Talia al Ghul
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Real Identity: Talia al Ghul
Appearances (BTAC Comics): The Offer Part One, The Offer Part Two, and The Offer Part Three
Powers/Skills: Armed Combat and Unarmed Combat
Talia al Ghul is the daughter of the nigh-immortal Ra's al Ghul. Despite an attraction between her and Bruce Wayne, a suitor chosen by Ra's, Wayne rejected the offer of marriage and being his heir. Over the years, Batman and Ra's al Ghul fought and his plans to restart mankind were thwarted. She often had to choose a side, sometimes with Batman and sometimes with her father. After the latest battle against Batman in Kathmandu, Ra's, Talia, and Ubu learned the Pit's effects were negligible and he suffered great pain. It was feared one more treatment would be fatal for him. After four months of no criminal activity, Bruce Wayne and Tim Drake went to the Wayne Caribbean island resort for some "family time" on Alfred Pennyworth's suggestion. Talia al Ghul disguised herself in kendo gear and forced Wayne into a match. He recognized her bold style and quickly surmised who she was. She shattered his bokken but he countered and hit her hood off. They retired to a bar near sunset. She noted crime was virtually extinct in Gotham and Batman was inactive so it seemed logical he was on holiday.
Wayne inquired how she knew exactly where he was. She teased he should apply his detective skills to his business dealings, then revealed she knew a Wayne Enterprises shell company owned the resort but the al Ghul family owned the island it resided on. She joked the hotel staff contained almost no assassins and very few ninjas but he didn't laugh. She then revealed her father was not the same man as when they first met. He was more introspective and more appreciative of the time he had left. Wayne found it hard to believe. She invited him to come see for himself and told him to look for the family yacht, the biggest in the bay. Wayne went windsurfing to check things out but was attacked by two gunmen. He defeated them. Suddenly he was swallowed up, realizing Ra's's plan was to have the gunmen force him farther out to sea. He found himself in a submarine and was greeted by Talia al Ghul. She revealed a late dinner was already prepared.
Wayne joked he would have worn a tie had he known. She already had a suit picked out for him: a Bruno Cucinello, cashmere, wide-cut at the shoulders. He surmised the submarine came with its own haberdashery. She quipped it was the "baby" of the fleet. While Wayne got dressed in a room, he recalled it was two years since he saw Ra's. Ubu came to gather him. Wayne was surprised to see Ra's an old man. He could see the wheels spinning in Wayne's head. Ra's revealed the Lazarus Pit no longer healed him and he was rapidly aging. Mortality forced him to take a hard look at his long life and admit to his regrets. Wayne asked how he planned to make things right. Ra's unveiled his Gaia Grain to Wayne and explained it was designed to flourish in anyplace and any season and could be effortlessly modified to simulate any food texture or taste. To Wayne's surprise, the grain was used on their dinner, from the wine to the lobster thermidor. Ra's believed the grain would be crucial for Earth as it neared eight billion inhabitants and assured him he was no longer out to eliminate entire populations to ensure a new start for mankind. He wanted to end world hunger.
Wayne was skeptical. Ra's implored him to take a sample and analyze it. He claimed he was sincere and as death approached, he wanted to implement the grain and leave this legacy to his heirs, both Talia and Wayne. Talia and Wayne retired to a room. Talia joked she thought of bats when she saw manta rays but Wayne was lost in thought. Wayne still thought the offer was crazy but Talia believed her father's organization and Wayne's will and connections could do a lot of good and shared Ra's believed in him as if he were his own son. She asked him if it was time to save the world and to save their relationship. They kissed. Talia was dispatched to Gotham a short time later. She entered the Batcave just as Batman ended a call with Poison Ivy about the results of her tests on the Gaia Grain. Talia told Batman the results would always be the same. Batman insisted he had to be sure. She repeated it was change at a better life for all humanity as well as the two of them. Robin ran down to tell Batman there was a security breach but stopped after he saw Talia. He then informed Batman there was a message on their comm line from Catwoman.
Batman, Robin, and Talia met up with Catwoman on a roof top. Catwoman was surprised to see his "fan club" and rattled off Talia's file: adventuress, heiress, and one-time owner of such treasures as the La Peregrina pearl and the Bahia Emerald. Talia corrected her and stated the pearl and emerald were still secured inside her family's vault deep within the Swiss Alps. Catwoman teased they "were." Batman inquired what her intel was. Catwoman revealed the Talons discovered her hideout but she escaped before they burst in and she followed them to an abandoned subway entrance. She noted there were sentries and pointed out who she thought was the lead Talon that controlled the others. They stormed the entrance. Catwoman inquired what Talia's stake was in it. She only wanted to expedite the end of this latest case so Batman could devote his time to more fulfilling endeavors. Catwoman thought that answer dripped with portent.
The Talon stalked them but Batman detected him at the last second. Catwoman slashed at him but he countered with a kick. Talia swung her sword but it was knocked away. Robin came in with a jump kick. Batman grabbed the Talon's sword arm and twisted it then pinned him to a column. Batman demanded to know why the Court of Owls returned and why the Talons kidnapped Catwoman and Man-Bat. The Talon called them two insignificant menaces and teased the Owls' wingspan spreads far beyond Gotham. He noted their undying legions had expanded since they last fought. They were surrounded by zombie dogs. Talon ordered the dogs to kill them. Talia beheaded at least two but more and more zombie dogs poured into the station. Batman threw the Batarang into a wall near the dogs. It exploded and the Gotham River swept the dogs away. Batman and Robin fired their grappling guns. Talia commended Batman but Catwoman scoffed at "Beloved." Robin pointed out any one of them could have rode up with him. They pressed on. Catwoman and Talia soon started having words when the former reiterated there would soon be no hunger or petty thievery and she offered Batman the entire world. Catwoman quipped if the deal didn't include one of her back rubs, the deal was off.
Several miles into the underground, the path changed into caves and trenches. They came upon a junction point with at least three tunnels. Talia noticed someone running down below them and jumped down. She kicked the person and readied her sword. They discovered it was Kirk Langstrom. He pleaded with Batman for help. Langstrom led them back and they discovered prison cells holding numerous Gotham criminals. Batman realized Ra's al Ghul had most of the major criminals of Gotham taken prisoner in order to later convince him crime-fighting was no longer needed in the city. Ra's confirmed that was true and called it a ruse of the highest order. Talia was upset at being manipulated. Catwoman quipped her family got more interesting. Robin deduced Ra's was the leader of the Court of Owls. Ra's clarified he was not originally the leader but knew about the Court since its inception since they shared a fascination with extending lifespans. He admitted at one time he thought he could use their Talon Formula to replace the Lazarus Pits but the serum was too crude.
Batman surmised he took control of the Talons after Hamilton Hill was killed. Ra's confirmed it was a simple matter to revive and take control of them. He found them to be remarkable foot soldiers when given purpose and validated that by boasting they incarcerated the worst elements of Gotham, done in secret and without one fatality. Talia was upset he deceived them. Ra's chided her for being small-minded and proposed the Talons could continue to safeguard Gotham while she and Batman took on his legacy as well as his allies. Batman revealed he knew the Gaia Grain was engineered to mutate after the fifth generation seed and at that point, it would produce a chemical designed to alter the human genome and cause sterility. Ra's clarified ninety percent of the populace would live long and natural lives in a world with space and resources to accommodate them. Talia countered no children would be born. Ra's revealed unaltered grain would be given to her and those deemed worthy would give birth to the next generation of Earth's masters.
Batman reiterated his suspicions the offer was madness. Ra's repeated he was offering him the world. Talia countered the offer was on his terms and he defined it and it was all just a chess game to get what he wanted. She did not take kindly being his ultimate pawn. Batman added they were all used, including the criminals his Talons imprisoned, and stated no one deserved that. Ra's agreed and mused secret executions and anonymous burials would have been much more effective. Batman declared their fates were not up to him to decide and demanded their release. Ra's found Batman as twisted as the criminals and ordered the Talons to kill everyone except Talia. The lead Talon tackled Batman and sentenced him to death for trying to deny them a place in Ra's al Ghul's new world. Talia beheaded Talon from behind. She implored Batman to do what had to be done to stop her father. Batman climbed the stairs and kicked Ubu off then entered a room housing a portable Lazarus Pit.
Ra's felt like a fool to offer Batman the world and clocked him with his sword guard. He claimed the Lazarus Pit was calling to him, offering new life, a world to save, and a future to build. Batman tried to warn him not to go in but Talia told he longer heard them, just the call of the damned pit. Ra's entered the pit, bled out of his orifices, and collapsed. Batman consoled Talia. He gave her a moment to say goodbye but she vanished with Ra's' body.