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Ahn Kwang-Jo src

Ahn Kwang-Jo is Dragonson, a North Korean member of the Justice League of China serving as its Aqua-Man.

Origin

Ahn Kwang-Jo is the descendant of King Munmu, the former ruler of the ancient kingdom of Silla in Korea in the seventh century AD, and the Aqua-Man of North Korea. At an unknown date in time, The Dragon King of the Northern Sea cohabited with Kwang-Jo's mother, birthing a dragonman child spawn who went through life unaware of his lineage or his destiny.

JLC & the Aqua-Man of North Korea

While a citizen of Rason, North Korea, Ahn Kwang-Jo would attend Raijin University growing into one of its most accomplished students. He was also an aspiring cartoonist and often drew doodles of his favorite American animations in his spare time.[1]

One day during class, the secret police of the Korean Government's Workers Party came in and apprehended Kwang-Jo for questioning. They inquired about a TV set that he'd modified to pick up television broadcasts from across the Chinese/Korean border, where their neighboring country permits the airing of American produced animation, a capitol offense by their government. When their captive admitted to liking western Animated production, his captors cruelly took turns beating him into submission for it.

What none among the present knew of however, was that Kwang-Jo was secretly a metahuman with deep ties to a mythical, mystical background. His profuse sweating that occurred when he was overcome with anxiety was the early manifestation of his powers.

As he was continually throttled into senselessness, a pair of giant crab like cryptids emerged from the puddles created and disposed of Kwang-Jo's captors. The delirious youth found himself dumbfounded by all that had transpired around as the two creatures demanded that their liege climb on their back.[1] As the trio made their way across the North Korean Border, they encountered the Chinese Justice League where Deilan could communicate with the sentient sea life telepathically.[2]

Learning that Kwang-Jo was on the run from the Korean Army, Wonder-Woman gave her word to protect him from his pursuers. But upon seeing that his own people's army was after him, the culturally brainwashed Kwang-Jo threw himself into their artillery.

Super-Man and Flash managed to save him, save for a stray bullet nicking his head. As he came to, Ahn Kwang-Jo was greeted by Lady Green Snake with a bowl of seaweed soup, but soon became horrified as only the elitist of the elite in North Korean society can partake in such a delicacy and he felt that he betrayed his country by surviving his punishment.[2] Kwang-Jo didn't realize that all he'd been raised to believe in, about how the nations outside his own were impoverished wastelands was all a lie fabricated by the ruling authorities of his home country. After begging Peng to show him the truth, he was astonished to find that many people are actually happier and healthier in the land beyond North Korea's borders.

While asleep in the dead of night, Kwang-Jo had another dream about the voice of his father from earlier that day. Though skeptical of the voice in his mind, he awakened to find the face of his real father staring back at him. King Munmu told him of how in his mortal life Munmu once ruled the national dynasty of Silla, eventually having transcended his mortal coil to became its watchful guardian.

Seeing what had become of his kingdom in the wake of Korea's rise, Ahn Kwang-Jo's father granted his son the power of his birthright in order to save his kingdom. Now transformed into his truest potential, Kwang-Jo was dubbed by his father as The Dragonson: the ultimate instrument of the Dragon King's design.[2]

Powers

  • Transformation: While wielding the bone relic of King Munmu, Ahn Kwang-Jo is able to transform into his superhuman form, The Dragonson. The bone itself also transforms into a magic sword.[2]
    • Amphibian
    • Superhuman Strength: After being encased in solid ice Kwan-Jo freed himself by shattering the ice without visible effort.[3]
    • Superhuman Durability: Kwang-Jo has survived a punch from Super-Man with only a bloody lip.[3]
    • Accelerated Healing[2]
    • Water Form Manipulation[3]: Ahn Kwang-Jo can manipulate water bodies in any given shape it takes, be it solid (ice), liquid (water) or gas (mist). This ability stems from his being the physical representation of the Heavenly Floodwaters of Mt. Paektu within North Korea.[4]
      • Hydrokinesis: He can produce massive quantities of water from his body which he can expel with great force causing tidal waves, or weave into watery appendages.[3]
      • Water Portal Creation: The Dragonson uses the surface of water as a portal through which mythological cryptids gain access to his dimension. Initially, Ahn Kwang-Jo produced massive amounts of water when nervous in the form of perspiration, through which he would unknowingly draw all manner of deepsea creatures through.[1]
      • Cryokinesis: Kwang-Jo had been frozen within a block of solid ice by Kenan Kong but just as easily broke out of it and used the icicle shards as a means of attack.[3]
    • Cryptid Control: Due to his parentage, aquatic cryptids follow his commands and seek to safeguard him.[1]

Abilities

Weaknesses

  • Separation from Sword: Dragonson's powers are derived from his magic sword. Separation from it for more than a minute can cause his power to fade quickly.[3]
  • Missing Eye: Kwang-Jo left eye was damaged by a bullet.[2]


Weapons

  • Bone Sword of King Munnmu: A Japanese katana shaped from the bones of The Dragon Son's true father, King Munmu.[2] Ahm Kwang-Jo becomes the mythical metahuman Dragon Son and retains all of his powers through physical contact with it. Should his grip ever loosen from the blade, Kwang-Jo will revert back to his human form and be left vulnerable.[3]


  • The Dragonson's origin is a continuity nod to the birth of King Orin in pre-Flashpoint publishing. How Ahn Kwang-Jo was born through either magic, dream walking or otherwise, similarly to the immortal Atlan bedding Queen Atlanna in her dreams to raise Aquaman.[5]

Related

Footnotes



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Justice League member
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This character has been a member of the Justice League of America, or the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats.
This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Justice League of America members" category.

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