Kung (comics)
Encyclopedia
Kung was a fictional character
in the DC Comics
universe
. The character was an Earth-2 supervillain
who fought the Wonder Woman
and All-Star Squadron
of that world in stories taking place before the Crisis on Infinite Earths
.
from Japan
before the Great Depression
. During the Depression, his father was unable to find work and eventually died. His mother died soon afterward, leaving only Thomas and his sister, Nancy. Morita traveled to his parents' homeland to train as a samurai
and learning of the Japanese-American internment only further fueled his hatred of America. At some point during his training, he underwent some unexplained mystical process that imbued him with the power to transform into animal
s.
Kung undertook his first assignment on December 30, 1941, to kill Prime Minister
Winston Churchill
on his way to Washington, D.C.
but is stopped by the hero Steel
. (All-Star Squadron #8 [April 1982])
On March 4, 1942, Kung is hired by the mysterious Prince Daka to team up with Tsunami
, Samurai, and Sumo, to infiltrate the All-Star Squadron's
headquarters and steal Starman's gravity rod. This theft is thwarted by the Guardian
and Kung escapes with Prince Daka. (All-Star Squadron #42-43 [February-March 1985])
In 1943, Kung is assigned to kill General
Douglas MacArthur
in Washington, D.C.
Wonder Woman foils the assassination attempt, but Kung escapes to his sister's home in New York
's Chinatown
. Kung tries again to assassinate MacArthur at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
, but is himself apparently killed while saving his sister from the weight of a teetering battleship
whose drydock supports had been washed away. (Wonder Woman #237-238 [November-December 1977])
Sometime prior to his death, Kung is brought aboard the Monitor
's satellite by Harbinger
as part of a combined effort to save the remaining Earths
from the Anti-Monitor
. (Crisis on Infinite Earths #5 [August 1985]) He is later recruited by Brainiac
as part of his massive supervillain
army to conquer those remaining Earths. (Crisis on Infinite Earths #9 [December 1985]).
After the effects of Crisis on Infinite Earths
, Kung's history was incorporated into the combined Earth that was formed, with some details having changed. Chief among those changes were that the Wonder Woman
that Kung fought during World War II was now a time-tossed Hippolyta and not Diana.
It is assumed that he survived his supposed death while saving his sister, because his true death was revealed in Justice Society of America #27 and 28 (July and August 2009). It was revealed that he had made a deal with the U.S. Army in 1945 to convince Hirohito
, Emperor of Japan, to surrender. However, the deadline for the surrender ran out and Hiroshima was bombed. Kung was onsite and died in the explosion. His spirit returned to plague the modern day Justice Society of America
in these issues.
A chronologically younger Kung is seen in DC's Guns of the Dragon miniseries, taking place in 1927.
A second Kung (be it a descendant or an unrelated person) debuted in Wonder Woman Annual #1 (2007) as a previously unrevealed foe of Wonder Woman
.
, a tiger
, and a rhinoceros
. Kung was able to retain his human intelligence when transformed but reverted back to his human form if he somehow lost his concentration. As a samurai, he was also a master of several Japanese martial arts
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. The character was an Earth-2 supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
who fought the Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
and All-Star Squadron
All-Star Squadron
The All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics superhero team that debuted in a special insert in Justice League of America #193 . Created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway.-The concept:...
of that world in stories taking place before the Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
.
Fictional character biography
The early life of Thomas Morita was fraught with difficulty. His parents immigrated to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
before the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. During the Depression, his father was unable to find work and eventually died. His mother died soon afterward, leaving only Thomas and his sister, Nancy. Morita traveled to his parents' homeland to train as a samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
and learning of the Japanese-American internment only further fueled his hatred of America. At some point during his training, he underwent some unexplained mystical process that imbued him with the power to transform into animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s.
Kung undertook his first assignment on December 30, 1941, to kill Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
on his way to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
but is stopped by the hero Steel
Commander Steel
Commander Steel is the name of three fictional characters, superheroes published by DC Comics, all members of the same family. The first Steel appeared in Steel, The Indestructible Man #1 published by DC Comics, and was created by Gerry Conway and Don Heck. His stories were set in World War II...
. (All-Star Squadron #8 [April 1982])
On March 4, 1942, Kung is hired by the mysterious Prince Daka to team up with Tsunami
Tsunami (comics)
Tsunami was an imprint of Marvel Comics founded in January 2003.-Overview:Marvel's goal was to create comic books that would appeal to manga readers...
, Samurai, and Sumo, to infiltrate the All-Star Squadron's
All-Star Squadron
The All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics superhero team that debuted in a special insert in Justice League of America #193 . Created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway.-The concept:...
headquarters and steal Starman's gravity rod. This theft is thwarted by the Guardian
Guardian (DC Comics)
Guardian is a comic book fictional character, a DC Comics superhero, created by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. He first appeared in Star Spangled Comics #7...
and Kung escapes with Prince Daka. (All-Star Squadron #42-43 [February-March 1985])
In 1943, Kung is assigned to kill General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Wonder Woman foils the assassination attempt, but Kung escapes to his sister's home in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Chinatown
Chinatown
A Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of overseas Chinese people, although it is often generalized to include various Southeast Asian people. Chinatowns exist throughout the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. Binondo's Chinatown located in Manila,...
. Kung tries again to assassinate MacArthur at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
Brooklyn Navy Yard
The United States Navy Yard, New York–better known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard or the New York Naval Shipyard –was an American shipyard located in Brooklyn, northeast of the Battery on the East River in Wallabout Basin, a semicircular bend of the river across from Corlear's Hook in Manhattan...
, but is himself apparently killed while saving his sister from the weight of a teetering battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
whose drydock supports had been washed away. (Wonder Woman #237-238 [November-December 1977])
Sometime prior to his death, Kung is brought aboard the Monitor
Monitor (comics)
The Monitor is a fictional character created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez as one of the main characters of DC Comics' Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series....
's satellite by Harbinger
Harbinger (DC Comics)
Harbinger is a fictional character, a DC Comics superheroine created in the early 1980s.-Fictional character biography:She and her associate, the Monitor, made several short teasing appearances in various DC comic books up until 1985, when the Crisis on Infinite Earths began...
as part of a combined effort to save the remaining Earths
Multiverse (DC Comics)
The DC Multiverse is a fictional continuity construct that exists in stories published by comic book company DC Comics. The DC Multiverse consists of numerous worlds, most of them outside DC's main continuity, allowing writers the creative freedom to explore alternative versions of characters and...
from the Anti-Monitor
Anti-Monitor
The Anti-Monitor is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain and the antagonist of the 1985 DC Comics miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths. He first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 , and was destroyed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, only to return after a long absence in Green...
. (Crisis on Infinite Earths #5 [August 1985]) He is later recruited by Brainiac
Brainiac (comics)
Brainiac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #242 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
as part of his massive supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
army to conquer those remaining Earths. (Crisis on Infinite Earths #9 [December 1985]).
After the effects of Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
, Kung's history was incorporated into the combined Earth that was formed, with some details having changed. Chief among those changes were that the Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
that Kung fought during World War II was now a time-tossed Hippolyta and not Diana.
It is assumed that he survived his supposed death while saving his sister, because his true death was revealed in Justice Society of America #27 and 28 (July and August 2009). It was revealed that he had made a deal with the U.S. Army in 1945 to convince Hirohito
Hirohito
, posthumously in Japan officially called Emperor Shōwa or , was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926, until his death in 1989. Although better known outside of Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan he is now referred to...
, Emperor of Japan, to surrender. However, the deadline for the surrender ran out and Hiroshima was bombed. Kung was onsite and died in the explosion. His spirit returned to plague the modern day Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
in these issues.
A chronologically younger Kung is seen in DC's Guns of the Dragon miniseries, taking place in 1927.
A second Kung (be it a descendant or an unrelated person) debuted in Wonder Woman Annual #1 (2007) as a previously unrevealed foe of Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
.
Powers and abilities
Kung had the ability to transform himself into animal forms through concentration. Among the animals he transformed into were a man-sized insectInsect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
, a tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
, and a rhinoceros
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
. Kung was able to retain his human intelligence when transformed but reverted back to his human form if he somehow lost his concentration. As a samurai, he was also a master of several Japanese martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
.