A YJA Moment - The League of Assassins

The League of Shadows was once known as The Hidden Ones.  Formed in Ancient Egypt in the aftermath of the reign of Rama-Tut, they sought to proactively eliminate threats to the ancient world. They trained in subterfuge and stealth, allowing them to infiltrate any enemy stronghold and strike down every foe.

Eventually, they came into conflict with both the Brotherhood of the Eye and the Order of Ancients, two unrelated secret societies who were already in conflict with each other.  Attacked from all sides, they were ousted from their positions of power and were forced to migrate from Egypt into Persia and the rest of the Ancient World.

Over the millennia they emerged from the Middle East and spread across the globe, finding the greatest spies and hunters to recruit into their order.  They took on many names during this time, but it was in the 11th Century that they would take on their most enduring name - the League of Assassins. Led by their legendary Old Men, they would change the world from the darkness, by the edge of the blade.

The goals of the League were altruistic in the beginning.  They were seekers of stability and freedom and sought to bring justice in the world. This brought them into direct conflict with the Order of the Ancients whose immortal members had a singular goal of global domination.

In the 14 Century, a young man rose to become the newest Old Man of the Mountain. He was not like the others who took on the mantle and had no interest in maintaining the traditions of the past.  He called himself The Demon's Head or Ra's Al Ghul and set about reforging the order in his image, remaking the League of Assassins into the League of Shadows.

From that point, the League became a group solely dedicated to the whims of The Demon's Head, undertaking assassination, extortion, power-brokering, and terrorist acts at his sole command.  Using the regenerative power of the Lazarus Pits, Ra's Al Ghul remained the leader far past his normal life-span and into the modern-day.  

So powerful had the League become, that it was a foregone conclusion that Vandal Savage would invite him into his villainous alliance known as The Light.  Ra's knew the threat in joining the Templar grandmaster, his archenemy.  However, the Demon's Head was pragmatic and knew the rewards were worth the risk.

Ironically joining The Light would be Ra's undoing.  The Light had made an alliance with the alien species known as The Reach, trading the resources of Earth for aid in furthering their goals.  The Young Justice team had sown discord between the Reach and the Light, leading to an altercation between the two groups.  In the process Black Beetle stabbed Ra's through the chest, killing him.  Though Ubu managed to get him to the Pit in time, it gave his enemies time to act.

Utilizing her position, Ra's daughter Talia took over the League and forced her father to retire.  Sent to their former center power, Infinity Island, where he was given a life of luxury ... and a full force of guards to make sure he stayed inactive in League affairs. As the new Head of the organization, she replaced all of those leaders loyal to her father, rebranding the organization as Leviathan.

In the wake of the attack on Earth, the loyal followers of Ra's broke away from Leviathan and freed The Demon's head from imprisonment.  Ferried him away to one of their ancient fortresses, Nanda Parbat, Ra's plotted his next move.

Returning to his roots, he has reformed the old League of Assassins in order to bring down Leviathan, retake what is his, and teach his wayward child the cost of underestimating her father.