Background

Sha Shan first appears in Amazing #108, where she saves Flash Thompson from execution for a number of rather complicated reasons. Flash was serving in Vietnam at the time and was wrongfully blamed for the destruction of a local temple. The monks came to America looking for revenge and were stopped by Spider-Man and Dr Strange. See the Vengeance From Vietnam review for more details.

She soon returns to Vietnam with her father, to establish a new temple. At that time, she becomes entangled with Achmed Korba, at the bequest of her father, to become a balance to his evil nature. Sha returns to America with Achmed, while her father is killed in one of the last bombing raids of the war.

An unwilling Sha (as Sister Sun) and a far more enthusiastic Achmed (Brother Power) battle Spider-Man and friends in early issues of Spectacular Spider-Man. Achmed is killed in an explosion at the climax of the battle, leaving Sha free to be re-united with Flash. They were seen together a couple of times, until history caught up with them. Flash had an affair with the married Betty Brant (who was married to Ned Leeds) and Sha Shan left him. This was after Flash accused her of seeing Peter behind his back and then slapped her when she denied it. The infidelity also nearly ended the Leeds marriage.

Many years later, Flash lost his legs in the Iraq War. Sha Shan was hired to be his physical therapist. Why she would take the job, I have no idea, but there she was. There was no love lost between Betty and Sha upon her return. There was no romance between Sha and Flash, as he was seeing Betty.

Thanks To:

The assistance of the Marvel Chronology Project is gratefully acknowledged.

Some of the above information is extracted from the various versions of the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe and the more recent Marvel Encyclopaedias.