The OJI
The OJI
Real Name: Unrevealed;
he was referred to as "Mighty Oji," "o Oji," "our
Oji," and "Oji" by his generals;
text narration called him "the Oji" (which would seem
to indicate it may be a title rather than a name);
Identity/Class: Alternate
reality (Reality-21394) extraterrestrial
(Planet Kiasho;
"Kiashon
race")
Occupation: Prince
Group Membership: Clan Moromai, House of Sa'ar, Yashida Dynasty
Affiliations: General Nagai, General Kazi, his army
the Swashbucklers (Cap'n Kidd, Domino Blackthorne
Drake, Logik, Raader, Servitor, Spyeye) - despite his refusal to accept
their aid;
worshipped unspecified gods
Enemies: Unidentified hill tribes;
he had not yet encountered the Colonizers, but they
were planning to invade and conquer his world
Known Relatives: Unidentified emperor (father,
deceased)
Aliases: "Mighty Oji"
Base of Operations: Sa'ar City, planet Kiasho, Reality-21394
First Appearance: Swords of the Swashbucklers#10 (November, 1986)
Powers/Abilities: A man of peace and religion, the
Oji was forced to lead an army. Appreciating that his troops would die
and that he would lose, he was nonetheless honor-bound to fight to the
end.
Oji believed in gods who inhabited the
Vault of Heaven. 
History:
(Swords of the Swashbucklers#10 (fb) - BTS) -
Prince Oji was taught from birth that the gods inhabited the Vault of
Heaven.
(Swords of the Swashbucklers#10 (fb) - BTS) -
Prince Oji's emperor father played on the disunity of the hill tribes to
rule them.
(Swords of the Swashbucklers#10 (fb) - BTS) - As
the hill tribes had no sea vessels, the ocean was considered the only
defense that that quarter of the city needed.
(Swords of the Swashbucklers#10 (fb) - BTS) - To
his father's dismay and his general's disgust, Prince Oji trained for the
priesthood. 
(Swords of the Swashbucklers#10 (fb) - BTS) -
Prince Oji came to rule Clan Moromai after his father was assassinated by
unspecified members of the clans he had ruled with an iron hand.
Thereafter, the clans united and rose up against Oji; perhaps sensing that
Oji was not the emperor that his father was, and attempted to put an end
to House of Sa'ar.
(Swords of the Swashbucklers#10 (fb) - BTS) - Enemy
forces overran the Oji's clan's borders.
(Swords of the Swashbucklers#10 (fb) - BTS) - The
Oji observed as, for two cycles, the Colonizer Probe Beacon shone on the
borders of his father's kingdom.Unaware of the existence of beings from
other planets, the Oji had no idea of the danger the beacon represented. 
(Swords of the Swashbucklers#10) - He wondered if
it was some signal for his enemies to rally around or if it was some
inscrutable sign from the gods.
Oji subsequently met with his generals, who used a
holo-map to point out how they were surrounded by enemies; seeing the
smoke arising from enemy campfires, the Oji already appreciated this.
Agreeing with General Nagai that honor compelled them to fight, the Oji
assured him that they would do so, but he silently considered that they
would lose as soon as the tribes assembled and waged the final battle on
Sa'ar City; after the city fell, the Yashida Dynasty would be only a
memory.
He further considered that now, as a warrior was
required to save the realm, all he could do was pray for a miracle.
As if in response, a fiery object (the Star-Shadow
ship of the Swashbucklers, coming to help them fight the Colonizers)
flashed across the sky, as if drawn down from the stars to that beacon on
the hills, and landed in the harbor. The warriors of Sa'ar gathered at the
harbor, at which point the aliens, having transferred to a small boat,
hailed the city and rowed in slowly to meet them.
Appreciating that these beings were not from the hill
tribes but from the stars, the Oji considered that they were perhaps an
answer to his prayers, and he welcomed them as "heavenly ones." Via
translation technology, Captain Raader introduced herself and offered her
Swashbucklers' aid against the warriors of Sa'ar's enemies. As his awed
warriors fell to their knees, the Oji greeted Raader as a goddess, while
the Swashbucklers' Cap'n Kidd appreciated that they were potentially get
in the middle of civil war.
The Oji subsequently had a meal prepared for the
"gods," apologizing for the humbleness of the refreshments, noting that
their stores were low due to the siege.
After the Oji noted the light in the mountains (the Colonizer probe), Raader revealed that her people were not gods but rather pirates, but that they would help them stop the Colonizers for a price. After she had discussed life on other planets and advised that the people of Oji's world unite to fight the Colonizers, the Oji told her that -- even if they were not embroiled in a losing war with their enemies and even if he believed her about these Colonizers from the stars -- he could not accept her aid because she was a woman (see comments). He explained how, in his male-dominated society, women existed to breed and serve, and that even if accepting her aid would save the House of Sa'ar, he could not accept it, because it would bring disgrace upon the dynasty: They may perish, but at least they would perish with honor.
After Oji admitted that he would have accepted the
assistance of gods, Raader kissed him -- suggesting he could pretend and
that he was too cute to die -- and tried to convince him to accept her
aid. Oji initially called her a slut and explained that if he accepted her
aid, his culture and beliefs would be swept away as surely as if his
kingdom had been conquered by their enemies, but he eventually succumbed
to her amour, and they spent the night together.
The next morning, Raader heard the sounds of
battle-cries and awakened Oji, but he still refused to accept her aid,
considering that while she was unlike any woman he had ever known, she was
still just a woman.
Although Raader accepted Oji's choice and prepared to
lead her crew off world to find others who wanted their help, Domino used
her elemental fire power against the attacking hillmen. The rest of the
Swashbucklers 
soon joined her, turning
around what would otherwise have been a certain defeat. However, still
unwilling to accept this aid despite virtually certain victory, the Oji
ordered his troops to retreat; nonetheless, General Kazi voiced that it
would have been better to have died than to have suffered such disgrace,
and Oji wept.
(Swords of the Swashbucklers#10 - BTS) - As the
Swashbucklers departed Kiasho, they encountered and destroyed an
approaching Colonizer ship, appreciating that others would follow unless
they destroyed the probe beacon.
Resolving to save the people even if they did not want
their help, Raader led the return to Sa'ar to find it in flames. Raader
confronted Oji, blaming him and his pride, and Oji admitted that she had
been correct, and he apologized,
Knowing that the hill tribes would soon return to
finish him off and that more Colonizer crafts would arrive, Raader offered
Oji to depart with her crew, but he resolved to stay and honor his people.
Wearing his armor, the Oji soon led General Nagai his
men against the massive approaching hill people army, encouraging them to
die like men.
Comments: Created and owned by Bill
Mantlo (or his estate) and Geoff Isherwood under the creator-owned
Epic Imprint.
In case it was not apparent, Oji and
his people had numerous similarities to Japanese society, notably
mirroring bushido, the code of honor and morals developed by the
Japanese samurai.
It was not clear to me what Oji specifically ruled...House of Sa'ar would seem like a relatively small family, with Clan Moromai being a group larger than the family, with Yashida Dynasty being an even larger group...but, not an area of expertise. Sadly (on many levels), Bill Mantlo is no longer with us and can't provide any clarification.
"Shemale" was the word of the Oji's
people for women. That was more of a transgender slang term on Earth.
Thanks to Loki for
helping me pick a character and confirm the reality synopsis!
Assuming I live long enough, I'll go back and hit all
the characters from this series (unless someone beats me to it), but not
for many, many, many moons...
Earth-21394 When piratical terrestrial society was threatened by alien Colonizers, Domino Blackthorne Drake allied with the alien Swashbucklers, led by Captain Raader, to rescue Drake's parents. Drake continued with the Swashbucklers, pillaging other worlds and opposing the Colonizers. Marvel Graphic Novel #14: Swords of the Swashbucklers (1984)
This profile was completed 12/22/2023,
but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25th
anniversary event to represent the Swords of the Swashbucklers' stories
and characters.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Oji should be distinguished from:
Appearances:
Swords of the Swashbucklers#10 (November, 1986) - Bill Mantlo
(writer), Geoff Isherwood (artist), Daniel Chichester (assistant editor),
Jo Duffy (associate editor), Archie Goodwin (editor)
First posted: 09/10/2026
Last updated: 08/09/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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