Katana (DC)
Katana is a female comic superhero who features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Origin
Tatsu was a Japanese woman born in the modern age where she was raised in Japan. It was said that she had a normal childhood with the exception for a proficiency for the martial arts that her parents encouraged. During this time, she met young men with among her courtiers being Maseo Yamashiro and his brother Takeo both professing their love for her. She ultimately chose Maseo with his brother not taking this decision well and he fought with his brother. Tatsu later married Maseo with his brother not attending the wedding but instead joined the ranks of the Yakuza. Tatsu and Maseo decided to make their own lives after her parents died with her becoming pregnant leading to her having two children named Yuki and Reiko. When her children were young, Takeo returned where he was armed with the Soultaker sword in order to get revenge on Maseo and claim Tatsu as his prize. During the fight, a fire broke out and in the fight between brothers Maseo was killed by Takeo who had slain him with the sword. At the same time, the fire claimed the lives of her children with an angry Tatsu managing to cause Takeo to flee though she had acquired the Soultaker. Her husband's soul had as a result of the blade become trapped in the Soultaker and urged her to escape their burning home. In the aftermath, she decided her life as Tatsu Yamashiro was over with her becoming Katana as she sought to get revenge on Takeo. She pursued General Karnz of Markovia who had given the Soultaker to Takeo of the Yakuza. (Batman and the Outsiders v1 #12)
She came to pursue Karnz to the small Baltic state of Markovia and came to successfully kill him. (Batman and the Outsiders v1 #1) After the fight, she encountered a young girl in the country who came to be named Halo. The two came to join up in order to rescue Batman who got captured by Baron Bedlam. In this time, both Katana and Halo worked together to free Batman where they came to fight in the Markovian war to defeat Baron Bedlam. Both Katana and Halo then came to be founding members of the Outsiders alongside Black Lightning, Geo-Force and Metamorpho. (Batman and the Outsiders v1 #2)
The team managed to end the Baron's tyranny in Markovia and moved to Gotham City, where they set up their headquarters in the underground base of operations of the Wayne Foundation building. Tatsu became Halo's guardian and the two moved into the penthouse of the same place. (Batman and the Outsiders v1 #3)
During one of their first missions, the Outsiders confronted the Cryonic Man and Katana was kidnapped by the villain, who wanted to remove all her organs. Thanks to the rest of the team. Katana was rescued and the villain was stopped. (Batman and the Outsiders v1 #7)
At the same time, Takeo was still at large and had followed Tatsu to Gotham City. Secretly he switched swords with her and left for Tokyo with the Outsiders on his tail. (Batman and the Outsiders v1 #11) Takeo took the sword to his master, the godfather of the Yakuza, known only as the Oyabun. Performing a specific ritual, the Oyabun and Takeo managed to recall the souls that inhabited the sword, who proceeded to take corporeal form. Among them were legendary mercenaries and assassins, but also Maseo, who was now a slave to the Oyabun. Katana had to fight them all and after a long battle that took its toll, Katana was able to reclaim the Soultaker and kill Takeo, and she could finally put an end to some of her ghosts. By undoing the ritual however, her husband returned into the sword as well. (Batman and the Outsiders v1 #12)
At Coast City, Katana was among the heroes who attended a memorial service for Green Lantern Hal Jordan. (Green Lantern v3 #81)
An army of Earth’s heroes, including Katana, appeared to take Superboy-Prime down during the Sinestro Corps invasion of Earth. The heroes focused on wrecking his armor, because after a year on Oa, and away from a yellow sun his Kryptonian body still wasn’t at full strength, and his armor collected sunlight. Superboy bragged that once the sun rose on Earth he’d be at full power. Superboy was battered by Wonder Girl and Wonder Woman, who blamed him for Superboy’s death, as well as Supergirl and Power Girl, who blamed him for the death of the Superman of Earth-2. As the fight went against him, Superboy broke down in tears. He tried to wipe them away, saying that it was impossible for boys to cry, and then whining that no one ever thanked him for sacrificing his Earth to save the multiverse. The battle lasted until dawn, and he flew into the sunrise. As he achieved full power he declared himself the one, true Superman. The Guardians arrived with Sodam Yat, the new Ion, and pitted him against Superboy-Prime. (Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Superman-Prime v1 #1)
Some time later, Geo-Force became leader of the Outsiders and Katana followed him to Markovia, where he ruled as the prince. When word about a killing attempt against Geo-Force became known, Katana questioned thugs and low-lifes to learn the source of the threat. However, when Geo-Force joined the attempts to stop the violence on the streets, Katana followed him and witnessed how he was attacked by an unknown person. Katana followed the source of the attack and found the mysterious vigilante Insider and tried to stop him, without success. After the battle, Katana recovered and found the real killer. Moments later back at Castle Markov, Katana deduced that Insider was in fact Bruce Wayne and they discussed the future of the Outsiders together. Bruce left them to work in Markovia and told Katana to take care of the team. (Bruce Wayne: The Road Home: Outsiders v1 #1)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. Tatsu Toro grew up in Japan, where she was an Olympic-level martial artist. Eventually, she met and fell in love with a man named Maseo Yamashiro, and the pair had two daughters, Yuki and Reiko. Tatsu soon retired from the Olympics and for a time, she lived a happy life with her family. However Maseo's brother Takeo, a member of the Yakuza, soon grew jealous of his brother's relationship with Tatsu. Fearing Takeo's wrath, Tatsu fled to the countryside in a vain attempt to avoid the murderous brother. In the end, Takeo found Tatsu and her family and burnt their home down to the ground. Using the sentient Soultaker Sword, a mystical Japanese artifact, Takeo butchered Tatsu's husband and two daughters. In an attempt to avenge her family, Tatsu attacked the murderer. However with the Soultaker, Takeo was able to overpower Tatsu with relative ease, before he could strike a killing blow, the Soultaker had a change of heart and chose Tatsu as its new wielder. With the blade, Tatsu killed her brother-in-law, avenging her family. Tatsu soon realized that her husband's soul rested within the blade, along with all its other victims. With the burden of the souls on her back, Tatsu was reborn as the anti-hero Katana, who would hunt the Yakuza down in an attempt to avenge all those who had been killed by Takeo. (Suicide Squad v5 #3)
At some point, Katana would save Tim Fox's life in Markovia, taking it upon herself to train him with the assistance of a man named Vesey. Though Tim declined to be her apprentice, she was present in Kyoto when he took on the nom de guerre of Jace. (I Am Batman v1 #0)
She was recruited by Amanda Waller to join a government headed superhero team that was to counter the Justice League. (Justice League of America v3 #1)
Overview
Personality and attributes
One account had her name being Tatsu Toro. (Justice League of America v3 #1)
It was said that in her husband's prime that he was considered the world's deadliest assassin by the U.S. government. (Justice League of America v3 #1)
Powers and abilities
Training in various Japanese-styled martial arts from an early age, Yamashiro was noted for being a master martial artist. (The Brave and the Bold v1 #200)
She was once able to defeat Killer Croc with a single strike by disrupting his nerves with one swift attack. (Suicide Squad: Black Files v1 #5)
She came to train under the swordsmen Tadashi where he taught her to be a samurai. (Outsiders v2 #14)
It and its twin were both forged by 14th century swordsmith Maramusa with it being cursed. The Soultaker was said to make evil men do evil acts and sometimes took the souls of those it had killed. (Batman and the Outsiders v1 #12) The ghosts within the sword advised her and warned of her danger around her. (Suicide Squad v5 #20) Within the sword was a mystic land that was referred to as the Fukumaden that others could not see and where souls could be trapped. This realm was the creation of the mad-swordsmith Muramasa who formed similar such worlds within many of the blades he had crafted to serve as refuges and means of escape for him. Animals were said to have some ability to see into this mystical world. (Suicide Squad: Black Files v1 #2)
Notes
- Katana was created by Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo where she made her first appearance in The Brave and the Bold v1 #200 (July, 1983).
Alternate Versions
- In Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies v1 #2 (2011), an alternate version of Katana appeared in the altered reality of Flashpoint.
In other media
Television
- In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Katana appeared in the setting of the animated television series where she was first voiced by actress Vyvan Pham and later by actress Kim Mai Guest.
- In Beware the Batman, Tatsu Yamashiro made an appearance in setting of the animated television series starting from the pilot episode "Hunted" with her being voiced by actress Sumalee Montano. She was the daughter of Edogawa Yamashiro and Shizuko Yamashiro with her father being a secret agent that worked at MI-6. His partner would be Alfred Pennyworth who was also Tatsu's godfather with him and Edogawa being sent on a mission against Ra's al Ghul who had acquired the Soultaker sword. Ra's would threaten Edogawa's family forcing his compliance where he turned the agent against Pennyworth where he attempted to use the sword on him. However, at the last moment, Edogawa allowed his soul to be taken by the sword to spare Alfred's life who managed to escape the League with the death of Yamashiro not being known to his family. He attended Edogawa's funeral where he met his widowed wife and promised to look after both her along with her daughter financially allowing Tatsu to attend the finest schools. Tatsu Yamashiro by the time she reached adulthood followed her father's footsteps in a career in the intelligence services were she was once stationed at Kahndaq. Around this time, she infiltrated the League of Assassins and served as one of their operatives where she took the name of Katana. She would become familiar with the League's agents such as Silver Monkey and Lady Shiva along with seeing the Soultaker sword in action. Agent Yamashiro would end up leaving the League but not before stealing the Soultaker that she kept with her in hiding. In Gotham City, her godfather Alfred Pennyworth sustained an injury and would ask Tatsu Yamashiro if she could take over his duties as butler and bodyguard to Bruce Wayne. In the episode "Family", she would learn that both Bruce Wayne and Batman were one and the same during a confrontation with the League at the Argus Club where she would lose the Soultaker sword to Lady Shiva. Afterwards, in "Allies", she officially became Batman's partner where he insisted that Tatsu try a number of protective suits of armor if she intended to support him in the field but she rejected all of them as they negated her capacity to be mobile. In addition, she urged that they track down the League of Assassins but was convinced by Batman that they would return to target Dr. Blurr. Ultimately, she settled in an all black leather suit and a mask where she wielded a katana and decided her code name to be Katana as she helped Batman in rescuing Barbara Gordon who had been kidnapped by Tobias Whale's gang. In "Darkness", she learnt the truth about her father's demise and attacked Alfred only to be stopped by Ra's al Ghul when the pair were captured by the League of Assassins. She later learnt that her father was not killed by Alfred but rather allowed himself to be trapped in order for Agent Pennyworth to be spared. Thus, Tatsu sided with Batman when he battled Ra's and reversed the chant on the Soultaker sword causing its captured souls to be freed where they took the leader of the League of Assassins away. During this moment, she met the soul of her father who was allowed to pass away in peace. Katana remained in Gotham as Batman's partner as Alfred departed in order to atone for sins made in his past career. She later made a call to Alfred asking him to return to Wayne Manor after Batman became more isolated and secretive to the point of being self-destructive in his actions.
- In Arrow, the character appeared in the third season of the Arrowverse live-action television show where she was portrayed by actress Rila Fukushima. Tatsu was the husband of Maseo Yamashiro and they had a son named Akio Yamashiro where they lived in Japan until dangerous people began targeting them leading to the family relocating to Hong Kong. Maseo would begin to work with Amanda Waller who at the time had taken over the training and oversight of Oliver Queen following him leaving the island of Lian Yu. In a series of flashbacks, it was shown that Queen lived in the Yamashiro household with Tatsu being unhappy with this arrangement. Around this time, Chien Na Wei intended to acquire the Omega virus and attacked the Yamashiro home where she kidnapped Tatsu where an arrangement was made for her release in exchange for the virus. Maseo with Oliver went for the exchange but the virus proved to be a fake though the pair were successful in releasing Tatsu with the couple being reunited with their son Akio. In the present day, Maseo called for Tatsu to come to his mountain lodge in order to treat the badly wounded Oliver Queen who had lost the duel with Ra's al Ghul and was barely alive. The League of Assassins would follow the trail to the home forcing Tatsu and Oliver to go on the move as Queen intended to return to Starling City to resume being the Green Arrow despite Yamashiro telling him he had not made a full recovery from his wounds. In "This Is Your Sword", Oliver asks her to convince Team Arrow to go to Nanda Parbat to stop the launch of the Alpha-Omega Virus that was being sent to Starling City. Whilst there, she confronted her husband Maseo who was a member of the League and killed him when he refused to leave with her. She was captured by the League afterwards with the rest of Team Arrow but separated from the group as she was inoculated from the Alpha-Omega Virus.
Films
- In Suicide Squad, Katana first appeared in the 2016 live-action film set in the DC Extended Universe where she was portrayed by actress Karen Fukuhara. Katana went on a mission to Japan, tracking down the member of the Yakuza who watched her husband's death unfold without interfering. Katana struck at least four of his men down before she finally reached her target. The man pleaded for mercy, to which Katana pointed out that there hadn't been any mercy for her husband. The man pointed out that he hadn't killed her husband, but Katana would not back down, slashing him with the sword. Katana arrived outside Midway City where she was the last member of the Suicide Squad to arrive and got aboard the helicopter transporting the squad mere seconds before taking off. She's introduced to the squad by Rick Flag and Harley Quinn jokingly said hi to her and introduced herself to Katana which caused her to ask Flag if she should kill them. She was told to stand down and did so. The helicopter transporting the Task Force X Members soon arrived in Midway City but was quickly shot down by one of the Enchantress' minions, and so the helicopter crashed. Another helicopter carrying A.R.G.U.S. soldiers managed to land safely and the A.R.G.U.S. troops were deployed to make sure the squad members survived. They did, and walked out unharmed, Katana included.
Video games
- In Infinite Crisis, Katana appeared in the MOBA as Tatsu Toro where she was voiced by actor Kelly Hu. Her husband Maseo and his twin brother Takeo were both members of the Sword Clan of the Yakuza. Maseo was killed by Takeo with the use of the Soultaker Sword leading to Tatsu taking the blade to avenge all crime by adopting the name Katana.
- In DC Legends, Katana was a playable character that featured in the iOS video game.
Appearances
- Brave and the Bold v1:
- Outsiders v1: (1983)
- Batman and the Outsiders v1:
- Justice League of America v3:
- Katana v1:
- Suicide Squad v4:
- Suicide Squad: Black Files v1:
External Links
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