shimamura joe

Joe, known as Jo Shimamura in the Japanese version and also recognized as 009, hails from Japan. He is of mixed heritage, being half-Japanese. Originally a delinquent youth, Joe managed to escape from a juvenile detention center before eventually falling into the hands of Black Ghost. In the 2001 anime adaptation, after his father vanished and his mother died during childbirth, Joe became an orphan. He was taken in by a Catholic priest from Kanazawa, along with street friends Mary Onodera (possibly a tribute to Shotaro Ishinomori, whose birth name was Shotaro Onodera), Shin'ichi Ibaraki, and Masaru Oyamada. Upon turning 18, Joe's mentor was killed by members of Black Ghost, who had used the children raised in the church as test subjects for their Cyborg project. Joe was wrongfully blamed for the incident, captured by those responsible for his mentor's death, and transformed into a cyborg. In the 1960s film versions, Joe was a renowned racer, nicknamed "Hurricane Joe." Following a crash, he was recovered by Black Ghost, similar to the origin story of 004. Throughout his transformation into a cyborg, Joe received several body enhancements. His most notable ability allows him to move at such high speeds that everything else appears frozen in time. This speed is activated by a switch embedded in his teeth. However, while in this state, he cannot touch any normal beings like humans due to the lethal friction caused by air resistance. A defining feature of Joe's appearance is his flowing, spiked hair, with a large lock always covering one eye. Throughout the series, he serves as the leader of the 009 Cyborgs. Joe develops a romantic relationship with 003 (Françoise Arnoul) within the group, which becomes more explicit in the manga and earlier series. In the 2001 series, this relationship is only implied. Additionally, other female characters express interest in him, including Lady Tamara in the 1979 movie, Helen the Pu'Awak princess in the 2001 series, and Princess Ishuki in both the manga and the 2001 series. Artemis, the Greek Goddess in the 2001 series, may have felt some connection to him, though this could be interpreted as non-romantic bonding due to their origins. Joe appears as a playable character in Street Fighter Online: Mouse Generation.