Hi everyone,
Today, I'm taking a look back at the thirty-sixth issue of Marvel's The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover shows the main character fending off an attack by at least a half dozen strangers. The story was named "Cages of Myth, Menagerie and Mirrors!" The issue had a cover date of January 1976.
The tale began in Manhattan, as we find Shang walking alongside a man known as Moon Sun. The elderly gentleman had information to share with his young companion, but would only do so once they descended a nearby staircase leading into a building next to them. Sun Moon warned that the Warlords of the Web were awaiting an opportunity to strike just moments before he was felled by a knife thrown at his back.
As the old man crumpled to the ground, a half dozen dark-robed ninjas surrounded him and Shang-Chi. One of them asked Shang to step away from the stairs, because they sought the death of seven. Shang replied that they'd already sought and found the death of one, and that would end then and there.
The Warlords of the Web's skill with their assorted weapons was impressive, but not enough to overcome Shang's Kung Fu expertise. After the battle was finished, the ninjas mysteriously vanished, leaving Shang-Chi with his dead companion and far more questions than answers.
Shang then thought back to his earlier conversation with Sir Dennis Nayland Smith at his townhouse on Central Park West. Smith informed Shang-Chi about a letter that was addressed to him by someone who identified themself as Moon Sun. There were no other details, except that they were to meet at Columbus and 93rd by midnight. Clive Reston and Black Jack Tarr, who were embroiled in a checkers match with each other, asked Shang if he wanted assistance, but he preferred to go it alone.
Shang-Chi was lulled from his reverie by the sound of Moon Sun's voice, asking him to come here. He was stunned to see that Sun was alive. The elderly man said that the dagger had killed him for a moment, but in reality, it had missed. The weapon had not been hurled with the true spirit of death behind it. He then led Shang down the stairs and into what appeared to be an empty room.
Moon Sun promised that explanations would be given in due time. For now, he asked Shang to introduce him to someone who was on the other side of a green curtain before him. Sun left, stating that his absence would be temporary.
Shang-Chi was understandably confused by the request. He then pulled the curtain aside, as the being on the other side of it had asked. There he came upon the first mystery: Satyr. A gray-skinned humanoid conversed with him from behind the bars of its cage. He introduced himself as Pan Sing and gave few details about himself, except that he preferred to stay where he was and that he would not reveal much more until Shang went to the next canvas and introduced himself.
Shang did so, and soon pulled off the next canvas to discover the second mystery: Wulff. Here, a wolf-like creature (somewhat similar to the Werewolf by Night character that had its own Marvel magazine at about the same time) introduced itself as Cinnabar. Cinnabar stated that he had not always been a wolf and that he would cause Shang-Chi harm if he failed to obey Sun's instructions.
He told Shang to introduce himself before the next canvas, which he did once more. This time, the third mystery was a being known as Angel Hawk. It was both angel and hawk, although it did not really like being either entity. He asked Shang-Chi if he really knew himself before guiding him to the next canvas.
The fourth mystery was a Seamaid named Seena. Her message was that the feeling in which words were communicated was what mattered. Feeling didn't really care if the person didn't.
From there, Shang went to the fifth curtain, which was hiding an impressive-looking Unitaur, the fifth mystery. It was named Rynor and admitted to having a gruff exterior but a soft interior. All he wanted was to help Shang help himself. Shang-Chi was then asked to approach the last curtain.
He did so, and behind it was the sixth mystery: and a serpent, two. This being was an amazing two-headed snake. Each head spoke in turn to Shang-Chi. The purple head was known as Sybilis, while the green head called itself simply Snake. Sybilis wanted to devour Shang, while Snake preferred to be friendly. Both heads warred with each other, even though they were attached to the same body.
They were ordered to stop bickering by Moon Sun, who had arrived with his most prized possession: his daughter Tiko. Shang-Chi was pleased to meet her, but still wanted more answers from her father. He explained that he wanted Shang to protect his exhibits, which he referred to as mysteries. They were a traveling circus, and he wanted to keep them safe from the evil Dark Strider and his Warlords of the Web.
Tiko confessed that she tried to dissuade her father from continuing on, but he was adamant that the show must go on, even though he knew full well that could mean putting himself and those he traveled with in danger. Shang-Chi agreed to protect them, since they had been threatened with harm.
The next morning, Shang made his way to the train terminal, where he was greeted by both Tiko and Moon Sun. Just the ten of them were making the journey together. What they didn't know was that not long after their train left the station, more Warlords of the Web pounced on top of the train, eager to accomplish their goal of the death of the ten, including Shang-Chi.
This was a bit of an offbeat issue, especially when compared to the Moench-Gulacy three-part epics. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed it. The menagerie of characters reminded me a bit of different-looking characters from a Len Wein-Sal Buscema storyline in the Incredible Hulk's color comic. I know that not every comic book fan likes Keith Pollard's art, but I've always found him to be a capable artist, and probably drew the mystery characters better than anyone else probably would have.
Well, that's it for this article. Next time, I'll recap the thirty-seventh issue of Master of Kung Fu. Doug Moench, Pollard, and inker Sal Trapani will continue this story as we learn what happened to Shang and his new companions. We'll also delve into more of the backstory of the Warlords of the Web and the Dark Strider. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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