The following contains major spoilers for Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings #2, available now from Marvel Comics.

Nearly every superhero in the Marvel Universe knows all too well the sting of betrayal, but the Master of Kung Fu has probably felt it more than any other. From the very beginning, Shang-Chi has suffered from deeply kept secrets and dark dealings. In fact, it is the concept of betrayal that has largely shaped his entire life. Even now as the Supreme Leader of the Five Weapons Society, he is still constantly looking out for unexpected threats. Unfortunately, all of his paranoia has just been validated by someone he used to love dearly, and it might just be the last time Leiko Wu or any other MI-6 operative gets the chance to do so.

While the titular hero of Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings #2 (by Gene Luen Yang, Marcus To, Erick Arciniega, and VC's Travis Lanham) is already reeling from the latest attack on the Five Weapons Society, another dire set of circumstances come calling in the form of Leiko Wu. As it turns out, she isn't the only former ally in need of Shang-Chi's help, as their old partner Clive Reston has been taken prisoner by a shared enemy they all believed to be long gone. After making the journey to rescue Clive and battling the legions of villains waiting for him, it quickly becomes apparent that there is something far more sinister at play. The nefarious force just so happens to be MI-6 itself, including the woman Shang-Chi used to love.

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When Leiko Wu first appeared in 1975's Master of Kung Fu #33 (by Doug Moench and Paul Gulacy), she was assigned to the task of dismantling Zheng Zu's operations alongside his son. Soon enough, she and Shang-Chi found themselves falling in love while fighting against his father's machinations, much to the dismay of Clive, who Leiko had previously been involved with. This love triangle made for plenty of drama between the team, with Leiko eventually joining Clive in an ill-fated attempt at marriage.

Despite all of this, she and Shang-Chi have maintained an otherwise friendly relationship. Or rather, they had until she turned on him during their most recent outing. What was for Shang-Chi an opportunity to reconnect had only been a ruse to keep him away from the Five Weapons Society's headquarters. More specifically, this was all a bid to steal the legendary Ten Rings out from under his control. Although it makes sense that MI-6 would never trust the Five Weapons Society with such incredible power, Leiko not trusting Shang-Chi enough to watch over them speaks to just how far apart the two have grown.

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MI-6 may have control of the Ten Rings for now, but it is only a matter of time before they end up back in the hands of their rightful owner. Hopefully, getting to that point won't involve Shang-Chi having to come into conflict with Leiko directly, especially now that he no longer has any reason to concern himself with her best interests. At this point, the only thing they have in common is a desire to claim these ancient weapons for themselves, and only one of them is aware of the fact that the legendary Ten Rings can think for themselves.

No matter how cunning or clever Leiko and her fellow MI-6 operatives are, they all lack the innate understanding of the Ten Rings that Shang-Chi possesses. Shang-Chi's former allies also don't seem to be aware of the fact that the Rings have minds of their own, nor that they want him to wield them. Beyond putting Shang-Chi in an advantageous position over his competition, this also highlights how little Leiko or anyone else at MI-6 have cared to truly understand what or who it is they are dealing with. Hopefully, that mistake won't prove to be fatal, even if it does land them all back in the realm of relative obscurity.