Title - The Phoenix Gambit

Issue - 59 - 60

Writer - Doug Moench

Art - Mike Zeck

Summary:

Shang Chi follows a trails of robotic enemies battling them until arrives in Latveria. There he is faced against more mechanical foes. Weary of all endless automatons, Shag Chi lashes out violently at the opponent called Shadow-Stalker. After defeating him, Doom, seated with the Prime Mover, reveals himself to Shang Chi and gloats at his victory. Puzzled, Doom explains to Shang Chi that his goal was to force him to break his strict moral code and kill another. The reason for the game was because Doom always wanted to square off against Shang Chi's father, Fu Manchu. Satisfied at his victory, Doom unleashes his cadre of reserve robots. In the scuffle, Shang Chi realizes that the man he thought he had murdered was in fact a robot. Doom then engages him in direct combat. The two battle until Chi throws Doom into his own machinery and once more it is revealed that he was battling yet another robot. The Prime Mover who had been silent throughout the battle begins to malfunction and breaks apart revealing Shang Chi's friend Reston inside. Drugged during his captivity, Reston assaults Shang Chi and lunges at him. The two then fall out a nearby window revealing that they were in fact not in a castle or in Latveria but in London. The structure they were inside was a rocket shaped like a chess piece and it soars upwards leaving the two to fall into the River Thames. Ultimately, the two arrive in the hospital and attempt to discern what was real and what was not. A nurse then walks in with a get well present. Inside the box is a chessboard with pieces depicting Shang Chi's comrades and a defeated Shang Chi. Standing over his figure triumphantly is none other than Doctor Doom. Elsewhere, the Prime Mover scolds Doom on what Doom considers to be his checkmate against Shang Chi.

Comments:

I don't know what this story is about or why Doom wins, but I love it. Just the idea of Doom messing around with Shang Chi's head is amusing in itself. The relation between Doom and the Prime Mover, as always is a mystery. What his purpose is, where he comes from, I have no idea. As usual, his combination with Doom yields yet another strange, mysterious, yet riveting story. My only guess is that perhaps Moench wanted to do a homage to the classic Steranko story? Just out of total guilty pleasure I'm going to say, Bottom Line: * * * * * out of 5

Notes:

• The first appearance of Doom's and the Prime Mover's game in Strange Tales #167 also had a Asian connection, namely Doom created a robot of the Yellow Claw, himself a homage to Fu Manchu. Interesting....

• For more on the Prime-Mover's  mysterious (convuluted) origin, see Giant-Size Defenders #3 and MK: Fantastic Four 1 2 3 4.