[1] The organization debuted in Special Marvel Edition #15 (December 1973) in the Bronze Age of Comic Books, under the name Celestial Order of Si-Fan, the organization of Dr. Fu Manchu, created by writer Sax Rohmer, with Fu Manchu adapted as father of Shang-Chi, a hero created by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin.
Editor-in-chief Roy Thomas agreed, but only if they would include the Sax Rohmer's pulp villain Dr. Fu Manchu, as Marvel had previously acquired the comic book rights to the character.
[6] In the Rohmer novels, the Si-Fan were a tong turned international criminal organization that Fu Manchu led as part of his plans for world domination.
[9] Despite subsequent issues either mentioning characters from the novels cryptically or phased out entirely, the Si-Fan still kept its original name in its appearances.
[10][8] In 2010's Secret Avengers #6–10, writer Ed Brubaker officially sidestepped the entire issue via a storyline where the Shadow Council resurrects a zombified version of Dr. Fu Manchu, only to discover that "Dr. Fu Manchu" was only an alias and that Shang-Chi's father real name is Zheng Zu (Chinese: 鄭祖)[11][12] while the Si-Fan is referred to as the Hai-Dai.
[19] The Ancient One, a fellow sorcerer and friend, provided the brothers the Eyes of the Dragon, a pair of stones that granted longevity and vigor while requiring the sacrifice of another.
By 1860, the brothers had aged decades beyond their natural lifespans through the use of longevity spells and outlived the original Deadly Warriors, but had grown weaker as a result.
[1] Despite the changing times, the Society retained the image it had during the Qing dynasty, with all of its members still wearing clothing of the era well into the 21st century.
During his upbringing, Shang-Chi was unaware of the Si-Fan's true name or goals, nor the fact that he was the designated Champion of the House of the Deadly Hand.
[26] At one point, Fu Manchu unites the Si-Fan with various groups like the Dacoits, Thugees, Knights Templar and Hashashins into a single organization named the Order of the Golden Dawn.
[33][34] Later retakes control of the Si-Fan but his plot to deploy his Hellfire Weapon is thwarted once again by his son and his allies, at that time it was known as Comte de Saint Germain or Ghost.
Now in full control of the Hai-Dai, Bao Yu resumes her father's long-forgotten experiment of bio-engineering Brood eggs as weapons, which she uses to carry out hits in New York's Chinatown.
The plot is uncovered by Misty Knight and Annabelle Riggs of the Fearless Defenders with help from Elsa Bloodstone; the three track Bao Yu and the Hai-Dai assassins and scientists to an underground laboratory.
With the help of No-Name of the Brood, the Fearless Defenders defeat the Hai-Dai and destroy the experiments, forcing Bao Yu to teleport away from her lair.
While the Warriors of the Deadly Staff and Hammer pledge their loyalty to her, the remaining House Champions Brother Sabre and Sister Dagger seek out Shang-Chi for him to reclaim his rightful place as the legitimate ruler.
The two tell him of the Society's true name and history and his role as the Champion To bolster her forces, Hammer revives her father's experiments with jiangshi, eventually raising an undead army to attack London.
[41] As the new Supreme Commander, Shang-Chi works diligently to undo Zheng Zu's evil influence over the Society, including shutting down a rogue drug ring still loyal to his father in New York City.
[47] Jiang Li was able to escape her imprisonment and flees to the House of the Deadly Hand to warn the Society of an attack from Xin's Qilin Riders, who are with taotie masks.
Due to the close proximities of their territories, Chinatown and Two Bridges, the Society intervenes in the turf war between Mister Negative and Lady Yulan.
Throughout the rest of the Gang War, Shang-Chi has his soldiers distribute supplies and set up defensive barriers throughout Chinatown instead of deploying them for combat in the other territories.
[24][8] Shang-Chi's profile in the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game is updated and mentions that he is the Supreme Commander of the Five Weapons Society.
[62] After Wenwu's death, the Ten Rings are led by his daughter Xu Xialing who retooled it to include female warriors.