Richard Dragon (or simply Dragon) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Dennis O'Neil and James R. Berry in the novel Kung Fu Master, Richard Dragon: Dragon's Fists (1974) under the shared pseudonym "Jim Dennis". O'Neil later adapted the character for DC Comics. Since the character's creation, he is credited as one of the most accomplished martial artists in the DC Universe.
Having varied backgrounds, Richard Drakunovski was originally a teenage thief in Kyoto raised and trained in martial arts by instructor O-Sensei and alongside long-time friend Bronze Tiger. As adults, the pair used their skills as vigilantes and special agents alongside Lady Shiva to fight for justice. An alternate background depicts him as poor youth from Detroit taken in as a student of Ben Turner, becoming a master in his own right and a trainer to various heroes. Recent stories take aspects of these different histories, making him a hero, instructor, and having been affiliated with the League of Assassins as a benevolent figure until he is killed by one of his former students, who succeeds him and takes his name.
Richard Dragon has been adapted in media, making his first animated appearance in Batman: Soul of the Dragon, voiced by Mark Dacascos with a revised design inspired by Bruce Lee. His successor, Richard Diaz Jr., appears in Arrow, portrayed by Kirk Acevedo.
Fictional character biography
Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths
As a teenage sneak thief in Japan, young Richard Dragon broke into a dojo outside of Kyoto to steal a priceless jade Buddha. Before he could get away, Dragon was caught and beaten by the dojo's teenage student, Ben Turner.
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.
thumb|upright=1.35|right|Dragon as sensei to Barbara Gordon
Richard next appeared as sensei to Oracle. With his past experiences as a guide, he convinced her that being in a wheelchair did not mean losing the strength she had once wielded as Batgirl.
New 52 onwards
In 2011, The New 52 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, Ricardo killed him without hesitation, as he felt that a martial artist of Dragon's caliber did not deserve to live if he spoke of "peace". Ricardo then adopted "Richard Dragon" as an alias to symbolize that he had "taken" his fallen master's power.
Characterization
Beginning as a martial artist whose abilities were used for good, he is described as a peaceful individual whom uses his abilities as a last resort. The character later develops into an instructor whom trained various other non-powered vigilantes including: Renee Montoya, Barbara Gordon, Batman, The character's reputation often presents him as among the most skilled martial artists in the world and on par with Bronze Tiger, The son of a drug kingpin killed John Diggle (posing as Green Arrow) who desires revenge for his father's death, he is trained in martial arts by the Richard Dragon, an associate of the League of Assassins. Despite his attempt at teaching him compassion and patience, he instead kills him and takes his moniker. Diaz later places a 30-million-dollar bounty on Green Arrow, which three members of the Longbow Hunters (Brick, 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. A superb martial artist with a strategic mind and tactical abilities, Diaz is capable of assessing an individual's attributes (height, weight, and other characteristics), allowing him to predict others and has reflexes capable of catching arrows.
In other media
- Richard Dragon appears in Batman: Soul of the Dragon, voiced by Mark Dacascos.
- Ricardo "Dragon" Diaz appears in media set in the Arrowverse, portrayed by Kirk Acevedo as an adult and Max Archibald as a young man. This version is based upon the New 52 version of the character, Ricardo Diaz, Jr.
- Primarily appearing in Arrow, 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 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".