Shang-Chi, the Master of Kung Fu, is an unsung Marvel Comics classic. First appearing in Special Marvel Edition #15, Shang-Chi became a mainstay through the likes of Deadly Hands of Kung Fu as well as his own Master of Kung Fu comic book title. He's often worked with the likes of Daredevil, Iron Fist, and the Daughters of the Dragon. He's been a member of the Heroes for Hire and the Avengers and is currently a part of Jimmy Woo's new Agents of Atlas team.
Though Shang-Chi technically has no superpowers of his own, he has honed a series of skills and abilities that easily qualify as extraordinary. What does a Master of Kung Fu do best? Find out below.
10 Acrobatics
What good martial artist superhero isn't also an excellent acrobat? Certainly not Shang-Chi. Like many of his peers, Shang-Chi can dodge bullets, blades, and all manner of weaponry.
He can freerun across rooftops, land flying kicks, and would generally put most real-world gymnasts to shame. Shang Chi is on par with the likes of Daredevil and Captain America in his agility and dexterity.
9 Master Of Weapons
Where most heroes like Elektra, Daredevil, and Colleen Wing tend to stick to specific weapons for combat, Shang-Chi has displayed a mastery of all kinds of weaponry, but especially swords and nunchucks.
Shang is adaptable, able to make good use of just about anything he can get his hands on. Of course, he is just as deadly with his bare hands.
8 Warrior At Peace
Something that definitely sets Shang-Chi apart from most Marvel heroes is his ability to remain at peace, even while in combat. While the likes of Iron Fist and Daredevil try to practice the tenets of Zen Buddhism to remain level-headed in combat, Shang-Chi is able to do it better than just about anyone else in the Marvel Universe.
Shang remains calm, collected, and clear-headed whether he is facing his greatest foes or overwhelming numbers. That's not to say that Shang-Chi has never shown anger and emotion while in a fight, but it takes something extraordinary to get the Master of Kung Fu to crack.
7 Pressure Point Precision
Much like Mr. Spock and most martial arts film characters, Shang-Chi has the precision, practice, and know-how to strike at a target's pressure points for maximum pain and debilitation.
He's far from the only one in Marvel capable of such things--Iron Fist and Daredevil have shown such expertise as well--but it's still something that sets Shang apart from the likes of Spider-Man (who Shang has trained in the past) or any of the brutish brawlers of Marvel.
6 Complete Control Over His Own Body
Needless to say, Shang Chi has precise control over all of his voluntary muscles, but he has also shown control over the involuntary in the past.
Shang-Chi has displayed the ability to control his blood flow to slow the spread of poison, the ability to regulate his own heartbeat, and even slow down his own bleeding. He has also been able to control his own nervous system such that he could numb himself to pain.
5 Mastery Of The Senses
Like many a true warrior, Shang-Chi has mastered all five of his senses, honing them like a weapon all their own. It is folly to rely completely on one's own eyesight, and Shang does not commit this mistake.
He has acute hearing and smell, and he can track a target with the likes of Wolverine and Daredevil. Notably, in a fight with the Gorgon, Shang-Chi extinguished all light in a room and fought the villain in the dark. Gorgon escaped, but Shang won the duel.
4 Chi Control
Like Iron Fist and Victor Alvarez, the second Power Man, Shang-Chi can control and channel his own chi. While he hasn't been able to use it to quite the same degree as Iron Fist and Vic, it has granted him strength, agility, and durability.
It allows his martial arts skills to be almost superhuman in their ability to dole out damage and power.
3 Master Of Kung Fu
Of course, Shang-Chi's master of Kung Fu is his greatest personal asset. He is among the greatest fighters in Marvel Comics, and he has fought the likes of Iron Fist and the Black Panther to a standstill. He is able to do this having been granted no superpowers or enhanced abilities.
Shang has achieved everything he has through sheer will, skill, and intelligence. His fighting prowess is legendary in the Marvel Universe, and, were he to ever duel Captain America, it would be unwise to count Shang out.
2 Power Of The Pym Particles
That said, there have been a scarce few times that Shang-Chi has had access to enhanced abilities. One such time is his use of the Pym Particles in battle against a massive dragon which had the entire city of Madripoor on its head. Shang fought the beast just outside Hong Kong and, unsurprisingly, won the day.
While this isn't a power that Shang-Chi naturally has, it does speak to his skill that he was able to use the Pym Particles once and use his Kung Fu skills to take down a dragon.
1 Kung Fu Army
Shang-Chi has also once produced an army of himself. During the buildup to Jonathan Hickman's Secret Wars in his Avengers and New Avengers series, Shang-Chi communicated with the biological material produced by the Origin Bomb.
This allowed him to connect with the Origin Bomb, and it produced countless copies of Shang-Chi. He later led these copies into battle to help Sunspot in forcing the Avengers and the Illuminati to make peace.