 Created by: Lawrenz Lano First appearance: Novel Grey Legacy Other picture:  Art by Gilbert Monsanto   and   | Real Name: Sato Tanaka Hair: Black Eyes: Black Height: 5 foot 5 inches Born in: Japan Occupation: Bouncer Base of operations: Tokyo, Japan Ethical alliance: Good History Sato had tarnished his family's honour when he had dared fall in love with a Chinese woman. His father, whose traditional views harboured an all consuming hatred of anything Chinese, had decreed that his son be sent away to redeem that honour. In truth, his father had deemed him unworthy of the family fortune and had sent him where he would never return. Sato was to study the art of the Sumo, under the tutelage of Japan's highest Sumo Master, Kinto Harada. Kinto Harada was a hard and cruel man and only one in a hundred of his students ever made it out of his school. Those who succeeded received a passable grade from Harada, although to any outsider, they excelled in the sport. Sato soon became aware that he would never succeed. He was small in stature and try as he might, he could seldom win any bouts. As a feeble student, he was, more often than not, asked to assist the most experienced students. Still, Sato never gave up trying to learn. If he couldn't win, he would at least try to learn what he could. One day, a Gaijin, made his way to the secret temple. The white stranger insisted that he would like to see Harada and learn from him. When Harada heard of the request, he simply laughed and ordered his men to throw the stranger off a cliff. He watched the spectacle from his balcony, hoping to hear the stranger scream as he plummeted to his death, but the stranger was no mere Gaijin, he was a fighter. Within moments, the men Harada had sent were lying on the ground, nursing their bruises. The stranger returned to the main gate and renewed his request to see Harada. Annoyed by his insistence, Harada offered him an audience. The stranger said that he would leave but that he first wanted the honour of a match with Harada. Harada was insulted by the request, stating that he was a champion Master and would not waste his time on novices. He did compliment the stranger on his fighting skills, but reminded him that in this temple, only the art of Sumo was to be executed. If he wanted a bout with him, he would need to fight as a Sumo, which the stranger obviously was not. Still, the stranger claimed he knew the art and was ready to demonstrate it. Harada told him he sincerely doubted he would be impressed, nonetheless, he offered the stranger to show him his skills by fighting his weakest student. He called for Sato. Sato had learned not to be irritated by Harada's insults. He entered the ring and faced the white man. Sato was smaller than the white man, but he was confident that his skills were sufficient to dispatch him. They were not. The stranger easily out-manoeuvred him out of the ring and won the match. Displeased, but not surprised with the outcome, Harada sent another of his student to take down the stranger. He, too, failed. After the fifth bout, the stranger asked Harada if he was afraid to face him and Harada was so insulted that he agreed to teach the stranger a lesson. Sato had watched the fights and had studied the stranger's moves. To him, it had seemed that the stranger was getting better with every fight, as if he was learning something new with every bout. He had been right, of course. When Harada entered the ring, he towered over the Gaijin. Surely the stranger would not be able to handle Harada's 400 pounds of flesh and muscle. But the fight did not come to an end as quickly as everyone had believed. It dragged on. Harada and the stranger collided and bodies shifted and grabbed, each trying to out-balance the other. Harada's demeanour changed as he realized, the stranger out-manoeuvred his every move but after a seemingly interminable time, the stranger stepped out of the ring. Everyone cheered at Harada's win. The stranger bowed in respect and thanked Harada for the honour. As he had promised, the stranger left. As Sato escorted him out of the temple, he asked him why he had forfeited the match. The stranger was surprised that Sato had noticed it. "You have a good eye to have seen this. But you are correct, I did forfeit the fight. I simply wanted the honour of fighting him, that is all. There was no need to humiliate him in front of his students." "I think this is a half-truth." Sato replied. "Though I'm sure you have your reasons. Also, if I may ask, seeing how great a fighter you are, do you have any suggestions on how I can improve my position here? I know my skills are lacking, but I want to learn." "Your skills are not in question. You have what it takes to beat any of them. What you lack is certainty that you will succeed. So if advice is what you want, then listen. Continue your training and I will make certain that you succeed. And when you do, I will teach you what you are missing." "You will teach me? But I don't even know who you are or how to find you." "When the time is right, you will. As for who I am, my name is Renshi." The next few months, Sato's enthusiasm and confidence enabled him to move up in rank. Renshi had been right, he had the skills to excel. In time, he would succeed and reclaim his honour, but he would not do so under Harada's tutelage. One night, while everyone slept, Sato was awakened by a blue skinned stranger. The stranger told him that he was looking for honourable people to protect the planet and that Renshi had mentioned Sato. "If you are indeed that man, Sato Tanaka, then follow me." Sato left the temple behind to become a member of Prime Force. Powers Super strength: Sumo-Juggernaut can lift over 100 tons. Energy absorption: When he does a Shiko (stomps the ground) he absorbs kinetic energy and increases in size and strength. Physical and energy resistance: With each new Shiko his resistance to physical and energy attacks increases. Size changing: After each Shiko, his size increases by 20 percent. After his first Shiko he measures 6 foot 6 inches, his second Shiko 7 foot 9 inches, his third 9 foot 4 inches and his fourth around 11 feet. At this size, his strength and resistance to harm are at their maximum. Weaknesses: Before his fourth Shiko, his skin is vulnerable to certain attacks. Limitations: When he has expended his stored energy he returns to normal size. As of now, he has never been able to do a fifth Shiko because the strain forces him to pass out, but it is believed that in time, he may be able to surpass his maximum strength. Appearance: He wears Kabuki make-up, traditional Sumo ceremonial belt (kesho-mawashi), topknot (chonmage) and sandals (geta). His kesho-mawashi and sandals are the only article of clothing that can withstand his size change. |
