Damian Wayne is a fictional Sidekick appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, created by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert, commonly in association with Batman. He is the genetically engineered son of Batman and Talia al Ghul, and thus the grandson of Batman villain Ra's al Ghul, the great-grandson of Talia's paternal grandfather Sensei, and the potential inheritor of Wayne Enterprises as the son of Bruce; he is also the grandson of Thomas and Martha Wayne. With the al Ghuls citing Bruce Wayne as the optimal successor to their empire, after a night of passion with the daughter of Ra's al Ghul, Damian was grown in an artificial womb, his existence being kept from Batman until Batman #656 (2006). In turn, the character is revealed to have originally been intended to "kill and replace his famous father," as well as serving as a host body for Ra's al Ghul, thus, in theory, unifying both Wayne and Demon factions as intended by the al Ghuls. A prototype of the character originally appeared as an unnamed infant in the 1987 story Batman: Son of the Demon, which at that time was not considered canon. Following this, various alternate universe stories dealt with the character's life, giving him various names. In 2006, the character was reinterpreted as Damian Wayne by Grant Morrison, and introduced into the main continuity in Batman #655, the first issue of the "Batman and Son" story arc. Damian Wayne is the fifth character to assume the role of Robin, Batman's vigilante partner.
The result of a "eugenics experiment", Damian, as a preadolescent, is left by his mother in the care of his father who had been unaware of his son's existence. He is violent, self-important, and was trained by the League of Assassins, learning to kill at a young age, which troubles the relationship with his father who refuses to kill. However, the Dark Knight does care for his lost progeny. After the events of Batman R.I.P. and Batman: Battle for the Cowl, he takes the role of Robin at ten years of age, becoming the fifth person to use the Robin persona. He first worked with Dick Grayson before going to work alongside his father, upon the original's return to the role of Batman. He continued to serve as Robin until 2013's Batman, Inc. #8, in which he is killed by the Heretic, an agent of his mother and his own clone of accelerated growth. In 2014's Batman and Robin vol. 2, #37, Batman resurrects Damian, and he returns to the role of Robin. Damian maintained the Robin mantle until Teen Titans Annual #2 in 2020, which saw Damian disown it following the death of Alfred Pennyworth.
In 2013, Damian Wayne placed 25th on IGN's Top 25 Heroes of DC Comics. Damian Wayne is ranked No 1 in IGN's Top Ten Best Robins and No 6 in Newsarama's 10 Most Popular Comic Book Characters Introduced in the Last 25 Years.
