The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #1 (4) for Sale - First Appearance of Bruce Lee - Where to Buy

Identification plate

Series: The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu (Marvel, 1974 series)
Issue: #1 (4)
Publication date: April 1974
Key date: 1974-04-00
On-sale date: 1974-02-05
Indicia publisher: Magazine Management Co. Inc.
Price: $0.75
Pages: 68

Match the book in your hand against this plate before paying an edition-specific price.

Why this issue matters

First appearance of Bruce Lee - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Cho Lin - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

The evidence

Claims here come from the story records for this issue, listed under Sources at the bottom of the file. Character hubs with full evidence tables are coming to this site.

Seq	Story	Type	Pages	Credits	Characters
0	-	cover	1	pencils: Neal Adams; inks: Neal Adams; colors: Neal Adams	Bruce Lee First
1	Bruce Lee - In Memoriam - 1941-1973	photo story	2	pencils: ? (photograph); inks: ? (photograph)
2	-	table of contents	1	letters: typeset
3	The Testing of Shang-Chi	comic story	15	script: Steve Englehart, Jim Starlin; pencils: Jim Starlin; inks: Al Milgrom; letters: Dave Hunt	Shang-Chi, Zheng Zu, Cho Lin First
4	A Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu Special!	illustration	1	pencils: ? (photographs); inks: ? (photographs); letters: typeset
5	Heroes Don't Die	text article	8	script: Lorraine Zenka-Smith
6	What to Do till the Sensei Comes: Getting in Shape for the Martial Arts	text article	4	script: Wan Chang O'Shaugnessy; pencils: Michele Wolfman; inks: Michele Wolfman
7	Catching a Killer Red-Handed!	text article	5	script: John David Warner
8	Under the Pagoda: Films of Fury	text article	1	script: John David Warner
9	The Way of the Tiger, The Sign of the Dragon and the Click of the Nielsens!	text article	4	script: John David Warner; pencils: Jim Sharpe; inks: Jim Sharpe
10	Raising Caine on Thursday Night: What's Right with Kung Fu	text article	5	script: Wan Chang O'Shaugnessy
11	Hai, Karate/Kung-Fu Fan	text article	1	script: Roy Thomas
12	Fu on You	text article	1	script: Marv Wolfman
13	The Boogie Man Will Get You If You Don't Subscribe!	promo (ad from the publisher)	1	script: ? (promo copy); letters: typeset	Shang-Chi
14	Origin of the Tiger's Sons	comic story	15	script: Gerry Conway; pencils: Dick Giordano; inks: Dick Giordano; letters: John Costanza	Sons of the Tiger [Bob Diamond; Lin Sun; Abe Brown]; Master Kee; Silent Ones; Sui Ti Kama; ninjas
15	Kicking Your Way on Apr. 2, 1974 The Second Scintillating Fight-Filled Issue of The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu	promo (ad from the publisher)	1	letters: typeset	Sons of the Tiger [Bob Diamond; Lin Sun; Abe Brown]

Where to read it

Collection	Year
The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #15	1975	On eBay ›
Special Collector's Edition Featuring Savage Fists of Kung Fu #1	1975	On eBay ›

Reading the story costs a fraction of owning the issue. Both routes are on every file.

Before you buy

Check the price box: Marvel ran 30-cent and 35-cent test-market price variants in 1976-77.
Canadian and Whitman editions exist for many bronze books; match the barcode area to the plate.
Look for Mark Jewelers inserts and date stamps - they affect collector preference, not authenticity.

Series context

1 of 33#2 ›

Sources

Grand Comics Database, issue record (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Found an error in this file? corrections@comicrecord.com