Arashikage is a fictional ninja clan from the military-themed G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series of comics, television shows, and action figures. The name is derived from the Japanese words for storm (嵐 arashi) and shadow (影 kage). It is central to the back-story of several prominent characters, including Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow.
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Centuries ago, the emperor of Japan asked his general to protect the Jewel of Amaterasu, a gem said to allow the wielder to control their ki. The gem was so well concealed, that its location was lost with the ascendancy of emperors, and the general's family was eventually reduced to simple farmers, who would later become the Arashikage. For generations, the Arashikage worked as shadowy assassins, using deception to earn their keep as ninjas, as well as developing a reputation for being able to perform impossible tasks.
Later, the Arashikage would continue the deception, financing front businesses to hide their true work as covert operatives, bounty hunters, thieves, and contract killers. Their remote compound was hidden in the mountains of Japan. Only those who truly prove their worth, and commitment to the Arashikage katas and discipline, were allowed full membership into the clan. This was denoted by the tattooing of the clan symbol on the forearm, the 63rd hexagram of the I Ching.[1]
The Arashikage Clan first appeared in issue #21 of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, where it was revealed that Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow have the same tattoo.[2] Later stories described how Thomas Arashikage, after receiving his initial training in order to become a member of the clan, participates in the Vietnam War. During the war he meets an American nicknamed Snake-Eyes, whom he brings back to Japan after the war for training in the ways of the ninja.[3] Cobra Commander learns of this and, angry with Snake-Eyes because of a car accident in which Snake-Eyes family and Cobra Commander's brother were killed, sends Firefly to kill Snake-Eyes.[4]
Firefly decides that he is no match for Snake-Eyes, so Cobra Commander sends another mercenary, Zartan, to finish the job. Zartan accidentally kills the clan leader, the Hard Master, instead of Snake-Eyes.[4] Thomas is blamed for the Hard Master's death, and after taking on then name Storm Shadow he joins Cobra Command in order to find the Hard Master's killer and exact revenge on him.[5]
In later years, a group of ninjas affiliated with the Arashikage clan form the Ninja Force as a part of the G.I. Joe Team, in order to combat Cobra. Its inaugural members are Nunchuk, T'Jbang, and Dojo, led by Storm Shadow. In the Marvel Comics G.I. Joe series, Ninja Force goes to Beirut to answer a call for help from Snake-Eyes.[6] They become involved in helping a Joe/Cobra force fight against the Night Creepers, with further assistance comes from the Joe "Sky Commandos".[7] The Ninja Force is seen later in New York, undergoing intensive training.[8] Ninja Force's roster is later expanded to include Snake-Eyes (as their new leader), Jinx, and Scarlett.
During the events depicted in Devil's Due 2004's saga Master & Apprentice (Vol. 1), Ophelia is under Snake-Eyes' wing, who is also about to get married with Scarlett, Ophelia dies during her last training mission. At the same time Sean Collins, member of the same mission's team joins Snake-Eyes, who takes him as his new student. Jinx, Budo, Snake-Eyes and Collins, who now is known as "Kamakura" take a new asignment to capture Firefly (Ophelia's murderer). Suddenly Storm Shadow go forth and during his fight against Firefly Snake-Eyes' team is left uncommunicative and injured, so Kamakura, Storm Shadow, Duke and Chuckles try to capture Firefly and the Nowhere man.[9]
In 2005's Vol. 2, Billy Kessler is told about how Storm Shadow and his pupil / lover Junko Akita came to met and how he is successful after years of fighting against Cobra's brainwashing. After a full scale fight against Night Creepers, Junko is captured and tortured by Slice and Dice. Jinx, Billy and Budo helped Storm Shadow to take her back while T'Jbang finds Sei Tin injured and captured. Junko is found in a Red Ninja's retreat in Tibet brainwashed and convinced that Storm Shadow is a "pain-bringer" to her life. Jinx and Budo are captured, T'Jbang and Billy fought against Slice and Dice while Snake-Eyes and Kamakura fight against the rest of the Red Ninjas' clan. Junko felt from a cliff's edge apparently to her demise while Snake-Eyes retakes full control over the Red Ninjas.[10]
According to the 2005 Arashikage Showdown comic, the Arashikage clan was founded many centuries ago by the Emperor of Japan to protect the Jewel of Amaterasu. The jewel allows its owner to control their chi. The "map" to the jewel is a kata, only members of the Arashikage ninja clan have access to it. Centuries later, the Arashikage clan went to the temple housing the jewel and performed the kata in order to access it. Soga, of the rival Nichira clan stole the jewel before the Arashikage could claim it. The Arashikage attacked Soga at his headquarters, inciting a clan war, killing Soga in the process. Storm Shadow, of the Arashikage clan, took the jewel to a location on Mt. Fuji and hid it.[11]
Japan's military class, the Bakufu clan, began destroying all ninja clans in Japan. War ensued and the Arashikage clan became farmers. Many years later, Storm Shadow sought to learn the clan's teachings and the clan was reinstated. Besides Storm Shadow, Snake-Eyes, Jinx and Kamakura, were all members of the clan.[11]
Members of the Arashikage clan wore a tattoo on their right forearm, which is the ba gua symbol for 'water' and 'fire', representing the 63rd hexagram of the I Ching. Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow were first depicted to have the tattoo in their first battle at the Silent Castle.[2]
The Mind-Set is a form of hypnotism that requires extreme concentration and focus. It is perhaps the most powerful and dangerous of the Arashikage secrets, granting a warrior unshakable resolve and tenacity. The Mind-Set will cause a warrior to ignore pain and fear, and has proven capable of casting off the effects of brainwashing.[12]
Using extreme physical control, the Cloak of the Chameleon alters breathing and circulatory patterns, in order to perfectly mimic the sounds of another person. As depicted in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #26, the Hard Master employed this technique when he was killed, because he was imitating Snake-Eyes, the assassin's real target.[12]
An exercise that concentrates hearing, to compensate for loss of sight. The Ear That Sees allows a warrior to identify a foe through sound alone, with cues such as heartbeat, the sound of cloth against cloth, and the patterns of breathing and other movement.[12]
This technique mimics death, by exerting extreme physical control over involuntary bodily processes. It has proven valuable in fooling enemies, and in extending survival, such as when Storm Shadow used the technique to preserve his life, after the Baroness shot him in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #47.[12]
A lesser sword fighting technique that allows the practitioner to defend itself on no visibility conditions, consisting in just extending the sword using it's scabbard for touch and compensate loss of sight. Hard Master tought this technique to Snake-Eyes just before teaching him the "Cloak of the Chameleon".[13]
Although the Arashikage clan is never mentioned during the events of Sunbow Productions' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series, certain elements are noticeable, as the mention of Blind Master by his pupil Jinx in G.I. Joe: The Movie. There was also the inclusion of Ninja Force in the last season of DIC Entertainment's G.I. Joe series (Vol. 2).
It's not until the 2000s, that the clan came to be noticed as part of any cartoon continuity. The Arashikage Clan was featured most prominently in G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom and G.I. Joe: Ninja Battles, with the inclusion of exclusive characters as Iron Master, Tiger Claw, Slash and Shadow Strike, and the re-imagining of the Snake-Eyes/Storm Shadow rivalry's history.
The most radical re-telling of the clan's history and demise, is contained in the mini-series G.I. Joe: Resolute. In flashbacks, we learn that Storm Shadow; jealous of Hard Master's plan of passing the clan's leadership and most secretive and deadly technique (called "The 7 steps to the sun") to Snake-Eyes, agrees with Cobra to assassinate his uncle. Zartan is again the man charged to do so (this time as a sniper). At the last second, Snake-Eyes notices the sniper lens' gleam, and tries to warn Hard Master. Zartan shoots at Snake-Eyes' mouth first, and takes the second shot at Hard Master's head.
In the two-part G.I. Joe: Renegades episode "Return of the Arashikage", we learn in a flashback that Snake-Eyes saved Storm Shadow and Jinx's lives from a treacherous attack perpetrated by Koga assassins. The Arashikage clan's leader Hard Master (here depicted more akin to a Yakuza clan), named his daughter and nephew's savior "Hebi-no-me" (Snake-Eyes), because he possessed the "steely gaze of a serpent", and he was accepted as a member of the "family". Hard Master favored Snake-Eyes over his own nephew for his strong sense of honor and justice, claiming that being his student, he had become HIS master. Therefore, he tried to convince Snake-Eyes to become the new clan's leader, and saved his life, after noticing that the tea they were drinking was poisoned by an as-yet-unknown person. Snake-Eyes tried to perform a tracheotomy to save his master's life, but Storm Shadow, believing that Snake-Eyes was killing his uncle, injured Snake-Eyes' throat with a shuriken. After a brief fight, Storm Shadow left and Jinx arrived, and Snake-Eyes evacuated her to North America.
In "Cutting Edge", it is revealed that Storm Shadow was the one who poisoned the tea that was meant for Snake-Eyes, but the cups were switched, and Hard Master was accidentally killed instead. Although Storm Shadow departs after revealing this to Jinx and Snake Eyes, Jinx departs back to Japan to lead the Arashikage down the path that the Hard Master wanted to take.
In G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Hard Master is portrayed by Gerald Okamura who is the master of both Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow.
In the sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation, RZA will be portraying Blind Master and will be the master of Jinx (Elodie Yung).
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