Wukong shot sleeve T-shirt

Sun Wukong (孫悟空, Mandarin pronunciation: [swə́n ûkʰʊ́ŋ]), also known as the Monkey King, is a literary and religious figure best known as one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West. In the novel, Sun Wukong is a monkey born from a stone who acquires supernatural powers through Taoist practices. After rebelling against heaven, he is imprisoned under a mountain by the Buddha. Five hundred years later, he accompanies the monk Tang Sanzang riding on the White Dragon Horse and two other disciples, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing, on a journey to obtain Buddhist sutras, known as the West or Western Paradise, where Buddha and his followers dwell.

Sun Wukong possesses many abilities. He has supernatural strength and is able to support the weight of two heavy mountains on his shoulders while running "with the speed of a meteor". He is extremely fast, able to travel 108,000 li (54,000 km, 34,000 mi) in one somersault. He has vast memorization skills and can remember every monkey ever born. As king of the monkeys, it is his duty to keep track of and protect every monkey. Sun Wukong acquires the 72 Earthly Transformations, which allow him to access 72 unique powers, including the ability to transform into animals and objects. He is a skilled fighter, capable of defeating the best warriors of heaven. His hair has magical properties, capable of making copies of himself or transforming into various weapons, animals and other things. He has partial weather manipulation skills, can freeze people in place, and can become invisible.

The supernatural abilities displayed by Wukong and some other characters were widely thought of as "magic powers" by readers at the time of Journey to the West's writing,without much differentiation between them despite the various religious traditions that inspired them and their different and varied functions, and were often translated as such in non-Chinese versions of the book.

Abilities

Apart from his powerful staff, martial arts skills, and superhuman physical prowess, the Monkey King is notable for wielding a sundry of magic powers, some featured many times throughout the novel and others only once, and most of them cultivated during his Taoist training under Puti Zushi. Said powers include, but are not limited to:

• Cloud Somersaulting (觔斗雲Jīndǒuyún):

The Monkey King’s infamous ability to travel or “leap” 108,000 li (54,000 km, 34,000 mi) in one somersault. The ability, oft portrayed as Wukong riding a nimbus-like cloud, requires a magic hand sign, an oral spell, a fist clench, and a body shake. Wukong’s master Puti Zushi taught this ability to the monkey to give him a style of flying that compliments his penchant for jumping.

• Seventy-two Transformations (七十二般變化; Qīshí'èr-bān Biànhuà):

Also known as Multitude of Terrestrial Killers (地煞數; Dìshà Shù). A power originally learned by the Monkey King from his master Puti Zushi to avoid the Three Calamities (三災利害), sent by heaven to punish those who attain immortality by means of Taoist self-cultivation. The Monkey King was given the choice between either learning the “Multitude of the Heavenly Ladle” (天罡數) that permits 36 changes, or the “Multitude of Terrestrial Killers/Earthly Fiends” that allows for 72, and chose the latter. It allows the monkey to transform his body into virtually anything, from humanoid forms to animal ones, including small insects, to miscellaneous objects and even entire buildings, or to simply change his size (from gigantic to microscopically small). While fighting Nezha, the Monkey King copied the latter’s war form with three heads and six arms (Chinese: 三頭六臂), showcasing his ability to precisely alter specific parts of his body. Overall, the “Seventy-two Changes” metaphorically designate an endless variety of transformations (not limited to just 72 in a literal sense), and in addition, it is suggested that for each of the 72 Changes, Sun Wukong has an extra life as well.

• Immortal Breath (仙氣; Xiānqì):

The Monkey King’s magic breath, which is what allows him to transform his hairs and staff, among other such mystic effects as: manipulating his own spirit, healing wounds, or divinely empowering others.

• Bod(y/ies) Beyond The Body (身外身法;  Shēnwàishēn Fǎ):

The Monkey King’s ability to transform any one of his 84,000 hairs into whatever he wishes upon the command “Change!” (「變！」;  “Biàn!”): from humanoid figures to animals (like insects), to miscellaneous items (tools, money, and even food). However, the monkey mainly uses this power throughout the novel to spawn clones of himself, with Wukong boasting that a single hair can be multiplied into millions and even billions. A seemingly separate ability (denoted as such in the novel) is called Method of Bodily Division (分身法; Fēnshēn Fǎ), also allowing the Monkey King to create clones of himself.

• Method of Imitating/Modelling Heaven and Earth (法天象地;  Fǎtiān Xiàngdì):

An extension of the Monkey King’s shapeshifting powers, it allows him to grow into a monstrous, giant-sized form upon uttering the command “Grow!” (「長！」; “Zhǎng!”). Such form is described as being 10,000 zhang (萬丈) in height, but this may be metaphorical for a much larger, cosmically proportioned size, since Sun Wukong boasts about his ability to fill the universe with his body should he will it.

• Three Live-Saving Hairs (三根救命的毫毛;  Sāngēn Jiùmìng de Háomáo):

Three special hairs created from willow branch leaves that are gifted to the Monkey King by Guanyin, allowing him to create anything he wishes specifically in fulfillment of his duties as Tripitaka’s guardian; they are notably distinct from Wukong’s other magic hairs.

• Diamond Body (金鋼之軀; Jīngāng zhī Qū); AKA Copper Head, Iron Limbs 銅頭鐵臂; Tóngtóu Tiěbì):

Refers to the Monkey King’s near-invulnerable body, immune to hits from blades or mallets, lightning, fire, poison, etc.

• Fiery Eyes, Golden Pupils ( 火眼金睛; Huǒyǎn Jīnjīng):

Truth-seeing eyes, able to distinguish certain dualities (good from evil, truth from lies, the rich from poor, etc.) as well as see through illusions and magical disguises/transformations. It also allows Wukong to see far distances in a clairvoyant fashion (1,000 li during the day and between 300 to 500 li at night).

• Method of Bodily Concealment (隱身法; Yǐnshēn Fǎ):

A spell that allows Wukong to become invisible to the eyes of humans and even gods and spirits. See also Gathering Mists, Intangible Form (聚形散气; : Jùxíng Sànqì), a method of stealth, by means of transforming, almost, into air and wind, used by Wukong.

• Body-Departing Spirit (身出一個神;  Shēnchū Yīgè Shén):

AKA Means of the Spirit Leaving the Body ( 出神的手段;  Chūshén de Shǒuduàn); essentially the ability of astral projection.

• Body-Fixing Method (定身法; Dìngshēn Fǎ):

A spell that lets the Monkey King freeze humans, gods, and spirits alike in place, for up to a full day’s worth of time. This is usually done by repeatedly saying the command “Freeze!” (「住！」;  “Zhù!”) and pointing at a target.

• Lock-Breaking Method (解鎖法;  Jiěsuǒ Fǎ):

Allows Wukong, with only a point of his finger or staff, to open any lock.

• Protective Circles ( 圈子; Quānzi):

The Monkey King draws a circle on the ground with his staff, which functions as a protective ward or barrier as tough as an iron wall. Used to protect Tripitaka, it dissuades enemies from approaching, whether they be tigers, wolves, ogres, or demons.

• Fire Avoidance Spell (避火訣; Bìhuǒ Jué):

Allows Wukong to survive fire; it does not work against the True Samādhi Fire (三昧眞火; Sānmèi Zhēnhuǒ).

• Water Avoidance Spell (避水訣;  Bìshuǐ Jué); Method of Water Restriction (閉水法;  Bìshuǐ Fǎ):

Spells that, respectively, allow the Monkey King to ward off water and to travel through water unimpeded, by opening waterways. Still, the monkey is unable to properly fight underwater.