Hand of the Dragon

The Hands of the Dragon was a comic book released by Atlas Comics in 1975.

Plot

An elderly man is traveling to China from a Japan decimated by World War II. He is carrying his twin infant grandchildren whose parents were killed during the war.

While approaching the summit of Mount Fuji, a bomb, long dormant, explodes. The radiation from the bomb scars the face of one of the boys. The old man, however, finds a new strength, a strength that allows him to cross the Sea of Japan and the Himalayan Mountains in order to seek aid for his grandsons.

The old man soon arrives at a monastery deep in the Himalayan Mountains. He is greeted by his older brother. The old man and the twin boys make the monastery their home.

The years pass and the boys grow into men. Wu Teh (the Dragon) and Ling (the Cobra) however, have chosen different paths. The scars on Ling's face have left him bitter, cruel and devoid of mercy. Ling has also been seen in the company of the evil Dr. Nhu.

During martial arts training, the brothers come to blows. Ling loses all control and attempts to take his brother's life. Their grandfather intervenes and a spear thrown by Ling meant for Wu Teh strikes the old man and kills him. Ling flees the monastery while Wu Teh swears vengeance.

After his grandfather's death, Wu Teh leaves the monastery and settles in Southern California. He studies journalism and becomes an anchorman for a local news program. While examining photos of the Prime Minister of Japan, Wu Teh spots the illustrated skin of Dr. Nhu and the scarred face of his brother, Ling the Cobra. He knows that they will attempt to assassinate the Prime Minister.

Speaking at the local university, the Prime Minister is indeed targeted for death. The Dragon spots Dr. Nhu and barely stops the assassination attempt. As he is subduing Dr. Nhu, the Cobra strikes. His bullet pierces the Prime Minister. Wu Teh is also shot. Both Ling and Dr. Nhu escape as the Dragon tends to the wounded Prime Minister.

Hours later, the Dragon enters the hospital room of the Prime Minister, who is near death. The Dragon removes his medallion, given to him by his grandfather, and using the essence of life and strength inside the medallion, revives the Prime Minister.

The Dragon is left to ponder when Dr. Nhu and the Cobra will strike again as he seeks aid to tend to his own wounds.^[1]

Powers and abilities

Wu Teh and his brother Ling were augmented by the radiation they were exposed to from the explosion of the dormant bomb on top of Mt. Fuji. Though it is never shown exactly how this radiation changed them, it is implied that like their grandfather, they became full of vigor and strength. Beyond these abilities, Wu Teh was a skilled martial artist who mastered several forms of hand-to-hand combat while at the monastery in the Himalayas.

Equipment and paraphernalia

Wu Teh wears a medallion, given to him by his grandfather on his deathbed. The medallion was around his grandfather's neck when the explosion that caused him to gain strength and vigor happened. It contains some type of essence that, if applied, grants the recipient renewed stamina and vigor also.

References