Richard...is it you! I'm happy you're with me...we might have...meant much to each other, Richard! I might have...loved you! G-goodbye!
- — Carolyn Woosan src
Carolyn Woosan was the older sister of the legendary martial artist Lady Shiva.
History
Pre-Crisis
Carolyn Woosan was the goddaughter of the O-Sensei. She lived with him in Kyoto before leaving to attend college in New York City. O-Sensei's students Ben Turner and Richard Dragon accompanied her to New York after foiling an attempt to kidnap her. Carolyn's uncle Shiruto killed himself rather than reveal important weapons development secrets to a spy called the Swiss. Believing that Carolyn had knowledge of these secrets after watching Shiruto mail a letter to her, The Swiss kidnapped Carolyn and tortured her for information. Richard Dragon went to rescue her and successfully set her free, but she was re-captured by the Swiss as she attempted to escape.[1][2] The Swiss, who had become obsessed with Dragon's fighting abilities, then used Carolyn as bait to lure Dragon into a trap in an abandoned winery. While Dragon managed to survive, the Swiss was able to escape with Carolyn again.[3]
With the help of Barney Ling, Dragon tracked the Swiss to a martial arts school where he was holding Carolyn. During the ensuing fight, The Swiss escaped by motorcycle and Dragon chased after him. During the chase, the Swiss crashed his motorcycle while trying to swerve around traffic, killing Carolyn. She died in Dragon's arms as the Swiss escaped; her last words were to Dragon, telling him that she might have loved him if given more time. Dragon then tracked the Swiss down to an empty junkyard and beat him to death in revenge.[4]
The Swiss had been working for a man named Guano Cravat, the corrupt businessman and weapons developer who previously employed Carolyn's Uncle Shiruto. The organization G.O.O.D. tracked Cravat down, and Barney Ling sent Richard Dragon to deal with Cravat personally. Cravat had tricked Carolyn's sister Sandra, also known as Lady Shiva, into believing that Richard was responsible for Carolyn's death. Dragon and Shiva fought until Shiva realized Cravat's deception, and they worked together to take Cravat down on multiple occasions.[5][6]
Post-Crisis
Carolyn and Sandra Wu-San grew up in Detroit. The girls loved to dance and fight, and practiced martial arts constantly. People travelled from all over the world to watch the sisters spar. One day, the assassin David Cain observed them and noticed that Sandra was holding back out of love for her older sister. Seeing potential in Sandra, Cain brutally murdered Carolyn and left her body for Sandra to discover. Sandra sought out Cain, looking for revenge, and tried to kill him. While she successfully defeated the several League of Assassins members that accompanied him, realizing that Cain was right and she had been holding back during her fights with Carolyn, she was unable to defeat Cain himself. To save her own life, Sandra agreed to Cain's proposition to bear him a child. Grateful to him for unlocking her true potential as a fighter, she trained with Cain until she had a daughter, Carolyn's niece Cassandra Cain. While she believed that Cain had set her free and given her a new purpose in life, Sandra continued to miss Carolyn deeply long after becoming Lady Shiva.[7]
Powers and Abilities
Abilities
- Martial Arts: Like her sister, Carolyn has shown some prominent skills in martial arts.
Notes
- Carolyn Woosan was created by Dennis O'Neil and Jim Berry as a character in their 1974 novel Dragon's Fists. O'Neil later adapted her as a DC Universe character in 1975 when he was writing the series Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter.[1]
Trivia
- David Cain took a picture of Sandra and Carolyn after one of their fights. Carolyn's niece Cassandra later used this picture to help uncover her mother's past. [8][9]
Recommended Reading
- Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter (1975-1977)
- Batgirl Vol. 1 (2000-2006) #73, "Blood Matters, Conclusion: Revelations"
Related
- 7 Appearances of Carolyn Wu-San (New Earth)
- 5 Images featuring Carolyn Wu-San (New Earth)
- 1 Quotations by or about Carolyn Wu-San (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Carolyn Wu-San (New Earth)
Footnotes