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Shang-Chi is about to take on Marvel’s First Family to save another of his long-lost siblings, which could put him in the Fantastic Four’s targets.
WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Shang-Chi #4, available now from Marvel Comics.
Shang-Chi has been grappling with the villainous legacy he has inherited for months now, and nothing has made it any easier. Even bringing yet another long-lost sibling back into the fold left him fighting one of his oldest allies for no real reason at all. Now another of Shang-Chi’s sisters has resurfaced in desperate need of rescue, and he is in serious need of assistance if he is going to get to her. Unfortunately, Shang-Chi’s heroic reputation hasn’t been done any favors by him taking up his father’s old place as the head of the Five Weapons Society, meaning that he is going to have to betray Marvel’s First Family when they turn down his cry for help.
Shang-Chi’s nights have been restless, filled with dreams of the childhood home which disappeared from its place in China years ago. It stands in a twisting landscape that he does not recognize, but he knows that his sister Shi-Hua is trapped there within its walls. Luckily, the Five Weapons Society’s own Mister Lee is able to help Shang-Chi sort out the details, uncovering that the visions he has been seeing are ones of the Negative Zone. There is no telling how the original House of the Deadly Hand or Shi-Hua ended up there, but Shang-Chi knows exactly who to call for help in Shang-Chi #4, by Gene Luen Yang, Dike Ruan, Triona Farrell, VC’s Travis Lanham and VC’s Joe Caramagna.
Soon enough, he is on the line with Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four, the foremost authority on all things regarding the Negative Zone. Reed is glad to hear from his old friend, having grown concerned over the rumors of Shang-Chi’s association with the Five Weapons Society. When those rumors are confirmed, Reed is put in a difficult position and forced to deny Shang-Chi the help he is asking for. It isn’t that the Fantastic Four can’t help Shang-Chi himself, but Reed refuses to put his family anywhere near Zheng Zu’s organization. Even worse, Shang-Chi completely understands where Reed is coming from, but that doesn’t mean he is going to take no for an answer.
When Reed refuses to help, Shang-Chi turns to his siblings to pull off a daring heist of sorts. Donning the looks of casual NYC tourists, Shang-Chi, Zhilan, Esme and Takeshi join an open tour of the Fantastic Four’s headquarters. With the blueprints of the building in hand, they make their way into the building’s oversized ventilation system. From there, it’s just a short trip into Reed Richards’ lab. Of course, there’s still the matter of security to deal with. That isn’t much of an issue for the champions of the Five Weapons Society. Reed’s legion of robots are vicious but fragile, and with a little effort, the team is able to get to a ship that should be able to bring them to the Negative Zone itself.
This is only the latest in a long line of questionable decisions made by a hero on already shaky ground. No matter how good Shang-Chi’s intentions are, the fact that he has betrayed Reed’s trust alongside the Five Weapons Society might just be enough to end the friendly relationship that they’ve built over the years. Considering how many other heroes are already questioning Shang-Chi’s motives, this could be the thing that pushes his reputation over the edge.
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