Daughters Of The Dragon!

"The Daughters of the Dragon" erupted from Marvel's martial arts exploitation era when they were giving the world Master of Kung-Fu and Iron Fist. On the black and white side of things there was The Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu which debuted the Sons of the Tiger and later the White Tiger. It was in the pages of this magazine that the Daughters of the Dragon debuted...sort of. It's complicated. 

Colleen Wing debuted in Marvel Premiere #19 by Doug Moench and artist Larry Hama. This was soon after Iron Fist had left Kun-Lun and had had confronted the man who betrayed his parents and himself. Following that deadly encounter, he was contacted by a beautiful young woman of mixed heritage who led him to her professorial father who had more information for Danny Rand about his origins. 

It is while investigating the disappearance of Colleen and her father that he first encounters Misty Knight. Misty's name had been mentioned in the previous issue, but we get to see her in action in Marvel Premiere #21, if only briefly. Misty Knight was created by Tony Isabella and Arvell Jones who had taken over the series. 

But it is Chris Claremont who gave a name to "NightWing Investigations", the detective agency that Colleen and Misty operated. Claremont even went so far as to engage in a little retro-continuity when he suggested that Misty Knight had in fact been a nameless black woman who had been helped by Spider-Man and the Human Torch way back in Marvel Team-Up #1. 

And it's Claremont with artist Marshall Rogers who gave the world its first Daughters of the Dragon adventure in the pages of the aforementioned The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu. The duo fight ferociously across the streets and alleys sampans of Hong Kong as they seek a deadly arms dealer who was responsible for the death of Colleen's grandfather. We are actually getting a black and white paper version of a vintage martial arts film so popular at the time in the 70's. Both Colleen and Misty are in desperate straits time and again as the enemy keeps at them. Eventually they are captured as the first part comes to close. 

In the second half of this wild tale the villains attempt to addict the two women to heroine so as to make them more pliable as slaves. They do not know about Misty Knight's bionic arm and so the scheme fails in part, though Colleen is still forced to confront the terror and pain of coming off drugs. Only her skills and training as a samurai make it possible for her to in part throw off the suffering. In the end they get their man and many other men as well who get in the way. It's a furious two-part adventure. 

The Daughters of the Dragon get to join Iron Fist and Spider-Man in Marvel Team-Up #64 as they battle an old foe of Danny Rand's., the Steel Serpent in a two-part tale. 

It is not until 1981 in the pages of Bizarre Adventures #25 that NightWing Investigations gets another chance to shine. This time the art is again by Marshall Rogers though the inking is by Bob McLeod. Chris Claremont is the writer, and we find the ladies in NYC. As the last story had focused on Colleen, this one is about Misty and specifically an old friend of hers who has become a deadly vampire. Much as Colleen had dealt with actual drug addiction in the previous tale, this time it's Misty who must struggle against the compulsions of a vampire's bite, a vampire who wants nothing so much as for Misty to be with her in every way. The duo look quite fetching on the Paul Gulacy cover which adorns this gem from Marvel's past. Turns out the headliner is the Black Widow and that's a story for another post coming soon. 

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