Damian Wayne / The Heretic
One of Grant Morrison’s greatest contributions was the creation of Damian Wayne – the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, as well as the fourth Robin. While trained to become the ultimate assassin, under Bruce’s care he adopts father’s sense of justice and morality. Ultimately, Damian had died a hero’s death during a war on the Bat-Family waged by Talia al Ghul & Leviathan. The killing blow was struck by a mysterious warrior called “The Heretic” who was revealed to be an artificially grown and aged clone of Damian.
Within the Arkham universe, it is long established that the Bat-Family exists in this continuity; It is plausible that Damian may already exist in the Arkham timeline. Arkham City gave strong nods to the past romantic history between Batman and Talia, with Talia hinting at a night of passion they had shared in Metropolis. Perhaps she conceived & gave birth to young Damian Wayne and kept it a secret from Batman.
Tying this to role the League of Assassins and Ra’s al Ghul played as the puppeteers behind Arkham City (alongside the deaths of both Ra’s and Talia), perhaps an artificially aged Damian Wayne or a clone similar to “the Heretic” was raised by what was left of Ra’s network. The Arkham Knight could have been a dark, misguided Damian Wayne/The Heretic who swears vengeance on his estranged father for the death of his mother and grandfather and vows to finish the work that Ra’s started.
Given Damian’s/the Heretic’s elite grooming and training as master assassins combined with the full logistical, military, and financial might of the assassins’ guild, amassing an army and manipulating the actions of Batman’s rogues gallery is something completely within the realm of possibility for this darker, alternate take on Damian.
Were you surprised by the reveal of the Arkham Knight as Jason Todd? Do you believe any of these anti-Batmen would have made for a better incarnation of the Arkham Knight? Feel free to comment and share below!
