Good afternoon,
Today I'll be discussing the seventy-seventh issue of Marvel's The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover showed Shang fighting a new foe named Zaran atop a train, while what appears to be Leiko Wu speeding on the road above the train tracks in a yellow sports car. The story was called "Weapons!" The issue had a cover date of June 1979.
The tale began with Shang and Wu preparing to leave for Scotland after receiving a call from their friend Black Jack Tarr (as seen at the end of the last issue), warning them about possible danger at their former employer, Sir Dennis Nayland Smith's family castle, for Smith and their missing colleagues, Clive Reston, and Melissa Greville.
Shang-Chi was willing to return to a possible battle even though he still yearned for peace. He gave Leiko the tape he'd saved from their last mission that might be able to clear Shockwave of wrongdoing. They left quickly, leaving Shang's Siamese cat behind once more.
Meanwhile, outside the castle, Tarr took the initiative to gain access. He found a door that was slightly ajar and slowly made his way to the dining room. There, he found what appeared to be his missing comrades.
It wasn't long before Wu and Shang-Chi were on the road, headed toward the Scottish castle. However, they soon found a truck blocking their way. They were about to see why their drive had been disrupted, just as Tarr noticed that his friends were unconscious and had their mouths taped shut.
Tarr heard a gun's safety being switched off and ducked just in time to avoid gunfire from above. A pair of masked men began firing, and he was forced to leave the room. As he returned fire, Tarr started wondering who had sent these attackers after him.
Leiko and Shang stepped out of their car and headed toward the orange truck that had cut in front of them and suddenly stopped in the middle of the road, blocking their path. Several gunmen emerged from the rear of the vehicle, and the driver stepped out. The hooded figure carrying a tall spear identified himself as Zaran, the same person who had sent goons out to kidnap Shang-Chi before (in the previous issue).
The evil weapons master wanted the tape that Shang had made. Wu was carrying it and tossed it to Shang-Chi. A knife thrown by Zaran intercepted its path, and the tape dropped onto the lumber cart of a train beneath the roadside. Both Shang and Zaran pursued it, while Wu took out the gunmen one at a time.
Shang continued to fight. While he still abhorred violence, Tarr, on the other hand, had no problem with taking headshots that eliminated his attackers. Unfortunately for him, the second managed to shoot him in the chest.
While Zaran and Shang-Chi battled atop one of the train cars, Wu had returned to her car and sped on to join them. At one point, Shang spotted the tape lodged between logs on the next car and leapt to retrieve it.
After falling backward following his injury, Tarr was grabbing for his pistol when a man in front of him stepped on the gun. He looked up to find that his was his former MI-6 associate, Sarsfield.
As Zaran continued to toss knives at Shang-Chi in an effort to prevent his foe from reaching the tape that could exonerate Shockwave, Sarsfield admitted to his ex-coworker that they believed that Fu Manchu was still alive and active, and were quite ready to execute the four of them, plus Shang and Wu, if needed.
Wu fired her gun while driving at Zaran, not knowing that his staff doubled as a blowgun. He used it to shoot a dart that punctured the left front tire of her car, sending it skidding. Shang jumped to save her from certain doom, as his foe escaped with the tape.
Sarsfield confessed to Tarr that his actions may be suspicious or cautionary in nature, as Shang-Chi carried Leiko to safety. She told him that they would cross the bridge together before massing out in his arms. Shang looked uncertain as to what to do next.
Zaran proved to be an impressive adversary, one that would continue to pop up in various storylines during the remainder of this title's run. He was one of the few opponents who posed a significant threat to Shang and his friends. I liked this issue for that reason, and the fact that the MI-6 mystery continued to deepen.
Well, that's all I have for today. Next time, I'll tackle the seventy-eighth issue of Master of Kung Fu. We'll learn Leiko's fate and see Shang's rematch with Zaran, the weapons master. We'll also discover how this connects with the MI-6 plot. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. Merry Christmas!
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