Samurai (Super Friends)

Samurai is a Japanese superhero in the "Super Friends" animated television series. His real name is Toshio Eto. He was one of the later additions to the team along with other ethnically diverse heroes in an effort for the show to promote cultural diversity. His voice actor is Jack Angel. In addition to being a prominent figure in several other animated shows, Angel also did the voice for The Flash and Hawkman.
Samurai appears in "The All-New Super Friends Hour", "Challenge of the Super Friends", "Super Friends (1980)", ', and '. Besides being inserted to create diversity, Samurai, in a sense, took the place of Red Tornado with whom he shares similar wind-based abilities. After sporadic guest appearances, Samurai grew into a prominent team member in the series' later seasons.
Samurai appeared in the DC Comics Mini Series "Super Powers". He also had an action figure in the "Super Powers Collection" line produced by Kenner. A character resembling Samurai appeared in a double page spread in the "Infinite Crisis" hard cover trade collection. The actual Samurai made his first appearance in the comics several years later during the "Brightest Day" event.
Biography.
Although not outwardly resembling a traditional samurai, Samurai upholds the code of the Bushido, sometimes relating everything he or someone else does to the ancient tradition. Although he displays a good number of powers, the one he relies on most often is the ability to manipulate wind. He can fly by creating a small tornado around his lower body and can conjure powerful gusts from his hands that can knock back even large objects.
In addition to controlling wind, Samurai can also call upon other abilities he learned during his years of training in the ancient arts. He invokes them by speaking a phrase in Japanese:
He first appeared in "The All-New Super Friends Hour" and then he mostly appeared in the "Challenge of the Super Friends" series as a fully active member of the team. He later made sporadic appearances in the later "" series.
Origin.
His real name is Toshio Eto, and he was a history professor prior to becoming a superhero. One day, Eto was struck by a beam of light sent by the New Gods of New Genesis, who were trying to create more superheroes to defend the world from Darkseid. Although Eto briefly ran wild with his new powers, the New Gods explained their intent to him and he vowed to become a superhero.
Comics.
Samurai made DC comics appearances during the "Justice League/Justice Society of America" crossover featured in the "Brightest Day" event. Toshio appears as one of the heroes driven insane by Alan Scott's Starheart powers, and is shown using his winds to destroy the city of Tokyo. He is defeated and knocked unconscious by Jesse Quick and Congorilla.
Prior to Samurai's appearance in "Brightest Day", an alternate version of the character named Toshio was introduced into the DC Universe in the "Justice League of America 80-Page Giant" one-shot. This version was an actual samurai from Japan in the 13th century, who was granted mystical abilities by a sorceress. After a brief battle with the time-displaced Superman and Doctor Light, Toshio teamed up with the heroes to defeat Steppenwolf.
In the "Watchmen" sequel "Doomsday Clock," a Samurai is a member of Japan's superhero team called Big Monster Action.