The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #9

This 1975 Marvel black-and-white magazine crackles with kinetic energy on Earl Norem's painted cover, where two martial artists — one in vivid red, one in teal — launch explosive flying kicks at each other atop what appears to be a rooftop, while two more fighters clash in the background. The cover teases a story asking whether the Son of Fu Manchu can survive "The Contest of Truth," and promises Shang-Chi, the Sons of the Tiger, and a packed lineup of features beyond. At 75 cents, Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #9 delivered some of the most dynamic martial-arts energy on any newsstand that February.