COMIC BOOK PROFILE: SPECIAL MARVEL EDITION #15

 

COMIC BOOK PROFILE:  SPECIAL MARVEL EDITION #15 

Boy, oh boy!  It has been QUIIIIITE a stretch since I've done one of these, and with a whole slew of Marvel movies/tv shows (with some other DC one's I'll throw in here when I can), I thought I'd get back to this while I'm at a lull with all the Arrowverse shows, I'm going to be catching up on some movie reviews and TV show reviews as well, so be on the lookout for those coming up soon.  Either way, let's take a look at a character who has been thrust into the MCU, and made a HUGE impact on fans, and today we'll explore his humble origin (which is different from his MCU counterpart, but that's not the issue).  So, at this time, we're going to explore the first appearance of Shang-Chi---The Master of Kung Fu.  

SPECIAL MARVEL EDITION #15  

COVER ART: Jim Starlin & Al Milgrom

WRITER: Steve Englehart

ARTIST: Jim Starlin

INKS: Al Milgrom

LETTERS: Tom Orzechowski

COLORS: Steve Englehart

EDITOR: Roy Thomas

COVER DATE: December 1973

PUBLISHER: Marvel Comics

TAGLINE:  Iron Fisted First Issue!    Martial Arts action like you've NEVER seen it before!  

Special Marvel Edition #15---published back in 1973, introduced us to a new and exciting character to the Marvel Universe:  Shang-Chi.  In the height of America's fascination with Martial Arts movies (especially featuring the late, great Bruce Lee), it gave Marvel a new hero with a story to tell, and yet another minority character that would resonate with audiences for years to come.  Shang-Chi's appearance in this issue sparked his run as one of those characters that got some prominence in the MU, where he did have some interaction with many of the super-powered denizens of Marvel's spectacular world, but wasn't on the level of them.  But he made his mark on the public, and was active, originally, throughout the 70's.  He then faded into the background for much of the next couple of decades, being something of an "inactive" character, until most recently with the release of the MCU "Phase 4" slate with the release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.  While the comic and movie vastly differ in the telling of his origin, the fact that Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios took a character much considered a B or even C player, and have brought him into the forefront for many new fans to see and enjoy.  After this initial issue, the title of this comic was changed to Master of Kung Fu, and the series ran until issue #125 in 1983.  It was revived in 2018 for a special one shot, as it re-introduced our hero to new audiences.

THE STORY:  Shang-Chi confronts members of his father, Fu Manchu's army, as he tries to make his way to the inner sanctum of his father's headquarters.  We get to see Shang-Chi's origin about how he was trained by his father to become an assassin.  But it seems that Shang-Chi, sent to kill a man named Doctor Petrie, whom has father said was evil, seems hesitant.  And it appears that a British Agent named Denis Nayland Smith, had showed him the TRUE face of evil:  his own father, Fu Manchu.  Shang-Chi confronts his father, and lets him know that he is not his father anymore, and the next time they meet, it will be as mortal enemies. 

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This issue sets up the intro to our titular hero very nicely, and helps put him on the path as one of the good guys for his run.  We also see that, unlike his MCU counterpart, his father is the famous villain, Fu Manchu, not unlike the one, true Mandarin from the movie.  The Ten Rings play no part in this story, and this is more along the lines of a very traditional martial arts film, only with some robots and other creatures in it.  It doesn't really get into ancient Chinese mysticism, but it does provide a lot of action.  You can find Shang-Chi's run in some various forms of either trade paperbacks or an omnibus if you search long enough.

NEXT TIME:  We dive back into the bins to find yet another classic issue to spotlight.