Nothing is known about the life of Matsu’o Tsurayaba prior to his joining the Japanese organized crime organization the Yakuza. In that capacity, Tsurayaba became leader of a faction of the ninja clan the Hand, finding himself at odds with his lover Kwannon who was an assassin for rival crimelord Nyoirin. After almost killing Kwannon in battle, Tsurayaba attempted to use technology from the extradimensional being Spiral to save her, however Spiral instead switched Kwannon’s consciousness with that of the female mutant Psylocke, a member of the mutant super-team the X-Men. Believing Kwannon’s consciousness lost, Tsurayaba attempted to remake Psylocke as an assassin in the service of the would-be conqueror the Mandarin, but Psylocke broke free of her conditioning, and together with the feral mutant Wolverine and the young mutant Jubilee, they defeated the Hand and the Mandarin.
Tsurayaba subsequently forged an alliance with the terrorist organization Fenris and revived the Russian super-soldier Omega Red. Tsurayaba hoped to use Wolverine’s memories and healing factor to stabilize the dangerous mutant, but the X-Men foiled his plans. He escaped and, cybernetically augmenting members of the Hand as the Death Touch Cult, attempted a takeover of Clan Yashida, led by Wolverine’s lover Mariko Yashida. Wolverine and his allies intervened, but not before Tsurayaba had Yashida fatally poisoned. Wolverine swore a prolonged vengeance, gouging out Tsurayaba’s right eye and promising to gradually disfigure him in future.
Tsurayaba next surfaced at a criminal summit to divide the territories of the Kingpin of crime, but the bargaining was interrupted by costumed crimefighters Daredevil, Nomad, and the Punisher. Returning to Japan, Tsurayaba was confronted by Kwannon, whose consciousness inhabited Psylocke’s original body. Now calling herself Revanche, she was dying of the mutant-killing Legacy Virus and had come seeking a swift death. The grieving Tsurayaba obliged her, and then threw himself back into his work. He led an alliance between the Hand and the terrorist organization Hydra in an attempted takeover of the island nation of Madripoor, but his plan was foiled once again by Wolverine and his allies.
Tsurayaba has been periodically disfigured by Wolverine in keeping with the X-Man’s vow. Tsurayaba was last seen preparing to commit suicide upon Wolverine’s next visit, which was forestalled by Wolverine’s near death at the hands of his arch-nemesis Sabretooth.
