Good morning,
Today, I'm going to discuss the Master of Kung Fu story that was included in the third issue of Marvel Comics Presents. The tale was titled "Crossing Lines III: Fish." The issue had a publication date of late September 1988.
The story began on the streets of Hong Kong, where Shang-Chi was searching for any sign of Leiko Wu, who had been kidnapped by masked men three days prior. Unfortunately, his journey didn't turn up any clues toward her disappearance. He then returned to rejoin his comrade, Black Jack Tarr.
Tarr wasn't surprised by Shang's results. He and Clive Reston were also taking Leiko's abduction hard. Reston had picked up the bottle again and had talked about giving up the game entirely. Tarr was also concerned about the terrorist cell that they'd hoped to infiltrate. Britain was about to end its occupation of Hong Kong, which could leave the area ripe for takeover by other legitimate or illegitimate groups looking to seize power and control.
Tarr admitted to his old friend that Xiao (who had been murdered last issue) had come to them after his daughter and wife had been killed by a Red Wolves bomb. As he and his crew investigated the matter, they learned that the Red Wolves were connected to a significant, growing terror network. He wanted to stop them before any more lives were lost.
Feeling a bit disenfranchised, Tarr returned to the Oriental Expediters storefront, where Reston was sitting in a corner, spooked by a recent package delivery. It was addressed to Shang-Chi and was starting to stink. Shang opened the box and was stunned to find what they assumed was one of Leiko's hands, which still had Xiao's ring on it.
Wu and Xiao had become an item during Shang's absence, but it was obvious during their reconnection (as shown in the last issue) that she still had feelings for the Master of Kung Fu. Shang-Chi agreed to listen to Tarr's plan, and Reston also counted himself in. Shang thought that Reston would soon be sober but he would still be wrong.
I was surprised by the package as much as the cast of this issue. I didn't think that Doug Moench would resort to something like this, but I guess times had changed. After all, this title prominently featured Wolverine, so it seems that Marvel's comics had evolved from the tameness of the previous decades.
Well, that's all for now. You can read this issue's Wolverine, Man-Thing, and Thing stories if you want while you wait for my return. Next up for me will be the MOKF story from the fourth issue of Marvel Comics Presents. We finally see what happened to Leiko and learn more about just what Tarr's plan entails. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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