Shang-Chi wields a new MCU-style Ten Rings as he embraces his dark side this May

Shang-Chi #12 cover excerpt — (Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Marvel's Shang-Chi ongoing title is embracing the character's revised MCU mythology and bringing aspects of his movie origins into comic books, and this May, this trend goes even further as Shang-Chi #12 will introduce a new version of the Ten Rings based closely on their depiction in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

In Shang-Chi #12, writer Gene Luen Yang and artist Marcus To will bring in a new version of the Ten Rings with ties to Shang-Chi's grandfather and the mystical city of Ta Lo, which was introduced in the Shang-Chi film before making its way to comics in the most recent volume of Shang-Chi's ongoing title.

Although the exact nature of the new Ten Rings remains unknown, Marvel's announcement states that by embracing their power, Shang-Chi will give himself over to his "dark side," and therefore face rising tensions with his allies the Avengers - with whom he's already had some recent rough patches thanks to the machinations of his family of martial arts masters and criminal masterminds.

Shang-Chi #12 cover — (Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Originally, the Ten Rings wielded by the villain The Mandarin were literal finger rings, each with its own superpower that allowed the Mandarin to wield a variety of unpredictable weapons and abilities. These rings were actually receptacles for the souls of dragon-like aliens from the planet Maklu IV, the same planet from which longtime Marvel dragon/monster/supervillain Fin Fang Foom originates.

In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the Rings were adapted into a different mechanism, large enough to act as arm bracers, and with different abilities and possibly different origins from their comic book counterparts.

The new Ten Rings, seen on Leinil Yu's cover for Shang-Chi #12, appear much more in line with the movie version of the artifacts - though it remains to be seen if or how they could be connected to the original versions wielded by the Mandarin.

Shang-Chi #12 is due out May 4. Stay tuned to Newsarama for Marvel's full May 2022 solicitations, coming later this month.

Here's everything you need to know about the original comic book origins of Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings.

I've been Newsarama's resident Marvel Comics expert and general comic book historian since 2011, and now I'm the Entertainment Writer at GamesRadar+. 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)