DC Reveals the Origin of the Lazarus Pit
Across the near-century of its existence, DC has introduced concepts and characters that have changed the landscape of our popular culture. Over time, the publisher's crop of heroes and villains, and the elements surrounding them, have developed their own mysterious lore — and a lot of questions surrounding them have yet to be answered. This week's Batman vs. Robin #2 answered one of those questions, revealing the true origins behind one of the weirdest components of Batman's mythos, the Lazarus Pit. Spoilers for Batman vs. Robin #2 from Mark Waid, Mahmud Asrar, Jordie Bellaire, and Steve Wands below! Only look if you want to know!
The issue is a cameo-filled, reality-bending escalation in the fight between Bruce Wayne / Batman and Damian Wayne / Robin, which has inexplicably gotten more magical. After journeying into the House of Mystery and House of Secrets, Batman and Alfred Pennyworth are brought into a theater where they meet Ruh Al Ghul / Mother Soul, Ra's Al Ghul's mother who was at the center of Damian and his friends' fight against the Lazarus Demon.
As Ruh monologues about the death of her Lazarus Demon, her minions cart out a pot of Lazarus Pit resin. Ruh explains that the resin was "refined from a Chinese elixir of resurrection and immortality" many years ago, and was harnessed from "the blood and tears of a grieving father" and ultimately bestowed upon his son to grant immortality.
What is DC's Lazarus Pit?
Batman vs. Robin provides the most concrete origin for the Lazarus Pit, and specifically the resin within it, that DC has ever had. Originally created by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams in 1972's Batman #243, the Lazarus Pit is a pit of green-hued liquid that has restorative properties, allowing those who bathe in it to heal their injuries or potentially gain immortality. While the pit is traditionally associated with Ra's and the members of his family, it has been used on characters like Red Hood, Black Canary, Bane, and Nora Fries.
What is DC's Lazarus Planet?
This news comes just as DC has announced its first details surrounding Lazarus Planet, a weekly event that will begin in January of 2023. According to DC, Lazarus Planet will be kickstarted by the events of Batman vs. Robin #4, which will be released in comic shops this December. In the event, the Lazarus Volcano has erupted—spewing dangerous and transformative chemicals into Earth's atmosphere, resulting in chaos across the DC universe! As these Lazarus clouds rain down upon the planet, people across the globe begin to develop strange new abilities, watch their already-extraordinary abilities change, and witness a whole host of chaos unlike anything the DCU has experienced before!
The event will be showrun by Waid, with creators also including Riccardo Federici, Gene Luen Yang, Billy Tan, Nicole Maines, Skylar Patridge, Francis Manapul, Dan Watters, Phillip Kennedy Johnson, and Josie Campbell. Full details and creative teams will be announced at a later date.
What do you think of the origin of DC's Lazarus Pit? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!