SO-KI
Real Name: So-Ki (family/clan name unrevealed)
Identity/Class: Normal human (late 1890s era)
(citizen of Imperial China)
Occupation: Unrevealed (rabble leader?)
Group Membership: Boxers
Affiliations: Fellow Boxers
Enemies: Non-Chinese, especially American
Marines
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Peking (Beijing), China
First Appearance: Battle Action#27/5
(February, 1957)
Powers/Abilities: So-Ki is a proud Chinese
nationalist. He has the abilities of a standard fit adult male, but is
a firebrand who incites violence and bloodshed against foreigners. He
is fairly skilled at accurately firing a handgun.
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 165 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black (bald/shaved head)
History:
(Battle Action#27/5 (fb) - BTS) - In 1900 in Imperial
China, there was rising unrest from a group of fanatics called the
Boxers who were violently opposed to foreigners, despite the
"contributions" the foreigners had made with medicine and to local
industry.
(Battle Action#27/5) - So-Ki was a prominent
firebrand among the Boxers, leading the violent charges and looting
against Europeans and Americans in Peking, notably the legations. An
elderly local challenged So-Ki and begged him to stop, warning him
against angering the American allies, but So-Ki smacked him down and
fired up the mob as the helpless Europeans took refuge in the British
legation. A stalemate was reached with few European forces outside
Peking to match the stronger Boxer militia and the legations securely holed up
in siege, but So-Ki was willing to wait and kill the foreigners once
they sought to leave their refuge. Again the elderly sage warned So-Ki
against angering the Americans, then showed him the American Marines
storming through, successfully and bloodily clearing a path to free the besieged
Europeans and Americans. In the wake of the battle, amidst burning
wreckage, So-Ki lay injured and near death. The old sage laughed at
So-Ki for his foolishness and that China had lost a friend in the
Americans, which he predicted would lead to greater troubles for China.
Comments: Created by uncredited writer & Angelo Torres.
Given it's a 4-page illustrated story in what was effectively an American propaganda comic, this is a gross oversimplification of the complex conflict of the Boxer Rebellion, which was largely driven on ethnic and religious grounds. One positive is that it lacks the overtly racist physical caricatures of east Asian foes often seen in 1940s and 1950s comics. The events depicted in the story took place around June-July, 1900.
An interesting artistic panel, where the elderly sage
defends the Americans' presence and friendship, presents his face
against a background of the stylized sun symbol used in the Taiwanese
flag.
Profile by Grendel Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS
:
So-Ki has no known connections to:
images:
(without ads)
Battle Action#27/5, p1, pan1 (main image)
p1, pan3 (headshot)
Appearances:
Battle Action#27/5 (February, 1957) - uncredited writer, Angelo Torres
(pencils & inks), Stan Lee (editor)
First posted: 05/26/2023
Last updated:
05/26/2023
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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