Hi everyone,
Today, I'll discuss the eighty-seventh issue of Marvel's The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover showed Shang squaring off against Zaran, while his sister Fah Lo Suee was engaged in a sword battle with Leiko Wu in the background. The story was called "Warriors of the Golden Dawn Part 5: The Chrysalis and the Peacock." The issue had a cover date of April 1980.
The tale began with Shang and Black Jack Tarr's journey via plane from South America to Lima, Peru. The pair had posed as part of Fu Manchu's brainwashed minions. They then took a commercial flight to Morocco, where they rejoined their comrades Wu, Clive Reston, and Sir Dennis Nayland Smith at a Casablanca nightclub owned by Reston's pal Richard.
While Smith rested, Tarr and Shang-Chi recounted their adventures in South America. Even though the Manchu they saw was only a hologram, Shang insisted that it was the spirit of his estranged father. Reston explained that New York was the likely next target, before the group began to disperse for the evening.
Shang-Chi rejoined Wu, who had a confession to make. Meanwhile, Tarr stepped outside. He soon noticed a familiar face. As he walked closer to it, he recognized both Shang's half-sister, Fah Lo Suee, and the villain Zaran.
Wu and Shang sat together, and Leiko began talking about trust. She recounted a time when she was twelve years old and attended a meeting in London while her father belonged to the Chinese consulate. During one of those meetings, she met a bright, blond-haired boy who became her first love. They spent time talking and playing board games under the tables that their parents sat at, discussing world issues.
As Tarr confronted Suee, Wu went on to say that the boy's father was later assigned as cultural attache to Taiwan. She never saw the blond-haired boy again. She never thought that she'd find love again until she first met Reston. Leiko then said that she loved Shang-Chi.
Outside the club, Tarr was accusing Suee of deception when she tried to hypnotize her accuser. Wu admitted to Shang that she was weak and had recently spent time in Reston's arms once more, but only momentarily. During this conversation inside, Suee ordered Tarr to put down his gun and kiss her.
This drew the ire of Zaran, who violently attacked the unsuspecting Tarr. Leiko didn't know what Shang-Chi should do next, but felt compelled to be honest with him. He understood and went to the bar where Richard and Reston were talking.
Zaran was about to inflict further damage on his opponent until he ceased fighting. He ordered several of his men to let Tarr go and to meet him and Suee at the mosque in twenty minutes. Meanwhile, Shang asked Reston if Wu had said or done anything while he was gone that he should have known about. Reston couldn't think of anything and was swiftly punched by Shang-Chi.
Richard was impressed by the strike, but the arrival of a weakened Tarr prevented any further conflict between Reston and Shang. Tarr crawled over to Shang-Chi and informed him of what he'd just seen and heard.
Shang rushed out to meet the villains, with Wu close behind him. Before long, Zaran took on Shang-Chi, while Wu engaged in a good old-fashioned swordfight with Suee. Meanwhile, Tarr was being taken by Richard and one of his employees to rest. They informed Smith of what had just happened.
Zaran failed once more to defeat Shang-Chi. Leiko and Suee were evenly matched, but the arrival of more guards was enough to convince Wu to yield. The group then went to Shang. There, Suee explained that she now served the future MI-6, which had agreed to stop their assassination attempts on her brother's colleagues. It was a condition that she'd established before joining them.
The tape that she'd stolen and recorded over was Suee's proof that attempts had been made by the old MI-6 on Shang-Chi and his friends. She was sure that the current iteration would have destroyed Shockwave's tape and that her faction wanted to rise to power without scandal.
Just before Smith and Reston arrived on the scene, Suee admitted that she and her ally had worked to free Smith from her father. Moments later, Karemenah entered. She was the ally that Suee had been talking about.
Suee explained that her father would be in New York the next day. All she knew about his plans was that they were to meet at a pier. The group argued about what to do next until Smith spoke up. He didn't think that joining forces was the best idea at the time.
Smith then asked Karamenah if she wanted to reconnect with her husband. She had no interest in that, noting that she'd observed him in disguise in years past. Karamenah observed how he had moved on after believing her to be dead, and wasn't interested in disrupting the life he'd resumed without her. She added that she'd tried to approach Doctor Petrie a half dozen times before, but simply couldn't.
The group then went their separate ways. Most notable was the split between Reston, Shang-Chi, and Wu. It seemed like the lovers' triangle and Wu's confession had driven a rift between the friends that would take some time to mend.
This was another interesting issue. I was surprised by how quickly Zaran found his self-confidence. His battle with Tarr was kind of a test, one that he'd passed with flying colors. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't enough for him to overcome Shang-Chi's skills. To me, Leiko's infidelity didn't seem like a big issue, especially by today's standards, but Shang's sense of honor and trust probably made it a larger concern, which I can respect. I'm still at a loss for words to explain why Doctor Petrie wasn't involved in this story arc, except for this issue's flashback and mention toward the end.
Well, that's all for this year. I'll kick off 2026 with a recap of the eighty-eighth issue of Master of Kung Fu. In that issue, we'll learn more about Fu Manchu's plans for New York City. We'll also see what Suee plans to do to combat her father's plans, and how the rift among Shang and his friends impacts their actions. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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