Ra's al Ghul

Ra's al Ghul
Raʼs al Ghul as depicted on the cover of Batman #244 (September 1972)
Art by Neal Adams
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceBatman #232 (June 1971)
Created byDennis O'Neil (writer)
Neal Adams (artist)
Julius Schwartz (concept/name)
In-story information
Team affiliationsLeague of Assassins
Underground Society
Council of Immortals [1]
Legion of Doom
The Demon
Notable aliasesThe Demon's Head[2]
The Demon
"Terry Gene Kase"
Abilities
  • Genius-level intellect
  • Master martial artist, hand-to-hand combatant, and swordsman
  • Enhanced longevity and healing via Lazarus Pits

Ra's al Ghul[a] is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. Created by editor Julius Schwartz, writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, the character first appeared in Batman #232's "Daughter of the Demon" (June 1971).[5]

Most notable as the leader of the League of Assassins, Ra's al Ghul's name in Arabic translates to "Head of the Demon".[6][7] He is the son of Sensei; the father of Talia al Ghul, Nyssa Raatko and Dusan al Ghul; and the maternal grandfather of Damian Wayne. Stories featuring Ra's al Ghul often involve the Lazarus Pits, which restore life to the dying. The Lazarus Pits have considerably prolonged Ra's' life, making him particularly dangerous as he has honed his combat skills for centuries. Though primarily an enemy of Batman, Ra's has also come into conflict with Superman and other heroes in the DC Universe.

Ra's al Ghul has been featured in various media adaptations. The character was portrayed by David Warner in the DC Animated Universe, Liam Neeson in the Dark Knight trilogy, Jason Isaacs in Batman: Under the Red Hood, Dee Bradley Baker in the Batman: Arkham video game series, Matt Nable in the Arrowverse television series, and Alexander Siddig in Gotham.

IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time List ranked Ra's as No. 7.[8]

  1. ^ Dark Days: The Forge #1
  2. ^ Detective Comics #840 (March 2008)
  3. ^ Rocksteady Studios (2022). Batman: Arkham Knight, "Season of Infamy" DLC. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Level/area: Shadow War. Alfred Pennyworth: Civil war amongst the League? How is that possible? Ra's Al Ghul is not known for restraint when it comes to punishing dissent.
  4. ^ Nolan, Christopher (Director). Batman Begins. Warner Bros.
  5. ^ McAvennie, Michael (2010). "1970s". In Dolan, Hannah (ed.). DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 145. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9. Writer Denny O'Neil once stated that he and artist Neal Adams 'set out to consciously and deliberately to create a villain...so exotic and mysterious that neither we nor Batman were sure what to expect.' Who they came up with was arguably Batman's most cunning adversary: the global eco-terrorist named Ra's al Ghul.
  6. ^ Batman Villains Secret Files & Origins #1 (1998) and Arrow (TV series). "Ra's al Ghul's true name is lost in the sands of time. Of all the Dark Knight's foes, 'The Ghoul's Head', as his name translates from Arabic, is perhaps the most dangerous."
  7. ^ Detective Comics (vol. 1) #411 (May 1971) "Editor's Note: In Arabic, 'The Demon's Head'! Literally, Al Ghul signifies a mischief-maker and appears as the Ghoul of the Arabian Nights!"
  8. ^ "Ra's Al Ghul Is Number 7". IGN.com.


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