Issue(s): Power Man & Iron Fist #74, Power Man & Iron Fist #75
Cover Date: Oct-Sep 81
Title: "Doorway to Heaven" / "This insubstantial pageant faded"
Credits:
Mary Jo Duffy - Writer
Kerry Gammill - Penciler
Ricardo Villamonte - Inker

Review/plot:
While Power Man & Iron Fist rescue a kidnapped girl from a cowboy bar...

...the Ninja steals the amulets of the Sons of the Tiger...

...which they recently retrieved after the White Tiger gave up his super-hero career (mentioned in a flashback here; as Luis comments below, the amulets were given to Blackbyrd to return to the Sons after Hector Ayala gave up being the White Tiger).

Bob Diamond is badly injured when his amulet is taken.

The Ninja is known to work for Master Khan, so Luke and Danny track him down, only to see him turn the amulets into an actual Jade Tiger and ride it through a hole in time and space!

Luke and Danny follow, and find themselves in K'un-Lun...

...where they help Danny's former people fight off an attack by the Hylthiri shambling mound creatures...

...who use the people of K'un-Lun as fertilizer.

The August Personage In Jade...

...explains to Danny how his father Wendell Rand came to be a citizen of K'un-Lun and we learn that he's not literally the Personage's brother, just an Earth man who somehow wandered into K'un-Lun and rescued the Personage and his father from the wrath of Shou Lao, the dragon that Danny eventually fought to gain the power of the Iron Fist.

Wendell was adopted by the Personage's father, and became heir to the throne. He also married a local, Shakari, and had a daughter, Miranda.

Danny never knew he had a half-sister. Miranda was subsequently killed by the Hylthiri. Luke struggles with many of K'un-Lun's customs, including the dismissive way women are treated.

The August Personage has made an alliance with Master Khan...

...who he says is like a god to the people of K'un-Lun. The Personage tries to sacrifice Danny to Khan, but Danny and Luke fight everyone off, defeating a horde of K'un-Lun-ers and the Ninja.

In return for sparing his life, Kahn agrees to send Danny and Luke back to Earth.

Instead of using the portal, Danny destroys the crystal that keeps open the link between K'un-Lun and Earth, supposedly preventing any Earthling from traveling there again.

The August Personage isn't even given a slap on the wrist.

Iron Fist's mystical origins are less interesting than the street level adventures he and Cage usually have, but this visit wraps up a few old plot points.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 3 - origin of Wendell Rand

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• The Ninja last appeared in Marvel Premiere #22.
  
• Iron Fist's origin from Marvel Premiere #15 is recounted.
  
• Danny tries to reconcile with Lei Kung for the defeat of his son the Steel Serpent in Marvel Team-Up #64, but Lei Kung tells him that he's got nothing to apologize for and that he considers Danny a son as well.
  
• Hector Ayala gave up being the White Tiger in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #52.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

The title to #74 refers to Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven", obviously.

This finally explains why an apparent native of K'Un-Lun would be called "Wendell", but Khan's description as a god to the natives doesn't jibe with his appearances in the Claremont/Byrne Iron Fist run.

one of the coolest issues ever. i really liked the reactions of cool dude luke cage thrown into all the mystic of kun lun. reminded me of jack burton in "big trouble in little china"

Hector Ayala's decision was shown on-panel in Peter Parker #52 - http://www.supermegamonkey.net/chronocomic/entries/peter_parker_the_spectacular_s_6.shtml

Thanks, Luis. I've updated the description and added a Reference.

This story seems to imply that Danny Rand was the first person ever to become the Iron Fist and kill the dragon, and that this was never supposed to happen. Of course, all of this will be retconned some years later so that we can have lots of past Iron Fists.

The title of the second part is taken from THE TEMPEST.