(Batman I #670, Robin II #168, Nightwing II #138, Detective Comics I #838) - Ra’s al Ghul returned to life by possessing the body of his chauffer Sam Tang. Tang had promised himself to Ra’s, but ended up betraying him by poisoning himself with radiation. Ra’s new body was falling apart, so he knew he needed a more permanent solution to remaining alive. He met with Talia, who’d been seeking the shifting city of Nanda Parbat, which held the secret of life unceasing. She made it clear that while he was dead she’d become the ruler of the League of Assassins, but admitted Sensei had taken some of the League and formed a rival splinter group. Ra’s said he wanted to hold his daughter again, and they hugged. Damian asked what was going on and Ra’s was shocked to see his grandson dressed up as Robin. He grew furious, but Talia said he didn’t understand how complicated things had gotten. Ra’s said he could easily possess his own flesh and blood and told Damian to submit to him. Damian refused to let his grandfather possess him, and Ra’s roared that he demanded absolute obedience, wondering where Damian’s defiance came from. Talia told Damian to run, and Ra’s ordered the League of Assassins to pursue him. The League immediately stopped listening to Talia to follow Ra’s again. Damian ended up in Gotham and broke into the Batcave. Upon seeing Batman he demanded to know where batman was, and robin suspected he was up to something villainous. Damian refused to believe Batman wasn’t there to protect him and told Robin he was trying to keep batman all to himself. He reminded robin that he was Batman’s biological son, and after a brief scuffle Damian ran off. Damian ran into Alfred and explained his predicament. Alfred empathized with him, not only because he was being hunted by the League of Assassins, but because he didn’t know where he stood with his father. Robin saw them, and afraid Damian might hurt Alfred, he attacked. Alfred polled Robin off, begging for him to show some compassion to Damian. Damian and Robin scrapped again, both emotional over who could truly call themselves Batman’s son and legacy. The League of assassins gathered outside, planning to extract Damian and kill robin and Alfred. Ra’s ninjas stormed Wayne Manor, and Batman sent Nightwing as backup. Nightwing, Alfred, Damian and Robin fought valiantly against overwhelming odds, with Damian constantly complaining that their combat style was far too defensive. The fight spilled into the Batcave, and Dragonfly, Tiger Moth and Silken Spider entered the fray, and were quite interested to learn that the Batcave was underneath Wayne Manor. Talia had sent them to protect Damian, and they started gunning down the ninjas, who put them down with poisoned darts. The ninjas took off with Robin and Damian, but Nightwing couldn’t pursue them because he had to save Dragonfly and her friends lives. He whipped up an antidote in the Batcave and administered it to them. He cursed himself for the impossible choice he’d had to make. The League brought Damian and Robin to Ra’s stronghold, but when they entered Ra’s throneroom the heroes revealed they’d been feigning unconsciousness and attacked their captors. Damian found a corridor and slammed the door behind him, saying it was foolish of Robin to help him since he considered ?Robin an enemy. Ra’s told Robin not to think of him as an enemy, and said he was in need of a strong mentor. Robin responded that he had Batman, but Ra’s said Batman’s resources were limited and he was only trying to save one city. Ra’s reach was worldwide, his resources were limitless, and since he’d learned to conquer death he could bring back Robin’s servants if only the boy would work with him. Robin turned him down, as Ra’s was fairly certain he was going to, and knocked Robin out with a karate chop to the neck. Batman and Talia approached Ra’s stronghold, and Tali had loaned Batman a suit of armor that she called a family heirloom. League ninjas, but I-Ching showedup and helped them fend them off, saying karma had revealed to him that he had a larger role to play in upcoming events. They snuck into Ra’s stronghold where Ra’s challenged Batman to a sword duel. He remarked that the Darknight Detective had gotten faster since their last battle, and Batman disarmed him. Ra’s showed that his League had Robin and Damian at his mercy. He warned Batman that ?Sensei was the real villain, not him, and Batman would need his help to defeat Sensei. He told Batman to choose weather Damian or Robin would be the one for him to possess.

(Batman I #671) - Batman refused to choose between Damian and Robin, and told Ra’s there was another way for him to restore himself. He offered to take Ra’s to Nanda Parbat and the Fountain of Life, and Ra’s accepted. Ra’s was surprised that Batman knew where to find Parbat, and Batman said he’d recently traveled there to undergo Thogal, a Buddhist rite of purification. Sensei had already come to Parbat and set it on fire. Ra’s asked Batman if he ever saw someone that hated their enemy as much as Sensei hated Ra’s. Batman battled the Men of Death, and was surprised with how easily he overcame them. The monks of Parbat said Rama Kusha had strengthened his hand and weakened theirs. Batman and Ra’s made their way to the fountain of Life, which Ra’s had always believed was the prototype of the Lazarus Pits that had kept him alive over the centuries. Sensei was infuriated to see Ra’s yet lived, and asked what he needed to do to get rid of his wayward son. Ra’s asked him why he stood in his way, and Sensei responded that under Ra’s and Talia’s rule the League of Assassins had lost their way and their honor, and he needed to restore both to them.. Sensei rammed his staff into Ra’s chest , saying that if he just died Sensei might spare the Fountain. Batman and Sensei engaged in battle, and Batman knew he was outmatched, but because of his advanced age Sensei had limited stamina, and Batman kept the fight going long enough to get the advantage. They fell into the Fountain of Life and Sensei found himself burning, unable to stand the purity of the Fountain.

(Robin II #169, Nightwing II #139, Detective Comics I #839) - White Ghost watched over Ra’s captives, and while Ra’s had promised to spare Robin, White Ghost hadn’t, and considered disposing of the boy. Robin attacked the League ninjas, and was joined in his fight by I-Ching. Damian used the distraction to run, saying he was going to help his father. Talia pursued him, saying his father would never accept him as a son like she had, and Damian said he didn’t care about Talia’s love because Batman was cooler. I-Ching told Robin to leave him, and Robin was reluctant but I-Ching convinced him, saying he had some new techniques he wanted to try out on the ninjas. I-Ching shocked the ninjas with his new ability to float in the air. Robin caught up with Talia and asked if Ra’s claim that he could resurrect his parents if Robin agreed to serve him was true. Talia warned him that Ra’s collected people like toys, often only helping them so he could destroy them  later, but begrudgingly admitted that Ra’s could raise the dead. Robin wondered if he had the right to deny his loved ones a second chance at life. Robin found White Ghost, and hating himself thinking about what Batman would make of the choice he’d made, asked if Ra’s would give him a second chance and allow Robin to serve him. White Ghost was angered, saying Robin had already turned down his master’s offer and attacked him. They sparred until Robin convinced him that Ra’s might have had his own motives for the offer he made Robin, motives White Ghost wasn’t privy to. White Ghost said that if he was serious he had to bathe in the Lazarus Pit and entirely leave his old life behind. I-Ching told Robin he sensed the conflict within him, and wished him to reconsider. Robin attacked and I-Ching countered his attacks, saying he would step aside because a superior man had to choose his own path. Nightwing arrived and told Robin he’d stop him at any cost. Nightwing preferred to talk things out, but he and Robin engaged in combat even though Robin said he wasn’t going to enter the Lazarus Pit, he just wanted to take samples to analyze. Nightwing thought Robin had started to move on from the recent losses in his life, but realized that had been wishful thinking. Nightwing warned Robin not to mess with the natural order and Robin reminded him that people came back from the dead all the time. He asked Nightwing if Jason Todd came back from the dead why shouldn’t his dad. In addition to his parents Robin wanted to bring Superboy back, having already spent a year trying to find a way to bring him back to life. I-Ching decided to act, sparring against both of them. He told Robin he lacked clarity because all he saw was death, but Nightwing should understand his need to find balance after balance had been lost. Robin and Nightwing dazed each other when I-Ching dodged their attacks and Nightwing said he’d let robin make his own choices. Robin obtained the sample, thought about his lost friends and family, and then dumped it out. He apologized to Nightwing and they embraced. I-Ching chose to stay at Ra’s stronghold to secure the Lazarus Pit so the events he witnessed would never be repeated. Ra’s contacted White Ghost, telling him to send backup to Nanda Parbat, and enough explosives to blow up the hidden city if need be. Damian disguised himself as a League ninja to join White Ghost, who easily saw through his disguise. Alfred flew Talia, Robin and Nightwing to Nanda Parbat, where all Hell had broken loose. Ra’s had hold of Damien, ready to possess his body while Batman and the monks of Parbat fought furiously with the League of Assassins. The new arrivals turned the tide of battle and Batman pulled Damian away from Ra’s, telling his son to grab a sword and fight. Talia was furious, accusing Batman of being willing to send his own son to his death, and Batman replied that he expected the same out of Damian as he did his other children. White Ghost offered himself up to Ra’s, asking him to take over his body. Ra’s was touched that the son he always despised always gave the most, and took control of his form, effectively killing his son. Ra’s told Batman and company that his son’s sacrifice would not be in vain, and because he believed in an eye for an eye he would kill Robin and Damian. Talia knocked out Damian and fled with him, telling Batman he was surely going to die in his final stand against Ra’s, and she was protecting the legacy of the man she once loved. Batman clashed furiously with Ra’s while Robin and Nightwing fought the Men of Death, keeping them from interfering. A blast of mystic energy separated Ra’s and Batman, and the monks of Parbat said they’d prayed to Rama Kushna and showed her the devastation Ra’s had wrought. Kushna decreed that Nanda Parbat was forver closed to Ra’s, and that if he refused to leave he would face death everlasting. Ra’s didn’t want his fight to be over, but when the ground started opening up beneath him he was forced to flee with his League of Assassins. Alfred flew Batman and company back home, and Batman hoped Talia would bring Damian to a place where he could be safe and leave behind the life he’d known.  Robin asked him if he would be okay with Damian’s new life not involving Batman, and Batman said that Damian needed to live without being forced to make choices based on destiny, and if one day he wanted to be part of the Batman Family it should be a personal choice. Alfred appreciated the sentiment and reminded them that it was Christmas day, a wonderful time for a family to be together.

(Batman I #675) - Merlyn continued to train Damian in the ways of the assassin, and was pleasantly surprised when he realized he could learn some things from the boy. Talia was fuming from celebrity gossip reports that indicated Bruce Wayne’s relationship with Jezebel Jet was getting serious. Talia said Bruce always had and always would belong to her, and told Merlyn to take care of her. Merlyn assembled a hit squad, saying he’d kill her humanely, but when they were preparing to travel to Gotham they learned that Bruce and Jet had been kidnapped by the Nine-Eyed Man. Damian sensed an overarching threat aimed at the Batman, and Talia agreed, saying he’d gotten his extraordinary intuition from her.

(Batman I #680, 681) - Talia, Damian and Ubu visited Wayne Manor, only to find it full of death traps. They saved Commissioner Gordon, who was also concerned about Batman. Talia said she had no love for the police, but Batman had always spoken kindly of Gordon. Dr. Hurt and his club of villains had broken batman’s mind, and lured him into a confrontation at Arkham Asylum. Talia and Damian freed Alfred, who was being held hostage in Wayne Manor, and with Commissioner Gordon they took the Batmobile to Arkham Asylum. Damian was ensconced with the Batmobile, and asked Alfred if he thought his father would let him have it. At Arkham Nightwing helped Batman fight off Dr. Hurt, the Black Glove and the Club of Villains. Hurt prepared to takeoff in a helicopter piloted by Bat-Devil, and claimed to be Thomas Wayne. Batman didn’t believe him, and Hurt said he’d staged photos that would paint his parents and Alfred as criminals and degenerates, threatening to release them unless Batman agreed to serve the Black Glove. Batman refused and jumped on the helicopter. Bat-Devil couldn’t control the flight and the helicopter plummeted into Gotham Harbor, exploding in a burst of flames. Nightwing dredged up Batman’s uniform, and Talia al Ghul promised to avenge the father of her child. In the coming months several members of the Black Glove turned up dead. Talia wanted personal revenge on Jezebel Jet, who’d played Batman since the first day they met in service of the Black Glove. Talia sent a squad of Man-Bat Commandoes after her private plane as she was trying to return to her home country of Mtamba.