You may be familiar with the Lazarus Pit from the original DC Comics, best known for its role in empowering Ra's al Ghul, Batman's fictional supervillain antagonist. Nowadays, of course, the Pit of Lazarus has taken on a slightly more modern look and appears on television with some regularity.Mushrooms; arrowsthrough television programsSetaeLegends of Tomorrow.
The Lazarus Pit plays a much larger role in our overall understanding of these programs than we may believe—or at least initially understand. In fact, it seems that almost every supervillain that appears inSetaeLegends of Tomorrowactually took a sip of water from the Lazarus Pit, which made her even more dangerous and evil.
Qe should not underestimate the very important role played by the Lazarus Pit. Instead, let's learn about its history. Only then can we truly understand some of our favorite DC protagonists and supervillains. While many think of the Lazarus Pit as just a MacGuffin or plot device, it's actually an important part of the mythos in some of our favorite DC comics and shows.
Read about the15 things you didn't doI don't know anything about the Lazarus Pit.
15. Drinking from the pit makes you bloodthirsty
From the beginning we knew that the Lazarus Pit is not all sunshine and rainbows. It has some pretty nasty side effects when all is said and done. Some who have drunk from the Pit of Lazarus quickly realize that something is slightly different in hindsight - they have attained what is called bloodlust.
After drinking from the well, at first we think people just got more aggressive, but it's more than that. They also get a lot stronger - in fact, they gain superhuman abilities.
But with these abilities come many downsides, including the need to hurt and kill others. An example of this is when Thea hits someone who annoys her a little.
14. The more healing you need, the more aggressive you become
Depending on what state a person is in when they first drink from the Pit of Lazarus, the side effects can be far worse than mere aggression. If someone who is dead or nearly dead drinks from the well, that person will find themselves with the bloodlust mentioned above. When someone cannot quench their thirst for blood, they go berserk and become particularly aggressive.
Essentially, if the fountain heals you a lot instead of just a little, the nasty side effects will be a lot worse. For Thea, who was almost or completely dead after her fight with Ra's al Ghul, the aggression and bloodlust she experiences afterwards is more intense than for someone who just drank from the well to heal a broken leg or wound Light. .
13. It contains parts of the souls of people
The reason the Pit of Lazarus can have such dire and deadly side effects is because of what it is made of.
Every time a person drinks from this terrible and great fountain, parts of their soul mix with the water - and actually become part of the water. This means that with every sip from the Lazarus pit, not only healing water but also pieces of other people's souls are drunk.
Malcolm Merlyn becomes an expert on pit conditions. He is the person who reveals to the others on Team Arrow that it was the Lazarus Pit that allowed Ra's al Ghul to live so long. He also warns Oliver that he would rather die Thea than be resurrected by the death pit.
12. Becomes less effective each time it is used
Of course, as with anything seemingly so magical and powerful, the Lazarus Pit is not all it appears to be.
Anyone who uses well water regularly will notice its effects less and less over time. This means that the person who drinks from the fountain must also drink more each time.
The more someone drinks from the well, the more bloodthirsty they become. This is one of the reasons why Ra's al Ghul became so deadly - not only was his fighting skills particularly enhanced thanks to the pit, but also because he had to drink more and more to reach maximum efficiency, he was also particularly strong and bloodthirsty.
11. It was named after the biblical figure Lazarus
It's always interesting when a fictional comic, book, TV show, or movie has parts based on real life.
For thePfeilverse, that goes for the backstory behind the Lazarus Pit. The well's name, Lazarus, is actually the name of a biblical figure named Lazarus of Bethany from the Gospel of John.
According to the Bible, Christ raised Lazarus of Bethany from the dead after lying in the tomb for four days - hence the name "Lazarus' pit" quite aptly.
However, in the case of the Bible, Lazarus of Bethany was a saint who was revived by the power of God, while in the Arrowverse most who drink from the well become evil.
10. Damien Darhk is the last to have a water supply
Damien Darhk or Kenneth Bender was the last person to use the Lazarus Pit before it was destroyed. Once a member of the League of Assassins and henchman of Ra's al Ghul, Darhk later turned against him and formed his own terror league called H.I.V.E.
By escaping death at the hands of Ra's al Ghul, Darhk successfully stole enough water from the Lazarus Pit to aid him in his plans for over 100 years.
Due to Darhk's intrigues, he becomes the only person to use the Pit's powers for years after it was destroyed. As a result, he wields tremendous power many years later and his league, H.I.V.E., thrives as a terrorist organization for a time.
9. Once owned by Malcolm Merlyn
Malcolm Merlyn has always been a controversial and contradictory character, oscillating between good and evil. While his character tends towards good, he has always been held back by his history and lineage and the fact that he owned the Lazarus Pit for some time.
In fact, Merlyn was the last person to own the well before it was destroyed.
Having owned the Lazarus Pit for some time, Merlyn knew a little about the healing and damaging powers of the water in the pit and educated other members of Team Arrow about the potential dangers. Therefore, Merlyn warned Oliver against using the waters of the Lazarus Pit to heal Thea - because he knew the unpleasant side effects.
8. Also called the fountain of youth
Since Lazarus Pit sounds a little weird, it should come as no surprise that it has taken on other names over the years. One of the more prominent names that really stuck was "The Fountain of Youth".
Obviously there's a reason this name is appropriate for something like this - the fountain awakens those who are dead or near death, healing the wounded and granting strength, agility and energy to those who drink from it.
However, “the fountain of youth” is also a misnomer—obviously, the negative side effects of drinking from the fountain can have the opposite effect if those who drink it have not quenched their blood thirst, not to mention death and injury . felt by those who fall victim to the drinkers of the pit.
7. Pit kills a healthy user
In the DC Comics we learn that while the pit can be regenerating to the sick or dying, it actually kills anyone sane.
Really, that makes sense. If digging is already having such nasty side effects on those barely alive or badly injured or ill, imagine the side effects it would have on someone not injured or ill?
In the TV seriesSetaeLegends of TomorrowHowever, this notion of being harmful to sane users does not fit what is happening in the comics because, at least in these TV shows, the pit is also used by sane individuals to live longer and delay aging and increase yours Power.
6. The only cure for bloodthirst is lotus elixir
By now we're well aware of the deadly effects of the Lazarus Pit, and Bloodlust's side effect is particularly alarming.
Fortunately, there is something that can counteract the effects of Bloodlust and restore the person who drank from the Pit of Lazarus to a normal state where they don't need to kill or hurt to be calm or content.
The cure for Bloodlust is an elixir called Lotus. It was created by enemies of the Assassins League to fight the recruits that the Assassins League receives thanks to the magical powers of the water from the Lazarus Pit.
The lotus is used to counteract the fountain's effects on Thea when she is forced to drink the water after death.
5. There is more than one fountain in the comics
Oddly enough, the TV shows chose to only have a moat. However, there is more than one ditch in DC comics that can be used for resurrection purposes.
In the comics, most of the pits are in the mountains of Switzerland, where Ra's al Ghul has its headquarters.
There is another Lazarus Pit on Infinity Island. In this case, the moat is much stronger than the others because the water is connected to the island's volcanoes. This means that different chemicals mix with the healing/aggression chemical, resulting in a much stronger result.
In the comics, all of Bane's and Batman's pits are said to be destroyed - but one - which explains why the show could only have one Lazarus pit instead of several.
4. Historians have written about it
As if we didn't already know that the Lazarus Pit is incredibly ancient, we also learned that it was written a long, long time ago - in the 5th century BC. BC to be exact.
Indeed, according to Ra's al Ghul, as he explains just before his death how he managed to live so long past his deadline. The historian Heredot wrote about the well. Once again we have to commend the authors ofSetaeLegends of Tomorrowfor really taking off in the backstory of the Lazarus Pit.
Many television shows contain inconsistent information throughout their duration, highlighting discrepancies between someone or one's backstory from season to season. For these shows, however, the old, somewhat fact-based backstories give them a whole other level of sophistication and intrigue.
3. In the comics, Nyssa can use the fountain multiple times
Since we're already smitten with the stunning Nyssa Raatko, Ra's al Ghul's daughter, it's no surprise that she's also a genius. It is her ingenuity that helps her find a way to stop the pit's effect in the comics forever.
Under normal circumstances, a lazarus pit can only be used once. However, it is Nyssa who figures out how to use it multiple times - and does so to live into the modern age. In fact, Nyssa becomes something of an expert on the subject of Lazarus' pit, able to heal wounds with its water.
Although she remains very attached to the Lazarus Pit, both in the comics and in theSetaelegends of tomorrow,Nyssa has a good heart and eventually realizes the harmful effects the pit can have on those who drink it.
2. According to Quran, it was found by Al-Khidr
The connection between the Lazarus pit and the biblical figure Lazarus of Bethany is not the only religious story related to this magical phenomenon.
AccordinglyPfeilverseAccording to legend, the well was first discovered by a servant of God, al-Khidr, and mentioned in the Qur'an.
Although there is not much backstory other than that of Al-Khidr and his discovery of the Lazarus Pit, it is interesting to see how old the pit actually is. It's amazing that the creators of DC decided to bring history and fiction together to create this complex, ancient backstory for an important part of the Arrowverse.
While portrayed as ancient in the comics and the various television series, it is much older than we would have guessed based on its mention in an ancient text like the Quran.
1. Nyssa destroyed the well for love
Although Nyssa Raatko controlled the pit for a long time, using it herself for years and seeing what she had done to her father's Ra's al Ghul, she eventually grew tired of its negative side effects.
When his former lover Sara Lance dies temporarily, Malcolm uses the pit to revive Sarah. Enraged, Nyssa realizes that Sara will not be the same person Nyssa knew and loved since her soul was destroyed, and decides once and for all that the pit must be destroyed. She just does that, and that's the end of the Lazarus Pit.
While Nyssa is definitely a controversial and confusing character, as we never know if she's good or evil, her motive for destroying the Pit is a noble one. Eventually, over time, she realizes that the benefits of the Lazarus Pit are not worth the pain and damage it causes.
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Do we have any interesting facts or background stories related to thePfeilverseThe Lazarus Pit? Let us know in the comments!