Marvel Essentials We'll Probably Never See No.1

Here's an idea for a series that's been knocking around the Security Kitchen for quite a while, just biding its time and gathering dust in a corner...

Back in the 1970's, Marvel always seemed to keep just one step ahead of its Distinguished Competition by jumping aboard a series of judiciously chosen pop culture bandwagons. (And by not paying too close attention to then-unachievable motion picture franchises).

And if you can jump on two at once, so much the better. (See how Marvel later melded the separate crazes for rollerskating and disco-dancing to create the character of the Dazzler, and also how in the 1960's they took such unlikely bedfellows as surfing and hippy counterculture and created the Silver Surfer).

And so it was in 1972 when Marvel acquired the rights to the Sax Rohmer pulp novels featuring Fu Manchu, and also the rights to a popular TV series called "Kung Fu".

You can see where this is going, of course.

ESSENTIAL SHANG-CHI, MASTER OF KUNG FU

Raised by his father Fu Manchu as a deadly martial artist and assassin, Shang-Chi eventually rebelled against being the pawn of the Yellow Peril. Many characters from the Rohmer novels made substantial appearances. (Although towards the end of the series run, these had become virtually non-existant). 

All of which is a damn shame, as Marvel's rights have presumably long since lapsed and any potential reprints of this well-regarded and long-lived series seem to have been well and truly scuppered due to the Rohmer connection. 

But if technology permits, you can download Shang-Chi's introductory stories as .cbr files below. 

Download here: Special Marvel Edition # 15 and Special Marvel Edition # 16

And the free Cdisplay software to read the damn things: Cdisplay