Shou-Lao the Undying
Shou-Lao the Undying is a comic dragon that features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
Biography
According to one account, Shou Lao was once a mortal fisherman who courted the daughter of the Dragon King but he left her after he debased her. Upon learning of this news, the Dragon King's brother Chiantang went into a rage and transformed into his dragon form where he laid waste to the city of K'un-Lun killing 70,000 people. However, after his rage was tempered, he realised what he had done and sought forgiveness from Master Khan. Instead, to sate his vengeance, Chiantang borrowed a favour from a god that he used to transform the mortal into a fire-breathing serpent that he imprisoned in a cave outside of K'un-Lun. Once there, Chiantang ripped out Shou Lao's heart and placed it in a cauldron where it would beat for eternity making the fisherman immortal but cursed to writhe in agony for eternity. Thus, the dragon Shou-Lao was born that remained trapped outside the city of K'un-Lun. (Power Man and Iron Fist v1 #118) Another tale spoke of a different origin with Shou-Lao with the creature being one of a number of beasts summoned form another plane of existence by the trickster Changming. Changming had used the dragon as a weapon against the people of K'un-Lun and used it to quickly gain control of the city. (Immortal Iron Fist v1 #23) A million years ago, the dragon Shou-Lao resided in K'un-Lun served as the golden city's protector and primary method of executing criminals. During that time, a female warrior named Fan Fei was charged with the crime of teaching primitive humans martial arts. Thus, her disciples were to be sacrificed to Shou-Lao but Fei desperately broke free and battled the dragon thus killing it. The brand of the dragon was thus marked on her fist as she became the first Iron Fist that had the Curse of Shou-Lao. For her crimes, she was banished from the city and forced to wander the Earth forever. In the following ten years, Shou-Lao was reborn with the inhabitants of the city coming to realise the true purpose of the dragon and later bade Fan Fei to return as their protector but she refused as she decided to save the innocent mortals of Earth instead. (Avengers v8 #13)
As a result, the dragon-lord was eternally condemned to guard the molten heart that had long ago been torn from its body. (Marvel Premiere v1 #16)
Years ago, the golden dragon was outside its cave when it found the Yu-Ti Lord Tuan and his son Nu-an where the serpent attacked them. The pair were only saved by a young explorer named Wendell Rand who had climbed the mountain and used his rifle to distract the dragon. The dragon departed the scene but not before knocking Rand to the side where he was taken and cared for by the people of K'un-Lun. (Power Man and Iron Fist v1 #75)
After the destruction of K'un-Lun, Danny Rand found the dragon Shou-Lao and kept the creature contained where he built a special room in his condo along with a regular supply of food. He sought to restore the dragon to its rightful cave and was finding a way back to the ancient city in order to restore K'un-Lun again. (Iron Fist v1 #73)
Overview
Personality and attributes
Powers and abilities
A key feature was the wound on the dragon's chest which was where its heart once resided. From this soar, the Undying One received mystical emanations that eternally sustained him. As such, among the only ways of stopping the dragon was by blocking the soar and cutting off the creature from its power. (Marvel Premiere v1 #16)
Notes
- Shou-Lao the Undying was created by Len Wein, Roy Thomas and Larry Hama where he made his first appearance in Marvel Premiere v1 #16 (July, 1974).
In other media
Television
- In Ultimate Spider-Man, Shao-Lao made an appearance in a flashback sequence in the episode "Strange" where he was voiced by Mark Hamill. Iron Fist mentioned in the past that he fought the dragon and defeated him whereupon he gained the power to manipulate his chi into his fists. During a battle with Nightmare, the demon left Iron Fist in a nightmare where he fought and lost against Shao-Lao as he had the hidden fear that he never deserved to win the fight. He managed to overcome his fears and he along with his friends helped defeat Nightmare with Doctor Strange.
- In the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Shou-Lao appeared in the shared continuity setting.
- In Iron Fist, Shou-Lao the Undying was referenced in the live-action Netflix television series with his name being called by Danny Rand. Though not seen, it was stated that Shou-Lao was a dragon who Danny Rand fought and through which he acquired the power of the Iron Fist allowing him to become K'un-Lun's guardian.
- In Defenders, Shou-Lao the Undying was referenced in the setting of the live-action Netflix television series. Danny Rand mentioned that he had killed the dragon Shou-Lao in order to gain the power to become the Iron Fist. Numerous dragons similar to Shou-Lao once inhabited the world with some dying in the ground that became New York. An Iron Fist long ago found the remains and sealed them behind a chamber to prevent them from being defiled. The Hand's founders sought a way to breach the chamber in order to access the fossilised bones to turn them into a liquid that created the liquid that gave them their immortal lives. This was in their attempt to live long enough to return back to their ancestral home in K'un-Lun.
- In Future Marvel Avengers, Shou-Lao appeared in the setting of the animated television series. He was regarded as the immortal dragon with those able to defeat him being awarded the title of Iron Fist since ancient times. Many martial artists had tried and failed to defeat the dragon with statues being made to appease their souls and honour their efforts as these were placed around the statue of Shou-Lao. The Enchantress took control of the statue of Shou-Lao and the fallen warriors which she turned against K’un-Lun.
Video games
- In Avengers Alliance, Shou-Lao was referenced in the Facebook video game with a number of Iron Fists ability mentioning the dragon.
Appearances
- Marvel Premiere v1:
- Power Man and Iron Fist v1:
- Iron Fist: Living Weapon v1:
- Iron Fists v1:
- Avengers v8:
External Links
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