Happy Friday, everyone,
Today's topic is the one hundred and eleventh issue of Marvel's The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover depicted the titular character locked in combat with the Ghost Maker. Both adversaries appear to be in the hands of a ghastly spectre in the middle of a thunderstorm. The story was called "Deadly Rain." The issue had a cover date of April 1982.
The tale began with Shang and Black Jack Tarr riding in a helicopter that was flying away from the Sussex military base that had just been attacked by the Ghost Maker and his crew in the last issue. The copter eventually flew low enough for Tarr and Shang-Chi to drop down into a Jeep and pursue the villain on the ground.
Ghost Maker had fled via jetpack and had taken Leiko Wu hostage. Wu fought her captor the entire way, and they soon crashed into a tree. Leiko had been shot during the melee at the military base and was in no condition to follow on foot. Instead, she made a fire that caught Shang and Tarr's attention.
Wu knew that their foe was headed toward the Queen's visit in France, which was scheduled to happen in less than six hours. Shang-Chi took the Jeep to find the villain, after insisting that Tarr stay behind to take care of Leiko. Ghost Master's jetpack had been damaged during the crash, and he crashed into a building just as its fuel ran out.
The villain landed next to a motorcycle, which he used to escape. Shang soon spotted him, and a road race ensued. The battle continued on Shang's Jeep, a nearby ferry, and a train before the pair ended up riding bicycles near the procession. Ghost Maker was about to fire another acid rain canister at the waiting crowd when Shang-Chi attacked him from behind.
The pair continued to fight until Ghost Maker finally broke free from Shang's grasp and accomplished his goal. However, all the weapon accomplished was destroying its user. Shang-Chi grabbed the rope ladder that was dangling from a military helicopter. As he ascended the steps, he saw his opponent's sins being literally washed away to the bone.
Meanwhile, Sir Dennis Nayland Smith caught up with Tarr and Wu. He shared the news that Ghost Maker's plot had been foiled, and that Shang had played a vital role in its failure. Shang-Chi had been taken to a Parisian hotel, where he could finally sleep peacefully.
Acid rain and ongoing battles aboard multiple vehicles were common to many TV and movie shows at the time. Acid rain seemed to be a bigger threat in fiction than it was in reality. Ghost Maker was an interesting character, and someone else would assume his mantle later on. My only regret was that Leiko didn't get to tell Shang that she'd been pushing him to do better in person right after this particular mission ended.
Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll recap the one hundred and twelfth issue of Master of Kung Fu. Shang-Chi, Leiko, and Clive Reston will head to Toronto to take on a new menace, while Smith, Tarr, and Dark Angel remain behind in Scotland to evaluate the threat. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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