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Shang-Chi’s family history just put him right in the path of Wolverine’s claws and left Marvel’s best martial artist with a new ally and more problems
WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Shang-Chi #3 on, sale now from Marvel.
Shang-Chi’s life has never been more complicated than it has been recently, and its only getting worse. Since inheriting his father’s dark legacy, Shang-Chi has been an outsider as the head of his own criminal organization. While his family is there to help him stay on course, they have their own plans, and another long-lost sibling has just emerged who could help his cause more than anyone else.
Unfortunately, the Five Weapons Society aren’t the only ones with an interest in the mysterious mage, and Shang-Chi has just come to blows with Wolverine over their future in Shang-Chi #3 by Gene Luen Yang, Dike Ruan, Triona Farrell and VC’s Travis Lanham
When Shang-Chi’s half brother Takeshi saw a video of an enigmatic woman fending off a massive beast by playing a magic flute, he knew that this was his long-lost sister Zhilan. When Takeshi last saw her, he had been tasked by their father with killing her, as Zhilan’s own heroic endeavors for the Five Weapons Society were tantamount to treason. Now that the organization is under the far more benevolent purview of Shang-Chi, the time has come to welcome Zhilan back into the fold. This is, as far as Takeshi and Esme are concerned, anathema to their father’s legacy and their life’s mission. As they discover, complicated family history isn’t the only thing that has Zhilan apprehensive to hear the titular hero out. Since she’s a mutant, Krakoa has also taken a keen interest in Zhilan’s fate, and they’ve sent Wolverine himself to give her a helping hand.
Zhilan’s reappearance didn’t just draw the attention of the Five Weapons Society due to her being a daughter of Zheng Zu, it caused quite a stir in the mutant community that the Lake Witch belongs to as well. As it turns out, Zhilan’s powers aren’t derived from any sort of magic, but from her innate mutant abilities. No matter how concerning her personal beliefs may have been, the fact that Zhilan is a mutant proved to be no small factor in Zheng Zu’s decision to order her death. That fact has also drawn the attention of the locals, who are out in droves to protest against the Lake Witch. Esme’s own casual xenophobia towards her mutant half-sibling is further proof of the Five Weapons Society’s longstanding anti-mutant sentiments.
No matter how good Shang-Chi’s intentions are, Wolverine only knows that he is there to protect a fellow mutant in need, and Shang Chi looks like the traitor from his point of view. As Logan begins to spar with Shang-Chi and his family, Marvel’s martial arts master tries to calm the situation down by delivering a series of finishing blows that would daze most fighters into submission.
When their brief fight sends Wolverine flying off the edge of a cliff, Shang-Chi is of course there to rescue his fellow Avenger — which proves to be enough to quell the battle for the time being. Zhilan, however, is seen running from the fray while Takeshi and Esme can only look on in frustration at a Supreme Commander who stands in staunch contrast to everything they have dedicated their lives to.
That Shang-Chi would save the life of the enemy is confounding to his siblings, but it is the fact that they are so quick to perceive any mutant as the enemy that has their Supreme Commander just as bewildered. Now that he has a budding connection to Krakoa and a new ally in Zhilan, Shang-Chi can walk away from teh daay with a win, but one that further eroded the stability of his already-fragile Five Weapons Society.
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