Katana is a sword-wielding Japanese superhero with magical weaponry. Her blade is the Soultaker Sword, a relic that steals the essence of those it slays and stores them inside. It was taken in a duel with the man who killed her family, Takeo Yamashiro. Batman eventually recruited her to become a member of his black-ops team the Outsiders during a mission in Markovia. She has also been a member of the Birds of Prey and the Suicide Squad. Katana was created by Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo, first appearing in The Brave and the Bold #200 (1983).