Retro Comic Recap: Master of Kung Fu #81

 Good afternoon,

Today's topic is the eighty-first issue of The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover showed the titular character surrounded by a pair of leopard-skin-wearing foes who carried knives, above what might be a scale model of London. The tale was titled "Breathless." The issue had a cover date of October 1979.

The story began with Shang, Black Jack Tarr, and Clive Reston being pursued as they drove by a pair of vehicles that were firing at them. Tarr's car was soon overturned and stuck against a wall. The trio stood their ground until a bullet struck both of their assailants' cars, knocking them out of action. Shang-Chi was then able to push the car over, and they sped away.

Reston recovered one of the knives that had been thrown at them during the battle. It was identical to one that had stabbed and caused the death of Lyman Leeks, their contact that they had planned to meet at the train station. As soon as the heroes found a phone booth, Reston called Sir Dennis Nayland Smith, who was waiting at his Scottish castle home along with Melissa Greville and Leiko Wu.

Smith was surprised to hear that Leeks had been killed. He figured out that the clue he'd given about Hanemark was actually the word Karemenah spelled backwards, and that the two trees must mean 1933. Karamenah was his friend, Doctor Petrie's wife. Smith also deduced that the rainbow bridge referred to an incident in 1933 that he, Petrie, and Leeks were involved in, where the evil Fu Manchu had tried to kidnap members of the League of Nations. 

Reston was shot at once more before Smith could relay additional details. He, Shang-Chi, and Tarr found themselves in another firefight. As they battled, Smith told Reston over the phone about their adventure in 1933. He and his associates had learned about Shang-Chi's father's plan and had breached the Singapore base of his Si-Fan operatives. 

The conflict was fierce, but Smith and his crew eventually managed to free Petrie's wife. She gave them a statue of a peacock, or the "rainbow bird." Petrie later donated the statue to the London museum, where he believed that his associates had to reach by dawn to figure out the last part of the puzzle. After hanging up, Smith directed Wu to take them to that same museum.

Tarr, Reston, and Shang decided to head toward the museum. Tarr insisted on making a stop at Whitechapel first. They left the body in their vehicle, which was soon discovered by his double. After unlocking the front door, Reston went to retrieve the body, only to be startled when it awoke.

Leeks explained that he was the real McCoy, and that he'd stashed his impostor in the car's trunk. Moments later, the quartet found themselves under fire. Tarr drove for safety. As he did so, the body of the impostor flew from the open trunk and landed on the hood of the car pursuing them, causing that vehicle to crash into a post. 

Later, while Reston was lamenting the poor health of some of his plants, Tarr was searching for more ammunition, mere moments before they were fired upon yet again. He, Reston, and Shang drove off for the museum, leaving the housekeeper and Leeks to tend to the mess.

The car arrived at the London museum at dawn. Reston and Tarr were examining the patterns shown by the light reflected from the tailfeathers of the peacock statue right before more attackers in leopard costumes arrived. One attacker made a beeline for the tapestry on the opposite wall, tearing it with the false claws from his uniform. He made off with the information packet that had been hidden inside. Shang-Chi followed close behind.

Shang was led to the rooftop, where he battled two warriors. He was rescued by a helicopter that was operated by his friends from the castle. Wu dropped down a ladder for him before tossing a gas grenade. After the battle, Shang descended the ladder to rejoin Tarr and Reston.

The packet was opened. All that was inside was a note that read "fooled again, little spirit." This was an obvious insult for Shang-Chi from his half-sister, Fah Lo Suee. Tarr slammed his fist down angrily on the top of his car, which seemed to cause it to finally fall apart. He and his friends headed toward the helicopter, wondering what else was in store for them. 

I didn't mention this before, but I was pleased with the addition of Gene Day as inker. His work complemented Mike Zeck's pencil art perfectly. This was another enjoyable issue. There were still plenty of questions that were thus far left unanswered, but at least the storyline was intriguing enough to want to find out how everything fit into place.

Well, that's a wrap for this article. Next time, I'll recap the eighty-second issue of Master of Kung Fu. Greville will play a more active role, and we'll find out what Leeks wanted to share in person. We'll also see more of the leopard warriors and find out more about what they have planned. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.