Karate Kid (character)
| The Karate Kid | |
|---|---|
| File:Dckaratekid.jpg | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Adventure Comics #346 (July 1966) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Val Armorr |
| Team affiliations | Legion of Super-Heroes |
| Abilities | master of every martial art in the 30th century, likely the greatest martial artist of all time |
Karate Kid (Val Armorr) is a fictional character, a superhero in the future of the DC Comics universe. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes who is a master of every form of martial arts to have been developed by the 30th century. The extent of his skill was so great that he could severely damage various types of hard material with a single blow and was briefly able to hold his own against Superboy through use of what he called "Super Karate".
Fictional biography
Val Armorr was the son of Japan's greatest crimelord, Kirau Nezumi, also known as Black Dragon. When he was born, his mother, the American secret agent Valentina Armorr, tried to hide him from his father, but she failed and was killed for her affront. Japan's biggest hero Sensei Toshiaki White Crane eventually killed Black Dragon for his crimes and adopted the infant Val. He raised Val as if he were his own son, and trained him in all manner of the martial arts. Val became the youngest warrior ever to earn the title Samurai, and he went to work for his local shogun. However, after trying his best and failing to please his supervisor, he quit and searched the galaxy for new forms of battle to master.
When Val returned to Earth, he found that the Legion of Super-Heroes was searching for new recruits to help fend off an impending Khund invasion. He applied, and, although he had no superhuman powers, was accepted, when he demonstrated, by almost defeating Superboy in combat, just how effective he could be. His Legion career almost ended ignominiously when fellow recruit Nemesis Kid framed him for betraying Earth to the Khunds, but Nemesis Kid's own treachery was discovered in time, and Val went on to become one of the greatest Legionnaires ever. As Karate Kid, Val was the Legion's leader for one term and once took on the entire Fatal Five single-handedly.
Val fell in love with Princess Projectra, who joined the Legion at the same time he did. In order to prove his worthiness of the princess's hand, he took a leave of absence and spent about a year in the primitive 20th century. During his visit there, Karate Kid was featured in an eponymous, short-lived comic book series. He returned to find Projectra's father dead. With Val's and the other Legionnaires' help, she won the throne from over cousin Pharoxx. Val officially became Projectra's consort soon afterward and resigned from the Legion.
Wedded bliss did not last long. He and Projectra returned from their honeymoon to find that her planet, Orando, had been taken over by the Legion of Super-Villains. Val, Projectra, and several other Legionnaires were captured by the villains. When the heroes escaped to oppose the villains, Val fought their leader, Nemesis Kid. Nemesis Kid beat Val almost to death, and Val wanted to continue to fight so that he could die in battle—the ultimate honor by his cultural standards. But at Projectra's urging, Val instead used his remaining strength to destroy the power source for the machines that were moving Orando into a strange dimension. In revenge, Projectra killed Nemesis Kid soon afterward. A memorial to Val was built on Shanghalla.
Powers
Karate Kid was the master of every form of martial arts to have been developed up to the 30th century; his skill in hand-to-hand combat was superhuman, allowing him to simulate super-strength blows. Through training, he could severely damage extremely hard and strong materials--metals, stone, etcetera--with a single blow; he was briefly able to hold his own against pre-crisis Superboy, and once managed to restrain a mind-controlled Kryptonian. He was also skilled with melee weapons, though he rarely needed to use them. He once carved a knife, hilt and all, out of a stone column using only a small rock as a tool, in a few hours. In addition to his physical skills, Val possessed the ability to sense the weakest spot in an object (which may have been why his blows were so effective), like the Marvel character Karnak. In addition, his training included mental discipline which makes him more resistant to mind control.
Reboot version
The post-reboot Karate Kid is very much alive. Initially a member of Leonard McCauley's Workforce team, he resigned to join the Legion when McCauley, in his eyes, planned to "desecrate" a space anomaly.
Threeboot
With the 2004 relaunch, Val Amorr now has more oriental features. Still a master of many varied disciplines of martial arts, his is the Legion's most skilled fighter. Although intially drawn to Shadow Lass, who possesses a similar warrior spirit, after he and Tasmia broke up, he harbored a one-sided infatuation with Phantom Girl. Karate Kid is slowly teaching the headstrong Ultra Boy how to focus his powers, and in fact, regularly teaches all core Legion members self-defence techniques.
Usage outside the comics
DC Comics granted Columbia Pictures permission to use the "Karate Kid" name for a series of successful movies starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. However, these films did not bear any significant resemblance to the comics version of the character.