With Damian Wayne at the helm and Ra’s al Ghul the big bad of the series’ first arc, it’s likely no surprise that The Demon’s Fist — the League of Assassins cell attempting to take out the Teen Titans — would be tied to the family, as well.
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Mara, the lead assassin of the Demon’s Fist and the one targeting Damian, is in fact his own cousin, the daughter of Dusan al Ghul and the granddaughter of Ra’s al Ghul.
Dusan al Ghul is the only son of Ra’s al Ghul; he was rejected by Ra’s when he was born an albino. After years of attempts to ingratiate himself to his father, he succeeded only in death.
When Ra’s al Ghul was dying, Dusan offered Damian up as a sacrifice — a vessel to contain his spirit, snuffing out Damian’s own in the process. Ultimately when the Bat-family stopped that, Dusan offered himself up instead, and sacrificed himself to save his father.
Only then does Ra’s mourn and respect his son — the only one of his children who always remained loyal to him.
It is not clear how much of that history has remained in place post-Flashpoint, although the Batman titles have largely remained unchanged by the time-altering events of that 2011 miniseries and subsequent reboot. The in-story reference to Dusan seems to suggest that he died in ignominy, still outside of Ra’s good graces, but it’s equally possible that Damian doesn’t know the whole story there.
Equally possible — nay, likely! — that Dusan will return in some form or another in the coming months.
If so, expect to see it play out here in Teen Titans; it seems that’s where the al Ghul family drama is for now.
“DAMIAN KNOWS BEST” part three! After Ra’s al Ghul and the Demon land a devastating blow against the Teen Titans, the team is forced to regroup. Facing an enemy that knows them better than they know themselves, what chance does this young team have? And how can they trust Damian after everything he’s put them through?
You can get a copy at your local comic shop today or order a digital version on ComiXology.
