Batman must team-up with his arch nemesis Ra's Al Ghul to stop a madman from destroying the world. A romance between the Dark Knight and Ra's daughter, Talia, ignites and will change Batman's life forever!
Ra's Al Ghul is resurrected. Terrorists seize the Gotham Chemical Plant. The Gotham City Police Department surrounds the plant. The insurgents delay negotiating for the hostages, while they complete their actual mission. Commissioner James Gordon signals for the Batman. Just as one of the insurgents is about to defile a pregnant hostage, the Batman storms the plant. After a tense confrontation, the Batman subdues the insurgents, and rescues the hostages, though not without taking a bullet to his abdomen. The Batman leaves the interrogation of the prisoners to Gordon. En route home, the Batman succumbs to his injury.
After suffering through a nightmare of his parent's death, the Batman is surprised to awaken in the Batcave. It turns out that the Batman was found, and tended to, by Talia Al Ghul. The Batman, and Talia, meet with Gordon. The Batman learns that the insurgents work for a terrorist, named Qayin. Gordon reveals that Qayin has ties to General Yossid, of Golatia. Gordon reveals that Quyin's raid on the plant was to garner chemicals used for pluviculture, the science of rainmaking. The Batman's investigation leads him to Blaine-Pearson Research. The Batman, however, is too late. Doctor Harris Blaine has been murdered.
The Batman questions John Pearson, Harris Blaine, Jr., and Professor Margaret Trask. Pearson provides the Batman with Blaine's notes. A torn page from a book, in Blaine's hand, leads the Batman to suspect Ra's Al Ghul murdered Blaine. The Batman, and Talia, journey to the Demon's Head, the hidden mountain base of Ra's Al Ghul. They arrive just as Ra's Al Ghul is installing a new Lazarus Pit. Ra's Al Ghul denies murdering Blaine. Ra's Al Ghul, however, does have a connection to Qayin. Ra's Al Ghul reveals that Qayin murdered his wife, Melisande, Talia's mother. The Batman agrees to an alliance with Ra's Al Ghul, and to accept Talia's hand in marriage.
The Batman, and Talia, share an intimate encounter, to consummate their marriage. The Batman becomes Ra's Al Ghul's second-in-command. The Batman trains Ra's Al Ghul's assassins in non-lethal methods of combat. Yossid confronts Qayin. Yossid is displeased at the murder of Blaine. Qayin meets with Doctor Hallam. Qayin is given eight weeks to live. Ra's Al Ghul and the Batman play chess. Each hopes their alliance does not descend into conflict. A joint rocket launch, between the United States of America, and Golatia, is set to begin. The Batman, Talia, and Ra's Al Ghul's forces steal onto the base. Unfortunately, before they can sabotage the rocket, they are discovered.
Talia, and Ra's Al Ghul's forces, lead the security teams away from the Batman. The Batman plants an explosive on the rocket. Unbeknownst to the Batman, Qayin, is sabotaging the rocket's payload, a weather-controlling satellite. Qayin attacks the Batman. During their fight, Qayin manages to disarm the Batman's explosive. The rocket launches without incident. Returning to the Demon's Head, Talia is told, by Doctor Weltmann, that she is pregnant. Talia informs the Batman that he is to be a father. The Batman is overjoyed at the news. Ra's Al Ghul joins in the celebration. During the assault on the rocket base, one of Ra's Al Ghul's men, Donal, was taken prisoner by Qayin's insurgents.
Donal is tortured, and murdered, for information regarding the location of the Demon's Head. Qayin storms the Demons' Head. The Batman, and Talia, attempt to repel the first wave of Qayin's insurgents. The Batman pushes Talia out of the conflict, to protect their unborn baby. The Batman declares his intention to abandon the conflict with Qayin. The Batman's only concern is Talia's safety, and the safety of their child. Qayin makes a play for the Lazarus Pit, but Ra's Al Ghul destroys it. Qayin retreats with his forces. The weather controlling satellite reaches maximum orbit, allowing it to be put through a test run. After a successful test, Yossid, and Qayin, seize control of the satellite.
Qayin has the satellite generate a hurricane, aimed towards Moscow. When Yossid protests, Qayin murders the general. In The Kremlin, the Prime Minister, Mikhail Gorbachev, informs the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, that if the hurricane reaches Moscow it will be considered an act of war. While Ra's Al Ghul, and the Batman, discuss strategy, Talia suffers a feinting spell. Talia informs the Batman that she has lost the baby. Enraged, the Batman joins Ra's Al Ghul's forces in storming Qayin's base of operations. The Batman, and Ra's Al Ghul, confront Qayin. Though the Batman leads the attack on Qayin, the terrorist leader is more interested in fighting Ra's Al Ghul.
The Batman forces Qayin to focus on him, while Ra's Al Ghul deactivates the radar cloaking device protecting the satellite from discovery. The United States of America shoots the satellite down. The Batman mercilessly beats Qayin. Defeated, Qayin makes one last attempt to murder Ra's Al Ghul, but ends up electrocuted. Talia requests that the Batman leave her alone. The Batman returns to Gotham City. The Batman reveals that Pearson was Qayin's agent, and is responsible for murdering Blaine. The Batman seeks solitude to deal with the loss of his unborn child. Unbeknownst to the Batman, Talia lied about losing the baby. Talia laves the baby at the Brooksdale Orphanage, where it is swiftly adopted.
Note: Mark Hamill writes the introduction on the inside flaps of the book jacket on the hardcover.
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