The Myth
By the 12th century, local armed forces had developed into a distinct warrior class (bushi, or samurai), completely overshadowing the military strength of the imperial government. After the 16th century, a customary ethical code called bushido was developed. It is this code by which the samurai was bound to accept death in battle rather than flee or surrender. The code emphasized personal honesty, reverence and respect for parents, willingness to sacrifice oneself for family honor, consideration for the feelings of others, indifference to pain, loyalty to one's superiors, and unquestioning obedience to duty in the face of any hardship or danger.
According to Japanese authorities, the Bushido have protected The Land of the Rising Sun for generations; recorded history only dates to WW II when that generation's Bushido allegedly died in the Hiroshima blast, although oral history dates back hundreds of years.
The Hero
Ryuko's mother was Bushido before him. Ryuko's father died while he was still a young boy. As a child, Ryuko didn't pay much attention to his mother's teachings. When she was killed by the demon, Tengu, her last word to Ryuko was ‘continue.' It was upon her death that his real education began. On that day, Ryuko assumed the legacy of Bushido. (see below for more on the Tengu).
Like his ancestors before him, Ryuko Orsono is devoted to the preservation of peace and the execution of justice, whatever the cost. As Japan's hero, Bushido battled everything from gangsters to evil supernatural forces. In particular, he wanted revenge against the Tengu, who killed his mother. His search for Tengu eventually brought him into conflict with the Titans.
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Bushido joins Titans L.A. in
TITANS SECRET FILES #2 [2000] |
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The Tengu possessed the body of Beast Boy, who was in Japan at the time. The Titans came to rescue him (with the help of Flamebird). The only thing that would defeat the Tengu was decapitation. The Titans tried to prevent Bushido from beheading Beast Boy. However, when Bushido sliced his mystically imbued sword through Gar's neck, the supernatural Tengu was expunged. Beast Boy was uninjured and Tengu was defeated. It is unknown whether or not Bushido was aware Beast Boy would even survive.
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Bushido is torn apart in
INFINITE CRISIS #4 [2005] |
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Sometime later, Gar Logan's obnoxious cousin Matt took it upon himself to hold a membership drive for an all new Titans West. As the party was crashed by a group of villains, only a few potential members remained. Gar finally agreed to have the team re-form, and Titans West was re-dubbed Titans L.A.
Titans LA members included Beast Boy, Flamebird, Herald, Bumblebee, Terra, Hero Cruz, and Captain Marvel Jr. Meanwhile, Bushido had recently left his native Japan and come to America in order to learn from the Titans how to promote peace without bloodshed. Locating Beast Boy, he elected to join Titans LA and hoped to learn the ways of peace.
But Titans LA was short-lived; No one had any real devotion to the team. Eventually, the new West Coast group of Titans dissolved before it even truly began.
Torn Apart
When Superboy from Earth Prime ran amok during the Infinite Crisis, Superboy called on his Titans allies to subdue his Kryptonian doppelganger. The misguided Superboy-Prime inadvertently slaughtered Bushido, Pantha and Baby Wildebeest before being pulled into the Speed Force by the combined might of the super-speedsters.
The weapons wielded by Bushido tend to be of an older variety, including a nagin ata and jittei, the main weapons used by the last two Bushido (one of whom is the only female Bushido on record).
Ryuko is a reluctant killer, but a killer nonetheless. The sanctity of life is paramount in his philosophy, a paradox that challenges him every time he dons his ancient arsenal. The weapons he carries trace back several generations, from his mother's nagin ata to the very first Bushido's 1Oth -century kama yari. Other weapons in his arsenal include the hachiwara, the flintlock pistol, and the shuriken. Each weapon is imbued with the soul of the warrior who wielded it – and these spirits guide Ryuko in battle. How their souls were bound to these weapons is a mystery lost centuries ago.
[1999], DC Secret Files, supplemented by titanstower.com
Titans Annual #1 [2000]: Beast Boy and Flamebird encounter ancient evil in the Land of the Rising Sun, and meet Japan's new defender, the warrior called Bushido. Nightwing, Arsenal, Troia, Flash, and Tempest soon race off to help their former comrades against a supernatural foe, but will Bushido pose an even bigger threat? In a backup story (written by Johns and Raab with art by Rick Mays), readers discover Bushido's origin and learn the warrior's code that he will struggle to obey...or die trying. First appearance and origin of Bushido.
The Titans Secret Files #2 [2000]: It's the debut of Titans LA in an astonishing all-new Special. Whether he wants it or not, Beast Boy finds himself saddled with a new West Coast branch of the Titans. But it may be the new team's final appearance as well if Fear and Loathing and the madcap Harlequin have their say. First Titans L.A. Titans LA members include Beast Boy, Flamebird, Herald, Bumblebee, Terra, Hero Cruz, and Captain Marvel Jr.
Infinite Crisis #4 [2005] & Teen Titans #32 [2005]: Superboy-Prime attacks Superboy. Superboy calls on his Titans allies to subdue his Kryptonian doppelganger. The misguided Superboy-Prime inadvertently decapitates Pantha and slaughters Baby Wildebeest and Bushido; He then freezes Red Star into crystal ice and rips off Risk's right arm before being pulled into the Speed Force by the combined might of the super-speedsters. Death of Pantha, Baby Wildebeest and Bushido.
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What is Bushido?
This term refers to the moral code principals that developed among the samurai (military) class of Japan, on a basis of national tradition influenced by Zen and Confucianism. The first use of the term apparently occurred during the civil war period of the 16th century; its precise content varied historically as samurai standards evolved. Its one unchanging ideal was martial spirit, including athletic and military skills as well as fearless facing of the enemy in battle. Frugal living, kindness and honesty were also highly regarded. Like Confucianism, Bushido required filial piety; but, originating in the feudal system, it also held that supreme honor was to serve one's lord unto death. If these obligations conflicted, the samurai was bound by loyalty to his lord despite the suffering he might cause to his parents.
The final rationalization of Bushido thought occurred during the Tokugawa period (17th century ff.), when Yamaga Soko (1622-85) equated the samurai with the Confucian "superior man" and taught that his essential function was to exemplify virtue to the lower classes. Without disregarding the basic Confucian virtue, benevolence, Soko emphasized the second virtue, righteousness, which he interpreted as "obligation" or "duty".
This strict code of honor, affecting matters of life and death, demanded conscious choice and so fostered individual initiative while yet reasserting the obligations of loyalty and filial piety. Obedience to authority was stressed, but duty came first even if it entailed violation of statue law. In such an instance, the true samurai would prove his sincerity and expiate his crime against the government by subsequently taking his own life.
By mid-19th century, Bushido standards had become the general ideal, and the legal abolition of the samurai class in 1871 made Bushido even more the property of the entire nation. In the public educational system, with the emperor replacing the feudal lord as the object of loyalty and sacrifice, Bushido became the foundation of ethical training. As such, it contributed both to the rise of Japanese nationalism and to the strengthening of wartime civilian morale up to 1945.
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The Tengu
The Tengu: Titans Adversary
The Tengu first appeared in Titans Annual #1, figuring prominently into the origin of the new Japanese hero, Bushido.
As a child, Ryuko didn't pay much attention to his mother's teachings. When she was killed by the demon, Tengu, her last word to Ryuko was ‘continue.' It was upon her death that his real education began. On that day, Ryuko assumed the legacy of Bushido [Bushido's origin tale is in Titans Annual #1]. His search for Tengu eventually brought him into conflict with the Titans. The Tengu possessed the body of Beast Boy, who was in Japan at the time. Bushido sliced his mystically imbued sword through Gar's neck, the supernatural Tengu was expunged. Beast Boy was uninjured and Tengu was defeated.
According to Japanese legend, The Tengu was a breed of mischievous mountain goblins infamous for taking pleasure in the torment of priests and small children. In Titans Annual #1, the Tengu was shown as a powerful supernatural force, with abilities that included shape-shifting, flight and possession.
What is the Tengu?
According to Encyclopedia Britannica...
Tengu: in Japanese folklore, a type of mischievous supernatural being, sometimes considered the reincarnated spirit of one who was proud and arrogant in life. Tengu are renowned swordsmen and are said to have taught the military arts to the Minamoto hero Yoshitsune. They live in trees in mountainous areas. A group of tengu is headed by a chief, who is depicted with a prominent nose, angry and threatening expression, dressed in red robes and carrying a feather fan. He is served by a group of retainers called koppa tengu ("leaflet" tengu) who act as his messengers. In popular art they are shown as smaller winged creatures with long red noses or beaklike mouths.
The Tengu of Japanese Mythology
Tengu are born from giant eggs and live in the mountains. Bird tengu congregate in high trees. In their last incarnation as humans, tengu were arrogant samurai or priests-that is why they have beaks or long noses. The expression tengu ni naru is thus an admonition to avoid being arrogant. If they do good deeds, however, tengu can be reborn as humans. Tengu, unlike obake (ghosts), are always shown with feet. Yamabushi tengu usually have extremely wrinkled feet to show their old age.
The wings of bird tengu are usually shown with ordinary feathers. However, some authorities describe the wings as shimmering, like those of a hummingbird.
Tengu can take human form, usually to trick people. Tanuki (badgers) and kitsune (foxes) have the same power but their true forms are revealed by their shadows or reflections. Thus, a kitsune which has taken the form of a beautiful woman will often be depicted casting the long nosed shadow of a fox. I suspect that the true forms of tengu would be similarly revealed. If a tengu is struck down by magic or a powerful martial artist, it will often transform into a wounded blackbird.
Tengu speak without moving their mouths, as if by telepathy. They can also possess and speak directly through people as well as appear to them in dreams. Tengu apparently have a hierarchy. Long nosed tengu are generally in charge of bird tengu. The king of all tengu is Sojobo, an elderly, white-haired yamabushi tengu. Sojobo is famous for teaching martial arts and strategy to Minamoto Yoshitsune on Mt. Kurama, north of Kyoto.
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