5 Ronin

5 Ronin is a five issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics starring superheroes Wolverine, Psylocke, the Punisher, Hulk, and Deadpool reimagined as rōnin, masterless samurai set in 17th century Japan. The series is written by Peter Milligan and features a rotating cast of artists. The first issue was released on March 2, 2011.

Publication history

Marvel Comics first announced 5 Ronin, by writer Peter Milligan and featuring artists Tomm Coker, Dalibor Talajic, Laurence Campbell, Goran Parlov, and Leandro Fernandez, in December 2010. Milligan stated that the idea of the series came from editor Sebastian Girner, expressing, "The egg of this idea was born in Sebastian's great interest and passion in all things Japanese... Sebastian and I made an omelet out of that egg." Milligan remarked that he is big fan of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai and what drew him to the project was "that this era of Japan was in such a state of flux. One era was ending and a new one beginning. These times are difficult to live through; people are unsure where they stand, and this is a great arena for looking at character and seeing how characters act when taken to uncomfortable places."

Rōnin

A rōnin (浪人) was a samurai with no lord or master during the feudal period (1185–1868) of Japan. A samurai became masterless from the death or fall of his master, or after the loss of his master's favor or privilege.

In modern Japanese usage, the term also describes a salaryman who is "between employers" or a secondary school graduate who has not yet been admitted to university.

Etymology

The word rōnin literally means "wave man". It is an idiomatic expression for "vagrant" or "wandering man", someone who is without a home. The term originated in the Nara and Heian periods, when it referred to a serf who had fled or deserted his master's land. It then came to be used for a samurai who had no master. (Hence, the term "wave man" illustrating one who is socially adrift.)

The word "浪人" means a "drifter" or a "wanderer", i.e. "he who drifts/wanders".

Status

According to the Bushido Shoshinshu (the Code of the Samurai), a samurai was supposed to commit seppuku (also "hara kiri" — ritual suicide) upon the loss of his master. One who chose not to honor the code was "on his own" and was meant to suffer great shame. The undesirability of rōnin status was mainly a discrimination imposed by other samurai and by daimyo, the feudal lords.

Ronin (disambiguation)

A rōnin is a samurai without a master.

Ronin may also refer to:

In entertainment

Companies

Ronin (film)

Ronin is a 1998 American spy action-thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgård, Sean Bean, and Jonathan Pryce. Written by David Mamet (under the pseudonym Richard Weisz) from a screenplay by first-time writer J.D. Zeik, the film centers on a team of hired ex-special operatives trying to steal a mysterious and heavily-guarded briefcase while navigating a maze of shifting loyalties and alliances. The film is noted for its realistic car chases through Nice and Paris and its convoluted plot involving the briefcase as a MacGuffin.

Plot

At a bistro in the Montmartre district of Paris, IRA operative Deirdre (Natascha McElhone) meets with ex-special operatives-turned mercenaries Sam (Robert De Niro), Larry (Skipp Sudduth), and Vincent (Jean Reno), and takes them to a warehouse where fellow mercenaries Gregor (Stellan Skarsgård) and Spence (Sean Bean) are waiting. There, Deirdre briefs the men on their mission: that they have been hired to attack a heavily armed convoy and steal a large metallic briefcase, the contents of which are never revealed. As the team prepares, Deirdre meets with her ex-IRA handler, Seamus O'Rourke (Jonathan Pryce), who reveals that the Russian mob is bidding for the case and the team must intervene. After Spence is exposed as a fraud by Sam and summarily dismissed, the others depart for Nice. Sam and Deirdre develop an attraction to each other during a stakeout. On the day of the sale, Deirdre's team ambush the convoy at La Turbie and pursue the survivors back to Nice. After a gun battle at the port, Gregor steals the case and disappears.