Batman Beyond #8 Reveals a Shocking Secret About Ra's al Ghul

Halfway through the "Rise of the Demon" arc on Batman Beyond, Dan Jurgens and Bernard Chang have delivered a surprising change of status quo for Ra's al Ghul, the immortal Batman villain and leader of the League of Assassins.

The twist comes in two parts, basically: the first is that Ra's al Ghul's immortality has expired in the years in between the main DC Universe and when Terry McGinnis is running around Gotham in Batman Beyond.

The second, bigger twist is that his replacement, and thus the villain of the arc, is none other than Damian Wayne, the son of Batman and Talia Head.

It's actually kind of a logical twist: when Batman Beyond premiered, Tim Drake was Robin, so there wasn't really a question as to why he didn't step into the Batman suit. One of the more interesting aspects of Tim's character, especially early on, was the idea that he was there as a foil for Bruce to make Batman the best he could be; this Robin had no real interest in ultimately becoming Batman.

Tim, like Jason or Dick before him, could find his own identity, costumed or not, and ultimately move on with his life after his work with Batman was complete.

Damian Wayne, introduced in the comics in 2005, was another story entirely, and has changed the math in terms of what Batman' legacy will look like.

As Bruce's son, the odds are that unless Damian dies or goes evil, he will be by his father's side up until the end. He's also expressed an interest in becoming Batman one day, and in a number of "future Damian" stories from his creator Grant Morrison, the young Robin has been depicted as having stepped into the role of the Dark Knight.

It isn't yet clear how he ended up turning to the dark side and taking on his grandfather's mantle...but certainly transforming Damian into the new Ra's explains his absence as Batman, and the need for Terry to exist at all.

You can check out the official solicitation for the issue below, and get a copy at your local comic shop or on ComiXology.

"RISE OF THE DEMON" part three! Having only recently taken back the mantle of Batman and far from his familiar home turf of Gotham City, Terry arrives in Tibet on a dangerous mission to rescue Bruce Wayne from the League of Assassins. But when he finally gets an audience with Ra's al Ghul, he's in for the shock of a lifetime...