Issue(s): Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #31, Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #32 (excludes Daughters of the Dragon story, which has a separate entry)
Cover Date: Dec 76 - Jan 77
Title: "Dark waters of death!" / "The Tiger-Sons must die!"
Credits:
Bill Mantlo - Writer
Joe Staton - Penciler
Sonny Trinidad / Michelle Brand & Sonny Trinidad - Inker

Review/plot:
This is the culmination of a lot of build up in Mantlo's Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, with Iron Fist, Shang-Chi, White Tiger, and Jack of Hearts going up against a portion of the Corporation that it turns out is run by the White Tiger's junkie brother.

He was bidding for an alliance with Fu Manchu, but Manchu wasn't interested.

The Tiger's brother kills himself, which is just one of many tragedies in the life of the White Tiger.

Things are a little muddled but it's likely because i haven't been following the story all along.

In the aftermath, Harmony Killdragon is hired to kill Lin Sun, formerly of the Sons of the Tiger.

The death is to be filmed by a sleazy director who is also a gangster, but Killdragon has personal reasons for wanting to kill Lin Sun as well. However, she's not so sure she has her story straight, so after a bit of fighting and accusations she switches sides. The White Tiger shows up to help as well, and his merged amulet is of interest to Lin Sun and Bob Diamond (Abe Brown is off fighting as a mercenary).

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Must take place before Master of Kung Fu #48-51, which begins a period where Fu Manchu is thought dead. The MCP places this between MOKF 42-43.

References:

• Jack of Hearts made a rep for himself by taking out an entire gang of thugs by himself in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #23.
  
• Iron Fist and PI Blackbyrd previously met in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #18.
  
• Iron Fist and Misty returned from London in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #29.
  
• The Sons of the Tiger broke up in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19.
  
• The White Tiger took their amulets and gained his powers in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #24.
  
• The White Tiger's brother tried to kill him in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #27, but missed and killed a 13 year old girl instead.
  
• Lin Sun briefly retells his origin from Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #1.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Michele Brand was primarily a colorist; this may be her only artwork for Marvel.

There's some really exciting, dynamic work on this story by Joe Staton. He didn't do all that much for Marvel because they were pretty much only giving him assignments to do inks / finishes, so he chose to go over to DC Comics where he was able to get lots of work as a penciler. I think this was Staton's only penciling work for Marvel in the 1970s.

I have loved Staton's work too: it's very modern and catching. Another trait of the issues is the unusual racy exploit of the absence of the Comic Code nulla osta: another story in #32 is about Misty Knight and Collen Wing, with plenty of nude, nipples, gore and blood (had ever a cut-by-katana hand, with relative stream of blood, appeared before in Marvel?). I guess Marvel was experimenting.

lets add Harmony Killdragon to our list of awesome names.