As Marvel’s X of Swords crossover envelops the X-Men’s world, Wolverine went to Hell and back to get another Muramasa blade.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Wolverine #6 and X-Force #13 by Benjamin Percy, Viktor Bogdanovic, Matthew Wilson, and VC’s Cory Petit and Joe Caramagna, on sale now.
Wolverine has been chosen as one of Krakoa’s ten champions to represent the mutant island nation in the tournament of swords against Arakko. He has been tasked with acquiring a new Muramasa blade with which to compete, as has his opponent, Solem of Arakko. The two champions will get their chance to size each other up along the way to find their respective blades, but they’ll have to go to Hell and back to get them. But what is it about a Muramasa sword that makes them so important?
Understanding the answer to that question requires understanding the swordsmith behind the blades, Muramasa himself. At least, the fictional version of the character. There is a bit of historical fiction at play regarding the Marvel character, as the real Sengo Muramasa was a famous swordsmith from Japan who lived and founded a school dedicated to his craft in the 1500s. When the swordsmith and his work entered popular culture, they became known as cursed or demonic blades, with rumors circulating that Muramasa blades inspired their owners to kill themselves with the sword.
These aspects of the historical legend that is Muramasa found their way into the Marvel version of the character, depicting him as an immortal madman with demonic powers that allow Muramasa to forge weapons from a person’s very soul.
This very specific and peculiar ability is exactly what makes Muramasa blades so sought after in Marvel comics, and why they are necessary to fulfilling Wolverine’s prophecy leading up to the tournament of swords. The first blade of his that is worth noting is the Black Blade, made from a piece of Muramasa’s own soul. This weapon grants its wielder superhuman strength and endurance but also fills them with an insatiable rage and bloodlust. When Wolverine went on a rampage with the sword, he was barely able to stop himself from murdering Silver Samurai and Jessica Drew with it. Somehow Silver Samurai was able to overpower the swords will with his own, remarking that the sword required an owner as driven as the being possessing it was. Since then, the Black Blade hasn’t been seen.