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After revealing themselves in Robin, the newest member of the Al Ghul dynasty could play an interesting role going forward in the DC Universe.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Robin #7, available now from DC Comics.
The Al Ghul family name carries with it a bloody legacy that spans centuries at this point, with Ra’s often defined by his countless years on Earth manipulating events from the shadows. But it turns out there’s an even older member of his family who’s been secretly on the board this whole time.
In Robin #7 (by Joshua Williamson, Gleb Melnikov, Max Dunbar, Luis Guerrero, and ALW’s Troy Peteri), Damian Wayne learns the true connection he shares with Mother Soul — and what binds her to the Al Ghul family.
Since arriving on Lazarus Island, Damian Wayne has found himself increasingly curious about the true identity of their host, Mother Soul. The mysterious head of the League of Lazarus, she’s been careful to manipulate the competitors in the death tournament without seeming too overtly villainous, keeping their attention on the fights instead of her goals. Damian has remained focused enough to investigate both, especially after a brief period of training with his grandfather, Ra’s Al Ghul. After defeating Respawn, Mother Soul tries to lead Damian back to the tournament. But it turns out the young Robin had the chance to discover that the Lazarus Pits on the island had seeped into the foundation of the island itself — requiring more and more death to allow whatever us at the heart of the island to grow more powerful.
On top of this, Damian discovered that Mother Soul was indeed connected to him — as she’s secretly Ruh Al Ghul, “Soul of the Demon” and the mother of Ra’s Al Ghul. This makes her the grandmother to Talia, and therefore Damian’s great-grandmother. Damian admits this came as something of a shock considering she was supposed to have died years before Ra’s ever even discovered the Lazarus Pits and their potential for resurrection. But while Mother Soul doesn’t expand further, she seems to casually confirm his suspicions — meaning there’s an entirely new Al Ghul in the world. With that name comes a certain amount of influence and power, as well as a deep history of dark plans.
This comes as a huge shock, and could potentially have major impacts on various corners of Batman and Robin’s lives. Her survival and current role could help explain why Ra’s has been less aggressive lately, preferring to avoid conflict with his mother and recenter himself after a series of defeats. It’s likely she helped turn him into the ruthless leader he has been in the past, and their inevitable confrontation will showcase a new side of the long-time villain. Likewise, Ruh’s extended age and deep connections could make her an ideal figure for Batman to confront and learn more from, exposing deep secrets about the Leagues of Assassins and Shadows, giving him either a new enemy — or potentially a new ally — with a deep knowledge of the world as a whole.
Perhaps the most interesting wrinkle could come from how Mother Soul interacts with her granddaughter, Talia al Ghul. It was her assassins who attacked Talia and brought Damian’s attention towards the tournament in the first place. When Damian asks his great-grandmother if Talia is aware of her, she only says that “your mother is a complicated woman” and changes the subject. This implies there’s a secret between the pair that Mother Soul doesn’t quite want to reveal to Damian yet. It’s possible her relationship with Talia may be as complex as the one Damian shares with his own Grandfather. With Talia becoming more important on a global scale lately as part of the Totality and teased as a player in the coming Shadow War, Mother Soul might be a missing piece of that puzzle — or a complication for everyone involved.
KEEP READING: Why Did Batman And The Original Robin Split Up As Partners?
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