Who the Clix? Chien Khan

Who the Clix? is a series of articles featuring information on comic book characters that have been made into figures for the popular tabletop game Heroclix. These articles are meant to help Heroclix players learn more about the characters behind their favorite pieces.

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Appearances in Heroclix: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Heroes in a Half Shell
First Appearance: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #28 (January 1992)
Team Affiliations: N/A
Powers: Black magic; Minor Demon control
Created by: Stephen Murphy and Chris Allan

Yoshi Chen grows up on the streets of Chinatown. While he is able to attain a mastery of martial arts, having a mix of Chinese and Japanese parentage still gains him the derisive moniker of “dog”, or inu, among the gangs. This spurns the young man on, adopting the nickname and turning it into a name of fear. He even adopts a pit bull that he names Mauler, who becomes a constant companion. He is eventually recruited into Johnny Yen's Golden Triangle Gang and becomes a lethal enforcer. Once among their inner circle, he begins to learn black magic from one of Yen's allies in order to grow ever greater power and control in the criminal underworld.

This rise to power gains Chen enemies that begin to plot his downfall. This leads to Chen and Mauler being captured, thrown into an air tight container on a cargo ship. The plan is to leave them there to eventually suffocate but Chen turns to his growing dark magic knowledge. He contacts a powerful demon named Noi Tai Dar and makes a bargain: if Noi saves Chen's life, Chen will help the demon reach Earth. To seal the deal and make Chen stronger, Noi fuses Chen with Mauler into a demonically-induced mutant.

Chen is able to free himself from the container but is disgusted by his new form. He finds a suit of armor and begins to wear a full Samurai helmet in order to attempt to pass as human. He adopts the moniker “Chien Khan” and founds the Dog Star Gang, which becomes an incredibly powerful crime syndicate in Japan, second only to the Foot.

Chien comes into conflict with the Turtles when he attempts to steal the soul of April O'Neil, Chu Hsi and the Warrior Dragon. Using this power he is nearly able to free Noi from the heart of a nuclear power plant. The Turtles, alongside their master Splinter, are able to gain the aid of the Warrior Dragon as well as the gods Izanagi and Izanami. The final blow is when one of Chien's minions, Ninjara, betrays him and joins the Turtles' side.

His grand plan in shambles, Chien refocuses on personal matters. Redoubling his efforts on summoning minor spirits, he rebuilds his syndicate in New York and goes to war with Johnny Yen and the Golden Triangle. Chien is able to finally steal the source of Yen's power from him and in a desperate attempt to defeat all his foes, he summons a much more powerful spirit. Noi opens a gatweay, angry that Chien has not followed through on their bargain. While Chien is distracted, April kicks Chien through the portal, landing him in Yomi, the home of the great demons.