Shang-Chi now wields the Ten Rings, weapons that may even rival the fabled Infinity Gauntlet. And there are many, many people who'd like to take them away from him.
None of which is simplified by the fact that Shang-Chi's still grappling with his father Zheng Zu’s past and his own leadership of the formerly villainous Five Weapons Society, which has made even his allies wary of his motives.
The first issue was released on 20 July, 2022.
Tropes in Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings (2022):
- Back for the Dead: Tak and Ghost Maker return for the first time in many years, competing in the 'Game of Rings' - and both are then killed by Red Cannon.
- Bad Samaritan: During the 'Game of Rings', Red Cannon saves Ghost Maker from Tak, intervening with a Neck Snap. Ghost Maker responds that he hopes Red Cannon doesn't expect gratitude - at which point the cyborg shoots him as well.
- The Bus Came Back:
- Clive Reston returns as a supporting character in Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings #2, his first appearance since Captain Britain and MI13 #11, in 2009. It's also his first appearance in a Shang-Chi series since Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu (2002), a 20 year gap.
- Carlton Velcro, Razor Fist's original employer, returns for the first time since 1981.
- MI-13 agent Tinkabelinos Hardleg is back in the third issue, her first appearance since the 2009 Captain Britain and MI13 series.
- Tak, Ghost Maker, Zaran and Darkstrider, foes that Shang-Chi hasn't encountered since the Master of Kung Fu series in the 70s, reappear in the fourth issue. In Tak's case, it's the first time he's appeared in Marvel comics at all since 1974. Tiger-Claw and Cat are also back for the first time since the Soft Reboot.
- Canon Character All Along: The final issue reveals that the masked cyborg Red Cannon is Shang-Chi's sister Shi-Hua, who's now taken control of the Red Dot Collective.
- Cavalry Betrayal: Inverted. Shang-Chi is the cavalry, recruited by Leiko Wu to rescue their old friend Clive Reston from Carlton Velcro. Clive and Leiko are actually in charge, with Velcro under Mind Control, and Shang-Chi's double-crossed by Reston as soon as he realises it's all a distraction.
- Character Name and the Noun Phrase: Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings.
- Continuity Nod: Tink is a little wary about MI-6, remembering what happened when Reston and Tarr worked with MI-13 in the Wisdom series.
- Dragon Ascendant: Red Cannon, introduced as Red Dot's chief thug, is now leading the Red Dot Collective, following Red Dot's apparent death.
- Eldritch Abomination: The Desolation Wyrm, which uses the Ten Rings as a gateway to Earth and possesses humans.
- False Flag Operation: Two linked examples.
- The 'Hand' ninjas who break into the Five Weapons Society base and later steal the Ten Rings are actually MI-6 agents led by Shang-Chi's old ally Black Jack Tarr.
- Shang-Chi's old enemy Carlton Velcro is back in business with a new crew of minions, operating out of his original Mediterranean Supervillain Lair. Except that Velcro is under Mind Control and MI-6 are actually in charge, using Shang-Chi's history with Velcro to hide their own involvement.
- Flying Weapon: As two unfortunate warriors of the Five Weapons Society discover, the rings can move and attack when Shang-Chi's not wearing them.
- Grand Finale: For Yang's overarching Shang-Chi narrative that began in 2020.
- Implacable Man: Discussed, as Leiko and Clive clearly view Shang-Chi this way.Shang-Chi: So you're going to leave me here to die?!Clive Reston: Oh, don't be so melodramatic. We all know your skill set. You're not going to die.Leiko Wu: We're just hoping for a decent head start.
- Jet Pack: A variant, as the MI-6 version is built around a belt, not a backpack.
- Mind Control: Cyborg villain Carlton Velcro is actually being controlled by MI-6 agent Clive Reston, who's supposedly his prisoner.
- Mythology Gag: The fourth issue features a tournament for the Ten Rings. In 2021, an event called The Ten Ring Tournament was released for the game Marvel: Contest of Champions, which was used to promote Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and features Shang-Chi as an unlockable playable character.
- Neck Snap: Red Cannon snaps Tak's neck one-handed while Tak is distracted by fighting Ghost Maker.
- Next Tier Power-Up: From the world's most dangerous human martial artist to the wielder of a weapon the promotional material compares to the Infinity Gauntlet (which once killed half the universe).
- Puppeteer Parasite: The Wyrm of Desolation can possess humans. Once possessed, they can physically pass for normal - and it seems to have access to all of their memories. However, they can also shift into a much less pleasant form, with deathly pale skin and the Wyrm's maggot-creatures protruding from eyes and mouth. Possession doesn't seem to be lethal, and hosts are unharmed - despite the seeming damage to their eyes - once the Wyrm is removed.
- Ret-Canon: Some elements of the film adaptation are now reflected in the comics.
- The idea of the 'Ten Rings' as a weapon granting superhuman power is new to the comics and originated in the film, partly inspired by the Mandarin rings and partly by the iron rings used as training objects in Chinese martial arts such as Yau Kung Mun and Hung Gar.
- Razor Fist's now got a beard and an updated costume, bringing the villain's appearance much closer to actor Florian Munteanu's version of the character.
- Samus Is a Girl: Red Cannon, the new leader of the Red Dot Collective, is a lethal cyborg, completely concealed by armor, who looms over most of the other characters. Everyone assumes he's male, but she's actually a Canon Character All Along, Shang-Chi's sister Shi-Hua.
- Sequel Series: To Shang-Chi (2020) and Shang-Chi (2021) - the first issue was initially advertised as #13 of the 2021 run, then repositioned (with new cover art) as the start of the 'Ten Rings' series.
- Shout-Out: The Game of Rings' concept of ascending a pagoda while defeating enemies on each level is an homage to the Bruce Lee film Game of Death.
- Tournament Arc: In 'The Game of Rings', the game administrators choose ten warriors to compete for the Ten Rings. Shang-Chi himself is one, the other nine are all enemies or rivals.
