MURAMASA
MURAMASA
Real Name: Presumably Muramasa
Identity/Class: Unrevealed
Occupation: Swordsmith
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: An order of warriors (at least four seen), Wolverine
Enemies: Bando Suboro
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: An unidentified mountain outside Jasmine Falls
First Appearance:
(Black Blade mentioned) Wolverine II#1 (November,
1988)
(Mentioned) Wolverine II#3 (January, 1989)
(Seen) Wolverine III#40 (May, 2006)
Powers/Abilities: Muramasa can forge portions of the
spirit and emotions into powerful swords. He can also apparently somehow
incapacitate others. He likely has other abilities, though they are yet to be
seen. He is served by armored samurai-like warriors.
History:
(Wolverine III#40 (fb) - BTS) - Muramasa is allegedly an
immortal and a madman. He used men's souls to create greater and more terrible
weapons, capable of only destruction.
(Wolverine II#3 (fb) - BTS) - Muramasa forged the legendary Black Blade imbuing the metal with a piece of his soul. It was the ultimate product of his brilliance, though it was rumored to have also become infected with his madness as well.
(Wolverine II#1 (fb) - BTS) - The Cult of the Black Blade dates back centuries, some say to the birth of Japan (16th century?), and hence the Black Blade who date back to at least that age, if not earlier.
(Wolverine III#40 (fb)) <Decades ago> - Logan married a
Japanese woman, Itsu, during his fourth year of training under Bando Suboro,
re-learning inner peace. Shortly after she announced her pregnancy, Logan
participated in a ritual of grace and control, but an explosion on Muramasa's
mountain caused him to unleash his claws, wounding one of the other
participants. Suboro told Logan of Muramasa and his nature, stating that Logan
would meet him one day; it would be his final test, and he should pray that he
did not fail...again.
Shamed, Logan decided he was not worthy to stay with Istu or to raise
their child, but when he returned to their home he found her murdered (at the
hands of the Winter Soldier, though Logan did not know it at the time). With the
loss of everything he held dear, Logan descended once again into savagery. He
scaled Muramasa's mountain and was confronted by Muramasa and two of his
warriors. Muramasa told him that he had waited for the moment when Logan would
come to him as he truly was. Muramasa told him he would take what was inside of Logan and
purify it, making it stronger, harder...and then forge it into a mighty blade,
greater than any the world had ever seen and against which no man or beast that
walks the Earth could stand. Against which ever the likes of one as great as
Logan would fall. It would be his masterwork.
(Wolverine III#40 (fb) - BTS) - Muramasa apparently did as he promised, forging a blade from Logan's darkest aspects.
(Wolverine III#40 (fb) - BTS) - Logan then vanished for a month, then Muramasa's warriors delivered a completely incapacitated Logan a mere 20 feet away from where the Winter Soldier had been standing. Logan was taken to Madripoor.
(Wolverine III#40) - In recent years, following the return of his memories, Wolverine traveled to Muramasa's mountain and met with Muramasa himself. When Logan shouted that he had returned to claim that which was his, Muramasa appeared and made Wolverine state that he had come to claim revenge. Muramasa then gave him the sword he had forged from Logan's savage spirit and told him to wield it like an angry god.
Comments: Name and reputation created by Chris
Claremont.
Revisited and given an appearance by Daniel Way, Javier
Saltares, and Mark Texeira.
An alleged immortal, Muramasa would seem
most likely to be a god, demi-god, or a human mystic. He could also be an alien
or many other things, of course.
Maybe an exile of K'un-Lun?
Bando Suboro, who healed the broken souls of men who were once weapons, showing them the way of creation, considered Muramasa as his opposite balance.
This profile is not intended to cover the Muramasa Sword currently being wielded by Wolverine in Wolverine: Origins.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
No KNOWN connections to:
images: (without ads, not including intro page)
Wolverine III#40, p17, panel 2 (with two warriors)
p18, panel 2 (face)
p24, panel 3 (with sword)
Other Appearances:
Wolverine II#1 (November, 1988) - Chris Claremont (writer), John Buscema
(pencils), Al Williamson (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
Wolverine II#2 (December, 1988) - Chris Claremont (writer), John Buscema
(pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
Wolverine II#3 (January, 1989) - Chris Claremont (writer), John Buscema
(pencils), Al Williamson (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
Wolverine III#40 (May, 2006) - by Daniel Way, Javier Saltares, and Mark Texeira
Last updated: 05/31/06
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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