Henri Ducard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Henri Ducard | |
 Henri Ducard |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Detective Comics #599 (April 1989) |
| Created by | Sam Hamm (script) Denys Cowan (art) |
| In story information | |
| Abilities | Skilled martial artist and detective |
Henri Ducard is a fictional character in the Batman comic book universe. Created by Sam Hamm, Ducard's first appearance was in Detective Comics #599 (April 1989), part of the "Blind Justice" story arc.
Contents |
[edit] Fictional character biography
In the comics, Bruce Wayne approaches Ducard for training in Paris, during his early days traveling the world. Ducard, a knowledgeable detective with excellent man hunting skills, imparted much of his knowledge to the young, keen Bruce.
Later in the series, it is revealed that Ducard is largely amoral, working for criminals as often as he does the law. He deduces Batman's secret identity, but keeps it to himself, thinking, as he leaves, that Batman continues to exist because true criminals realize that he distracts the people from the greater crimes by his public battle against lesser crimes.
Ducard has also worked with the third Robin, Tim Drake, who went to Paris during his training, as Bruce did. Unlike Bruce, however, Robin only encounters him in passing at the end of his training, in Hong Kong.
[edit] Appearances in other media
[edit] Television
Henri Ducard appears in the Robot Chicken episode "Password: Swordfish" voiced by Seth Green. He trains Heimlich in a segment that parodies his film appearance below.
[edit] Film
Henri Ducard was portrayed by Liam Neeson in the 2005 movie Batman Begins. In the film, he was first shown as an associate of Ra's al Ghul, played by Ken Watanabe. Ducard finds Bruce Wayne in a Chinese prison and offers him a "path." After Wayne is freed, he climbs to the home of the League of Shadows where Ducard is waiting. When asked if he is ready to begin, Wayne replies that he can barely stand. As a test, Ducard attacks Bruce and explains that death would not wait and neither should they. When he defeats Wayne, Ducard asks him what he fears.
After Wayne recovers, Ducard begins training him in every aspect of ninjutsu. Ducard is portrayed as a very skilled warrior and a stern teacher in these segments. Throughout his training, Bruce is unable to best Ducard, but comes extremely close during a sword battle, fought upon a frozen glacial lake. However, he forgets to take full notice of his surroundings and Ducard simply breaks the ice beneath him for the victory. While Bruce is recovering from the cold water, Ducard reveals what brought him to the League of Shadows. He once had a wife whom he loved very dearly. One day she was killed by a criminal. Ducard was almost consumed by anger until he learned to control it and channel it to obtain vengeance for his wife.
At the end of his training, Ducard forces Bruce to face him while slightly drugged. Ducard hides among several of his men while Bruce attempts to locate him. Leaping out at Bruce from his hiding place, Ducard manages to wound Bruce slightly on his arm. Bruce, however, gives an identical injury to two of the other ninja, thus tricking Ducard into believing that Bruce has left him a 'sign'. When he rushes forward to capture his 'student', Bruce reveals the trick and defeats his master. As a final test, Ducard hands Bruce a sword and orders him to kill a captured convict, but Bruce refuses, having realised that he cannot fight evil with evil's methods, and that compassion is necessary to separate him from his enemies. Ducard explains that Bruce must do what is necessary to fight evil, while Ra's reveals that they have trained Bruce with the intention of him leading the League to destroy Gotham City, which they believe has become hopelessly corrupt. Bruce subsequently knocks Ducard out and sets the League's fortress aflame, apparently killing Ra's. Ducard is rescued by his pupil before the fortress collapses.
Months later, Ducard unexpectedly reappears, and reveals that he is actually the real Ra's al Ghul (Watanabe's character was a decoy, and Henri Ducard was merely an undercover name). In the ensuing confrontation, Ra's elaborates on the League of Shadows' exploits throughout history (sacking Rome, spreading the Black Death, and starting the Great Fire of London). Ra's explains that the League plans to use a fear toxin invented by their partner Dr. Jonathan Crane (alias the Scarecrow) to infect the city with mindless panic, and watch it destroy itself. He claims that the League of Shadows had attempted to use economics as a mean of destruction, which led indirectly to the murder of Bruce's parents when Joe Chill attempted to mug them after losing his job, their deaths subsequently prompting the industries to band together and save the city. He explains that the destruction of Gotham City is merely another mission by the League to correct humanity's recurring fits of decadence. Ra's then has his henchmen burn down Wayne Manor with the intent of killing Bruce.
With the aid of Alfred, Bruce survives the fire, and confronts Ra's al Ghul as Batman, Ra's commenting that Batman took his advice of "using theatricality" too literally before escaping and going on with his plans. Batman catches up, and teacher and student have one final battle on a runaway train. Ra's' arrogance is ultimately his downfall after Batman defeats him and reveals Gordon's assistance in taking the rails out of the tracks, using Batman's Batmobile; Batman tells Ra's that he himself has failed to be mindful of his own surroundings, as Bruce had learned before. Informing Ra's that he won't kill him, but that he doesn't have to save him, the hero leaves Ra's for dead on the train, which falls moments later into a car garage and explodes.
