Master of Kung Fu #101

Mike Zeck's cover for issue #101 pulls you right into the tension — a sweat-drenched Shang-Chi braces in a defensive stance at the center, arms crossed, while a skull-faced robed figure looms ominously behind him and a tattooed, weapon-wielding warrior closes in from the right, with a distressed woman visible in the shadows to the left. The deep crimson and purple palette gives the whole image a brooding, atmospheric weight that suits the story title, "Not Smoke, Nor Beads, Nor Blood!" Doug Moench and artist Mike Zeck were producing some of their finest work on this series in 1981, and this cover makes a compelling case for why.