Shang-Chi is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Jim Starlin, debuting in Special Marvel Edition #15 in December 1973. The character was originally conceived as the son of the fictional villain Fu Manchu, a creation of novelist Sax Rohmer, though this connection was later severed when Marvel lost the rights to the Fu Manchu character. Shang-Chi is a master of numerous martial arts and is often referred to as the 'Master of Kung Fu', a title that also served as the name of his long-running solo comic series.
Raised from childhood to be a living weapon by his father, Shang-Chi eventually discovers his father's true villainous nature and rebels against him, dedicating his life to fighting injustice. Unlike many superheroes, Shang-Chi possesses no superhuman powers; his extraordinary abilities come entirely from rigorous training, discipline, and mastery of chi, which allows him to perform seemingly superhuman physical feats. His fighting style incorporates elements of various real-world martial arts, including kung fu, judo, and karate.
Over the decades, Shang-Chi has been a member of various Marvel superhero teams, including the Heroes for Hire, the Secret Avengers, and the Avengers. The character gained renewed prominence in the 2010s and 2020s, with comic book storylines that redefined his origin, removing the problematic Fu Manchu connection and replacing his father with an original character, Zheng Zu, an ancient sorcerer. The Ten Rings, originally depicted as literal rings worn by the Mandarin, were reimagined as a criminal organization tied to Shang-Chi's family history, further integrating him into the broader Marvel Universe mythology.