Hi everyone,
Today, I'm writing about the thirty-eighth issue of Marvel's The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover showed Shang reflected in a mirror as he attacked one opponent from above, while another foe lay beneath him. The story was aptly named "Cat." The issue had a cover date of March 1976.
In a seemingly deserted Hong Kong street, we see several felines on the prowl. A small rock tossed by Shang disrupts them, but only for the moment. As the titular character walks on, he thinks back to what brought him there. Sir Dennis Nayland Smith was surprised by Shang-Chi's initial refusal to travel to Hong Kong, noting that he'd never turned down a mission before. Shang replied that it was because Smith had never asked him to kill a man before. Smith noted that he only wanted him to stop an opponent's operations and retrieve some important documents. Shang-Chi countered that the only way to stop such a person would be to end their life.
Smith urged his friend to reconsider, stating that the counter agent was in more danger with each second that they delayed. Leiko Wu agreed with that statement, adding that she was in danger. Shang-Chi agreed to the mission to save a life, and not cause a death. Wu informed him that the agent was Shen Kuei, who, for his mystery, stealth, and cunning, was also known as Cat.
By the time the recollection was over, Shang had arrived at the Jade Peacock nightclub. He stepped inside, in the middle of a set performed by a stunning blonde singer. Her haunting melodies made him think back to saying goodbye to Leiko at the airport, with their embrace (from the end of the Mordillo trilogy in issue #34) lingering in both of their minds.
The memory faded as the song did. The singer sat down with Shang and asked what brought him to Hong Kong. Shang-Chi replied that he was looking for a cat. He used the proper code words, and she identified herself as the counteragent. Shang went on to say that he was to protect her from Kuei, who was trying to prevent her from returning to London.
The singer didn't seem very interested in returning to London. When asked why, she talked about the magicians of old China who were known as the bewitchers of the night. They played on the five senses while they entertained their audiences, turning their performances into nights of pure fantasy. The magicians no longer existed, but their ghosts still remained in that country. That was why she preferred to stay where she was.
Shang-Chi was about to ask her where to find Kuei when a man from behind her expressed his concern that Juliette had asked to be left alone. Shang fought him off. The man was young and skilled, but not well enough to defeat Shang-Chi. Afterward, Juliette told Shang that his opponent belonged to a local street gang. They decided to leave before more gang members arrived.
Once inside Juliette's room, and after she confirmed that it had not been bugged, she admitted to Shang-Chie that Shen Kuei was her lover. She asked him to go to the harbor and retrieve the documents before the gang members returned. Meanwhile, an associate of Kuei's confirmed the suspicion that Juliette was a British counteragent.
On his way to the harbor, Shang-Chi reentered the Jade Peacock. It was empty, but only momentarily. He was soon joined by more gang memers. Shen Kuei himself appeared on the balcony. The man who was also known as Cat fought side by side with Shang. Together, they successfully defeated the Hong Kong gang members one by one.
Following the battle, Juliette reappeared. Kuei said that he had come to repay his lover for betraying him to Shang and telling him his location. Juliette admitted that she hadn't disclosed that information, to which Kuei replied that he had come to repay her false love in death.
The artwork in this issue was magnificent! Just the first three pages alone belong in an exhibit of modern or comic book art. Paul Gulacy and Dan Adkins did an excellent job of portraying Doug Moench's story. Both Kuei and Juliette proved to be interesting characters, although Juliette does look and act a bit similar to Pavane.
Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll recap the thirty-ninth issue of Master of Kung Fu. That issue wraps up this story. We'll learn more about both of the supporting characters that were just introduced. There's also a development involving Clive Reston and Leiko Wu. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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