Retro Comic Recap: Master of Kung Fu #29

 Hi everyone,

Today I'll be recapping the twenty-ninth issue of Marvel's The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover depicted the titular character engaged in battle with a mysterious new character known as Razor Fist. The story was called "The Crystal Connection." The issue had a cover date of June 1975. 

The tale began at Sir Dennis Nayland Smith's townhouse on Central Park West in New York. Shang-Chi had just arrived to join his companions, Smith, Doctor Petrie, Clive Reston, and Black Jack Tarr. This time, a new menace loomed large. Smith produced a photograph of a man named Carlton Velcro. Velcro dealt in heroin and operated out of his estate at the Gulf of Lions in southern France. 

Shang-Chi asked why the authorities hadn't simply confiscated the illegal drugs. Petrie replied that Velcro was basically untouchable by those authorities, which necessitated the use of agents like himself, Tarr, Smith, and Reston to cut through the red tape. Tarr and Smith explained that they basically had to play dirty. Shang was unsure if he wanted to be a part of the mission until Smith took him to a drug rehab clinic. Once he saw the men who had voluntarily opted to suffer to purge illicit drugs from their system, he agreed to join his friends.

During the flight to southern France, Shang-Chi and his companions were informed of the routes that the components of Velcro's drugs took. The poppies from which the narcotic was grown were harvested in Turkey, and then processed in the Mediterranean. The refined drug was then shipped through the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic Ocean to South America.

Before long, the group arrived at their destination. Reston, in his disguise as Mister Blue, approached Velcro with an offer in French currency. Velcro accepted the briefcase full of money and introduced Reston to his associate, the aptly named Razor Fist. The warrior gave a brief demonstration of his destructive capabilities before "Mister Blue" was sent to his quarters, where he would be attended to at all times.

Meanwhile, Tarr and Shang-Chi were preparing to make their drop. They would descend from the plane, land in the water, and swim toward the entrance to Velcro's private grotto. In his quarters, Reston extracted a small gas capsule from a false tooth and tossed it at the guards outside his room.

"Mister Blue" was free, but his escape caught Velcro's attention almost immediately. Troops were dispatched to find him, while Shang and Tarr found the underwater tunnel. Velcro's ground forces were searching the perimeter as Reston eventually found the drug cache, which was much larger than expected. 

Tarr and Shang-Chi had no sooner entered the grotto when they were attacked by more of Velcro's men. Tarr's concussion bomb knocked out several attackers. Tarr was soon able to unleash a gas bomb on more soldiers while Shang went to the stronghold to find Reston. Little did the duo know that Clive had been apprehended by Velcro and ordered to provide his real name and mission, while Smith and Reston waited for updates in a nearby seaplane. Shang-Chi then faced Razor Fist for the first time.

This issue was another great example of how well artist Paul Gulacy and writer Doug Moench worked together as a team. The story had a very logical flow, and Gulacy's artwork improved more and more with every issue. Velcro and Razor Fist proved to be very interesting characters. Razor Fist was even featured in the Shang-Chi movie a few years ago. 

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll recap the thirtieth issue of Master of Kung Fu. That issue will continue this epic. We'll find out what happened during Shang-Chi and Razor Fist's first encounter, and learn what happened to Reston after his capture. We'll also gain more insight into Carlton Velcro's real motives. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.