Kai’s Interview Appointment

MAD Interviewer (MI): Here we are in an undisclosed, secure location with Kai Mishima, lovely but deadly femme fatale from the Angel Ace comic set to debut in her own title, the upcoming action comic/manga anthology, K.I.A. from writer/creator Marco Dimaano. Hello, Kai. Or should I address you by your new name, Agent K?

Kai: Kai is fine. Hello. I hope the blindfold wasn’t too tight.

MI: I’m fine, thanks for asking. So, we’re on the verge on your debut as a full-fledged comic heroine. How do you feel?

Kai: To tell you the truth, I’m a little anxious. How long has it been… eight years? Eight years and I’ve always been in the role of the support character, best friend and sidekick. And now, suddenly, I’m thrust into the spotlight. Ninja are better in the dark, you know. All this attention really isn’t my style. It's pretty easy to act tough and all when you just have a couple of pages or panels. This time, I'm pretty much in every page and it's hard. They even get me in my bedroom! There's no privacy at all.

MI: Ah, the price of fame. Anyway, many would say that this book has been a long time in coming.

Kai: But, of course. We all know who was the real draw for readers of Angel Ace (laughs). I’m kidding, of course. I love Angel, that silly girl.

MI: So your new book is entitled K.I.A.

Kai: The term K.I.A. is military jargon, an acronym for ‘Killed In Action’. It refers to how many of the missions I go on are so dangerous that I am not expected to make it back alive.

MI: This time around you’re in a new secret organization.

Kai: Yes. I’m no longer part of the SIVA. I’ve been taken into an organization named KALI, or the Killing Arts Learning Institute. It’s similar to the S-IV in that it’s an all-female, clandestine operations group. But while the S-IV is a more ancient, mysterious Sisterhood with arcane, long-term goals, KALI are straightforward mercenaries who are out to make a killing from every hotspot in the planet. At least they have dental, so it’s not all bad.

MI: You gain new powers for this book.

Kai: At the start of the book I find myself without my memories, but also with augmented physical abilities that make me a superhuman killing machine. All that plus I now have the ability to regenerate, so I’m technically immortal. So if I do get ‘K.I.A.’, I don’t stay dead. Which is a pretty nifty power to have. But then, I didn't choose to have these powers given to me...

MI: Regeneration… that means, you can grow back your hand if you get it cut off, right?

Kai: I honestly have never yet had to find out. I have made it a point to not lose any limbs. Please don’t give Marc any ideas…

MI: Or, if you get a finger cut off, won’t it grow into a whole new you?

Kai: Hmm... no comment. Next question, please.

MI: Okay. Aside from your new group and new powers, you also get a new costume.

Kai: Right. Well, it’s a throwback to my old bikini outfit from the original Angel Ace comics. Not the most practical thing to wear, but the thing is, I don’t need to wear clothing for protection since my body’s tougher than most body armor anyway. The less I have on, the easier I can move and fight. That aside, the costume ia actually pretty hi-tech. It’s made of a special fabric that repairs itself and changes properties depending on how it’s handled. The same goes for the cloth wrapped around my legs- they’re pretty much the only weapons I carry. That and a nice little communicator/pocket pc for contacting HQ, and for playing Bejeweled in between missions.

MI: How much has your life and situation changed from Angel Ace to K.I.A?

Kai: In the SIVA I was part of the Elite… had my own groupies and everything. Here, I’m more of an outcast among the other KALI girls. Plus I’m being worked to the bone by my new commander, Vanya, and since I think she ‘saved’ me and I have no memory at all, I work for her selflessly without question or hesitation. At least, at first.

MI: And you do some pretty nasty things as a KALI agent.

Kai: I’m a high-level assassin given all the really dangerous assignments- that means the most heavily-protected or powerful targets. A lot of them aren’t very nice people, but sometimes, yes, there are jobs that make my skin crawl. But I am a soldier with a mission and I have to carry them out… I guess.

MI: Since you’re so strong and deadly now, is there anyone who can actually stand up to you? Give you a challenge?

Kai: A lot. Many missions are simple cake-walks, but I should never get too comfortable or too confident. There are so many dangerous opponents out there, and I’m not just talking about high-level martial arts masters, elite ninja or other augmented super-soldiers… Sometimes all it takes is tenacity and sheer persistence. There was this guy called ‘The Cabbie’ and… well… I’ll save that for another time.

MI: Going into the K.I.A. book as a whole… you’ve got an impressive list of artists and creative people on the roster.

Kai: Yes. It’s incredible how Marc actually got these people to work for him for free. I have to say that it was quite a feeling to see yourself drawn and visualized in so many different styles. The comic fan in me was positively giddy.

MI: Do you have any favorites?

Kai: They’re all pretty awesome, but I have to say my favorite artists are Jen-san (Jennyson Rosero) and Jeremy Arambulo. I am overjoyed, really. Beat that, Angel (smiles). My favorite story is Invitation, by Dean-sama (Dean Alfar). I kick ass a lot in that one. (smiles)

MI: K.I.A. Volume 1, entitled Kai: Indomitable Assassin is due out in early April, at all branches of Comic Quest. The 160-page black-and-white manga/comics anthology will have a cover price of Php195. Do you have any words for the people out there, or anyone you would like to thank?

Kai: I would like to thank the artists and writers of ‘Team K.I.A.’ who believed in me and supported Marc to produce the book. I would also like to thank the cellphone companies for not putting out any good models recently so that Marc FINALLY was able to save enough cash to pay for this whole project. That’s about it.

MI: One last question... will we see you back in the pages of Angel Ace someday?

Kai: If I told you, I'd have to kill you.

MI: Right. Thank you, Kai, and we’ll see you at the launch. Good luck! We know you’ll do great.

Kai: Thank you. And now, the blindfold...

The MAD Interviewer was actually Marc Dimaano in disguise.