Bane, the villain who broke Batman’s spine in the Knightfall story arc, returns to Santa Prisca, the Caribbean island of his birth to learn the identity of his father. Because his father had belonged to the revolution, his mother was in prison when Bane was born. It was there that Bane came of age, then escaped to Gotham City where he defeated Batman as a test of his merit. Now the desire for answers leads Bane around the world, eventually uncovering a connection to the Order of Saint Dumas, the secret cult which is responsible for the existence of Azrael. Coincidentally, Jean Paul Valley, the latest to assume the mantle of Azrael, filled in for Batman after Bane disabled him. Bane then encounters Ra's Al Ghul, who is also pursuing the Order in his quest to save the earth by severely reducing its population.