Master of Kung Fu #23

Shang-Chi dominates this December 1974 cover by Al Milgrom, delivering simultaneous strikes to two opponents while shattering the wooden planks of a precarious bridge — all with a churning, crocodile-infested river churning below. The tagline "Dooms Wait for Shang-Chi… in the River of Death!" perfectly captures the layered danger on display, with enemies pressing from both sides and the bridge itself threatening to give way beneath everyone. Doug Moench and Milgrom were clearly firing on all cylinders during this period of Marvel's martial-arts boom, and this issue makes a compelling case for why the series earned its devoted following.