The origin of Amiko Kobayashi, the surrogate daughter of Wolverine.

Japan under attack!!

The X-Men would return from the Secret Wars doing battle in a world called "Battle World" created by the Beyonder. They wouldn't be sent to their home but Tokyo, Japan instead and they didn't come alone. While in Battle World Lockheed, Kitty Pryde's pet dragon, would befriend and get involved with another dragon similar in size as he. She would follow the X-Men and once on Earth her body would react strangely. She grew to monstrous proportions and in a fit of rage began destroying and razing the city. Sunfire, a one time X-Men, would also help in the conflict. The X-Men would split their efforts; some would do battle with the she-dragon while the other would try and help the citizens of Tokyo and evacuate the destroyed home. Wolverine would happen upon a house that almost entirely ravaged and on fire. Once he enters he finds a lady mortally wounded under a pile of debris from the collapsed ceiling of her home. He would try to help her as best as he could but realized that there was no saving her. Instead, she made him promise to take her daughter, Akiko, who was there and to take care of her and raise her as she no longer could. Feeling slightly guilty for the dragon's attacks as she came with the X-Men Wolverine would accept. He would take the burden of honor and promise to fulfill the dieing woman wish and took the young Akiko with him. Shortly after the dragon would also be stopped by none other then Lockheed and the X-Men were free to return to America. Since Wolverine was with the X-Men and lived a very dangerous life, and was in no situation to care for a young child. He would make the decision to leave her to be adopted by his fiancè Mariko Yashida in Japan. Akiko would stay with Mariko for the next couple of years. Mariko being from the Clan Yashida, she was able to provide Akiko with a comfy, luxurious lifestyle. Though to Akiko's dismay she rarely saw Wolvie but tried to keep in touch. Unfortunately Mariko became a target of the Hand and was assassinated.

With no plans for Akiko beyond being with Mariko, she would be placed in a japanese foster care service and Wolverine would send money regularly. It would be a few years before Logan hear anything from Akiko. He was under the assumption that she was being cared for properly. He was very wrong. Akiko had been adopted by a very abusive set of parents. Her only way of living was that she held tightly to the idea of her savior, "Samurai Logan" and that he would come to rescue her. It would be during this time that Akiko would also change her name. Dropping the "k" she would change it to Amiko to give her a more powerful, masculine sounding name. Wolverine would decide to pay a visit to Amiko and find her situation not to his liking. He would take action immediately. Once he paid back all those that did Amiko wrong, he would take her away and place in a much more safer place.

He would turn to Yukio, a ronin and close personal friend of he and Storm's. With Yukio as Amiko's guardian he would then enlist the help of the Silver Samurai. Being apart of the Clan Yashida, he had the necessary funds to support Amiko and Yukio's needs. He would also provide protection for them. To ensure the Silver Samurai would help, Logan would return to him the "Yashida Honor Sword." The Silver Samurai would gladly accept and willingly assist.

Amiko attacked

All would go accordingly with Amiko's safety and well being but even the most well layed plans can fail. With all the protection provided to Amiko the Hand would still prove successful in abducting her. They would send a man named Akatora who would brainwash Amiko into believing that Wolverine was responsible for her mothers death. Once Amiko was completly convinced, Akatora would begin his plans. He would train her as an assassin and arm her with a dagger dipped in blowfish toxins intended to be use on Wolverine to kill him. This would be just one instance of many where Amiko was in danger simply for being connect to others.

Sabretooth

No incident would be worse then the arrival of Wolverines lifelong foe, Sabretooth. Weapon X reorganized and resurfaced as a team. Sabretooth was one of its first members. Having access to all of Weapon X's technology he would use it to his own end to exact revenge on Wolverine. Despite Wolverine's checkered past with the Weapon X department, they had nothing to do with Sabretooth's actions. In fact they were against it and actively helped in stopping him.

Sabretooth would enlist the aid of Lady Deathstrike and Omega Red to go to Japan and being back Amiko. A battle ensues that would severely injure Yukio (Amiko's guardian) at the hand of Deathstrike apparently paralyzing her permanently. As they head back to Sabretooth, he double crosses them and doesn't pay them for their services. Ultimatly it comes down to a final fight between Sabretooth and Wolverine. In the end Wolverine wasn't able to save Amiko and he finds her strapped to a tree, dead. Sabretooth had killed her. Wolverine would return to America racked with guilt. To his suprise though answering the door he find Amiko there alive and well. Apparently Weapon X had resurrected her and sent her back to Wolverine. They were very apologetic for the circumstances as Sabretooth was one of their agent and acted without permission. Both Wolverine and Amiko would be elated over the unexpected reunion.

the Mark of Mana

In the not too far past Yukio had been involved in a caper where she came up on a necklace. It wasn't until later that she found out it was called the Mark of Mana. Not knowing what to do with it she chose to simply save it and put it away. Only recently she started hearing voices that she would find was coming from the necklace. In the end it was revealed that the necklace was a prision for a woman by the name of Mana Ianowa. Once she was freed she would explain that she was the High Priestess of the Shosei Clan. As such, she was the current Mystical Guardian of Japan. It was her duty to protect Japan and the rest of the world from other dimensional evils and magical threats including demons and curses. She explained that while the Samurai and Shogun of old fought over land and power, the was Mana's clan/family who kept Japan safe. Upon meeting Amiko,

Mana instantly knew that she was not ordinary girl. Amiko and Mana shared the same blood lineage. Although Mana has lived more than 800 years she and Amiko were family. Apparently Amiko's mother left the clan wishing to hide from her destiny as a future preistess herself. Amiko was the next and last in line for the throne of power. Which left a huge decision for her to make. Does she run from her destiny as her mother did in the past? OR Would she head straight for it and enbrace her destiny? For Amiko it wasn't a hard choice at all.

Destiny Awaits

Amiko learns from Mana Yanowa, the current High Priestess of the Shosei Clan, that Amiko, and her mother, were both decendants of the Shosei Clan. A clan whose destiny is to protect Japan and the world from other-dimensional evils and Mystical Guardians. Amiko is the last in the line and will take the place of Mana eventually. Mana would decide to take Amiko in as her apprentice to teach in the ways of the Shosei Clan. During this time she will train her in the use of her natural born magical powers and further grow her fighting skill. Amiko gladly accepted, wanting to be successful, so that she could live up to the name of her savior, Master Logan. She trains with Mana and has been entrusted to her and remains with her to this day.

Powers

Although Amiko is not a mutant, her natural human abilities are at ranges beyond that of the finest athlete due to her rigerous and constant training. This may be largly in part to her continuous training or perhaps due to her linage as part of the Shosei Clan. She has been trained in one form or another since the day that Wolverine saved her as a young child. Amiko also is gifted with the ability to weild magic as a descendent of the Shosei Clan. Those of her peak human skill include: Peak Human Agility,

Peak Human Speed,

Peak Human Stamina,

Peak Human Durability,

Enhanced Reflexes,

Highly Acute Senses (Hearing & Sight),
& Peak Human Strength Level.

Magic:

As a blood and only remaining decendent of the Shosei Clan, Amiko is destined to become the future Mystical Guardian of Japan. She has a natural and as of yet unmeasured aptitute for magic granting her the ability to eventually manipulate magic for a multitude of varying effects. Some of the magics that Mana has preformed included: Levitiation, Flight, Concussive Magical Energy Blasts, Mental Possession of others & Time Freeze. All of which are being taught to her.

Special Skills:

Amiko is a formidable hand to hand combatant, trained in self defense in combat training by none other than the likes of Wolverine, Silver Samurai, Yukio, The Hand, Mana Ianowa and multiple other highly trained Martial Arts sensais. Amiko eventually became skilled enough to subdue Wolverine.

Amiko is an excellent tracker and hunter.

Amiko is trained in multiple and varying styles of Martial Arts.

Amiko is highly skilled in the use of bladed weapons specifically that of daggers, swords and sais.

Characteristics

Gender:

Female

Height:

5'6"

Weight:

115 lbs.

Hair:

Black

Eyes:

Black

Stats

Known Relatives:

Mother (unknown name, deceased), Wolverine (James Howlett, surrogate father), Mariko Yashida (adoptive mother, deceased), Silver Samurai (Kenuichio Harada, adoptive uncle), Sunfire (Shiro Yashida ,adoptive cousin), Yukio (Legal Gaurdian), Mana Ianowa (only living relative/descendent), Hana Yanowa (decendent and twin of Mana, deceased)

Citizenship:

Citizen of Japan with no criminal record

Place of Birth:

Tokyo, Japan

Marital Status:

Single

Occupation:

Student, Adventurer, Apprentice, Mystic Guardian of Japan in training, destined High Priestess of the Shosei Clan (previously: assassin, freedom fighter, undercover agent).

Education:

Unrevealed. Though it was stated that she did attend school, presumably to middle school.

Alternate Realities

Earth #811

Days of Future Past

The Amiko of this reality shares a very similar beginning to that of her mainstream Earth-616 counterpart. There lives differ when she is sent to the Silver Samurai by Wolverine for protection. Shortly after he took Amiko in, the Silver Samurai was promoted to the Emperor of Japan. Knowing that Amiko's life was going to be even more at risk by both Wolverine's foes and those of the Silver Samurai's they would devise and put a plan play immediately to ensure her safety. An accident occur would be faked which would result in the apparent death of Amiko. Though truly alive, the Silver Samurai would lead all to believe that she was dead dor the plan to be effective. Really she would go in to hiding and change her name. If Amiko was "dead" then no one would make attempts at her life to get at those who care for her. A success, she would begin training under the greatest masters of Martial Arts so that she could protect herself if ever need be. She would also no longer respond to her name and change it, now going by Midnight. Along with her name she would adopt an entirely new persona.

Many years would pass and as she grew into adulthood so too did her fighting ability grow. She eventually became a Ninja Master, skilled in many fighting styles and very effective in battle. Being as accomplished as she was, she would take on an assignment given by her uncle Emperor Harada(the Silver Samurai). He would have her infiltrate the growing threat of the Hellfire Club and bring them down from the inside. Amiko would accept and set off immediately to begin her task.

All would go as plan until the emergence of her surrogate father Wolverine. He never believed the claims of Amiko's death. Especially since there was never a body found or buried at her grave site. He would run into a picture of a now grow women that he felt was her though obviously older(Amiko is actually 20 years older in the picture). This would only enforce his search for her and would consume him entirely. Meanwhile she effectively joins the Hellfire Club run by the Black King, Shinobi Shaw. She become the personal and trusted bodyguard/assistant and assassin of the Red Queen who was actually the once X-Man named Psylocke, who had been brainwashed.

Eventually Wolverine finds her and intends to rescue her only to be attacked by Midnight. So trained was she, that she easily bested him and, in the eyes of all around, killed him. Unknown to both of them, Wolverine too had rescuers in the form of the X-Men, well what's left of them. Led by Jubilee(Jubilee) the ragtag group of X-Men survivors, including Magneto, would come to aid Wolverine and successfully put and end to the Hellfire Club and its Black King, killing him. In the end once everyone regroups, they decide to all work together and become the new and apparently last team of X-Men. This group included Jubilee, Wolverine, Magneto, Magneto the White Queen, Synch, Leech and now Midnight. Thus making Midnight one of the last known X-Men and one of the few to gain membership without actually being a mutant. Their fate at a team was not recorded, only Magneto and Wolverine would be mentioned in the future.

Creators

Amiko Kobayashi was created by both Chris Claremont and John Romita.