Lourdes (died 2015), also known as Amina Raatko,[1] was the leader of The Hidden. She was the former concubine of Ra's al Ghul,[2] ex-lover-turned-enemy of Arthur King, and the mother of Saracon and Nyssa al Ghul.
Biography
Early missions with The Hidden
As part of The Hidden, Ibadan sent Lourdes to London in order to steal a map from a wealthy collector to a hidden Ashkiri temple.[3]
In 1985, while in the Hindu Kush mountains, Lourdes made love to Arthur King, despite being betrothed to another man. That night, while Arthur went on a mission with Darius, Lourdes trained with Ibadan, with him remarking on how fast she learnt. She was questioned on what she thought of Arthur, but she merely expressed her trust solely in Ibadan. She attempted to reach Arthur and Darius via radio, but they didn't reply due to an incoming sandstorm.[4] Instead, she used binoculars to try to find them. Noticing members of the League of Assassins, she decided to go after them on horseback. She discovered Darius and Arthur's tracks, following them. Lourdes eventually found the two men, surprising them. They split paths, with Arthur and Lourdes taking the high path. They quickly discovered that the markers for the Ashkiri temple they had been searching for were in fact the mountain itself,[3] deciding to return to base camp to tell Ibadan of their knowledge. Back at camp, after alerting Ibadan, Lourdes helped Darius to pack explosives for their impending trip. She soon returned, acknowledging that they were to permanently seal the Ashkiri temple. She and Arthur left, before being caught in the explosion of their vehicle.[5]
Giving birth to her kids
In 1985, after Malcolm left her to die in Hindu Kush Mountains Darius and Ra's al Ghul saved her from Ashkiri gods, although the beasts managed to kill Darius, due to the need of sacrifice. She then became Ra's al Ghul's concubine.[2]
Lourdes eventually gave birth to a son, Saracon, and when he was ten years old they were finally rescued by The Hidden.[3] When the Hidden came for her, Ra's al Ghul kept his own blood (Nyssa al Ghul, their daughter, in exchange for Lourdes and her son's release).[6]
Operating out of Corto Maltese
Lourdes eventually began operating out of Corto Maltese, leading The Hidden along with Saracon. She watched as he cut his finger off, adorned with an ancient ring,[7] intending to send it to Arthur King, now known as Malcolm Merlyn.[8] They attacked his fortress, causing him and a number to retreat inside.[7] Lourdes destroyed a security camera before breaking through. The Hidden fought them, before they escaped through a secret exit.[8] They set charges on the wall and exploded a hole through. Once down in the tunnel, Saracon used inter-species telepathy to send bats at their enemy, allowing them to catch up. However, before they could be caught, they escaped again, having discovered a secret hole in the ground.[9] They followed them down to the Sea of Souls, where they all fought. Although the Hidden were almost overwhelmed, the local man and Rainie escaped, leaving only Malcolm. They chained him up and Saracon began torturing him, wishing for him to confess to his sins, thus admitting to his true name and telling the story of his earlier days as part of the Hidden.[4] Lourdes joined them, having left men inside the tunnel. She began to get angry at Merlyn, strangling him, but Saracon reminded her that he needed a full confession, causing her to step back.[5]
Death
She died of her injuries in the cave collapse. Before that, she had told Malcolm Merlyn that Saracon is his son, a fact later confirmed by Rainie through a DNA test on Saracon's severed finger. Her daughter Nyssa looks into the depths of the cave and sees her corpse, not knowing that Lourdes was her own mother. Nyssa asks Malcolm who she was and he lied that Lourdes was no one Nyssa knew. After that, they leave the collapsing cave, leaving Lourdes' corpse behind.[6]
Personality
Abilities
Appearances
Arrow
Season 3
- "This Is Your Sword" (mentioned)
Comics
Arrow: The Dark Archer
Trivia
- Ra's al Ghul previously claimed in "This Is Your Sword" that Nyssa's mother was named Amina Raatko. There are three possibilities for this:
- "Lourdes" is Amina's alias as a member of The Hidden.
- Lourdes adopted the name "Amina" during her affiliation with the League of Assassins.
- The comics is non-canon.
Behind the scenes
- Lourdes served as the main antagonist of the Arrow: The Dark Archer comic series.