Karate Kid (comics)

Karate Kid is a fictional character, a superhero in the future of the DC Comics universe. Karate Kid (real name Val Armorr of the planet Earth) is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes who is a master of every form of martial arts to have been developed by the 30th century. The extent of his skill was so great, that he could severely damage various types of hard material with a single blow, and was briefly able to hold his own against Superboy through use of what he called "Super Karate".

Fictional biography

Val Armorr was the son of Japan's greatest crimelord, Kirau Nezumi, also known as Black Dragon. When he was born, his mother, the American secret agent Valentina Armorr, tried to hide him from his father, but failed and was killed for her affront. Japan's biggest hero, Sensei Toshiaki White Crane eventually killed Black Dragon for his crimes, and adopted the infant Val. He raised Val as if he were his own son, and trained him in all manner of the martial arts. Val became the youngest warrior ever to earn the title Samurai, and went to work for his local shogun. But after trying his best and failing to please his supervisor, he quit and searched the galaxy for new forms of battle to master.

When he returned to Earth, he found that the Legion of Super-Heroes was searching for new recruits to help fend off an impending Khund invasion. He applied, and, although he had no superhuman powers, was accepted, when he demonstrated, by almost defeating Superboy in combat, just how effective he could be. His Legion career almost ended ignominiously when fellow recruit Nemesis Kid framed him for betraying Earth to the Khunds, but Nemesis Kid's own treachery was discovered in time, and he went on to become one of the greatest Legionnaires ever. As Karate Kid, Val was the Legion's leader for one term, and once took on the entire Fatal Five single-handedly.

Val fell in love with Princess Projectra, who joined the Legion at the same time he did. In order to prove his worthiness of the princess's hand, he took a leave of absence and spent about a year in the primitive twentieth century. He returned to find Projectra's father dead, and with his and the other Legionnaires' help, she won the throne from over cousin Pharoxx. He officially became Projectra's consort soon afterward, and resigned from the Legion permanently.

His bliss did not last long. He and Projectra returned from their honeymoon to find that her planet, Orando, had been taken over by the Legion of Super-Villains. He, Projectra, and several other Legionnaires were captured by the villains, and when they broke out to fight the villains, he took on their leader, Nemesis Kid. Nemesis Kid beat Val almost to death, and Val wanted to continue to fight so that he could die in battle - the ultimate honor, by his cultural standards. But at Projectra's urging, he instead used his last ounce of strength to destroy the power source for the machines that were moving Orando into a strange dimension. Projectra killed Nemesis Kid in revenge soon afterward. A memorial to Val was built on Shanghalla.

Powers

Karate Kid possessed no "powers" but instead a trained mastery of every form of martial arts to have been developed by the 30th century; the extent of his skill was so great that he could severely damage various types of hard material with a single blow and was briefly able to hold his own against Superboy.

He had a short-lived solo series, in which he visited the 20th century.

The post-reboot Karate Kid is very much alive. Initially a member of Leonard McCauley's Workforce team, he resigned to join the Legion when McCauley, in his eyes, planned to "desecrate" a space anomaly.