Hi everyone,
It's time for me to discuss the thirty-ninth issue of Marvel Comics' The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover showed Shang facing off against Shen Kuei, the mysterious man who was also known as Cat. The story was called "Fight Without Pity." The issue had a cover date of April 1976.
Back at the Jade Peacock, things were at a standstill. Shang told Kuei that Juliette did not betray him and that she had not disclosed his location. Kuei brushed that off as a lie, even when Juliette asserted that Shang-Chi was telling the truth. Shang said that he was not sent to assassinate Kuei. His mission was to protect Juliette from murder by Kuei's hand. Kuei replied that he would not love a woman whose love for him was just deceit and guile.
Kuei then assumed a defensive stance after asking Shang-Chi to defend Juliette from him. A low sound indicated the presence of others in the building, who we soon learned were gangsters. Three of them entered their room, with their pistols drawn. Before anything could happen, Shang-Chi burst through a window, escaping with Juliette in his arms.
The gangsters were willing to stop them, but Kuei insisted that they stop firing. He knew that they fled because he would kill them. Kuei knew what Shang and Juliette's destination was. He would go there and then kill them.
Meanwhile, Juliette and Shang-Chi discussed their plans. Shang wanted to go to the harbor to retrieve the documents and then go to the air terminal to return Juliette to London. However, she still wanted to remain in Hong Kong and professed her love for Kuei, even though she knew that her lover might kill her. She thought that he would calm down if she could just convince the Cat that she hadn't betrayed him. Shang-Chi respected her decision and was about to go off on his own, until a Siamese cat walking by Shang's feet was enough to change her mind and go with him.
Back in London, Leiko Wu was busy practicing her tai chi. Her exercises were interrupted by Clive Reston. He confessed to picking her lock. Wu asserted that what they'd once had was now over. Reston knew that and wanted to talk about the present. He mentioned her affair with Brentor/Mordillo and her new affection for Shang-Chi. He didn't want his naive, innocent friend to be hurt by Leiko like he'd been. Leiko reminded him to keep out of her affairs, stating that Shang could take care of himself. She struck at him brusquely and immediately regretted it. The scene ended with the two former lovers embracing.
At the Hong Kong harbor, Shang swam to the boat where the documents were located. He defeated a guard and made his way to an interior cabin. He then asked the man at the desk for the papers that were stolen from the British government. The man replied that he had the papers, but that he'd already transmitted them via a secure channel and a scrambled system. His people knew the documents' contents, but he added that they did not steal them and that the documents were developed by their own intelligence sources. Shang-Chi was surprised to hear that the papers were not stolen from Smith, but rather that he'd tried to steal them from the Chinese government. He then took the documents topside and shredded them before letting them scatter into the sea.
Shang grew tired of the game and swam back to the docks, where Juliette was waiting. She asked him if he'd found the papers. He replied that they were not his to take. Before Juliette could ask Shang-Chi why he said that, Shen Kuei arrived behind them. He wanted vengeance on the British agent, and another battle began.
Kuei and Shang made their way across the harbor, engaging in both hand-to-hand combat and using weapons such as nunchuks and spears before being drawn to a halt by Juliette once they were on the shoreline. She stood on the dock above them with a dagger in one hand. She asked her love to believe her words. In his hesitation, she drove the dagger into her chest. Kuei ran to her side, not knowing whether or not she could be saved.
Shen Kuei knew that her fate was not Shang-Chi's fault, and that the blame may have been his. He tossed the knife at Shang's feet, which he could use to slay his foe if he so chose. Shang-Chi stood silently as Kuei carried his lover away in his arms. Juliette took one last look at Shang before they departed.
Instead of reaching for the blade, Shang put his hand down to pet the Siamese cat who had returned. He took the animal with him on the plane trip back to London. He questioned the meaning of his battle with Kuei and the mission, and knew that he wanted more answers than Sir Dennis Nayland Smith had given him thus far.
This was another great art issue, and I felt that it was a somewhat satisfying conclusion to this two-part story. My one regret was that Juliette seemed so willing to end it all so quickly. She could have been a great ally for Shang and his colleagues. Shen Kuei was an interesting character, and the underlying subterfuge and seeming pointlessness of Shang's mission were worth delving into.
Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll recap the fortieth issue of Master of Kung Fu. Shang will confront Smith about the Hong Kong mission and embark on another sojourn with Black Jack Tarr and Clive Reston. We'll also meet another new character and learn what Leiko's up to. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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