Kanto (comics)

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caption=Kanto, artist Jack Kirby
character_name=Kanto
publisher=DC Comics
debut="Mister Miracle" vol. 1 #7,
(April 1971)
creators=Jack Kirby (writer & artist)
real_name=Iluthin
species=New God
homeworld=Apokalips
alliances=Darkseid's Elite
aliases=
supports=
powers=Master assassin

Kanto is a fictional extraterrestial assassin published by DC Comics. He first appeared in "Mister Miracle" vol. 1 #7 (April 1971), and was created by Jack Kirby. Kanto was allegedly modelled after Renaissance nobleman Cesare Borgia, but his appearance was "patterned after Errol Flynn in a film still."Ro, Ronin. "Tales to Astonish: Jack Kirby, Stan Lee and the American Comic Book Revolution" (Bloomsbury, 2004)]

Fictional character biography

Once a student of Granny's named Iluthin, he was accused of stealing weaponry from Darkseid's then-master assassin Kanto-13, along with weapons from many other sources. It was decided that he was to be punished, not for the stealing, but for the fact that he was caught. He first faces a gauntlet of his fellow students, which he defeats with ease.

Against the request of Kanto 13, young Iluthin was exiled from Apokolips to Earth, Renaissance time via Darkseid's powers. There he trains under Italian teachers, and falls in love with a woman named Claudia. Kanto 13 tracks him to Earth. At the wedding altar, Kanto 13 attacks them, and kills Claudia. Iluthin and Kanto 13 battle, and in the end Darkseid's assassin was defeated. Darkseid himself came to Earth and destroyed Kanto 13 for failure, and Iluthin returns to Apokolips as Darkseid's new assassin.

When Mr. Miracle comes back to Apokolips, Kanto is one of the obstacles he faces. He captures Mr. Miracle, taking him to Granny Goodness. There, Miracle faces a foe called "The Lump". Kanto dresses in a quasi-Renaissance fashion, possibly to imply both royal court intrigue, and the artistic pride that he has in his assassin's work. It should be noted that of all the foes Mr. Miracle faced while Kirby worked on his books, Kanto shared a sort of professional respect with Mr. Miracle.

During writer John Byrne's period on the Wonder Woman comic, Kanto encounters Artemis of Bana-Mighdall, the one-time Wonder Woman while Darkseid attacks the Source. During this fight it was implied by their interactions that Kanto was not only her former teacher but her former lover. This is contradicted by the fact Artemis was trapped in a demon dimension along with her Amazon sisters between the ages of 14 to 24 years of age. Artemis was, by this time, an experienced warrior and was not shown alongside Kanto until the Source Wall storyline. Hence, he would have only had the opportunity to have had an affair with the Amazon before the age of 14. Also, in the "Requiem" mini-series Artemis admits to being a virgin.

When New Gods are being slaughtered across the galaxy, Kanto is recalled to Apokolips where he served faithfully at Darkseid's side, voicing private concerns with Granny Goodness.

However he is later killed by Infinity-Man while spying on Orion, Mister Miracle, and Superman. His body is found by Kalibak.

He has since appeared in human form alongside Darkseid, who is calling himself Dark Side, and Kalibak. All three are posing as human employees of a business called 'Dark Side' and also participating in the brainwashing of gifted Earth children. It is suggested that their bodies are 'hosts' that burn out easily. ["Final Crisis" #1]

Powers and abilities

Kanto is a master swordsman and fighter, and considers his work his art. He models himself after the people of the Italian Renaissance whom he lived among during exile. He remains in the service of the recently revived Darkseid, awaiting his next command. As one of the New Gods, he has an increased resistance to harm; on at least one occasion he survives a fall into Apokolips's fire pits.

Other media

Kanto appeared in of "" voiced by Michael York, being that series' first glimpse of the New Gods. In that episode, he supplied Intergang with weapons from Apokolips they can use to kill Superman. After Intergang failed, Kanto retreated back to Apokolips, with Bruno Mannheim desperately following him.

He later appears in the "Justice League Unlimited" episode, "Alive!" along with Mantis as a lieutenant for Virman Vundabar in his power struggle with Granny Goodness when Darkseid, following his death at the end of the "Justice League" episode "Twilight", returns, putting an end to the war. Despite speaking, no voice actor was credited for this appearance. It clearly was not York; best speculation, based on the cast list for the episode, would be top impressionist Corey Burton.

References

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/comixlibrary/newgods/ngprof.htm New Gods Library Profiles]
* [http://www.dcuguide.com/chronology.php?name=kanto DCU Guide: Kanto chronology]