Character Spotlight: Sword Master

Last month, as a lead-in to a new event called "War of Realms", Marvel released a book called New Agents of Atlas that featured a team of all-Asian superheroes. Several of those superheroes were canon immigrants, and there just so happened to be four of them. So this month is Agents of Atlas month!

This week: Sword Master!

Last year, Marvel teamed up with a Chinese telecommunications company called NetEase to create its first fully Chinese superheroes (meaning Chinese characters made in China; it has other Chinese superheroes, such as the People's Defense Force). The goal was to increase their brand awareness in the East. Sword Master debuted in the first issue of an online manhua called Warriors of Three Sovereigns in May 2010, which can be found at 163.com.

Unlike Cyclone's more modern bent, Warriors of Three Sovereigns has a more antique flair. Sword Master is a college student named Lin Lie who takes up an ancient sword discovered by his archaeologist father to battle Chiyou, a reincarnated villain from the Imperial era. The sword belonged to one of the three emperors that reigned during that time.

Sword Master debuts in War of the Realms: New Agents of ATLAS #2 (May 2019) fighting fire goblins in Shanghai. He joins the New Agents of ATLAS at the end of the issue, despite being against the idea because he has his own stuff going on - a sentiment shared by several of the new members.

Two other superheroes feature in Cyclone. Will we see them in future issues of New Agents of ATLAS? Only time will tell!