Ra's al Ghul
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Real Identity: Ra's al Ghul
Affiliations: League of Shadows
Appearances (Bat-Fam): Game Knight, Bat Trip, 90 is the New 80, All In A Bat's Day's Work, The Art of Claire, ManBatMan, Interview With a Batman, April Fools Part 1, and April Fools Part 2
Powers/Skills: Flight, Intangibility, and Conjuring
Voiced By: Michael Benyaer
Ra's al Ghul is the former criminal mastermind of the deadly League of Shadows. Both of his daughters have attempted to kill him. He became domesticated after a magical mishap essentially turned him into a ghost. Now with all bite and no teeth, he haunts Wayne Manor with his petty desire to be in charge while fawning over his beloved grandson, Damian.
In the fall, a week after Claire Selton moved into Wayne Manor, Ra' al Ghul emerged from a sculpture and taunted her by calling her by her old name Volcana. Claire asserted she was just "Claire" then called him a talking fart cloud. Ra's conjured a flashback to when Claire fell in the Lazarus Pit then warned her not to be fooled by Bruce's caring father act, he was still Batman, scourge of evildoers everywhere. Ra's stated he took whatever he wanted, for centuries but now stuck in a ghostly form, he couldn't even enjoy a chocolate snack cake from Bruce's secret stash. He cursed Batman's name and his secret stash. Claire took a bite out of a chocolate snack cake and asked why he even needed food for since he was a ghost. Ra's told her that wasn't the point. He explained if Bruce nearly evicted him over a snack cake and wondered how long he would tolerate a supervillain with no family ties. She paused. Ra's advised her not to finish unpacking quite yet. He called her Volcana again, blew a raspberry, and disappeared into a horse painting.
Ra's feigned shock that Damian asked him to defy Bruce's strict prohibition of dark magic to prove Alicia was a villain (and possibly tear his soul apart). He patted Damian on the head and quickly agreed to help his grandson. Ra's conjured the deadly Sphere of Skaratata. Neither Damian nor Claire could say "Skaratata" right. Ra's told them whoever lies while holding the sphere will draw the wrath of the demon inside it. Claire quickly got an idea to get Bruce to let them play a game with the sphere and catch Alicia in a lie. Ra's proclaimed an eternity of suffering would be hers. Damian was unsure about unleashing an evil demon's wrath. The plan went wrong and Damian lied when he was asked a question while holding the sphere. Once he came clean to Batman, Batman called out to him. Ra's emerged from a cushion pretending surprise at the mayhem Alfred unleashed.
Batman told him the demon wanted to take his grandson to the underworld. Ra's was aghast and conjured a written spell they needed to place on Skaratata's forehead while opening his imprisoning sphere. Damian volunteered himself and Claire to put the spell on. Batman volunteered himself and Ra's to open the sphere. Skaratata was re-imprisoned. The room was restored but it was a giant mess. Ra's called out to Alfred. On Go To Work With a Grown Up Day, Damian informed Ra's he was going with Alicia this year. He was disgusted to know she still lived at the manor and wanted to go move in with those second rate villains. Damian clarified they were ex-villains and thought they were now good guys. Ra's thought it was the oldest trick in the villain handbook, earn your enemies' trust, then stab them in the back. He used himself as a example and told Damian he switched out a box of sugar for a box of salt behind Alfred's back earlier that day. Damian still thought E*Vil were nice. Ra's told him "once a villain, always a villain."
Bruce checked with Alfred if he was putting salt in his tea. Alfred called it a little trick he learned from an old friend. An angry Ra's could be heard cursing Alfred's name. Ra's' words caused Damian to suspect the newly reformed Sad Hatter and he caused a mess at E*Vil. During breakfast, Bruce finally noticed Claire was holding a painting. She told him it was a self-portrait. Bruce studied it. He finally asked if that was hair. She slapped his hand away in frustration and stomped off. He had no idea what just happened. Ra's al Ghul delighted in the fact that the world's greatest detective had at last met a mystery he could not crack: the preteen psyche. He boasted even he did better with his daughters and they tried murdering him then phased through the ceiling. Bruce wondered why he let Ra's live with them. Damian paced in his bedroom after Batman declined to partner with him and look into GokiFluff card thefts. Ra's came up through the floor upset Batman foiled the aspirations of his munchkin.
Damian told him Bruce wasn't going Batman-ing with him at all lately and wondered what he did other than level E*Vil's home and cause a Parademon invasion. Ra's brushed them off as innocent mistakes any child would make. Damian remembered the monster on game night. Ra's thought Skaratata was fun. Damian agreed but was concerned Bruce didn't want to be partners anymore. Ra's told Damian he didn't need him. Damian pointed out he said he couldn't fly solo. Ra's suggested he didn't. Damian asked if he was going to be his partner. Ra's promised they would deliver a fiery vengeance, ensuring eons of suffering for the criminals. Damian told him he would think about it and backed out of his room. He started looking for someone else to be his partner to prove to Bruce he was a good partner. Alfred, Claire, and Selina turned him down. Ra's talked of boiling their prey alive. Damian tried Claire again but she told him to get lost. Man-Bat left on his own to prove to Damian he was a great partner and catch the thief, Toyman.
Little Batman wanted to make it right and go after Man-Bat. Claire agreed to try to stall Bruce. Ra's phased through the floor and intimated he would assist her in obstructing the Batman. She found him kind of creepy. Batman wondered where Damian went. Claire and Ra's tried to stall him. Ra's asked if that was a new Bat-computer. He was immediately suspicious of them and asked if they saw Damian. Claire joked according to her watch, too many times. Ra's offered to do magic for them and took out some cards. Bruce wanted to know where Damian was. They headed to Kiddie Kingdom but Man-Bat and Little Batman defeated Toyman on their own. Batman told them they crushed it and told them to bring it in. Claire, Ra's, and Alicia observed from above. Ra's suggested boiling Toyman. During Vicki Vale's visit, Ra's and Man-Bat were kept in the lakeside cabin away from the manor. Ra's was upset Bruce bribed them to stay in the cabin with junk food. Man-Bat was fine with eating everything. Ra's vowed to get an interview with Vicki and the world would quake in awe. Man-Bat finished topping off his pizza with more junk food and asked Ra's for the chocolate sauce. Ra's felt insulted being called "Daddio" and levitated the bottle. He ate it whole. Ra's was disgusted.
Ra's tired of playing marbles and brought the Sphere of Skaratata to him and smashed the marbles. He wanted to prep for his interview. He asked how "Welcome to my home, Vicki Vale" sounded. Man-Bat pointed out it was Bruce's house, not his. Ra's told him to shush it. Ra's continued to practice for his interview, claiming he really ran the house. He continued to hate Man-Bat's use of "Daddio." Man-Bat was now dressed as Vicki Vale. Bruce went to the cabin and asked Ra's to get rid of E*Vil. Ra's was pleased he changed his stance on murder. Bruce clarified he wanted them alive and occupied and out of sight while Vicki was there. Ra's wanted a 30 minute interview. Bruce was curious why he wanted an interview. Ra's pointed out E*Vil was unattended to. Bruce countered with five minutes. Ra's wanted seven. Bruce agreed to it and specified not to hurt them then fired a grapnel through the front door. Ra's ambushed E*Vil around the manor and rendered them unconscious. Man-Bat dragged them back to the cabin and tied them up.
Ra's practiced imitating Bruce's pleas but was interrupted by the sounds of E*Vil beating up Man-Bat. King Tut picked up the Sphere of Skaratata to use to bludgeon Man-Bat and boasted he could kick Batman's big bad butt. Ra's al Ghul warned those who lied while holding it would earn the wrath of the demon in it. Skaratata was freed again. Man-Bat got his name wrong, Tater-tata. Ra's told them they just had to put him back in the sphere. Tut dropped it and it shattered into pieces. Bruce called out to Ra's, outing himself to Alicia. Ra's tried to claim he was forced to do it. Bruce stressed he told Ra's to occupy them, not kidnap. He admitted it was a bad call but he just wanted it to be perfect. Skaratata was recaptured with a back up sphere Batman had. Everyone gathered to watch Vicki's interview on the news. It was a montage. Ra's was irritated it was completely out of context and couldn't believe Vicki said "Daddio," too.
Damian did a cannonball into the in-door pool. He counted three flips but Claire told him Alfred still held the record with five on his last turn. Ra's demonstrated infinite somersaults. Damian wondered where Alfred was. The Bat-Signal appeared in the sky. Bruce, Damian, Claire, and Alicia ran to the Batphone. Man-Bat informed Ra's they all left but he was still there. He fell in the pool. Alfred shook his head slowly in disappointment. After King Tut was freed from mind control, Vicki Vale reported E*vil had gone rogue. Ra's al Ghul pointed out he always a said, once a villain, always a villain. He admitted he came to the Batcave just to see the look of disappointment on their faces. Batman felt it was time for Little Batman to lead his own team. Little Batman and Claire were both surprised. He gave Little Batman the lead on Alpha Team with Tut and Volcana. Ra's was pleased. Damian and Claire later forced Alfred to tell them about the AntiGlow case. Ra's went on a rant in Damian's bedroom about Bruce's lying to his own son but Damian didn't say anything and leaped out his window.
The next morning, Damian was absent from breakfast. Bruce went to check on him but found Man-Bat sleeping in his bed. Man-Bat was amazed with how comfortable a bed was. Ra's phased through the floor told him, Damian's anger drove him out into the night. Bruce couldn't believe he let him go. Ra's thought he would be fine since he was an al Ghul and was better there than in the manor. Bruce was already gone. Ra's believed Damian was just waiting until the Joker's not looking then he would strap him into a dentist chair and give him a root canal with no anesthetic. Alfred agreed with Ra's, except for the last part. Batman told everyone that if Joker can make people angry enough and use AntiGlow from a high enough altitude, he can mind control the whole city. Claire pointed out they didn't have enough Bat-Lightwave Blocker for everyone in the city. A movie theater room was inundated with cheese after all patrons were trapped in their seats. Man-Bat and Ra's al Ghul charged Joker and Joker Jr. but they were just an illusion and cardboard standee.
Everyone met back at the Batcave in defeat. Claire admitted Damian would make a better villain than hero. Ra's was proud Damian was finally turning into a proper villain. Batman noticed the trace was 95 percent done and told everyone else it should finish within the hour then suggested going upstairs for a break. Batman told them he couldn't let anymore more of them get hurt and sealed them out of the Batcave. Ra's could not phase through. Alfred deduced Batman was just protecting his family and told the others the Batcave was nearly impenetrable. He checked the blueprints and remembered if they could access utility tunnel 9A, they could get into the Batcave. Claire was surprised Bruce didn't know about it. Alfred boasted Bruce wasn't the only one who was good at keeping secrets. Man-Bat agreed and recalled Alfred never told anybody he accidentally knocked Ra's toothbrush into the toilet. Ra's kicked himself and knew it tasted funny. The family climbed down the cliff side to a drainage tunnel. Alfred unlocked the gate.
Man-Bat grabbed a mace stuck in the ground and triggered a giant mace ball. It swung and hit Ra's. Alicia almost tripped a laser and stepped over it right onto a pressure plate. The ground under them disintegrated and they fell into chest-deep water. Alfred pointed to a ventilation shaft. Claire grabbed a pipe and wedged it against the fan then stepped through. They followed. Ra's was last and the pipe popped free. He reformed, grumbling. They exited into the elevator shaft and entered the Batcave. Alfred saw the trace was finished. Everyone suited up and headed to an old TV studio where Joker was. Ra's al Ghul declared if anyone was turning his grandson evil it was him. Joker found him boring. Jr. sucked him into a vacuum chamber. Ra's admitted that was impressive. Joker credited Jr. with knowing everyone's weaknesses. Batman got free and untied Bright and Volcana but Joker triggered the trap door under them. They landed in a giant prank gauntlet surrounded by an acid moat. Joker then declared it was time for the elimination round with all of Gotham's favorite villains: Solomon Grundy, Livewire, Mad Hatter, and Killer Croc.
Joker launched the Joker rocket with the AntiGlow. Ra's rolled into the acid. Alfred disingenuously called that a shame. Ra's rose up but was swept away by the rocket thrust. Batman told Jr. to think of Gotham. Joker teased him with touching the button. Joker mocked Batman. Batman asked Jr. not to make Gotham pay for his mistake. Jr. asked him if he did make a mistake. Batman admitted to it. The rest of the Bat-Fam arrived. Jr. pointed out he didn't think he could handle the AntiGlow mission and he should have trusted that he could. Batman agreed. Jr. asked if he would trust him to handle it if he could go back in time. Batman stated he would. Jr. asked for the remote. Jr. proclaimed April Fools to his dad. Joker blew a raspberry at Batman. Jr. clarified he was talking to Joker. He pushed the button that caused the rocket to self-destruct. Batman fired a grapnel line and set Little Batman up with it. Little Batman threw out a Batarang that destroyed the AntiGlow.
Bright realized Little Batman was never hypnotized. Little Batman confirmed he play along to get Joker to trust him and admitted he was only disappointed but not actually mad, so the brainwashing didn't work. Batman secured Joker. Little Batman stated nothing in the world could stop him from loving his dad or anyone else in his family. Batman admitted he was fooled up until the final moment. Ra's realized he was right and rubbed it in Alfred's face. Alfred wanted to suck him back into the vacuum. Bright suggested adding a soundproof layer, so they didn't have to listen to him. Alfred called for an April Fool's celebration but they saw the Bat-Signal was activated and took off to respond to it. They cleaned up the Statue of Justice.