Good morning,
Today's topic is the seventy-sixty issue of The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover showed the titular character squaring off against a pair of foes on a dock, with one opponent already down and a fourth in the distance preparing to join the fray. The story was called "Smoke, Beads and Blood!" The issue had a cover date of May 1979.
The tale began in a smoky bar. That evening, Shang was talking with a wizened old man about life. He said that he never wanted to fight, but was constantly being placed in situations where he had no choice but to fight. His associate said that he then was a fighter, and that to deny the truth of his identity was meaningless.
Shang-Chi wished to engage in quiet pursuits, such as solo tranquility, universal peace, or looking for harmony. The old man replied that those things were only illusions, and that harmony's only purpose was to coexist with discord. Shang talked about the one with whom he'd found perfect harmony, to which his comrade remarked that harmony with another spirit was hardly universal. He advised Shang-Chi to acknowledge that life's truth existed on a plane that was set lower than his ideals.
Shang went on to say how his own name meant the rising and advancing of a spirit. After that was disclosed, the old man offered to show his young companion something. The duo left, but their exit didn't go unnoticed by other patrons.
Meanwhile, outside Sir Dennis Nayland Smith's family home in Scotland, Black Jack Tarr noticed Smith's car outside the residence. No lights could be seen from the outside. Tarr decided to check things out for himself.
Back in New York, the old man escorted Shang-Chi to another house and a room behind a beaded curtain. Shang was trying to find out why his spirit was constantly broken. He'd come seeking answers, only to find betrayal, as moments later, gunmen arrived to take Shang-Chi outside to the alley.
While Tarr was creeping along the perimeter of the Smith family home, Shang was being led to an empty dock. As they walked, Shang-Chi kicked a small stone at a crate. The noise was enough to distract the gunman behind him. Shang took advantage of this and lashed out at his opponent. His foes continued to grow in number during the skirmish, but none of them proved to be capable of defeating their target.
After the battle, one of his attackers confessed that they were supposed to deliver him to a man named Zaran, who would pay for his delivery. Shang-Chi returned to the old man, who was now cowering alone where he'd left him. Shang tossed the money from his opponents at him, saying that the elder could buy back his soul. He then left Malay Jack's bar once more, his mind still filled with questions.
Tarr was driving around looking for a telephone in Scotland by the time Shang returned to Wu's home. He explained that he wanted to take a walk while she slept. The duo sat down together on the couch and talked about their last romantic interlude, and how it, like the jigsaw she'd been working on at the time, had been shattered by Smith's arrival.
Tears began to swell in Shang-Chi's eyes as he wondered aloud why their peace had to end, and why their satisfaction was regularly interrupted by violence. Before Leiko could come up with a suitable answer, the phone rang. Tarr was calling about his visit to Smith's Scotland castle.
He spoke with Wu and Shang. After the call, Shang-Chi told Wu that Smith, Clive Reston, and Melissa Greville were all in trouble, and that Tarr probably would be soon as well. He said that they will do what they must. As we saw enemies from Shang's past in the last panel, it seemed quite obvious what their course of action would be.
This issue definitely brought out a side of Shang-Chi that most loyal readers had never seen before. He was a man of peace who was consistently brought into different private wars. His sense of honor and duty kept him committed to those he was loyal to, even if it meant disturbing his calm and peace time and time again. This issue was one reason that helped me to appreciate the main character even more than before. He couldn't even have anger at the old man who'd betrayed him, and even provided him with a way to help himself in the end. Marvelously done, Moench, Zeck, and company!
Well, that's all for this article. Next up is the seventy-seventh issue of Master of Kung Fu. We'll find out just what happened to the missing former MI-6 employees as we peer inside the Scottish castle again. We'll also see the mysterious Zaran in person for the first time. Until then, have a great week, and don't forget to be kind to one another. Merry Christmas!
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