BLACK DRAGON SOCIETY

Membership: Nomura; Osato (deceased); Princess Akiuki Orugawa (leader); unknown number of others

Purpose: Control of the Far East; Possession of the Three Lost Treasures of Tao

Affiliations: Arkady Dread (deceased); Were-Tigers

Enemies: Bruno; Marie Dread; Nightside Detective Agency (Ape Largo; Sydney Taine); Taine’s unnamed brother

Base of Operations :
Japan, Earth-1211

First Appearance: Nightside#1 (December 2001)

HISTORY: (Nightside#2 (fb)) Ape Largo and the brother of Sydney Taine encountered members of the Black Dragons in Chicago.

(Nightside#4 (fb)) Arkady Dread came into contact with the Black Dragon Society after sending out feelers on behalf of his client Simon Benedict, who had come into possession of the Three Lost Treasures of Tao. Dread met with Princess Orugawa and set up a master plan to have her group kill off the New York area Nightside bosses, in exchange for the Treasures. He first handed over Ikkyu’s Skull.

(Nightside#1 (fb)) Osato and Nomura offered to buy Little Bertha’s club. After she declined and had them thrown out, they murdered her and left her body in St. John’s Cemetery, leaving the scene to look like the work of rival mob lord Gorgeous George. However, the two Black Dragon members then killed George, implicating Jelly The Belly.

(Nightside#1) Osatu and Nomura met with Arkady Dread, who had hired them in the other killings, and wanted them to kill Sydney Taine and Ape Largo, the two members of the Nightside Detective Agency which was investigating the deaths. Arkady then asked them to kill Arlan Cyrus, and promised them two of the Treasures of Tao.

(Nightside#2 (fb)) Osato and Nomura hired seven Were-Tigers to kill Taine and Largo.

(Nightside#2) Princess Orugawa arrived at Arkady’s office with Osato and Nomura. She then killed Osato for dealing with Arkady without her permission, using her Spirit Dragon.

(Nightside#3) Orugawa, Nomura, and Arkady Dread awaited Taine and Largo’s arrival to Dread’s offices. Orugawa used Ikkyu’s Skull to reveal Taine’s whereabouts.

(bts) Orugawa had her Spirit Dragon kill Arkady Dread and pull him into it’s tattooed form with it.

(Nightside#4) Princess Orugawa attacked Sydney Taine with her Spirit-Dragon, but Taine killed it with one of the Treasures, The Sword of Justice. Panicking, Orugawa reached for the Mask of P’u-Hua, and upon placing it on her face, was instantly lobotomized.

COMMENTS: Created by Robert Weinberg.

The Black Dragon Society was also behind Japan’s entry into World War II and were responsible for the formation of the Yakuza, according to Ape Largo.

Earth-616's Black Dragon Society fought the original Human Torch and Toro in All-Winners Comics#3 (Winter 1941-42) and was on the covers Captain America Comics#24 (March, 1943) and USA Comics#11 (January, 1944). Their name in Japanese is Kokuryukai.
--Gammatotem

This four issue series should not necessarily be considered part of any Marvel continuity. First, it is, at least for the most part, a creator-owned series. Secondly, the set-up for how the supernatural world is run does not match that of Marvel-616’s at all. CLARIFICATIONS

The Black Dragon Society should not be confused with: 

The Spirit Dragon should not be confused with:

Profile by Madison Carter

PRINCESS AKIUKI ORUGAWA

The leader of the Black Dragon Society, or at least of the section seen. Sought the mystical Three Lost Treasures of Tao. The Princess had a tattoo of a real dragon on her abdomen which could be called forth as the Spirit Dragon, killing her enemies. During her fight with Sydney Taine, Orugawa attempted to wear the Mask of P’u-Hua, which showed her the reality of the world, instantly lobotomizing her.

- Nightside#2-4

NOMURA

Nomura helped set up the scam to get the various factions of the Others to wipe each other out while the Black Dragons were paid with the various Three Lost Treasures. As he was not killed or visibly taken down, his current whereabouts are unknown.

- Nightside#1-4

OSATO

Osato aided Nomura in the scheme eliminating the Others, but was killed by Princess Orugawa’s Spirit Dragon for making a deal with Arkady without consulting the Princess first.

- Nightside#1-2

THE SPIRIT DRAGON

The origin of this creature is unknown, but at some point it was bound to Princess Orugawa in the form of a tattoo on her abdomen. When called upon by her it could take it’s true form and do her bidding. Sydney Taine used the Shosan’s Sword to "kill" the dragon, after which it turned into smoke and painfully re-entered the Princess’s body, this time without leaving a tattoo of itself on her abdomen.

- Nightside#2-4

Appearances:
Nightside#1-4 (December, 2001 - March, 2002) - Robert Weinberg (writer), Tom Derenick (pencils), Mark Powers (editor)

Last updated: 10/13/03.

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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