MOVING SHADOW
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Human weapon user and martial arts fighter
Occupation: Assassin and bodyguard
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Fu Manchu (Ghost)
Enemies: Clive Reston, Shang-Chi, Black Jack Tarr, Leiko Wu
Known Relatives: Fu Manchu (father), Shaka Kharn (ancestor), Shang-Chi (older half-brother), Fah Lo Suee (half-sister)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Global, especially France; Singapore; Hong Kong
First Appearance: Master of Kung Fu II#1 (November, 2002)
Powers/Abilities: Moving Shadow was at least equal in fighting skills to his half-brother, Shang-Chi, making him athlete level in strength, stamina and durability, plus peak human agility and reflexes. He was extremely adept and well-trained in the martial arts, as well as the use of weaponry such as throwing stars (shuriken), sais and swords. However, unlike Shang-Chi, he was not that well disciplined in meditation. He had been trained to have little regard for human life and was fiercely loyal to Fu Manchu. Most likely born in the People's Republic of China, he had brown eyes and black hair.
History:
(Master of King Fu II#6 (fb) - BTS) - Fu Manchu had another son, calling him Moving Shadow, and, as with Shang-Chi, had him trained in the martial arts to become a loyal and efficient assassin.
(Master of King Fu II#1) - Moving Shadow accompanied Fu Manchu (initially calling himself St. Germain, then calling himself the Ghost) to a castle in France, where a trap was successfully sprung to capture Leiko Wu. Moving Shadow used a throwing star to disarm Leiko before quickly overcoming her. He then assisted in the torture of Leiko, setting free scorpions in maze in which Leiko's hand was secured.
(Master of King Fu II#2) - Moving Shadow accompanied the Ghost (in his St. Germain guise) in the initiation of new recruits. Having learnt of Shang-Chi's movements in Singapore, he departed immediately to confront him.
Later, an assassin attempted to kill the sleeping Shang-Chi, who defended himself, but the would-be killer was instead killed with a sai by Moving Shadow. The two duelled briefly before Moving Shadow quickly departed due to the intervention of Clive Reston and Black Jack Tarr. Shang-Chi quietly acknowledged the superb fighting skills of Moving Shadow.
(Master of King Fu II#3 - BTS) - While Shang-Chi travelled to France to rescue Leiko, Moving Shadow departed for Hong Kong.
(Master of King Fu II#4) - En route to Hong Kong, Leiko Wu and Shang-Chi exchanged information of their separate encounters with Moving Shadow, while on Hellfire Island, the Ghost chastised Moving Shadow for failing to kill Shang-Chi, with his son apologizing and promising that his half-brother would soon die.
(Master of King Fu II#5) - Moving Shadow arrived at Hellfire Base by helicopter to oversee the Ghost's Hellfire weapon - a highly destructive machine capable of blasting entire cities - and commanded that the approaching ships, which were from MI-6 with the Omega Team onboard, be attacked. Moving Shadow then returned to the Ghost and explained again to his father why he lost Shang-Chi in Singapore as he practiced with a sword and admitted he did not believe in the "next world".
Elsewhere, Shang-Chi and his colleagues had arrived at the Ghost's secret base and entered it, with Shang-Chi hastening to find and stop his father. They confronted each other and Shang-Chi, now aware that Moving Shadow was his half-brother, hurled an axe at the Ghost, but this was cut down by Moving Shadow who suddenly appeared. Moving Shadow taunted his brother before savagely engaging him in battle.
(Master of King Fu II#6) - Moving Shadow angrily declared that he disowned Shang-Chi and considered him only as prey. They continued to fight, Shang-Chi holding back to try to get his half-brother to see their father as a monster. However, the martial arts duel continued, with Shang-Chi eventually gaining the upper hand against his half-brother, declaring that his spirit would not fail compared to a lifeless shadow. He also asked Moving Shadow once more to join him against their father, but the Ghost instead threw a sword spinning through the air, piercing Moving Shadow's chest and killing him. The Ghost then announced his shame at having a son who was worse than a traitor as he had obeyed but failed. This angered Shang- Chi even more.
Hellfire Base soon exploded due to the intervention of Tarr and an Omega Team member, with Moving Shadow's body likely destroyed as well.
Comments: Created by Doug Moench (writer), Paul Gulacy (penciler) & Jimmy Palmiotti (inker).
The subtitle for this 6-issue Max miniseries was "The Hellfire Apocalypse".
Moench appears to recycle Shang-Chi's clone from Master of Kung Fu I#118. Fu Manchu is called the Ghost and his elite group is referred to as the Ghost's Commandos.
--Quiof Thrul
Profile by Grendel Prime
CLARIFICATIONS:
Moving Shadow
has no known connections to:
images: (without ads)
Master of Kung Fu II#6, cover (main)
Master of Kung Fu II#6, p1, panel 2 (head)
Master of Kung Fu II#5, p7, panel 1 (sword play)
Appearances:
Master of Kung Fu II#1-6 (November, 2002-April, 2003) - Doug Moench (writer), Paul Gulacy (pencils), Jimmy Palmiotti (inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
First Posted: 02/13/2007
Last updated: 08/25/2023
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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