By [ad_1]
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings introduces a strikingly different character to the MCU. Here’s what he and the eponymous rings can do.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings promises to break new ground in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in terms of both representation — being the first MCU movie led by a predominantly Asian or Asian-American cast — and as the first MCU film to center on a martial artist instead of a typical superhero. Like his comics heyday in the ’70s, Shang-Chi ought to bring a different flavor to the franchise.
Unlike other heroes in the MCU, Shang-Chi isn’t a god, super-soldier, or even a super spy, nor does he rely on gadgets the way Hawkeye and Black Widow do. However, while he may not have much in common with The Avengers, Shang-Chi is an extremely capable fighter. (The title of his ongoing comic book series is Master of Kung Fu, after all.) Here’s a breakdown of everything he can do, based on Shang-Chi‘s trailers and source material.
Shang-Chi Is a Master Martial Artist
Shang-Chi developed his fighting skills through intense training imposed upon him by his supervillain father (originally Fu Manchu) from birth. That regiment gave him more than just elite hand-to-hand skills. Shang-Chi has the ability to control and channel his chi. While he doesn’t weaponize it like Iron Fist, he has used it to do things like detecting a psionically cloaked Jean Grey by recognizing her energy.
The self-discipline Shang-Chi learned in his training gives him total control of his body. He’s used that control to slow the spread of poison in his blood, numb his pain with control of his nervous system, and slow down his bleeding. He also has control of his senses. While not to the level of Daredevil’s sonar or Wolverine’s tracking ability, it’s similar. The best example of it was his duel in pitch darkness with villain-turned-X-Man The Gorgon.
There are different kinds of testimonials to Shang-Chi’s prowess from other Marvel Comics characters. God of War Ares considers him one of the few humans who could fight a god without magic, and he’s battled Iron Fist to a standstill. No less an authority than Black Panther even told Iron Fist’s partner, Luke Cage, that Shang-Chi was the superior martial artist. And when they needed martial arts training, three of Marvel’s most iconic superheroes (Captain America, Wolverine, and Spider-Man) sought out Shang-Chi’s expertise.
Shang-Chi Is Highly Skilled in Multiple Weapons
Shang-Chi prefers to use his deadly hands, and feet, in combat. His lifetime of training also makes him proficient with weapons. His weapons of choice include swords, staffs, kali sticks, nunchaku, and shuriken.
During his time with the Avengers, Shang-Chi had access to more high-tech weapons. Tony Stark gave him repulsor-powered nunchaku and gauntlets that helped him focus his chi. The Infinity crossover also saw Shang-Chi use a pair of energy gauntlets to save teammates Black Widow, Manifold, and Spider-Woman from certain death.
So far, Shang-Chi‘s trailers have showcased the eponymous warrior’s martial arts prowess above all else. The MCU’s Shang-Chi doesn’t seem to use most of the weapons his comic book counterpart is proficient in either, although the film’s marketing has revealed that he wields a bo staff.
What We Know About the Ten Rings
Shang-Chi’s eponymous Ten Rings are poised to become the most powerful weapon in the MCU since the Infinity Gauntlet. They give Shang-Chi’s father Wenwu his powers and are worn like the iron rings used in Chinese martial arts, allowing their user to manipulate them with ease.
The rings themselves are based on The Mandarin’s Ten Rings of Power from the comics. In the Marvel Comics Universe, the rings are alien artifacts discovered by the Iron Man villain and are utilized in many of the same ways as a Green Lantern ring. Each ring also has a different power, with some simulating super-speed and others being used for mind control and creating illusions.
Wenwu is a composite of the Mandarin and Fu Manchu from Marvel’s comic books but without the racist elements associated with those versions of the characters. (As Ed Brubaker put it, having an evil father to rebel against is central to Shang Chi’s story.) At the moment, though, we don’t know if Wenwu possesses most, or any, of the same ring-based powers as The Mandarin does in Marvel’s comics.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings hits theaters on Sept. 3.
About The Author
[ad_2]
