Good afternoon everyone,
Today's focus is the ninety-third issue of Marvel's The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover showed Shang, Leiko Wu, and Black Jack Tarr in the background, as warring factions sparred in between a car in the foreground. The tale was titled "Midnight Wind." The issue had a cover date of October 1980.
The story began with a tale found in an old book. It revolved around a man who wished for eternal peace and contentment, and sought those goals by seeking wealth and happiness. He started a business that sold cricket cages. Eventually, he found that he had no time or interest in pursuing a wife or spending time with his friends or family members.
His business continued to grow, and the man continued to accumulate wealth. However, his success was short-lived. It turned out that his products were of inferior quality. Customers complained, and his sales ceased. He was later forced to get rid of all of his inventory and had all of his wealth taken from him.
The man had no one to call for support, since he'd already shunned those who had previously been in his circle. He was alone, but not content or at peace. On one cold morning, the man found himself all alone and did not feel like singing.
Leiko read the fable described above to Shang-Chi as they were browsing a local bookstore. They purchased the tome before returning to her brother David's residence at the Hong Kong embassy. Later that evening, Shang was alone, reading more of the book, and thinking back to the friends he'd made since leaving his family home.
Shang-Chi was distracted by loud noises downstairs and was surprised to see his old friend Tarr berating a member of David's staff. Things were quickly cleared up, and Tarr explained the reason for his visit. He told his colleagues that their former employer, Sir Dennis Nayland Smith, had begun his own private agency, with its headquarters at his ancestral home in Scotland and a satellite branch in London.
Tarr had arrived in New York to recruit his friends for their first mission. Their comrade Melissa Greville's sister had been abducted by a group called The Dawning Light, which was a partially religious cult. Tarr was concerned that the cult might be a front for a villain named Samisdat, who frequently dealt in guns and drugs.
He went on to say that before her abduction, Mandy Greville had worked for her uncle at the Ministry of Defense, and had papers in her possession that detailed secret plans for transporting weapons from West Germany to Great Britain. The transport had just been hijacked two days prior.
Leiko and Shang agreed to join their old friend. However, before they could get started, there was the matter of a car outside that had observed Tarr's rental vehicle. Shang-Chi came up with a quick solution. By posing as the butler, Shang walked outside and tossed a roll of firecrackers at the strangers' car, which was enough to distract them long enough for him and his friends to take off. A firefight ensued, but the heroes still managed to escape and head toward the New York mansion where Mandy was being held.
There were only two guards posted outside the complex, who posed no problem for the trio. A few minutes after their entrance, they noticed a procession of robed people holding candles making their way toward an assembly. Shang-Chi, Leiko, and Tarr simply borrowed a few robes and joined the group.
Once there, they were stunned to see that Mandy was leading the meeting. She welcomed her fellow Samisdat followers and encouraged those gathered to be strong and find truth. In closing, she asked the group to disperse to their own individual rooms and meditate.
This was the opportunity to strike. Tarr grabbed Mandy and brought her outside as Shang and Leiko made short work of their pursuers. They escaped just as the building was going up in flames.
Tarr stopped the car once they were a safe distance away. Mandy was obviously still under the Samisdat's influence and viewed herself as their prisoner. She was prepared to kill the man who had only sought to free her.
Cults are interesting subsets of our population, and have been for centuries. We still see some of them today. This was a rather relevant topic for the time, and I was glad to see Tarr's return. I was also curious to see how this would play out after reaching the end of this story. I loved the fable in the beginning, and I can appreciate its message and relevance.
Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll discuss the ninety-fourth issue of Master of Kung Fu. We'll find out what happens to Mandy after returning home, and see Shang-Chi, Leiko, and Tarr together once more with Smith, Clive Reston, Doctor Petrie, and Lyman Leeks. That issue also marks the debut of another new character, and includes some bonus material about Smith's new headquarters. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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