This was a MAX title by what is probably the best creative team ever to work on Shang Chi:Doug Moench and Paul Gulacy. But…This is not their best work. Good news: It’s not their worst, either.

The story appears to take place right after MoKF ended, with issue #125. Shang Chi’s enemies are vanquished and he is attempting to live a quiet life in a village. That doesn’t last long. Also, when this tale starts, we all believe that Fu Manchu is still dead, but of course he’s not.  So he first appears as a shadowy, cloaked figure directing the action.

We learn his true identity slowly over the course of six plot-twisty issues that harken back to the dense-plotting days of Master of Kung Fu.

The story also brings back beloved supporting characters like Black Jack Tarr, Leiko Wu (who is mostly portrayed as a hot hostage, unfortunately), and some of Chi’s old team-mates in MI-6. 

In fact, two of them are now married to each other: Leiko Wu and MI-6 agent Clive Reston.

Side note: Shang Chi finally lectures Tarr that the term, “Chinaman” is racist.

The main story pits Chi against the heretofore unknown other son of Fu Manchu, a character named Moving Shadow, who is acting on the direction of his father…

Shadow was raised to replace the Shang Chi, who his father saw as a failure when Chi refused to help do evil deeds for him.  (Don’t bother looking for a  tag for Moving Shadow at the bottom of this post—he dies at the end of this story.)

Ultimately, Chi, Moving Shadow and Fu have their final battle.  Shang Chi wins.

…And Fu Manchu kills Shadow for his failure.  (Question: Why didn’t he just throw the knife at Shang Chi, who has been foiling his plans for decades?!?)

Shang Chi and his team escape Fu Manchu’s base, which crumbles around him and so we are again led to believe that he is dead.