Tsunami (DC Comics)

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caption = Drawn by Brian Murray on the cover of The Young All-Stars #8. (January, 1988).
character_name = Tsunami
real_name =Miya Shimada
publisher = DC Comics
debut = "All-Star Squadron" #33
(May 1984)
creators = Roy Thomas (writer)
Rick Hoberg (artist)
alliances =All-Star Squadron
Young All-Stars
aliases =
supports =
powers = Tsunami can mentally cause and control tidal waves. She possessed superhuman strength and can swim at superhuman speeds|

Tsunami is a DC Comics superhero. She first appeared in "All-Star Squadron" #33 (May 1984) as a super-villain working for the Japanese Emperor. Outside of this title and Young All-Stars, Tsunami did not reappear in "modern" times until "Aquaman" vol. 5 #23. The character remains active, but in a strictly supporting and/or cameo role.

Fictional character biography

Miya Shimada was born a nisei — a Japanese-American born in the United States of native Japanese parents. She was thus a full American citizen and grew up in Santa Barbara, California.

The racial prejudice against Japanese-Americans that Miya encountered during the start of World War II caused her to turn against America. She went to Japan to study for a few years and there she joined the cause of the Imperieal Japanese government. It was the famed Japanese naval commander Admiral Yamamoto who named Miya Shimada "Tsunami" (the Japanese word for "tidal wave") after her mental power to create and control such waves.

In early 1942, after the United States had entered the war against Japan, Tsunami was secretly brought to California by a Japanese submarine and she sought to convince Japanese-Americans to join Imperial Japan's cause. Tsunami soon found herself battling Liberty Belle and Starman of the All-Star Squadron, and when her father was seemingly killed in the skirmish, Tsunami went berserk but failed to defeat them and departed instead. ("All-Star Squadron" #33)

Shortly afterwards, Tsunami was summoned by Japan's Prince Daka to assist him in stealing Starman's powerful gravity rod. She again clashed with members of the All-Star Squadron but was appalled by Daka's ruthlessness and lack of honor. She found herself instead respecting the All-Stars and decided she could no longer side with Daka. Yet she was not yet ready to align with the Americans, either and she fled again. (Ibid #42-43)

Repentance

One more time, the Axis powers attempted to recruit Tsunami, but by this time she had reflected upon and felt remorse for her actions. She declined an invitation by the German villain Sea Wolf to join the Axis Amerika and afterwards became depressed and contemplated suicide. At a critial moment, she met another undersea hero, Neptune Perkins, who convinced her to try another path. ("Young All-Stars" #1) Together they approached Green Lantern for his help to end the imprisonment of Japanese Americans. (Ibid #2)

Green Lantern took the two to meet the Squadron. Miya pled her case to the day's assembly, which also included President Roosevelt. FDR pleged to look into the matter of the detention camps then suggested that Tsunami and her new young friends travel the country on a cross-country war bond tour. She and the others were all given provisional membership in the All-Star Squadron and set off. (Ibid #3)

Some, like Sandy found it difficult to accept a former adversary, but Perkins was always ready to defend her. On one of their first stops, Miya came under attack by prejudiced bystanders in Los Angeles. The group helped her find her family in a nearby camp, where she elected to stay until they could be freed. (Ibid #4) She was soon forced to leave the camp when she learned that Axis Amerika and her former ally, Kamikaze, had attacked. (Ibid #6)

Naturally, Miya grew close to Neptune Perkins during this time, after the war they raise a daughter named Debbie Perkins (Deep Blue), who was actually fathered by Atlan and therefore is Aquaman's half sister.

Notes

* It has never been definitively stated that Miya married Neptune Perkins, or that Debbie's last name is Perkins.
*In "Kingdom Come", the Elseworlds tale of the DCu's future, Deep Blue had a daughter with Garth (Tempest). Their daughter is named Tula, after Garth's first girlfriend Tula. Annotations for this series describe Deep Blue as "Mizuko Perkins," daughter of Tsunami and Neptune Perkins.
*In "Aquaman" vol. 5 #50 (December 1998), new writer Erik Larsen wrote this strange caption: Deep Blue — Tsunami's daughter who also goes by her given name Debbie — and Indigo." This new name came from nowhere and didn't stick. When Debbie appeared next in the "Body Doubles" mini-series (1999), she was still called Deep Blue.

Appearances

* "Young All-Stars," 31 issues (1987-89)
* "Aquaman" vol. 5 #23-25, 38-41

External links

* [http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=tsunami DCU Guide: Tsunami]