50 Greatest Super Villains In Comic Book History
By FanSided
20. Ra’s al Ghul
(Write-up by FanSided CEO Adam Best)
Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight was no Baby Boomer Batman or Campy Crusader. The filmmaker’s hyperreal version of the caped vigilante led to the best comic book trilogy in film history. One character made that transformation possible, and, no, it wasn’t Lucius Fox. To rescue Batman from the pop culture purgatory it was sentenced to by Joel Schumacher and Warner Bros., the legend needed a Lazarus pit-like restoration. Who better to help pull that off than Ra’s al Ghul?
Ra’s isn’t as old as most of the Rogue’s Gallery. Well, actually, he’s somewhere between 450 and 700 years old, but as far as longevity is concerned, he was first drawn in 1971. Unlike the older Batman villains, Ra’s is a more global threat. While his aura and theatrics are relics of the past, his genocidal strategies are also very modern. Whether using biological or economic warfare to attempt to wipe out entire major metropolitan areas, the Demon’s Head and his League of Assassins/Shadows really resonate today. There’s a timelessness to the man’s throwback tactics — he’d be just as dangerous in 2066 as he likely was in 1666 (Great Fire of London).
Beyond Batman Begins, Ra’s appearances in Batman: The Animated Series and now Arrow have brought a different dimension to the DC Film/TV Universe. In print, the eco-terrorist (with some help from his daughter Talia) almost instantly became an iconic foe for the Caped Crusader. A refined villain for a different era of comics. “Birth of a Demon” is among my favorite Batman reads of all-time (“JLA: Tower of Babel” is also a favorite).
This antagonist hasn’t just threatened the lives of just Batman and Robin — “same bat time, same bat channel” — he’s often left the fate of the entire human race hanging in the balance. In an age where terrorism is such a global threat, he is one of the most realistic comic book villains we currently have. That might be the greatest trick this sorcerer of sorts ever pulled off. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he plays a major role in some of the upcoming Justice League movies.
Next: No. 19: The breaker of the Bat