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| Avatar | |
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| Season 2, Episode 3 | |
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| Air date | May 9, 1994 |
| Directed by | Kevin Altieri |
| Written by | Michael Reaves |
| Music by | Carlos Rodriguez |
| Airdate Sequence | |
| Previous Sideshow |
Next Trial |
| Production Sequence | |
| Previous Trial |
Next House & Garden |
"Avatar" is an episode of the second season of Batman: The Animated Series. It features the sudden return of Ra's al Ghul after his first and "last" encounter in "The Demon's Quest: Part II".
"Avatar" was the 69th produced episode overall and the fourth episode produced in the second season.
Synopsis[]
A mystic Egyptian scroll donated to the Gotham Museum by Bruce Wayne is stolen by Ra's al Ghul; forcing Batman and his lover Talia al Ghul to join forces and prevent the power-mad Ra's al Ghul from unlocking the scroll's secrets of life and death.
Their quest takes them to a hidden temple deep beneath the Egyptian desert. There the Dark Knight is forced into a terrifying battle with an ancient Egyptian sorceress who seeks to destroy them all.
Plot[]
In the year 1898, an explorer finds himself descending to an archeological dig in Egypt. Inside he finds many relics from the ancient Egypt civilization. However, a green light comes across the room and surrounds him. The people outside the hole try to bring the man to the surface but the rope that was attached to him is burned and the people run away in fear.
In the present, Bruce Wayne has donated some ancient Egyptian artifacts to a museum and among the things is the Scroll of Osiris: the oldest Egyptian document currently known.
That night, a hooded man breaks and enters the museum with the intention of stealing the scroll, but Batman appears and stops the thief. As he takes off the man's mask, Batman is surprised to see Ubu is the thief. Much to Batman's surprise, Ra's al Ghul appears behind him and throws a cobra at Batman. The animal bites Batman and incapacitates the vigilante long enough for Ra's and Ubu to get out with the scroll. Batman reaches for an antidote he keeps in the Utility Belt and drinks it to cure himself.
Moments later, Batman goes to the Batcave and investigates about snake's venom and after making sure that he is safe, Batman tells Alfred that he is going to Gibraltar to find someone special.
When Bruce arrives to his destination, he walks towards a big castle and he is attacked by a couple of guards that he takes out with ease. However, he is surprised when someone aims a gun at him from the back and when he turns around, Talia is surprised to see her beloved.
Talia and Bruce meet Ra's al Ghul
Bruce explains the reason why he's come to her and explains all about Ra's and the scroll and Talia can't believe that her father is alive and hasn't contacted her. Together, they decide to look for Ra's and answers about the whole situation.
Talia and Bruce travel to Cairo where Talia knows about a place that her father used as a secret hideout. When they arrive, they are confronted by a couple of Ra's men but they take them out working as a team. Bruce finds the secret entrance and opens it. Inside, they find the scroll completed with the missing part and a translation made by Ra's himself. From the shadows, Ra's appears and tells them that he knew about them coming, and after Bruce asks him about the scroll, Ra's reveals that he has been looking for it for all his 600 years. The scroll contains the secret location of the tomb of the ancient ruler of Egypt called Thoth Khepera, who is said to have power over life and death. Ra's traps Bruce and Talia inside a glass cage and leaves them to die as he goes to find the tomb.
Bruce tries to break the cage, but the glass seems to be reinforced and he is forced to use a sonar disruptor to break the walls of the cage. Before he uses the device he and Talia make improvised earplugs out of Bruce's pockets. He tells Talia that now that he knows Ra's plans, he must stop him and he takes out his Batsuit from his traveling bag.
Ra's finds the secret of Thoth Khephera
Moments later, Batman and Talia arrive at the place and enter the hole in the ground, without noticing that they're being watched by someone. They finally arrive at the main chamber where the queen's sarcophagus is located and Ra's arrives along with Ubu and other men. Ubu opens the sarcophagus revealing a set of scrolls that contain the secrets of Thoth Khepera, but when Ra's picks them, they turn to ashes in his hands. Batman and Talia start attacking Ra's men while Ra's just stares at the ashes feeling disappointed.
However, Ra's accidentally moves one of the sarcophagus' ornaments and a secret entrance is opened as the coffin moves away to reveal a staircase below the tomb. Ra's descends and finds a mysterious green pool in the middle of a room filled with skeletons and corpses from ancient times. From the pool rises a young, beautiful woman who is the image of Thoth Khepera. She tells Ra's that she can share the knowledge of life and death with him and that he only needs to approach her. Seduced by his need for power, Ra's approaches the queen and she gives Ra's a kiss to transfer her knowledge to him. However, just seconds after she touches Ra's lips, the woman reveals herself as the decaying body of the ancient queen.
Batman and Talia manage to knock out Ra's men and they notice the strange events happening below the tomb. They descend and find that Thoth Khepera has sucked out all the youth and life from Ra's, leaving him as a frail old man. Batman uses his Batrope to grab Thoth Khepera and Talia rescues her father from the monster. Thoth Khepera frees herself and tries to abduct Talia by spawning monsters from the green pool but Talia is saved by Batman, who picks up a sword and cuts the goo monsters' tentacles. Talia grabs Ra's and hurries to the exit while Batman stays in the tomb and tries to prevent Thoth Khepera or the green monster to leave the place. Batman pushes a giant stone statue to the ground, burying Thoth Khepera and the monster. However, the tomb starts crumbling down entirely and the whole place starts falling apart. Batman runs to the exit and passes by Ra's men, who start running as well. Ubu is unable to run fast enough and is about to be crushed by a giant stone pillar, when Batman grabs him and saves his life. Outside the place, Ra's recovers his youth and he is taken as Batman's prisoner.
Hesitantly, Talia frees her father and leaves Batman
On their way across the desert, Ra's ask her daughter for forgiveness and Talia can't stand the sight of her father tied down and taken to the authorities. She takes out a gun and forces Batman to dismount his horse and then she releases Ra's. The demon and his daughter bid Batman farewell and they run away. Ubu joins his master but before, he stays for a few seconds staring at Batman and then he tosses a canteen with water for him to survive the trip. Batman picks it up and slowly walks his own way through the desert.
Cast[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Kevin Conroy | Batman/Bruce Wayne |
| Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. | Alfred Pennyworth |
| Nichelle Nichols | Thoth Khepera |
| Brock Peters | Lucius Fox |
| Helen Slater | Talia (last appearance) |
| George Dicenzo | Ubu (last appearance) |
| David Warner | Ra's al Ghul (last appearance) |