Could Shang Chi have been a better Iron Fist than Danny Rand?

[johnnybourbon]

but a lot of Danny's problems derived from him neglecting to act as an Immortal Weapon for Kun lun. and who's to say that Shang, if he went through what Danny did, wouldn't have tried to customize the role/change Kunlun's rules? he rebelled against his father, right?

Sure, maybe if we went back far enough but at some point doing so basically just leaves the characters blank slates and it all becomes "What if" (and yes I would totally read that one). That said, as it stands Shang Chi wouldn't willingly put himself in that position or tolerate the baggage that comes with it, and he is smart enough to see it before he signs up so I just cant see that working.

[Michael Watkins]

Sure, maybe if we went back far enough but at some point doing so basically just leaves the characters blank slates and it all becomes "What if" (and yes I would totally read that one). That said, as it stands Shang Chi wouldn't willingly put himself in that position or tolerate the baggage that comes with it, and he is smart enough to see it before he signs up so I just cant see that working.

Shang appeared semi-recently in Iron Fist's book. what role did he play?

[DragonsChi]

To actually become Iron Fist you have to be raised and be trained in Kun Lun by a Thunder from childhood. A person who becomes Iron Fist would also have to be willing to be Kun Luns "sworn protector", which may not be a problem for Shang. Either way Shang would need to have a recon that basically took him back to square one for it to work just based off the rules of Kun Lun. I wonder how his fan base would handle that?

It would be cool if Shang still had his duplication powers from Hickmans run on Avengers though.

[johnnybourbon]

Shang appeared semi-recently in Iron Fist's book. what role did he play?

I cant say, I only recently started checking back into Marvels current offerings so by the time I found out about it Shang Chi had left the story and been replaced with Sabertooth

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Shang appeared semi-recently in Iron Fist's book. what role did he play?

they had a team up because shang-chi found out this cult wanted to kill danny for reasons.

[protege]

To actually become Iron Fist you have to be raised and be trained in Kun Lun by a Thunder from childhood. A person who becomes Iron Fist would also have to be willing to be Kun Luns "sworn protector", which may not be a problem for Shang. Either way Shang would need to have a recon that basically took him back to square one for it to work just based off the rules of Kun Lun. I wonder how his fan base would handle that?

It would be cool if Shang still had his duplication powers from Hickmans run on Avengers though.

For whatever reason, marvel can no longer use the fu manchu angle, so you might as well completly reboot him. But what’s this about duplication powers? Is shang chi the collective man, now?

[nnelg]

Iron Fist is a title. Shang Chi is someone's name.

Iron Fist is Danny Rand. When people name characters they use their title. Hulk not Bruce Banner. Captain America not Steve Rogers.

[Arfguy]

If you ask straight forward who should be the Iron Fist, I'd probably say Shang Chi.

However, with comics, there's the factor of fate that plays into it. Marvel has retroactively provided the same fate as Peter Parker to other characters, but there is something to Peter being the guy everyone came to know as being bitten by a radioactive spider to gain powers and become Spider-Man.

In the same way, Danny Rand was in the right place and time to become the Iron Fist. He should be the Iron Fist. Now, if they ever explore the story of where Danny were to be killed and a new Iron Fist would need to rise, I say Marvel could figure out a way to create a new character to become Iron Fist. Whether that's Shang Chi or someone completely new, it would be a good way to bring things about.

I thought Orson Randall was bad ass, as well as the brief glimpses we got at prior Iron Fists, but Rand is the only Iron Fist I recognize at the moment.

[Tiamatty]

Turning Shang Chi into Iron Fist would mean he would no longer be Shang Chi. The specific factors that made him Shang Chi would no longer apply if he was Iron Fist. His father, of course, but also his scorn for "games of deceit and death."

I'd much rather they bring Pei back and do more with her. Because Pei is the goddamn best.

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[Michael Watkins]

Iron Fist is Danny Rand. When people name characters they use their title. Hulk not Bruce Banner. Captain America not Steve Rogers.

I call him Steve Rogers. I consider Hulk to be a separate individual sharing space with Banner. and the Iron Fist is, both, a title and what Danny calls the display of his power.

[Michael Watkins]

For whatever reason, marvel can no longer use the fu manchu angle, so you might as well completly reboot him. But what’s this about duplication powers? Is shang chi the collective man, now?

Hickman weirdness. he also grew to kaiju size at one point. the former was caused by incursion-related radiation exposure. I'm guessing that neither ability exists; post Secret Wars.

[Michael Watkins]

[Michael Watkins]

To actually become Iron Fist you have to be raised and be trained in Kun Lun by a Thunder from childhood. A person who becomes Iron Fist would also have to be willing to be Kun Luns "sworn protector", which may not be a problem for Shang. Either way Shang would need to have a recon that basically took him back to square one for it to work just based off the rules of Kun Lun. I wonder how his fan base would handle that?

It would be cool if Shang still had his duplication powers from Hickmans run on Avengers though.

I think Shang could claim it by just punching a dragon in the heart, really. or he could kill the current Iron Fist. that was Junzo Muto's plan. being Kunlun's protector was a problem for Danny, originally. he was content to hang out in New York with Luke Cage.

[CaptCleghorn]

Seriously about this, Shang is the better martial artist. I doubt that's up for debate. However for a character, Shang's come from his father's raising him and has turned against him working for MI-5 (or 6). the whole Doug Moench games of death and deceit was part of his growth. He left his family and found a new way in which he's learning to deal with. that works.

Danny lost his family and was raised in K'un L'un. He grew into that life and made his way there. His history is privileged white boy grows up in Asian mystery city and he gains abilities and a power. White savior big time, but he, like Shang was put into a different life and had to grow into it.

There are reasons Danny's Fist and Shang is MOKF. If all you want to boil these characters down to is who can win a fight, you're losing so much that's been built up over the years.

[DragonsChi]

To even be able to face the Shao-Loa the dragon you have to be approved by the elders of Kun Lun and the Yu-ti. They only approve those who are citizens of Kun Lun.

If Shang-Chi became evil and mastered his chi he could take it from Danny though. Since Davos has done that. However, it wouldn't make him Iron Fist, he would just have the powers of an Iron Fist. The mantel of Iron Fist is something given by the Yu-ti and Kun Lun citizens after a warrior of Kun Lun beats the Shao.

Danny lost his family and was raised in K'un L'un. He grew into that life and made his way there. His history is privileged white boy grows up in Asian mystery city and he gains abilities and a power. White savior big time, but he, like Shang was put into a different life and had to grow into it.

Danny lost both is parents at 9 years old and was raised as pretty much a peasant in Kun Lun, where he was ridiculed for not being a "real" member of Kun Lun due to being white. He would then spend everyday of his life being yelled at and being put through intense physical and martial arts training for another 10 years before he faced Shao-Loa. He's not exactly all that privileged.

At least not until he left Kun Lun.