HUO LI versus SHANG-CHI
Once Upon a Time in Wan Chai (Marvel)
Where: Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu One-Shot (B&W) #1 When: November 2009 Why: Mike Benson How: Tomm Coker & CP Smith
The Story So Far...
Shang-Chi is no stranger to the watchful gaze of unseen enemies. Over the course of two days in Hong Kong, he has felt the lingering presence of a cold stare at his back.
As ally to MI-6, Shang-Chi has amassed many nemeses while striking against the global criminal organizations employed by his father - the villainous Dr. Fu Manchu!
This mysterious watcher has come to test Shang-Chi's renowned mastery of kung fu, but his reasons for the challenge run much deeper than mere martial supremacy. Once again the past has come back to prey upon the master of kung fu, but this time the blood ties belong to the man called Huo Li!
Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Shang-Chi 2 (Average)
Intelligence: Shang-Chi 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Shang-Chi 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Shang-Chi 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Shang-Chi 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Shang-Chi 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Shang-Chi 24 (Champion)
We've got ourselves a kung fu grudge match as we finally explore an overdue corner of the martial Marvel Universe! We've seen colourful combatants like Iron Fist and Daredevil, but this time it's not about super-powers -- just fighting!
Huo Li made his first appearance in today's story, but through the course of the battle it becomes apparent he has deep familial ties to a mercenary who once worked for Fu Manchu. This is self-evident in the unique three-bladed sword he inherited from his father, Death-Dealer, whose immolation he aims to avenge!
Huo Li has dedicated his life to training as a martial artist and swordsman, making him an incredibly confident and competent assassin. He'll also demonstrate some measure of honor, arming his opponent for a degree of fair combat. Is that enough to overcome a Master of Kung Fu?
We recorded Shang-Chi as part of the zombie horde seen in Marvel Zombies #1, but this is his first featured fight on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths.
As the star of the Master of Kung Fu series: Shang-Chi was introduced as the son of Sax Rohmer's literary creation Fu Manchu, and an American woman chosen for beneficial genetic characteristics.
From birth, Shang-Chi was trained intensively in various techniques and disciplines of martial arts, honing him into a living weapon! When he learned his father was not the hero he claimed to be, Shang-Chi swore to use these skills to destroy his father's evil empire.
He's said to be one of the Marvel Universe's greatest fighters, but could this be the blood feud that brings him unstuck? It's time to put the claim to the test!
The Tape: Shang-Chi Ranking: Draw (Not Ranked)
What Went Down...
His senses already on alert: Shang-Chi is drawn to something lurking in the shadows of a nearby alley. He crosses into its darkness and finds a man whose presence he has felt for the two days he's been walking Hong Kong's streets.
The unfamiliar figure, shirtless with clenched fists, says he has heard of Shang-Chi's prowess as a great "living weapon". He intends to test him. They fight!
First blood goes to the mystery man as he connects with a kick to the face!
The blow sends Shang-Chi flying backwards, but he twists his body and rolls with it to regain an upright stance. He warns his new opponent of the mistake he's made. Now he'll find out just how good The Master of Kung Fu really is!
The mystery man moves forward with a confident right fist, but this time Shang-Chi blocks the blow with an open left palm. In one fluid motion he thrusts his right fist into the attacker's abdomen and strikes with a left-hand claw!
Escalating attacks push the attacker to unleash something truly explosive. His body bends back, distancing his face from the claw strike's path while his left foot rises rapidly to catch Shang-Chi with another launching kick!
Shang-Chi lands hard on nearby steps well aware that his opponent is truly an excellent fighter who has overcome pride of self.
The Master of Kung Fu restores his vertical base but rather than leaping into another attack - he vaults straight over his opponent to make for a fire escape ladder. His opponent makes chase, scrambling behind towards the rooftops.
The two warriors meet on equal footing topside. As they gaze at one another in a stance of readiness, the fighter reveals himself as Huo Li: the man who will end Shang-Chi's life in the name of vengeance! With that, he tosses Shang-Chi a sword and reveals the three blades of his father's weapon. It reveals everything there is to know. He is the son of an old foe: The Death-Dealer!
As Shang-Chi contemplates his old adversary, his newest one drives him back with the triple blade. It pushes him toward a skylight and sends him plummeting into the light soaked dive of the karaoke bar below!
Huo Li drops down behind him, but Shang-Chi scrambles clear of the plunging blades. He bumps into nearby patrons and springs back with a thrusting kick!
Remembering Death-Dealer's demise, The Master of Kung Fu gives his opponent a chance to end it. To walk away without dishonor. The vengeful swordsman declines. This fight is the culmination of his life's training. He will not back down.
Shang-Chi avoids a swing of the three pronged blade and presses toward the attacking arm shoulder first. His next move disarms Huo Li with a backwards thrust of his elbow. The base of his foot meets Huo Li's face next. Then stomps with a hard heel to an exposed calf muscle. Huo Li can do nothing.
With his sword pointed directly at his opponent, Shang-Chi makes a choice. He could not spare Death-Dealer's life, but he can spare the son's. He drops the sword and imparts clarity: "I understand your need for revenge. Just know this is a road that ends in death. And it will not be mine."
Shang-Chi walks away in victory, accepting that they will one day meet again.
The Hammer...
When anybody asks me to explain Shang-Chi, I usually just tell them he's Marvel's answer to Bruce Lee. It feels like an over-simplification, but in the case of today's story - it's never been more apt. Just look at that rendering!
Tomm Coker and CP Smith make no bones about depicting Shang-Chi as Bruce Lee. The aviator sunglasses are a big tip off. It doesn't hurt that Mike Benson's script also starts the fight by paraphrasing Enter the Dragon. When an opponent expands - he contracts, and vice versa. Be like water, young warriors.
A cover story featuring Deadpool probably helped sell a few extra copies of the Shang-Chi Master of Kung Fu black & white one-shot in 2009. If you ask me, there was plenty of bang for buck in this story. It speaks to me more than the tongue-in-cheek lead. It's very simple, but it also looks really great!
I was a fan of CP Smith's unique, stylized digital artwork back in the New Invaders days. I don't know what the exact division of chores are here: Smith receives a "with" credit, implying finishing, or inking, over Coker's base. Whatever their process, the art team got something pretty special down onto the page, if you ask me.
The style is moody and vibrant, etched in hard blacks on white & grey, with digital processing for texture. It sometimes looks like paper cutouts, but the staging of action is never too rigid. I presume there's a lot of heavy photo referencing, but that enhances a filmic quality of the whole piece. This isn't fumetti - so-called "photo comics". It's a unique aesthetic that's of the page.
The sense of cinema doesn't end with the pictures. This is a story lettered in Chinese, with English subtitles placed in black gutters. Usually foreign comics are localized with English dialogue placed straight where the original was [see; Dragon Ball]. Other languages in Marvel Comics are often represented with brackets to indicate reading a translation. For any kung fu movie fan, the unique choice should evoke a fond, familiar film-watching experience.
My Mandarin isn't so hot, so I can't say how authentic the dialogue is, but it scratches a long held itch fellow gamers might be able to relate to: The moment the international cast of Street Fighter and Tekken began speaking, there was a strong desire to hear them use their native tongue. It just seemed like a cool, natural thing to do. I've always liked the idea on the page, as well. Although it's probably a lot more interesting when characters don't speak the same language.
I wonder how Shang-Chi purists feel about this episode. The short makes for a satisfying, quick kung fu read, but doesn't seem entirely in step with the red-suited modern Shang-Chi of the last decade or so, nor the kung fu classic of the seventies and early eighties. I could see some diehards taking issue with the specific reference to movies and Bruce Lee. Not that Once Upon a Time in Wan Chai isn't a story deeply rooted in classic comics!
The vengeful Huo Li debuted in this short story and directly references Li Ching-Lin: A mercenary called Death-Dealer who lasted four issues while working for Fu Manchu in 1982. His gruesome fate is pretty much as depicted in vague flashbacks, tying the story directly to Master of Kung Fu #118.
I wouldn't have particularly expected a short like this, in an experimental and already obscure black & white special, to have drawn so specifically on past reference. I like that it does! It goes down easy if you don't know the reference, but if you trace the line back to its source, you get a little bit more out of the kick ass action. That's what good comics should be about!
To the best of my knowledge Huo Li hasn't appeared again since the B&W special. I know Shang-Chi found his way into orbit of the Avengers in the years since, but there probably hasn't been a whole lot of opportunity for follow-up. With any luck that might change now that Marvel Studios has announced Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings - a 2021 movie.
I'll certainly look forward to returning to Shang-Chi in a more classic context at some point in the future, as well as The Mandarin, who will apparently make his true big screen debut, presumably standing in for the notoriously complicated film rights of Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu.
I wasn't able to find this story in collected format at the time of this writing, so you may have to seek out the Master of Kung Fu One-Shot Special if you want to explore today's featured fight further. It was one of at least a couple of experimental seventies style black & white specials released around 2009.
If you want to find more from Shang-Chi, or other relevant characters, be sure to follow links found throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index of all featured fights! Check out Cover to Cover: Martial Arts Mayhem for a special selection of themed fights featuring furious fists and deadly hands of kung fu!
You can also follow Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook for daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day! Be sure to like & share your favourite battles!
Winner: Shang-Chi
#328 (new) Shang-Chi
#884 (new) Huo Li
Where: Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu One-Shot (B&W) #1 When: November 2009 Why: Mike Benson How: Tomm Coker & CP Smith
The Story So Far...
Shang-Chi is no stranger to the watchful gaze of unseen enemies. Over the course of two days in Hong Kong, he has felt the lingering presence of a cold stare at his back.
As ally to MI-6, Shang-Chi has amassed many nemeses while striking against the global criminal organizations employed by his father - the villainous Dr. Fu Manchu!
This mysterious watcher has come to test Shang-Chi's renowned mastery of kung fu, but his reasons for the challenge run much deeper than mere martial supremacy. Once again the past has come back to prey upon the master of kung fu, but this time the blood ties belong to the man called Huo Li!
Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Shang-Chi 2 (Average)Intelligence: Shang-Chi 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Shang-Chi 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Shang-Chi 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Shang-Chi 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Shang-Chi 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Shang-Chi 24 (Champion)
We've got ourselves a kung fu grudge match as we finally explore an overdue corner of the martial Marvel Universe! We've seen colourful combatants like Iron Fist and Daredevil, but this time it's not about super-powers -- just fighting!
Huo Li made his first appearance in today's story, but through the course of the battle it becomes apparent he has deep familial ties to a mercenary who once worked for Fu Manchu. This is self-evident in the unique three-bladed sword he inherited from his father, Death-Dealer, whose immolation he aims to avenge!
Huo Li has dedicated his life to training as a martial artist and swordsman, making him an incredibly confident and competent assassin. He'll also demonstrate some measure of honor, arming his opponent for a degree of fair combat. Is that enough to overcome a Master of Kung Fu?
We recorded Shang-Chi as part of the zombie horde seen in Marvel Zombies #1, but this is his first featured fight on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths.
As the star of the Master of Kung Fu series: Shang-Chi was introduced as the son of Sax Rohmer's literary creation Fu Manchu, and an American woman chosen for beneficial genetic characteristics.
From birth, Shang-Chi was trained intensively in various techniques and disciplines of martial arts, honing him into a living weapon! When he learned his father was not the hero he claimed to be, Shang-Chi swore to use these skills to destroy his father's evil empire.
He's said to be one of the Marvel Universe's greatest fighters, but could this be the blood feud that brings him unstuck? It's time to put the claim to the test!
The Tape: Shang-Chi Ranking: Draw (Not Ranked)
What Went Down...
His senses already on alert: Shang-Chi is drawn to something lurking in the shadows of a nearby alley. He crosses into its darkness and finds a man whose presence he has felt for the two days he's been walking Hong Kong's streets.
The unfamiliar figure, shirtless with clenched fists, says he has heard of Shang-Chi's prowess as a great "living weapon". He intends to test him. They fight!
First blood goes to the mystery man as he connects with a kick to the face!
The blow sends Shang-Chi flying backwards, but he twists his body and rolls with it to regain an upright stance. He warns his new opponent of the mistake he's made. Now he'll find out just how good The Master of Kung Fu really is!
The mystery man moves forward with a confident right fist, but this time Shang-Chi blocks the blow with an open left palm. In one fluid motion he thrusts his right fist into the attacker's abdomen and strikes with a left-hand claw!
Escalating attacks push the attacker to unleash something truly explosive. His body bends back, distancing his face from the claw strike's path while his left foot rises rapidly to catch Shang-Chi with another launching kick!
Shang-Chi lands hard on nearby steps well aware that his opponent is truly an excellent fighter who has overcome pride of self.
The Master of Kung Fu restores his vertical base but rather than leaping into another attack - he vaults straight over his opponent to make for a fire escape ladder. His opponent makes chase, scrambling behind towards the rooftops.
The two warriors meet on equal footing topside. As they gaze at one another in a stance of readiness, the fighter reveals himself as Huo Li: the man who will end Shang-Chi's life in the name of vengeance! With that, he tosses Shang-Chi a sword and reveals the three blades of his father's weapon. It reveals everything there is to know. He is the son of an old foe: The Death-Dealer!
As Shang-Chi contemplates his old adversary, his newest one drives him back with the triple blade. It pushes him toward a skylight and sends him plummeting into the light soaked dive of the karaoke bar below!
Huo Li drops down behind him, but Shang-Chi scrambles clear of the plunging blades. He bumps into nearby patrons and springs back with a thrusting kick!
Remembering Death-Dealer's demise, The Master of Kung Fu gives his opponent a chance to end it. To walk away without dishonor. The vengeful swordsman declines. This fight is the culmination of his life's training. He will not back down.
Shang-Chi avoids a swing of the three pronged blade and presses toward the attacking arm shoulder first. His next move disarms Huo Li with a backwards thrust of his elbow. The base of his foot meets Huo Li's face next. Then stomps with a hard heel to an exposed calf muscle. Huo Li can do nothing.
With his sword pointed directly at his opponent, Shang-Chi makes a choice. He could not spare Death-Dealer's life, but he can spare the son's. He drops the sword and imparts clarity: "I understand your need for revenge. Just know this is a road that ends in death. And it will not be mine."
Shang-Chi walks away in victory, accepting that they will one day meet again.
The Hammer...
When anybody asks me to explain Shang-Chi, I usually just tell them he's Marvel's answer to Bruce Lee. It feels like an over-simplification, but in the case of today's story - it's never been more apt. Just look at that rendering!
Tomm Coker and CP Smith make no bones about depicting Shang-Chi as Bruce Lee. The aviator sunglasses are a big tip off. It doesn't hurt that Mike Benson's script also starts the fight by paraphrasing Enter the Dragon. When an opponent expands - he contracts, and vice versa. Be like water, young warriors.
A cover story featuring Deadpool probably helped sell a few extra copies of the Shang-Chi Master of Kung Fu black & white one-shot in 2009. If you ask me, there was plenty of bang for buck in this story. It speaks to me more than the tongue-in-cheek lead. It's very simple, but it also looks really great!
I was a fan of CP Smith's unique, stylized digital artwork back in the New Invaders days. I don't know what the exact division of chores are here: Smith receives a "with" credit, implying finishing, or inking, over Coker's base. Whatever their process, the art team got something pretty special down onto the page, if you ask me.
The style is moody and vibrant, etched in hard blacks on white & grey, with digital processing for texture. It sometimes looks like paper cutouts, but the staging of action is never too rigid. I presume there's a lot of heavy photo referencing, but that enhances a filmic quality of the whole piece. This isn't fumetti - so-called "photo comics". It's a unique aesthetic that's of the page.
The sense of cinema doesn't end with the pictures. This is a story lettered in Chinese, with English subtitles placed in black gutters. Usually foreign comics are localized with English dialogue placed straight where the original was [see; Dragon Ball]. Other languages in Marvel Comics are often represented with brackets to indicate reading a translation. For any kung fu movie fan, the unique choice should evoke a fond, familiar film-watching experience.
My Mandarin isn't so hot, so I can't say how authentic the dialogue is, but it scratches a long held itch fellow gamers might be able to relate to: The moment the international cast of Street Fighter and Tekken began speaking, there was a strong desire to hear them use their native tongue. It just seemed like a cool, natural thing to do. I've always liked the idea on the page, as well. Although it's probably a lot more interesting when characters don't speak the same language.
I wonder how Shang-Chi purists feel about this episode. The short makes for a satisfying, quick kung fu read, but doesn't seem entirely in step with the red-suited modern Shang-Chi of the last decade or so, nor the kung fu classic of the seventies and early eighties. I could see some diehards taking issue with the specific reference to movies and Bruce Lee. Not that Once Upon a Time in Wan Chai isn't a story deeply rooted in classic comics!
The vengeful Huo Li debuted in this short story and directly references Li Ching-Lin: A mercenary called Death-Dealer who lasted four issues while working for Fu Manchu in 1982. His gruesome fate is pretty much as depicted in vague flashbacks, tying the story directly to Master of Kung Fu #118.
I wouldn't have particularly expected a short like this, in an experimental and already obscure black & white special, to have drawn so specifically on past reference. I like that it does! It goes down easy if you don't know the reference, but if you trace the line back to its source, you get a little bit more out of the kick ass action. That's what good comics should be about!
To the best of my knowledge Huo Li hasn't appeared again since the B&W special. I know Shang-Chi found his way into orbit of the Avengers in the years since, but there probably hasn't been a whole lot of opportunity for follow-up. With any luck that might change now that Marvel Studios has announced Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings - a 2021 movie.
I'll certainly look forward to returning to Shang-Chi in a more classic context at some point in the future, as well as The Mandarin, who will apparently make his true big screen debut, presumably standing in for the notoriously complicated film rights of Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu.
I wasn't able to find this story in collected format at the time of this writing, so you may have to seek out the Master of Kung Fu One-Shot Special if you want to explore today's featured fight further. It was one of at least a couple of experimental seventies style black & white specials released around 2009.
If you want to find more from Shang-Chi, or other relevant characters, be sure to follow links found throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index of all featured fights! Check out Cover to Cover: Martial Arts Mayhem for a special selection of themed fights featuring furious fists and deadly hands of kung fu!
You can also follow Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook for daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day! Be sure to like & share your favourite battles!
Winner: Shang-Chi
#328 (new) Shang-Chi
#884 (new) Huo Li
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