Master of Kung Fu #39

Few mid-1970s Marvel covers capture the raw intensity of hand-to-hand combat quite like this one — penciled by Gil Kane and inked by Klaus Janson, it places a bare-chested Shang-Chi and the elaborately dressed Cat in a ferocious weapon clash atop what appears to be a ship's deck, nunchaku and bladed staff crashing together amid rigging and chain. The cover copy promises a "Fight Without Pity" against Cat, billed as "the greatest martial arts master of all," and the sheer kinetic energy of Kane's composition makes that billing feel entirely earned. For fans of 1976 Marvel martial arts action, issue #39 is a vivid showcase of the series at full throttle.