Troubled family lives are common place for heroes, Shang-Chi is unfortunately familiar with it. When you’re raised to be a great warrior only to realize your whole world was a lie, what would you do? Shang-Chi definitely feels like he’s done his best with what he was given. So, who is this man and what’s with his family? Let’s find out!
Shang-Chi is the son of Zheng Zhu, more infamously known as the villainous Fu Manchu. Born and raised in China’s Honan province, under the tutelage of martial arts masters and other teachers, Shang-Chi would be trained from a young age. By the time he was an adult, Shang-Chi was ready to work for his father in his work. Shang-Chi was unaware that his father was actually a villain, he was taught that his father’s dealings were to make the world a better place, just never who it was actually bettering, the goals of his father.
It would be his first mission out to take care of someone his father had told him was a real threat to the world. When he arrived to his target, ready to kill, he would be confronted with his father’s archenemy, Sir Denis Nayland Smith. This man would show Shang-Chi the damage and truth behind his father’s actions, he was an immortal sorcerer who had been harming others for his own power for centuries. Shaken by this revelation, Shang-Chi would vow to fight against his father and those who served him.
Working with Smith, Shang-Chi would begin a globe-trotting life of facing off against threats made by his father. Years would be spent taking on all manner of dangers, including family members, until finally going up against the man himself. Appearing to actually kill his father, Shang-Chi would retire from adventuring and go off to live in seclusion as a fisherman. It would be years before he would feel ready to return to helping out as a hero once more.
When he finally felt comfortable with himself again, Shang-Chi would rejoin his old allies in helping others. During one adventure, he would get poisoned and was saved by the same potion that made his father immortal. It would turn out his father’s immortality was no joke and the man had returned with a half-brother Shang-Chi was only now aware of. Shang-Chi and company were able to stop his father’s machinations but his half-brother would be killed by Zheng Zhu.
Deciding he wanted to settle in one area for a bit, he would join the Heroes for Hire company where he felt at home with fellow martial artists. Sadly, one of his teammates would betray the team and the consequences of that would lead to Shang-Chi having to kill the betrayer to save his other teammates. Feeling disgusted with himself for having to resort to killing once more.
Shang-Chi would go on to work with MI-6 on and off along with many heroes, like Spider-Man, even getting spider powers along with the rest of Manhattan. His work with Spider-Man would lead to him teaching some kung-fu to the wall-crawler. He would also aide Iron Fist in helping to rescue the other Immortal Weapons who were at risk of being eaten by a demon who sought to gain power from their mystical titles.
More and more of his adventures were having him team up with masked heroes and joining teams. Shang-Chi would help fight off magical beings during the War of the Realms in which realms such as Jotunheim and Muspelheim all worked together to invade Earth. Eventually, Shang-Chi would team up to form a new Agents of Atlas to travel the planet once more. His globe-trotting lead to him wishing to find a more permanent home and he would quit the team and move to San Francisco.
Never a dull moment, Shang-Chi would learn of the Five Weapons Society, a secret order his father had started centuries ago. He would learn of this and his place as its new leader by even more half-siblings he was meeting for the first time. Due to his training, from his time with his father, he was meant to be known as “Brother Hand”. With barely any time to recover from all this news, Shang-Chi would be chosen by the Phoenix Force to compete against other heroes for the right to be the newest host of the Force.
There you have it! Shang-Chi has been around since the 1970s in Marvel comics and been one of its most capable fighters. He will be making his big screen debut soon in the coming months. Where Shang-Chi will go next is anyone’s guess. See you next time!
Suggested Reading
Special Marvel Edition #15
Master of Kung Fu
The New Agents of Atlas
Shang-Chi
Dr. Bustos
drbustos@comicattack.net
