X-Men #62 (March 1997)

Recently, the Marvel Cinematic Universe had debuted its first film with an East Asian lead: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. In a way, it was appropriate that the Master of Kung Fu was the first East Asian character to get a lead film in the MCU as his comic counterpart was one of the Marvel Universe's first East Asian superheroes.

Over the years, Shang-Chi has had many encounters with various other heroes. And this week, I thought it would be neat to showcase one. Let's join the Master of King Fu as he joins forces with the Marvel Universe's resident Merry Mutants in X-Men #62!

The cover is a Carlos Pacheco, Art Thibert, and Liquid! piece. I like it, even if it is a bit basic. It just depicts Shang-Chi and Wolverine facing off against unseen foes. I like the title "Hellfire in Hong Kong". I think it's a snappier title than the story's actual title.

"Games of Deceit and Death - Part 1 of 3"
Writers: Scott Lobdell (plot) and Ben Raab (script)
Penciler: Carlos Pacheco
Inker: Art Thibert
Colorist: Chris Lichtner, Liquid!
Letterers: Richard Starkings, Comicraft, Albert Deschesne
Editors: Mark Powers, Jason Liebig, Bob Harras
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Our story begins with our man Shang-Chi heading to Scotland. It's there he's meeting an old friend from his British Intelligence days: A Sir Clive Reston.

Shang-Chi's latest assignment: Beat Up This House.

Fun fact, the comics have implied that he's related to both James Bond and Sherlock Holmes.

Anyway, Shang-Chi senses something in the air, like an ill wind has blown in. The Master of Kung-Fu is ambushed by assassins from the Si-Fan, the organization ran by his evil father, Fu Manchu (Not mentioned by name due to Marvel no longer having the rights to the Fu Manchu novels by 1997). Shang-Chi is confused by this, as the Si-Fan seemingly disbanded after Manchu's supposed death. The martial artist fights them, but they only showed up because they wanted confirmation that Shang-Chi was alive. They try to leave, but they meet a very...nasty roadblock.

"OHMAHGAWD, ARE YOU BATMAN?!"

The Best There Is at What He Does has arrived. Wolverine's claws are bone here as the adamantium that normally lined his bones and claws was ripped out of him by Magneto during the "Fatal Attractions" storyline. It played havoc with his mutation (particularly his healing factor. The trauma to his body was so great that his healing factor was burned out for a time), causing him to take on the more animalistic appearance he has here. Anyway, Shang-Chi and Wolverine end up tussling. 

Wolverine gets the upper hand, thanks to his powers. Storm blasts Wolverine with some lightning, chastising him for picking a fight with Shang-Chi for no reason. The X-Men are here on a mission of their own. You see, Reston had also contacted them. he called them because something was up with one of the X-Men's old enemies: a Mr. Sebastian Shaw. And it involves a crisis that the X-Men had been dealing with at the time: the Legacy Virus, a disease that was fatal to mutants. First appearing in X-Force #18 (January 1993), the Virus was seen as a metaphor for the AIDS crisis. 

Shang-Chi enters Reston's house, and the martial artist gets the feeling that he's being watched. Because, well...he is.

Thanks to her pink telepathic field, Jean Grey got to see the world as Scott saw it: Pink.

By X-Men members Scott "Cyclops" Summers and Jean "Phoenix" Grey. Shang-Chi throws a statue at them, and Clive Reston himself shows up. He's not too happy about Shang-Chi tossing around his statues. They're his prized collectibles, after all.

"I may be disabled, but I still can kill all of you in 15 ways."

Reston explains he summoned Shang-Chi because Shaw's plans involve him as well. Well, a legacy of Shang-Chi's evil old man. A little thing called the Elixir Vitae.

The Elixir Vitae was a mystical substance said to grant immortality, and it was an obsession of Fu Manchu's. Since Manchu seemingly died in Master of Kung Fu #125, the secrets of the Elixir were seemingly lost with him. But desperate men do not care about seemingly dead men's secrets. And Shaw is trying to use Manchu's old organization, the Si-Fan, to get it.

It's not hard to figure out why Shaw wants the Elixir. Its life-extending properties could potentially be a treatment for the Legacy Virus. If that ends up being the case, he could use it to protect himself from Legacy, and being the rich evil businessman he is, hide it behind a paywall from desperate mutants.

In Hong Kong, a figure has learned their expected "guests" have arrived. The X-Men and Shang-Chi have arrived in the territory, but they ended up stuck in traffic. Only to Marvel superheroes does this happen. It's what makes them identifiable. Logan senses something is up, and he's right. Something is up.

Wolverine hates being right.

Luckily, the Jean got Logan's telepathic warning early enough to protect her fellow X-Men and Shang-Chi with a nice pink telekinetic energy bubble. Makes the X-Men look like they were trapped in bubblegum. And as for the perpetrators? Your standard cyborg ninjas. Because it's the Marvel Universe, and cyborg ninjas are a thing in the Marvel Universe.

I did enjoy this issue, but I did have an issue with it. Mainly Shang-Chi acting like he's never heard of the X-Men before. I get that there's drama in superheroes facing each other, but the thing is...it's not like either the X-Men or Shang-Chi were brand-new to the superhero community at this point. The X-Men were one of the first superteams of the modern MU, and Shang-Chi was a long-runner himself. You'd think he'd at least have heard of them. Also, it's kind of weird to me that the X-Men are fighting cyborg ninjas in Hong Kong. I'm just saying, it seems a bit odd that Shaw is using mooks based on ninjas, which are associated with Japan, in a place that, at the time of the comic's publication, was being transitioned to becoming Chinese territory. 

The narration of this comic is somewhat Claremont-esque. Shows what a big mark he left on the franchise even thought he had not been involved with the Merry Mutants for six years at that point. I thought the usage of the Elixir Vitae as a possible treatment/cure for the Legacy Virus is a clever idea. It helps show that the Marvel Universe is interconnected, that something from one hero's mythos can have an effect on another hero. 

The art... well, I am familiar with Mr. Carlos Pacheco's art thanks to my looks at the issues of Avengers Forever this whole year. It has a bit of an... oddly cartoony vibe. That's the best way I can describe it. I don't mind it.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2021 trade paperback Shang-Chi: Earth's Mightiest Martial Artist. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccination and boosters! See you next time!