10 Things Only Comic Book Fans Know About Shang Chi’s Mandarin

Since his debut during the Silver Age of comic books, the Mandarin has become one of Marvel’s most fascinating villains. He’s an honorable megalomaniac who is obsessed with world domination. His plans often bring him into conflict with the superhero Iron Man, who acts as his archnemesis.

The Mandarin is expected to feature in the highly anticipated Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and MCU fans will finally get to experience him in all his evil glory. As one of Marvel’s most enduring villains, the Mandarin has a rich history in the comics, but mainstream fans might not be too familiar with the intricacies of his life.

10 He Might Be A Descendant Of Genghis Khan

The Mandarin has two possible origin stories. In the first one, he was born in an unnamed village at the Dawn of the Communist Revolution in China. His father was one of the wealthiest men in the country and a direct descendant of the conqueror Genghis Khan. His mother was an English noblewoman, but details about her remain scarce.

After the death of his parents, the Mandarin goes to live with his misanthropic aunt, who uses his family’s fortune to train him in combat and teach him science. As an adult, he becomes penniless and loses his ancestral family home after the government evicts him.

9 He Might Be The Son Of A Prostitute

In the Iron Man comic Mandarin: The Story of My Life, author Matt Fraction offers an alternate origin for the character. In this story, the Mandarin is the son of an opium den prostitute and is forced into manual labor for most of his childhood. After his mother overdoses and dies, the Mandarin kills her procurer and turns to a life of crime.

He then establishes himself as a successful businessman and commissions a movie about his life. The Mandarin initially tells the director a false backstory that portrays him as the last heir of a venerable Chinese dynasty. However, the director soon discovers the lie and suggests that the Mandarin used his rings to erase his traumatic childhood from his memory.

8 Discovering The Ten Rings

The Mandarin first discovers the Ten Rings in an abandoned spaceship. He also finds the ship’s owner, Axonn-Karr, a dragon-like alien. During the Mandarin’s original introduction in the comic series Tales of Suspense, Karr is already dead, and all that remains is his skeleton. In Story of My Life, the Mandarin actually kills the moribund Karr.

Both versions end the same way with the Mandarin taking the rings and building his empire with their power. He subjugates the nearby villages and becomes a threat that not even the Chinese government can handle. In time, he even acquires his own piece of land and christens it Mandarin City.

7 He Has A Son, Temugin

Throughout his history, the Mandarin has seemingly died several times and, at one point, remained dead for ten years. During this time, his son Temugin became one of Iron Man’s enemies.

Temugin’s name comes from the Mandarin’s supposed ancestor, Genghis Khan, whose birth name was Temüjin. Unlike his father, Temugin isn’t a misanthrope. Instead, he fights because he’s honor-bound to protect his father’s name and legacy. He isn’t evil per se, but the rings’ corruption does inflict some darkness into his heart.

6 Connection To Ultimo

Ultimo is a 30-foot-tall humanoid android that possesses immense destructive power. Created by aliens, Ultimo crash lands on Earth and spends several years dormant until the Mandarin finds and reprograms him as a servant.

In typical Mandarin fashion, he claims to be Ultimo’s creator. The robot fights Iron Man and the Iron Legion several times, with Ultimo successfully putting Tony Stark into a coma for a short period of time. Once Tony awakens, he defeats him and Ultimo becomes the property of Stark Industries.

5 Connection To Fing Fang Foom

Fing Fang Foom is a dragon-like alien from the planet Kakaranathara, the homeworld of Axonn-Karr and the Ten Rings technology. Fing Fang Foom actually came to Earth aboard the same spaceship as Axonn-Karr but was placed in a catatonic state.

The Mandarin and Chen Hsu, an alien posing as a human, enter the Valley of the Sleeping Dragon and awaken Fing Fang Foom. At first, the dragon helps the Mandarin take over one-third of China. However, it soon becomes clear that Hsu and Fin Fang Foom are in cahoots and plan to awaken their fellow aliens, who have been hiding on Earth disguised as humans. Facing a common enemy, the Mandarin reluctantly joins forces with Iron Man to take down the dragon.

4 He Once Tried To Control The Hulk

The Mandarin was never one of the Hulk’s central comic book villains, but he did try to control the raging giant once. After another defeat against Iron Man, the Mandarin sets up camp in the Gobi Desert and turns his attention towards the Hulk.

The Mandarin’s attempt to control the giant hero ultimately proves futile. He first tries to implant a device on the Hulk’s neck, but Nick Fury thwarts the plan. He then allies with the Spider-Man villain the Sandman, but they also fail to ensnare the jade giant. Angered by the latter attempt, the Hulk destroys the Mandarin’s base and turns the Sandman into glass by sending him into a hot vat.

3 The Mandarin’s Avengers

In the comics, the Mandarin led a group of villains that mostly appeared in Iron Man and War Machine comics. They are all loyal to the Mandarin and are relentless in their quest to kill Tony Stark.

Otherwise known as the Avatars of the Mandarin, this group consists of such villains as Ancestor, who is capable of wielding his ancestor’s strength, and Foundry, who fires laser beams from his eyes and can turn his hands into weapons. There’s also Old Woman, who wields a staff capable of controlling the elements, and Turmoil, the Mandarin’s servant and an incarnation of the storm.

2 He Once Lost His Memory And Became A Janitor

Without a doubt, the Mandarin is Iron Man’s best villain. The two constantly challenge and push each other to the edge, locked in a seemingly neverending conflict that dates back to the Mandarin’s first appearance. Throughout their history, the two have been mortal enemies and even unlikely allies, but their rivalry remains alive to this day.

During the Heart of Darkness storyline, Tony injects the Mandarin with a techno-organic virus that seemingly kills him. However, he merely transforms into a janitor working at the Hong Kong branch of Stark Industries. It doesn’t take long for his memories to return, and the Mandarin resumes his goal to kill his mortal enemy.

1 The Punisher Seemingly Kills Him

During the Mandarin’s last resurrection, he allies with Helmut Zemo, the third incarnation of Baron Zemo, and becomes the representative for Bagalia within the United Nations.

Speaking at a general assembly in an attempt to get Bagalia recognized by the UN, the Mandarin is shot by the Punisher and dies. The vigilante stole a special weapon from HYDRA that allowed him to bypass the Mandarin’s ring’s defenses. It’s unclear if the Mandarin is gone for good, but it’s unlikely. He’s been dead countless times before, so it stands to reason he’ll come back to life again.

About The Author

David Caballero
(802 Articles Published)

David is a twenty-eight-year-old Mexican writer and reader. Having studied Marketing in school, he spent three years working a nine-to-five desk job before deciding to pursue a writing career. He now works as a Senior Writer in ScreenRant and does some more freelancing job, talking about the entertainment business he so loves. Currently, he’s also writing his second novel while actively working to get his first one published.

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