Five Weapons Society
Five Weapons Society | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | As Celestial Order of the Si-Fan: Special Marvel Edition #15 (December 1973) As Order of the Golden Dawn: Master of Kung Fu #83 (September 1979) As Celestial Order of the Hai-Dai: Secret Avengers #6 (October 2010) As Five Weapons Society: Shang-Chi #1 (September 2020) |
Created by | Sax Rohmer Steve Englehart Jim Starlin Doug Moench Mike Zeck Ed Brubaker Mike Deodato Gene Luen Yang Dike Ruan Philip Tan |
In-story information | |
Type of organization | Secret society Formerly: Criminal organization |
Base(s) | Currently: House of the Deadly Hand, Chinatown, Manhattan (Headquarters) House of the Deadly Staff, London House of the Deadly Dagger, Paris House of the Deadly Hammer, Chara Sands House of the Deadly Sabre, Tokyo Formerly: House of the Deadly Hand, Henan |
Leader(s) | Shang-Chi Formerly: Zheng Zu Zheng Yi Kingpin Zheng Bao Yu |
Agent(s) | Currently: Sister Dagger Brother Sabre Sister Hammer Brother Staff Sister Staff Master Ling Formerly: Midnight Sun Death Dealer Moving Shadow |
The Five Weapons Society is a fictional organization appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Five Weapons Society was an organization created by the brothers Zheng Yi and Zheng Zu to defend China during the Qing dynasty, after Yi's death, the society became a criminal organization, using names such as the Celestial Order of the Si-Fan and the Celestial Order of the Hai- Dai.[1]
The organization debuted in Special Marvel Edition #15 (December
Publication history
In the early 1970s, writer
In the Rohmer novels, the Si-Fan were a tong turned international criminal organization that Fu Manchu led as part of his plans for world domination. In the comics, the Si-Fan retained the same role as the novels and were often portrayed as a ninja-like clan similar to the Hand.[7][8]
After Marvel's license with the Rohmer estate expired, Master of Kung Fu was cancelled in 1983.[9] Despite subsequent issues either mentioning characters from the novels cryptically or phased out entirely, the Si-Fan still kept its original name in its appearances.[10][8]
In 2010's Secret Avengers #6–10, writer
In the 2020 Shang-Chi miniseries, writer Gene Luen Yang made a complete overhaul of the Shang-Chi mythos by introducing the Five Weapons Society, the true name of his father's organization that, was once a heroic secret society that became a criminal organization and that the Si-Fan and Hai-Dai were aliases the Society went through during its history.[15] Dismayed by the orientalist depictions of the Shang-Chi's father's organization in older comics, Yang worked to bring an authentic portrayal of Chinese culture with the Five Weapons Society, depicting them as a cult "frozen in [the] time" of the Qing dynasty and cut off from modern China. Yang based the Five Houses of the Society off the five elements of Eastern culture, with: Fire (Deadly Hand), Water (Deadly Dagger), Wood (Deadly Staff), Metal (Deadly Sabre) and Earth (Deadly Hammer). Shang-Chi being the Champion of the House of the Deadly Hand is a reference to The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu, and The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu series he previously starred in.[16][17] In a departure of previous stories of Shang-Chi rejecting his father's legacy, Yang ended the miniseries with Shang-Chi taking over his father's organization, vowing to return it to its heroic roots.
Fictional organization history
Origins
The Five Weapons Society was created during the
On one such mission, the Sorcerer Brothers and the Deadly Warriors protected the Tianjin Prefecture from Fin Fang Foom.[19] The Ancient One, a fellow sorcerer and friend, provided the brothers the Eyes of the Dragon, a pair of stones that granted longevity and vigor while requiring the sacrifice of another. By 1860, the brothers had aged decades beyond their natural lifespans through the use of longevity spells and outlived the original Deadly Warriors, but had grown weaker as a result. During the Second Opium War, the Society fought against British forces, but were defeated by Dormammu and the Mindless Ones summoned by the British sorcerer Baron Harkness, resulting in the deaths of the era's Deadly Warriors. Zu attempted to use the Eyes of the Dragon to save the fatally wounded Yi at the cost of his own life, but not wanting to rule the Society alone, Yi reversed the spell, granting Zu immortality and restoring his youth, giving him the power to defeat the combined British forces.[15] Following the death of his brother and the Deadly Warriors, Zu led the Society alone, establishing five houses in their honor. Without his brother's guidance, Zu became increasingly bitter and ruthless. After losing one of the houses during the Boxer Rebellion, Zu renounced his country and followers for their perceived weakness and lied about his brother's death, claiming he killed him for being weak as well and stole his spirit energy to augment his own. Zu subsequently relocated four of the Society's five houses to foreign countries within the Eight-Nation Alliance to monitor those who had fought against China and the Society during the conflict. Only the House of the Deadly Hand would remain in China, which would also serve as his personal retreat and base of operations.[20][21][22]
In the following years, each of the five Houses became supplemented with scores of Warriors, with the best ones being named the Champion of their house. Several of Zu's children would be raised in each of the Houses, with five of them each emerging as Champion. Zu turned the Society into a criminal empire, adopting the moniker Fu Manchu and renaming the Society as the Celestial order of the Si-Fan.[1] Despite the changing times, the Society retained the image it had during the Qing dynasty, with all of its members still wearing clothing of the era well into the 21st century. Members who were raised within the confines of the Society had little to no exposure to modern culture, including Zu's children. By the time of the present day, the Si-Fan had made connections with organizations like Triads in Asia and Tongs in America.[23][24][25]
Celestial Order of the Si-Fan
Fu Manchu's son Shang-Chi was raised from infancy to be the Society's ultimate warrior. During his upbringing, Shang-Chi was unaware of the Si-Fan's true name or goals, nor the fact that he was the designated Champion of the House of the Deadly Hand. After discovering his father's evil nature, Shang-Chi defects from the Si-Fan, sparking a years long conflict with his father's criminal empire.
After Fu Manchu's apparent death, their organization was divided into factions: Sleeping Dragon Clan (led by Chiang Kai-Dong), Steel Lotus Group (led by Hsien Ming-Ho), Wild Tiger Mob (led by Deng Ling-Xiao) and Coiled Serpent Syndicate (led by Mao Liu-Cho).
Fu Manchu eventually resurfaces and employed
Celestial Order of the Hai-Dai
Sometime after Fu Manchu's next death,
The reveal of Zu's true identity results Fah Lo Suee's real identity, Zheng Bao Yu being revealed as well. Now in full control of the Hai-Dai, Bao Yu resumes her father's long-forgotten experiment of bio-engineering Brood eggs as weapons, which she uses to carry out hits in New York's Chinatown. The plot is uncovered by Misty Knight and Annabelle Riggs of the Fearless Defenders with help from Elsa Bloodstone; the three track Bao Yu and the Hai-Dai assassins and scientists to an underground laboratory. With the help of No-Name of the Brood, the Fearless Defenders defeat the Hai-Dai and destroy the experiments, forcing Bao Yu to teleport away from her lair.[40]
Supreme Commander Shang-Chi
After Zu's death at the hands of the Prince of Orphans, leadership of the Five Weapons Society passes onto one of his sons, Brother Staff, who shifts the Society's goals to monetary gain, including drug dealing. Dissatisfied with this direction, Zu's daughter Sister Hammer usurps control of the Society from Staff. Despite Zheng Zu's spirit naming Shang-Chi as his successor, Hammer names herself Supreme Commander of the Society. While the Warriors of the Deadly Staff and Hammer pledge their loyalty to her, the remaining House Champions Brother Sabre and
As the new Supreme Commander, Shang-Chi works diligently to undo Zheng Zu's evil influence over the Society, including shutting down a rogue drug ring still loyal to his father in
Unbeknownst to Shang-Chi, several enemies Shang-Chi made under the reformed Five Weapons Society are recruited by Chieftain Xin, who holds a grudge against Zheng Zu and his bloodline ever since Zu attempted to steal sacred weapons from
Several Society members disgruntled with Shang-Chi's rule recover Zheng Zu's remains and attempt to use them as part of a ritual to summon a younger version of Zheng Zu from the past to take over the Society. The ritual is thwarted by Shang-Chi and the House Champions but Shang-Chi is temporarily sent back in time to the First Opium War where he encounters younger versions of Zheng Zu and Zheng Yi and that era's Deadly Warriors.[49]
Gang War
The Five Weapons Society is one of the many criminal organizations involved in the "
Thunderbolts
Shang-Chi is recruited by Bucky Barnes into his new Thunderbolts team to eliminate the Red Skull and his enterprises. Using the codename Gamemaster, Shang-Chi and Barnes travel to Hong Kong to intercept U.S. Agent and American Kaiju, who were tricked by the Red Skull's spies within the United States Army into destroying the Skull's remaining secret base to cover his escape. When Red Skull remotely forces American Kaiju to go on a rampage in the city, Shang-Chi orders the Five Weapons Society to protect citizens and provides Barnes with the mystical Ring of Kuafu, allowing Barnes to grow into the size of a giant to subdue American Kaiju.[55]
Other versions
Earth-79816
Shang-Chi believes that his Zheng Zu is a benefactor, he is shown to be loyal to Zheng Zu and the Five Weapons Society.[56][57][58][59][60]
In other media
Role-playing games
Fu Manchu and the Si-Fan appears in the adventures After Midnight, Night Moves and Night Live for the role-playing game Marvel Super Heroes.[24][8]
Shang-Chi's profile in the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game is updated and mentions that he is the Supreme Commander of the Five Weapons Society.[61]
Films
Marvel Cinematic Universe
In the film
References
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Collects Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu #1–6 (Nov. 2002–April 2003)
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External links
- Five Weapons Society on Marvel Database, a Marvel Comics wiki
- The Shang Chi Chronology
- Celestial Order of the Si-Fan at The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
- Celestial Order of the Si-Fan at Comic Vine
- Celestial Order of the Ha-Dai at Comic Vine
- Five Weapons Society at Comic Vine