Complete Monster: Mandarin lacks the redeeming qualities of his original couterpart. Upon becoming the first ruler of China in the past, Mandarin led the darkest and the most violent of all dynasties, having hundreds of thousands slaughtered and buried in his temple in an effort to become immortal. Having the Elementals seek out the magical rings in the present, Mandarin uses his dragon minion to murder the remains of the Jade Dragons and possesses his last descendant, Li Mei, as he intends to raze the Earth and massacre many people to use their souls for his rituals.
Strangled by the Red String: The romance between Tony and Li Mei suffers from this. Tony and Li Mei are supposed to be madly in love in spite of the fact they only share a few conversations with each other and at most seem more like friends.
Unexpected Character: Wong-Chu is a character that hasn't been featured since Tony Stark's first comic book appearance... for various reasons. Thankfully aspects that made him offensive by today's standards are not present.
