Art by Jon Haward
The Monkey King is one of the "best-loved of all opera characters" according to Joe Musashi, known for his sense of fun and legendary kung-fu prowess. Musashi had to face this character, in reality a Neo Zeed assassin in disguise, during his quest to find Naoko. The warrior was dressed just as the character should, with elaborate face make-up. After appearing on stage during what looked like a performance, the actor never broke his focus, remaining mute throughout his fight with Musashi apart from a few monkey "eek" noises.
The assassin fought hard at first, overpowering the Shinobi by using the monkey-style of fighting - rolling on the floor and attacking low - and almost defeated Musashi. Joe got the upper hand and appeared to walk away without defeating his opponent. The Monkey King took this moment of reluctance to pounce at his enemy from behind, but Musashi had planned for this and swiftly struck his foe, winding him into immobility. With no likelihood of the character ever confessing Naoko's whereabouts, Musashi left him twitching on the floor in tears.
Trivia[]
- The Monkey King is presumably based off Sun Wukong, a main character from classic novel "Journey to the West".
- He is the only one of Musashi's intermediate opponents who was given any sort of name, although it is only a character.
- He is also the only assassin to be accompanied by somebody else in his room, namely another Neo Zeed member playing a musical instrument to welcome the Monkey King onstage.
Appearances[]
- Issue 4 - The Fear Pavilion and cover