Shang-Chi, Master of Kung FU ~ H()T G4M3z

Call me Shang-Chi,as my father did when he raised me and molded my mind and my body in the vacuum

of his Honan, China retreat. I learned many things from my father: That my name means The Rising and Advancing of a Spirit, that my body could be forged into a living weapon through the discipline of Kung Fu,and that it might be used for the murder of a man called Dr. Petrie.

Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu #1 - #6

45 page | 6 ep | English | CBZ

Size: 57.11 MBs

The character was conceived in late 1972 when Marvel Comics acquired the comic book rights to Sax Rohmer's pulp novel villain Dr. Fu Manchu while they also held the rights to the Kung Fu television program. Instead of producing a straight adaptation of either source, Marvel combined the two. The result was Shang-Chi, a master of Kung Fu, who was introduced as the (previously unheard of) son of Fu Manchu. Though an original character himself, many of Shang-Chi's supporting characters (most notably Fu Manchu and Sir Denis Nayland Smith) were Rohmer creations. No characters from the Kung Fu television series carried over into the comic series, though the character Lu Sung, in an early issue, bears a strong resemblance to Kwai Chang Caine with the addition of a moustache.

Shang-Chi first appeared in Special Marvel Edition #15 (December 1973) by Englehart and Starlin (SME #1–14 were reprints of older Marvel superhero stories). Shang-Chi appeared again in issue #16, and with issue #17 (April 1974) the title was changed to The Hands of Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu. Amidst the martial arts craze in the United States in the 1970s, the book became very popular, surviving until issue #125 (June 1983), a run including four giant-size issues and a king-size annual. He also co-starred with Spider-Man in Marvel Team-Up #84 and The Thing in Marvel Two-in-One #29. Shang-Chi also appeared in Marvel's Special Collector's Edition #1 entitled "Savage Fists of Kung Fu". At the height of the martial arts craze, he did several crossovers with other Marvel martial artists, including White Tiger, Iron Fist, and Daughters of the Dragon (Colleen Wing and Misty Knight). He also appeared quite prominently in Marvel's sister imprint magazine entitled Deadly Hands of Kung Fu.

The series began by introducing Shang-Chi as a man raised by his father Fu Manchu to be the ultimate lackey for the would-be world conqueror. However, his first mission, in which he killed one of his father's old enemies, Dr. Petrie, ended with Shang-Chi learning of Fu Manchu's true, evil nature. Disillusioned, Shang-Chi swore eternal opposition to his father's ambitions and fought him as an agent of British intelligence, under the orders of Nayland Smith.

The series was an instant sales success. Though Englehart and Starlin soon left as the creative talent for the title, its success grew once writer Doug Moench and artist Paul Gulacy, began collaborating in issues #22. Their critically acclaimed run continued (with short gaps) until #51 when Gulacy was replaced by artist Jim Craig. Craig was later succeeded by Mike Zeck who became the regular penciller in issue #64 (1978).