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Trevor Slattery is an actor who, having struggled with his career, drug addictions and various other legal problems, was approached by Aldrich Killian to pose as the Mandarin. Taking up responsibility for all of the widespread accidents, caused by Killian's experiments and framing them as bombings, the Mandarin persona presented Slattery as the actual leader of the Ten Rings, becoming the world's most feared terrorist. However, Slattery's role was discovered by Tony Stark, who had Slattery arrested and then sent into Seagate Penitentiary. While in prison, Slattery took advantage of his newly found fame, allowing Jackson Norriss to film and produce a documentary about his life, only to learn Norriss worked for Xu Wenwu, the true Mandarin, who had then proceeded to kidnap Slattery.
Slattery managed to avoid Wenwu's wrath by using his acting skills to entertain the Ten Rings, being allowed to survive in exchange for him then becoming Wenwu's court jester, leading him to live in isolation for many years, with only a Dijiang named Morris as his companion. Eventually, Slattery met Wenwu's children, Shang-Chi and Xu Xialing, along with their friend Katy Chen, who were also sent to be locked up. Slattery accompanied his new party, as they all escaped from the Ten Rings Headquarters, serving as Morris' translator as he guided them into his home realm of Ta Lo. When Wenwu and the Ten Rings followed them into the dimension, Slattery participated in their subsequent battle and survived the Dweller-in-Darkness' attack.
Now free from the Ten Rings' captivity, Slattery left Ta Lo and returned to the United States, only to be immediately arrested by the FBI and brought before Damage Control agent P. Cleary. Cleary instructed Slattery to gather intel on Simon Williams, a superpowered aspiring actor, under threat of being sent back to prison if he refused. During his undercover mission, Slattery developed a genuine friendship with Williams, as the pair of them achieved their dreams of being cast in the remake of Wonder Man, by Von Kovak. However, Slattery's deception was eventually exposed, resulting in Williams losing control of his powers, leading to him destroying the Wonder Man set in a blind rage. To protect his friend, Slattery became the Mandarin again and took the blame for the explosion, leading to him being sent to the DODC Supermax Prison. Following the release of Wonder Man, Williams broke Slattery out of the prison.
"October 12th, 1964, that was the day I landed my first role. Boatswain 1, Shakespeare's Tempest. Obviously, I told her I was the lead. I always was a bloody great liar." "So, I assume the two of you were close." "She was everything to me."
Trevor Slattery grew up in Liverpool, England with his beloved mother; his dream was always to be a world-renowned stage actor and his mother often took him to the theatre to help fuel his passion for the stage. In 1964, Slattery got his first role of Boatswain 1, in William Shakespeare's The Tempest at the Royal Court Theatre, which he told his mother was actually the lead role of the play, in his attempt to impress her.[2]
In 1968, Slattery and his mother watched the Planet of the Apes in the cinema, although Slattery was confused how monkeys could learn to ride horses. His mother explained that they were just acting, but Slattery understood this as meaning that the director got monkeys to pretend that they were riding horses, which baffled him.[5] Although Slattery and his mother were very close, with Slattery noting that she was everything to him, he failed to be with her when she passed away in 1986, as Slattery was still continuing to pursue his dream as an actor in the United States of America.[2]
"I know it's a little over-the-top sometimes. It's not entirely my fault; he has a tend... he's... he's a stage actor. They say his Lear was the toast of Croydon, wherever that is."
As Slattery continued to pursue his dream, he grew up to be a small-time actor, In the 1970s, Slattery portrayed Edgar Allan Poe in the Omnibus documentary episode The Need for Nightmare.[3] Slattery's biggest claim to fame was the lead role in an unsold 1986CBS pilot called Caged Heat in which he portrayed Genadiy Mihaylovich Sheobokob, an aggressive KGB operative. The pilot was never picked up as it was of poor quality and featured an alcoholic monkey. Slattery, however, insisted that it was too sophisticated for the networks.[2] He also performed in King Lear as the titular character to positive reviews, earning him the nickname "the toast of Croydon."[1][4][3] To push the idea of his successful career, Slattery later insisted that he had worked with and been flirted with by actor Sean Connery.[2] He briefly appeared on Coronation Street as Ron Jenkins.[6] He also acted in South Shore Hospital as the main character Dr Jack Kronk but was written out after three episodes and replaced in the lead role by Joe Pantoliano.[4][6]
"I was offered the role of a terrorist. I know, facile, trite, I couldn't agree more. But times were lean, you know what I mean? Anyway, the producer told me he worked for the BBC."
Down on his luck and with a serious drug addiction, Slattery was approached by Aldrich Killian, the founder of the Advanced Idea Mechanics who posed as a BBC producer,[5] with a job offer. Killian needed to masquerade his failed experiments with Extremis as terrorist attacks. So he needed someone, a feared terrorist who would publicly take responsibility for those attacks. Killian gave Slattery plastic surgery so no one could recognize him, and from that day on, Slattery posed as the leader of the Ten Rings, a legendary warlord affiliated with said organization.[1] Slattery used the name Killian had invented, which was "Mandarin".[5]
Whenever one of Killian's experiments with Extremis would fail, causing explosions and a great number of civilian casualties, the Mandarin would appear on television and say this was "another lesson" for the American people. Between the two performances, Slattery would spend his time in the company of prostitutes, enjoying an endless supply of drugs and alcohol. Slattery was invited to travel to Afghanistan to film scenes of him as the Mandarin, although he was not trusted to use a real gun.[1]
History Lesson of America[]
Mandarin records a threatening message
"President Ellis, you continue to resist my attempts to educate you, sir. And now, you've missed me again. You know who I am, you don't know where I am, and you'll never see me coming."
Recorded from Aldrich Killian's Mansion, Slattery filmed a message for President Matthew Ellis, in which he discussed the history of the United States of America. During this, Slattery described his persona of the Mandarin as a teacher, rather than a terrorist, with his comments being cut together with footage Slattery had shot in Afghanistan, in order to make the illusion of Slattery being the true leader of the Ten Rings more believable.
Mandarin claims responsibility for terrorism
Slattery commented on a battle in 1864 in Colorado, in which the United States Armed Forces slaughtered the wives and children of the natives in order to claim their land, noting that the military had waited for the braves of the villages had gone hunting, before they had begun their attack. During a comparison with this incident, Slattery then claimed responsibility for a bombing of the Ali Al Salem Air Base, noting that women and children had been killed in this attack.
Slattery then spoke directly to President Ellis, claiming that he was continuing to resist all of his attempts to educate him, and had missed his opportunity to catch him once again. With footage of Slattery burning a model of President Ellis in Afghanistan playing over his message, Slattery had then warned that Ellis knew who he was but not where he was, and would never see his attacks coming, before finally ending the broadcast.[1]
"Mr. President, I know this must be getting frustrating, but this season of terror is drawing to a close. And don't worry... the big one is coming: your graduation."
When Jack Taggart injected himself with Extremis and had exploded before the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, Slattery was told to claim responsibility.[1] While Slattery had been getting himself into character inside the Mansion, he received a phonecall explaining the details of the explosion, with Slattery remaining in character as he suggested the theme of China be used during the message.[8]
Mandarin comments on the recent attack
Beginning the message by smashing a fortune cookie, Slattery had explained that the cookies were an American knock off, designed to look and sound Chinese, but were actually an invention by the United States of America. Slattery went on to call the cookies hallow, full of lies, and would leave a bad taste in the mouth, like the Americans. Having made this metaphor, Slattery had then claimed that it the Ten Rings were the ones responsible for destroying the Chinese Theatre, which he called another cheap American knock off.
Mandarin promises a final attack is coming
While footage of the injured Happy Hogan being taken out of the wreak of the Chinese Theatre was being played over his speech, Slattery had then acknowledged that President Matthew Ellis must be getting frustrated by the ongoing situation, but promised that his season of terror would be coming to a close. Slattery also promised Ellis that his final and greatest attack would be coming soon, while footage of him in Afghanistan played over, showing him with his followers, and shooting a picture of Ellis.[1]
Since Tony Stark's friend Happy Hogan had been severely injured by the explosion at the TCL Chinese Theatre, this resulted in Stark challenging the Mandarin to a final fight on the news, as he announced the address of his Mansion to draw the Mandarin out, unaware of Slattery's true identity, and the true conspiracy. This challenge was accepted by Aldrich Killian, who sent out Eric Savin to lead a team and destroy the Mansion with Stark inside.
Once the mansion had been destroyed, with Stark seemingly being killed, Slattery was called upon to record a response as the Mandarin. Slattery was then driven to Killian's Mansion, as he arrived in character, walking past Killian's guards without making eye contact, before having his hood removed by all his aides. Once in position, Slattery demanded that they begin immediately while Killian watched from the sidelines, with Slattery claiming the responsibility for the recent attack against Stark.[1]
"Killing" Thomas Richards[]
Mandarin broadcasting another message
"There's just one lesson left, President Ellis. So run away, hide, kiss your children goodbye. Because nothing, not your army, not your red, white and blue attack dog can save you. I'll see you soon."
Slattery was called upon once again to film a scene in which he would impersonate the Mandarin, this time recruiting Thomas Richards into the scene. Once their feed was broadcast across the United States of America, including the United States Congress and Air Force One, Slattery addressed President Matthew Ellis, telling him that two lessons remained, and he intended to finish before Christmas.
Slattery then presented Richards to the feed, explaining that he was an accountant for the Roxxon Corporation, noting that he was sure that Richards was a nice man. However, Slattery then promised that he would shoot Richards in the head in thirty seconds, unless President Ellis rang the phone next to him, explaining that the number for the phone was in President Ellis' phone. Slattery then jokingly claimed that the President must be excited by imagining how all of this had been done.
Having given Ellis only thirty seconds to respond, Slattery waited, until the phone next to him began to ring, indicating that Ellis had done as instructed in order to save Richards' life. However, despite the phone ringing, Slattery ignored it and proceeded to seemingly shoot Richards in the head. Slattery then told Ellis and the rest of America that there was only one lesson left to go, and Ellis had no other choice but to run and hide, because not even Iron Patriot would be able to protect him.
With that, Slattery promised that he would see Ellis soon, and ended the broadcast. Once the broadcast was complete, Richards, who was also another actor, stood up and shook hands with Slattery. Slattery was called to record another message, in the wake of Aldrich Killian sending out Eric Savin to use the stolen Iron Patriot Armor to kidnap President Ellis, with Slattery prerecording his broadcast regarding the intended execution of Ellis, which Slattery failed to comprehend.[1]
Confronted by Tony Stark[]
Slattery stepping away from the bathroom
"Don't hurt the face! I'm an actor." "You got a minute to live, fill it with words." "Just a role. The 'Mandarin', see, it's not real."
Following another performance, Slattery was rewarded with two women to sleep with, as he continued indulging himself with drugs and alcohol which had been provided. Having slept with the women, Slattery went to the bathroom, and came out suggesting the women not follow him in there due to the bad smell, laughing about this. Slattery then asked for Vanessa, as he threw her a Fortune Cookie to eat.
While Slattery commented that Fortune Cookies were not actually from China, he failed to pay attention to one of the women telling him that there was somebody in the room. Slattery then continued to explain that the cookies had been invented in the United States of America and were based on a recipe from Japan. However, before he could continue with this, Slattery was interrupted by Tony Stark, who held him at gunpoint.
Shocked by Stark's arrival, Slattery immediately put his hands up and expressed his surprise, while Stark ordered him to not move. Attempting to get out of the situation, Slattery immediately offered Stark to take whatever he wanted from the room, although he noted that the guns were actually fake, since he was not trusted with real ones. Slattery had then offered Stark on of the women to sleep with, which Stark refused.
Slattery insists the situation is complicated
To Slattery's horror, Stark then became angry as he demanded to know where the real Mandarin was, as he insisted that Slattery was not the real man. Moving towards one of the chairs, Slattery sat down and attempted to explain that the Mandarin was both there, and not there, insisting that the situation was complicated. As Stark demanded Slattery explain what was happening, he also told the women to hide in the bathroom.
Slattery explaining that he is just an actor
While Stark locked the women in the bathroom, Slattery attempted to crawl away, only to be immediately caught by Stark, who fired his gun near his head, causing Slattery to crawl back to his chair in fear. Slattery had then introduced himself, as Stark demanded to know what he was, questioning if he was a decoy for the real Mandarin, which Slattery took offense to, insisting that he was not an understudy, but an actor.
Stark gave Slattery a minute to explain everything, to which Slattery told him that the Mandarin was simply a role that he was playing, and did not actually exist. With Stark also questioning how he got into the situation, Slattery confessed to his problems with drugs, admitting to being forced onto the streets as a result. Slattery explained that A.I.M. had approached him about the role of the Mandarin, in exchange for drugs and women.
Slattery explained how A.I.M. had provided him with the Mansion to live in, as well as plastic surgery, only to then fall asleep mid sentence. As Stark woke him up with a kick, Slattery noted that he was also given his own speed boat, before explaining that Aldrich Killian needed somebody to take the blame for the explosions caused by Extremis, with Stark then realising that it was Killian who had created the fake Mandarin.
As he continued to fail to understand the gravity of the situation, Slattery began to brag about being a custom made terror treat, slipping back into his Mandarin voice to quote his scripts while he collected two beers and offered one to Stark, who had turned it down. Slattery bragged that his performance brought their Mandarin to life, although Stark claimed that his performance contributed to people dying, which Slattery denied.
Slattery learning the truth about his actions
Slattery then pointed to the costumes and green screens to prove that nothing the Mandarin had done was real, noting that he had barely even gone to Afghanistan to film some of the attention scenes. However, Stark remained extremely serious, as he noted that Happy Hogan might not survive the coma he was in following one of these Extremis explosions, while noting that he intended to make both Slattery and Killian pay.
However, before Stark could take Slattery into custody, they were then interrupted by the arrival of Eric Savin, with Slattery witnessing Savin knocking Stark unconscious with a punch to the head. Savin questioned what Slattery told Stark, to which Slattery denied telling him anything. As Savin advised Slattery to push the panic button next time, Slattery had bragged that he had panicked, but handled it, as he opened a beer.[1]
"I know, I'm shorter in person, bit small, everyone says that. But, hey, if you're here to arrest me, there's some people I'd like to roll on." "Here's how it works, Meryl Streep; you tell him where Pepper is."
A few hours later, Slattery had taken a rest while drinking and watching the football in the mansion, falling asleep on his chair, while three of his models played ping pong nearby. Slattery only awoke when two guards began shooting at Iron Man, before James Rhodes smashed through a window and shot and killed the guards, with Slattery's immediate reaction being to simply continue drinking his beer.
Slattery insists he was unaware of the truth
Looking at the Mark XLII Armor, Slattery questioned what Tony Stark had come dressed as, before Rhodes kicked down his chair and insisted that he would break Slattery's face if he dared to even move. In response, Slattery insisted that he did not believe that anybody had been hurt by his videos, as he had been lied to, as Rhodes questioned if Slattery was actually the Mandarin, while Iron Man called him embarrassing.
Slattery then offered his hand to Rhodes as he introduced himself, with Rhodes slapping his hand away, while Slattery went on to admit to being shorter than he appeared on television. Slattery then offered to give up Aldrich Killian if he was going to be arrested as well. Ignoring that, Iron Man demanded to know where Pepper Potts was, with Rhodes threatening to burn Slattery's ear with his gun barrel if Slattery refused to tell them.
Slattery denied knowing anything about Potts, but claimed to know about Killian's plan, although he insisted that he did not know what Killian and Eric Savin did with the Iron Patriot Armor, much to Rhodes' great annoyance. Slattery went on to admit that all he knew was Killian's plan would take place off the coast and involved a big boat, before Slattery became distracted again by the football match on television.
Slattery is forced to give up his speedboat
While Rhodes became increasingly more annoyed, Slattery noted that Killian's plan somehow involved Vice President Gil Rodriguez, with Slattery questioning if this was important information. While Iron Man and Rhodes then stepped away to discuss what to do next, Slattery got another beer, before Iron Man asked about the speedboat that Slattery had been gifted, which they then proceeded to use to escape.[1]
Eventually, all of Aldrich Killian's plans for manipulating the war of terror were exposed and ruined due to the actions of both Tony Stark and James Rhodes, who succeeded in rescuing President Matthew Ellis and defeating all of the Extremis Soldiers. With Killian also being killed during the final battle, Slattery was found inside his mansion and subsequently arrested for his part as the spokesman for Killian's schemes.
Slattery attempting to speak to his "fans"
As Slattery was being drunkenly led away, a crowd of onlookers and the press who took his picture and asked for a statement, due to the fame he gained by portraying the "Mandarin". Believing himself to have become a famous actor for his performance, Slattery enjoyed having the attention from so many people and thanked them all for seeing him, although the police continued to drag him to the police station for questioning.[1]
"Prison isn't a cup of tea from which everyone should sip. There are many, many shankings, but for an actor, there are some upsides. There's the quiet solitude to look into oneself. There's the full range of human experience to soak up. And of course, a captive audience. I found prison, you know, a rather useful place to work on my craft."
Meanwhile, Slattery observed the high number of shankings which occurred in the prison as well as frequent methamphetamine usage, ensuring he stayed away from the latter. As an actor, he was able to find positives of the experience, enjoying the quiet solitude and the ability to observe people's experiences. He also began to perform for what he perceived as a captive audience, getting to work on his acting.[11] This allowed Slattery to build up a following of fans in the prison, such as Herman, who agreed to work as Slattery's butler and protector.[2]
Stepping into the cafeteria one day, Slattery had complained about the standards, before Herman charged forward and reminded Slattery that he should wait to be escorted. As he took his food tray, Slattery questioned who they should sit with, noting that the Triads could be fun.
As Herman reminded Slattery about his interviews with Norris, Slattery noted that his mother would have been proud of him staring in his own documentary. While Herman suggested he should have accepted the 60 Minutes interview, Slattery insisted that he would never work with CBS. Looking down at his food tray, Slattery sent Herman to collect a pudding for him, and to also attempt and find some kale for him to enjoy.
However, as soon as he was alone, Slattery accidentally walked directly into White Power Dave, spilling all of his food over Dave's jumpsuit. As Dave confronted him, Slattery attempted to get him to chill, suggesting Dave might simply want his autograph, only for Dave to furiously push Slattery back. Dave had then suggested that he would instead give the world exactly what it wanted, and kill Slattery, until Herman returned.
With Herman getting backed up by Slattery's fanbase, he became more confident and stepped up to Dave, telling him to kiss his rings and calling him a bitch. In response, Dave began to back off, before he had furiously insisted that Slattery was not the actual Mandarin, and that he was not even a real criminal, only for Slattery to insist that when actors portrayed roles for as long as he had, they could become that role in real life.
Once Dave was convinced by the Aryan Brotherhood to back off, Slattery was then asked by Fletcher Heggs if he would be willing to perform as the Mandarin. Although Slattery had initially refused, he swiftly changed his mind, turning around to put on his sunglasses. Once he was in character, Slattery turned back and spoke his lines as the "Mandarin", much to the delight of Heggs and the others, as Slattery took in the applause.[2]
Returning to his cell, Slattery met with Jackson Norriss, who would be conducting their final interview for their documentary, although Slattery chose to focus on all his vocal warm ups, noting that it was an old habit from his days on the stage. Norriss noted that Slattery likely never imagined that he would have ended up in Seagate Penitentiary during his stage days, although Slattery took this as a compliment.
Slattery discusses his sex life in prison
As Norriss noted that Slattery had been living comfortably in this large cell, Slattery insisted that there were things that he missed. As he listed drugs and women being the main things he missed, Slattery implied that he was enjoying relationships with men in prison, comparing it to drama school with a wink. Norriss had then attempted to get Slattery to focus, reminding him that it was their last day, which surprised Slattery.
Slattery is interviewed inside his cell
While Slattery was given his drink from Herman, Norriss noted that they had already covered a lot of the logistics that had led up to his arrest, including how he was recruited by Aldrich Killian and how they came up with their concept for the Mandarin, which Slattery insisted on noting that he had bought to life, much to Norriss' frustration. Norriss had then asked Slattery how he had not known what was actually going on.
To answer that question, Slattery said it came down to three words, only to say two words, which were the lovely drugs that he was being supplied with. Norriss told Slattery that he wanted to know more about the actual Trevor Slattery, outside of all the gossip and exposes, but learning about him personally. Instead of answering, Slattery insisted that actors should maintain a shred of mystery, to not color the audience expectations.
Slattery then saw Norriss take out a picture which he had presented, as he explained that it had been found in a vault of the Liverpool Echo. As Slattery took the picture, he saw that it showed him as a boy with his mother outside of the Royal Court Theatre, much to his delight. Slattery recalled the picture had been taken in 1964, after he was cast in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, noting that he claimed he had the lead.
As Norriss questioned if he and his mother were close, Slattery insisted that she meant everything to him, only for Norriss to note that she died in 1986, and Slattery was not with her. Slattery defended this, insisted that he had still been in the United States of America for his big break, with Norriss then noting that this would be Caged Heat's pilot for the CBS, as Slattery became excited, putting on a Russian accent to explain this.
Much to Slattery's delight, Norriss revealed that he had tracked down the Caged Heat pilot, as he played the few scenes, with Slattery noting how handsome he had been at the time. Changing the subject, Slattery then claimed that Sean Connery had once attempted to seduce him, claiming that Connery had called him "Trev" and had complimented him, although Norriss ignored this and just asked about the monkey drinking vodka.
Slattery continues to defend all his actions
With Slattery claiming that this failed pilot had broken him, Norriss called him up on this comment, noting that Slattery seemed to look back on his life as a series of missed opportunities, but did not take responsibly for them. In response, Slattery claimed that his responsibilities were to his muse, insisting that he was just an actor. Norriss noted that Slattery's portrayal of the Mandarin could have angered dangerous people.
While Slattery assumed Norriss was talking about the internet message boards, Norriss corrected him by insisting that he was talking about the Ten Rings, as he pulled up paperwork from Interpol. As Slattery looked on with confusion, Norriss showed him images of the Ten Rings symbols, which featured the ten mythical rings, as well as images of Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar, and he explained that the Ten Rings were associated with the Mandarin.
Slattery admits he did not research the role
Surprised by this, Slattery questioned if the Ten Rings were actually real, to which Norriss insisted that their existence was well documented, with Slattery turning to Herman and expressing his excitement. Confused by his surprise, Norriss reminded Slattery of his claims that he researched the role of the Mandarin in detail, to which Slattery had claimed that an actor's research was googling themselves while self pleasuring.
As Norriss got to his feet, he questioned if Slattery knew the history of the Mandarin, explaining that the Mandarin was a warrior king who had inspired generations of men through the Middle Ages. However, Slattery dismissed the discussion about the Mandarin, insisting that it was all for a show and that he had put on a good one, insisting that people would remember Trevor Slattery's name, and not the Mandarin.
Slattery then failed to notice that Norriss had activated a device on the camera, which assembled a small firearm. Norriss then told Slattery that he would soon suffer horribly for his crimes against the Mandarin, and he would have a hole in his body for every ring of the Ten Rings' faith. While Slattery questioned what he meant, Norriss then grabbed the gun as he proceeded to gun down the two guards who were inside the room.
With Slattery hiding under the table, he watched Herman tackle Norriss, as he whispered encouragement to his butler. While Herman was being beaten with a baton, taken from the camera tripod, and wrestled to the ground, Slattery noticed a gun on the ground, which had been dropped by one of the dead guards. While Herman was eventually stabbed and killed by Norriss, Slattery took the gun and aimed it at Norriss.
Unafraid, Norriss insisted that Slattery did not have what it takes to pull the trigger, to which Slattery insisted that, as an out of work actor, there was not much that he was incapable of. However, while Slattery bragged that his work on Caged Heat made him pretty good with a handgun, he made the error of stepping closer to Norriss, and placing the gun to the back of his head. In response, Norriss spun around and took the gun.
With the gun now aimed at his head, Slattery questioned why people kept pointing guns at his head, as he had insisted that he did not want to die. However, Norriss instead used his Walkie-Talkie Wristwatch to inform the Ten Rings that he had taken Slattery hostage and ordered their extract teams to join him, before telling Slattery that his task was not to kill him, but to break him out of prison, which Slattery claimed was nice.
As Slattery then overheard helicopters arriving, and gunfire breaking out, Norriss had explained that there was somebody who wanted to meet him. Confused, Slattery questioned if he knew this person, to which Norriss claimed that he did not, but that Slattery had taken his name, and now he wanted this back. Failing to see that Norriss meant the Mandarin, Slattery shrugged and claimed to not understand, before he was broken out.[2]
Prisoner of the Ten Rings[]
"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 thou couldst.' And they couldn't get enough of it. I've been doing weekly gigs for the lads ever since."
Once delivered to Xu Wenwu, Slattery escaped execution by performing William Shakespeare right as they had prepared to execute him. His acting skills impressed the Ten Rings, who kept him around for regular performances. Slattery had a positive outlook on his imprisonment, claiming that it allowed him to rediscover his passion for acting, and that it rendered him sober from his previous drug addictions.
While in his captivity at the Ten Rings Headquarters, Slattery met and befriended a Dijiang named Morris who had been captured by the Ten Rings during one of their expeditions of searching for Ta Lo. However, Slattery was worried that he had been hallucinating Morris due to his long imprisonment.[5] During his imprisonment, Slattery decided to go sober.[3]
In 2024, while doing vocal warmups before rehearsing a role, Slattery was visited by Shang-Chi and Katy Chen, who had been imprisoned by Shang-Chi's father. Slattery explained to them who he was, and how he had come to be imprisoned inside of the Ten Rings Headquarters.
When Morris walked into the room, Shang-Chi and Chen became startled, causing Slattery to be overjoyed once he realized that other people could see Morris. When Chen asked about his lack of a face, Slattery pointed out that Morris was sensitive about not having a face. Slattery explained that Morris came from an alternate dimension called Ta Lo, and that he would guide them safely there. They were then broken out of the cell by Shang-Chi's sister, Xu Xialing, and found an escape route that led to the garage.[5]
Getting into the garage, Slattery found Razor Fist's car, and sat in the front seat, telling Shang-Chi that he got carsick in the back. Chen then drove them out of the garage, as the Ten Rings agents attacked them in an attempt to put them back in custody, causing Shang-Chi and Xu Xialing to fight them off.[5]
Once they reached the moving forest maze that protected Ta Lo, Slattery acted as an interpreter to Morris' instructions on how to traverse the maze to enter the hidden city. They succeeded and traversed the waterfall that separated Ta Lo from Earth, they then went to the village to warn the villagers.[5]
As Shang-Chi and his allies were welcomed into Ta Lo and preparing for the upcoming battle, Slattery played with the kids. When Ta Lo was invaded by the Ten Rings, Slattery laid low and tried to avoid fighting, but when Xu Wenwu unwittingly unleashed the Dweller-in-Darkness. In order to prevent Soul Eaters from taking his soul, Slattery laid low and played dead, and instructed Morris to do the same.
In the aftermath of the battle, Slattery participated in the ceremony to mourn the casualties, shooting out lanterns in the sky. Slattery later decided to stay in Ta Lo to be with Morris.[5]
Resurgence[]
Return to the U.S.[]
"I've had some low points, some bits I'd rather forget... but that's all behind me now. Thirteen years sober, back in Hollywood, ready to make my mum proud. You know, she always said my acting could be important, vital, and I'm gonna prove her right."
Slattery eventually left Ta Lo and, in 2026, took a flight back to Hollywood. During the flight, he recounted his history of acting, how his mother was his first audience in order to keep her spirits up. His seatmate recognized him from his performance in the first three episodes of South Shore Hospital with Joe Pantoliano.[6]
Upon his return to Los Angeles International Airport, Slattery told his seatmate that his acting career had low points he would rather forget, but it was all behind him, saying he was thirteen years sober and back in Hollywood to make his mother proud. However, he was soon arrested by FBI officers who pinned him to the ground, though he did not resist.[6]
Working with Damage Control[]
"You know, the way that I see this, you have two options. Option one, is that you go back to prison and finish your sentence. I like that option. And then you have option two, which is, you do a little work for the Department of Damage Contr―" "Two. Option two, thanks."
Slattery was brought to P. Cleary, who showed him footage of his performance as the Mandarin. When Cleary reminded Slattery he never finished his sentence in prison, Slattery countered that it was due to the Ten Rings abducting him, but Cleary said no one cared.
Cleary offered Slattery two options: Finish his sentence in prison or work for Damage Control. Slattery chose the second option before Cleary could finish. Cleary gave Slattery a picture of Simon Williams and instructed Slattery to get close to Williams, being a fellow actor. Slattery said he would need bait, reasoning an audition could work. Cleary suggested setting up a fake audition, but Slattery said Williams could see through it, seeing as how he was a working actor with an agent, and told Cleary to look for upcoming projects, particularly those Williams would be particularly excited about.[6]
Meeting Simon Williams[]
One of the projects Cleary found was an audition for Von Kovak's remake of Williams's favorite film, Wonder Man. Under Cleary's orders, Slattery attended a screening of the film Midnight Cowboy to meet up with Williams, using the audition as bait.
As expected, Williams attended the screening. Before the film began, Slattery faked a phone call in which he mentioned the audition, catching Williams's attention. Williams recognized Slattery for his performance as Edgar Allan Poe in Omnibus, but the film started.
Once the film was over, Slattery and Williams bonded over discussing the film. As they exited the theater, Williams asked Slattery about the audition, to which Slattery confirmed it was for the Wonder Man remake before leaving.[3]
Auditioning for Wonder Man[]
Slattery attended the Wonder Man auditions, auditioning for the role of Barnaby.[3]
Whilst filming Wonder Man, Slattery launched The Slattery Method to teach acting to younger stars. While filming, he stressed that acting was not simply a job, but also a calling. He started the series with breathing exercises counting to four thousand. He stated his intention was to lead one to believe he was a werewolf or a Congressman. He told viewers to call and said that they should be impressed with him.[12]
"Addressing the Mandarin, I think, is essential to understanding who you are as an actor." "This is an ambush. I don't like this. It's an ambush. Ambush. Ta-ra."
Slattery was later brought onto the new podcast Bad Actors, with the assurance that focus would be on his upcoming role as Barnaby in Wonder Man rather than his past as the Mandarin. Slattery joined the podcast remotely and greeted host Ben Mankiewicz after Mankiewicz finished introducing the podcast. Mankiewicz started by asking what life was like for him in prison. Slattery said that prison was not an experience for everyone and cited some of the positives he experienced as an actor. This led Mankiewicz to ask for clarification as to whether he was method acting, but Slattery misunderstood the question and insisted that, while there were methamphetamines in the prison, he stayed away from them.
Mankiewicz shifted the focus of the interview to the Mandarin, so Slattery joked about it being a former role he would not be interested in returning to. Mankiewicz tried to say it was important to talk about, but Slattery responded by saying that Wonder Man was the future of film and that he was born to play Barnaby. Mankiewicz asserted that the Mandarin was important to his story, so Slattery reminded Mankiewicz that he was assured that the interview would focus on Wonder Man. Slattery accused Mankiewicz of making the producers into liars, comparing his actions to perjury. Mankiewicz insisted, so Slattery declared the interview to be an ambush and took off his headphones, leaving and walking away. Despite Slattery's frustrations, Mankiewicz still posted the interview.[11]
Slattery and Williams were brought in to film a promotional video for the series Actors Unscripted. They both went, and as Slattery's hair was done, he did vocal warmups which were filmed. As filming started, they greeted each other, and Slattery said that he had been sober for thirteen years. Slattery noted that Williams had a special connection to the previous Wonder Man film, but chicken wings were brought to the two, confusing Williams, as the video began a segment they called "Chatting with Chicken." Slattery explained that it was free food, which was common for actors. Williams talked about his connection to the old film, but was interrupted again as the two actors were presented with puppies for a new segment, "Puppy Playtime." Slattery admired the dogs and reminisced on Gérard Depardieu's performance in 102 Dalmations.
Williams tried to focus on the conversation they intended to have by asking for Slattery's approach to acting, when a polygraph was brought out suddenly for a new segment, "Tell the Truth," while Slattery tried to talk about staying present. However, before the polygraph could be finished, Straw Hat Goofy came out with the intention of teaching Slattery and Williams Internet slang in another new segment, "Staying Hip." Williams got frustrated and stood up, so Slattery tried to convince Williams to stay. Williams walked away, so Slattery apologized to Straw Hat Goofy.[13]
Straw Hat Goofy's Interview[]
"What's your advice for all the young actors out there?" "Well... everyone tells you to be yourself. But that's the opposite of what acting is, you need to be everyone else."
Slattery was later interviewed by Straw Hat Goofy again. Straw Hat Goofy asked if Slattery was excited to break away from his role as the Mandarin, to which Slattery expressed excitement for a less serious role. Slattery started thinking as Straw Hat Goofy asked what super power he would want, so Slattery said that acting and making people believe was the real super power, impressing Straw Hat Goofy. When prompted to give advice to young actors, Slattery said that, while it was typical for people to say to be oneself, actors had to do the opposite and be everyone else. Straw Hat Goofy asked for Slattery's dream role, so he started talking about his recurring dreams in which he was a centaur from the waist down and started giving advice on how to be comfortable when sleeping to have the best dreams. Straw Hat Goofy was impressed by Slattery's advice and wanted to write it down.[14]
Dinner with Hanover Agency[]
To be added
Kathy Friedman's Interview[]
To be added
Telling Simon the Truth[]
To be added
Return of "The Mandarin"[]
To be added
Return to Imprisonment[]
Broken Out of Prison[]
To be added
Abilities[]
Master Performer: Slattery fooled the entire world into thinking he was the terrorist known as the Mandarin due to his very intimidating acting style. His acting style was so believable, the real "Mandarin" heard and kidnapped Slattery. However, Slattery was able to perform for the Ten Rings and was spared as long as he was their jester.
"Friends, I am but a transitory vessel for the infinite wisdom of a creature far more advanced than we’ll ever truly understand."
Bilingualism: Slattery is fluent in his native English, and can understand Dijiang language, which allowed him to serve as Morris' translator while the latter guided his party to Ta Lo. He could also change accents which allowed him to become a successful actor.
Equipment[]
Weapons[]
"I'm an out of work actor, love, you've no idea what I'm capable of. And thanks to the CBS network, I'm pretty good with a handgun."
Makarov PM: In the 1980s, Slattery was taught how to handle a handgun, and was issued a Makarov PM for filming a TV pilot, Caged Heat, where his character was a Russian cop carrying the Makarov as his service weapon.
During one of his broadcasts as the "Mandarin", Slattery used this handgun to seemingly execute Thomas Richards on live-television.
Beretta 92FS: Slattery managed to retrieve one of the guns that a deceased guard carried when Jackson Norriss infiltrated into the prison to kidnap him. Slattery used the gun to threaten him, only for Norriss to easily disarm him and kidnap Slattery at gunpoint.
AKMSU: During one his broadcasts as the "Mandarin", Slattery shot with one of these weapons against a photograph of President Matthew Ellis, noting how he managed to shoot in the middle of the forehead.
Vehicles[]
Speedboat: Aldrich Killian gifted Slattery a speedboat while he posed as the Mandarin
Having been recruited by A.I.M. to impersonate the Mandarin, Slattery was allowed to reside in this mansion located in Miami, Florida, which had belonged to his employer, Aldrich Killian. Slattery would be taken onto the set, where he would film scenes as the Mandarin, threatening President Matthew Ellis and performing mock executions, all while remaining in character. Once these scenes were complete, Slattery would enjoy the luxuries the mansion offered, including alcohol, drugs and women. Eventually, Slattery was discovered in the mansion by Tony Stark and James Rhodes, at which point he confessed that Killian had hired him to act like the Mandarin, and was soon arrested for his part in Killian's terrorist actions.
Prisons[]
"I served time in federal prison, which turned out to be the best thing for me. I got clean, I rediscovered my passion."
Seagate Penitentiary: Following Aldrich Killian's death, Slattery was arrested and incarcerated in Seagate Penitentiary. Slattery managed to make a name for himself in Seagate Penitentiary due to his fame as the "Mandarin", finding a loyal group of followers as well as enemies. Slattery was then broken out of Seagate Penitentiary by his interviewer Jackson Norriss, who is in fact an undercover Ten Rings agent who has been ordered to bring Slattery to the real Mandarin.
Ten Rings Headquarters: Slattery was taken to the Ten Rings Headquarters following his capture by Jackon Norriss, where Xu Wenwu intended to execute him for impersonating and twisting his image. Just before Wenwu could complete the execution, Slattery started to recite lines from Macbeth. Slattery's acting skills impressed the Ten Rings so much that they decided to spare him and allowed him to live in the compound for weekly performances. Slattery eventually met and befriended Morris who had been captured by the Ten Rings as well before they escaped to Ta Lo alongside Shang-Chi, Katy Chen, and Xu Xialing.
Aldrich Killian's hiring of Trevor Slattery to impersonate the Mandarin is similar to the plot of the 1988 film Without a Clue, which stars Ben Kingsley. In the film, Kingsley portrays Doctor Watson, who solves crimes as a hobby. To keep attention away from his medical career, he invents the fictional Sherlock Holmes and hires an alcoholic, dim-witted actor named Reginald Kincaid (Michael Caine) to pretend to be him.
Slattery was originally slated to die during the Battle on the Norco by injecting himself with Extremis to get back at Aldrich Killian only to blow himself up, with Drew Pearce describing the scene as "the most Monty Python of all of the beats" in the film. However, it was decided during the editing process to keep Slattery alive, leading to his arrest scene being shot during reshoots.[16]
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