Talia al Ghul is a fictional character by DC Comics, the daughter of the supervillain Ra's al Ghul, and a love interest of Batman. She sometimes uses an anglicized form of her name, Talia Head (derived from her father's name, which is Arabic for "Head of the Demon").
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
She first appeared in Detective Comics #411 (May 1971). Her usual role is as a recurring romantic interest for Batman; her father, the leader of a worldwide criminal empire, considers Batman the man most worthy to marry Talia and to become his heir. It is natural that Batman is uninterested in the criminal empire, but he has shown considerable interest in Talia.
She is a complex character, neither quite heroine nor villainess. She has undoubtedly committed criminal acts; however, they were usually committed due to her loyalty to her father rather than for personal gain. She has saved Batman's life or helped him on numerous occasions. Furthermore, she helped to bring about the downfall of Lex Luthor.
Talia al Ghul is defined by her love: her love for her father, the 600-year-old madman Ra's al Ghul, proprietor of the immortality-granting Lazarus Pits, executor of humanity's eventual demise. Ra's is an extreme environmentalist who's decided to kill off the human race before they kill off any more flora and fauna. There is little evidence that Talia agrees with her father. The point is moot: she is a loyal daughter. Whatever dreams she has for herself, we do not know. She has put them all aside for her love.
Because her father has a criminal bent, Talia learned the arts of stealth and combat. She can use guns with precision and ease, and sneak through high-security compounds with the best of cat thieves. Upon her father's behalf she has committed assault, even against members of the JLA. She subjects herself to her father's "punishment" when she fails in her missions. She is willing to kill, and willing to submit her body to other men, all on her father's behalf, and on his orders. Like I said, an obedient daughter.
Batman met Talia when saving her from the insidious Dr. Darrk, a former employee of her father's cartel. Though at first she seemed an innocent med student, she proved her deadliness by killing Darrk to save Batman in turn. Ra's later used his daughter to seduce this bright young man because he needed a male heir to his criminal empire -- Talia, for all her loyalty and hard work, would not do, being "merely" a woman in his eyes. Ever dutiful, Talia did her best to seduce the dashing Bruce -- and for the most part, failed. But she fell in love with him.
Hence the second love that defines Talia: the one she holds for Batman. Her simpering coos of "Oh, my beloved!" aside, Talia is often as loyal to Bruce as she is to her father. She helped him focus after No Man's Land, helped him to put his self-beratement aside and do something. Numerous times she's assisted him, even when it meant betraying her father.
Problem: Talia is torn between her two loves. Her father and Bruce are enemies, and whenever their paths cross, Talia must choose who to be loyal to.
Hope This Helps,
Tiff
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