10 Comic Book Deaths You Never Saw Coming

Years ago, Batman slept with Talia Al Ghul - the daughter of the ancient ecoterrorist, Ra's Al Ghul. Although Talia fell pregnant and had a baby called Damian, she informed Batman that she had a stillbirth so she could raise and train the child in secret.

When Damian turned ten, Talia finally allowed him to meet his father. Talia assumed she could use Damian as leverage to make Batman join her cause to take over the world. Instead, Damian abandoned his mother's crusade and became Batman's new Robin.

Dismayed, Talia had no choice but to initiate her backup plan - awaken an adult clone of Damian called Heretic and use him to dismantle society.

After her organisation, Leviathan, took over Gotham, Damian confronted his doppelgänger and engaged in a sword fight. Despite Damian's age, he had proven to be an astounding fighter, even besting the previous Robin, Tim Drake, in battle. Because of his fighting prowess, readers naturally assumed he would wipe the floor with an inferior clone of himself.

Sadly, that was not the case. Even though Damian fought valiantly, Heretic managed to impale him through the chest, killing him.