Nyssa Raatko - Blog Posts

I would like to clarify two al Ghul family members that people often seem to mix up:

Nyssa Raatko, also known as Nyssa al Ghul: daughter of Ra’s al Ghul, older half sister to Talia. She figured out how to make Lazarus Pits reusable, and she killed Ra’s in Batman: Death and the Maidens, then took over the League of Assassins for a while.

Nyssa in Batgirl Vol. 1 #68

Daughter of Acheron: Ra’s al Ghul’s half sister, Talia and Nyssa’s half-aunt. She’s the one Ra’s sent to attempt to get pregnant from Tim in Red Robin. We don’t know much about her, but she is decidedly NOT Nyssa.

Daughter of Acheron in Red Robin #24

Red Robin #25

I have mentioned in my previous post how everyone related to the biological bat family is Jewish, but I need to talk a moment about Damian Wayne's aunts.

Because this boy has 5 Jewish aunts. And not just from Bruce's side.

Let's review them, alright?

1. One of the most famous out of them, Kate Kane aka Batwoman. The Jewish icon and Bruce's cousin. (Once removed or-something still counts!)

2. Beth Kane or Red Alice, Kate's twin. She's his aunt as well, the same as Kate.

3. Bette Kane, aka flamebird, another cousin of Bruce. Also shares the same Jewish blood.

Just wait, now is the more interesting part I've been waiting for:

4. Nyssa Raatco. (Very different from the Arrowverse version).

Talia's older sister. Daughter of Ra's Al Ghul and her Jewish mom. A badass Jewish Arab assassin, and one of my favorite Jewish aunts of Damian.

And the last one might be more controversial, because I know she's *technically* not family but still

Harey Quinn is the 5 Jewish aunt of Damian I'LL DIE DEFENDING IT.

My source?

AUNTIE QUINN!?!!

DC fans don't get mad at me I know Harley is not batfamily I just think she's an aunt figure to Damian. She's not part of the whole batfam, she's his aunt exclusively. She's Damian's fifth Jewish aunt fight me.

Yap I'll see myself out 🚪←🏃

I think the effects of using the Lazarus pit are determined by several factors, and this is all my hc ofc. I hope you don’t mind me using this old post as something to go off of teehee

For one, Lazarus pits can’t be used “raw.” There is a very tedious process of purifying them before they can be used that involves science and magic. It is, in itself, a ritual. If the steps are not taken correctly, something may go horrible wrong, a la Lazara. If you were to take a swim in raw Lazarus, your skin would probably melt, much like Melisande.

This raw Lazarus is an excellent energy source, capable of powering cities. It’s also a clean energy source, of course, and has no negative effects on the environment. The Al Ghuls don’t keep the pits to themselves out of selfish reasons, quite the opposite. The pits are hidden because they’ve seen what humanity has done with oil and coal and would not intend for the pits to be used irresponsibly.

Once Lazarus is processed, it is safe for human contact. Taking a dip for too long can lead to harsher Lazarus madness, so it is important that the length of time you’re in there is relative to the severity of injuries. Lazarus can also be processed into ingestible or injectable medicine that can cure otherwise incurable diseases. (This is why we see Talia, in the Batman Spider-Man crossover, provide a cure for Vanessa Fisks terminal illness.)

We’ve seen people get dipped in the pits after being completely dead to the point where their bodies began rotting. That sort of power is probably incredibly draining both on the body and the mind, and the Lazarus madness would be much more severe. Hence why Jason becomes insane for a while.

Though I should mention that I don’t think Lazarus madness necessarily constitutes unreasonable aggressiveness and violence. It is shown to also have an amnesia-esque effect, causing short or long term memory loss. (In my hc, Nyssa has perfected this process, using it to brainwash many members of the LoA but especially Talia. Alternatively, Ra’s has nearly perfected the process of healing with the pit.)

There’s also the point of Jason Todd gaining a white streak, and this is extremely symbolic to his character for a plethora of reasons. Some writers can make this very questionable and honestly poorly written, but it can be done really well. Nonetheless, it does beg the question as to why only Jason gained this streak!

I’m not sure if it’s ever been covered, but I do hc that Ra’s has these same white streaks due to his constant use of Lazarus for hundreds of years, AS WELL AS because of his age. Talia will also have one, but it’s towards the back of her hair, and she keeps it hidden and cut short. (Sort of like how in Rapunzel, she has that one little lock of short brown hair tucked away?)

With Ra’s, he still feels these effects every time he uses the pits, and needs time to recover after using them. This is someone who has been using them for hundreds of years. So imagine how severe that effect might be on someone for the first time? It might seem like it’s completely gone and then manifest again suddenly after a traumatic experience, or a reminder of that sensation.

This could be the same for a lot of people who use it in a dramatic way. It’s meant to be something you micro-dose. A small amount can heal so much, to submerge yourself in it is like taking an entire bottle of medicine instead of just one pill. It isn’t a floating light feeling of healing, it is incredibly painful and dramatic. We see Ra’s start to become a lot healthier once he stops using the pits, and it’s essentially one of those classic situations where too much of a good thing can be really really bad.

I’ll also briefly mention that the Lazarus pit cannot heal previously healed scars, or very old scars. Which is why I think Jason SHOULD have autopsy scars. And why I think Damian should have maybe a bit less scars than some artists draw him having, because I can’t imagine Talia or Ra’s purposefully leaving him in such a way. Not when they have access to some of the greastest doctors in the world, Lazarus based ointments and saline’s, and Talia literally being a qualified doctor… but I digress.

(Speaking of Talia being a Doctor, I hc that she went to med school specifically so she could find new ways to incorporate the Lazarus’ healing component. But I’m not gonna get into it here bc that’s a whole other thing.)

The pits should be used responsibly, and are probably more frequently used as an energy source or a base for medicines rather than submerging pools. Ra’s uses them more than he should, but that doesn’t mean he goes for a swim every time he gets a paper cut. If the injuries can be cured without it, then that’s what will be done, even if it’s more tedious.

Anyways! I hope you guys enjoy this sort of breakdown! As always, the disclaimer here is that it’s almost all my own hcs based on various sources. Please feel free to correct/educate me if I got something terribly wrong. And also ask any questions you might have!!

If "Pit madness" is a thing tell me why it's only applied to Jason and not the actual Al Ghuls who own multiple and use the Lazarus pits frequently? 🤨 TELL ME TUMBLR 🤨🤨