History
Mana is a High Priestess of Shosei Order, a lineage of miko (巫女) Shinto shrine maidens based out of Kyoto (the spiritual center of Japan) who protected Japan from demonic incursions from Yomi for over 800 years. In the 1800s, Mana and her twin sister Hana were destined to clash over leadership of the Shosei Order and matured into bitter rivals. But when Mana emerged victorious to become the Order's High Priestess, Hana turned her back on the Order and began to study dark and forbidden mystic arts, leading to her body being possessed by the Shinma demon Ryuki. In 1864, Mana confronted her possessed sister and trapped the souls of Ryuki, Hana, and herself within the jewel of her necklace, the Mark of Mana.[1]
Decades later, in modern times, the Mark of Mana fell into the possession of Wolverine, who used it to return Mana's soul to her physical body; however, doing so also inadvertently released the souls of Hana and Ryuki. Freed from their prison, Hana and Ryuki reanimated the Shinsengumi (新選組), a force of 11 deadly samurai warriors who were executed as traitors upon the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate, so that they could be used to kill enough innocent victims to open a gateway from Ashurado and the Earth realm.[1] Although Wolverine defeated the undead Shinsengumi, Hana and Ryuki still opened a gateway from Ashurado to Earth.[2] Wolverine and Mana defeated the demons, and then Wolverine used his gold-coated claws to defeat Ryuki (exploiting the demon's weakness to gold, which had previously been revealed to Mana by the Amatsu-Kami Inari), while Mana killed Hana with her dagger.[3]Attributes
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Powers
Mana can form magical shields, project mystic bolts, and cast a variety of spells (including freezing other objects and beings). She can mystically bless objects and beings, granting them a Shosei purification aura that allows them to better combat dark mystical threats. She is aware of anything that happens or is stated around the Mark of Mana, and she has bound her own and other spirits within the Mark, her body remaining unchanged over centuries despite this separation.
Paraphernalia
Weapons
She also is the holder of the mystically powerful Blade of Blood, able to at least deflect or disrupt magic and open dimensional portals. The Blade only responds to the Shosei Order's high priestess, unless she willingly gives it to and commands the souls to respond to another. Additionally, she wields and is proficient in combat with an unidentified blade and dagger.
See Also
- 4 appearance(s) of Mana Yanowa (Earth-616)
- 2 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Mana Yanowa (Earth-616)
- 1 minor appearance(s) of Mana Yanowa (Earth-616)
- 1 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Mana Yanowa (Earth-616)
- 1 image(s) of Mana Yanowa (Earth-616)
- 1 quotation(s) by or about Mana Yanowa (Earth-616)
- 1 item(s) used/owned by Mana Yanowa (Earth-616)