Richard Dragon (or simply Dragon) is the alias of two characters appearing in media published by

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

. Although both incarnations differ in alignment, they are both portrayed as accomplished martial artists with connections to the League of Assassins. The first incarnation, Richard Drakunovski, was created by

Dennis O'Neil Dennis "Denny" Joseph O'Neil (May 3, 1939 – June 11, 2020) was an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of titles until h ...

and James R. Berry in the novel ''Kung Fu Master, Richard Dragon: Dragon's Fists'' (1974) under the shared

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...

"Jim Dennis". O'Neil later adapted the character for

in the

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

''Richard Dragon,

Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater Ch ...

Fighter''. A thief who was trained in martial arts and decided to use his skills for good, the character is considered one of DC Comic's premier martial artists alongside peers such as Bronze Tiger,

Lady Shiva Lady Shiva (real name Sandra Woosan or more recently Sandra Wu-San) is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was co-created by Dennis O'Neil and Ric Estrada, and first appeared in ''Richard Dragon, Ku ...

, and Batman. In more recent continuities, the character is depicted as a more benevolent member of the League of Assassins who was killed by a former student. (Print book)
(eBook) In DC's

New 52 The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC cancelled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new ser ...

continuity, a new villainous character who uses the alias is revealed to be the

Green Arrow Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' No. 73 on September 19, 1941 (cover dated November 1941), th ...

villain Ricardo Diaz Jr. Raised as son of a kingpin, the character would be prompted to seek revenge after witnessing Green Arrow kill his father. Eventually finding the League of Assassins, he was mentored by Richard Drakunvoski in martial arts but rejected his more peaceful philosophies and killed his master before adopting his moniker. The Ricardo Diaz incarnation of the character appears in ''

Arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...

'', portrayed by

Kirk Acevedo Kirkland M. Acevedo (born November 27, 1971) is an American actor best known as Miguel Alvarez in '' Oz'', Joe Toye in '' Band of Brothers'', and FBI Agent Charlie Francis on '' Fringe''. His best-known films are '' The Thin Red Line'', '' D ...

Fictional character biography

Richard Drakunovski

As a teenage sneak thief in Japan, young Richard Dragon broke into a dojo outside of

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

to steal a priceless jade

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

. Before he could get away, Dragon was caught and beaten by the dojo's teenage student, Ben Turner. O-Sensei, the dojo's master, saw something worth nurturing in Richard, and for the next seven years taught Ben and Richard, side by side, mastery of the martial arts. Richard came to find an inner peace, only using his skill when absolutely necessary. Once he felt there was nothing more he could teach them, the O-Sensei left the two. Turner and Dragon were recruited by Barney Ling, head of the law-keeping espionage agency known as G.O.O.D. (Global Organization of Organized Defense), to join the organization. Together Ben and Richard would defeat the corrupt businessman Guano Cravat, foiling his plans to instigate a war for his own benefit. Ben and Richard founded a martial arts dojo in Manhattan, and Richard would go on to battle international threats such as Telegram Sam, the Preying Mantis, the League of Assassins, and his former superior, Barney Ling. Thirsty for revenge, Cravat would arrange for the murder of Carolyn Wu-San, one of O-Sensei's god-daughters. Aided by Barney Ling, Cravat tricked Carolyn's sister, Sandra Wu-San, into believing Dragon was the murderer. Consumed with a need for revenge, Sandra trained to the peak of human capability, mastering martial arts to defeat Dragon. When the two masters finally met in battle, however, Dragon was able to show Sandra that Cravat had deceived her. Without Dragon's death as a goal, Sandra no longer had a need for her martial arts mastery. Sensing she needed guidance, Dragon helped her to explore the spiritual side of martial arts. Ultimately deciding that she was Sandra no more she rechristened herself "Shiva". She fought crime with Dragon and Ben Turner until the three parted ways. Turner, brainwashed by the villainous

Sensei The term "先生", read in Chinese, in Japanese, in Korean, and in Vietnamese, is an honorific used in the Sinosphere. In Japanese, the term literally means "person born before another" or "one who comes before". It is generally used ...

of the League of Assassins, became the renegade Bronze Tiger. Dragon decided to retire, devoting himself to teaching others. Lady Shiva became one of the world's greatest assassins. After the character's title was canceled, Dragon became a

supporting character A supporting character is a character in a narrative that is not the focus of the primary storyline, but is important to the plot/protagonist, and appears or is mentioned in the story enough to be more than just a minor character or a cameo a ...

in the 1980s series, '' The Question''. The title character of that book, Vic Sage, was a masked crime-fighter based in Hub City, who came into conflict with Lady Shiva. After all but killing The Question, Shiva sent him to see Richard Dragon for training. Sage's stubborn streak made him near impossible for most people to teach. However, when he met Dragon he found himself reluctant to challenge his new sensei because Dragon was in a wheelchair. Richard trained The Question both in martial arts and

eastern philosophy Eastern philosophy (also called Asian philosophy or Oriental philosophy) includes the various philosophies that originated in East and South Asia, including Chinese philosophy, Japanese philosophy, Korean philosophy, and Vietnamese philoso ...

, forcing him to question his world view and let go of much of his anger. Of note, he loosely quoted Zhuangzi's story "The Butterfly Dream". Later Richard would start referring to his student as "Butterfly" because of this. Richard said that Shiva had saved Sage because she saw a passion for combat in him while Richard, on the other hand, thought that Sage's passion was for curiosity. Regardless, Richard realized that for Sage to have a spiritual awakening he had to first let go of the self-destructive behaviors that Hub City brought out in him. Thus Richard sent Sage back home. As he left, Sage met Shiva again, and the two briefly sparred. She explained that this fight had been for her to test her own perceptions. She thought she had seen a "warrior's passion" in him that was lacking skills, and felt that she had been proved correct since he faced her a second time knowing she had destroyed him the first. Shiva concluded that she had been right about him and Richard wrong, but Sage proposed that maybe he had just been ''curious'' what would happen if they fought again, which would make Richard right. Sage adopted the identity of The Question again, futilely trying to save the city. Just as Sage's doomed efforts to save Hub City threatened to destroy him, Dragon arrived to advise his student. Dragon finally convinced Sage that his crusade to save Hub City was no longer doing anything but destroying him. When Sage collapsed from exhaustion and his injuries, Richard revealed that he was capable of using his legs perfectly, and put Sage in the wheelchair. Dragon had realized he would need the chair to make Sage let down his defenses - Sage was so "full of macho" that he would never have listened to him otherwise. The chair had not been just a charade, however. Richard revealed that he had ''allowed'' himself to be handicapped as part of his own learning process, going on to state "I was a teacher then. I am about to become something else. So I discard that option". The city had truly degenerated by this point with all pretense of law and order long lost. Richard, who had thought his studies had put him beyond such things, found himself shocked and horrified by the actions of people in Hub City. For example, a man was using a dead baby to try and beg for 'milk money'. When Richard and the others uncovered this, he tossed the body into a nearby trash can. Dragon wordlessly met Lady Shiva, who had arrived on the outskirts of Hub City in the helicopter that was to take Sage and Dragon away - she wished to go toward and enjoy the chaos that Sage and Richard were rejecting. Shiva uses force and threats to ensure the pilot would do what she wishes. Richard would next appear as sensei to

Oracle An oracle is a person or thing considered to provide insight, wise counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. If done through occultic means, it is a form of divination. Descript ...

, helping her to see past her own wheelchair-related limitations. Dragon spends months training her in escrima, the

Philippine The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

art of stick fighting, a martial art she could use despite her wheelchair. Not long after that, the masked heroine Huntress became the main suspect in a series of murders. Realizing that her headstrong nature would likely mean her death this time, The Question saved her from her many pursuers (including the police and

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

), and took her to Richard Dragon. Seeing many similarities between her and The Question, Dragon helped teach the adventuress to control her anger and "slow down". After Huntress joined the

Birds of Prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as (although not the same as) raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively predation, hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and smaller birds). In addition to speed ...

, Richard Dragon aided her in fighting the Twelve Brothers in Silk, an Asian martial arts squad that protected a major heroin distributor. In 2004, the title was revived and the character revamped by

Chuck Dixon Charles Dixon (born April 14, 1954) is an American comic book writer, best known for his work on the Marvel Comics character the Punisher and on the DC Comics characters Batman, Nightwing, and Robin in the 1990s and early 2000s. Early life D ...

and Scott McDaniel, only to be canceled after twelve issues. In this short series, Richard Dragon is a bullied school kid who enrolls in a karate dojo to better himself. The dojo's instructor was a "mail-order" black belt, who is later defeated by the Bronze Tiger. The Bronze Tiger then agrees to train young Dragon. He eventually meets and falls in love with Lady Shiva. Although he wins the martial arts tournament she is watching, she chides him for not being able to live up to the powerful name of "Dragon". Shiva becomes Dragon's lover and instructor, and the series touches on their now strained relationship. The series begins with the Tiger locating Dragon, who is seeking death by fighting in death matches. He agrees to help Dragon resolve his problems with Shiva if he agrees to stop killing. In tracking Shiva they are confronted by

Nightwing Nightwing is a superhero alias used by multiple characters in American comic books published by DC Comics. The most prominent bearer is Dick Grayson, the original Robin, who adopts the Nightwing identity to assert his independence from Batman. ...

and

Connor Hawke Connor Hawke is a fictional DC Comics superhero who operated as the second Green Arrow, created by Kelley Puckett and Jim Aparo. In the post-''Zero Hour: Crisis in Time!, Zero Hour'' continuity, Connor is the eldest son of Oliver Queen, the orig ...

. Nightwing alludes to Dragon training him, as Dragon trained Bruce Wayne, who passed that training on to Nightwing. At the end of the series, Dragon and Shiva are pitted in combat. Dragon gains the upper hand in the fight, and as he begins to deliver his death blow, Shiva's devout followers rush to save her, knocking Dragon away. Unhappy at this disturbance, Shiva attacks and possibly kills her followers before returning to kill Dragon with her signature move, the Leopard Claw. Dragon is, however, resurrected by the demonic Neron who wants Dragon to kill Shiva. Dragon refuses and walks away from Neron, saying that both had held up their parts of the agreement. Richard Dragon appears starting in Week 26 of the comic book '' 52'', in the mystic city of Nanda Parbat, where he starts to train former Gotham Detective Renee Montoya. His appearance matches that of the Richard Dragon seen before the Dixon reboot (albeit with a full head of long hair, as when training Question and Oracle, rather than balding when training Huntress). In this story Dragon makes references to a conversation he had with The Question in the ''Question'' series, contradicting at least some of Chuck Dixon's Richard Dragon series. The ''52'' series is also where Richard's former student, Vic Sage, dies from cancer. In 2011, ''

The New 52 The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero American comic books, comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint" Fictional crossover, cros ...

'' rebooted the DC universe. Richard Dragon was visited by Ricardo Diaz Jr. and trained him in martial arts. When Richard Dragon tried to teach him about peace, patience, and compassion, he was killed by Ricardo who saw weakness in him. To honor Richard, Ricardo adopted the "Richard Dragon" moniker for his own use.''Green Arrow'' (vol. 5) #32. DC Comics.

Ricardo Diaz Jr.

A new version of Richard Dragon is introduced following DC's ''

'' 2011 continuity relaunch. A character identifying himself as Richard Dragon first appears in ''

'' (vol. 5) #23 (2013). In ''Green Arrow'' (vol. 5) #31, he appears leading a team of Green Arrow's enemies, referred to as the Longbow Hunters. In ''Green Arrow'' (vol. 5) #32 the character identifies himself as Ricardo Diaz Jr., the namesake son of a drug kingpin who had been killed by John Diggle (posing as Green Arrow). In addition, he also killed the original Richard Dragon and took his moniker for his own use. He revealed that after his father's death and the fall of his criminal empire, he sought out and found the League of Assassins where his sensei taught him to become a living weapon. He claims that when his sensei also taught him patience and compassion, which he perceived to be a weakness, he killed his sensei and took his name. Diaz/Dragon places a 30-million-dollar bounty on Green Arrow, which three members of the Longbow Hunters (

Brick A brick is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a unit primarily composed of clay. But is now also used informally to denote building un ...

, Killer Moth, and Red Dart) intend to split. Green Arrow is able to defeat all of them with the help of his young half-sister, Emiko. Green Arrow is then reunited with his old partner, John Diggle, after Dragon attempts to kill Diggle by defenestration. In a fight against both Arrow and Diggle, Dragon is able to significantly injure both of them, but is ultimately defeated.

Characterization

Students of Richard Dragon

Several characters have undergone training with Richard Dragon: The Question, Huntress, Oracle, Renee Montoya, and Lady Shiva. He's also trained Dick Grayson, Batman, and Connor Hawke although they appeared in the 2004 series. Given that the version of Richard Dragon seen in 52 appeared to be the version seen prior to the 2004

retcon Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in fictional story telling whereby facts and events established through the narrative itself are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subsequently published work ...

, the canonical nature of these students is unclear. In the

, the Green Arrow villain who takes the name Richard Dragon (Ricardo Diaz, Jr.) is revealed to have killed the original man by that name, who had been his sensei, explaining the original Richard Dragon's absence from the New 52.

Skills and abilities

Richard Drakunovski

The first incarnation of Richard Dragon is not endowed with inherent superhuman abilities, but rather his mastery of martial arts allows him to create the illusion of possessing such capabilities. With expertise in both armed combat and unarmed techniques, Dragon is skilled in various conventional weapons but primarily relies on his unarmed skills. He has achieved mastery in all known hand-to-hand martial arts disciplines, which encompass styles such as

Aikido Aikido ( , , , ) is a gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art which is split into many different styles including Iwama Ryu, Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shuren Kai, Shodokan Aikido, Yoshinkan, Renshinkai, Aikikai, and Ki Aikido. Aikido is now practic ...

Muay Thai Muay Thai or Muaythai (, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, the Art of Eight Limbs or the Science of Eight Limbs, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinch fighting, cl ...

Karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...

Judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyc ...

Pencak Silat Pencak silat (; in Western writings sometimes spelled "pentjak silat" or phonetically as "penchak silat") is a class of related Indonesian martial arts. In neighbouring countries, the term usually refers to professional competitive silat. It ...

Taekwondo Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...

, Escrima, and

Jeet Kune Do Jeet Kune Do (/ˌdʒiːt kuːn ˈdoʊ/; zh, c=截拳道, l=stop fist way' or 'way of the intercepting fist, j=zit6 kyun4 dou6; abbreviated JKD) is a hybrid martial art conceived and practiced by martial artist Bruce Lee. It was formed from ...

. His proficiency in these diverse martial arts forms is well-documented. In addition to his combat prowess, Richard Dragon is a learned philosopher, particularly in matters pertaining to leading a heroic life. He has provided guidance to notable individuals such as the Huntress and Wonder Woman, offering insights into the correct paths they should follow. Richard Dragon possesses a mystical artifact called the Dragon's Claw, which is a talisman of significance. While it is believed to possess mystical properties, it is widely speculated that the totem primarily serves as a focal point for Dragon's concentration and does not inherently possess its own supernatural powers. During moments of intense adversity, the Dragon's Claw enables Dragon to channel and direct his own qi (life energy) in a focused manner, aiding him in challenging situations.

Richard Diaz, Jr.

Similar to his predecessor, the second Richard Dragon does not possess any superhuman abilities. However, he is a highly skilled martial artist who received comprehensive training from his mentor in all aspects of martial arts. Diaz's fighting style diverges from that of his teacher, as he possesses the ability to analyze and exploit the weaknesses of his opponents. He has a keen eye for assessing an individual's physical attributes such as height, weight, and other characteristics. This perceptiveness allows him to accurately predict the movements and attacks of his adversaries, showcasing his prowess as a strategic and tactical mastermind. Diaz's aptitude for developing and recognizing complex combat strategies makes him an imposing figure as a crime lord. Additionally, he possesses remarkable reflexes, as demonstrated by his ability to catch trick arrows fired by Green Arrow.

Other versions

Richard Dragon Jr.

Richard Dragon Jr. debuted in ''Robin'' #1 (2021). Created by Joshua Williamson and Gleb Melnikov, the character is implied to be the son of the original Richard Dragon, Richard Drakunvonski. He participates in the League of Lazarus before

Talia al Ghul Talia al Ghul (; , ) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman. The character was created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Bob Brown (comics), Bob Brown, and first app ...

offers him membership in the League of Shadows.

In other media

Television

Ricardo "Dragon" Diaz appears in media set in the

Arrowverse The Arrowverse is an American Superhero fiction, superhero media franchise and shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series ...

, portrayed by

as an adult and Max Archibald as a young man. * Primarily appearing in ''

'', this version is an arsonist, crime lord, and drug dealer with dragon tattoos on his neck and left shoulder. In the sixth season, he manipulates Cayden James into helping him take control of Star City before

Oliver Queen Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' No. 73 on September 19, 1941 (cover dated November 1941), th ...

exposes and captures everyone on Diaz's payroll, forcing him to go into hiding. In the seventh season, Diaz seeks revenge by targeting Queen and his family, hiring the Longbow Hunters to assist him and taking a drug that grants super-strength, but is captured by Emiko Queen and Team Arrow. Incarcerated at Slabside Maximum Security Prison, Diaz is recruited into A.R.G.U.S.'s Ghost Initiative to help them locate Ninth Circle financier Dante, through whom Diaz hired the Longbow Hunters, though Diaz betrays them to help Dante escape. He is subsequently returned to Slabside, where Emiko kills him to prevent him from revealing information on the Ninth Circle. * An alternate version of Diaz who became a police officer after John Deegan rewrote reality makes a cameo appearance in the crossover "

Elseworlds Elseworlds is the publication imprint (trade name), imprint for American comic books produced by DC Comics for stories that take place outside the DC Universe Canon (fictional), canon. Elseworlds publications are set in alternate realities that ...

Film

Richard Dragon appears in '' Batman: Soul of the Dragon'', voiced by

Mark Dacascos Mark Alan Dacascos (born February 26, 1964) is an American actor, martial artist and television personality. A 4th-degree black belt in Kajukenbo#Wun Hop Kuen Do, Wun Hop Kuen Do, he is known for his roles in Action film, action films, including ...

. This version is visually inspired by

Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was an American-born Hong Kong martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy which was formed from ...

's character, Lee, from ''

Enter the Dragon ''Enter the Dragon'' ( zh, t=龍爭虎鬥) is a 1973 martial arts film directed by Robert Clouse and written by Michael Allin. The film stars Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Ahna Capri, Bob Wall, Shih Kien and Jim Kelly. ''Enter the Dragon'' was ...

''.

Video games

Dragon appears as a character summon in '' Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure''.

Miscellaneous

A poster of Richard Dragon appears in '' Young Justice'' #0.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dragon, Richard Characters created by Dennis O'Neil Comics characters introduced in 1975 Comics characters introduced in 2013 DC Comics male superheroes DC Comics male supervillains DC Comics superheroes DC Comics supervillains DC Comics martial artists DC Comics titles Fictional aikidoka Fictional arsonists Fictional eskrimadors Fictional gangsters Fictional Jeet Kune Do practitioners Fictional judoka Fictional jujutsuka Fictional karateka Fictional martial arts trainers Fictional Muay Thai practitioners Fictional Pencak Silat practitioners Fictional schoolteachers Fictional taekwondo practitioners Fictional Wing Chun practitioners Suicide Squad members