Hi everyone,
Today's focus is the forty-first issue of Marvel's The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover is essentially a Shang pin-up, as he fends off throwing stars and a spear thrown at him by people who were not shown. The story was titled "Slain in Secrecy, and by Illusion!" The issue had a cover date of June 1976.
The tale picked up where the last issue left off at Larner's apartment. Clive Reston, Larner, and Black Jack Tarr had agreed to follow up on the Oriental Expediters' lead from the business card that was in the jacket pocket of one of their attackers. Shang opted to stay behind for a time.
He started to meditate and thought back to a time in his father's Honan, China retreat when he was sparring with his rival and classmate Midnight (who was last seen in Special Marvel Edition #16). Their instructor, Cho Lin, chided Shang for having been bested by his opponent. Shang-Chi rose to his feet and resumed the attack with fervor, but was not able to advance another step before being defeated once more.
The sparring session was interrupted by the arrival of the priest Kwan-Shu. He delivered word from Shang's father, Fu Manchu. Manchu believed that Midnight (also known as M'Nai) had stolen a quantity of drink from the cellar. He wanted Midnight to be brought to his personal chambers for punishment. That task would become Shang-Chi's responsibility. He was advised to use force if his friend resisted.
Shang initially refused that his sparring partner was capable of such a thing. However, he still felt bound by duty to obey his father's commands. He began by making his way to M'Nai's quarters. His comrade was nowhere to be found, but he'd left a note stating that he'd been falsely accused of wrongdoing, and that he was not about to accept punishment for someone else's misdeeds. The note was unsigned, but it didn't need to be. The message also asked Shang-Chi not to find him, or else their spirits would no longer be as one.
Afterward, Shang continued on until he heard a familiar voice in the shadows. The voice had warned Shang-Chi not to pursue him, which belonged to his brother Midnight. They engaged in a close-matched personal battle. Shang asked his comrade if he feared weakness, to which M'Nai replied that he feared injustice.
After fighting to a standstill, the two decided to investigate the wine room. To their surprise, they learned that Kwan-Shu was the thief, as they watched him consume several cups of wine from a nearby vat. However, when they shared that revelation with Cho Lin, they were dismissed as liars, and Cho Lin ordered them to their chambers until called for.
Shang-Chi remembered how his father never said a single word to him about that particular incident, even tho Cho Lin said that he would. He wondered if he had never known about it, or if it was a test, one that Shang had passed in a greater and unexpected sense. Shang-Chi realized that Larner's words were true. A traitor could be anyone, even someone who was least suspected. If someone didn't want to believe the truth, then nothing would probably change their mind. As Cho Lin observed, comforting ignorance of placid illusion is always chosen over the disruption of a harsh and unwanted truth.
This issue felt like a bit of a fill-in, with the guest artists, and a reflection back to Shang's earlier days. It was good to see Midnight again, and this was a bit of a morality tale. Regular readers of this site know that I'm a big Sal Buscema fan, and I always enjoy seeing his artwork in comics. I enjoyed this story, which served as a bridge between Gulacy issues.
Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll write about the forty-second issue of Master of Kung Fu. Paul Gulacy returns to craft another excellent tale with Doug Moench. We'll learn more about Oriental Expediters and see a new threat and a new villain for Shang and company. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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