Lady Deathstrike vs. Shang-Chi for 2021 title

(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Marvel's upcoming MCU leading man Shang-Chi will headline a new one-shot this January titled The Legend of Shang-Chi, by writer Alyssa Wong and artist Andie Tong, as first announced through Polygon.

The one-shot will pit Shang-Chi against the villainous Lady Deathstrike as they vie to seize a magic sword that devours souls.

"I'm stoked to write Shang-Chi! My first introduction to the character was in War of the Realms: New Agents of Atlas, written by Greg Pak and drawn by Gang Hyuk Lim," states Wong.

"I think Shang-Chi's super interesting: he's a guy who goes toe-to-toe with superpowered metahumans every day, and his special ability is that he's really, really good at martial arts," she continues. "That's it. But that's all he needs; he's fast, acrobatic, and literally the best at what he does. I feel like Shang-Chi radiates Good Older Brother energy. He'll protect you and buy you snacks afterward. What else do you really need?"

With Shang-Chi's new one-shot also comes a new foe, at least for him – Lady Deathstrike, the longtime X-Men villain with adamantium talons who has often gone toe-to-toe with Wolverine.

"For this adventure, I wanted to pit Shang-Chi against a villain with an equally agile, physical fighting style. Lady Deathstrike seemed like a natural choice," Wong explains. "She's got adamantium claws and an iron will. In the past, she's faced off against Wolverine (many times!) and even been a reluctant hero. She's a lot of fun. Lady Deathstrike is someone who can hold her own against Shang-Chi; if he wants to beat her, he'll have to get creative."

The Legend of Shang-Chi #1 goes on sale in January 2021. Look for Marvel Comics' full January 2021 solicitations later this week on Newsarama.

Those eager to read Shang-Chi on Marvel Unlimited will have less time to wait, as the streaming service recently cut its new release window in half.

I've been Newsarama's resident Marvel Comics expert and general comic book historian since 2011. I've also been the on-site reporter at most major comic conventions such as Comic-Con International: San Diego, New York Comic Con, and C2E2. Outside of comic journalism, I am the artist of many weird pictures, and the guitarist of many heavy riffs. (They/Them)