Ogun is a fictional character

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...

, a 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...

ese 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...

 in the Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics

Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...

 universe

Marvel Universe

The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...

 and a foe of Wolverine

Wolverine (comics)

Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...

. His first appearance was in Kitty Pryde & Wolverine #1 (November, 1984). The issue was scripted by Chris Claremont

Chris Claremont

Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...

 and drawn by Allen Milgrom.

Fictional character biography

Ogun was a ninja

Ninja

A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...

 and 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....

 master who acted as Wolverine's mentor. Very little is known of his past or the exact nature of his abilities, but he was apparently a mutant

Mutant (Marvel Comics)

In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...

 who could possess and control minds via telepathy

Telepathy

Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...

. His reflexes and reaction time also appear to have been enhanced beyond the range attainable by normal humans, such as that he was easily a match for Wolverine. Note that either or both of these abilities may have been wholly or partially mystical

Mysticism

Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...

 in nature.

According to Wolverine

Wolverine (comic book)

Wolverine is a number of Marvel Comics comic book series starring the X-Men member Wolverine.-Publication history:The first Wolverine was a limited series written by Chris Claremont with pencils by Frank Miller, inks by Joe Rubinstein, letters by Tom Orzechowski, and colored by Glynis Wein...

#113 (May, 1997), Ogun first met Wolverine in Shanghai

Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

, China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

. At the time Shanghai was held by the Empire of Japan

Empire of Japan

The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...

, following the Battle of Shanghai in the Second Sino-Japanese War

Second Sino-Japanese War

The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...

 (1937–1945). Ogun was reportedly active in the War as a captain

Captain (OF-2)

The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...

 of the Imperial Japanese Army

Imperial Japanese Army

-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...

. Wolverine was only a wandering sailor

Sailor

A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...

 but managed to draw the attention of the captain who would seek his acquaintance. The issue was scripted by Larry Hama

Larry Hama

Larry Hama is an American comic book writer, artist, actor and musician who has worked in the fields of entertainment and publishing since the 1960s....

 and drawn by Leinil Francis Yu

Leinil Francis Yu

Leinil Francis Yu is a Filipino comic book artist, who began working for the American market through Wildstorm Productions. In an interview published in Marvel's Daily Bugle newsletter, he described his style as "Dynamic Pseudo-Realism."-Career:Leinil Francis Yu was first recognized after winning...

.

At some point in the past, Ogun fell from the path of honor and became a criminal enforcer for the Yakuza

Yakuza

, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...

. Ogun mentally possessed Kitty Pryde, Wolverine's X-Men

X-Men

The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...

 teammate, trained her as a ninja, and attempted to turn her into an assassin. Under Wolverine's care, however, Kitty recovered and resisted another brainwashing attempt, and Wolverine was eventually forced to kill Ogun.

Years later, Ogun returned as a disembodied spirit and, mentally possessing host after host, again attacked Wolverine and Kitty Pryde. With Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider (comics)

Ghost Rider is the name of several fictional supernatural antiheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Night Rider and subsequently to Phantom Rider.The first supernatural Ghost Rider is...

's help, Wolverine figured out that to destroy Ogun he need only destroy Ogun's enchanted mask (apparently he had several as the first was already destroyed). Ogun was thus destroyed, seemingly for good.

Later, Ogun returned yet again this time travelling from host body to host body and he even tried to take over the body of Lady Deathstrike

Lady Deathstrike

Lady Deathstrike , occasionally spelled "Deathstryke", is a Marvel Comics supervillain, a foe of the X-Men, especially Wolverine.Her father Lord Dark Wind created the adamantium-bonding process that was forced on Wolverine...

. Wolverine found a way to force him out of all available host bodies and into the body of Viper

Viper (comics)

Viper is the name of three fictional characters in the Marvel Comics universe. All three are villains.-Viper :The first known Viper was created by Steve Englehart, Steve Gerber, Sal Buscema and John Verpoorten and first appeared in Captain America #157 .-Fictional character biography:Jordan...

 who Wolverine impaled (non-lethally). Panicking, Ogun jumped from Viper's body but having no form to inhabit, seemed to evaporate away.

But as seen somewhat later Ogun even survived that and tried to take his revenge on Kitty Pryde and Wolverine by luring them onboard of the Hellicarrier he was able to control through the things about cyberpathy he learned while taking over Lady Deathstrike, but once again he was defeated. It is not known what happened after Kitty managed to convince him of the error of his ways inside the astral plane.

Powers and abilities

The extent and nature of Ogun's powers was never fully revealed. He demonstrated the ability to control minds and could remove his spirit from his body and place it in a new host (submerging the personality of that body). His original body also seemed to be somewhat resistant to injury, although Wolverine managed to kill him. Ogun was able to survive impalement through the torso by a sword thrust with no apparent ill-effects. His reflexes and agility were heightened beyond normal human levels. It is implied that Ogun was a telephatic mutant who also had some mystical powers, but this was never clearly specified.

In life he was also apparently capable of slowing or completely halting his aging; a legend is mentioned where he had once a duel of wills with the Japanese swordmaster Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi

, also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman and rōnin. Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his excellent swordsmanship in numerous duels, even from a very young age...

.