Warning: Contains spoilers for Shang Chi and Ten Rings #1!
Marvel’s Shang-Chi may lead a huge, world-spanning organization, but that doesn’t mean he’s effectively listening to his subordinates, and now he’s paid the ultimate price for his poor leadership. Shang-Chi embarks on a brand new adventure in “Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings #1”, and this time he is armed with a set of weapons (Ten Rings) taken straight from the MCU. Unfortunately, even the famous Ten Rings cannot save him from the betrayal of his own soldiers.
In the current comics, Shang-Chi recently tried to walk the line between his family and friends, but to no avail. Taking control of his father’s criminal empire, the Society of Five Weapons, Shang-Chi decided to transform the organization into a force for good. Unfortunately, the Avengers do not trust this organization, and Shang-Chi’s attempts to lead it, rather than eliminate it, cause the wrath of Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man and the entire Fantastic Four. Showing mercy to his fellow Avengers only angered his family, and Shang-Chi accidentally alienated everyone he knew after an auspicious adventure.
Related: Shang-chi Confirms That His Ten Rings Are Secretly Evil
In “Shang Chi and the Ten Rings No. 1”, written by Gene Luen Yang with art by Marcus To, the Shang Chi complex is attacked by Hydra, TARGET, Hands, Inner Demons and the Red Dot Collective. They managed to gain access to the vault where Shang-Chi keeps the mighty Ten Rings — something that no group can do without outside help. In the end, the mentioned help is provided by an infantryman of the Five Weapons Organization, Shang-Chi, who holds Master Ling at gunpoint. “I have dedicated my whole life to society!” he shouts angrily. “Then you will enter here and turn him away from Master Zheng Zhu’s vision!”
The fact that a simple soldier was able to give several terrorists access to the Ten Rings vault perfectly shows the shortcomings of Shang-Chi as a leader. Being a capable fighter, he acted against the interests of a very traditional family and angered many who dedicated their lives to the Five Weapons Society. If he can’t control his soldiers, he almost certainly can’t control other members of his stubborn family or the Avengers who might want to work with him in the future.
Thanks to the power of the Ten Rings, Shang-Chi defeats all the enemies present, including the traitor, and falls to the ground, exhausted from the fight. If the Avengers find Shang-Chi without his men, he will be easily defeated. Last year, Shang-Chi lost many allies, and now he has lost those whom he took for granted: own infantrymen from the Society of Five Weapons.
