The Karate Kid Has a Comic Book Origin You Probably Forgot About

When the Karate Kid is mentioned, the first image that comes to mind for most people is that of the iconic 1984 film starring Ralph Macchio. Indeed, a quick Google search for “Karate Kid” typically yields that very movie as the top result. Given its cultural impact, it’s not surprising that the movie is at the tip of people’s thoughts. Indeed, since that initial movie, the Karate Kid franchise has become an entertainment phenomenon that’s spawned five further films, an animated series, video games, toys, and, most recently, the popular television series Cobra Kai and the newest film in the franchise, Karate Kid: Legends. What is surprising, however, is that long before Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso met Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi, Val Armorr — the original Karate Kid — was a legendary superhero in the DC Comics Universe.

Interestingly, DC’s Karate Kid proved to be as stubborn an obstacle to the original film’s success and rise to pop culture icon status as anything that Cobra Kai’s Johnny Lawrence and John Kreese could ever have thought up.

DC’s Karate Kid Was No Bullied Teen

First appearing in DC’s Adventure Comics #346, the original Karate Kid – the brainchild of legendary comic book author and artist Jim Shooter – was quite different from the character popularized by Ralph Macchio in the movie. Instead of being a bullied teen who turns to self-defense, the comic book version was the one doing the bullying. During his “tryout” for the Legion of Super-Heroes, the Karate Kid boldly challenged Superboy to a fight. While everyone was surprised by the challenge, they assumed Superboy would quickly defeat the overconfident newcomer. What they didn’t realize, however, was that the Karate Kid was a master of numerous martial arts and fighting techniques.

[ RELATED: Whatever Happened to the Legion of Superheroes (And Can They Be Saved?) ]

As it turned out, there was more to the Karate Kid’s boast than everyone thought, prompting Galaxy Kid to exclaim, “Karate Kid is making a sap out of Superboy!” To be sure, it was only after slapping Superboy around the arena and blindfolding him with his own cape that the Karate Kid missed his finishing move. That was all it took, however, for Superboy to finally overwhelm him with his super speed and super strength. Still, as Superboy made clear afterward, anyone who could give him “that kind of tussle” was certainly worthy of Legion membership. And so began the Karate Kid’s service on the Legion of Superheroes, a position that he served with distinction for years to come.

In the late 1970s, the Karate Kid headlined his own ongoing series, which chronicled the young martial artist’s adventures beyond his ties to the Legion of Super-Heroes. Though the series lasted only 15 issues, it solidified the Karate Kid’s reputation as one of the DC Universe’s most formidable martial artists and hand-to-hand combat fighters. In fact, if anyone could elevate martial arts prowess to superhuman levels – like One-Punch Man’s Saitama — it was the Karate Kid.

Macchio’s Karate Kid First Needed DC Comics Ok

With Karate Kid firmly established in Superboy history and lore, Columbia Pictures — the studio behind the 1984 Karate Kid film — was undoubtedly aware that DC Comics owned the rights to the name. Accordingly, they also understood that producing, marketing, and profiting from a film character with the same name without prior authorization would have been a legal minefield. Instead of risking a lawsuit they were likely to lose, Columbia Pictures sought and obtained permission from DC Comics to use the name for their film. This authorization is reflected in the “special thanks to DC Comics” credit included in the film’s acknowledgments. The rest is – movie, television, and video game – history.

Interestingly, the controversy surrounding the Karate Kid name could have been avoided if Columbia Pictures had taken the advice of the franchise’s star, Ralph Macchio. Macchio and other cast members never liked the film’s title, The Karate Kid. Indeed, if the producers had come up with the name Cobra Kai a few decades earlier, they would never have needed DC’s permission or accreditation, as that name has its own distinct identity.

Despite the Karate Kid taking on a life of its own across film, television, and other media, DC Comics has never fully relinquished its ownership of the Karate Kid name or character. However, the character’s existence within the DC Universe has been rocky. After his own series ended, the Karate Kid faded into the sidelines of the DC Universe. This decline was largely due to the Legion of Super-Heroes — his primary team— being disbanded during the “Five Years Later” era. Compounding this, he died twice, was temporarily replaced by a Karate Kid II, all while serving as a frontline player in several battles to save the world from existential threats. Over the years, DC’s Karate Kid has been rebooted multiple times. But, it seems DC Comics isn’t done with him yet. As of 2019, the Karate Kid has returned to where it all began: the Legion of Super-Heroes.

As for movies’ Karate Kid? Karate Kid: Legends is in theaters now.