Fu Manchu
AKA: The Celestial One
First Appearance: Marvel Special Edition 16, but he first appeared in comic books way back in Detective Comics 7. And he's been in lots of other media as well; originally appearing in short novels by Sax Rohmer around the turn of the century, and played on the big screen by the likes of Boris Karloff in 1932 and Christopher Lee in 1965 -- editor Jeanne.
Presumed Killed In: Master of Kung Fu 118. But be warned, Fu Manchu has been assumed dead many times before, and with Shang Chi making a comeback in the Marvel Universe, anything is possible.
What's His Problem? Fu Manchu wants to destroy the Western world and remake it in the glorious image of the east, with him as the absolute ruler, of course. And, as with most deranged would-be conquerors, if he can't rule the world, he'll destroy it instead.
Abilities: Fu Manchu is a master of both ancient mystical abilities and modern scientific advances. Utilizing a magic drug called the Elixir Vitae which was created by Shaka Kharn, Fu Manchu has retained youth and strength despite his advanced age. He could hypnotize (almost) anyone he looked in the eys. Fu Manchu also had the power to see the future by looking through his hands. Most of the time, he saw his son, Shang Chi, as the only opponent to his plans.
Weapons: As well as being well versed in the marital arts, Fu Manchu had many advanced weapons, most of which were easily destroyed by his son. Genetically engineered giant insects and other monsters were at his disposal.
Favorite Quote: "In the face of all my planning, all my might, even my former son- and a thousand like him- shall wither like blades of grass under the scorching sun!" (Master of Kung-Fu 83, where Fu Manchu predicts total victory. He, of course, lost. That tends to happen to bad guys a lot...)
Heroes He Kept Running Into: While mainstream Marvel heroes often avoided Fu Manchu's plans, Shang-Chi, the Master of Kung Fu, was always battling him. Helping out Shang-Chi was his sister Fah Lo Suee. The two worked for MI-6, a British Government task force led by Sir Denis Nayland-Smith, one of Fu Manchu's oldest enemies.
People Who Think He's Not So Bad: Fu Manchu had hundreds, if not thousands of followers, including the Si-Fan ninja clan, who recently battled the X-Men. Also Fu Manchu had various special operatives who, after the presumed death of their master, lived on to torment other heroes. Zaran, the weapons master, has confronted Captain America and the Avengers, while Midnight Sun, who died in combat with Shang-Chi, was rebuilt by the Kree to battle the Silver Surfer.
Most Despicable Act: Fu Manchu has done dozens of despicable acts, including trying to blow up the moon and kidnapping members of the United Nations to put them under his control. But slowly draining Shang Chi's blood for the Elixir Vitae showed the two had some serious relationship problems. Maybe they should have contacted Doc Sampson for counseling...
What's in a Name? In X-Men (vol. 2) 62 Fu Manchu was never mentioned by name. He was either called "Shang Chi's father" (odd, cause they had both renounced each other years ago), or "the Si-Fan's master." Has the name of one of Marvel's nastiest villains been declared (gasp!)... politically incorrect?! Maybe. Or maybe not. Seeing as Fu Manchu existed in book form many, many years before he was a comic book character, it could simply be a case of Marvel's license for the copyrighted character expiring -- editor "hope-we're-not-gonna-catch-heck-from-the-Rohmer-estate" Jeanne
by Bobby Coakley
The Sound Bytes of Fu Manchu!
From "The Castle of Fu Manchu ," a rather ghastly movie from the 60s. All sounds in .wav format.
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