Good morning,
Today's topic is the one hundred and fifth issue of Marvel's The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The Gene Day-drawn cover showed SHang underneath three versions of his old foe, Razor Fist. The story was called "The Razor-Fist Connection." The issue had a cover date of October 1981.
The action began in a sleepy bar next to a Hong Kong harbor. The peace was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a man who called himself Razor Fist. He barged in, demanding to know information about Shen Kuei. Those in attendance swore that they knew nothing of his whereabouts. A battle swiftly ensued, one that eventually moved onto one of the junks in the harbor.
Razor Fist ended the conflict after learning that Shang-Chi and his companions had been in the city recently, but had just returned to London. He appreciated the information, but warned that he'd return if he'd been lied to. Meanwhile, inside a London townhouse owned by Sir Dennis Nayland Smith, Black Jack Tarr and Clive Reston were conferring with their former MI-6 leader.
Smith explained that he'd just received a dossier from their previous agency, one that involved the late Carlton Velcro. At an undisclosed location, Razor Fist reported his mission update to his superior, who informed him that his brother in London would continue activities. Meanwhile, Smith told his friends that seven people had been killed, and that each of them had been associated with Velcro.
Just outside the townhome, Shang-Chi sat by himself. His thoughts went back to the day that Smith requested his assistance in the Carlton Velcro affair. They included his first arrival on Mordillo's island and his initial encounter with the villain Razor Fist. Shang battled both Razor Fist and Pavane on the island, and eventually commandeered a skimmer that he'd sent flying back into the island compound to destroy his base of operations.
It was generally assumed that Razor Fist had perished during that operation, but Smith's news suggested that might not necessarily be the case. In Hong Kong, several operatives had just finished briefing Kuei on Razor Fist's intrusion in the bar. Afterward, he and Juliette talked about their past involvements with Pavane and Shang-Chi, respectively. Kuei decided to send a telex to Shang to warn him about this new threat.
Back in London, Smith, Tarr, and Reston were trying to figure out who the killer was. Reston suggested learning who sent the dossier and acquiring additional information from them. Shang-Chi said that he would be at Leiko's flat if his friends needed them following their visit to MI-6.
At Wu's Soho flat, she handed Shang the telex about Razor Fist that she'd just received. Shang-Chi was doubtful of the villain's return, but suggested that the couple stay there a while longer, as he expected a call from Smith at any moment. Smith was meeting with the current leader of MI-6, who soon revealed that it was Shang-Chi's half-sister Fah Lo Suee who'd sent him the dossier.
Suee was now a consultant at MI-6. She stated that the next victim would most likely be Pavane, while a man who looked like Razor Fist was thanking a man named Velcro and asking him to say hello to his brother. Smith then called Wu to inform her that he'd dispatched Reston and Tarr to the Sahara to investigate the seven murders. She and Shang-Chi were to visit Pavane to warn her.
Leiko and Shang arrived outside Pavane's home in Surrey minutes later. They opted to hop the fence and were accosted by her panthers, who had been guarding the grounds. Several minutes later, they broke through a window and entered the house.
It didn't take the duo long to meet Pavane once more. She was ready to defend herself with her whip, and the man that they'd arrived to warn her about arrived on the scene moments later. It soon became obvious that Pavane was Razor Fist's primary target, although the reasoning for that was as of yet unclear.
Shang defeated their common enemy, and Pavane later admitted that Razor Fist's employer was still Carlton Velcro. Shang-Chi and Leiko found this news difficult to believe. At the same time, another man who looked like Razor Fist was being debriefed for his next mission by a man that he'd called Velcro.
Pavane told Wu and Shang that Velcro hadn't died after all, and was trying to take out people who'd been involved in the old MI-6. She added that they'd stopped one Razor Fist assassin, but that wasn't all. The man lying unconscious at their feet was a triplet.
This plot seemed to borrow from soap operas of the time, with the triplet and return of a villain long thought dead. Velcro was an underutilized character during the Moench/Gulacy run on this title, and I was okay with him being brought back. Like the Synergon agents, it's quite possible that almost anyone could be a Razor Fist, too, I guess. I was wondering if Velcro was the real deal or just an automaton.
Well, that's it for this article. Next time, I'll recap the one hundred and sixth issue of Master of Kung Fu. We'll learn more about the Razor Fists, and find out just who this mysterious new villain is. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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