Golden Samurai (IUCU)

*"I'm no Samurai. I don't even have a job! How do you expect an unemployed skater kid to save the world?"*

*- Damian Cullen*

**Damian Cullen** is a resident of Herrigan City and a descendant of the Samurai Order, serving as the first in line to the title of the **Golden Samurai**. When Dark forces threaten Damian's home, he takes up the mantle to defend the people he loves, and must learn his true power to do so. When the Black Samurai attacks, Damian unlocks his true potential and defeats the Black Samurai and his subordinates.

After an alien warlord named Trabaxas attacks Earth, Golden Samurai is requested to help, and joins the team after they are attacked outside of Delta City. Working with the other heroes Golden Samurai helps put an end to Trabaxas#s scheme, and is hailed as a hero worldwide after doing so.

Golden Samurai is portrayed by Josh Hutcherson.

## Biography

### Early Life

Damian Cullen was born in 1992 in Herrigan City to Roger Cullen and an unknown mother. As a child, Damian became best friends with Alex Roth and Suzie Thompson, and he soon falls in love with the latter.

### Becoming a Samurai

#### The First Attack

Damian leaves Roger's house to go and meet up with Alex and Suzie in order to find a job. After spending the day together they talk about moving forward, and Alex leaves Damian and Suzie alone. After an awkward conversation, Suzie also leaves, but when Damian tries to leave he is suddenly attacked by the Black Samurai and his apprentice Winger. After a brief chase, Damian is saved by Harry Redman.

#### A New Quest

Damian is teleported to the Samurai Temple, and he asks where they are located, although Harry does not say anything. Harry informs Damian that he has a lot to learn. Damian sees that the temple is destroyed and he questions Harry about it, but Harry declines to tell him the story. Instead, Harry directs Damian to his mentor Yashen, a dying old man.

Yashen begs Damian to come closer, and Damian notices that Yashen is wearing gold armour. Yashen tells Damian that he has been waiting for him, and informs him that he will be his successor, although Damian is unsure of what is going on. Yashen informs Damian of his bloodline, but Damien refuses to know any more, and he witnesses Yashen dying in front of him. Harry tries to reason with Damian, but Damian asks to go home, and Harry agrees to give Damian some time to think about it.

#### Training Begins

Damian returns to Herrigan City, and returns to his father's home. Damian talks to Roger about his mother, and then questions him about the Golden Samurai, but Roger soon feigns ignorance. Damian persists, and Roger admits that he knows about the Golden Samurai, and admits that it is part of his mother's bloodline. Damian decides to spend some time alone and looks at some pictures of Roger and his mother, and he attempts to get in contact with Harry, although he starts neglecting calls from Alex and Suzie.

Damian successfully gets in touch with Harry, who teleports him to the temple. Harry starts training Damian, although things get off to a rocky start. Damian begins to think his training is a waste of time, but Harry easily beats him in hand-to-hand combat, and Damian starts taking his training seriously. However, his powers do not come into fruition and this worries Harry, who continues his quest to help Damian unlock his abilities.

#### A Call Home

After extensive and brutal training, Damian receives a call from Roger, and Damian requests to go home for a while, which Harry reluctantly accepts after some persuading. Damian finds Suzie and Alex at his home, and they yell at him for fazing them out, although Damian informs them that something important has happened to him and that he needed to see it through. When Suzie asks what it is, Damian neglects to tell them so that it keeps them safe.

As Damian spends some time with Alex and Suzie to make up for his absence, Winger quickly interrupts their time together and attacks, and despite Harry attempting to persuade him not to go, Damian decides to face off against Winger, believing that he is ready. Despite putting up an effort, Winger easily bests Damian and orders him to stay down, and Alex and Suzie see everything that happens. They rush to Damian's aid just as Winger attacks, but Harry arrives and teleports Damian, Suzie and Alex to safety.

#### Attack on the Temple

A heavily injured Damian is treated by Harry's aides, and he notices that Suzie and Alex have accompanied them to the temple. Damian admits to them that he has been training to become the Golden Samurai, and Harry is amazed when some of Damian's injuries heal quickly on their own.

Harry decides to teach Damian his specialty: fire. Damian's abilities slowly manifest and he displays the ability to create and control fire, and Damian realises that his training has been working. Damian is approached by Suzie, who wants to tell him something, although Black Samurai and Winger quickly attack the temple and Harry is injured in front of Damian when the former attacks the Black Samurai.

Damian quickly engages in combat with Black Samurai and Winger, although Harry orders Damian to leave. Damian grabs Suzie and Alex and teleports back to Herrigan City, although they are followed by Black Samurai and Winger.

#### Gold Vs. Black

Golden Samurai takes on Black Samurai and Winger in battle, although the two severely injure him during the battle. Golden Samurai almost gives up until Yashen appears to him, and teaches him how to unlock his entire power set. Yashen taps into the Golden Samurai's mind, and Golden Samurai suddenly unleashes his entire powers as Red Samurai arrives to help him.

The Golden Samurai takes on Winger and defeats him, and an angry Black Samurai murders Winger to steal his abilities, having realised that the Golden Samurai has grown more powerful. However, during the battle the Golden Samurai unlocks the Sword of Light, and he kills the Black Samurai when he tries to trick him and mortally wound him. The Golden Samurai then removes Black Samurai's powers and looks to Yashen, who fades away after smiling.

#### A New Adventure

Damian thanks Harry, who offers to train him how to use the rest of his powers, and Damian agrees to go with Harry. He bids goodbye to Alex and visits his father, who is upset that he is leaving. Damian promises Roger that he will return and praises him for raising him for over 20 years. They hug, and Damian sees Suzie before he leaves. They confess their feelings for each other, which culminates in a kiss. Damian and Harry then head off to unlock Damian's full abilities.

### Invasion of Earth

#### Arriving to Help

Damian hears that a man has been looking for him to recruit him in going up against an alien named Trabaxas, but Damian thinks nothing of it until he sees them go up against the alien warlord. He dons his suit and races to Delta City, where he meets up with Oracle, who is also new to the situation.

Golden Samurai and Oracle joins several other heroes as they take on Trabaxas, and they save the group when they are no match for him.

#### First Assault

Damian is surprised to see everyone at the HPA, and meets Randall Sykes for the first time, and they instantly get along. They witness an argument between Jack and James, and Damian takes the time to get to know his other team mates whilst Jack is followed by Amy.

Randall asks Damian if he wants to join him for a drink, and Brett soon joins them. Damian asks what their purpose is, and Brett states that they need to take down Trabaxas before he obliterates their planet, although they are interrupted by the arrival of Trabaxas, who assaults the HPA and kidnaps Quiver, although Damian is relieved when Brett returns.

#### Invasion of Delta City

After Trabaxas attacks Delta City, Golden Samurai joins the others as they decide to go after him. They work as a team to take down Trabaxas's army and Golden Samurai works with Rush and Blackbird to fend them off. Golden Samurai then carries Hercules to one of the ships as they ultimately destroy it.

Trabaxas confronts Golden Samurai and the others on the ground, and Golden Samurai helps deliver several blows to Trabaxas before watching him escape to his ship, although Oracle follows. Golden Samurai watches as Oracle sends a message to the rest of the universe and saves Oracle after the ship is destroyed and comes crashing down.

#### Recovery

Randall gives Damian his number to hang out should they want to, and Damian asks if they're friends, which Randall explains that they are. Damian joins the others as General Mike Hilton thanks them for their service and allows them to leave, and agrees with Randall after he names the team "Infinity Knights". Damian later joins the others at Mitchell and Megan Cross's cafe in Metro City as Megan's brother Evan walks in.

## Relationships

### Family

* Roger Cullen
* Unnamed Mother

### Allies

* Harry Redman/Red Samurai- mentor and friend
* Suzie Thompson- friend and love interest
* Alex Roth- best friend
* Yashen † - mentor and ally
* Infinity Knights
	+ Jack Calvin/Black Shadow- team leader
	+ James Simmons/Oracle- team mate
	+ Amy Baker/Blackbird- team mate
	+ Randall Sykes/Rush- team mate
	+ Mitchell Quaid/Hercules- team mate
	+ Brett Daniels/Quiver- team mate
* Heroes Protection Agency
	+ General Mike Hilton
	+ Sarah Halford
	+ Lyndon Danko
	+ Gordon Roth

### Enemies

* Black Samurai † - attempted killer turned victim
* Winger † - rival
* Trabaxas †

## Appearances

* *Golden Samurai*
* *Infinity Knights*