HISTORY: Nothing is known about the life of Matsu’o Tsurayaba prior to his joining the Yakuza, the Japanese organized crime family. In that capacity, he became leader of a faction of the ninja clan called the Hand, finding himself at odds with his lover Kwannon, an assassin for a rival crime lord, Nyoirin. After almost killing Kwannon in battle, Tsurayaba attempted to use technology from the extradimensional being Spiral to save her; however, Spiral instead switched Kwannon’s consciousness with that of the female mutant Psylocke, a member of the mutant super-team the X-Men. Believing Kwannon’s consciousness lost, Tsurayaba attempted to remake Psylocke, now in Kwannon’s body, into an assassin in the service of the would-be conqueror the Mandarin, but Psylocke broke free of her conditioning and, together with Wolverine and the young mutant Jubilee, defeated the Hand and the Mandarin.

Tsurayaba next forged an alliance with the terrorist organization Fenris and revived the Russian super-soldier Omega Red. Tsurayaba hoped to use Wolverine’s memories and healing factor to stabilize the dangerous mutant, but the X-Men foiled his plans. He escaped and, cybernetically augmenting members of the Hand as the Death Touch Cult, attempted a takeover of Clan Yashida, led by Wolverine’s lover Mariko Yashida. Wolverine and his allies intervened, but not before Tsurayaba had Yashida fatally poisoned. Wolverine swore a prolonged vengeance, gouging out Tsurayaba’s right eye and promising future disfigurement.

Tsurayaba next surfaced at a criminal summit to divide the territories of the Kingpin of crime, but the bargaining was interrupted by costumed crimefighters Daredevil, Nomad, and the Punisher. Returning to Japan, Tsurayaba was confronted by Kwannon, whose consciousness inhabited Psylocke’s original body. Now calling herself Revanche, she was dying of the mutant-killing Legacy Virus and had come seeking a swift death. The grieving Tsurayaba obliged her, then threw himself back into his work. He led an alliance between the Hand and the terrorist organization Hydra in an attempted takeover of the island nation of Madripoor, but his plan was foiled once again by Wolverine and his allies.

Periodically disfigured by Wolverine in keeping with the X-Man’s vow, Tsurayaba was last seen preparing to commit suicide upon Wolverine’s next visit, which was forestalled by Logan’s near-death at the hands of his arch-nemesis Sabretooth.

HEIGHT: 5 ft. 9 in.
WEIGHT: 182 lbs.
EYES: Brown
HAIR: Black
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Prosthetic left eye, right hand, left arm, right ear, nose

SUPERHUMAN POWERS: Matsu’o Tsurayaba is a normal human whose strength has been augmented with cybernetic implants.

SPECIAL SKILLS: Tsurayaba is trained in numerous martial arts disciplines.

COSTUME: On occasion, Tsurayaba has worn an armored battlesuit of unrevealed capabilities.

PERSONAL WEAPONRY: Tsurayaba once wore a prosthetic right hand equipped with retractable finger blades.