WAR-YORE WAR-YORE
Real Name: Eric Slaughter
Identity/Class: Human
Occupation: MI-6 agent, psychopath
Group Membership: MI-6
Affiliations: None
Enemies: Shang-Chi, Leiko Wu, Clive Reston, Black Jack Tarr
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Robin of Locksley, Attila the Hun, St. George, the Black Ninja, the Red Baron, "Scourge of God" (while Attila the Hun), Robin Hood (while Robin of Locksley), "Slayer of Darkness" (while Black Ninja), Manfred Freiherr Von Richthofen (while Red Baron), Hrolf Kraki
Base of Operations: a castle in England
First Appearance: Master of Kung Fu I#54 (July, 1977)
Powers: War-Yore possessed no superhuman abilities; in each of his guises, he would wield advanced technology based on primitive weapons; as Robin of Locksley, he wielded a crossbow armed with explosive arrows, and an electrically-charged sword; as Attila the Hun, he wielded a dagger containing knock-out gas in its pommel, a mace covered with glass studs containing acid, and a shield; as the Black Ninja, he was armed with explosive shuriken controlled by a homing device to locate targets and gloves equipped with claws; as the Red Baron, he flew a WWI triplane that fired laser beams capable of slicing through metal and a laser pistol; as St. George, he wielded a lance that could fire laser beams, and another sword charged with electricity; as War-Yore, he wielded Attila the Hun's mace, the Black Ninja's gloves, an axe, and Robin of Locksley's crossbow.
Weaknesses: War-Yore's insanity could
often leave him dazed and vulnerable, so submerged in his
fantasies that he would be uncertain of his own identity. 
History: (Master of Kung Fu I#54 (fb))- Eric Slaughter was once a timid, overweight, non-violent office worker, employed by MI-6, who was fascinated by "the art of strife", and the great warriors of the past. MI-6 subjected him to experimental treatments to create "the perfect optimum-danger operative", but the brainwashing methods drove him insane. Having lost his own identity, he "became" the many warriors he had been fascinated with, including St. George, Robin of Locksley, the Red Baron, Attila the Hun, and the Black Ninja. Dubbing him "War-Yore", MI-6 soon found the perfect assignment for him-- recently, four MI-6 agents (Shang-Chi, Leiko Wu, Clive Reston and Black Jack Tarr) had quit the agency, and MI-6 felt they could no longer be trusted to keep their secrets. Because War-Yore was insane, he was chosen to eliminate them, so that even if something went wrong, his actions could be safely disavowed.
(Master of Kung Fu I#54)- In the guise of Robin of Locksley, War-Yore attacked Clive Reston at his flat. Impatient, he fired an explosive arrow at Reston's door before he could open it. He fought savagely against Reston, but when Reston took up his gun, War-Yore fled into the night. Reston pursued, but lost him in a park.
In the guise of Attila the Hun, War-Yore made an attempt on Shang-Chi and Leiko Wu. Although he could not defeat Shang-Chi, he knocked out Leiko, and stole away with her while Shang was distracted with protecting bystanders.
(Master of Kung Fu I#56)- In the guise of St. George, War-Yore menaced Leiko in his castle, but began to lose his grip on the fantasy, shaking back into reality, and his true identity, Eric Slaughter. Leiko hoped he would return to normal, but at the sight of the costume of the Black Ninja, he returned to his fantasy world, and prepared for his next attempt.
Stealthily stealing into the Savoy Hotel, where Black Jack Tarr was living, he attacked Reston, Tarr and Shang. After a tremendous bout with Shang, he was defeated, and tied up. Although he had used different fighting styles as the Black Ninja, Shang recognized him as Attila, and began to suspect that all the men who had attacked them were the same person. While their backs were turned, War-Yore escaped his bonds and climbed out their window, without them realizing it. Returning to his castle, he took on the guise of the Red Baron, and returned to kill Reston, Shang and Tarr in his triplane.
(Master of Kung Fu I#57)- While fighting Shang-Chi aboard his triplane, War-Yore shot at him with a laser pistol, destroying one of his plane's wings, and crashing the plane. However, he escaped again without being seen. Returning to the castle, he released Leiko in order to move her to a safer location, but she knocked him out, and escaped. Aware that his castle must be protected, War-Yore took upon his guise as St. George.
While pursuing Leiko through the castle, War-Yore spied Shang, Reston, and Tarr, who had learnt his identity from MI-6 files, and fought them over the draw-bridge of the castle. By now, the MI-6 agents assigned to work with War-Yore had had enough of his insanity; re-capturing Leiko, one of them threatened to kill her unless he and Shang-Chi stopped fighting.
(Master of Kung Fu I#58)- Just then, more MI-6 agents arrived, and in the confusion, War-Yore shot the man guarding Leiko, took her in his arms, and fled into the castle dungeons. Knowing he would need all his strength to defeat his enemies, War-Yore merged all his guises into one-- what he considered to be his "true identity".
Leiko attempted to reason with War-Yore, and retrieve his true personality, but when Shang appeared, his resolve became firm, and he fought Shang, using several weapons at once. Knocked against the wall, he fumbled for his crossbow, just as Reston burst in, and shot him. War-Yore died, saying: "We're dead...all of us...Noooo...and poor Eric...never did learn which of us...he really was..."
In the aftermath, Leiko Wu was furious with Shang and Reston for attacking War-Yore, when he might have been saved.
Comments: Created by Doug Moench and Jim Craig.
Master of Kung Fu I#55 was a fill-in, unconnected to the War-Yore storyline.
Schizophrenia and issues of identity are recurring themes in stories by Doug Moench, particularly in the characterizations of Shang-Chi, Werewolf by Night and Moon Knight. See also: Black Spectre, DePrayve, the Mad Slayer, Mordillo, and Xenos.
Clarifications:
War-Yore should not be confused with:
Eric Slaughter, Daredevil foe, @ Daredevil
I#159
Georg Von Frankenstein, aka
St. George, @ Savage Sword of Conan#22/2
St. George of Earth-Shadowline @ St. George#1
First Posted: 04/10/2002
Last updated: 08/01/2002
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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