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| Publisher |
DC |
| Published | May 1981 |
ASHES TO ASHES! Batman accepts Ra's al Ghul's invitation to join his ranks and receive the gift of immortality, much to the surprise of Robin, Catwoman, and King Faraday. As the trio of heroes is escorted to the mines, the Dark Knight is shown Ra's Lazarus Pit, where Batman refuses Ra's "touch of immortality". Ra's sets his mutates on Batman and, under sheer weight of numbers, the Dark Knight goes down. Knowing Batman's agreement to join Ra's was a trick; Robin spearheads an escape from the mines with Catwoman and Faraday. Through directions given by a remorseful Talia, the trio arrive in time to help prevent Batman from being turned into one of the mindless mutates. As the quartet confronts Ra's, Dr. Saltzer arrives unexpectedly and shoots Talia. Angered, Ra's lashes out and kills Saltzer. Then, seeing no other option, the Demon's Head places his daughter in the Lazarus Pit to revive her. After the short procedure, Talia is removed from the Pit, but when her first words after coming out of the pit are for the Batman and not her father, Ra's feels betrayed and again a confrontation ensues. The Dark Knight instructs the trio of heroes to round up the others on the island and leave as he and Ra's have a final battle above the Lazarus Pit. The confrontation is long and even, until Batman is forced to dump Ra's into the pit to save himself. However, the demon arises aflame and insane from the pit. In his new state of mind and body, Ra's has the upper hand in the fight and as a last resort, Batman knocks Ra's into the pit again, this time igniting the pit and causing the twin island volcanoes to erupt; an eruption that pushes Infinity Island beneath the ocean. Batman is only able to escape barely thanks to Talia, who was waiting outside for him with a helicopter. On their journey back home, Batman gives in to exhaustion and passes out. Days later in the penthouse above the Wayne Foundation, a recovering Bruce Wayne is being watched over by Dick and Alfred. After saying his farewells to Talia, Bruce is left to ponder the feelings Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle seem to have for one another. And finally, after lots of arguing about Dick leaving college, Bruce and his ward declare a temporary truce.
