TOMO YOSHIDA
Real Name: Tomo Yoshida
Identity/Class: Human (Japanese)
Occupation: Revolutionary
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Blindspot, Mystique (Raven Darkholme), Rogue (Anna Marie), Sunfire (Shiro Yoshida)
Enemies: Lord Dark Wind, X-Men (Angel/Warren Worthington III, Beast/Hank McCoy, Cyclops/Scott Summers, Iceman/Bobby Drake, Marvel Girl/Jean Grey), Saburo Yoshida
Known Relatives: Saburo Yoshida (brother, deceased), Mrs. Yashida (mother-in-law, deceased), Shiro Yoshida (Sunfire, nephew), Leyu Yoshida (Sunpyre, niece, deceased), Shingen Harada (nephew, deceased), Yoshi (nephew), Ichiro (nephew), Mariko Yashida (cousin), Kenuichio Harada (Silver Samurai, cousin)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Tokyo, Japan
First Appearance: X-Men I#64 (January, 1970)
Powers/Abilities: Tomo Yoshida had some training in armed combat, including swordplay and archery. He wielded a pistol.
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'7")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 160 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Bald (black eyebrows and mustache)
History:
(X-Men I#64 (fb)) - After his nephew Shiro Yoshida lost his mother,
Tomo helped his brother Saburo raise Shiro. Tomo came to wield a great
influence over Shiro's beliefs. Tomo had a deep hatred of the United
States for dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, thus
Tomo pressed his beliefs upon Shiro, teaching him to take an oath to
avenge the wrongs done to Japan during World War II.
(Rogue II#8 (fb)) - Tomo trained Shiro how to fight, instructing him in swordplay and archery.
(X-Men I#64 (fb)) - Suspecting Shiro was a mutant, Tomo brought him to the site of Hiroshima and encouraged him to touch the soil. Once Shiro touched the ground, his mutant powers activated and he proved able to generate atomic heat from his hands. Tomo had Shiro practice using his powers in secret until he had learned how to fly and control his flame. Tomo gave him a masked costume and the alias "Sunfire" to use in avenging Japan. As Saburo did not share Tomo's beliefs, Tomo drove a wedge between father and son, convincing Shiro that his father was weak.
(Rogue II#10 (fb)) - Learning Lord Dark Wind had access to the indestructible metal Adamantium, Tomo hired the mutant rebels Blindspot, Mystique and Rogue to accompany Sunfire on a mission to Lord Dark Wind's research facility in Yokohama and steal the formula for Adamantium. Tomo envisioned himself using the Adamantium to build an army of indestructible samurai warriors. Unfortunately, when Rogue used her mutant power to copy Sunfire's abilities, she started a fire that gave Lord Dark Wind advance warning of their arrival and he fled with his hard drives before they reached the facility.
(Rogue II#8 (fb)) - Before leaving Japan to accompany Saburo in the United States, Tomo began planning an attack on the United States, identifying targets for Shiro to destroy.
(X-Men I#64) - When Saburo became a delegate to the United Nations and set out to address the body at UN Headquarters in New York, Tomo and Shiro accompanied him. As Saburo dedicated a statue outside the UN Headquarters, Tomo had Sunfire make his first public appearance and destroy the statue with his flame. Sunfire's actions drew notice from his fellow mutants the X-Men but Sunfire evaded them and returned to Tomo. Shiro told Tomo he had doubts but Tomo reminded him of the oath he'd taken.
Tomo accompanied Saburo and Shiro as they journeyed to Washington D.C., where Saburo was going to address the U.S. Congress. As Tomo showed Shiro the city from their hotel room and prepared him for his next attack, they were interrupted by Saburo, who overheard and was ashamed at Shiro for reviving "old quarrels."
Tomo and Shiro accompanied Saburo to the U.S. Capitol then snuck into an empty cloakroom so Shiro could don his Sunfire costume. When Saburo saw Shiro in his costume, he tried to prevent Shiro from disgracing him and their country but Shiro set out as Sunfire to attack the Capitol dome while Tomo restrained Saburo so he wouldn't warn anyone of the coming attack.
Sunfire was delayed in his purpose by the X-Men and Saburo escaped from Tomo then climbed to the top of the dome to plead with his son, telling him Tomo was a "sick man... feeding the fire of his hatred with the embers of a long-dead war!" and encouraging Shiro to renounce Tomo. Sunfire was confused and uncertain whether to honor his father or his uncle. Tomo reached the top of the dome and announced that he would help make up his mind; drawing a gun, he shot Saburo. Saburo fell from the dome and died on the ground below; angry at his uncle, Sunfire blasted him with his atomic fire and killed Tomo.
Comments: Created by Roy Thomas, Don Heck and Tom Palmer.
This profile was completed on
1/7/2026 but its publication was delayed, as it was intended for the
Appendix's 25th anniversary celebratory event.
Profile by Prime Eternal.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Tomo Yoshida should not be confused with:
images: (without ads)
X-Men I#64, page 12, panel 4 (main)
X-Men I#64, page 19, panel 4 (face)
Appearances:
X-Men I#64 (January, 1970) - Roy Thomas (writer), Don Heck (penciler), Tom Palmer (inker), Stan Lee (editor)
Rogue
II#8 (April, 2005) - Tony Bedard (writer), Karl Moline (penciler),
Andrew Hennessy (inker), Rick Magyar (inker), Mark Pennington (inker),
Stephanie Moore (editor)
Rogue II#10 (June, 2005) - Tony Bedard (writer), Karl Moline (penciler), Rick Magyar (inker), Stephanie Moore (editor)
First posted: 01/07/2026
Last updated:
01/07/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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