Shang-Chi (Chinese: 上氣; pinyin: shàng qì; literally "rising of the spirit"😉 is a Marvel Comics character, often called the "Master of Kung Fu". He was created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Jim Starlin. He has no special superpowers, but he exhibits extraordinary skills in the martial arts.The character was conceived in late 1972 when Marvel Comics acquired the comic book rights to Sax Rohmer's pulp novel villain Dr. Fu Manchu while they also held the rights to the Kung Fu television program (see Kung Fu (TV series)). Instead of producing a straight adaptation of either source, the decision was made to combine them. The result was Shang-Chi, a master of Kung Fu, who was introduced as the (previously unheard of) son of Fu Manchu. Though an original character himself, many of Shang-chi's supporting characters (most notably Fu Manchu and Sir Denis Nayland Smith) were Rohmer creations. No characters from the Kung Fu television series carried over into the comic series.
Shang-Chi first appeared in Special Marvel Edition #15 in December 1973 by Englehart and Starlin (SME #1-14 were reprints of older Marvel superhero stories). Shang-Chi appeared again in issue #16, and in issue #17 (April 1974), the title was renamed to The Hands of Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu. Amidst the martial arts craze of the United States in the 1970s, the title would prove to be very popular and continue on until issue #125 (June 1983).
The series started by introducing Shang-Chi as a man raised by his father Fu Manchu to be the ultimate lackey for the would-be world conqueror. However, his first mission, which was to kill his father's old archenemy, Sir Denis Nayland Smith, ended with him learning the true evil nature of his father. Disillusioned, Shang-Chi swore eternal opposition to his father's ambitions and fought him as an agent of British intelligence.
The title was an instant sales success. Though Englehart and Starlin quickly left the title, the series' success grew even stronger with the coming of writer Doug Moench and artist Paul Gulacy, who collaborated for the first time on #22. Their critically acclaimed run went on (with short gaps) until #51 when Gulacy was replaced by artist Jim Craig, who in turn was succeeded by Mike Zeck who became official regular penciller with #64 (1978).
Moench continued on the title for a long tenure, though the title did not again receive the same level of acclaim as the Gulacy period until Gene Day, who had previously been working on the title as its inker, took over the pencilling chores in #100 (1981). However despite critical success sales started to lag, and the title began to be published bi-monthly. Day left the title with #120, and Moench followed after #122, with both departures ascribed to conflicts with editor-in-chief Jim Shooter. The title was cancelled three issues later.
Shang-Chi had two more short series: the Master of Kung Fu: Bleeding Black graphic novel (1990) and the MAX miniseries Master of Kung Fu: Hellfire Apocalypse (2002). The character also had several stories in the anthology series Marvel Comics Presents (including one by Moench and Gulacy that ran in the series' first eight issues in 1988), and co-starred in the Moon Knight Special (1992).
Although spun out of licensed properties, Shang-Chi is a Marvel-owned character and has been firmly established as a part of the Marvel Universe with guest appearances in numerous other titles, such as Marvel Team-Up, Marvel Knights and X-Men. Most of the original, licensed, characters in the supporting cast have been phased out in the more recent series and stories.
In some of his modern appearances mention made of his villainous father who has apparently returned from the dead (Marvel's version of Fu Manchu was meant to have died in Master Of Kung Fu #118). However Fu Manchu is never named, only referred to as Shang's 'father' and is never shown out of shadow, as Marvel have opted not to renew the licence to the character.