Hi everyone,
Today I'll be blogging about the sixteenth and final issue of Special Marvel Edition. This was the second appearance of Shang-Chi in Marvel's full-color comic book line. Shang did have several stories in the black and white Deadly Hands of Kung Fu magazine, but Marvel's black and white mags aren't always considered canon, and I don't have any of them anyway, so I'll stick to the color comics. The cover of this issue shows Shang-Chi going up against an opponent known as Midnight. The story was called "Midnight Brings Dark Death!" The issue had a cover date of February 1974.
The tale began in New York's Central Park, where Shang-Chi had made his temporary home. He was about to sit down for the night against a gentle oak tree when a trio of would-be muggers approached him. Shang made quick work of the villains and others who attempted to follow them. After the skirmish, Shang was congratulated by a cloaked figure, whom he recognized as the man called Midnight, who up to that point had been his only friend.
The stranger disappeared as soon as he arrived, but Shang was reminded of their earlier days in China. He thought back to the day that his father, Fu Manchu, found the babe left all alone after his village had been raided. One of Manchu's guards was about to slay the youth when his master ordered him to stop. Manchu noticed that the young boy's tears were not of fear, but of hate. He realized he could raise the child, which he did alongside his natural son, Shang. The boys learned together quickly. The new lad always wore a mask. When they were seven years old, Shang asked his comrade to remove his mask. A duel and mutual respect soon followed.
They shared a quest for knowledge and were only separated by Shang's mission to London (as covered in the last issue). Both men wondered why Midnight fled from his friend. Midnight realized, once he was back in Manchu's company, that he could not face Shang. Manchu stated that Shang's American traits, inherited from his mother, led to his betrayal. Midnight was thankful for his benefactor's generosity and agreed to kill Shang on his behalf.
Later that evening, a restless Shang-Chi decided to go for a walk. He was approached by a police officer after attempting to cross the street. During their conversation, a hollow bamboo tube was tossed at Shang. He made an uppercut punch to silence the policeman and went to retrieve the tube. Inside was a message from his old friend. It was a challenge to a duel, one that would take place at the corner of Broadway and Houston.
Shang's foe appeared from a corner behind him, and the battle began. As the former friends fought, the fact that they were now on separate paths was made apparent as they conversed during the skirmish. Midnight saw Fu Manchu's work as righteous, where Shang believed the opposite.
The return of the policeman that Shang-Chi had struck earlier forced the conflict to higher ground briefly before both combatants returned to the streets of New York once more. The cop had pulled up in a police car and now knew that Shang was wanted for the murder of Dr. Petries (as witnessed last issue). Eventually, the martial arts masters scaled a crane that was sitting empty in a nearby construction site. It was indeed a battle to the death, but Shang-Chi would not perish that day. Midnight soon fell toward the ground. His cape broke his fall, but not before the sound of his neck breaking could be heard.
Shang descended the crane slowly. He had the opportunity to finally see what his companion looked like underneath his mask, but he chose not to. Instead, the young warrior simply walked away, bidding his former friend a somber farewell.
This was Shang-Chi's first test of his skills with and without weapons on his own, and his victory was well-earned, even though his old friend died during the battle. Writer Steve Engelhart and artist Jim Starlin were just finding their way with the new characters, and I have to say that I was impressed with the start to this ongoing series. Shang proved to be one of the Marvel Universe's most human characters.
Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll cover the seventeenth issue of Master of Kung Fu, and the first issue without the "Special Marvel Edition" masthead. Both Sir Dennis Nayland Smith and Fu Manchu will return. We'll also see Shang face off against a new character that would play a strong supporting role in the rest of the series' run and beyond. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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