In the 70’s, Bruce Lee came onto the movie scene and began a slew of Kung-Fu movies. Marvel, always one to jump on the latest trend, decided to create their own Kung-Fu character. Introduced in Special Marvel Edition #15 (1973) by Steve Englehart, Al Milgrom and Jim Starlin, Shang-Chi is the son of the crimelord Fu Manchu, who had Shang-Chi train under many martial artists. After years of training, Shang mastered all these style but still keep his pure heart. When his father sent him to kill an innocent man, Shang learnt the truth of his father and turned against him. He then turn to the sides of the heroes and met and befriended many other martial artist, particularly Iron Fist, who has a friendly rivalry with him.

More of a team player rather then a solo hero, Shang has joined many teams since his introduction. He originally joined the Heroes For Hire, under Iron Fist’s leadership and stayed with the team when they were bought by Namor’s company Oracle. He would later become a member of Daredevil’s Marvel Knights, after the team decided to take down Punisher. During the Civil War, Shang registered and joined Misty Knight’s Heroes for Hire, where he had a brief relationship with the female Tarantula. He would be the one to tell the team of the death of Humbug during the World War Hulk arc. He later tried to pursued Daredevil, when DD was processed by the Beast. He later help the Secret Avengers take down his father and helped the team after.

Before the Spider-Island arc, Shang was asked to train Spider-man to develop his own fighting style and later help take down Tarantula, a transformer Kaine Parker. After AVX, Cap and Iron Man invited Shang-Chi to join the Avenger, thinking it as a new challenge. During one of the missions, he travelled to Kobe, Japan, where a Origin Bomb had exploded. He soon developed power that allow him to make copies of himself. He has since returned to being a spy and has joined the latest all Asian team of Agents of Atlas.

Shanf-Chi is really a little known character more famous for popping in and out of various heroes book and being part of many teams. However, while he had a small fan base asking for a Marvel Legends, it wasn’t until it was rumored that he was getting a movie that his popularity and fan request boomed. As if jumping the jump, Hasbro decided to release him in a Spider-man wave, which is perfect since that line is for many street level heroes and he is Spidey’s teacher.

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