#ComicBytes: Decoding the origin and powers of Shang-Chi
What's the story
Shang-Chi is finally making his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut next year (hopefully). Known as the best fighter in the Marvel Universe (it is what it is), this character almost made his debut in phase 1 of MCU. Unfortunately, there were some issues. But, since Simu Liu is all set to portray this character, here are some interesting details about this superhero.
Comics debut
Shang-Chi was envisioned as the son of Fu Manchu
Created by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin, Shang-Chi made his debut in Special Marvel Edition #15. This character was designed after Kwai Chang Caine, the Chinese-American character from the popular TV show Kung Fu, which Marvel previously sought to license. Shang-Chi was originally the son of the villain Fu Manchu, whose character license was dropped by Marvel due to some technical reasons.
Origin
Shang-Chi started his martial arts training at a young age
Although Marvel can't use Fu Manchu's name, we will use it here to make this part more understandable. The immortal crime lord and sorcerer Fu Manchu trains his son Shang-Chi in different martial arts to make him an assassin. However, on his first assignment, Shang-Chi meets his father's enemy, Denis Nayland Smith, learns about his father's truth, and launches an attack on his father.
Abilities
Here are the reasons why Shang-Chi is Marvel's best combatant
Apart from fighting his father, Shang-Chi is often seen fighting for humankind. Due to his assassin training, he is proficient in all forms of fighting, especially Kung Fu. Although he prefers bare-handed battles, he knows his way around swords, nunchaku, and shuriken. Additionally, his chi (internal energy) aids him in combat and mastering his emotions in tense situations.
Superpower
Shang-Chi has one superpower, the power to multiply
During the build-up to Jonathan Hickman's Secret Wars in his Avengers and New Avengers series, Shang-Chi communicates with the Origin Bomb site in Kobe, Japan. Here, he turns the site to his advantage and replicates himself into dozens of copies, each with his own mind. However, it is unclear whether Shang-Chi can still use this power to produce new copies on command.