Moonsword Public Knowledge Base

Sex: Female
Category: Mutant
Age: 28
Height: 5' 4"
Weight: ~100 Lbs
Hair: Light brown
Eyes: Blue
Marital Status: Single, no known involvements
Normal (public) ID: Janet Marshall
Race: Caucasian
Place of birth: Osaka, Japan
Languages: Perfect Japanese and English with native accents.
Powers: Magic sword, high Dex, other powers (flight, ego, etc.) based on Higara disciplines
Notable non-super abilities, etc: Ambassador with diplomatic immunity, lesser nobility with related priveledges and wealth, dual US/Japanese citizenship, limited US nationwide police powers, leader of San Francisco-based superhero team Guardians.
Motivation: Duty and honor
 

  Moonsword is the US ambassador of Higara caste, a semi-secret Japanese society of extra-ordinary ability. The Higara are shrouded in legend & mystery as the ancient defenders of the world, and many Japanese still believe in the legends although it is rarely spoken of out loud. Only the Royal Family and the Gods have greater respect. The Higara live on a mist-shrouded island off the coast of Japan, but the exact location is not known.
 
  Her mother died during childbirth, and her father (a US Army Colonel) died when the aircraft he was flying in crashed into the Pacific during the Vietnam war.

  Moonsword was secretly raised to be part of the Higara clan while outwardly she appeared to be just another geijin child living in Japan. She came to US at age 19 and spent some time with Furies prior to joining up with another East-coast superhero team. After that group disbanded, she joined Guardians where she quickly rose to the leadership position.

  Her sword powers are awesome, and her skills impressive. She is blazingly fast, strikes with great accuracy and can cause terrific damage, although she typically strikes with the flat of her sword. By a combination of magic and sheer force of will, she can fire a very powerful blue-white "spirit bolt" from her sword. Her sword can deflect anything, including laser beams. Her sword can be thrown and it will unfailingly return to her. In combat she is exceptionally nimble and exhibits considerable acrobatic skill as well as an acute level of awareness.

  Her flight is relatively slow and seems to have been attained only as a result of her improved mental skills, as well as the addition of a magical amulet of some sort. A few years ago she could merely leap great distances. Outside of combat she used to ride a fast Honda racing motorcycle, although since joining Guardians she typically rides in the Guardian VTOL along with the rest of the team.

  When she first arrived in the US and hooked up with Furies, she was still very much accustomed to the way things had worked in Japan, fighting demons, ninja assassins and other evils. This led to controversy in her very first excursion with Furies. Big Time was participating in a charity wrestling match, with other Furies (Phoenix, Starman, another?) and Moosword in attendance when supervillains attacked. Moonsword found herself alone facing Fear member Disc up high in the rafters, with Disc about to open fire on the innocents in the crowd. As a result Moonsword kind of killed Disc. Sordid rumors persist, despite the lack of official confirmation, that Disc was decapitated.

  When criticized by some for excessive force, she made a public apology and appeared to move on, but some feel that she still carries the weight of guilt with her. As evidence, they point to her restraint and reported compassion when she was ambushed by Disc (II) (aka "Discette.") Others however insist that she is cold-blooded and question the veracity of her regret. In any case, Moonsword decided it was best to part ways with Furies rather than pursue membership.

  Years later, during the infamous Fear attack on the United Nations General Assembly, Moonsword was appalled by the inaction and apparent incompetence exhibited by Furies at the time. The fact that this had once been the Earth's premier super-team made her even more incredulous - and angry. Immediately after the battle she announced to a live TV camera that "Guardians were taking names while Furies were taking a powder," and then proceeded to break the same camera over Shocker's befuddled head. She has remained an outspoken critic of that team ever since.

 [Moonsword has been the leader of Guardians for a while now, but I'm not sure how long because of the lull in the Guardians campaign. It might be 6 months or 2 years or more in game time, but much longer in real time, like 5-10 years. In fact, I probably should rework her age (downward to like 24ish) to compensate for the discrepancy, except that would seem to conflict with the Furies timeline. Holy Crisis on Infinite Earths, Batman!]

  [Additional information pending.]

Last Modified March 25 2002