Fah Lo Suee
First appearanceThe Hand of Fu-Manchu (1917)
Created bySax Rohmer
Portrayed by
In-universe information
Full nameunknown
AliasLady of the Si-Fan
Koreani
Madame Ingomar
Queen Mamaloi
Mrs van Roorden
GenderFemale
Occupationsupervillain, assassin, crime boss, antiheroine
AffiliationSi-Fan
FamilyFu Manchu (father)
NationalityChinese Manchu

Fah Lo Suee (Chinese: 花露水; pinyin: Huā Lùshuǐ) is a character who was introduced in the series of novels Dr. Fu Manchu by the English author Sax Rohmer (1883-1959). She is the daughter of Dr. Fu Manchu and an unnamed Russian woman, sometimes shown as an ally, sometimes shown as a rival. The character featured in cinema and comic strips and comic books alongside her father, sometimes using another names, and she has also become an archetype of the Dragon Lady.[1]

History

The character of Fah lo Suee was created in 1917 by Sax Rohmer as the Lady of the Si-Fan in the novel The Hand of Fu-Manchu (original UK title: The Si-Fan Mysteries). In the novel Daughter of Fu Manchu (1931), she is called Fah lo Suee, a nickname meaning "Sweet Perfume".[2] Fah Lo Suee, is a devious mastermind in her own right, frequently plotting to usurp her father's position in the Si-Fan and aiding his enemies both within and outside the organization.[2] Her real name is unknown; Fah Lo Suee was a childhood term of endearment. She is introduced anonymously while still a teenager in the third book in the series and plays a larger role in several of the titles of the 1930s and 1940s. She is known for a time as Koreani after being brainwashed by her father, but her memory is later restored. Like her father, she takes on false identities, among them Madame Ingomar, Queen Mamaloi and Mrs van Roorden.[2] She falls in love with her father's rival, Denis Nayland Smith.[2][3] In cinema, the character was often played by Caucasian actresses such as Myrna Loy[4] and Gloria Franklin using the yellowface feature, as was the case with Fu Manchu himself and Charlie Chan, but two Asian actrebsses played Fu Manchu's daughter, but with different names: Anna May Wong was Princess Ling Moy in Daughter of the Dragon (1931) and Tsai Chin was Lin Tang in the five films: The Face of Fu Manchu (1965), The Brides of Fu Manchu (1966). The Vengeance of Fu Manchu (1967), The Blood of Fu Manchu (1968) and The Castle of Fu Manchu (1969).[5][6]

In other media

Comics

Fah lo Suee in The Mask Of Dr Fu Manchu (1951), art by Wally Wood.

Fah lo Suee appears in Avon's one-shot The Mask of Dr. Fu Manchu in 1951 by Wally Wood.[7] In the early 1970s, writer Steve Englehart and artist Jim Starlin approached Marvel Comics to adapt the television series Kung 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 the martial arts genre popularity would phase out quickly. The duo then approached Marvel Comics with the idea to create a kung fu-focused original comic. 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.[8][9] Englehart and Starlin developed Shang-Chi, a master of kung fu and a previously unknown son of Dr. Fu Manchu.[10][11] At first, only a few characters were adapted from the Fu Manchu series, such as Dr. Petrie and Denis Nayland Smith, with whom Fah lo Suee has a romance in the novels, in Master of Kung Fu #26 (cover-dated March 1975), Doug Moench and Keith Pollard adapted the character for the series, she becomes an ally of Shang-Chi and MI-6. After Marvel's license with the Rohmer estate expired, Master of Kung Fu was cancelled in 1983.[12] His half-sister became the director of MI-6.[13] Despite subsequent issues either mentioning characters from the novels cryptically or phased out entirely. Fah lo Suee reappeared in Journey into Mystery #514–516, (1997-1998) leading a drug cartel in Hong Kong under the name Cursed Lotus.[14][15][16][13] 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 was Zheng Zu, an ancient Chinese sorcerer who discovered the secret to immortality[17] and while the Si-Fan is referred to as the Hai-Dai.[18][19] Similarly, Fah Lo Suee was later renamed Zheng Bao Yu in 2013's The Fearless Defenders #8, written by Cullen Bunn, where she appears leading the Ha-Dai.[20][21][22][23][24]

Films

Anna May Wong as Princess Ling Moy

In films she has been portrayed by numerous actresses over the years. Her character is usually renamed in film adaptations because of difficulties with the pronunciation of her name.

In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), a character named Xu Xialing (portrayed by Meng'er Zhang) appears. She is partially based on Fah Lo Suee.[25][26][27][28]

Role-playing games

Fah Lo Suee appears in the adventure Night Moves for the role-playing game Marvel Super Heroes.[29]

References

  1. ↑ "Blogging Marvel's Master of Kung Fu, Part Ten – Black Gate". 3 January 2020. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Fah Lo Suee (Daughter of Fu Manchu)". The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  3. ↑ "The Fu Manchu Chronology". www.pjfarmer.com. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  4. ↑ Sparkle, Billie (2021-12-14). "Shang-Chi: 10 Facts About The Character's Connection To Sax Rohmer Novels". CBR. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
  5. 1 2 "The Face of Fu Manchu". The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. Retrieved 2022-05-11.
  6. 1 2 "Why Shang-Chi's Sister Had to Change for the Marvel Cinematic Universe". Comic Book Resources. 2021-09-25. Retrieved 2022-05-11.
  7. ↑ Maynard, William Patrick (23 July 2010). "Fu Manchu in Comics". Black Gate. Retrieved 2019-09-10.
  8. ↑ "Inside Shang-Chi's evolution from forgotten comic book character to big-screen superhero".
  9. ↑ "A success written in the stars". Universo HQ. March 3, 2001. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  10. ↑ Sanderson, Peter; Gilbert, Laura (2008). "1970s". Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 161. ISBN 978-0756641238. Capitalizing on the popularity of martial arts movies, writer Steve Englehart and artist/co-plotter Jim Starlin created Marvel's Master of Kung Fu series. The title character, Shang-Chi, was the son of novelist Sax Rohmer's criminal mastermind Dr. Fu Manchu.
  11. ↑ Sanderson, Peter (2007). The Marvel Comics Guide to New York City. New York, New York: Pocket Books. pp. 6–7. ISBN 978-1416531418.
  12. ↑ "Here's Why Marvel Doesn't Own Movie Rights to Shang-Chi's Biggest Villain". Screen Rant. August 26, 2019.
  13. 1 2 "The Shang Chi Chronology". www.pjfarmer.com. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  14. ↑ Journey into Mystery #515-516. Marvel Comics.
  15. ↑ "Shang-Chi Defeated His Sister Without Ever Realizing It Was Her". CBR. 2021-10-02. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
  16. ↑ Middaugh, Dallas (August 1997). "Journey into Mystery to Launch New Titles". Wizard. No. #72. p. 23.
  17. ↑ "Shang-Chi: How the MCU's New Hero Was First Connected to the Ten Rings". CBR. August 29, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  18. ↑ George, Richard (2010-10-28). "Secret Avengers #6 Review". IGN. Retrieved 2022-04-22.
  19. ↑ Constantine, Percival (2013-04-09). "10 TV Shows That Marvel Seriously Needs To Make". WhatCulture.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  20. ↑ "Shang-Chi Comics Explained: Where The Next MCU Movie Came From". GameSpot. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  21. ↑ Young, Aaron (May 6, 2021). "These Are Shang-Chi's Biggest Foes". Looper.com. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Elsa Bloodstone (Ulysses' daughter, Monster Hunter)". The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  23. ↑ "Valkyrie (Brunnhilde, Defenders member)". The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  24. ↑ "Why Shang-Chi's Sister Had to Change for the Marvel Cinematic Universe". CBR. 2021-09-25. Retrieved 2021-09-25.
  25. ↑ "Shang-Chi Comics Explained: Where The Next MCU Movie Came From". GameSpot. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  26. ↑ Poisuo, Pauli (2021-08-26). "The Untold Truth Of Marvel's Xialing". Looper.com. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  27. ↑ S, Ian; well (2021-09-05). "Shang-Chi's best Easter eggs and MCU references". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  28. ↑ "Why Shang-Chi's Sister Had to Change for the Marvel Cinematic Universe". CBR. 2021-09-25. Retrieved 2021-09-25.
  29. ↑ "Celestial Order of the Si-Fan". The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe. Retrieved 2022-06-13.


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