Shang-Chi Versus Spider-Man

Have you tried Marvel Unlimited yet? It’s your all-access pass to over 28,000 Marvel comics, all available at your fingertips. Sign up now to enjoy your favorite stories just three months after they’re in stores.

New on Marvel Unlimited: Shang-Chi versus the Marvel Universe in SHANG-CHI (2021) #1!

In 2020’s limited series SHANG-CHI, creators Gene Luen Yang, Philip Tan, and Dike Ruan took us further inside the Five Weapons Society, the ancient organization that raised Marvel’s Greatest Fighter, AKA Shang-Chi. The times had certainly changed for the five Houses, now more interested in organized crime than protecting common interest. And, for the former Avenger and Hero for Hire, certain family connections could no longer be ignored...

[RELATED: Shang-Chi's Secret History]

Now, after the events of 2020’s series, Shang-Chi has finally taken his place as the leader of the Five Weapons Society. But using an evil secret organization as a force for good won’t be easy. And it’s about to get a lot harder when Shang-Chi’s fellow Super Heroes from Spider-Man to the X-Men to the Avengers, start to question his motives! Don’t miss what happens when Shang-Chi and his newfound family of warriors collide with the Marvel Universe’s biggest heroes!

Read our top moments and takeaways from SHANG-CHI (2021) #1 below, and continue this fan-favorite series monthly on Marvel Unlimited!

DATE NIGHT WITH DELILAH

After mutual sparks flew in SHANG-CHI (2020) #1, Shang-Chi (finally) manages a date night with lawyer Delilah Wang, the granddaughter of the woman who employed Shang-Chi at her bakery in San Francisco. But right before Shang-Chi makes an “unwise” move, their romantic dinner is interrupted by a roughhoused drug dealer, now the bounty of Shang-Chi’s little sister! Delilah may be versed in superhuman affairs, but having a criminal faceplanted next to their table kills the vibe.

THE WEB-HEAD AND DEADLY DAGGER

Now going by “Deadly Dagger,” (formerly Sister Dagger), Shang-Chi’s spirited sister Esme will do just about anything in service towards her big brother, AKA the Supreme Commander of the Five Weapons Society. And that includes pulling him into a drug ring bust. As it turns out, Spider-Man is tracing the same dealer that Deadly Dagger attacked, leading to a reunion between Shang-Chi and the Wall-Crawler! Deadly Dagger is slow to trust, but once their common interests are out on the table, Shang-Chi partners with Spider-Man to trace the manufacturing headquarters of the superhuman agent that is polluting New York City.

MEET KING WILD MAN

In search of the drug enterprise, the trio of Shang-Chi, Deadly Dagger, and Spider-Man end up at the storefront of a traditional Chinese medicine shop... or so it would appear. Once inside, Deadly Dagger meets a wily old man who was once a “lowly servant boy in the house of a rich and powerful man.” He tells Deadly Dagger of his first encounter with the Yeren, a Yeti-like creature of Chinese lore with savage, animalistic tendencies. The shop owner then reveals his true master, the villainous Zheng Zu, father to Shang-Chi! Possessed by the magic of the Yeren root, “King Wild Man” uses its properties to transform into a humanoid beast before flying into attack mode.

SPIDER-MONSTER

All it takes is a simple ruse for King Wild Man to poison Spider-Man’s body and mind with the Yeren root! Spider-Man takes on a new monstrous form replete with hairy spider arms and goes up against his former allies in a blind rage. Shang-Chi thinks quickly to deescalate Spider-Monster’s attack, and in its aftermath, Deadly Dagger discovers that the source of this supernatural monster lab is their own organization. As the Yeren root wears off, Shang-Chi at last confesses to Spider-Man that he’s been going by a new title: Brother Hand, leader of the Five Weapons.

LOYALTIES QUESTIONED

Understandably, Spider-Man calls into question whether Shang-Chi has turned for the worse. Family matters are no simple issue, and even though Shang-Chi appears interested in cleaning up the streets and keeping the Yeren supply out of rogue Five Weapons’ hands, he still acts dodgy when Spider-Man asks about the end goal. For now, Shang-Chi is straddling the line, but it won’t be long before his exploits get broader attention from the Super Hero set...

Continue your reading with SHANG-CHI (2021) #2 next month, and read more comics stories starring Marvel’s Greatest Fighter on Marvel Unlimited today!

Follow Marvel Unlimited on Twitter and Facebook to stay tuned in to weekly announcements, articles, and more, all at @MarvelUnlimited. Follow us today to join the conversation with thousands of fellow fans, and let us know what you’re reading!