The League of Assassins was a secret organization founded by Ra's al Ghul (exactly when is unknown) to be "the fang that protects the head".[15] The Members of the League were extremely skilled killers, having mastered every known martial arts in the world,[16] who demonstrated willingness to die at a word from their leader, Ra's. They have included some of the most dangerous assassins in the world including Lady Shiva, David Cain, and master archer Merlyn. For much of its current history, any member to fail in an assassination was in turn targeted by the League. In more recent years, this policy has apparently relaxed somewhat.
History
Doctor Ebeneezer Darrk
Ebeneezer Darrk, aka Doctor Darrk, was the first known individual assigned to head the League of Assassins by Ra's al Ghul. Darrk himself was seconded by The Sensei, a martial arts master from Hong Kong. Although many of the League's leaders over the years have been accomplished martial artists, Darrk himself did not depend on physical prowess. As an assassin, he instead relied upon careful planning, manipulation, ambushes and death traps, as well as a variety of cleverly concealed weapons and poisons. Although the League apparently had an inner circle of elite fighters as well as a large number of warriors trained in the martial arts, The League during Darrk's tenure as leader reflected his personal methodology.
Under Darrk's leadership, the League started a large killing spree across Europe, which soon became target of investigation by Interpol. When the pattern was clear, Interpol warned Gotham City's Police Commissioner James Gordon about the next target of the murder trail as a shipping magnate, then located in Gotham. Gordon tried to provide police protection, but when refused, he contacted Batman, who thwarted the killing of the magnate and captured the assassin. It was during this case, that Batman first became aware of the League's existence and activities.[1] After this incident, Darrk tried to murder the next target personally, but Batman interfered, forcing Darrk to retreat, leaving his victim alive.[2] Following a "falling out" with Ra's, Darrk kidnapped Ra's daughter, Talia al Ghul. Batman rescued Talia and finally captured Darrk, but when he tried to kill Batman, he was shot and killed by Talia.[3]
After Darrk's death, Ra's al Ghul took over the organization for a short time and he used the assassins to attack Batman in Gotham City, although they ultimately failed as the Dark Knight was assisted by the Creeper against them.[4]
The Sensei
The Sensei was in command of a small faction of the League and during this time, he arranged an initiation process, where the operative known as the Hook was assigned to murder Boston Brand, who would become Deadman after his death.[citation needed]
After Darrk's death, the Sensei took control of the League after most of its members defected away from Ra's al Ghul's leadership. Under the Sensei's direction, the League became more brutal and although the majority of the League's operatives showed little to no real skill in personal combat, the Sensei did show slightly more reliance on skilled martial artists. Shortly after his crowning as leader of The League, Professor Ojo successfully brainwashed Ben Turner (best friend and partner of Richard Dragon), creating an alternate personality dubbed the Bronze Tiger, turning the master martial artist into a League operative. As the Bronze Tiger, Turner defeated Batman in personal combat while another League operative murdered Kathy Kane.[5]
Eventually, Turner's training at the hands of the O-Sensei proved too strong for the League to fully break; when he refused to kill Batman, Turner was forced to flee the League. Afterwards, small factions of the League started to get captured by Batman after the Sensei went into hiding in Gotham.[6] During this period, the League tried to retrieve a powerful formula that would help them defeat their enemies, but they were stopped by the combined efforts of Batman and Ra's al Ghul.[7]
Batman traced Ben Turner to a hospital, foiling a League attempt to assassinate the man. Turner could not fully remember the actions of his alternate personality (although years later, as a member of the Suicide Squad, he would reveal that the League had used him to kill a number of people) but he was able to aid Batman in uncovering the Sensei's latest plot.[8] The insane Sensei - no longer motivated by anything but a desire to raise assassination to an art - attempted to cause an artificial earthquake in order to kill a number of diplomats gathered for peace talks. Although Batman was unable to prevent the earthquake, Sensei was cornered and then challenged by Ra's al Ghul for the control of the League. Both adversaries apparently died in the earthquake of Sensei's making, leaving the League leaderless for a short time.[9] It was probably during this time that most of the members of the League became assassins for hire and once again, they were stopped by Batman.[10]
Role in the Creation of Lady Shiva
Prior to the betrayals of Doctor Darrk and the Sensei, Ra's had grown tired of the fickle loyalties of his warriors. Ra's assigned David Cain to create a perfect bodyguard ("The One Who Is All"). After early attempts to raise such a person resulted in hopelessly psychotic children, Cain decided that he needed a genetically-suited child and began searching for a possible mother. To this end, he assassinated Carolyn Woosan/Wu-San, one of two astonishingly talented martial artist sisters he had seen fighting in an exhibition. Carolyn's sister, Sandra, swore revenge and tracked Cain down, only to be subdued by the combined might of the League. Both intoxicated and frightened by the levels of skill she was attaining now that she was no longer holding back for her sister's sake, Sandra agreed to be the mother of Cain's child. In return, the League spared Sandra's life and assisted her in further training. By the time Sandra gave birth, she had surpassed the entire League in skill. She left immediately following the birth of her daughter, Cassandra Cain, rechristening herself Lady Shiva.
Other stories would suggest that at some points afterwards. Shiva worked as a member of the League. Eyewitness testimony from former League member Onyx indicates that she kept in contact with the League, although she apparently did not see her daughter. Although most of her appearances over the years show her working independently, she apparently had some degree of League membership and was called upon by Ra's to "rescue" Talia during the Hush storyline.
In keeping with Ra's and Cain's plans, the League attempted to train Cassandra Cain from birth to be the ultimate assassin, unknowingly giving her the skills she would use as the hero Batgirl.
Nyssa al Ghul
After the death of Ra's, his daughter Nyssa formed a new League. Lady Shiva was recruited to serve as Sensei to this incarnation of the League with the intent that Batgirl (Cassandra Cain) would lead the warriors themselves.
Reflecting Shiva's emphasis for martial arts, the known members of Nyssa's League were all skilled in this area and included the warriors Shrike, Kitty Kumbata, Wam Wam, Joey N'Bobo, Tigris, Momotado, Krunk, White Willow, the twin warriors Los Gemelos, Ox, "Mad Dog" Cain, Alpha, and Cristos. The new League was present when Mr. Freeze's wife Nora Fries was brought back to life as the monstrous Lazara, and several members died in the resulting chaos.
Due to the conflict between their loyalty to Shiva and Nyssa and their near-worship of Batgirl as "The One Who is All," the League split at that point with Ox, White Willow, and Tigris pledging themselves to Cassandra. Several more members of the League (including all the defectors except Tigris) died when the insane "Mad Dog" went on a killing spree. It was revealed that the "Mad Dog" had been one of David Cain's early attempts to create Ra's' perfect warrior. The "Mad Dog" had been considered useless as a child since Cain's methods had driven him murderously insane, and Ra's had ordered the child be killed. However, Nyssa knew that the servant ordered to carry out this execution had instead released him into the wild, explaining how it was possible to recruit him. The "Mad Dog" was successful in killing Batgirl (who gave her life to protect the burqa-clad assassin Tigris). She was quickly restored to life in a Lazarus Pit by Shiva in order that the two could face each other in a final battle.
Cassandra Cain
Although many of its members had died or defected, the League survived the Infinite Crisis, and was seen to play an important role in The Society's world-wide prison break.[11] Throughout the aftermath, the League remained under the control of Nyssa until she was apparently killed in a car explosion. Cassandra Cain apparently took over the League as its new leader. All the members thus far seen in Cassandra's version of the League have been unnamed masked martial artists. There is debate as to whether or not Cassandra was really in charge, brainwashed by Deathstroke as she was, but she served as a powerful symbol. After she regained her senses and left the league, it splintered into several factions unsure of who to follow.
With Ra's al Ghul gone, the leadership of the League was claimed by Talia and under her command, they started searching for Batman, who was captured by the Black Glove. Talia, her son Damian and a small faction of the League arrived a Wayne Manor, where they disabled several traps, saving James Gordon in the process.[12]
Return of Ra's Al Ghul
When Ra's Al Ghul returned, the League of Assassins once more fell under his control.
Under his leadership, Ra's commanded a small faction of the League to capture Nightwing and deliver him to his secret lair, but the assassins failed and Nightwing defeated them.[13]
Paraphernalia
Equipment: * Lazarus Pit
Trivia
- Tim Drake has estimated, based on looking at their receipts as a business, that the League of Assassins kills about 100 people every month worldwide.[17]
- The League of Assassins bear striking resemblances to the Hashshashin, an medieval Islamic order of trained combatants and assassins, who were also lead by a mysterious "Old Man of the Mountain".
See Also
- 161 Appearances of League of Assassins (New Earth)
- 31 Images that include League of Assassins (New Earth)
- Organization Gallery: League of Assassins (New Earth)
Links
- None.
Footnotes
- ↑ Detective Comics #405
- ↑ Detective Comics #406
- ↑ Detective Comics #411
- ↑ Detective Comics #448
- ↑ Detective Comics #485
- ↑ Detective Comics #486
- ↑ The Brave and the Bold #159
- ↑ Detective Comics #489
- ↑ Detective Comics #490
- ↑ Batman #431
- ↑ Infinite Crisis Special: Villains United #1
- ↑ Batman #680
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 2) #152
- ↑ Justice League of America #94
- ↑ Batgirl #67
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 2) #138
- ↑ Red Robin #6
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