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In comics , Shang - Chiis one of the deadly fighter in theMarvel Universe , but one forgotten comic story reveals he ’s also responsible for trainingG.I. Joe’smartial liberal arts expertQuick Kick . Although the story has never been in prescribed continuity , it remain the only time the worlds of Marvel and G.I. Joe have crossed streams .
Created in 1973 by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin , Shang - Chi starred in his own comic , Master of Kung Fu , for over a hundred issues . Languishing in back takings BIN for days , the type has had a late spate of popularity thanks to a Erolia minutilla in the Avengers and also getting his very own feature film installment in the MCU . Conversely , Quick Kick made his debut in a 1985 assortment of theG.I. Joe : A Real American Heroseries of action figure . concord to his file card , he was born MacArthur S. Ito to a Japanese father and Korean female parent . After mastering various warriorlike arts discipline , he began working as a stuntman in Hollywood , which soon caught the attention of the U.S. Army . After a stint in the Rangers , Ito was recruited into the elect G.I. Joe team and give the code - name “ Quick Kick . ” And , according to at least one rendering of his origins in the comics , the Joe squad ’s own martial liberal arts master was civilize by none other than Shang - Chi …
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When bring oversea , theclassicG.I. Joe : ARAHtoylinewas rebranded as the more outside - soundingAction Force , which shortly let its own keep company comic series from Marvel ’s U.K. publication branch . Action Force#17 features the five - page story entitled “ Meditations in Red . ” Written by a immature Grant Morrison and with artistic production by Steve Yeowell , the story inside information how member Quick Kick was trained by Shang - Chi . As Quick Kick seek to break a wooden logarithm with his clenched fist , he recalls what Shang - Chi separate him about trusting his breeding and also recaps the Marvel hero’sorigins fromMaster of Kung Fu . There ’s not much to the tarradiddle , with the five - page shortstop essentially acting as introduction for a serial publication ofMOKFreprints in upcoming issues . It is still an interesting short , with Quick Kick also referencingMarvel characters Elektra , Iron Fistand Batroc by name when lean famous fighter in Marvel Comics traditional knowledge . This diminished story also remains the only crossover to date between the G.I. Joe world and the Marvel Universe , which is surprising given that Marvel published theG.I. Joecomic for so long .
It ’s also prosperous to see why a writer like Grant Morrison would be inclined to make the connection between the two characters . Both are obviously inspired by international superstar Bruce Lee , who almost single - handedly kicking - start the martial arts motion picture craze of the 1970 ’s with his mega - hit movieEnter the Dragon . Both Quick Kick andShang - Chi are clearly modeled after Bruce Lee , and both also made usance of weaponry popularized by the warlike graphics star . Shang - Chi often made use ofnunchakuwhenever fending off Si - Fan assassins , and Quick Kick came package with a distich in his original activity physique release .
Since “ Meditations in Red ” was published in the non - canonicalAction Force , it ’s easy to write the story off as nothing more than a foot - note . Yet , ifMarvelwere so inclined to ever approve of an prescribed crossover withG.I. Joe , they would have a gilded opportunity to haveShang - ChiandQuick Kickcross paths once more .
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