Zheng Bao Yu (originally known asFah Lo Suee), is asupervillain appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. She is the daughter ofZheng Zu and the older half-sister ofShang-Chi.

The character debuted inMaster of Kung Fu #26 (cover-dated March 1975) in theBronze Age of Comic Books, under the nameFah Lo Suee, based on theSax Rohmer character of the same name. She was created by writerSax Rohmer, and adapted into Marvel Comics byDoug Moench andKeith Pollard.^[1] Due to Marvel losing the rights to Fu Manchu and related characters, her name Fah Lo Suee was changed to Zheng Bao Yu.^[2][3][4][5]

The character of Fah lo Suee was created in 1917 bySax Rohmer asthe Lady of the Si-Fan in the novelThe Hand of Fu-Manchu (original UK title: The Si-Fan Mysteries). In the novelDaughter of Fu Manchu (1931), she is called Fah lo Suee, a nickname meaning "Sweet Perfume". Fah Lo Suee, is a devious mastermind in her own right, frequently plotting to usurp her father's position in theSi-Fan and aiding his enemies both within and outside the organization. In the early 1970s, writerSteve Englehart and artistJim Starlin approachedDC Comics to adapt the television seriesKung Fu into a comic book, as DC's parent company,Warner Communications, owned the rights to the series. DC Comics, however, was not interested in their pitch, believing the show's and themartial arts genre popularity would phase out quickly. The duo then approachedMarvel Comics with the idea to create akung fu-focused original comic. Editor-in-chiefRoy Thomas agreed, but only if they would include theSax Rohmer's pulp villainFu Manchu, as Marvel had previously acquired the comic book rights to the character.^[6][7] Englehart and Starlin developedShang-Chi, a master of kung fu and a previously unknown son of Fu Manchu.^[8][9] At first, only a few characters were adapted from the Fu Manchu series, such as Dr. Petrie andDenis Nayland Smith, with whom Fah lo Suee has a romance in the novels, inMaster of Kung Fu #26 (cover-dated March 1975 ),Doug Moench andKeith Pollard adapted the character for the series, she becomes an ally of Shang-Chi andMI-6. After Marvel's license with the Rohmer estate expired,Master of Kung Fu was cancelled in 1983.^[10] His half-sister became the director of MI-6.^[11] Despite subsequent issues either mentioning characters from the novels cryptically or phased out entirely. Fah lo Suee reappeared inJourney into Mystery #514–516, (1997-1998) leading adrug cartel inHong Kong under the nameCursed Lotus.^{[12][13][14][11]} In 2010'sSecret Avengers #6–10, writerEd Brubaker officially sidestepped the entire issue via a storyline where theShadow Council resurrects a zombified version of Fu Manchu, only to discover that "Fu Manchu" was only an alias and that Shang-Chi's father real name wasZheng Zu, an ancient Chinese sorcerer who discovered the secret toimmortality^[15] and while the Si-Fan is referred to as the Hai-Dai.^[16] Similarly, Shang-Chi's half sisterFah Lo Suee was later renamed Zheng Bao Yu in 2013'sThe Fearless Defenders #8, written byCullen Bunn, where he appears leading the Ha-Dai.^[3][17][5]

In more recent stories, written byGene Luen Yang, there is no mention of Zheng Bao Yu,^[13] she possibly no longer exists in thecontinuity of Marvel, the writer created other sisters for Shang-Chi, in the miniseriesShang-Chi (2020) it is revealed that Si-Fan and Hai-Dai is one of the names of theFive Weapons Society,^[18] is said to be among the five sons of Zheng Zu, each one commands a house and from among them, the supreme leader, Shang-Chi, champion of the House of the Deadly Hand, is chosen by the father, but his sister Zheng Shi-Hua, the Sister Hammer takes the lead after her father's death,^[19] Shi-Hua can be seen as Bao Yu's replacement in Shang-Chi's origin.^[20]

Born many decades ago as the daughter of the criminal mastermindFu Manchu, Fah Lo Suee originally followed in her father's footsteps. Eventually, Fah Lo Suee became disillusioned by her father's misguided idealism for world conquest and developed a more pragmatic mindset. After obtaining her own faction of Fu Manchu'sSi-Fan assassins, Fah Lo Suee would attempt to swayShang-Chi into helping her usurp their father from his criminal empire, only to be rebuffed by her heroic half-brother. Fah Lo Suee would eventually lead her own criminal organization, the Oriental Expeditors, who were a front for the Golden Daggers sect.^[21] After Shang-Chi and his allies bring down the Golden Daggers, she briefly allies herself with them to help take down Fu Manchu.^[22]

After collaborating withBritish Intelligence, Fah Loh Suee was eventually placed as a director ofMI-6. Her endeavors perpetually placed her at odds with Shang-Chi and his fellow MI-6 agents. Years later, she once again became involved in the criminal underworld. Now going by the name theCursed Lotus, she headed a narcotics empire supplying a highly addictive drug, Wild Tiger, with the Wild Tiger Mob, one of the factions of her father's organization led by Deng Ling-Xiao,^[23] acting as a front for her inHong Kong. Despite the Wild Tiger mob being brought down by Shang-Chi, she eludes capture. Shang-Chi never discovers his half-sister's involvement.^[12][13]

Zheng Bao Yu is recruited by Caroline le Fay, the daughter ofMorgana le Fey andDoctor Doom, into Caroline's incarnation of the Doom Maidens. Now in full control of Zheng Zu's Hai Dai assassins (formerly called Si-Fan), she resumes her father's long-forgotten experiment of bio-engineeringBrood eggs as weapons. The Brood hatchlings from the eggs are used to carry out hits in New York'sChinatown by the Ghost Boys gang at the behest of Bao Yu. The plot is uncovered byMisty Knight andAnnabelle Riggs of theFearless Defenders with help fromElsa Bloodstone; the three track Bao Yu and her Hai Dai assassins and scientists to an underground laboratory (where Bao Yu reveals her real name to the group). With the help of No-Name of the Brood, the Fearless Defenders defeat theHai-Dai and destroy the experiments, forcing Bao Yu to teleport away from her lair; she later confronts Caroline for not providing her with enough protection.^[24] Bao Yu joins Caroline and the other Doom Maidens for a ritual to grant Caroline the powers she has been craving. The ritual is interrupted by the Fearless Defenders, who defeat Bao Yu and the other Doom Maidens in the subsequent battle, withFrankie Raye siphoning the energy from the ritual, preventing Caroline from completing her transformation. However, Caroline still manages to succeed in the secondary ritual of restoring her mother, Morgana le Fey.^[25]

Zheng Bao Yu possesses superhuman longevity, due to her consumption of theElixir Vitae. Much like her father, she is a devious and cunning criminal mastermind and is a genius in most fields of knowledge, includingalchemy and sorcery. As with her half-brother and father, she is also an expert hand-to-hand combatant. Bao Yu is also hypnotically seductive: her voice and movements command attention, and her eyes can entrance a man in moments. She has easily manipulated a variety of men into falling in love with her, devoted to serving her wishes. She occasionally uses scented vapors or hypnotic rubies to further enhance her skills.

Fah Lo Suee appears in the adventureNight Moves for the role-playing gameMarvel Super Heroes.

TheMarvel Cinematic Universe featuresXu Xialing (portrayed byMeng'er Zhang), a character based on Zheng Bao Yu,Sister Dagger, andSasha Hammer.^{[3][26][27][5]}

• Xialing appears inShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, where she is portrayed asShang-Chi's sister who had run away from home to start her own undercity group. She is eventually brought back to her fatherWenwu, where it is revealed that she had been prevented from training, forcing her to train in secret. Then she started a fight club called Golden Daggers Club inMacau where she reunited with Shang-Chi.^[28] When theTen Rings attack it to claim Xialing's pendant, she helps to fight them and protect Shang-Chi's friendKaty until Wenwu breaks up the resulting brawl. When inTa Lo, Xialing helps to fight the Ten Rings and later the minions of theDweller-in-Darkness. Afterwards, her bond with her brother is renewed. However, she opts to take over the Ten Rings, restructuring it to include female members.
• An alternate universe variant of Xu Xialing appear inWhat If...?.^[29]

• Zheng Bao Yu on Marvel Database
• Fah Lo Suee at Comic Vine
• Fah Lo Suee at The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe

• 1975 comics debuts
• Comics characters introduced in 1975
• Marvel Comics martial artists
• Shang-Chi characters
• Marvel Comics female supervillains
• Characters created by Doug Moench
• Characters created by Keith Pollard
• Fu Manchu
• Marvel Comics characters who use magic
• Fictional Chinese people
• Fictional characters who use magic

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