Return of the Dragon, Book 1: Noted Sword

Several Weeks Ago

Colleen Wing is performing a meditative ceremony with the sword given to her by her grandfather. This is interrupted when she Nightshade (Tilda Johnson) breaks into her apartment and tries to ambush her. Colleen fights back and managers to lop off some of Nightshade’s hair and the straps of her bikini top before putting her blade up to the intruders neck.[1] Unfortunately, it’s only when Colleen remembers that Nightshade’s trademark is poisons when she discovers that the hilt of her samurai sword has been drugged and she passes out. Nightshade then retrieves what she came for, an ornamental urn that Colleen had placed on the bookshelf.

When she recovers, Colleen calls her friend Misty Knight and fills her in on everything that happened. From the sounds of things, Misty decides to call their ally Danny Rand (aka Iron Fist) to ask for his help. As she explains the situation to him, Colleen says that the contents of the urn were ashes. This surprises Misty who wonders what Nightshade could have wanted from that.

Indeed, that is the question, and inside a building in Chinatown we find out answer. Nightshade has set up a lab where she begins mixing the ashes with a corpse she has dug up. Exposing them to radiation causes the remains to reform and bring Chaintang, the Black Dragon, back to life![2] Tilda tells Chaintang that she has restored him because she has a mission for him to undertake. In order to force the Black Dragon to comply she tells him that she has encoded a genetic bomb that will cause his body to deteriorate unless she gives him the antidote. She wants Chaintang to capture Everett Ross as part of a plan to get send a message to the Black Panther.[3] The Black Dragon decides to go along with this, but with some changes of his own. Assuming his true form — that of a massive green dragon — Chaintang smashes out of Nightshade’s hideout. He then crushes a city bus out out of pure pleasure. He pauses long enough to confirm to a drunk homeless man that all dragons talk before flying off in the direction of the Plaza Hotel.

Now

The Black Panther is returning to the United States after his recent clash with M’Baku the Man-Ape in Wakanda’s Crystal Forest. His government liaison, Henry Gyrich, is deeply concerned about the fact that T’Challa has parked a Wakandan battle cruiser in the East River as well as it’s cargo. When they land at the Wakandan Embassy, Gyrich warns the King not to go anywhere until he makes a few calls and files his report.[4]

Inside the embassy they are greeted by Omoro — head of security — who takes them down to a cell where they hold prisoners. Inside the cell appears to be the demon Mephisto. However, when T’Challa has a moment to speak with him he confirms that he is actually his old friend Everett Ross seemingly trapped in the devil’s body.[5] Ross explains that Mephisto appeared before Everett shortly after Ross successfully represented T’Challa in a Senate hearing.[6] When Ross woke up he discovered he was trapped in the demon’s body and went to get some help. He went to Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum and after a misunderstanding the Sorcerer Supreme cast a spell to confirm his identity and that the person he swapped bodies with was merely posing as Mephisto. That’s when the impostor (in Everett’s body) showed up an incapacitated them all. When they recovered, Strange sensed that the magic used against them was native to the realm of K’un-L’un and suggests they find Iron Fist. However, before they could do that, the founding members of the Defenders (Strange, the Hulk, Silver Surfer, and Sub-Mariner) are teleported off by Yandroth’s Curse. Realizing that the world is imperiled by another global threat, the remaining members of the team (Valkyrie, Nighthawk and Hellcat) head off to find their teammates.[7]

As Ross concludes his story, T’Challa believes that this isn’t the work of Mephisto because he made a pact never to interfere with the Black Panther again.[8] With his Kimoyo Card, T’Challa calls Taku and has him locate “Everett Ross”. Within seconds, his location is determined to be the presidential suite at the Plaza Hotel. He then heads there in civilian clothing to meet with the entity posing as his friend. If you haven’t figured it out by now, it’s Chaintang that is in possession of Ross and when T’Challa comes knocking at the door of his hotel room he is invited in. The Black Dragon explains that he swapped bodies with Ross in order to circumvent the genetic bomb planted in his body by Nightshade. This is because Chaintang wants to get revenge and assures the Panther that this does not involve him. When T’Challa points out that Chaintang is vulnerable in Everett’s mortal form, he retorts by saying that to harm him is to condem Ross to death as well. Chaintang then ushers T’Challa out of the room so he can get back to living it up.

When Chaintang turns on the television the top story is about some mysterious eggs that were found in the ocean. These eggs had been blown apart by depth charges, leaving experts puzzled as to their origin or who would destroy them. The Black Dragon recognizes these as his eggs and realizes that the Black Panther destroyed them. Furious, he heads into the room where he left Nightshade tied to a chair and discovers that she had managed to escape while his back was turned. Furious, Chaintang decides to seek out a champion that can avenge him.

Meanwhile, in Tokyo, Iron Fist is currently following the last of his leads on the location of Colleen’s stolen sword. Which he manages quite well even though the martial artist has recently been stripped of his powers.[9] When this turns out to be another dead end, Danny calls Colleen and Misty to tell them the bad news. He explains that it would be very difficult to sell the sword unethically and suspects that whoever has it has hidden it somewhere and that it could be lost forever. That’s when Rand is ambushed from behind by Chaintang who uses his magic to restore Iron Fist’s power and make him subservient. This causes Danny’s costume to change from green to red as the vengeful dragon orders him to slay the Black Panther.[10]

At this same time, the Black Panther has retreated to the war ship he has parked off the waters of New York. As it turns out, he was the one who freed Nightshade and now has her in custody. Everett Ross is increasingly concerned about the supposed genetic bomb in his borrowed body and questions if this is the right mood. T’Challa assures his friend that this is the proper course of action before taking a one-man submersible back up to the surface. Unfortunately, he doesn’t make it as the tiny ship is shattered by the opening salvo from Iron Fist, who has come to kill the Black Panther!

Recurring Characters

Black Panther, Chaintang, Nightshade, Everett Ross, Queen Divine Justice, Henry Gyrich, Colleen Wing, Misty Knight, Moon Knight, Iron Fist, Omoro, Taku (in flashback) Defenders (Doctor Strange, Sub-Mariner, Silver Surfer, Hulk, Valkyrie, Nighthawk, Hellcat)

Continuity Notes

1. While recounting this fight, Colleen recalls how Nightshade always used to give grief to Powerman and Iron Fist. Indeed, Nightshade had fought the former Heroes for Hire a few times by this point. Check out Powerman and Iron Fist #51-53 and 110 as well as Marvel Team-Up Annual #3.

2. Chaintang was seemingly slainduring the events of Powerman and Iron Fist #118-122. That’s how his ashes end up in Colleen’s possession.

3. Tilda explains she just recently broke out of jail. This, and the reason why she wants to send a message to T’Challa is because he was the one who landed her in there. Check out Black Panther (vol. 3) #15-17 for the details.

4. The battle with the Man-Ape took place in Black Panther (vol. 3) #34-35. The “cargo” Gyrich is referring to is a second Black Panther that M’Baku claimed was the real T’Challa. We’ll discover that this is actually a version of T’Challa from a possible future that has been stranded in the past by King Solomon’s Frogs as will be explained in Black Panther (vol. 3) #48-49. Per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #4, this future exists in Reality-1145.

5. Everett swapped bodies with Chaintang (who was posing as Mephisto) following the events of Black Panther (vol. 3) #30.

6. This hearing was to investigate Wakanda’s conflict with Deviant Lemuria which almost kicked off a world war. See Black Panther (vol. 3) #26-29.

7. At the time of this story, the founding members of the Defenders have been cursed by their old foe Yandroth. This curse would cause the heroes to be teleported to the location of a world threat regardless of where they all individually where, or what they were doing. This began in Defenders (vol. 2) #1 and will continue until The Order #6. What threat the team is being sent to deal with is unrevealed as of this writing (Jan. 2024). Their next appearance is in Defenders (vol. 2) #5, where they are teleported off to some other mission unrelated to the events of this story.

8. Mephisto vowed never to go after T’Challa again after he was defeated in Black Panther (vol. 3) #1-5. Pretty trusting of the Panther given Mephisto is known as the Lord of Lies for nothing. I mean, he’s not wrong in this case, I’m just saying.

9. In his narration of events, Ross recounts Iron Fist’s origins as the were originally told in Marvel Premiere #15. It is also stated here that Danny had recently lost his powers to someone named Junzo. This is in reference to Junzo Muto, who stole Iron Fist’s powers in New Warriors (vol. 2) #8. It also mentions that he was presently caring for displaced dragons in Tokyo, see Wolverine/Iron Fist #1-4.

10. This transformation of Iron Fist’s costume from green to red seemingly happened the last time his powers were boosted in Powerman and Iron Fist #119. However, in reality, he was replaced with a H'ylthri simulacrum for a time. It’s complicated. Checkout Namor, the Sub-Mariner #21-25 for the exceedingly complicated story.

Topical References

• There are a bunch of topical references made in the opening scene at Colleen’s apartment. They are:

  • Her shirt reading “Just Do It”, which was a slogan used by Nike from 1988 to 1998.

  • Her television is depicted as being a CRT model TV, these are now obsolete.

  • On said television she is watching musician Paul Schaffer and his band performing a song by Eric Clapton. Given that this comic was published in 2002, this suggests that she is watching The Late Show with David Letterman. Shaffer was the band leader on this talk show from 1993 to 2015. This should be considered topical as it is a dated reference.

• Misty Knight is depicted with an analogue model cell phone with a physical antenna and buttons, as was the technology at the time this comic was originally published. This should be considered a topical reference as this technology has fallen out of popular use and is on its way to obsolescence.

• The Plaza Hotel is referenced in this story. At the time (and still to this day time of this writing in January, 2024), it has been a hotel since it opened in 1907. This is all it will ever be, probably, since it was designated a historical building in 1969.

• While detained at the Wakandan Embassy, Everett is depicted reading an issue of O magazine. This was a monthly magazine published by former TV host Oprah Winfrey. Physical copies of the magazine were published from 2000 to 2021 when it changed its name to Oprah Daily and became a digital publication. As such, its depiction here should be considered topical.

• In his recounting of events, Ross (as Mephisto) is depicted wearing a New York Yankees baseball cap to hide his identity. This should be considered topical as the Yankees are a real world baseball team.

• Hearing that his impostor is staying at the Plaza Hotel, Ross complains that he must be running up his Visa card. This should be considered topical as Visa is a real world product.

• Chaintang has a CRT model television in his hotel room. This is topical as well.