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GOUGER

Real Name: Baron Shinto

Identity/Class: Normal human (Japanese citizen) (World War II era)

Occupation: Terrorist, fugitive;
   formerly prisoner;
   formerly aristocrat

Group Membership: Japanese internment camp

Affiliations: Various concentration camp prisoners/escapees

Enemies: Miss America (Madeline Joyce), Philippino embassy delegates (three, names unrevealed), US military, warplane factory workers

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile in USA (including unspecified Japanese internment camp in the desert)
   formerly Japan (presumably)

First Appearance: Miss America Comics I#1/1 (1944)

Powers/Abilities: Baron Shinto was a great hulking brute in frame, but had little fighting skills, relying more on surprise and two blades attached to his index and middle fingers to stab opponents' eyes, and his aristocrat title to gain Japanese people's compliance. He was an expert in subterfuge and duplicity, independently identifying military targets for destruction and death to promote the Japanese war effort.

Height: 6'3" (by approximation)
Weight: 200 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Black
Hair: Black

History:

(Miss America Comics I#1/1 (fb) - BTS) - Baron Shinto was in the USA at the outbreak of World War II and was interred with other Japanese plus Japanese-Americans in a concentration camp in the American desert. He was revered for his aristocratic status by at least several inmates, but all racially profiled prisoners were distrusted by the American military there.

(Miss America Comics I#1/1) - A coordinated plan across several camps was put in motion. In the exposed "exercise yard" (cultivating plants), Shinto staged an attack, stabbing himself to make it appear he had been attacked and he successfully gained a transfer to another camp. In the Jeep transport, with the guard distracted, he attached two razor-sharp talons to his fingers and attacked the driver and guard. Dumping the two wounded, Shinto made off in the Jeep before tussling with Madeline Joyce (secretly Miss America) on the road and taking her car. Shinto met with co-conspirators at a train station, where they thwarted Miss America's sudden attack and tied her up. The Japanese stole the clothes of Philippino embassy delegates (set to attend the launch of new warplanes nearby) and strapped on explosives to act as suicide bombers, and were about to shoot the Philippinos when Miss America freed herself. In the melee, Shinto and the saboteurs escaped and traveled to the nearby warplane factory. While the saboteurs went to the hangars, Shinto targeted the manager in the administrative tower with his gouging talons. But Miss America swooped in, knocking Shinto back and he fell to his death. Miss America then captured and dropped the suicide bombers away from the warplane factory and they exploded.

Comments: Created by Bill Finger (?), Ken Bald & George Klein.

Basic info about the Japanese-Americans' internment in concentration camps, unashamedly shown in the story, can be found on Wikipedia. George Takei (of Star Trek fame) has shared his own childhood experiences in a graphic novel format. This Miss America story almost reads like a justification for such internment.

Probable writer credits from comics.org. No month given for publication date.

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Gouger (Baron Shinto) has no known connections to:

images: (without ads)
Miss America Comics I#1/1, p11, pan4 (main image)
   p5, pan2 (headshot with blades)
   p2, pan1 (Shinto at right in concentration camp)

Appearances:
Miss America Comics I#1/1 (1944) - Bill Finger (writer?), Ken Bald (pencils), George Klein (inks), Vince Fago (editor)

First posted: 10/31/2020
Last updated: 10/31/2020

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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