Kung (comics)

Comics character

Kung

Publication information
Publisher| DC Comics
First appearance| Wonder Woman #237 (November 1977)
Created by| Gerry Conway
José Delbo
In-story information
Alter ego| Thomas Morita
Notable aliases| Assassin of a Thousand Claws
Abilities| Ability to transform into animals

Kung, the Assassin of a Thousand Claws is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics publications and related media, commonly as a recurring foil of the superhero Wonder Woman.[1] A Japanese-American mercenary with the magical ability to transform into animals, he first appeared in 1977's Wonder Woman #237,[2] written by Gerry Conway and illustrated by José Delbo. He would reappear several years later in both All-Star Squadron and Who's Who in the DC Universe, as well as in Crisis on Infinite Earths, the 1985 company-wide publication event that rebooted DC Comics' continuity. After the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Wonder Woman and her supporting characters and foes were re-imagined. Though originally absent from this revised mythos, Kung was reintroduced for the Modern Age in 1998's Guns of the Dragon, a four-issue DC Comics limited series by Tim Truman. An updated version of the character, a shape-shifting martial arts master, would emerge to once again confront Wonder Woman in 2007's Wonder Woman (vol. 3) Annual #1, written by Allan Heinberg and illustrated by Terry Dodson and Rachel Dodson.

## Fictional character biography[edit]

### Thomas Morita[edit]

The early life of Thomas Morita was fraught with difficulty. His parents immigrated to the United States 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 animals.

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.[3]

On March 4, 1942, Kung is hired by the mysterious Prince Daka to team up with Tsunami and Sumo the Samurai, 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.[4]

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.[5]

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.[6] He is later recruited by Brainiac as part of his massive supervillain army to conquer those remaining Earths.[7]

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.

### Kung II[edit]

A second unidentified Kung (be it a descendant or an unrelated person) debuted in Wonder Woman (vol. 3) Annual #1 (2007) as a previously unrevealed foe of Wonder Woman.

## Powers and abilities[edit]

Kung had the ability to transform himself into animal forms through concentration. Among the animals he transformed into were a man-sized insect, a tiger, and a rhinoceros. Kung was able to retain his human intelligence when transformed but reverted to his human form if he somehow lost his concentration. As a samurai, he was also a master of several Japanese martial arts.

## See also[edit]

* List of Wonder Woman enemies

## Bibliography[edit]

* Wonder Woman #237-238 (November–December 1977)
* All-Star Squadron #8 (April 1982), #42-43 (February–March 1985)
* Crisis on Infinite Earths #5 (August 1985), #9 (December 1985)
* Who's Who #13 (March 1986)
* Wonder Woman (vol. 3) Annual #1 (2007)
* Justice Society of America (vol. 2) #27-28 (July–August 2009)

## References[edit]

1. ^ Jimenez, Phil; Wells, John (2010). The Essential Wonder Woman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. p. 234\. ISBN 978-0345501073.
2. ^ Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Supervillains. New York: Facts on File. p. 183\. ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.
3. ^ All-Star Squadron #8 (April 1982)
4. ^ All-Star Squadron #42-43 (February–March 1985)
5. ^ Wonder Woman #237-238 (November–December 1977)
6. ^ Crisis on Infinite Earths #5 (August 1985)
7. ^ Crisis on Infinite Earths #9 (December 1985)

* v
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Justice Society of America

* Gardner Fox
* Sheldon Mayer

Initial members|

* Atom (Al Pratt)
* Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson)
* Flash (Jay Garrick)
* Green Lantern (Alan Scott)
* Hawkman (Carter Hall)
* Hourman (Rex Tyler)
* Sandman (Wesley Dodds)
* Spectre
* Johnny Thunder and Thunderbolt

Other members|

* Amazing-Man (Markus Clay)
* Atom Smasher
* Batman
* Black Adam
* Black Canary
* Dinah Drake
* Dinah Laurel Lance
* Captain Marvel
* Citizen Steel
* Crimson Avenger
* Cyclone
* Damage
* Doctor Fate (Hector Hall)
* Doctor Mid-Nite
* Charles McNider
* Beth Chapel
* Pieter Cross
* Dyna-Mite
* Hawkgirl
* Kendra Saunders
* Shiera Sanders Hall
* Hourman
* Matthew Tyler
* Rick Tyler
* Huntress (Helena Wayne)
* Jade
* Jakeem Thunder
* Jesse Quick/Liberty Belle
* Judomaster (Sonia Sato)
* King Chimera
* Liberty Belle
* Lightning
* Magog
* Manhunter (Kate Spencer)
* Miss America
* Mister America (Jeffrey Graves)
* Mister Terrific
* Michael Holt
* Terry Sloane
* Obsidian
* Power Girl
* Red Tornado
* John Smith
* Ma Hunkel
* Robin
* Sandman (Sandy Hawkins)
* Star-Spangled Kid (Sylvester Pemberton)
* Stargirl
* Starman
* Jack Knight
* Ted Knight
* Thom Kallor
* S.T.R.I.P.E.
* Superman
* Kal-El of Earth-22
* Kal-L of Earth-2
* Wildcat
* Ted Grant
* Yolanda Montez
* Wonder Woman
* Diana of Earth-2
* Hippolyta

Enemies|

| Golden Age|

* Black Dragon Society
* Evil Star
* Injustice Society of the World
* Brain Wave
* Fiddler
* Gambler
* Harlequin
* Huntress
* Icicle
* Per Degaton
* Shade
* Solomon Grundy
* Sportsmaster
* Thinker
* Vandal Savage
* Wizard
* Psycho-Pirate
* Ultra-Humanite
* Wotan

|

Silver and Bronze Ages|

* Baron Blitzkrieg
* Darkseid
* Crime Syndicate of America
* Epoch
* Eclipso
* King Kull
* Kobra
* Kung
* Mordru
* Nebula Man
* Secret Society of Super Villains
* Spirit King
* Stalker
* T. O. Morrow

Modern Age|

* Anti-Monitor
* Atomic Skull
* Axis Amerika
* Black Adam
* Blackbriar Thorn
* Cheetah
* Crime Doctor
* Doctor Destiny
* Doctor Polaris
* Extant
* Felix Faust
* General Wade Eiling
* Gentleman Ghost
* Gog
* Hugo Danner
* Isis
* Kulak
* Major Force
* Mammoth
* Mekanique
* Mirror Master
* Roulette
* Sabbac
* Zoom

Related teams|

* All-Star Squadron
* Freedom Fighters
* Infinity, Inc.
* Justice League
* Seven Soldiers of Victory
* Squadron of Justice
* Young All-Stars

Storylines|

* America vs. the Justice Society
* The Justice Society Returns
* The Lightning Saga
* Brightest Day

Publications|

* All Star Comics
* America vs. the Justice Society
* Last Days of the Justice Society of America
* DC Comics Two Thousand
* Earth 2
* The New Golden Age

Related articles|

* Earth-Two
* List of Justice Society titles

In other media|

* Justice League: The New Frontier
* Smallville
* Absolute Justice
* Young Justice
* Legends of Tomorrow
* Stargirl
* Justice Society: World War II
* Black Adam

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Wonder Woman

* William Moulton Marston
* Elizabeth Holloway Marston
* Olive Byrne
* H. G. Peter
* Other contributors

Characters|

| Wonder Women|

* Diana Prince
* Orana
* Artemis of Bana-Mighdall
* Hippolyta
* Nubia
* Wonder Girls
* Cassie Sandsmark
* Donna Troy
* Yara Flor

|

Supporting
characters|

* Antiope
* Etta Candy
* Fury
* Hephaestus
* Heracles/Hercules
* Hermes
* I Ching
* Julia and Vanessa Kapatelis
* Justice League
* Mala
* Nemesis (Thomas Tresser)
* The Olympian
* Paula von Gunther
* Philippus
* Poseidon
* Queen Desira
* Helena Sandsmark
* Sarge Steel
* Steve Trevor
* Wonder Man
* Zeus
* Zola

Enemies|

* Ares
* Baron Blitzkrieg
* Baroness Paula von Gunther
* Blue Snowman
* Veronica Cale
* Cheetah
* Circe
* Dark Angel
* Decay
* Doctor Cyber
* Doctor Poison
* Doctor Psycho
* Duke of Deception
* Egg Fu
* Eviless
* First Born
* Genocide
* Giganta
* Hades
* Hypnota
* Kung
* Mask
* Maxwell Lord
* Medusa
* Minister Blizzard
* Osira
* Queen Clea
* Silver Swan
* Superwoman
* Tezcatlipoca
* Zara

Factions|

* Amazons of Themyscira
* Amazons of Bana-Mighdall
* Children of Ares
* Godwatch
* Olympian Gods
* THEM!
* Titans of Myth
* Villainy Inc.

Locations|

* Aeaea
* Themyscira (The Paradise Islands)

Publications|

* All Star Comics
* Wonder Woman
* Amazonia
* Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity
* The Blue Amazon
* Comic Cavalcade
* Crossover
* The Legend of Wonder Woman
* Sensation Comics
* Superman and Wonder Woman: The Hidden Killer
* Superman/Wonder Woman
* Wonder Woman '77
* The Wonder Woman Chronicles
* Wonder Woman: Earth One
* The World's Greatest Superheroes

Storylines|

* “Introducing Wonder Woman” (1941)
* Gods and Mortals (1987)
* Challenge of the Gods (1987–88)
* War of the Gods (1991)
* The Contest (1994)
* The Challenge of Artemis (1995)
* Paradise Island Lost (2001)
* Our Worlds at War (2001)
* The Hiketeia (2002)
* Down to Earth (2003–04)
* Who Is Wonder Woman? (2006–07)
* Amazons Attack! (2007)
* The Circle (2008)
* Ends of the Earth (2008)
* Rise of the Olympian (2009)
* Flashpoint (2011)
* The Lies (2016)
* Year One (2016)
* The Truth (2017)
* Godwatch (2017)
* Trial of the Amazons (2022)

Technology|

* Golden Girdle of Gaea
* Invisible Plane
* Lasso of Truth
* Mental radio
* Wonder Woman's bracelets

In other media|

| Film|

* 1974 film
* 2009 film
* Wonder Woman: Bloodlines
* DC Extended Universe
* Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
* 2017 film
* soundtrack
* Justice League
* Zack Snyder's Justice League
* Wonder Woman 1984
* soundtrack
* Peacemaker: It's Cow or Never
* Shazam! Fury of the Gods
* The Flash

|

Television|

* Wonder Woman
* episodes
* 2011 TV pilot

Miscellaneous|

* Alternative versions
* Earth-Two
* Bizarra
* Superwoman
* Cultural impact
* Professor Marston and the Wonder Women
* Literature
* Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines

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