Richard Dragon is one of O-Sensei's protégés.
History
Richard Dragon grew up poor and neglected in the slums of St. Louis, Missouri. However, a chance meeting with Ben Turner the martial artist known as "Bronze Tiger", turned Dragon's life around. Under Turner's tutelage, Richard Dragon became a kung-fu fighter in his own right, not only did he help Bruce Wayne get back in shape after his back was broken by the villain Bane, he also was the trainer of several costumed vigilantes, including Barbara Gordon, Huntress and the Question amongst many others. Unfortunately, Dragon fell under the sway of the notorious Lady Shiva, who drew him into the world of underground fighting competitions. Now Dragon is redeeming his past sins by tracking down the many criminals he encountered while immersed in the deadly world he indulged in.
Powers and Abilities
Martial Arts
- Meditation: Richard Dragon is skilled in Chinese meditative techniques which he uses to enhance his concentration and channel his ch'i.
- Karate: Before becoming a Kung Fu master, Richard Dragon was already trained in the art of Karate.
- Kung Fu: Richard Dragon is a master in several forms of Kung Fu, notably Dragon Style and Leopard Style.
Strength
Able to lift double one's own body weight up to the 800lb level (peak human). Richard Dragon possesses the strength level of a man his age, size and weight who engages in intensive regular exercise.
Equipment
Richard possesses the Dragon's Claw, a small jade amulet given to him by O-Sensei. The Dragon's Claw is a mystical artifact that collects and channels mystical energy in times of great need. Richard Dragon uses the Dragon's Claw as a focus for meditation and channeling his inner ch'i.
Canonicity Controversy
Because it largely ignored all previous stories of Dragon (a fact that Chuck Dixon admitted), the 2004 series has proved notoriously difficult to incorporate into continuity. Although some aspects of the retcon have been acknowledged into other books - such as appearances by Shiva's students from the series, and Ben Turner's presence in Detroit - other retconned elements have been ignored. Perhaps most notably, Richard Dragon's role in helping The Question and The Huntress to train and find harmony is still considered canonical, and has been referenced since the 2004 series. The series, however, states that Dragon had essentially been wallowing in anger and self-pity during this period (due to conflict between himself and Lady Shiva), which would contradict his role as a spiritual guide to these two heroes. The Dixon series also showed Richard on his legs while training Question, while a major plot point of the original Question series was that Richard had been pretending to be crippled during Question's training. How these and other inconsistencies could be resolved, if at all, remains to be seen.
Other Appearances
Batman: Arkham Origins
Although Dragon does not directly appear in the game, he was mentioned in Shiva's Assassin profile in the beginning of the game, alongside David Cain and Nyssa Raatko, as being her associates.