Muramasa Sword (Black)
 The Muramasa Sword (Black) |
The Muramasa Sword is a Dai-Katana, a long Japanese style sword (see the Martial Arts class for more on Japanese Weapons). It was apparently forged many, possibly hundreds of years ago by the legendary swordsmith Muramasa. Muramasa purportedly strove to create the perfect sword, and many believe he succeeded with the Black Blade. However, as the Silver Samurai so eloquently put it "perhaps the sword also desired a perfect warrior to wield it" and some of Muramasa's madness infected the blade. What is clear is that for years anyone who touched the Black Blade would undergo a transformation in clothes and voice, taking on the persona of the Black Blade itself. According to legend, the blade was first used in the spring. Fortunately, the Blade was lost long ago in the mists of time.
However, a cult of worshippers developed around the legend of the Black Blade, and they were elated to discover that the Blade had been found in modern times by agents of Clan Yashida. The cult hired pirates to hijack the airplane on which the Yashida agent flew and slaughtered its crew. This move brought Wolverine (in his Patch guise) to investigate, and he took his revenge on the pirates. However, the blade was not aboard the plane, and was instead being couriered to Madripoor by Jessica Drew (the once and future Spider-Woman) and her partner Lindsay McCabe. When the cult attacked Lindsay, "Patch" was able to stop them, but before they could find Jessica, she had drawn the blade, which caused her to transform into the sword's mystical agent. As the master of the sword, Jessica's clothes magically changed, and she spoke in an archaic syntax, using "thee" and "thou." The sword also bestowed upon Jessica increased superhuman strength and durability, as Logan found when he caused a building to collapse upon her, to little effect.
During the extended fight that raged between him and Jessica through Lowtown, Wolverine finally grabbed the sword, and he too was transformed. This time, however, the Blade thought it had found its true master. Harada disagreed, since the sword, and not Logan, was in control of Wolverine. Wolverine grabbed Jessica and ran off. Later, Silver Samurai, Lindsay and Patch's partner O'Donnell tracked them to a temple in the highland jungles where Patch was about to sacrifice Jessica to complete the sword's possession. Lindsay shot Patch, who survived (obviously) and threw the sword at her. Perhaps it was this momentary lapse in physical contact that then allowed Logan to break the sword's mental hold on him when he re-grasped it. He threw the sword away.
Then, the Silver Samurai took the sword...and nothing happened. He remained himself, proving that he alone was the master of the Black Blade. Wolverine saw this and agreed to let the Samurai keep the sword, hoping that it would prove a good influence.