Hi everyone,
Today, I'll be discussing the thirty-fourth issue of Marvel's The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover showed the titular character engaged in battle with what appeared to be an army of robot soldiers. The story was called "Cyclone at the Center of a Madman's Crown!" The issue had a cover date of November 1975.
The action began in the East China Sea, as a strange-looking plan maneuvered toward an island encased in a circle of mountains. Shang-Chi and his friends were on their way to rescue their colleague Leiko Wu from the madman known as Mordillo. Clive Reston thought about his relationship with Wu and how he was stunned at first by knowing that she had chosen Simon Brentor over him. Now that he knew that Brentnor and Mordillo were the same person, he was ready to take care of two opponents at once.
As they neared the island, Reston and company were amazed by what they saw below them. The island had a castle, a pyramid, a geodesic dome, and a shoe straight out of a fairy tale, all within close proximity of each other. The rocketship started its descent at about the same time that Mordillo, Wu, and Mordillo's soldiers departed their own craft.
Leiko was not about to be a willing captive. She initially fought off Mordillo's men before expressing her regret over leaving Reston for what she now knew was a lesser man. Mordillo asserted that he can play the game as well as anyone else, adding that he played the role of Brentnor long enough to persuade Wu to fall in love with him. Now he was the evil genius and martial arts master known as Mordillo, having presumably shed his alter ego for good.
He engaged in a spirited battle with his former love until she was lassoed by another associate of Mordillo's. This one was a pasty-complexioned, short being named Brynocki. Brynocki was wearing garb typically associated with cowboys from the days of the old West. Mordillo was thankful for the assist and eagerly awaited more shenanigans in the castle that lay just ahead of them.
Meanwhile, the rocketship was continuing to lose altitude, eventually crashing into several trees. The lightweight suits worn by its crew undoubtedly saved the passengers from serious harm. They had only ventured a few yards when the sounds of a train caught their attention. This was no ordinary locomotive. It talked and had a friendly face. It looked like something out of a children's book. A calling card was issued from the seat of the first car. It was an invitation by Mordillo to a gathering. Reston and Shang were skeptical, but decided to board the vehicle anyway, presuming it would lead them to their lost teammate.
Back in England, Black Jack Tarr and Sir Dennis Nayland Smith had a lengthy conversation. Tarr expressed his desire to join his friends, instead of staying behind at Scotland Yard with Smith. He went on to say that Smith should have stopped Reston's initial association with Wu. Doctor Petrie said that there was plenty to do in London. However, Tarr was less than convinced, stating that he wanted to be where the action was before leaving the room and slamming the door loudly behind him as he did so.
Inside Mordillo's headquarters, he and Byrnocki were viewing footage of Shang-Chi's recent exploits. The leader lamented the loss of income and the opportunity to do in Carlton Velcro himself. He went on to say that he'd gotten to the point where he'd convinced Velcro and he and Pavane were trusted allies and could have moved along with his plans until Shang and company intervened.
He then told Brynocki to burn the film, before moving to the dining room for a rather uncomfortable meal with Leiko. The former couple sat at opposite ends of a long table. He continued to grill her about Project Ultra Violet, something that she swore she had no knowledge of. As he continued to press the issue, she reminded him of their past relationship, which he stressed was in his former guise as Simon Brentor, and that he was no longer that character.
The Chinese government was willing to pay Mordillo a million dollars for what Leiko knew about the project, which explained his insistence on grilling her. She still claimed no knowledge of it, which prompted Mordillo to provide further motivation. The wall behind them opened slowly, revealing a large device called a solar chute. It would be used to deliver soldiers up into Earth's stratosphere, where they would inject freon to deplete the ozone layer, leaving sections open from which to fire rays of UV sunlight down on targeted opponents.
At the same time, Reston and Shang-Chi's train ride was about to come to an end. They stopped by the shoe, and saw a quartet of robotic soldiers march toward them. The deadly toys proved to be no match for the heroes. They resumed their journey on the odd train until another trap was sprung. This time, a drawbridge before the end of the train tracks saved Shang and Reston, who leapt toward it just before the train crashed underneath them.
Clive and Shang landed in what seemed to be an area filled with toy houses. From one of them sprang a puppet of Shang's father, the evil Fu Manchu. Reston shot the puppet before it could issue more taunts at them. He had just holstered his weapon when they turned to find a silent figure wearing a mask with a smile adorned on it behind them. They followed the figure along a path, avoiding more trouble until they arrived at a theater.
Inside the building, Brynocki served as an usher, directing Shang-Chi and Reston to their seats. On the stage before them sat a large hourglass. Leiko was inside the trap, whose sands were pouring down upon her with great intensity. Before the two could move to save her, Mordillo entered the scene. He then put on a metal glove that spat fire before asking what fun he could have with his captive audience.
This was a very satisfying continuation of the story from the previous issue. We got to learn more about Mordillo and Leiko, who would continue to evolve during the monthly comic's run. Mordillo's artificial assistant Brynocki would be the first supporting character to serve as comic relief since Rufus Hackstabber. It was even nice to see the return of Shang's father, even if it was only in puppet form.
Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll recap the thirty-fifth issue of Master of Kung Fu. That issue wraps up the Mordillo introduction. We'll find out if Wu escapes the hourglass and the fate of Reston and Shang-Chi. We'll also see what Mordillo had in mind for his solar chute and the return of another character who was briefly mentioned but not seen in this issue. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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