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Mandarin (comics)
Encyclopedia
The Mandarin is a fiction
al character
, a Marvel Comics
supervillain
and the archenemy
of Iron Man
.
In 2009, Mandarin was ranked as IGN
's 81st Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.
#50 (February 1964), written by Stan Lee
, who created the character, and illustrated by Don Heck
, who initially designed the character.
China
(and a descendant of Genghis Khan
), while his late mother was an English
noblewoman. Their son was born in an unnamed village in mainland China before the Communist revolution. The boy's parents died soon after his birth, and he was raised by his (paternal) aunt, who was embittered against the world and raised him with much the same attitude. Every last bit of the family fortune was spent obsessively training the Mandarin in science and combat, with the result that he was completely broke upon reaching adulthood. Unable to pay the taxes on his ancestral home, the Mandarin was evicted by the government.
Hoping to find a means of avenging himself upon the civilization that had taxed him and rendered him homeless, the Mandarin explored the forbidden "Valley of Spirits," where no one had dared to set foot for centuries. There he found the skeleton and starship of Axonn-Karr, an intelligent dragon
-like alien from the planet Maklu IV, who had come to Earth centuries ago and died. Over the following years, the Mandarin studied Makluan science until he mastered it. He also learned how to use the ten rings he found within the starship which were apparently its propulsion source, among other things. The Mandarin then became a conqueror and subjugated the villages around the Valley, and, through his advanced science, rapidly became a power that not even the Chinese Army could successfully challenge. He then embarked on a long series of attempts to achieve world domination
. The Chinese, though fearing him, asked for his help, but he would not become subserviant to them.
The Mandarin sees technology as the surest means to achieve his goals. Over the years, he has frequently attempted to turn the weapons of various nations against them. Among the Mandarin's earliest schemes is the sabotage and theft of American missiles and spy planes built by Tony Stark
. To restore public confidence in his workmanship, Stark donned his Iron Man armor and flew to China to investigate. Iron Man soon became the Mandarin's principal obstacle against his plans for world domination.
On three occasions in their early confrontations, the Mandarin managed to take Iron Man (or his alter ego Tony Stark) captive, but the Mandarin failed to kill him. Similarly, Iron Man thwarted the Mandarin's various schemes, but was unable to bring him to justice. Some of the Mandarin's early technological achievements are the launching of a small orbiting satellite whose "death-ray" he aims at Stark Industries
and the building (later retconned as "the reprogramming, the refitting, and the recharging") of Ultimo, a 30 feet (9.1 m) android possessing vast destructive powers. The Mandarin would employ Ultimo four times over the years, but it was always defeated by Iron Man.
The Mandarin's teleportation technology, derived from Makluan science, enables him to kidnap people at will or teleport himself out of threatening situations. He teleported the Swordsman to his castle just before the Avengers captured him, plotting to use him to destroy the Avengers and adding technology to his sword to aid him, though the Swordsman betrayed him and threw the bomb away. During his fifth encounter with Iron Man, the Mandarin teleported Harold "Happy" Hogan
, a friend and confidant of Iron Man, to his castle in China half a world away. Hogan was wearing the Iron Man armor at the time to help protect his employer's secret identity, and the Mandarin mistook him for his true foe. In rescuing Hogan, Iron Man physically bested the Mandarin in personal combat for the first time. Iron Man redirected the missiles that the Mandarin had launched so that they hit the Mandarin's castle, destroying it. The Mandarin escaped by means of his teleportation machinery, and he materialized aboard his orbiting satellite. There, he constructed a gemlike device capable of broadcasting "hate-rays" toward Earth. The Mandarin, using his teleportation technology, assembled several of the former Masters of Evil
to perform missions for him: the Living Laser
who attacked Asia with Ultimo but was beaten by Thor
and Hawkeye
, the original Power Man and the Swordsman
, who with an army of mercanaries attacked a South American country but were beaten by Goalith, the Wasp, and Iron Man, the Enchantress
, and the Executioner
, who led an army of Trolls in Africa, but were beaten by Hercules and the Scarlet Witch. The Avengers
managed to thwart the Mandarin's scheme after getting to the satellite, despite being hit by his Hate-Rays that made them fight the person nearest to themselves. However the Wasp was nearest to the Mandarin and her attack on him shut off the rays. The Mandarin was sucked into space and the Avengers were able to destroy his satellite.
The Mandarin then established a base in China's Gobi Desert
and turned his attention to the Hulk
for a time, hoping to make the dull-witted brute an accomplice. Two attempts at controlling the Hulk proved futile, however, including one where the Mandarin allied himself with the American criminal the Sandman
. The Hulk destroyed the Mandarin's desert base. When the Mandarin next attacked Iron Man, he employed an android in the Hulk's likeness rather than the real Hulk. The Mandarin set up a makeshift base of operations in America, and attempted to discredit Anthony Stark publicly. Holding Iron Man captive for the fourth time, the Mandarin tried to learn if Iron Man was actually Stark, but Stark fooled him with a rubber mask over his own features. His plans thwarted, the Mandarin tried to kill Stark's current girlfriend, Janice Cord, but the Mandarin's betrothed Mei Ling saved her at the cost of her own life.
, who lived, at the time, in the nearby Himalayan Mountains of Tibet
, into locating the idol for him. Yet before he could fully incorporate the Eye's power in his rings, Black Bolt
, the ruler of the Inhumans, overpowered him, stripped him of his ten rings, and hid them. Unable to find the rings, the Mandarin journeyed back to the "Valley of Spirits" and the ruins of the Makluan starship wherein he first acquired the rings. There he found a headband containing technology which enabled him to recover the rings. The Mandarin used his newfound power to restore his castle to its original state. The Unicorn
, another frequent opponent of Iron Man, sought the Mandarin's aid in curing him of a progressive disease. The Mandarin and the Unicorn traveled to America to attack their common enemy, Iron Man, but in the heat of battle the Mandarin found that the headband had somehow exchanged his consciousness with that of the Unicorn. The Mandarin was forced to flee, desperate to separate himself from the Unicorn's dying body.
When the Mandarin arrived at his castle in China, he found that it had been taken over by the Yellow Claw
, another professional criminal and warlord of Chinese origin. The Mandarin was forced to find another laboratory to try to restore his mind back to its rightful body, which he managed with the unwilling aid of the Japanese mutant Sunfire. In battle with Iron Man again, the Mandarin's interim headquarters was destroyed. The Mandarin then launched an attack on the Yellow Claw in an attempt to regain his own castle, but was fatally injured when the Yellow Claw robot he had been battling exploded. As the Mandarin was dying, he used the headband's mind-transferring capacities to transfer his consciousness into his ten rings. When the rings were confiscated by the Yellow Claw's power-hungry servant Loc Do, the Mandarin's consciousness entered his body, permanently driving out Loc Do's. Using his matter-rearranger ring, the Mandarin transformed Loc Do's body into a younger duplicate of his own original one.
The Mandarin returned to his castle, discovering that it had again been destroyed. After rebuilding it, the Mandarin attempted to capture Iron Man with his teleportation devices, but once again caught someone else clad in his armor. This time it was Michael O'Brien, later to become a friend of Stark's and second to wear the Guardsman
armor. Iron Man flew to O'Brien's rescue, clad in an old set of armor, saved O'Brien, thwarted the Mandarin's attempt to bomb the United States, and for a second time bested him in personal combat. Perhaps due to the effect of the Mandarin's mental domination ring on him, Iron Man did not take the Mandarin into custody, but allowed him to remain free.
The Mandarin later schemed to turn the Great Vibranium
Mound of Wakanda
into Type II Vibranium, which destroys the molecular cohesion of metals. He also tried to destroy China's entire rice crop with radiation in an attempt to force a starving nation into war. In the second of these plots, the Mandarin encountered James Rhodes
during Rhodes's custodianship of the Iron Man armor.
, Iron Man and the Mandarin once again came into conflict. The Mandarin had taken the name of Zhang Tong, and had become a financial leader in Hong Kong. As Tong, he controlled a number of government officials and industry leaders of Hong Kong. The Mandarin thwarted all of Stark's attempts to set up a business branch, even resorting to murder. The Mandarin now employed a group called the Hand
to do his dirty work. When on a mission, a Hand member is allowed to take one of the Mandarin's rings and use its powers. As a precaution, if the Hand member were to be captured, he would fanatically try to kill himself. If the Hand member were to be killed or knocked out, the ring would automatically teleport back to the Mandarin. The Mandarin's agents kidnapped James Rhodes and several of Stark's other employees, forcing Iron Man into single combat in exchange for their lives. Iron Man defeated the Mandarin once again, and helped Stark's employees escape the Hand. Ironically, the Mandarin's minions were left without their weapons when their master was knocked unconscious, causing his rings to teleport back to him automatically and leaving them unarmed and unable to stop Stark's employees from fleeing.
At one point, during a period in which the then thought-dead X-Men
had disbanded, the mutant heroine Psylocke
passed through the mystic portal known as the Siege Perilous
. The portal relocated her to an Asian shore, leaving her an amnesia
c. The man known as Matsu'o Tsurayaba
found her and believed he could save his brain-dead lover Kwannon
by switching her mind with Psylocke.
He made an arrangement with the Mandarin to help him with the switch, since his rings would be able to cause the mind-switch. Working with the woman known as Spiral
, they were able to switch the minds of the two women. Mandarin then put Psylocke (now in Kwannon's body) through conditioning, causing her to believe herself to be Lady Mandarin, the Mandarin's assassin. During this time, the Mandarin teamed up with several other villains during the Acts of Vengeance
. He also confronted the Avengers.
After completing several assignments for him, Psylocke was eventually rescued by her X-Men
teammate Wolverine
and his then-sidekick, Jubilee
. The three then defeated the Mandarin, causing events which led to the Mandarin's leaving the Hand.
Some time later, the Mandarin discovered that one of his rings was an elaborate counterfeit. One of his underlings had betrayed him, surrendering the ring to Chen Hsu, an ancient wizard who lived in San Francisco. Hsu, elfin in appearance but puissant in power, gave up the ring to the Mandarin, who, however, collapsed as soon as he put it on. Chen Hsu tended to him, removing the veil of confusion from his mind; soon the Mandarin realized that his memories had been fragmented because of the theft of the ring, because the rings were still linked to his consciousness.
Next Chen Hsu made the Mandarin a strange offer which involved the two of them traveling to the Valley of the Dragons. There, he used a magic herb to awaken Fin Fang Foom
, an ancient and incredibly powerful dragon. Under the control of Hsu, the dragon obeyed the Mandarin, laying waste to an army sent by the Chinese government to stop him. Soon the Mandarin claimed a third of China's territory, and the authorities sent out a call for help to the only man who had consistently defeated him or had had any effectiveness in foiling his plans: Iron Man.
When Iron Man confronted the Mandarin and Fin Fang Foom, it soon became clear that there were other plans in motion: eight other dragons appeared. It was revealed that, many thousands of years ago, a number of aliens from the planet Kakaranathara, planet number IV of the star Maklu, had traveled to Earth to look for the conflict which was unknown in their culture and which they craved. The ship had crashed, forcing them to stay on Earth for thousands of years. Then, the Mandarin had found the ship and had claimed their rings. Now, they demanded them back, but he refused them. Iron Man forcibly combined his power with the rings, and managed to destroy the Makluan dragons. The Mandarin survived in a comatose state, but his hands were vaporized in the blast.
For months, he lay in a state between life and death, in the care of a peasant woman who did not even know who he was. Over time, his hands grew back, though they did so as reptilian claws, and the rings called to him again, to reclaim them.
The Mandarin next discovered the Heart of Darkness, an orb of apparently mystic energy; the alien Century believed it was an ancient artifact which acted as a "lens" to attract and focus all manner of dark power. The Mandarin used its power to turn back time in China, and literally transformed it into a feudal nation again, one in which electronic equipment could not operate. Iron Man, with his team Force Works
and ally War Machine
defeated him, but not before the Mandarin discovered that Tony Stark was the man inside the Iron Man armor.
Iron Man infected the Mandarin with a techno-organic virus, and the Heart, seeing him infected with technology, rejected the Mandarin and imploded. Iron Man believed him dead, though in reality the Mandarin had been transported and transformed, by the last flare of the orb's magic, into a janitor in the Hong Kong branch of Stark Enterprises.
Eventually, the Mandarin's memories returned to him. Instead of trying to crush technology, the Mandarin believed that the feudalism
of yesterday had merely been transformed into the capitalism
of today. This led the Mandarin to set into motion plans to create a giant flying fortress, called the Dragon of Heaven, through which he could conquer Russia
and eventually the world. During this time, Iron Man reappeared after being believed dead in a battle against the psychic menace Onslaught
. The Mandarin initiated a series of attacks on Iron Man, culminating in a battle with the Dragon of Heaven. Eventually it was revealed that the Mandarin's primary purpose had not been to conquer Russia, but instead to test Iron Man himself, prove him worthy as a foe, and to justify the Mandarin's own thoughts on the feudal nature of capitalism. The Mandarin seemed to die as the Dragon of Heaven exploded, but Iron Man was less than convinced that his foe had truly met his end.
, the son of the Mandarin. Temugin had precious few memories of his father, and most of them involved his father taking him to the monastery where he was raised and trained by monks. Temugin was sensitive, spiritual, and unbelievably powerful because of his control of chi
, the living force in all things.
One day, Temugin received a package containing the severed hands of the Mandarin, bearing all the rings of power. Temugin knew that he was honor-bound to fulfill his father's wishes for him. He challenged Iron Man in order to avenge his father’s death, and he proved a deadly adversary even without the rings.
After Tony Stark revealed a conspiracy for mass murder in his own ranks, Temugin appeared to have forgiven Iron Man for the death of his father and to have turned to more lofty pursuits, but events indicated that the evil power of the rings had corrupted his soul.
Temugin had been named after his, and the Mandarin's, claimed ancestor Genghis Khan, whose birth name was Temujin (also spelled Temuchin, Temudjin, u also variates to ü).
Temugin was later contacted by the double-crossing Spot
, who promptly handed over a super-weapon that MODOK
had been planning to steal. In this appearance, Temugin spoke of the Mandarin as "My Late Father," and bore the rings, one of which he used to imprison Spot in another dimension with nothing but money. In the following issue, the Puma
tore off at least one of his hands, but despite this, he retained at least half of the rings - and possibly all, as Nightshade
, who used the rings on his lost hand, was not seen with them at the end of the story.
Nevertheless, he later lost the rings (or perhaps discarded them), and reappeared - with a cybernetic arm - as a member of the Atlas Foundation, having been selected as a secondary candidate for the position of its ruler by the ancient dragon Mr. Lao. In this capacity he was a constant irritant to Jimmy Woo, the head of Atlas.
. Despite being handless and starved, he was able to kill several men armed with guns via his mastery of the martial arts
. His rings have been returned to him, and were reassimilated into his body by heating them and burning them into his spine.
After attacking Iron Man, via S.H.I.E.L.D.
- with dozens of unwitting proxies in the form of extremist splinter groups, equipped by him with hyper-advanced biological weapons - he eventually resurfaces as Tem Borjigin (yet another name of Genghis Khan), now once again sporting hands (although they are artificial).
However, when the Mandarin's apparently frozen body is autopsied, all that is found is a blackened husk... not unlike an Extremis chrysalis.
, a new updated origin of the Mandarin is offered. Here, the Mandarin kidnaps a young up and coming film producer to tell his life's story. He relates the same story he once told Iron Man in Tales of Suspense of his English noblewoman mother and his schooling at the finest boarding schools in the land.
However, the director begins to learn that much of what the Mandarin says is contradictory and false with photos from this time staged (It's hinted that the Mandarin had used one of his own rings to make himself believe this tapestry of half truths) and discovers a different tale of the Mandarin's origins: The Mandarin was the son of a opium den prostitute who went on to become a powerful underworld figure before discovering the Ten Rings of Power in an alien craft, the pilot of which he brutally slew to obtain them, the Mandarin slaughtered the Red Chinese army officials for daring to cross him while financing his operations with drug and gun smuggling, aided by the mercenary Raza
. In this retelling, he is also said to have been at the camp in which Tony Stark constructed his Iron Man armor, though Stark is unaware of this fact.
Angered at the Mandarin holding his wife hostage, the director shoots the movie as he wishes not as the Mandarin dictates. The Mandarin denounces this telling of his past as lies and angrily destroys the cinema in which it was being shown, before having the director killed.
Later he is regretful about murdering the director, noting that he really did love his films.
It is unknown if this new origin is the truth or not as a major theme of the issue is that the with the Mandarin's life it is impossible to tell the truth from the myth that the man has created around himself and at least some of what the Mandarin claims must be true as he possesses the ten alien rings and well honed martial arts skills that he describes acquiring.
, as she introduces her boyfriend Ezekiel Stane to her parents. Mandarin tells Stane some of the various names he's known as, then simply instructs Stane to refer to him as "Master".
. Through repeated practice, he has toughened all the striking surfaces of his body, especially his hands, which are covered with thick calluses. He can even split Iron Man's magnetic-beam reinforced alloy armor with repeated blows. So great is the Mandarin's martial arts ability, that he can even survive years without food and water, apparently sustaining himself purely via his mastery of chi
. The precise degree of The Mandarin's martial art powers has been the subject of multiple implied retcons by Marvel Comics. Initially, Mandarin was portrayed as being such a superhumanly skilled martial artist that he could destroy Iron Man's armor with his bare hands. Later portrayals focused on his use of the rings, and implicitly retconned the Mandarin's skill to being great but no longer superhuman. The most recent continuity has restored Mandarin's martial arts ability to its original superhuman level.
The Mandarin is one of Marvel
Earth's greatest scientific geniuses, and highly skilled in various sciences. Not only has he made himself into an expert authority on alien Makluuan science, but he has also built upon this knowledge by making further discoveries based upon it.
The principal personal weapons of the Mandarin are the ten rings which he wears on the fingers of each hand. The rings' operations cannot be explained by contemporary Earth science, but it is known that they served as near-limitless power sources for the warp-drive engines of the Makluan starship of Axonn-Karr. The Mandarin learned how to convert the rings to his personal uses and to make them respond to his mental commands. The fingers on which he wears each ring, and the known functions for which he uses each ring, are given below.
Over the years through mental discipline achieved through meditation and long practice in use of the rings, the Mandarin has established a strong psionic
link with his ten power rings, which was made many times stronger during the period in which his mind
/spirit
actually inhabited them. One result is that no one who wears the rings other than the Mandarin himself can command them without his permission. The Mandarin can now command the rings even when they are separated from him by vast distances. He can mentally monitor events taking place near a ring that has been separated from him. Continued exposure to the alien rings made his hands green and scaly. He can voluntarily give temporary control over a ring to his servants, however. If the servant dies or falls unconscious, the rings teleport back to the Mandarin. Conversely, if the Mandarin himself is knocked out, all the rings automatically return to him. On one occasion, this left the Mandarin's servants powerless to stop some of Tony Stark's employees, that the Mandarin had kidnapped, from escaping.
The Mandarin also briefly used a force field generator, but this is not part of his standard weaponry.
He has also used a head band enabling him to transfer his mind into his rings or into another's body, and a teleportation device hidden on his person, both examples of Makluuan technology.
The Mandarin is a brilliant and brutal tactician and a gifted strategist. He also abides by a very strict code of honor
. When he attempted to stop Stark Enterprises from establishing itself in Hong Kong, the Mandarin challenged Iron Man to a duel
, stating that if he won, he would take control of Stark Enterprises' Hong Kong operations, and that he would cease hindering Stark's activities if he lost. When Iron Man defeated him in fair combat, he lived up to his end of the agreement. On another occasion, he killed one of his minions for attempting to drug him during a practice session, angry that one of his students would use such dishonorable tactics.
universe, there is a version of the Mandarin who is a Ring-tailed lemur
named Mandaringtail.
captive.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
and the archenemy
Archenemy
An archenemy, archfoe, archvillain or archnemesis is the principal enemy of a character in a work of fiction, often described as the hero's worst enemy .- Etymology :The word archenemy or arch-enemy originated...
of Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
.
In 2009, Mandarin was ranked as IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's 81st Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.
Publication history
The Mandarin first appeared in Tales of SuspenseTales of Suspense
Tales of Suspense is the name of an American comic book series and two one-shot comics published by Marvel Comics. The first, which ran from 1959 to 1968, began as a science-fiction anthology that served as a showcase for such artists as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Don Heck, then featured...
#50 (February 1964), written by Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
, who created the character, and illustrated by Don Heck
Don Heck
Don Heck was an American comic book artist best known for co-creating the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, and for his long run penciling the Marvel superhero-team series The Avengers during the 1960s Silver Age of comic books.-Early life and career:Born in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, New...
, who initially designed the character.
Origins
The Mandarin's late father was one of the wealthiest men in pre-revolutionary mainlandQing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
(and a descendant of Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
), while his late mother was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
noblewoman. Their son was born in an unnamed village in mainland China before the Communist revolution. The boy's parents died soon after his birth, and he was raised by his (paternal) aunt, who was embittered against the world and raised him with much the same attitude. Every last bit of the family fortune was spent obsessively training the Mandarin in science and combat, with the result that he was completely broke upon reaching adulthood. Unable to pay the taxes on his ancestral home, the Mandarin was evicted by the government.
Hoping to find a means of avenging himself upon the civilization that had taxed him and rendered him homeless, the Mandarin explored the forbidden "Valley of Spirits," where no one had dared to set foot for centuries. There he found the skeleton and starship of Axonn-Karr, an intelligent dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
-like alien from the planet Maklu IV, who had come to Earth centuries ago and died. Over the following years, the Mandarin studied Makluan science until he mastered it. He also learned how to use the ten rings he found within the starship which were apparently its propulsion source, among other things. The Mandarin then became a conqueror and subjugated the villages around the Valley, and, through his advanced science, rapidly became a power that not even the Chinese Army could successfully challenge. He then embarked on a long series of attempts to achieve world domination
Hegemony
Hegemony is an indirect form of imperial dominance in which the hegemon rules sub-ordinate states by the implied means of power rather than direct military force. In Ancient Greece , hegemony denoted the politico–military dominance of a city-state over other city-states...
. The Chinese, though fearing him, asked for his help, but he would not become subserviant to them.
The Mandarin sees technology as the surest means to achieve his goals. Over the years, he has frequently attempted to turn the weapons of various nations against them. Among the Mandarin's earliest schemes is the sabotage and theft of American missiles and spy planes built by Tony Stark
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
. To restore public confidence in his workmanship, Stark donned his Iron Man armor and flew to China to investigate. Iron Man soon became the Mandarin's principal obstacle against his plans for world domination.
Stark Industries
In the fictional world of Iron Man, Stark Industries, later also known as Stark International, Stark Innovations, Stark/Fujikawa, Stark Enterprises and currently Stark Resilient, is a fictional multi-billion dollar corporation owned and run by businessman Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark, also known as...
and the building (later retconned as "the reprogramming, the refitting, and the recharging") of Ultimo, a 30 feet (9.1 m) android possessing vast destructive powers. The Mandarin would employ Ultimo four times over the years, but it was always defeated by Iron Man.
The Mandarin's teleportation technology, derived from Makluan science, enables him to kidnap people at will or teleport himself out of threatening situations. He teleported the Swordsman to his castle just before the Avengers captured him, plotting to use him to destroy the Avengers and adding technology to his sword to aid him, though the Swordsman betrayed him and threw the bomb away. During his fifth encounter with Iron Man, the Mandarin teleported Harold "Happy" Hogan
Happy Hogan
Harold "Happy" Hogan, is a fictional character who appears in books published by Marvel Comics, usually as a supporting character in books featuring Iron Man.-Fictional character biography:...
, a friend and confidant of Iron Man, to his castle in China half a world away. Hogan was wearing the Iron Man armor at the time to help protect his employer's secret identity, and the Mandarin mistook him for his true foe. In rescuing Hogan, Iron Man physically bested the Mandarin in personal combat for the first time. Iron Man redirected the missiles that the Mandarin had launched so that they hit the Mandarin's castle, destroying it. The Mandarin escaped by means of his teleportation machinery, and he materialized aboard his orbiting satellite. There, he constructed a gemlike device capable of broadcasting "hate-rays" toward Earth. The Mandarin, using his teleportation technology, assembled several of the former Masters of Evil
Masters of Evil
The Masters of Evil is a name for a number of fictional supervillain teams that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in The Avengers #6 , with the lineup continually changing over the years....
to perform missions for him: the Living Laser
Living Laser
The Living Laser is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #34 and was created by Stan Lee, Artie Simek and Don Heck.-Publication history:...
who attacked Asia with Ultimo but was beaten by Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
and Hawkeye
Hawkeye (comics)
Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
, the original Power Man and the Swordsman
Swordsman (comics)
Swordsman is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. His first appearance was in Avengers Vol.1 #19 and was created by Stan Lee and Don Heck. The Swordsman was introduced as an enemy of Hawkeye and the Avengers...
, who with an army of mercanaries attacked a South American country but were beaten by Goalith, the Wasp, and Iron Man, the Enchantress
Enchantress (Marvel Comics)
The Enchantress is the name of two fictional characters in the Marvel Comics universe, the first of which is a powerful sorceress named Amora and is one of the most notable antagonists of Thor.-Publication history:...
, and the Executioner
Executioner (comics)
Executioner is the name of two fictional characters in the .-Skurge:Skurge is born in Jotunheim, and later becomes a warrior, gaining his name the Executioner after fighting in a war against the Storm giants. Skurge has always had feelings for Amora, the Enchantress, and regularly aids her in...
, who led an army of Trolls in Africa, but were beaten by Hercules and the Scarlet Witch. The Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
managed to thwart the Mandarin's scheme after getting to the satellite, despite being hit by his Hate-Rays that made them fight the person nearest to themselves. However the Wasp was nearest to the Mandarin and her attack on him shut off the rays. The Mandarin was sucked into space and the Avengers were able to destroy his satellite.
The Mandarin then established a base in China's Gobi Desert
Gobi Desert
The Gobi is a large desert region in Asia. It covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Hexi Corridor and Tibetan Plateau to the...
and turned his attention to the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
for a time, hoping to make the dull-witted brute an accomplice. Two attempts at controlling the Hulk proved futile, however, including one where the Mandarin allied himself with the American criminal the Sandman
Sandman (Marvel Comics)
Sandman is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. A shapeshifter endowed through an accident with the ability to turn himself into sand, he eventually reformed, and became an ally of Spider-Man...
. The Hulk destroyed the Mandarin's desert base. When the Mandarin next attacked Iron Man, he employed an android in the Hulk's likeness rather than the real Hulk. The Mandarin set up a makeshift base of operations in America, and attempted to discredit Anthony Stark publicly. Holding Iron Man captive for the fourth time, the Mandarin tried to learn if Iron Man was actually Stark, but Stark fooled him with a rubber mask over his own features. His plans thwarted, the Mandarin tried to kill Stark's current girlfriend, Janice Cord, but the Mandarin's betrothed Mei Ling saved her at the cost of her own life.
New bodies
Returning to China, the Mandarin sought a means to increase his rings' power and learned of the legendary Eye of Yin, a talisman of power created by an ancient group of Chinese sorcerers. The Mandarin manipulated the Royal Family of the InhumansInhumans
The Inhumans are a fictional race of superhumans, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This race appears in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics and exists in that company's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe....
, who lived, at the time, in the nearby Himalayan Mountains of Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, into locating the idol for him. Yet before he could fully incorporate the Eye's power in his rings, Black Bolt
Black Bolt
Black Bolt is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 Black...
, the ruler of the Inhumans, overpowered him, stripped him of his ten rings, and hid them. Unable to find the rings, the Mandarin journeyed back to the "Valley of Spirits" and the ruins of the Makluan starship wherein he first acquired the rings. There he found a headband containing technology which enabled him to recover the rings. The Mandarin used his newfound power to restore his castle to its original state. The Unicorn
Unicorn (comics)
Unicorn is the codename of multiple supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. The first Unicorn debuted in Tales of Suspense vol...
, another frequent opponent of Iron Man, sought the Mandarin's aid in curing him of a progressive disease. The Mandarin and the Unicorn traveled to America to attack their common enemy, Iron Man, but in the heat of battle the Mandarin found that the headband had somehow exchanged his consciousness with that of the Unicorn. The Mandarin was forced to flee, desperate to separate himself from the Unicorn's dying body.
When the Mandarin arrived at his castle in China, he found that it had been taken over by the Yellow Claw
Yellow Claw
The Yellow Claw is a fictional comic book supervillain in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Al Feldstein and artist Joe Maneely, the character first appeared in Yellow Claw #1 , published by Atlas Comics, the 1950s predecessor of Marvel.-Publication history:While the...
, another professional criminal and warlord of Chinese origin. The Mandarin was forced to find another laboratory to try to restore his mind back to its rightful body, which he managed with the unwilling aid of the Japanese mutant Sunfire. In battle with Iron Man again, the Mandarin's interim headquarters was destroyed. The Mandarin then launched an attack on the Yellow Claw in an attempt to regain his own castle, but was fatally injured when the Yellow Claw robot he had been battling exploded. As the Mandarin was dying, he used the headband's mind-transferring capacities to transfer his consciousness into his ten rings. When the rings were confiscated by the Yellow Claw's power-hungry servant Loc Do, the Mandarin's consciousness entered his body, permanently driving out Loc Do's. Using his matter-rearranger ring, the Mandarin transformed Loc Do's body into a younger duplicate of his own original one.
The Mandarin returned to his castle, discovering that it had again been destroyed. After rebuilding it, the Mandarin attempted to capture Iron Man with his teleportation devices, but once again caught someone else clad in his armor. This time it was Michael O'Brien, later to become a friend of Stark's and second to wear the Guardsman
Guardsman (comics)
Guardsman was the name of a superhero in the Marvel Universe, but was later applied to a small squad of agents. He/they wear suits of power armor while working security at the Vault; the suits were designed by Tony Stark, better known as the superhero Iron Man....
armor. Iron Man flew to O'Brien's rescue, clad in an old set of armor, saved O'Brien, thwarted the Mandarin's attempt to bomb the United States, and for a second time bested him in personal combat. Perhaps due to the effect of the Mandarin's mental domination ring on him, Iron Man did not take the Mandarin into custody, but allowed him to remain free.
The Mandarin later schemed to turn the Great Vibranium
Vibranium
Vibranium is a fictional metal that appears in the Marvel Universe. It is most commonly known as one of the materials used to construct Captain America's shield, but it is also noted for its connection to the Black Panther and his native homeland of Wakanda .-Publication history:Vibranium first...
Mound of Wakanda
Wakanda (comics)
Wakanda is a fictional nation in the Marvel Universe. It is the most prominent of several fictional African nations in the Marvel Universe. Wakanda is located in Northeastern Africa, although its exact location has varied throughout the nation's publication history: some sources place Wakanda in...
into Type II Vibranium, which destroys the molecular cohesion of metals. He also tried to destroy China's entire rice crop with radiation in an attempt to force a starving nation into war. In the second of these plots, the Mandarin encountered James Rhodes
War Machine
War Machine is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton...
during Rhodes's custodianship of the Iron Man armor.
Heart of Darkness
When Stark tried to set up a branch of Stark Enterprises in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Iron Man and the Mandarin once again came into conflict. The Mandarin had taken the name of Zhang Tong, and had become a financial leader in Hong Kong. As Tong, he controlled a number of government officials and industry leaders of Hong Kong. The Mandarin thwarted all of Stark's attempts to set up a business branch, even resorting to murder. The Mandarin now employed a group called the Hand
Hand (comics)
The Hand is a fictional supervillainous organization in the Marvel Comics universe.The Hand is an order of evil mystical ninja who are heavily involved in organized crime and mercenary activities such as assassination plots. The Hand covets power above all other objectives. They are primarily based...
to do his dirty work. When on a mission, a Hand member is allowed to take one of the Mandarin's rings and use its powers. As a precaution, if the Hand member were to be captured, he would fanatically try to kill himself. If the Hand member were to be killed or knocked out, the ring would automatically teleport back to the Mandarin. The Mandarin's agents kidnapped James Rhodes and several of Stark's other employees, forcing Iron Man into single combat in exchange for their lives. Iron Man defeated the Mandarin once again, and helped Stark's employees escape the Hand. Ironically, the Mandarin's minions were left without their weapons when their master was knocked unconscious, causing his rings to teleport back to him automatically and leaving them unarmed and unable to stop Stark's employees from fleeing.
At one point, during a period in which the then thought-dead X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
had disbanded, the mutant heroine Psylocke
Psylocke
Psylocke is a fictional character depicted in comic books published by Marvel Comics, most notably those comics featuring the superhero team the X-Men. The character has also appeared in licensed adaptations. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Herb Trimpe, she first appeared in the UK...
passed through the mystic portal known as the Siege Perilous
Siege Perilous (comics)
Siege Perilous is the name of two fictional devices appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. The first appeared in books starring Captain Britain, and the second in books featuring the X-Men...
. The portal relocated her to an Asian shore, leaving her an amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
c. The man known as Matsu'o Tsurayaba
Matsu'o Tsurayaba
Matsu'o Tsurayaba is a comic book fictional character associated with the Hand, and part of the Marvel Comics universe. A member of the Hand, Tsurayaba's first appearance came in Uncanny X-Men #255 and was directly involved with the "body swap incident" between Betsy Braddock and Kwannon just after...
found her and believed he could save his brain-dead lover Kwannon
Revanche
Revanche was a short-lived Marvel Comics character, associated with the X-Men. She was created by writer Fabian Nicieza and first appeared in X-Men -Fictional character biography:...
by switching her mind with Psylocke.
He made an arrangement with the Mandarin to help him with the switch, since his rings would be able to cause the mind-switch. Working with the woman known as Spiral
Spiral (comics)
Spiral is a fictional character, a supervillainess in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in the Longshot miniseries by Ann Nocenti and Art Adams.-Fictional character biography:...
, they were able to switch the minds of the two women. Mandarin then put Psylocke (now in Kwannon's body) through conditioning, causing her to believe herself to be Lady Mandarin, the Mandarin's assassin. During this time, the Mandarin teamed up with several other villains during the Acts of Vengeance
Acts of Vengeance
"Acts of Vengeance" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through several titles published by Marvel Comics from December 1989 to February 1990.-Publication history:...
. He also confronted the Avengers.
After completing several assignments for him, Psylocke was eventually rescued by her X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
teammate Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
and his then-sidekick, Jubilee
Jubilee (comics)
Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men.A mutant, Jubilee had the superhuman power to generate "fireworks" of explosive plasma. A teenage "mall rat," she was the X-Men's youngest member in the early 1990s, often playing sidekick to...
. The three then defeated the Mandarin, causing events which led to the Mandarin's leaving the Hand.
Some time later, the Mandarin discovered that one of his rings was an elaborate counterfeit. One of his underlings had betrayed him, surrendering the ring to Chen Hsu, an ancient wizard who lived in San Francisco. Hsu, elfin in appearance but puissant in power, gave up the ring to the Mandarin, who, however, collapsed as soon as he put it on. Chen Hsu tended to him, removing the veil of confusion from his mind; soon the Mandarin realized that his memories had been fragmented because of the theft of the ring, because the rings were still linked to his consciousness.
Next Chen Hsu made the Mandarin a strange offer which involved the two of them traveling to the Valley of the Dragons. There, he used a magic herb to awaken Fin Fang Foom
Fin Fang Foom
Fin Fang Foom is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #89 Fin Fang Foom is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #89 Fin Fang...
, an ancient and incredibly powerful dragon. Under the control of Hsu, the dragon obeyed the Mandarin, laying waste to an army sent by the Chinese government to stop him. Soon the Mandarin claimed a third of China's territory, and the authorities sent out a call for help to the only man who had consistently defeated him or had had any effectiveness in foiling his plans: Iron Man.
When Iron Man confronted the Mandarin and Fin Fang Foom, it soon became clear that there were other plans in motion: eight other dragons appeared. It was revealed that, many thousands of years ago, a number of aliens from the planet Kakaranathara, planet number IV of the star Maklu, had traveled to Earth to look for the conflict which was unknown in their culture and which they craved. The ship had crashed, forcing them to stay on Earth for thousands of years. Then, the Mandarin had found the ship and had claimed their rings. Now, they demanded them back, but he refused them. Iron Man forcibly combined his power with the rings, and managed to destroy the Makluan dragons. The Mandarin survived in a comatose state, but his hands were vaporized in the blast.
For months, he lay in a state between life and death, in the care of a peasant woman who did not even know who he was. Over time, his hands grew back, though they did so as reptilian claws, and the rings called to him again, to reclaim them.
The Mandarin next discovered the Heart of Darkness, an orb of apparently mystic energy; the alien Century believed it was an ancient artifact which acted as a "lens" to attract and focus all manner of dark power. The Mandarin used its power to turn back time in China, and literally transformed it into a feudal nation again, one in which electronic equipment could not operate. Iron Man, with his team Force Works
Force Works
Force Works was a Marvel Comics superhero team. It first appeared in the comic book series Force Works #1 . The title was written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning and initially drawn by Tom Tenney....
and ally War Machine
War Machine
War Machine is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton...
defeated him, but not before the Mandarin discovered that Tony Stark was the man inside the Iron Man armor.
Iron Man infected the Mandarin with a techno-organic virus, and the Heart, seeing him infected with technology, rejected the Mandarin and imploded. Iron Man believed him dead, though in reality the Mandarin had been transported and transformed, by the last flare of the orb's magic, into a janitor in the Hong Kong branch of Stark Enterprises.
Eventually, the Mandarin's memories returned to him. Instead of trying to crush technology, the Mandarin believed that the feudalism
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
of yesterday had merely been transformed into the capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
of today. This led the Mandarin to set into motion plans to create a giant flying fortress, called the Dragon of Heaven, through which he could conquer Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and eventually the world. During this time, Iron Man reappeared after being believed dead in a battle against the psychic menace Onslaught
Onslaught (comics)
Onslaught is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Man #15 , and was co-created by writers Scott Lobdell, Mark Waid, and artist Andy Kubert....
. The Mandarin initiated a series of attacks on Iron Man, culminating in a battle with the Dragon of Heaven. Eventually it was revealed that the Mandarin's primary purpose had not been to conquer Russia, but instead to test Iron Man himself, prove him worthy as a foe, and to justify the Mandarin's own thoughts on the feudal nature of capitalism. The Mandarin seemed to die as the Dragon of Heaven exploded, but Iron Man was less than convinced that his foe had truly met his end.
Temugin
Despite the uncertainty of his fate, it would be nearly ten years before the Mandarin returned to the pages of his foe's comic. In the interim, the Golden Avenger faced TemuginTemugin
Temugin is a fictional character from Marvel Comics. He is a supervillain who has battled Iron Man. He first appeared in Iron Man #53 ....
, the son of the Mandarin. Temugin had precious few memories of his father, and most of them involved his father taking him to the monastery where he was raised and trained by monks. Temugin was sensitive, spiritual, and unbelievably powerful because of his control of chi
Qi
In traditional Chinese culture, qì is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as life energy, lifeforce, or energy flow. Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts...
, the living force in all things.
One day, Temugin received a package containing the severed hands of the Mandarin, bearing all the rings of power. Temugin knew that he was honor-bound to fulfill his father's wishes for him. He challenged Iron Man in order to avenge his father’s death, and he proved a deadly adversary even without the rings.
After Tony Stark revealed a conspiracy for mass murder in his own ranks, Temugin appeared to have forgiven Iron Man for the death of his father and to have turned to more lofty pursuits, but events indicated that the evil power of the rings had corrupted his soul.
Temugin had been named after his, and the Mandarin's, claimed ancestor Genghis Khan, whose birth name was Temujin (also spelled Temuchin, Temudjin, u also variates to ü).
Temugin was later contacted by the double-crossing Spot
Spot (comics)
The Spot is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe and appearing as an enemy of Spider-Man. He was created by Al Milgrom and Herb Trimpe. Ohnn first appeared unnamed in Spectacular Spider-Man #97 and became The Spot in the following issue #98.-Fictional...
, who promptly handed over a super-weapon that MODOK
MODOK
MODOK is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #93 MODOK (acronym for Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character...
had been planning to steal. In this appearance, Temugin spoke of the Mandarin as "My Late Father," and bore the rings, one of which he used to imprison Spot in another dimension with nothing but money. In the following issue, the Puma
Puma (comics)
Puma is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe most closely associated with Spider-Man. While originally a villain, he gained a great respect for Spider-Man and became his occasional ally.-Publication history:...
tore off at least one of his hands, but despite this, he retained at least half of the rings - and possibly all, as Nightshade
Nightshade (Marvel Comics)
Nightshade , formerly known as Dr. Nightshade and Deadly Nightshade is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. She first appeared in Captain America #164 and was created by Steve Englehart and Alan Lee Weiss....
, who used the rings on his lost hand, was not seen with them at the end of the story.
Nevertheless, he later lost the rings (or perhaps discarded them), and reappeared - with a cybernetic arm - as a member of the Atlas Foundation, having been selected as a secondary candidate for the position of its ruler by the ancient dragon Mr. Lao. In this capacity he was a constant irritant to Jimmy Woo, the head of Atlas.
Revival
The Mandarin has been revived in a later arc of Iron Man. Apparently, he has been in a prison in central China for some time. In this story it has been revealed that he has lost his hands (most likely the hands that were sent to Temugin were, in fact, actually the Mandarin's). He has also been living with no food or water for years. His ability to survive so long without food or water is likely due to his mastery of chiQi
In traditional Chinese culture, qì is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as life energy, lifeforce, or energy flow. Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts...
. Despite being handless and starved, he was able to kill several men armed with guns via his mastery of the martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
. His rings have been returned to him, and were reassimilated into his body by heating them and burning them into his spine.
After attacking Iron Man, via S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
- with dozens of unwitting proxies in the form of extremist splinter groups, equipped by him with hyper-advanced biological weapons - he eventually resurfaces as Tem Borjigin (yet another name of Genghis Khan), now once again sporting hands (although they are artificial).
Government infiltration
The Mandarin infiltrates the U.S. government via his role as CEO of Prometheus, a corporation specializing in bio-engineered weaponry. He appears to be using Extremis creator and Tony Stark's former love interest Maya Hansen to produce an army of Extremis enhanced soldiers as well as financing and arming terrorists around the globe. The Mandarin also appears to plan unleashing the Extremis virus in aerosol form on the public, expecting the 97.5% fatality ratio to cause a mass catastrophe of deaths. The Mandarin admits to Hansen that even he will die in the outbreak but she and those with the gene to survive will become free from disease and become effectively immortal. Though he has his Extremis disabled, Iron Man defeats the Mandarin while wearing the Silver Centurion armor by tearing five of the rings out of the Mandarin's spine, blasting him with those rings, his unibeam, and repulsors at the same time, and then freezing him as he is engulfed in deadly concentrated Extremis virus. Iron Man then prevents the Extremis-outbreak.However, when the Mandarin's apparently frozen body is autopsied, all that is found is a blackened husk... not unlike an Extremis chrysalis.
Enter the Mandarin
The Mandarin appeared in Iron Man - Enter the Mandarin in 2007 which is an expanded and modified retelling from his earliest appearances in Tales of Suspense.Mandarin: The Story of My Life
In Invincible Iron Man Annual #1 by Matt FractionMatt Fraction
Matt Fritchman, better known by the pen name Matt Fraction, is an Eisner Award-winning American comic book writer, known for his work as the writer of The Invincible Iron Man, The Immortal Iron Fist and Uncanny X-Men for Marvel Comics and Casanova for Image Comics.-Career:Fraction wrote two...
, a new updated origin of the Mandarin is offered. Here, the Mandarin kidnaps a young up and coming film producer to tell his life's story. He relates the same story he once told Iron Man in Tales of Suspense of his English noblewoman mother and his schooling at the finest boarding schools in the land.
However, the director begins to learn that much of what the Mandarin says is contradictory and false with photos from this time staged (It's hinted that the Mandarin had used one of his own rings to make himself believe this tapestry of half truths) and discovers a different tale of the Mandarin's origins: The Mandarin was the son of a opium den prostitute who went on to become a powerful underworld figure before discovering the Ten Rings of Power in an alien craft, the pilot of which he brutally slew to obtain them, the Mandarin slaughtered the Red Chinese army officials for daring to cross him while financing his operations with drug and gun smuggling, aided by the mercenary Raza
Wong-Chu
Wong-Chu is a Marvel Comics supervillain. He was the first villain that Iron Man faced.-Fictional character biography:Wong-Chu once served as a commander for the Vietnamese congress during the Vietnam War...
. In this retelling, he is also said to have been at the camp in which Tony Stark constructed his Iron Man armor, though Stark is unaware of this fact.
Angered at the Mandarin holding his wife hostage, the director shoots the movie as he wishes not as the Mandarin dictates. The Mandarin denounces this telling of his past as lies and angrily destroys the cinema in which it was being shown, before having the director killed.
Later he is regretful about murdering the director, noting that he really did love his films.
It is unknown if this new origin is the truth or not as a major theme of the issue is that the with the Mandarin's life it is impossible to tell the truth from the myth that the man has created around himself and at least some of what the Mandarin claims must be true as he possesses the ten alien rings and well honed martial arts skills that he describes acquiring.
Stark Resilient
At the conclusion of the Stark Resilient storyline, it is revealed that the Mandarin is the father of Sasha HammerSasha Hammer
Sasha Hammer is a fictional character from the Marvel Comics universe. She is the daughter of Justine Hammer and The Mandarin, the granddaughter of Justin Hammer, and an enemy of Iron Man.-Fictional character biography:...
, as she introduces her boyfriend Ezekiel Stane to her parents. Mandarin tells Stane some of the various names he's known as, then simply instructs Stane to refer to him as "Master".
Powers and abilities
The Mandarin is a superb athlete with tremendous skill in the various martial artsMartial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
. Through repeated practice, he has toughened all the striking surfaces of his body, especially his hands, which are covered with thick calluses. He can even split Iron Man's magnetic-beam reinforced alloy armor with repeated blows. So great is the Mandarin's martial arts ability, that he can even survive years without food and water, apparently sustaining himself purely via his mastery of chi
Qi
In traditional Chinese culture, qì is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as life energy, lifeforce, or energy flow. Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts...
. The precise degree of The Mandarin's martial art powers has been the subject of multiple implied retcons by Marvel Comics. Initially, Mandarin was portrayed as being such a superhumanly skilled martial artist that he could destroy Iron Man's armor with his bare hands. Later portrayals focused on his use of the rings, and implicitly retconned the Mandarin's skill to being great but no longer superhuman. The most recent continuity has restored Mandarin's martial arts ability to its original superhuman level.
The Mandarin is one of Marvel
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
Earth's greatest scientific geniuses, and highly skilled in various sciences. Not only has he made himself into an expert authority on alien Makluuan science, but he has also built upon this knowledge by making further discoveries based upon it.
The principal personal weapons of the Mandarin are the ten rings which he wears on the fingers of each hand. The rings' operations cannot be explained by contemporary Earth science, but it is known that they served as near-limitless power sources for the warp-drive engines of the Makluan starship of Axonn-Karr. The Mandarin learned how to convert the rings to his personal uses and to make them respond to his mental commands. The fingers on which he wears each ring, and the known functions for which he uses each ring, are given below.
| Digit | Left Hand | Right Hand |
|---|---|---|
| Little finger | Ice Blast
|
Black Light
|
| Ring Finger |
Mento-Intensifier
|
Disintegration Beam
|
| Middle Finger |
Electro-Blast
|
Vortex Beam
|
| Index Finger |
Flame Blast
|
Impact Beam
|
| Thumb |
White Light
|
Matter Rearranger
|
Over the years through mental discipline achieved through meditation and long practice in use of the rings, the Mandarin has established a strong psionic
Psionics
Psionics refers to the practice, study, or psychic ability of using the mind to induce paranormal phenomena. Examples of this include telepathy, telekinesis, and other workings of the outside world through the psyche.-History and terminology:...
link with his ten power rings, which was made many times stronger during the period in which his mind
Mind
The concept of mind is understood in many different ways by many different traditions, ranging from panpsychism and animism to traditional and organized religious views, as well as secular and materialist philosophies. Most agree that minds are constituted by conscious experience and intelligent...
/spirit
Spirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...
actually inhabited them. One result is that no one who wears the rings other than the Mandarin himself can command them without his permission. The Mandarin can now command the rings even when they are separated from him by vast distances. He can mentally monitor events taking place near a ring that has been separated from him. Continued exposure to the alien rings made his hands green and scaly. He can voluntarily give temporary control over a ring to his servants, however. If the servant dies or falls unconscious, the rings teleport back to the Mandarin. Conversely, if the Mandarin himself is knocked out, all the rings automatically return to him. On one occasion, this left the Mandarin's servants powerless to stop some of Tony Stark's employees, that the Mandarin had kidnapped, from escaping.
The Mandarin also briefly used a force field generator, but this is not part of his standard weaponry.
He has also used a head band enabling him to transfer his mind into his rings or into another's body, and a teleportation device hidden on his person, both examples of Makluuan technology.
The Mandarin is a brilliant and brutal tactician and a gifted strategist. He also abides by a very strict code of honor
Honor code
An honour code or honour system is a set of rules or principles governing a community based on a set of rules or ideals that define what constitutes honorable behavior within that community. The use of an honor code depends on the idea that people can be trusted to act honorably...
. When he attempted to stop Stark Enterprises from establishing itself in Hong Kong, the Mandarin challenged Iron Man to a duel
Duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
, stating that if he won, he would take control of Stark Enterprises' Hong Kong operations, and that he would cease hindering Stark's activities if he lost. When Iron Man defeated him in fair combat, he lived up to his end of the agreement. On another occasion, he killed one of his minions for attempting to drug him during a practice session, angry that one of his students would use such dishonorable tactics.
Spider-Ham
In the Spider-HamSpider-Ham
Spider-Ham is a fictional character, an anthropomorphic funny animal parody of Marvel Comics' Spider-Man, created by Tom DeFalco and Mark Armstrong....
universe, there is a version of the Mandarin who is a Ring-tailed lemur
Ring-tailed Lemur
The ring-tailed lemur is a large strepsirrhine primate and the most recognized lemur due to its long, black and white ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families. It is the only member of the Lemur genus. Like all lemurs it is endemic to the island of Madagascar...
named Mandaringtail.
Ultimate Marvel
The Mandarin appears in Ultimate Avengers vs. New Ultimates issue 2, in a flashback with Tony Stark in an earlier Armor prototype attacking Mandarin, who is holding RhodesWar Machine
War Machine is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton...
captive.
Television
- The Mandarin was a major foe of Iron Man in The Marvel Super Heroes, in which his voice was provided by Bernard CowanBernard CowanBernard Cowan was a Canadian actor, announcer and writer. He was born in Toronto, Ontario. He was occasionally credited under his nickname, Bunny Cowan, such as on the production Willy McBean and his Magic Machine....
.
- In the Iron Man seriesIron Man (TV series)Iron Man, also known as Iron Man: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series based on Marvel Comics' superhero Iron Man...
, the Mandarin is Arnold Brock, an archaeologist who falls into an ancient catacomb containing an alien starship (which belongs to this series' incarnation of Fin Fang FoomFin Fang FoomFin Fang Foom is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #89 Fin Fang Foom is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #89 Fin Fang...
, with whom the Mandarin forged an uneasy alliance) while fleeing from desert bandits. In this catacomb, he finds a large gem that is the ship's power source with ten gems beneath it. Unfortunately, the bandits slay everyone else, including his fiancée Ilona. All the raiders leave behind are his fiancée's rings with the jewels plucked from them. The Mandarin uses these as the settings for the ten gems which he made into his rings. The Mandarin of this continuity was altered by the power of the ship's power source when he touched it; he developed pointy ears, claw-like fingernails, and enhanced musculature. His skin turned emerald-green, and he became very smart. The cartoon version of the Mandarin was served in his villainy by Justin HammerJustin HammerJustin Hammer is a fictional character that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. As a frequent adversary of the superhero Iron Man, Justin Hammer exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
as well as by several supervillains like BlizzardBlizzard (comics)The Blizzard is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The original version first appears in Tales of Suspense #45 as a supervillain and is currently deceased. The second version first appears in Iron Man #223 The Blizzard is the name of three...
, BlacklashBlacklashBlacklash is the name of 2 characters from Marvel Comics.The best known Blacklash is Mark Scarlotti is an enemy of Iron Man.-Publication history:...
, DreadknightDreadknightDreadknight is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Iron Man #102 Dreadknight is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Iron Man #102 Dreadknight is a...
, HypnotiaHypnotiaHypnotia is a fictional character, a supervillain created for the Iron Man animated TV series. Hypnotia is voiced by Linda Holdahl in the first season and Jennifer Darling in the second season.-History:...
, Grey GargoyleGrey GargoyleThe Grey Gargoyle is a fictional comic book supervillain that appears in books published by Marvel Comics, often as an enemy of Thor, Iron Man, She-Hulk or the Fantastic Four. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #107 The Grey Gargoyle (Paul Pierre Duval) is a fictional comic...
, WhirlwindWhirlwind (comics)Whirlwind is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales To Astonish #50 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
, Living LaserLiving LaserThe Living Laser is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #34 and was created by Stan Lee, Artie Simek and Don Heck.-Publication history:...
, and MODOKMODOKMODOK is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #93 MODOK (acronym for Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character...
, but following the cartoon's adaptation of the "Dragon Seed" storyline, the Mandarin's servants were captured and his rings scattered across the world. Eventually recovering all of his rings, appearing in a brief epilogue at the end of most episodes to do so, the Mandarin renewed his hostilities against Iron Man in an adaptation of "The Hands of the Mandarin." Prior to finding his last two rings, The Mandarin claims his 8th ring from MODOK in the episode "Empowered." "Empowered" was the clip showClip showA clip show is an episode of a television series that consists primarily of excerpts from previous episodes. Most clip shows feature the format of a frame story in which cast members recall past events from past installments of the show, depicted with a clip of the event presented as a flashback. ...
of the season, the purpose being that the Mandarin wanted to learn of Iron Man's recent activities. In the final episode of the series, Iron Man manages to reflect the power of Mandarin's rings, destroying them, and ultimately leaving the Mandarin amnesiac and helpless before a band of desert bandits. The cartoon's versions of the rings were much more ambiguous, with no particular power associated with any ring - most frequently, they were used to project force blasts, alter reality, and transmute objects. The eleventh episode of season two, "Hulkbuster" would reveal the specific abilities of two of the rings. One allows for creating windows through time and space, while the other allows for traveling through the windows. They were both used by The LeaderLeader (comics)The Leader is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #62, and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. In 2009, The Leader was ranked as IGN's 63rd Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.Actor Tim Blake...
in an attempt to travel back to the time that the Gamma Bomb that transformed Bruce Banner into the Hulk detonated.
- In Iron Man: Armored AdventuresIron Man: Armored AdventuresIron Man: Armored Adventures is a 3D CGI cartoon series based on the Marvel Comics superhero Iron Man. It debuted in the USA on the Nicktoons on April 24, 2009, and has already begun airing on Canadian network Teletoon. The series is story edited by showrunner Christopher Yost, who also worked on...
, the Mandarin (voiced by Vincent TongVincent TongVincent Tong is a Canadian actor and voice actor. He is the voice of Gene Khan/The Mandarin in Iron Man: Armored Adventures. Other notable voice characters include Touta Matsuda in Death Note, Toro in Sushi Pack, Henry in Kid vs...
) is fully armored, with a helmet that hides his identity. In this series, his rings are called the Makluan Rings, while the name “Mandarin” is a title used by any of several characters able to wield the power of the rings. The rings enable the wearer to materialize the signature armor of the Mandarin, control natural forces (such as gravity, water, lightning, wind, and fire), levitate, and teleport. The Mandarin is also head of a criminal organization called the Tong. The original Mandarin, a man named Khan, hid the ten rings throughout the globe hundreds of years ago. He put at least four of the rings in hidden temples and designed tests to guard them to ensure that only the “worthy” possess “activated” rings. Primarily, the position of Mandarin is held by Khan’s descendant Temugin (or, “Gene Khan”); Gene’s stepfather, Shin Zhang, whom the Tong support, also claims to be the “true Mandarin”, occupying the role until Gene imprisons him. Interestingly, however, it is in fact Tony Stark, as Iron Man, who passes two of the four tests, while Gene only passes the third and fourth tests. It is suggested that Khan wanted someone in his own family to wield the rings and become his successor; this idea is supported by the fact that Gene's late mother had possession of one of the rings, and that the rings appear to only work for members of Khan's family. In the episode "Tales of Suspense" Pt. 1, Zhang returns from his imprisonment and reclaims the rings from Gene. He then orchestrates Tony and Pepper's capture, takes the fourth ring from Tony and learns from their recently gathered information that the 5th Ring is in Peru. He then goes there taking Gene, Pepper and Tony with him. Zhang ends up retreating when the Test of Sacrifice begun with the awakening of Fin Fang Foom, inadvertently leaving the Makluan Rings behind. In the episode "Tales of Suspense" Pt. 2, Pepper tries to pass the test by throwing the Rings into Fin Fang Foom only to have him swallow the rings. Rhodey in his War Machine suit then learns Tony and Pepper's location from Zhang and comes to save them. It was then that Gene learned Tony was Iron Man. Gene eventually passed the test by allowing Fin Fang Foom to swallow him when he saved Pepper. Inside the dragon, Gene found the four rings as well as the fifth. Upon coming out of the dragon, (which he stopped by obtaining the fifth ring) he revealed to the others he was the true Mandarin (whom up until that time they thought was Zhang) and fought Tony. It was during the battle that Tony learned that Mandarin was behind the explosion that destroyed his father's plane and that he had abducted Howard Stark for information on the Makluan Rings before he made the explosion. Gene manages to get away. Some minutes later, after Tony and his friends have left the temple of the 5th Ring, Gene reflected on the times he had with Tony, Rhodes, and Pepper and says that even though his mother said having the Makluan Rings was his destiny, they did not make him stronger; until the 5 Makluan Rings reveal to him that there are five more rings hidden somewhere on Earth, meaning that there were ten Makluan Rings in all. He then declares that their power will be his. In season two, Gene hunts the remaining rings with the kidnapped Howard Stark. In the episodes "Invincible Iron Man: Disassembled" and "Invincible Iron Man: Reborn," Gene and Howard Stark find the 6th Makluan Temple where Melter is the 6th Ring's guardian. Gene as Mandarin managed to complete the test and gained the sixth Makluan Ring. In the episode "The Might of Doom", Gene and Howard Stark end up at the 7th Makluan Temple where Sunturion is the 7th Ring's guardian. In the episode "Enter: Iron Monger", it is shown that Gene defeated Sunturion and now currently has seven Makluan Rings.
Films
- The Mandarin is the main antagonist in the 2007 direct-to-DVD animated movie The Invincible Iron Man, in which Fred TatascioreFred TatascioreFrederick "Fred" Tatasciore is an American voice actor who portrays secondary characters as well as monstrous-looking types...
provided his voice. This version of the Mandarin was an ancient ruler of a Chinese dynasty whose minions were attempting to resurrect him by collecting five magical rings. According to prophecy, however, the Mandarin will be opposed by the "Iron Knight" upon his resurrection, although the prophecy only states that the two will fight without revealing who will win. Despite being the main driving force behind the plot, he appears only briefly at the film's climax and only as a spiritual projection, which is later destroyed when his descendant Li Mei (voiced by Gwendoline YeoGwendoline Yeo-Early life:Born in Singapore, Yeo is the niece of George Yeo, Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs. She moved to California as a teenager, graduating from St. Ignatius College Preparatory in 1994...
) removes the rings and thus breaks the connection. - The Mandarin is referenced in the 2008 live action Iron ManIron Man (film)Iron Man is a 2008 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark, an industrialist and master engineer who builds a powered exoskeleton and becomes the technologically advanced superhero, Iron...
movie via the name of the terrorist group called "The Ten Rings", who holds Tony Stark captive in the beginning of the film. RazaWong-ChuWong-Chu is a Marvel Comics supervillain. He was the first villain that Iron Man faced.-Fictional character biography:Wong-Chu once served as a commander for the Vietnamese congress during the Vietnam War...
, the leader of the Ten Rings, has a single red ring that he rubs with his other hand. He also makes a reference to Genghis Khan when speaking to Stark and YinsenHo YinsenHo Yinsen is a fictional supporting character of the Marvel Comics superhero Iron Man , who is key to Iron Man's origin story and was a mentor to him.Actor Shaun Toub portrayed Yinsen's character in the 2008 superhero film, Iron Man....
. Director Jon FavreauJon FavreauJonathan Kolia "Jon" Favreau is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and comedian. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in Rudy, Swingers , Very Bad Things, and The Break-Up. His notable directorial efforts include Elf, Iron Man and its sequel, and Cowboys & Aliens...
revealed that their version of the Mandarin in the live action Iron Man movie series "allows us to incorporate the whole pantheon of villains". - After the successful release of Iron Man 2Iron Man 2Iron Man 2 is a 2010 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man, the second film in a planned trilogy and is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Jon...
, Favreau stated that he hoped to include the Mandarin himself in an Iron Man 3 project. However Iron Man 3 director, Shane BlackShane BlackShane Black is an American actor, screenwriter and film director. He contributed to some of the biggest blockbuster action films of the late 1980s and early 1990s, including work on Lethal Weapon and The Last Boy Scout...
called the character a "racist caricature".
Video games
- The Mandarin appeared as the third and last boss in stage 3 'Challenge from the Bottom of the Sea' in Data EastData Eastalso abbreviated as DECO, was a Japanese video game developer and publisher. The company was in operation from 1976 to 2003, when it declared bankruptcy...
's 1991 arcade game, (later ported to the Sega Genesis and Super NESSuper Nintendo Entertainment SystemThe Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
) Captain America and the AvengersCaptain America and the AvengersCaptain America and the Avengers is an arcade game released by Data East in 1991. It features the Marvel Comics characters The Avengers in a side-scrolling brawling and shooting adventure to defeat the evil Red Skull.-Gameplay:...
, controlling the Red SkullRed SkullThe Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, all supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general....
's undersea base, against which is Namor, the Sub-Mariner, who guides the heroes. - The Mandarin appears as one of the supervillains in the video game Marvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action role-playing game developed for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360 by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game was simultaneously ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii by Vicarious Visions, and to Microsoft Windows by Beenox...
, voiced by James Sie. The Mandarin joins Doctor DoomDoctor DoomVictor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
's Masters of EvilMasters of EvilThe Masters of Evil is a name for a number of fictional supervillain teams that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in The Avengers #6 , with the lineup continually changing over the years....
, but is rejected after he attempts to steal control of the group from Doom. In Atlantis, LokiLoki (comics)Loki is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. He is the adoptive brother and archenemy of the superhero Thor. He is based on the being of the same name from Norse mythology...
shapeshifted into the Mandarin to get the Heroes to venture to his castle, where they had to fight through his warriors, Dragon ManDragon ManDragon Man is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe. He is an artificial dragon-like humanoid android who was animated via alchemy. He was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Fantastic Four #35 ....
, Ultimo, Grey GargoyleGrey GargoyleThe Grey Gargoyle is a fictional comic book supervillain that appears in books published by Marvel Comics, often as an enemy of Thor, Iron Man, She-Hulk or the Fantastic Four. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #107 The Grey Gargoyle (Paul Pierre Duval) is a fictional comic...
, and his new Ultimo Mark 2. Afterwards they had to confront him at his palace in the Valley of Spirits. After the Mandarin was defeated, the heroes found that they had been tricked by Loki. The Mandarin has special dialogue with Iron Man (in his simulation disk), and Blade (upon the Mandarin's defeat). - The Mandarin appears as a core part of the Iron ManIron ManIron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
-themed table in Marvel PinballMarvel PinballMarvel Pinball is an arcade pinball machine video game developed by Zen Studios. It features Marvel Comics-themed pinball tables. It is available as a stand alone game for the PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network, and as downloadable content for Pinball FX 2 on the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live...
, with table-specific modes based around several of his ring's powers — Mandarin Flame Blast, Mandarin Vortex Storm, Mandarin Impact Beam, and Mandarin Electro-Blast — and a mode where he teams up with WhiplashWhiplash (comics)Whiplash is the name of several fictional characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Each Whiplash is a minor supervillain in the Marvel Universe, with the first and latest appearing as prominent members of Iron Man's rogues gallery.-Mark Scarlotti:...
, who also features heavily in the table design.
Toys
- The Mandarin is the 94th figurine in The Classic Marvel Figurine CollectionThe Classic Marvel Figurine CollectionThe Classic Marvel Figurine Collection is a collection made by Eaglemoss Publications, through which consumers can collect hand painted lead figurines of the Marvel Comics characters. While regular figurines height is around 9 cm, bigger figurines are produced: bulky characters like the Hulk are...
. - A figure of the Mandarin and a variant chase were released in wave 2 of Toy Biz's 6" Marvel LegendsMarvel LegendsMarvel Legends is an action figure line based on the characters of Marvel Comics, initially produced by Toy Biz, then by Hasbro. This line is in the scale, with spin-off lines in the , , and scale.-History:...
Face-Off line. The regular version was in a green outfit and was packaged with Iron Man, whereas the variant was in a red outfit and was packaged with War Machine. - The Mandarin was released in wave 1 of Toy Biz's 1994 Iron Man line, based on his appearance from the 1994 animated series.
- The Mandarin was released in HasbroHasbroHasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
's 3.75" Iron Man: Armored AdventuresIron Man: Armored Adventures (toyline)Iron Man: Armored Adventures is a 3 3/4" scale action figure line manufactured by Hasbro, based on the animated series of the same name.-Wave 1 - September 2009:There's not going to be anymore Iron Man: Armored Adventures figures....
figure line based on the animated series of the same name. - The Mandarin, under the name "Zhang Tong," was released in The Danger of Dreadknight 4-pack from the Marvel Super Hero SquadMarvel Super Hero SquadMarvel Super Hero Squad is an action figure line marketed by Hasbro beginning in 2006. The line features scale replicas of comic book heroes from the Marvel Comics universe. Each figure is portrayed in a cartoonish super-deformed-style. The line was designed for younger collectors but has become a...
line, packaged with 2 figures of Iron Man and one of DreadknightDreadknightDreadknight is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Iron Man #102 Dreadknight is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Iron Man #102 Dreadknight is a...
. - A figure of the Mandarin was released in wave 36 of the Marvel MinimatesMinimatesMinimates are a block-styled miniature action figure originally created by Art Asylum in 2002 and now released by Diamond Select Toys. The basic Minimate figure design has a 2" tall body that resembles an extremely simplified human form with 14 points of articulation, higher than average for block...
line. - A figure of the Mandarin was released in wave 5 of HasbroHasbroHasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
's 3.75" Iron Man 2Iron Man 2 (toy line)Iron Man 2 is a toy line manufactured by Hasbro, composed mainly of 3 3/4" scale action figures based on the movie of the same name. This is the company's second 3 3/4" line based on a Marvel movie following X-Men Origins: Wolverine and like that line will include figures modeled after characters...
movie tie-in line.
External links
- Mandarin at Marvel.com