HANA

Real Name: Hana Yanowa

Identity/Class: Human magic-user;
    Japanese citizen;
    19th century and modern era

Occupation: Necromancer, agent of Ryuki

Group Membership: Formerly the Shosei Order

Affiliations: Followers of Ashurado, Ryuki, Shisengumi, various demons of Ashurado

Enemies: Amiko Kobayashi, Oinari, Shosei Order, Wolverine (Logan/James Howlett), Mana Yanowa, Yukio

Known Relatives: Mana Yanowa (sister)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Kyoto, Japan

First Appearance: (Mentioned/Vision) Wolverine: Soultaker#1 (May, 2005);
    (seen) Wolverine: Soultaker#3 (June, 2005)

 

 

Powers/Abilities: Hana was rarely seen without Ryuki, but it is known that she had power comparable to Mana's, and that she could fire magical bolts and summon demons. She used a necklace to focus her powers. When possessed by / bonded with Ryuki, she could reanimate and control the dead, and presumably much more. She was a skilled swordfighter.

Height: 5'2"
Weight: 100 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown

 

 

 

 

History:
(Wolverine: Soultaker#3 (fb) - BTS) - The members of the Shosei Order were mystic guardians of Japan. Hana's ancestors protected Japan's shores for over 800 years. A lineage of Miko priestesses safeguarded Japan from demons, curses, and magical threats over the centuries.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#3 (fb)) - A Miko priestess and a pair of warriors battled a giant, red, magical creature.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#3 (fb)) - A Miko priestess, alongside a white tiger, battled a giant blue demon from Hell.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#3 (fb)) - As one priestess fell, another would take her place and serve her order as its champion.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#4 (fb) - BTS) - As each priestess died, her blood was drawn and added to a case that held the Blade of Blood, the Shosei Order's ceremonial weapon, to join that of all who had served before her. It was believed that by doing so, along with the blood, part of the deceased's soul was transferred into the Blade, making it a powerful weapon.
    The Blade would only respond to the current head priestess of the Shosei Order; for someone else to use it, the priestess had to willingly give it over to them, commanding the souls to respond to the hand of another.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#3 (fb)) - Hana and her twin sister Mana were born to the Miko priestess lineage, destined to clash over leadership of the Order. This meant little as they were children, but as they grew older they became bitter rivals, each trying to prove themselves the more capable warrior.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#3 (fb)) - When it came time to decide who would inherit the mantle of leadership, Mana emerged victorious.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#3 (fb)) - Mana became high priestess of the Shosei Order, while Hana turned her back on the Order and departed.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#3 (fb)) - Hana studied dark and forbidden mystic arts to increase her own power.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#3 (fb)) <1864 AD> - Hana eventually returned and sought to assume control of the Order via her dark powers. As Mana and Hana battled, Hana loosed the ancient demon Ryuki, a demon from Ashurado, the fourth level of Hell with the power to control the dead. Ryuki possessed Hana's body and sought to have his undead minions slay innocent victims whose souls Ryuki would absorb, increasing his own power. Once sufficiently powerful, Ryuki would be able to open a gateway at the Bridge of Six Realms and crossover from Hell into Earth in his own body.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#3 (fb) - BTS) - Ryuki started his mission by taking Hana to Mibu-Zuka and reanimating the Shisengumi, eleven of the most deadly samurai to ever live; they had been executed as traitors when the shogunate fell.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#3 (fb)) - With no time to come up with a more permanent solution, Mana trapped Ryuki's soul within her (Mana's necklace), but was forced to also trap both Hana's and her own soul within the necklace as well.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#3 (fb) - BTS) - The Shosei Order protected Mana and Hana's bodies and the necklace, the Mark of Mana, in hopes of finding a way to save their imprisoned souls. Decades passed as no spell could be found that would release the sisters without freeing Ryuki.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#3 (fb) - BTS) - One night, an Ashurado cult that had long worshipped Ryuki stormed the Shosei shrine and stole Hana's body and the Mark of Mana. However, without Mana's body they could not perform the spell to release Ryuki.
    For years the Shosei Order kept Mana's body hidden while the Followers of Ashurado searched for it.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#1 (fb) - BTS) - The thief Yukio stole the Mark of Mana necklace from the temple the Followers of Ashurado, after which she began to hear a female voice, muttering about twin sisters, ancient evil, and the end of the world.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#1 - BTS) - Wolverine brought Yukio and the Mark of Mana to see Kenichiro, a friend of his versed in Japanese mysticism. They were ambushed by the Followers of Ashurado; Kenichiro was slain, but Wolverine and Yukio polished off their attackers and departed with the Mark of Mana, which granted Logan visions of Hana & Mana. It told him where to go to start looking for answers.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#2) - Logan followed the Mark's guidance to travel to Kyoto where he located and infiltrated a temple holding Mana's body. He confronted the Servants of Shosei and learned they were her protectors before they were all attacked by more of the Followers of Ashurado. The Servants of Shosei fell before the powerful Ashurado followers, but not before their leader told Logan to take Mana and her blade and flee, and he fought his way out. Logan took Mana's inert body to a distant house and placed the Mark of Mana on her, hoping that this would allow Mana to tell him what to do. Contact with the Mark indeed awakened Mana, restoring her soul to her body, but it also released Hana's spirit.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#3) - Mana explained the threat to the planet to Logan, and the two joined forces: Mana blessed and purified his whole body and gave him a set of gloves.
    As Mana expected, Hana and Ryuki again started their efforts by raising the Shisengumi outside the Mibu-Zuka temple. Hana used her black-beaded necklace in the spell to raise the Shisengumi.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#4) - Confronted by Logan, Hana/Ryuki mocked him as a foreign animal lacking weapons; Logan revealed his claws and destroyed the Shisengumi. Hana/Ryuki then told Logan  that Mana could end their struggle by delivering to them the Blade of Blood at the Bridge of Six Realms at sunset tomorrow; and if Mana failed to do so, Ryuki/Hana would bring Hell to Earth.
    Meanwhile, Mana learned from the god Oinari that Ryuki's weakness was to gold (similar to how many spirits had weakness to silver or iron). She met with Logan soon after Hana/Ryuki's departure, having correctly assumed Hana/Ryuki would want the Blade of Blood and brought it with her; she knew that Ryuki wished to use the power of the Blade's souls to open a gateway to Ashurado. She gave Logan the Blade, telling him he would wield it against Hana/Ryuki at the proposed meeting place, as this would be their chance to put an end to Hana's madness once and for all and to send Ryuki's spirit back to Ashurado.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#4 - BTS / Wolverine: Soultaker#5 (fb) - BTS) - Mana led Logan to acquire some gold, which they used to coat the claws on his right hand.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#5 (fb) - BTS) - Ryuki's agents ambushed and captured Yukio, as well as Logan's adoptive daughter, Amiko Kobayashi.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#4) - The next day, Mana and Logan (wielding the Blade of Blood), met Hana/Ryuki and Ryuki and Ryuki's demon legions at the Bridge of Six Realms at sunset.

(Wolverine: Soultaker#5) - Hana/Ryuki demanded Mana hand over the Blade of Blood, but Mana refused, denouncing Hana as no longer being her sister and telling Ryuki they would use the Blade to destroy him. Using her blade and her mystic spells, Mana aided Logan in slaughtering Ryuki's demon-monsters. Ryuki/Hana then summoned a number of harpy-creatures carrying Yukio and Amiko and demanded Logan surrender the Blade to save their lives. Despite Mana's protests, Logan gave the Blade to Ryuki/Hana who then used it to knock Logan away. As the demon prepared to add Yukio and Amiko to his soul harvest, Mana opposed him, using her smaller blade to counter the Blade of Blood. As they battled, Mana apologized, noting that she had been left no choice, and then Logan impaled and then slashed Ryuki with his gold-coated claws. Collapsing but refusing to accept defeat, Hana crawled toward her weapon, but Mana held Logan back, demanding the honor of ending her sister's life. Hana begged to be trapped back within the Mark of Mana, but Mana told her that it was too late for mercy and that her fate belonged with her demon lover, Ryuki, in Hell. She plunged her dagger into Hana's chest, killing her.
    With Hana's death, Ryuki and his demons were cast back to Ashurado.

Comments: Created by Akira Yoshida and Shin "Jason" Nagasawa.

    You can tell the difference b/t Hana and Mana by the dots between their eyebrows. Hana has a single row of dots, while Mana has two rows of dots.

    Mana noted that while the dead were usually cremated in Japan, criminals and murderers were often executed and buried as authorities felt they did not deserve the honor of burial

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
No KNOWN connections to:

 

images: (without ads)
Wolverine: Soultaker#3, p5-6, panel 1 - line of high priestesses
          p5, panel 4 - young Hana & Mana
          p7, panel 3 - Hana - main image
          p8, panel 3 - Mana vs. Hana
            panel 4 - Hana w/ Ryuki

Appearances:
Wolverine: Soultaker#1-2 (May, 2005) - Akira Yoshida (writer), Shin "Jason" Nagasawa (artist), John Barber (assistant editor), Nick Lowe (editor)
Wolverine: Soultaker#3-4 (June-July, 2005) - Akira Yoshida (writer), Shin "Jason" Nagasawa (artist), Sean Ryan & John Barber (assistant editor), Nick Lowe (editor), Mike Marts (consulting editor)
Wolverine: Soultaker#5 (August, 2005) - Akira Yoshida (writer), Shin "Jason" Nagasawa (artist), Sean Ryan  (assistant editor), Nick Lowe (editor), Mike Marts (consulting editor)

Last updated: 07/05/14

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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