Nyssa Al Ghul (Gotham)

Nyssa Raatko is a supervillain in DC Comics. Nyssa Raatko was created by Greg Rucka and Klaus Janson for the Batman series of comic books. She is an enemy of Batman, a daughter of Ra's al Ghul and the older half-sister of Talia.

Nyssa made her first live-action appearance as a recurring character on the Arrowverse television series ''Arrow,'' starting in the second season, played by Katrina Law. She also appeared in the final season of '' Gotham'', portrayed by Jaime Murray.

Fictional character biography

In ''Batman: Death and the Maidens'', it is revealed that Ra's al Ghul and a Russian-Jewish peasant woman had a love child named Nyssa born during his travels in Russia in the 18th century. Enamored by the romantic stories that her mother told her about Ra's as a child, Nyssa sets out to find her father and eventually locates him at his headquarters in North Africa.

Impressed by her beauty, warrior skills, and determination and ability to locate him, he promotes her as his right hand associate and they go on adventures together. Ra's is so impressed with her abilities, he even allows Nyssa to use his Lazarus Pits. Like her sister Talia, Nyssa eventually becomes disenchanted with Ra's genocidal plans to "cleanse the Earth", and disassociates herself from her father sometime in the early 20th century. Ra's reluctantly approves this, believing that she will return to him and that she or her children will become his future heirs. To his disappointment, Nyssa refuses to give herself or her family to him, causing him to disown her permanently. He does however allow her to keep a Lazarus Pit for herself which helps her survive until the modern times.

The Second World War

During World War II, Nyssa and her family are quickly sent to a concentration camp, where Nyssa's entire family dies and she is rendered infertile by very Mengele-style experiments. At one point she begs Ra's for help, but he declines to offer any.

Death and the Maidens

Broken by her horrifying experiences during this time, and enraged that Ra's has abandoned her and her family to die at the hands of the Nazis, Nyssa is finally motivated to act when her great-grandsonher last living descendant - is killed. She plots to kill Ra's by befriending, kidnapping, and brainwashing Talia and using her to kill Ra's. To this end, she captures Talia and, using a Lazarus Pit, kills and resurrects her in rapid succession. Rendered apathetic by her time in the camp, unable to feel anything, Nyssa then attempts to destroy all hope and optimism in the world by assassinating Superman with Kryptonite bullets she steals from the Batcave, hoping that, by uniting the world in one moment of tragedy, she will manage to rouse herself once more.

While Batman is successful in preventing the assassination of Superman, he is unable to stop Ra's from being killed by Nyssa. This in turn is part of a greater plan by Ra's to ensure that his daughters, both initially dissatisfied with his plans, will realize that he is right, and that they would come to accept their destinies as his heirs. Realizing and accepting this, both Nyssa and Talia become the heads of the League of Assassins.

Lazarus Pit

The Lazarus Pit can grant restorative properties that can heal injuries and even grant immortality. Nyssa owns one of the world's last Lazarus Pits, which has granted her longevity and the ability to heal her wounds; she survives The Holocaust thanks to its powers. She also found the ability to use the pit multiple times. She is also extremely wealthy, especially since she assumes control of Ra's' organization and joins forces with Talia. Like her father and half-sister, she knows every of Batman's secrets.

"Infinite Crisis"

During "Infinite Crisis", Nyssa and her sister connive to use Talia's membership in Luthor's Secret Society of Super Villains to take over the planet. Nyssa tries to recruit Batgirl (as Cassandra Cain) to stand at her side as "The One Who Is All". She attempts to explain why she is working with the villains of the Society to Batgirl:

Cassandra refuses, and, along with Mr. Freeze, escapes from Nyssa's grasp.

In "One Year Later", Nyssa is seen in Northern Africa, planning an unknown plot with two terrorists. As she gets into her car to leave, it explodes. In the following issue, Lady Shiva reports that Nyssa Raatko is dead, probably killed by the League of Assassins.

In other media

Television

* Nyssa al Ghul appears in series set in the Arrowverse, portrayed by Katrina Law:
** First appearing in the second season of ''Arrow'', this version previously rescued Sara Lance from Lian Yu and later became her lover. Additionally, Nyssa goes on to train her sister Laurel Lance and dismantle the League of Assassins.
** Nyssa appears in ''Legends of Tomorrow''. In her most notable appearance in the episode "Left Behind", it is revealed that Nyssa and Sara's first meeting was caused by a bootstrap paradox.
** Nyssa appears in the tie-in comic '' Crisis on Infinite Earths Giant''.
*Nyssa al Ghul appears in the fifth season of '' Gotham'', portrayed by Jaime Murray. This version initially works undercover as the Secretary of Homeland Security, Theresa Walker, and employs Bane, Riddler, Leslie Thompkins, and Hugo Strange.

Video games

Nyssa Raatko appears in the '' Batman: Arkham Knight'' DLC "Season of Infamy", voiced by Jennifer Hale. This version is the leader of a rebel faction of the League of Assassins who oppose Ra's al Ghul's resurrection.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raatko, Nyssa
Batman characters
Characters created by Greg Rucka
Comics characters introduced in 2003
DC Comics female supervillains
DC Comics LGBTQ supervillains
DC Comics martial artists
Fictional American Jews in comics
Fictional characters who use magic
Fictional cult leaders
Fictional female assassins
Fictional members of secret societies
Fictional Jews
Fictional Holocaust survivors
Fictional bisexual women
Fictional mass murderers
Fictional LGBTQ characters in television
Fictional Arabs