensive knowledge of the arcane Lazarus Pits and their progenitor, the Well of Sins.
* **Swordsmanship**: Ra's is a master swordsman, honing his skills over centuries of training and combat. This has allowed him to defeat Deathstroke in a sword duel.
* **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.
* **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.
* **Synthetic Kryptonite Sword**
* **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

### Transportation:

**Demon Wing**: Ra's owns an aircraft called the Demon Wing, similar to the Batplane.

## 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.

Ra's al Ghul's Lazarus Pit is composed of the same chemical compound that gave Vandal Savage his immortality and the Joker his limited healing ability: Dionesium.