T'Gin-Zu

F Ex 20

A Ex 20

S Ty 6

E Rm 30

R Ty 6

I Ex 20

P Rm 30

Res Gd 10

Pop Sh 0

Health: Karma:

76 56

Origin:

Like the vast majority of his allies in the Gi Joe team, and even his fellow members of the Arashikage ninja clan, T'Gin-Zu is naught but a normal human, lacking special powers of any variety. He does have a truly impressive melee combat skill set, however.

Known Powers:

(none)

Equipment:

Concussion Grenades: T'Gin-Zu carries two concussion grenades on his left shoulder pad. He can fling these up to one area from his person, and they explode to inflict Remarkable (30) Blunt Attack damage to every uncovered target to the area they detonate inside.

the Joe-Com: this is a new device given to all Joes since the group's reactivation. This high-tech wristband functions as an audio/video transceiver with various other goodies built in to help a soldier on the go, and is described in greater detail in its own equipment entry.

Katana: his primary combat implement outside of his Pile Driver, T'Gin-Zu is truly deadly with his katana in hand. He may wield this blade to inflict his Strength rank +1 CS in Edged Attack damage, and may chop through items of up to Amazing (50) material strength with it.

Pile Driver: while working with the Joes, T'Gin-Zu is usually behind the wheel of the Pile Driver. This bizarre vehicle is essentially a mobile, spinning hammer on wheels, with a missile launcher on top (of course). It's described more fully in its own vehicular entry.

Shuriken: T'Gin-Zu carries two of these blades on his right shoulder pad. He can fling these steel spiked throwing stars to inflict his Strength rank in Edged Throwing damage, and usually tries to retrieve them afterwards if possible (they're not cheap, you know)!

Sickle: finally, T'Gin-Zu has a back-up melee weapon in the form of this combat hook. It can be used to inflict his Strength rank in Edged Attack damage, either with the hooked blade on top or the tiny dagger mounted on the bottom. It also serves as a climbing aid in a pinch!

Quirks:

(none)

Talents:

Guns: while he does not use them in the field, T'Gin-Zu has nonetheless mastered the use of modern firearms upon enlisting at Storm Shadow's behest. Whenever firing standard, semi-automatic or fully automatic rifles or pistols, T'Gin-Zu does so at his Agility +1 CS.

Martial Arts types A, B, C, D and E: T'Gin-Zu has studied the martial arts for decades - and now backs that study up with practical experience. He can Slam or Stun his opponents regardless of their Strength or Endurance scores, and receives a +1 initiative modifier in unarmed melee.

Furthermore, he should receive a +1 CS in unarmed melee combat, as well as a +1 CS when engaged in Dodge, Escape and Grapple maneuvers (including damage inflicted). Finally, after studying an opponent for two turns, T'Gin-Zu may ignore body armor when inflicting Slam or Stun results.

Military / United States: though he didn't enlist in the military until Storm Shadow recruited him, T'Gin-Zu is nonetheless well-versed in military policies and procedures - he studied them as he would any other fighting form, and has quickly mastered the S.O.P.

Skill / Swords 2: in addition to his unarmed combat prowess, T'Gin-Zu is also amazingly deadly with a blade in hand. He can attempt to strike a foe with a sword as if his Fighting rank was +2 CS higher than is listed above (though he reserves this for foes he wishes to kill).

Contacts:

T'Gin-Zu is a member of the Gi Joe Ninja Force, and can rely upon the Joes in general and his fellow ninjas in particular for assistance should he but ask. T'Gin-Zu also has numerous additional contacts in martial arts circles, above and beyond the Arashikage ninja clan.

Costume:

T'Gin-Zu's Gi Joe field uniform is... impressive. It consists of a loose-fitting white shirt and trousers, both with neon orange 'camouflage' painted on, a white hood over a neon orange mask, neon orange foot and hand wraps, neon orange boots and gloves, a neon orange sash, and blue shoulder pads.

Personality:

Joseph is a dedicated and ardent student of the martial arts, having dedicated his very life to mastery of such. He sees himself as an exemplar to the Arashikage, having studied its forms so extensively, and strives to clean up all of its messes - all by himself if necessary!

Real Name: Joseph R. Rainone, Grade E-4
Occupation: martial artist, vehicle operator
Legal Status: citizen of the United States with no known criminal record
Marital Status: single
Alias(es), if any: none
Group Affiliation: Gi Joe, Ninja Force (Gi Joe sub-group)

Height: 6'
Hair: unrevealed
Eyes: unrevealed
Weight: 180 lbs
Other Distinguishing Characteristics: none known.

Story:

Joseph has been a martial arts master for decades, having studied numerous conventional forms as well as the arcane arts of the Arashikage ninja clan. He wasn't primarily a combatant over the years, instead honing his skills as an art form more than anything else.

But have no doubt that Joseph is incredibly skilled in combat. In fact, upon his discovery by Storm Shadow, Joseph impressed him as the single greatest student he'd ever encountered. Naturally, Storm Shadow thought that Joseph would be a great addition to the Gi Joe Ninja Force!

Recruited onto the Ninja Force, Joseph took the code name of T'Gin-Zu - a play on the American blades posing as a Japanese import. This was a warning to his foes as much as it was a joke: Joseph is more than competent in the use of blades as well as unarmed fighting styles.

As a member of the Ninja Force, T'Gin-Zu was given the job of operating the Pile Driver, a sort of mechanized, spinning hammer vehicle thing. He would go on to use this strange vehicle in his personal quest to bring every single one of Cobra's Red Ninjas to justice - all by his lonesome!

T'Gin-Zu continued his hunt for the Red Ninjas throughout the '90s. Though his 'official' sanction to stalk those criminal martial artists no longer existed when the Gi Joe team was temporarily disbanded, T'Gin-Zu kept it up for years, putting a huge dent in their numbers.

With the Gi Joe team reactivated, T'Gin-Zu has made himself available when the Joes need him for something or other, but he mostly continues his personal quest to sanitize the Arashikage clan's good name. In fact, his one-man war with the Red Ninjas continues to this very day!

Extra Goodies:

Return to the Ninja Force main page!

Gi Joe directories featuring a version of T'Gin-Zu:

1993