Cthulhu cards question

[Trug]

I just played a game where someone was at level 9 and used the "Secret Handshake", which required me to help her in combat and thus win the game for her. I then played "Sudden Head Blow" on myself so that I would not be a cultist, thus negating me as her target. She argued that I was already in combat because of her card, that all I'd done was knock off my bonuses with getting rid of my cultist class. I am not sure how cards prioritize in Munchkin. Is it like magic, where my card would have been on the top of the stack and caused her card to "fizzle" and do nothing, or is she right and all I managed to do was hurt myself?

[AmethystLynx]

I believe once she played the secret handshake card you're helping her in combat. The sudden blow to the head would get applied after you joined the combat, so you'd still be assisting her...

[Team Andy]

There isn't a stack, cards happen as they are played, and can only cancel other effects if the specifically say so (Wishing ring and the like as an example) I do believe you are stuck helping, lest you wander in a monster that says no helpers or a madness saying you can't help or they can't have help. I know munchkin has no stack.

[Trug]

Alright, that makes sense and will help to keep our games less complicated, thanks for the response.