Hi everyone,
Today, I'll be discussing the twenty-sixth issue of Marvel Comics' The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover showed Shang jumping to avoid an attacker who lunged headfirst into a tall column, as a mystery woman watches them from behind. The story was called "Daughter of Darkness!" The issue had a cover date of March 1975.
The tale began with a character recounting his experience with a beautiful woman, who had been searching for the ruby eyes of a golden beetle. The female was apparently intoxicating to the eyes and other physical senses. On the second page, we learned that the person sharing the story was a man named Greville, who was conversing with Sir Dennis Nayland Smith at a restaurant. At first, Greville assumed that what he'd witnessed was just a dream, until he awoke and found a sparking emerald ring next to his pillow that morning.
Smith immediately knew that the ring his friend Robert held in his hand was identical to the one that had been gifted to Greville's father, Shan, many years ago by the daughter of Fu Manchu. Smith explained that her name was Fah Lo Suee and that she had once coerced Shan to fall in love with him. He went on to say that Manchu's daughter was capable of using her powers to convince men to do whatever she pleased.
Greville knew nothing about this until just then. Smith remarked that few men would tell their offspring that they'd fallen in love with a temptation from hell. He added that once he broke free of Suee's temptations, he eventually met Robert's mother, Rima Barton, and was content with their new life together. Greville laughed at what might be considered to be a ghost story and was curious as to why one of his father's old friends had contacted him.
Smith replied that he'd had reason to believe that Fu Manchu was currently residing in the same city of El Kharga, Egypt, where they were now. Greville dismissed Smith's belief as more poppycock, thinking that the old man might be a bit delusional. Smith asked him if a delusion had also entered his bedroom and left the emerald earring behind.
Meanwhile, in the crowded streets of El Kharga, Shang-Chi was nearing the designated site where he would rendezvous with Smith. Sir Dennis Nayland Smith asked Greville to get rid of the ring immediately, as Shang found the restaurant's entrance and entered cautiously. He arrived to find Smith and Greville still locked in debate as to whether or not the presence of the ring signaled trouble.
Shang interrupted the conversation to inform his friend that his father was in the same room with them. The trio of men then turned slowly to see the cloaked figure who had been sitting quietly stand up and reveal himself as none other than Fu Manchu. Moments later, several of Manchu's trained warriors broke through the restaurant's plate-glass window. Shang-Chi leapt into action to defend his comrades. The battle was quick. Manchu's Si-Fan warriors had all been defeated, but not before Manchu slipped away once more.
After the battle, Smith asked Greville again to get rid of the ring and remove himself from any involvement with Manchu or Suee. Robert pressed his father's old friend for more information as to why Smith knew so much about their opponent. Smith admitted that at one time, he was also under the love spell of Suee and was almost lost in it. That response apparently wasn't enough for Greville. He stormed off, after stating that the emerald ring was his to do with as he wished. Smith remarked to Shang that Robert had lost his reason and that they should still try to protect him from Shang's sister.
This made Shang-Chi think back to a time several years before, during his first meeting with his half-sister Fah Lo Suee. Manchu explained that they did not have the same mother and left the siblings alone for a while. Suee started by saying that she liked Shang's name and asked her half-brother what she thought of the man who had sired them both. Young Shang replied that his father was a great man, one whom evil men sought to destroy.
Suee responded by saying that there is evil in many beings, including possibly some in herself and Manchu. Before leaving, she asked Shang to think about the fact that Manchu and she were the same, and someday she may wish their father to be slain. On that day, he would be allowed to share Suee's wish. Shang didn't understand those words at the time. It wasn't until he had killed another man in his father's service (as witnessed in Special Marvel Edition #15) and desecrated his spirit in the process that he finally started to understand.
By that time, Shang and Smith were in a nearby library. Smith had been poring over hefty tomes until he found a depiction of the pharaoh Seth-Amon's golden beetle. Rubies were affixed to its eye sockets. The book went on to say that Seth-Amon believed that the rubies were able to hypnotize others, which explained why Suee sought the trinket. It was a key to success that had been out of her grasp before. Smith postulated that both Manchu was also in Egypt as a last attempt to stop Suee.
A while later, Smith and Shang arrived at Greville's lodging. The front door was locked, but Shang-Chi managed to slip into a window several stories above the main entrance. He noticed that the desk chair was out of place and that the letter on the desk in front of him remained unfinished. His reverie was then interrupted by a knife thrown at him by a large Si-Fan warrior. Both he and Shang were after the same person.
The soldier added that he was also sent to slay Shang, and another battle ensued. The conflict in close quarters was impressive, but Shang-Chi walked away victorious as expected. Afterward, he rejoined Smith outside and showed him a map that he had found, which would lead them straight to Greville's archaeological excavation site.
They guessed correctly that Suee would have led Robert to that spot to help her find the golden beetle. They searched for the item inside the pyramid, just before Shang and Smith arrived via Jeep. Both parties continued to venture further inside the structure. Greville and Suee eventually located a crypt that held six sarcophagi of women and servants. The seventh sarcophagi contained the mummified remains of Seth-Amon and the beetle, which was kept in a small box beside him.
The duo found the box, but Suee was shocked to find that the beetle's eyes had already been removed. She wondered who had taken them and accused Robert of theft. He swore that wasn't true, noting that his workers had only found the crypt the day before and that he hadn't had enough time to review it thoroughly. Suee commanded him to search for them just before Shang and Smith arrived. She remembered Smith and soon entranced him again.
Shang-Chi tried to prevent Smith's enchantment, minutes before several sarcophagi opened, and the beings from within declared death to Manchu's enemies. Suee ordered Greville and Smith to defend her, a cause which Shang joined as well. During the fracas, Seth-Amon's sarcophagi broke open after one of Manchu's soldiers crashed into it. We then saw that his sightless eyes housed the beetle's rubies.
Shang was able to defeat the soldiers and break Smith free from the spell. He'd noticed a bomb sitting on the floor during the confrontation and was able to leave the pyramid with Smith moments before its explosion. Manchu's helicopter pilot had triggered the explosive remotely, but as far as we knew, there was only one casualty. After the blast, Shang and Smith discovered Greville lying next to them. He hoarsely mentioned that Suee had kissed her before expiring. Smith figured out that Suee had been wearing poisonous lipstick.
Smith and Shang-Chi knew that Manchu had escaped again and figured that Suee had probably fled the pyramid before the bomb was detonated. Smith wondered if Grevile had been left outside as a decoy. Both men realized that this would not be the last time that either of them would see Shang's dangerous relatives.
Even though some comic book fans don't particularly care for Keith Pollard's work, I find him to be a very acceptable artist. His pencil drawings were inked nicely by Sal Trapani and helped to move Doug Moench's script along nicely. Fah Lo Suee would prove to be an interesting character that I wish had been more involved over the course of this title's run.
Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll recap the third giant-sized edition of Master of Kung Fu. Penciller Paul Gulacy returns to craft an all-new four-part epic with Moench. Shang, Smith, Black Jack Tarr, and Fu Manchu will also be there. We'll also be introduced to a new ally and a new foe. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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