Good morning,
Today, I'll discuss the fifty-seventh issue of Marvel's The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover showed the titular character fighting off a pilot in a World War I-era plane. The story was called: "The Saga of War-Yore III: Call It Thunder!' The issue had a cover date of October 1977.
The tale began on a night in London, where Shang-Chi, Clive Reston, and Black Jack Tarr found themselves under attack by a biplane from decades past. However, this plane had a significant weapons upgrade. It fired laser beams at its opponents on the ground.
As the plane took a downward lunge toward its targets on the ground, Shang jumped on. He made his way to the cockpit and confronted the pilot, who looked like the reincarnation of the Red Baron himself, except for the fact that he used laser weapons. The pilot drew a laser pistol, which Shang-Chi forced him to fire at the wing, bringing the craft crashing down to Earth.
Shang leapt free before the explosion and soon rejoined his friends. They then traveled to Whitechapel (MI-6 Headquarters) and entered what used to be an old storage area. Tarr led the way, stating that the records they were looking for were on the third floor. He was amazed when they entered a massive war room.
The room had electronic maps and lots of equipment. The trio had just begun to explore it when a guard entered. He spoke only a few words before being shot from behind by a silenced weapon. A firefight ensued until Reston realized that they were fighting MI-6 agents. Tarr wondered if some of their foes were double agents. No matter what, they had undoubtedly tripped silent alarms and had to accomplish their goals quickly.
Meanwhile, at War-Yore's stronghold, Leiko Wu heard Eric Slaughter, in his persona as the Red Baron, approaching. Fearing that she could be sought be the Kaiser, he freed her, only to be swiftly attacked by the now-former prisoner. Wu descended down a circular staircase looking for a way out, as a pair of operatives remarked about her captivity in Slaughter's dungeon. Slaughter then ran into the two men, exlaiming that he had to find Saint George (another one of his multiple personalities).
Back at MI-6, Reston located files on Slaughter, aka War-Yore. He noted that Slaughter was a British agent. Shang-Chi was well accustomed to games of deceit and death. His only focus was on finding and freeing Leiko, who was still trying to find her way out of the massive castle, which Tarr, Reston, and Shang soon made their way to.
As they got out of their car, Reston noticed a female figure in a window high above them. That person was Wu, who jumped down to join her comrades below. Standing between Leiko and her friends was Slaughter in the guise of Saint George. Armed with an electrified sword and laser-firing lance, Saint George stood prepared to defend his domain from the new intruders.
Shang-Chi jumped to the drawbridge to take on their foe. Slaughter's weapons were rather ineffectual against the martial arts master. Their battle was interrupted by the sounds of an incoming helicopter. Tarr and Reston soon saw Wu captured once more by the men who had doubted Slaughter's sanity. We soon saw that one of the helicopter's passengers was Sir Dennis Nayland Smith, our heroes' former boss.
Some readers may think that penciler Jim Craig's artwork mimiced that of his predecessor Paul Gulacy. I saw some similarities, but I think that Craig also put his own unique spin on Shang-Chi and company. It's just a shame his tenure on this book was rather brief. I felt like he captured the essences of Slaughter's multiple personalities quite well.
Well, that's all for now. Tomorrow, I'll recap the fifty-eighth issue of Master of Kung Fu. Craig joins writer Doug Moench in crafting the final piece of the War-Yore saga. We'll see Slaughter's last personality, and find out what happens to Shang and his friends during a climactic battle. There will also be a turning point in some of their relationship's in Craig's last issue as regular penciler of this comic book. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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