TONY MCKAY
Real Name: Tony McKay
Identity/Class: Human (Chinese-American)
Occupation: Spy
Group Membership: U.S. Army Intelligence
Affiliations: Dr. Cameron-Gordon, Chung Wah-Su, Kwee Yueh Hua (Jeanie Cameron-Gordon), Lao Tse-Mung, Li Wu Chang, Mai Cha, Ray Jenkins, Shun-Hi, Sir Denis Nayland Smith, Sun Shao-Tung, Dr. von Wehrner, Mrs. Wing, Wong
Enemies: Cold Men (Singu), Fu Manchu, Si-Fan (General Huan Tsung-Chao, Mahmud, Dr. Matsukata), Colonel Soong
Known Relatives: Mr. McKay (father, deceased), Mrs. McKay (mother), unidentified maternal grandmother
Aliases: Wu Chi Foh
Base of Operations: Hong Kong; mobile in Burma and China
First Appearance: (novels) Emperor Fu Manchu (1959);
(Marvel) Special Marvel Edition I#15 (December, 1973)
Powers/Abilities: Tony McKay was skilled at subterfuge and espionage. He spoke a Chinese dialect (probably Mandarin). He was a capable sampan sailor. He carried a .38 pistol and a walkie talkie.
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 6')
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 175 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Light brown
History:
(Emperor Fu Manchu) - Tony McKay was born in China and had Mandarin ancestry through his maternal grandmother. When the Communist party rose to power in China in the 1940s, Tony's father was killed. Tony went to the USA and served as a captain in U.S. Army Intelligence, working in Burma. He was apparently headquartered in Hong Kong.
Requiring an undercover operative to assist him in investigating the latest plot by Fu Manchu and the Si-Fan in China, MI-6's Sir Denis Nayland Smith recruited Tony in Hong Kong to assist him. Sir Denis directed Tony to make his way to Chia-Ting in Sezchuan province, intending they should each make their way there separately. Tony adopted the guise of Wu Chi Foh, a fisherman and claimed he was heading to Chia-Ting in search of his lost girlfriend. However, Tony was arrested almost immediately by communist forces led by Colonel Soong. Fu Manchu was posing as an ally to the communists and participated in Tony's interrogation, but Tony held to his cover story. Sir Denis smuggled a key into Tony's cell and he escaped.
Returning to his sampan fishing boat, Tony found Kwee Yueh Hua had snuck aboard, claiming she was escaping from an unwated marriage. Tony allowed her to accompany him and he gradually took her into his confidence as they fell in love. As they sailed, they encountered Andre Skobolov, a Soviet official who had stolen papers from the Si-Fan which identified all of their lodge members. Although Andre died from poison soon after boarding the sampan, Tony kept the coded papers.
When Tony met up again with Sir Denis and his allies he learned Kwee Yueh Hua was actually Jeanie Cameron-Gordon, who had been seeking her father, a prisoner of the Si-Fan. Tony shared the coded papers with Sir Denis, who turned them over to his ally Li Wu Chang, who began breaking their code. Fu Manchu sent Singu, one of his undead Cold Men, in an attempt to recapture the papers, but Tony slew Singu by clubbing him in the head. However, due to his undead nature, Singu later rose again and returned to Fu Manchu.
Tony and Sir Denis broke into Fu Manchu's laboratory where Jeanie's father was being held but they were caught by Fu Manchu and his Cold Men. Fu Manchu drugged and hypnotized Tony, through this learning he was in love with Jeanie. When Jeanie followed after Tony and Sir Denis, she was likewise captured. Fu Manchu offered to set Tony and Jeanie free, but on the condition he join the Si-Fan. However, Sir Denis revealed he had the papers Skobolov had taken from the Si-Fan. To secure their return, Fu Manchu set Tony and Sir Denis free, agreeing that he'd release Jeanie and her father when the papers were back in his custody.
Going to Li Wu Chang, Sir Denis and Tony found he'd broken the Si-Fan's cipher and translated the entire document. Before they could arrange Jeanie and her father's release, Fu Manchu led his Cold Men in a raid of a communist germ warfare facility, but a thunderstorm caused the Cold Men to run amock, turning against the Si-Fan. In the confusion, Sir Denis and Tony liberated Dr. von Wehrner, a former Nazi scientist who was being forced to serve the communists. Returning to Fu Manchu's base, they saved Jeanie and her father from the Cold Men.
Afterward, taking stock of what they'd accomplished, Sir Denis noted that with the translated cipher identifying all of the Si-Fan lodge members, they might finally have in their possession the means of launching an attack on Fu Manchu which would defeat him once and for all.
(Special Marvel Edition I#15 (fb)) - However, when Sir Denis and Tony attacked Fu Manchu, the attack failed and both men were captured. Annoyed because their efforts had ruined his "life's work," Fu Manchu injected Tony with a "hellish, green fluid." Tony died within six seconds.
Comments: Created by Sax Rohmer; adapted to Marvel by Steve Englehart, Jim Starlin and Al Milgrom.
Tony McKay is ™ and © The Sax Rohmer Estate.
Tony was the point-of-view character for most of Emperor Fu Manchu.
Profile by Prime Eternal.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Tony McKay should not be confused with:
images: (without ads)
Special Marvel Edition I#15, page 9, panel 1 (main)
Appearances:
Special Marvel Edition I#15 (December, 1973) - Steve Englehart (writer), Jim Starlin (co-plotter, penciler), Al Milgrom (inker), Roy Thomas (editor)
First posted: 10/09/2026
Last updated:
10/06/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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