"The Demon's Quest: Part I" is the fifty-ninth episode of the first season of Batman: The Animated Series. It originally aired on May 3, 1993 on Fox Kids.
Plot[]
Robin returns to Gotham University and sneaks into his room, only to find a group of people waiting for him. They hit him with a tranquilizer dart, and he falls unconscious. The leader of the group, a man in a jackal mask, is pleased.
Later, Batman returns to the Batcave and tells Alfred that Robin has been missing for two days and his searches have been fruitless. Alfred gives him an envelope that is addressed to Bruce Wayne. He opens it and is shocked to find a note inside referring to him as Batman. The note is attached to a picture of Robin tied up.
Just then, a mysterious man and his servant enter the Batcave, revealing that they know who he is. The man introduces himself as Ra's al Ghul, and his servant as Ubu. He tells Batman that Robin and his daughter, Talia were abducted on the same night and proposes an alliance. As they talk, Ra's begins coughing explosively but waves off Batman's offer of help, saying he is simply very old.
Based on clues in the photograph, Batman deduces that they may be in Calcutta. As they start to exit the cave, Batman starts to walk past Ra's, but Ubu, overzealous, shoves him back, calling him "Infidel!". Batman angrily does nothing, calling Ubu's reaction "strike one".
On Ra's plane, he explains that he deduced Batman's secret identity based on a worldwide survey of goods bought that could be used as equipment. After Talia saw him without his mask, her description was all that was necessary to confirm his identity as Bruce Wayne. Ra's begins coughing again and Batman expresses concern. Ra's tells him that he's fine, as Napoleon himself once told him a strong will can aid a weak body. Batman gets the feeling Ra's isn't being completely honest with him.
They make it to India and search for the mercenary cult supposedly responsible for the kidnappings. Ubu once again pushes Batman back so that Ra's may go first, which Batman considers "strike two". The mercenaries attack and Batman easily defeats them. He interrogates one of them and learns the children are now in Malaysia.
While driving through a rainforest in Malaysia, Ra's goes on at length and about humanity's destruction of the environment. Batman defends Wayne Enterprises' environmental activity, but Ra's says that force is required, not just money.
They make it to a temple and Batman goes inside only to find that it's a trap. The door is closed and a black panther is released into the room. Batman and the panther fight for a moment, but its abilities are no match for Batman's skills and ingenuity. He finally manages to defeat the panther by using a sleeping gas capsule on it. With the panther sedated, Ra's comes in and they find a map inside of a location in the Himalayas. Once again they head out, but this time Batman lets Ra's go first.
Over the Himalayas, Batman prepares to parachute down while Ra's and Ubu wait on the helicopter. Ra's starts coughing again and Ubu makes mentions how they must get him to one of the "pits". No sooner has Batman jumped than a missile is launched that zooms past him and destroys the helicopter. Batman lands and confronts a team of armed thugs, but defeats them with ease.
Batman finally finds Robin but is attacked by a group of thugs. They are no match for him, and Robin is freed. Just then, the torches light, and the jackal-masked man comes in, applauding. Batman unmasks him, revealing... Ra's al Ghul.
Ra's asks how long Batman has been on to him. Batman replies, from the very beginning: the only way Ra's could have known Robin and Talia were kidnapped on the same night as if he himself had done it. The thugs who attacked them always knew exactly where they were and when they'd be there. Finally, the one time Ubu didn't care that Batman walked ahead of Ra's was when he entered the temple to confront the panther, something beyond Ra's control. Ra's is highly impressed as Talia appears beside him.
Declaring his interest at an end, Batman starts to leave with Robin. Ubu tries to force him to stay, but Batman overpowers him ("strike three"). Ra's applauds again, and explains that the whole ruse was a test: he needs a man to succeed him as ruler of his vast empire, and Batman has now proven his worthiness, and because Talia loves him.
Though temporarily surprised, Batman still refuses much to Talia's disappointment. Ra's declares them to be enemies but is overcome by a coughing fit and collapses to the floor. Talia says that he must be taken to the Lazarus Pit—a source of mysterious chemicals that have kept him alive for six hundred years.
At her urging, Batman helps lower Ra's into the Pit, and it succeeds—too well. Ra's jumps out of the pit, with the speed and strength of a young man, but laughing maniacally. Talia tries to calm him, but he lifts her into the air and prepares to throw her into the Pit...
Cast[]
- Kevin Conroy as Batman
- Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Alfred
- Loren Lester as Robin
- Helen Slater as Talia
- Manu Tupou as Ubu
- David Warner as Ra's al Ghul
- Frank Welker as Thug
Trivia[]
- This episode is based on the comic book story "Daughter of the Demon" (Batman #232, June 1971) by Dennis O'Neil.
- This is one of four episodes with no title card, the others being "Heart of Ice", "The Laughing Fish" and "The Demon's Quest: Part II".
See also[]
External links[]
- "The Demon's Quest: Part I" at Batman: The Animated Series Wiki
- "The Demon's Quest: Part I" at DC Animated Universe Wiki
- "The Demon's Quest: Part I" at IMDb