Lazarus Pit - Fictional History

Fictional History

Lazarus Pits were accidentally discovered by Ra's al Ghul in an effort to cure a dying prince of the sultan he worked for. Ra's al Ghul dug a pit where he discovered the restorative chemical pools that he dubbed Lazarus Pits for their abilities to heal those at death's door. After using the pit to save the life of the prince, a side effect of the pit's restorative abilities revealed itself as the prince went mad and killed Ra's al Ghul's wife, Sora. Blamed for his wife's murder, Ra's al Ghul was left to die, buried in the desert, but was soon rescued by his own tribe and a boy named Huwe. Afterward, he used the tribe to gain vengeance for what happened to him and proceeded to call himself the "Head of the Demon."

For centuries, the pits served the purpose of prolonging his life as well as the lives of his uncle and the boy Huwe. However, he eventually killed the boy, and his uncle went missing. From that time he alone used the pits until he eventually fathered two daughters, Nyssa and Talia. Nyssa has used the pits from time to time but it is unknown if Talia has utilized them.

It was not until he met Batman that others who were not close to him learned of the existence of the Lazarus Pits around the world. Others who have either discovered or used the pits include: Jason Todd, the second Black Canary (Dinah Laurel Lance), the Riddler, Cassandra Cain, Lady Shiva, the Joker, Kobra, Nora Fries, King Snake, Duela Dent, Wonder Woman, and Bane. Ra's al Ghul, during a hospitable period, revived Dr. Brian Bryan, a close friend of Azrael.

Kobra analyzed and duplicated the chemical composition of the pits and used this information to build his own network, something Batman would discover during their very first meeting. The unique chemical composition of Kobra's Lazarus Pits enabled him to control the minds of those he resurrected.

Beyond him, however, Bane and Batman together also served an important role in the history of Lazarus Pits as they destroyed nearly all pits on Earth. Now while supposedly only one pit exists, there are actually five remaining. The first belongs to Ra's al Ghul's daughter, Nyssa, who also discovered a way to use the pits indefinitely — whereas before a pit could only be used once. The second is located in the Batcave, created by Batman after he learned that the Pits were necessary to maintain the stability of the world, but wanting to ensure that Ra's could never use the pit to return from the dead again. A third seems to exist high in the Himalayas, used by Black Adam to revive Isis. A fourth Lazarus Pit was revealed to exist in the Australian outback; and the fifth in Tibet.

In "The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul," it is revealed that Ra's al Ghul has access to a "Fountain of Essence," which has similar longevity, rejuvenation, and youth restoration abilities, but it does not appear to have the insanity side effect. Having returned to life in a crumbling body, Ra's seeks a permanent young one to take as host, which he decides to be his grandson, Damian. After a fight with the Sensei, who declares himself to be Ra's al Ghul's father, Batman is stabbed with a cane in the chest and pulls the Sensei down into the pit with him. Sensei is killed for being an unsick user, but Batman is healed to full health and slightly de-aged.