Kanto is a supervillain and extraterrestrial assassin published by DC Comics.

Publication history

Kanto first appeared in Mister Miracle #7 (March/April 1972), and was created by Jack Kirby. His appearance is modeled after Renaissance nobleman Cesare Borgia and actor Errol Flynn.

Fictional character biography

A former student of Granny Goodness on Apokolips, Iluthin is accused of stealing weaponry from Darkseid's then-master assassin Kanto 13 and is exiled to Renaissance-era Earth. Subsequently, he trains under Italian teachers and falls in love with a woman named Claudia before Kanto 13 kills her. After Darkseid kills Kanto 13, Iluthin returns to Apokolips and assumes the latter's name and job. In Genesis, Kanto encounters Artemis of Bana-Mighdall, his former student and lover. In Death of the New Gods, Kanto is killed by Infinity-Man. However, he returns in Final Crisis. In The New 52 continuity reboot, Kanto is depicted as a former lover of Leonardo da Vinci and teacher of KGBeast.

Powers and abilities

As a member of the New Gods, Kanto is functionally immortal and possesses superhuman physical abilities. He is additionally resistant to psychic powers and is a trained athlete and a fine hand-to-hand combatant. He is renowned as a master of weapons, being equally adept in Apokoliptian and Earth weaponry. Except Darkseid himself, Kanto is unequaled on Apokolips as a cunning strategist in devising methods of hunting and assassinating victims.

In other media

Television

Video games