For other uses, see Ten Rings (disambiguation) |
For alternate versions of the Ten Rings, see the Ten Rings' Organization Hub |
- "The Ten Rings aren't your typical terrorists. They've raised secrecy to an art form. We still don't have the first clue what's really behind them."
- ―Nick Fury to Phil Coulson[src]
The Ten Rings (Mandarin: 十环帮) is a clandestine criminal and terrorist organization founded by Xu Wenwu in the Middle Ages. By the 21st Century, the Ten Rings became involved in terrorist activities across the globe. In 2024, following Wenwu's death during the Battle of Ta Lo, the organization was taken over by his daughter, Xu Xialing.
History[]
Asian Conquest[]
Led by Xu Wenwu[]
- "I'm talking about the Ten Rings."
"Come again?" - ―Jackson Norriss and Trevor Slattery[src]
The true history of the Ten Rings was shrouded in mystery. Members of the terrorist organization came to believe that their leader had inspired generations of men since the Middle Ages, perhaps even further back in time, implying that the organization was thousands of years old. Some even described their organization as "faith."[1] The legend of their leader was built around Xu Wenwu, who had built his power by obtaining ten powerful rings, which had turned him into a near unstoppable warrior, and which became the basis for the organization's name.[2]
All the branches of the Ten Rings operated as individual cells, with every cell operating independently of each other. The leaders from each cell had no idea who anyone was in any other cell save for one contact. Each cell would receive money and weapons as long as they received them and they did not ask questions.[3] Being a multinational organization, members of Ten Rings branches speak multiple other languages, which had included: Arabic, Chinese, Dari, English, Farsi, Hungarian, Mongolian, Pashto, Russian, and Urdu.[4]
Siege of the Seljuk Mosque[]
As his conquests through Asia had continued, Xu Wenwu led his army against the Seljuk Empire, taking possession outside a Seljuk temple. Wenwu would order his army to stand back, while he calmly marched his horse towards the terrified army, who knew of the power of the Ten Rings and their leader. As Wenwu witnessed the Seljuk soldiers firing a barrage of arrows at him, he remained unintimidated, as instead Wenwu unleashed the power of his ten rings, creating a shield for himself with the rings, as he charged forward, deflecting every arrow that had been shot at him.
Upon reaching the defending army, Wenwu leapt into the centre of the men, and proceeded to slaughter them with the power of his ten rings, with the soldiers being completely unable to defend themselves against Wenwu and the power of his ten rings. As he overpowered the army, Wenwu unleashed a powerful blast from his rings, which destroyed the gate into the mosque, as the defending army then surrendered.
The Ten Rings would take up the headquarters in the mountains, where Wenwu would continue to rule over his armies. Wenwu would continue wearing his rings at all time, while watching over his soldier's training, as his men would use Hooked-Swords, while other soldiers would have the logo of the Ten Rings tattooed on their own body. The Ten Rings would continue to spread, soon reaching every corner of the globe.[2]
Building their Fortune[]
In order to build the wealth they needed to build their empire, the Ten Rings would attack wagons containing gold. Xu Wenwu would lead these attacks, using the ten rings to overpower their enemies. During one of these attacks, which was fought on a snow covered path, Wenwu and his forces easily overcame their enemies and overturned a wagon which was filled with gold bars, which Wenwu would take possession of.[2]
Assassinations in Europe[]
This section requires expansion |
To be added[2]
Escapades in India[]
The organization had a temple in India. In 1942, the Clandestines entered the temple and found a bangle on the arm of a blue-skinned corpse. However, shortly after the discovery, the temple was destroyed by the Royal British Army.[6]
Destroying the London Embassy[]
In the 1940s, a soldier from the Ten Rings had planted an explosive device inside an Embassy in London. Standing outside the building, the soldier, who carried a Ten Rings tattoo on his wrist, detonated the bomb, causing a massive explosion, which caused chaos in London. This was one part of the Ten Rings' and Xu Wenwu plan to disrupt the world for their own goals.[2]
Work in Afghanistan[]
As the Ten Rings continued to spread their power through the globe, they built a base within Afghanistan, where Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar was put in a position of command. As al-Wazar continued to take advantage of the instability of Afghanistan for the Ten Rings' advantage, he would be visited by Xu Wenwu, who was impressed by the work that al-Wazar was achieving.[9]
Search for Ta Lo[]
As part of his intentions to build his power, Xu Wenwu had come to learn of a mythical land known as Ta Lo, and decided he wanted to rule it. Wenwu would travel via helicopter to the Ten Rings' headquarters, where he would be greeted by Hui, as they discussed the work of Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar in Afghanistan. As Wenwu spoke to Hui, they walked through the Ten Rings soldiers training with Hooked-Swords as well as firearms, to prepare for the conflicts fought by the Ten Rings.
Wenwu was informed that the Ten Rings had managed to eliminate almost every member of the Iron Gang, and had captured their leader, who had been brought to Wenwu for punishment, as the Iron Gang had perviously stolen from the Ten Rings. As the leader told Wenwu that the Ten Rings had already killed his family, he suggested that Wenwu himself kill him, to which Wenwu threatened to kill him with his rings, before telling him to kill himself instead.
In his office, Wenwu and Hui discussed the mission to Ta Lo, with Wenwu dismissing Hui's suggestion of sending a scout team, insisting that he wanted to go personally and leave as soon as possible. Wenwu and Hui then led a team to the location of Ta Lo, travelling via Jeeps to the location. However, during the journey, the Ten Rings were attacked by the forest itself, with Wenwu witnessing his jeeps being crushed and driven off a cliff, with Wenwu himself becoming the only survivor.
Wenwu would choose to continue the search himself, on behalf of the Ten Rings. Upon finding the enterance to Ta Lo, Wenwu was challenged by Ying Li, who refused to allow Wenwu access. Despite Wenwu's initial confidence, he found himself equally matched by Li, and found himself falling in love with a woman who could not only best him in combat, but could even control the ten rings better than he could himself. Eventually, Li defeated Wenwu in single combat, much to his own surprise.
As a result of Wenwu's encounter with Li, he came to decide to leave his life with the Ten Rings, having fallen in love with Li and deciding to build a family with her. Wenwu would be able to convince Li to leave Ta Lo, while he gave up command of the Ten Rings, and even left behind his rings that granted him immortal life. Wenwu and Li would have two children, Shang-Chi and Xu Xialing, while Wenwu left his life with the Ten Rings behind him, to leave a peaceful life instead.[2]
Shang-Chi's Training[]
This section requires expansion |
To be added[2]
Conflict with Iron Man[]
Kidnapping of Tony Stark[]
- "Who are these people?"
"They are your loyal customers, sir. They call themselves the Ten Rings." - ―Tony Stark and Ho Yinsen[src]
By 2008, the Ten Rings were operating mainly in Afghanistan. Obadiah Stane sold Stark Industries weapons illegally to at least one cell to help them achieve their purposes, and later made a deal with them to attack and massacre a military convoy. The attack stopped once they realized the convoy included Tony Stark on a trip to Afghanistan. The cell took him prisoner, filmed a video informing Stane that he would need to pay them more to kill such a target.
Having forced their other prisoner, Ho Yinsen, to save Stark from the pieces of shrapnel that were approaching his heart, the Ten Rings forced both Stark and Yinsen outside, to observe the stockpiles of Stark Industries weapons that they had acquired. Abu Bakaar had then ordered Stark to build the Jericho missile for them, which Stark initially refused, but was eventually convinced by Yinsen to accept. Bakaar had then ordered the Ten Rings to assist Stark's build.
However, as the build continued, the Ten Rings had suspected that Stark and Yinsen were planning something, so Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar had personally come to question them. Arriving inside their cell with Bakaar and the Ten Rings soldiers, al-Wazar observed the Arc Reactor that Stark had built, before threatening to execute Yinsen with burning coals. Finally, Stark begged al-Wazar to spare Yinsen, calling him a good assistant, as al-Wazar had let him go, and demanded they complete the Jericho.
As the Ten Rings continued to watch over Stark and Yinsen's work, al-Wazar noticed that they had stepped away from the cameras, causing him to send two soldiers to investigate. However, as they opened the cell door, they triggered an explosion that killed them both, causing al-Wazar to send more soldiers to prevent Stark and Yinsen's escape. In order to keep them all at bay, Yinsen then grabbed a gun and began shooting at them, only to soon be stopped by al-Wazar and shot.
Once more of al-Wazar's men entered the cell, Stark appeared, wearing the Mark I Armor, which he proceeded to use to fight his way through the Ten Rings soldiers, who were unable to penetrate the armor, and were swiftly overpowered, with one soldier attempting to shoot him in the head, only for the bullet to ricochet off and kill him. Once Stark neared the Ten Rings Base's exit, he spotted the dying Yinsen, while al-Wazar had tried to use this momentary distraction to shoot Stark with a rocket. However, Stark avoided al-Wazar's shot, and fired his own missile, wounded al-Wazar, while Stark attempted to save Yinsen, who died from his wounds.
The remaining Ten Rings soldiers had then witnessed Stark stepping out of the base in his armor, as they proceeded to shoot at him, with their bullets doing little damage onto the armor. Stark proceeded to unleash his flame throwers, killing several members of the Ten Rings, and destroying the supply of Stark Industries weapons. As a terrorist was about to severely damage the Mark I armor using a mounted, heavy machine gun, Stark escaped by flying away, moments before the Ten Rings' base was destroyed.[4]
Rebuilding Iron Man's Armor[]
- "His escape bore unexpected fruit."
"So, this is how he did it."
"This was only a first crude effort. Stark has perfected his design, he has made a masterpiece of death. A man with a dozen of these could rule all of Asia, and you dream of Stark's throne." - ―Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar and Obadiah Stane[src]
Following Tony Stark's escape, these Ten Rings were then forced to move their operations into a new base, due to the destruction of the Ten Rings Base. Determined to take advantage of the technology that was used in Stark's escape, Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar ordered his men to search the deserts for the remains. Days later in the desert, the Ten Rings found the remains of the armor which Stark had used to escape, as they first found a piece of the helmet, one member from the Ten Rings had called out to al-Wazar, who took the helmet and examined it.
Upon finding all of the pieces of the armor, the Ten Rings returned it to their base, and rebuilt it in an attempt to learn his secrets and build an army of Iron Man suits, which al-Wazar watched over closely. Having rebuilt the armor, al-Wazar decided that he would sell the original design to Obadiah Stane, believing that Stane would be able to use Stark Industries to build an army of Iron Man Armors, which the Ten Rings could then use in their quest to take over the entire world.[4]
Battle of Gulmira[]
- "Recent violence has been attributed to a group of foreign fighters, referred to by locals as the Ten Rings. As you can see, these men are heavily armed and on a mission. A mission that can prove fatal to anyone who stands in their way."
- ―Amira Ahmed[src]
Despite their failure to keep Tony Stark as their captive, the Ten Rings had continued making dealings with Obadiah Stane, as they purchased more weaponry from Stark Industries, including a supply of Jericho missiles. With their weapons, the Ten Rings then began assaulting various villages throughout Afghanistan, including Gulmira, while they attempted to increase their strength. The Ten Rings would capture the women and children from these villages, and execute the men who had stood against them.
With Jericho missiles being fired upon their enemies, the villages had continued to be raided. As Abu Bakaar was arranging the execution of Ezil's father in front of his family and the other citizens of the village, they were suddenly interrupted by the arrival of Iron Man, in his newly upgraded Mark III Armor. Before their soldiers could react, Iron Man had then used his superior technology to subdue them, firing energy blasts, and being able to absorb all the gunshots.
Despite them threatening to execute the women and children, Iron Man was able to shoot the Ten Rings soldiers with perfect accuracy, allowing all these villagers to be reunited safely. Knowing that he was completely overpowered by Iron Man, Bakaar had then attempted to contact the Ten Rings, only for Iron Man to punch through the wall he was hiding behind, and pull him through, throwing him down to the ground. Iron Man had left Bakaar to face the justice of the villagers.
Iron Man attempted to fly toward the Ten Rings' Jericho missiles, but was shot out of the sky by the Ten Rings' tank. However, this had still failed to stop Iron Man, who simply fired his own small missile at the tank and blew it up. As Iron Man located the Jericho missiles, the Ten Rings soldiers attempted to shoot at him, only for Iron Man to destroy the missiles, while Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar had witnessed the explosion as he drove down the road, realizing that they were under attack.[4]
Betrayed by Obadiah Stane[]
- "You dream of Stark's throne. We have a common enemy. If we are still in business, I will give you these designs... as a gift. And in return, I hope you repay me with a gift of iron soldiers."
- ―Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar to Obadiah Stane[src]
Having managed to rebuild the Mark I armor, Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar then arranged a meeting with Obadiah Stane, who arrived at the Ten Rings' base with a team of armed soldiers. As they greeted each other, Stane observed al-Wazar's injuries, which he noted came from Tony Stark, as Stane noted that if the Ten Rings killed Stark like they were supposed to, it would not have happened. Stepping into his tent, al-Wazar showed Stane the Mark I, noting that the Mark III had already been completed and used against the Ten Rings.
al-Wazar suggested a new deal with Stane, in which he would give him the Mark I armor as a gift, in exchange for Stane using his resources at Stark Industries to build an army of Iron Man armors for the Ten Rings, which al-Wazar intended to then use to rule all of Asia. However, instead of agreeing to the offer, Stane had then betrayed al-Wazar, as he used the Sonic Taser to paralyze him. Stane took the Mark I armor, and had his men execute al-Wazar and his Ten Rings soldiers.[4]
New Attacks[]
- "This strike is only Ten Rings' latest step in global destabilization. There will be more..."
- ―Richard Frampton[src]
Eventually, the Ten Rings was confronted by S.H.I.E.L.D., as Nick Fury sent United States Navy SEALs team to board a ship controlled by the Ten Rings in the port of Aden. However, Iron Man suddenly appeared and attacked the terrorists. Though the Seals were outnumbered by the terrorists, Iron Man had no problems with killing all the terrorists and saving the Seals.[11] Some time later, a member of the Ten Rings aided Ivan Vanko to travel to Monaco in order to seek revenge on Stark.[12] Around the same time, Natasha Romanoff ruined one Ten Rings operation, sabotaging their plan.[13]
Soon, through various agents, the Ten Rings began buying parts of the Jericho missile from Mikhail Fjodorov. When Fjodorov stopped delivering parts of the missile, Richard Frampton hired Sofia to kill him. Frampton and his men successfully assembled the missile, which they intended to detonate near the border between Russia and North Korea, which would greatly destabilize the world peace. However, Sofia was followed by Black Widow who infiltrated the launch area and destroyed the missile. Both Frampton and Sofia were killed in the explosion, while the remaining Ten Rings agents were arrested by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents led by Phil Coulson.[14]
After Stark became a consultant to S.H.I.E.L.D., the Ten Rings set a trap for James Rhodes, in order to take him and his suit, but failed. The soldiers of the Ten Rings informed Xu Wenwu that they managed to scan the suit during the Battle of Hong Kong and take enough information that would help them with their revenge on Stark.[3]
False Leader[]
Aldrich Killian's False Flag Attacks[]
- "A terrorist from America needed a boogeyman to bring your country to its knees. So, he appropriated the Ten Rings. My Ten Rings. But because he didn't know my actual name, he invented a new one. Do you know the name he chose? The Mandarin. He gave his figurehead the name of a chicken dish. And it worked. America was terrified."
- ―Xu Wenwu to Katy Chen[src]
Once several of his experiments with Extremis began failing, causing massive explosions, which also resulted in the loss of innocent lives, Aldrich Killian had then needed to masquerade his failed experiments as terrorist attacks. His think tank A.I.M. co-opted the iconography of the Ten Rings for their deception. Killian even employed Trevor Slattery to pose as the leader of his fake Ten Ring, inventing the moniker of the "Mandarin",[2] and to publicly take responsibility for all the "terrorist attacks" against the United States, with President Matthew Ellis demanding that the Mandarin be arrested.
Killian's Mandarin would claim responsibility for attacks against the United States Armed Forces, as well as for their bombing of the Chinese Theatre, while in reality the theatre was destroyed due to an accidental overdose of Extremis by Jack Taggart. Slattery would go on set, filming scenes with actors that appeared to show him leading Ten Rings groups in Afghanistan. These false attacks resulted in Iron Patriot being sent to Afghanistan in order to hunt the Ten Rings.
Slattery would also perform the mock execution of Thomas Richards on live television, which was broadcast to President Ellis. However, Killian and Slattery's deception was uncovered by Tony Stark, who discovered Slattery inside Killian's Mansion and learned of Killian's experiments. Despite Killian attempting to execute President Ellis, and also claiming to be the true Mandarin, he was defeated by Stark and Pepper Potts, while Slattery was arrested for his part.[15]
Kidnapping of Trevor Slattery[]
- "There's somebody who wants to meet you."
"Do I know him?" - ―Jackson Norriss and Trevor Slattery[src]
Following the death of Aldrich Killian and the defeat of A.I.M.'s plan, Trevor Slattery had been incarcerated at Seagate Penitentiary,[15] so Xu Wenwu decided to meet him in person. He sent Jackson Norriss, disguised as a documentarian, that went into the prison, seemingly to make an interview with Slattery. However, Norriss' true mission was to kidnap Slattery, so that their leader himself could then punish him for tarnishing his name.
During their interview, as Norriss had told Slattery that the Ten Rings organization is real, Slattery did not believe him, as he had failed to do any research on the terrorist organization. Then, Norriss took his pistol hidden in his camera and then killed all of the guards in the room. Though Slattery tried to threaten Norriss with a pistol from one of the dead guards, Norriss easily disarmed him. Norriss then notified his colleagues about the situation and ordered them to attack.[1]
Trevor Slattery's Survival[]
- "Just as his men were tying me up for my execution, I launched into a performance of my Macbeth. 'Whence is that knocking? Wake Duncan with thy knocking. I would'st though could'st...' They couldn't get enough of it. I've been doing weekly gigs for the lads ever since."
- ―Trevor Slattery to Shang-Chi[src]
Following his kidnapping, Trevor Slattery was delivered to Xu Wenwu at the Ten Rings Headquarters. Furious at Slattery for mocking his persona, Wenwu sentenced him to be executed. However, as Wenwu's men prepared to behead him, Slattery impressed them with his acting skills by performing William Shakespeare's speeches. Amused by his performance, Wenwu forgave Slattery, and allowed him to live, keeping him around for regular performances.[2]
Yellowjacket Suit[]
Interest in Pym Technologies[]
- "Mr. Carson introduced me to these fine gentlemen here, they're representatives of HYDRA. They’re not what they were. They’re doing some interesting work."
- ―Darren Cross to Hank Pym[src]
Seeking newer technology to weaponize, the Ten Rings sent one of their buyers into the Pym Technologies Headquarters, where Darren Cross would be presenting his latest work with their Pym Particles, which the Ten Rings had an interest in acquiring.[16] The buyer watched as Cross showed off the latest uses for the Pym Particles, which included storage for large containment units.[17] The buyer was then presented with the Yellowjacket Suit, which was intended for military purposes, which the Ten Rings could take advantage of.
Eventually, the Ten Rings and HYDRA struck up an alliance to buy the Yellowjacket Suit and Pym Particles from Cross, as the Ten Rings sent their buyer to join Mitchell Carson to meet with Cross. Upon arriving, the buyer found that the Yellowjacket Suit had almost been stolen by Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne, with the assistance of Ant-Man, only for them to be captured by Cross. Pym then desperately attempted to convince Cross not to sell his technology to terrorists, only for Cross to explain that he already had, for twice the price.
Cross noted that the Ten Rings and HYDRA had been impressed that Ant-Man had been able to infiltrate the Avengers Compound, which confirmed their interest. However, Cross explained that he would only sell the Yellowjacket, which they would have to return to him to get the Pym Particles. As a tense standoff broke up, the Ten Rings buyer had aimed his gun at van Dyne, who was attempting to stop Cross' plans, before Ant-Man had broken free, knocking out the Ten Rings buyer, who was killed when the entire Headquarters had imploded.[16]
Xu Wenwu's Downfall[]
Visions of Ying Li[]
One day, Wenwu heard a voice that sounded like Ying Li, telling him that the elders of Ta Lo trapped her spirit in the Dark Gate located near the village. The voice begged Wenwu to come and liberate her, so Wenwu returned to searching for the village, hoping that his wife is still out there, waiting for him. Wenwu discovered that although the entrance into Ta Lo was hidden in the bamboo maze, there is a secret passage that could been access once a year at a specific time.
During his research, Wenwu found out that in order to find the passage, he needed two Eyes of the Dragon, two gems from a dragon statue from Ta Lo, that Ying Li gave to Shang-Chi and Xialing to wear as pendants.. Soon after, Wenwu ordered the Ten Rings to track down his children, tracking Shang-Chi down to California, as he sent Razor Fist and Gao Lei to find him and reclaim the Eye, with them completing their mission following a duel with Shang-Chi, warning his men of the dangers of messing with his son. After sending Shang-Chi a fake postcard from Xialing, informing him where she was, the Ten Rings tracked him down in San Francisco.[2]
Finding Xu Shang-Chi[]
A group of the Ten Rings operatives, led by Razor Fist, entered the bus where Shang-Chi were. Gao Lei approached Shang-Chi and demanded him to give them his pendant peacefully, however, Shang-Chi did not comply and tried to walk away. Katy Chen tried to intervene telling Gao Lei that he had the wrong guy only for Gao Lei to knock her away, angering Shang-Chi who punched Gao Lei off. Joined by more operatives, Gao Lei attacked Shang-Chi in an attempt to seize the pendant by force, forcing Shang-Chi to reveal his martial art skills and defeat them all.
Razor Fist then emerged and attacked Shang-Chi himself, using his prosthetic blade. While Shang-Chi was able to hold out in a fight, Razor Fist was still a threat to other passengers, as he damaged the bus with his blade. Noticing that the second half of the bus was barely hanging because of the damage, Shang-Chi devise a plan to get rid of the Ten Rings members.
While fighting Razor Fist, Shang-Chi got the passengers to move to the other half of the bus before giving Chen a signal to turn the wheel sharply, resulting in the bus completely slicing in half, while all the Ten Rings members were in the opposite half. However, the bus was close to crashing, so Shang-Chi had to hold onto the passengers from falling off before the bus finally stopped. However, Shang-Chi discovered that his pendant was stolen by the Ten Rings, namely by the Razor Fist during the fight. After this fight, Razor Fist and the rest of the Ten Rings delivered the eye to Xu Wenwu.[2]
Finding Xu Xialing[]
Wenwu had then tracked Xu Xialing down to the Golden Daggers Club, as he and his soldiers planned an attack on the club in order to obtain her part of the Eyes of the Dragon. Just as planned, Shang-Chi followed Xu Xialing and tried to explain to her the reason he was there, but was interrupted when Katy Chen caught up with them.
Shang-Chi then told Xialing that he received her postcard and that his pendant had been stolen and hers was in danger. She told him that she had not sent him a postcard, but before they could discuss this further, the club was attacked by the Ten Rings agents. Jon Jon led Xialing to safety in an elevator, while Shang-Chi and Chen escaped through the window. When the agents caught up to them, Shang-Chi told Chen to continue as he fought them off. Some agents chased after Chen and caused her to lose her balance and fall off the building, but she was saved by Xialing.
Realizing it would take more power to get the pendant, Shang-Chi's former mentor, the Death Dealer arrived to steal the pendant, Death Dealer arrived via a helicopter and took Xu Xialing's necklace. With his mission almost complete, Death Dealer decided to head out to the Ten Rings. However, much to his shock, his former student, Shang-Chi then engaged in a duel against Death Dealer, managing to defeat him. However, just before Shang-Chi was about to kill Death-Dealer, they were stopped when his father and the boss, Xu Wenwu, used his Ten Rings to take Shang-Chi. Wenwu walked into the area with other agents who had Chen and Xialing in their custody.
Wenwu then told Shang-Chi that he had already told the Ten Rings that they would not have been able to kill him if they tried, being extremely glad that he was glad that Shang-Chi had proved him right by surviving. Wenwu then told Shang-Chi that it was time for them to return home, as he and Shang-Chi rested their foreheads together and left the club.[2]
Family Reunion[]
Shang-Chi, Xu Xialing, and Katy Chen were taken on board the helicopter and flown to the Ten Rings Headquarters, by the Ten Rings, being given a grand by ever member of the Ten Rings.
That night, Wenwu had a dinner made for Shang-Chi, Chen, and Xialing and sat with them at his dinner table. During the dinner, Wenwu told them about a terrorist who had mocked him with the name of Mandarin. Continuing with this thought, Wenwu told them about how Aldrich Killian had stolen his name, by recruiting Trevor Slattery to take his name and the name of the Ten Rings and used it as a cover for Killian's terrorist actions. During the night, Shang-Chi was asked to join Wenwu in his legacy, but Shang-Chi refused to reason with him.
After the dinner, Wenwu explained how he heard his wife's voice calling out to him and brought them to the Dragon statue where he placed the pendants. This unlocked a small gate that unleashed water that formed a visual of Ta Lo. Wenwu told them that he wanted to go inside Ta Lo in order to rescue his wife. Shang-Chi, along with the others, believed he was mentally unstable. Afterwards, Wenwu ordered Shang-Chi and Xialing to accompany him, but when they refused, he knocked them to the ground and ordered them to be imprisoned. He then had Chen taken into custody as well.[2]
Battle of Ta Lo[]
Xu Wenwu led his troops into Ta Lo through the secret gate in hopes of forcing the people to give him back Ying Li. Wenwu was saddened to see Shang-Chi and Xu Xialing as a part of the resistance on the other side. Wenwu demanded they give him Ying, refusing to accept Shang-Chi's excuse that Wenwu was being manipulated. Wenwu then told his men to attack.
The two armies charged at each other with the intention to kill. With many deaths, Shang-Chi found Wenwu in front of Ying's memorial. Wenwu finished up his prayer before facing his only son. Shang-Chi tried one last time to convince Wenwu of Ying's fate, but it was no use. The two charged at each other. The Ten Rings allowed Wenwu to easily overtake his son.
Wenwu then casually walked towards the water, which would lead to the gate where he heard the voices. Shang-Chi then attacked again and the two dueled. Shang-Chi was able to deflect the rings before showing his father what he turned him into: a murderer. Wenwu proceeded to punch Shang-Chi into the air, then punching again with the full force of the rings, sending Shang-Chi flying into the water. Wenwu then made his way to the gate where he started punching it open, leading Soul Eaters out.
The Ten Rings continued to fight the Ta Lo Armed Forces until Xialing tried to get Razor Fist to realize they needed to join together and fight the Soul Eaters. Mattias refused until Death Dealer was suddenly lifted off the ground by a soul eater and killed. Seeing this, Razor Fist repeated that they should work together. He then told his forces to stop the killing and help.
As everyone prepared to battle the soul eaters, Wenwu finally broke open the gate. The Dweller-in-Darkness was released and immediately went after Wenwu, who realized his mistake. As Wenwu's soul was being eaten, he gave one last look at his son and gave him his rings. Shang-Chi, now obtaining the rings, mourned his father before joining the Great Protector in battle.
Now making peace with Ta Lo, it was humans vs soul eaters as many lives fell. However, Shang-Chi was able to use the rings to rip the Dweller-in-Darkness apart from the inside out. The troops then rejoiced as they sat by the lake. They mourned and accepted the losses of both troops as they let out ceremonial boats.[2]
Xu Xialing's Takeover[]
Following the Battle of Ta Lo, the remaining forces of the Ten Rings returned to their base. With Xu Wenwu gone, his daughter, Xu Xialing, took over leadership of the Ten Rings, bringing in her own staff from the Golden Daggers Club, and began to reshuffle the entire organization. She brought about an upheaval of reforms to the Ten Rings, introducing a female unit to train alongside the men in the courtyard, in addition to dismantling a number of its other operations. Accompanied by Razor Fist and Jon Jon, Xialing took to her new throne and told them that they had a lot of work to do. They stood loyally by her side as they oversaw the training of the next generation of Ten Rings warriors.[18]
Members[]
Name | Position | Status |
---|---|---|
Xu Wenwu | Founder and Leader | Deceased |
Xu Xialing | Leader | Active |
Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar | Lieutenant[19] | Deceased |
Abu Bakaar | Unknown | |
Omar | Deceased | |
Ahmed | Deceased | |
Khalid | Surveillant | Alive |
Richard Frampton | Deceased | |
Vladimir Ranskahov | Deceased | |
Hui | Deceased | |
Jackson Norriss | Active | |
HYDRA Buyer | Deceased | |
Agent | Active | |
Naib | Active | |
Aiden Julius | Active | |
Xu Shang-Chi | Defected | |
Li Ching-Lin | Deceased | |
Mattias | Active | |
Gao Lei | Deceased | |
Jon Jon | Active |
Equipment[]
Weapons[]
Since the Ten Rings was one of the most powerful terrorist organizations in the world, their members were equipped with all types of military weapons, even experimental ones. Anything that could be stolen or bought on the black market would eventually find its way to the terrorists' arsenal. All sorts of rifles, machine guns, handguns, heavy weapons, and even tanks, were used by the Ten Rings.
- Ten Rings: Having supposedly found them in a cave, Xu Wenwu claimed the ten rings for himself, granting him incredible power, and the ability to live for thousands of years. Wenwu would use the image of the rings as the symbol for his organisation, as he used their power to conquer much of Asia, laying waste of armies with ease. Wenwu would continue wearing the rings for over a thousand years, building his power and being almost unstoppable. Only when Ying Li was able to defeat him in battle, using the rings power against him, did Wenwu take off the rings and retire the Ten Rings. However, Wenwu reclaimed the weapons following Li's death, using them to get revenge on the Iron Gang and rebuild the Ten Rings power. The rings would be used in several more battles, until he took them to attack the people of Ta Lo, inadvertently unleashing the Dweller-in-Darkness, who began killing Wenwu, forcing him to pass the rings to Shang-Chi moments before his death. With Shang-Chi becoming the owner of the rings, while Xu Xialing rebuilt the organisation without them.
- Heckler & Koch USP: Pistol seen at the Ten Rings Camp in Afghanistan.
- Heckler & Koch UMP45: Submachine gun seen at the Ten Rings Camp in Afghanistan.
- Heckler & Koch G36KV: Carbine seen at the Ten Rings Camp in Afghanistan.
- Heckler & Koch G36K: Carbine seen at the Ten Rings Camp in Afghanistan.
- Heckler & Koch G36C: Subcarbine seen at the Ten Rings Camp in Afghanistan.
- Heckler & Koch AG36: Underbarrel 40mm grenade launcher attachment, seen mounted on G36K carbines. During the attempted escape of Tony Stark, with weapon was used by Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar, who attempted to shoot Stark and destroy the Armor that he was using. However, al-Wazar missed the shot, allowing Stark to shoot his own missile back, wounding al-Wazar.
- SIG SG 552: Assault rifle seen at the Ten Rings Camp in Afghanistan.
- Colt M4A1: Carbine seen at the Ten Rings Camp in Afghanistan.
- M26 MASS: Seen as an underbarrel shotgun attachment on M4A1 carbines.
- M203: Seen as an underbarrel grenade launcher attachment on M4A1 carbines; fires 40mm grenades.
- IMI Galil MAR: Assault rifle seen at the Ten Rings Camp in Afghanistan.
- Browning M2: Machine gun seen at the Ten Rings Camp in Afghanistan.
- FGM-148 Javelin: Missile launcher seen at the Ten Rings Camp in Afghanistan.
- BGM-71 TOW: Missile launcher seen at the Ten Rings Camp in Afghanistan.
- Magnum Research Micro Eagle: Compact pistol seen used by Ten Rings agent Jackson Norriss. Having infiltrate Seagate Penitentiary with the intention of kidnapping Trevor Slattery, Norriss kept this handgun hidden in his video camera, which he then used to shoot and kill all of the guards in the room and capture Slattery.
- Stark Industries Fragmentation Shell: A timed-fuse detonated shell which relies on the fragmentation of its casing to kill. The wounds inflicted by the fragmented barbs can take about a week to reach the vital organs. In Afghanistan, casualties struck by this shell are colloquially known as the "walking dead" due to its effects. The missile was used against Stark, causing shrapnel to nearly kill him, forcing the Ten Rings and Ho Yinsen to perform an operation on him to keep Stark alive and remove much of the shrapnel.
- Jericho: A powerful cluster missile which has a massive area of effect by spreading the smaller munitions apart with Stark Industries proprietary repulsor technology. Upon kidnapping Stark, the Ten Rings attempted to force him to build them a Jericho missile, only for him and Yinsen to deceive them and build an armored suit instead, which Stark used to escape. Following this failure, members of the Ten Rings made a deal with Obadiah Stane at Stark Industries to buy Jericho missiles directly, which they used against their enemies. However, Iron Man discovered their plans and attacked the Ten Rings, destroying their supply of Jericho missiles.
- Trellor Propellant Rifle: A powerful rifle used to fire Diamond Tipped-Bullets.
- Diamond Tipped-Bullets: Armor-piercing bullets fired from Trellor Propellant Rifles that can penetrate Iron Man armors.
- Hooked-Swords: Swords used by the warriors-in-training at the Ten Rings Headquarters.
- Electrified Crossbows: Seen carried around by guards at the Ten Rings Headquarters.
- Xu Xialing's Rope Dart: While Xu Wenwu favored the men and Shang-Chi, Xu Xialing was forced to learn her own skills by herself. She practiced for countless hours alone, mastering her rope dart.
- Razor Fist's Prosthetic Blade: Mattias was fitted with a prosthetic blade, giving him the moniker of Razor Fist. He used this to attack Shang-Chi in San Francisco as well as battle in Ta Lo. During this battle, he increased the strength on his blade with dragon scales.
- Death Dealer's Daggers: Death Dealer's signature weapon was his daggers which he could use flawlessly. These daggers could also explode, allowing him to get inside the Golden Daggers Club.
Vehicles[]
- AM General M-35: The main transport truck used by the Ten Rings.
- 1982 Toyota Truck: A technical used to escort Obadiah Stane and his private security contractors to the Ten Rings Camp in Afghanistan.
- Modified Chieftan MBT: A tank used by Ten Rings insurgents to shoot Iron Man out of the sky after he rescued the Afghan villagers.
- Jeep: The main vehicle used by soldiers and personnel of the Ten Rings.
- Razor Fist's Car: Razor Fist had his own car at the headquarters which was customized to have his own name and designs on it. Much to his anger, this car was stolen by Shang-Chi, Xu Xialing, Katy Chen, Trevor Slattery and Morris.
- Ten Rings Helicopter: A private helicopter formerly used by Xu Wenwu.
Appearances[]
Trivia[]
- The Ten Rings, as an organization, was created exclusively for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A Ten Rings organization was later created in the mainstream Marvel Comics universe, though it lacks any connection to Mandarin.
- The Chinese words within each of the Ten Rings read: 权 (quán, authority), 力 (lì, power), 壮 (zhuàng, sturdiness), 伟 (wěi, extraordinaire), 杰 (jié, outstanding), 势 (shì, influence), 宏 (hóng, grandness), 雄 (xióng, might), 强 (qiáng, strength), and 威 (wēi, domination).
Behind the Scenes[]
- The Ten Rings red flag with the Mongolian script introduced in Iron Man was replaced with the black flag with the Chinese script in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings because the Mongolian government sent an official letter of complaint to Kevin Feige, saying that the film's use of Mongolian script was offensive and tied the country's cultural heritage to a terrorist group.[20]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Marvel One-Shot: All Hail the King
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Iron Man 3 Prelude
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Iron Man
- ↑ Translates from Mandarin to: "The legend of the Ten Rings has been told for thousands of years. Every generation, the story grows. But at its center, there is always one man."
- ↑ Ms. Marvel: 1.03: Destined
- ↑ Translates from Mandarin to: "I heard things were productive in Afghanistan?"
- ↑ Translates from Mandarin to: "Yes, Raza is capitalizing on the instability of the region."
- ↑ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Deleted Scene
- ↑ Translates from Mandarin to: "Have you ever heard the legend of Ta Lo? A hidden village with mythical creatures and ancient magic. Where people practice a martial arts from the gods. I want to find it."
- ↑ Iron Man 2 - Nick Fury: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- ↑ Iron Man 2
- ↑ Iron Man 2 - Black Widow: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- ↑ The Avengers Prelude: Black Widow Strikes
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Iron Man 3
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Ant-Man
- ↑ Ant-Man Deleted Scene
- ↑ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Post-credits Scene
- ↑ Marvel Studios: Character Encyclopedia
- ↑ Why Shang-Chi Movie Changed Ten Rings Logo From Iron Man