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Luke Cage

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Luke Cage
Luke Cage by Stuart Immonen.png
Luke Cage
Art by Stuart Immonen
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceLuke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (June 1972)
Created by
In-story information
Alter egoLucas Cage (legally changed from Carl Lucas)[1][2]
SpeciesHuman mutate
Team affiliations
Partnerships
Notable aliasesPower Man
Abilities
  • Superhuman strength, stamina, and durability
  • Regenerative healing factor
  • Nigh-invulnerability
  • Skilled hand-to-hand combatant

Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, Roy Thomas, and John Romita Sr., the character first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (June 1972).[3] He is one of the earliest black superheroes to be featured as the protagonist and title character of a Marvel comic book.[4]

Created during the height of the blaxploitation genre, Luke Cage had been imprisoned for a crime he did not commit and gained the powers of superhuman strength and unbreakable skin after being subjected voluntarily to an experimental procedure. Once freed, he becomes a "hero for hire" and has forty-nine issues of solo adventures (comic title renamed to Luke Cage, Power Man with issue #17). In issue #50, Cage teams up with fellow superhero Iron Fist as part of a crime-fighting duo in the renamed title Power Man and Iron Fist. He later marries the super-powered private investigator Jessica Jones, with whom he has a daughter. In 2005, writer Brian Michael Bendis added Luke Cage to the lineup of the New Avengers, and he has since appeared in various Avengers titles, becoming leader of a group of reformed supervillains called the Thunderbolts, and eventually becoming the Mayor of New York City at the conclusion of the 2021–2022 crossover event "Devil's Reign", succeeding the Kingpin.

The character has been substantially adapted from the comics into various forms of media. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Mike Colter portrayed the character in the Netflix television series Jessica Jones (2015–2019), Luke Cage (2016–2018), and The Defenders (2017).

Discover more about Luke Cage related topics

Character (arts)

Character (arts)

In fiction, a character is a person or other being in a narrative. The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, in which case the distinction of a "fictional" versus "real" character may be made. Derived from the Ancient Greek word χαρακτήρ, the English word dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones by Henry Fielding in 1749. From this, the sense of "a part played by an actor" developed. Character, particularly when enacted by an actor in the theatre or cinema, involves "the illusion of being a human person". In literature, characters guide readers through their stories, helping them to understand plots and ponder themes. Since the end of the 18th century, the phrase "in character" has been used to describe an effective impersonation by an actor. Since the 19th century, the art of creating characters, as practiced by actors or writers, has been called characterisation.

American comic book

American comic book

An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of Action Comics, which included the debut of the superhero Superman. This was followed by a superhero boom that lasted until the end of World War II. After the war, while superheroes were marginalized, the comic book industry rapidly expanded and genres such as horror, crime, science fiction and romance became popular. The 1950s saw a gradual decline, due to a shift away from print media in the wake of television & television shows and the impact of the Comics Code Authority. The late 1950s and the 1960s saw a superhero revival and superheroes remained the dominant character archetype throughout the late 20th century into the 21st century.

Archie Goodwin (comics)

Archie Goodwin (comics)

Archie Goodwin was an American comic book writer, editor, and artist. He worked on a number of comic strips in addition to comic books, and is best known for his Warren and Marvel Comics work. For Warren he was chief writer and editor of landmark horror anthology titles Creepy and Eerie between 1964 and 1967. At Marvel, he served as the company's editor-in-chief from 1976 to the end of 1977. In the 1980s, he edited the publisher's anthology magazine Epic Illustrated and its Epic Comics imprint. He is also known for his work on Star Wars in both comic books and newspaper strips. He is regularly cited as the "best-loved comic book editor, ever."

George Tuska

George Tuska

George Tuska, who early in his career used a variety of pen names including Carl Larson, was an American comic book and newspaper comic strip artist best known for his 1940s work on various Captain Marvel titles and the crime fiction series Crime Does Not Pay and for his 1960s work illustrating Iron Man and other Marvel Comics characters. He also drew the DC Comics newspaper comic strip The World's Greatest Superheroes from 1978–1982.

African diaspora

African diaspora

The African diaspora is the worldwide collection of communities descended from native Africans or people from Africa, predominantly in the Americas. The term most commonly refers to the descendants of the West and Central Africans who were enslaved and shipped to the Americas via the Atlantic slave trade between the 16th and 19th centuries, with their largest populations in Brazil, the United States, and Haiti. However, the term can also be used to refer to the descendants of North Africans who immigrated to other parts of the world. Some scholars identify "four circulatory phases" of this migration out of Africa. The phrase African diaspora gradually entered common usage at the turn of the 21st century. The term diaspora originates from the Greek διασπορά which gained popularity in English in reference to the Jewish diaspora before being more broadly applied to other populations.

Comic book

Comic book

A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and written narrative, usually, dialogue contained in word balloons emblematic of the comics art form.

Blaxploitation

Blaxploitation

Blaxploitation is an ethnic subgenre of the exploitation film that emerged in the United States during the early 1970s. The term, a portmanteau of the words "black" and "exploitation", was coined in August 1972 by Junius Griffin, the president of the Beverly Hills–Hollywood NAACP branch. He claimed the genre was "proliferating offenses" to the black community in its perpetuation of stereotypes often involved in crime. The genre does rank among the first after the race films in the 1940s and 1960s in which black characters and communities are the protagonists and subjects of film and television, rather than sidekicks, antagonists or victims of brutality. The genre's inception coincides with the rethinking of race relations in the 1970s.

Heroes for Hire

Heroes for Hire

Heroes for Hire are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in Power Man and Iron Fist #54, and was created by Ed Hannigan and Lee Elias. The team continued to appear in comics regularly over the years, and has made guest appearances in television productions and game environments featuring other superheroes.

Jessica Jones

Jessica Jones

Jessica Campbell Jones Cage is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos and first appeared in Alias #1, as part of Marvel's Max, an imprint for more mature content, and was later retroactively established to have first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #4 in the Silver Age of Comic Books as an originally unnamed classmate of Peter Parker, created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko. Within the context of Marvel's shared universe, Jones is a former superhero who becomes the owner of Alias Private Investigations. Bendis envisioned the series as centered on Jessica Drew and only decided to create Jones once he realized that the main character had a distinct voice and background that differentiated her from Drew.

Brian Michael Bendis

Brian Michael Bendis

Brian Michael Bendis is an American comic book writer and artist.

Devil's Reign

Devil's Reign

"Devil's Reign" is an American comic book event written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Marco Checchetto, published from 2021 to 2022 by Marvel Comics.

Jessica Jones (TV series)

Jessica Jones (TV series)

Marvel's Jessica Jones is an American television series created by Melissa Rosenberg for the streaming service Netflix, based on the Marvel Comics character Jessica Jones. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), acknowledging the continuity of the franchise's films, and was the second Marvel Netflix series leading to the crossover miniseries The Defenders. The series was produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Studios and Tall Girls Productions, with Rosenberg serving as showrunner. Scott Reynolds was co-showrunner for the third season.

Development

Roy Thomas publicly discussed the characters creation, "In 1971, when the success of the movie Shaft had reached an interracial audience, Stan Lee decided it was time to go beyond Black Panther and Captain America's partner the Falcon as a support character. I think he briefly toyed with the notion of a Falcon comic book, but probably felt the Falcon was better off where he was, and that he was perhaps not as strong a character as was needed. When he mentioned that he wanted to work up a new African-American super-hero who would be a bit different and would start right out in his own comic, he asked me for my suggestions as to the writer. I didn't feel I should do the character myself, so I suggested Archie Goodwin, although Gerry Conway, Len Wein, and others must've crossed my (and Stan's) mind. Archie, Stan, and I--with John Romita perhaps present, spent a half hour or so in deliberations within the next day or so, and each of us contributed something to the mix. Stan's was definitely the guiding hand, because he knew he wanted a super-hero who was off the beaten track, off to make a living at crime-fighting (a la a private eye), and with a different look or feel than a typical super-hero, even a Marvel one. Romita helped provide that, of course, with the outfit that was perfectly suited to the 1970s, including the chains. Stan was looking for a name for the character, and I suggested Cage, which later I realized I'd seen some time before on a list of potential character names Gil Kane had shown me and had consciously forgotten about. Archie would add the "Luke" when he did the script later. Stan wanted an untypical name for the mag, too... not a usual super-hero name, but something indicating what he was. I'd recently written an Avengers issue titled "Heroes for Hire," so I suggested HERO FOR HIRE as the title. As for powers, I suggested he be very strong and bulletproof, though bullets could cause him some discomfort by raising temporary welts on his skin, etc.... Philip Wylie's Gladiator was my main inspiration here, though Stan and I agreed that we didn't want him to have Hugo Danner's leaping abilities (which had been borrowed by Superman years before). Archie, I believe, came up with the precise escaped-innocent-prisoner concept, though Stan probably contributed to that as well. And out of that committee of three (four, counting John's concept sketch) was Luke Cage, Hero for Hire born."[5]

Romita commented on the design of the character stating "We did it together. The chains were because we wanted the slavery angle. His costume was supposed to say super-hero, yet not super-hero. It was whatever he salvaged when he escaped from prison. He had the yellow shirt and headband and wristbands to contrast with his black skin."[6]

Discover more about Development related topics

Shaft (1971 film)

Shaft (1971 film)

Shaft is a 1971 American crime action film directed by Gordon Parks and written by Ernest Tidyman and John D. F. Black. It is an adaptation of Tidyman's novel of the same name and is the first entry in the Shaft film series. The plot revolves around a private detective named John Shaft who is hired by a Harlem mobster to rescue his daughter from the Italian mobsters who kidnapped her. The film stars Richard Roundtree as Shaft, alongside Moses Gunn, Charles Cioffi, Christopher St. John and Lawrence Pressman.

Stan Lee

Stan Lee

Stan Lee was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which would later become Marvel Comics. He was the primary creative leader for two decades, leading its expansion from a small division of a publishing house to a multimedia corporation that dominated the comics and film industries.

Black Panther (character)

Black Panther (character)

Black Panther is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist-coplotter Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #52 in the Silver Age of Comic Books. Black Panther's real name is T'Challa, and he is depicted as the king and protector of the fictional African nation of Wakanda. Along with possessing enhanced abilities achieved through ancient Wakandan rituals of drinking the essence of the heart-shaped herb, T'Challa also relies on his proficiency in science, expertise in his nation's traditions, rigorous physical training, hand-to-hand combat skills, and access to wealth and advanced Wakandan technology to combat his enemies.

Falcon (comics)

Falcon (comics)

Falcon is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was introduced by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan in Captain America #117, and was the first Black American superhero in mainstream comic books.

Archie Goodwin (comics)

Archie Goodwin (comics)

Archie Goodwin was an American comic book writer, editor, and artist. He worked on a number of comic strips in addition to comic books, and is best known for his Warren and Marvel Comics work. For Warren he was chief writer and editor of landmark horror anthology titles Creepy and Eerie between 1964 and 1967. At Marvel, he served as the company's editor-in-chief from 1976 to the end of 1977. In the 1980s, he edited the publisher's anthology magazine Epic Illustrated and its Epic Comics imprint. He is also known for his work on Star Wars in both comic books and newspaper strips. He is regularly cited as the "best-loved comic book editor, ever."

Gerry Conway

Gerry Conway

Gerard Francis Conway is an American comic book writer, comic book editor, screenwriter, television writer, and television producer. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics vigilante antihero the Punisher as well as the Scarlet Spider, and the first Ms. Marvel, and also scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man. At DC Comics, he is known for co-creating the superheroes Firestorm and Power Girl, the character Jason Todd and the villain Killer Croc, and for writing the Justice League of America for eight years. Conway wrote the first major, modern-day intercompany crossover, Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man.

Len Wein

Len Wein

Leonard Norman Wein was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men. Additionally, he was the editor for writer Alan Moore and illustrator Dave Gibbons' influential DC miniseries Watchmen.

John Romita Sr.

John Romita Sr.

John V. Romita is an American comic book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man and for co-creating characters including Mary Jane Watson, the Punisher, and Wolverine. Romita is the father of John Romita Jr., also a comic book artist and husband of Virginia Romita, for many years Marvel's traffic manager.

Avengers (comics)

Avengers (comics)

The Avengers are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1. Labeled "Earth's Mightiest Heroes," the original Avengers consisted of Iron Man, Ant-Man, Hulk, Thor and the Wasp. Captain America was discovered trapped in ice in issue #4, and joined the group after they revived him.

Philip Wylie

Philip Wylie

Philip Gordon Wylie was an American writer of works ranging from pulp science fiction, mysteries, social diatribes and satire to ecology and the threat of nuclear holocaust.

Gladiator (novel)

Gladiator (novel)

Gladiator is a science fiction novel by American author Philip Wylie, first published in 1930. The story concerns a scientist who invents an "alkaline free-radical" serum to "improve" humankind by granting the proportionate strength of an ant and the leaping ability of the grasshopper. The scientist injects his pregnant wife with the serum and his son Hugo Danner is born with superhuman strength, speed, and bulletproof skin. Hugo spends much of the novel hiding his powers, rarely getting a chance to openly use them.

Hugo Danner

Hugo Danner

Hugo Danner is a fictional character and the protagonist of Philip Wylie's 1930 novel Gladiator. Born in the late 19th century with superhuman abilities via prenatal chemical experimentation, Danner tries to use his powers for good, making him a precursor of the superhero. However, Danner grows disillusioned with his inability to find a permanent outlet for his great strength, and dies frustrated.

Publication history

Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (cover-dated June 1972), the debut of Luke Cage. Cover art by John Romita Sr.
Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (cover-dated June 1972), the debut of Luke Cage. Cover art by John Romita Sr.

Luke Cage was created following conversations between Archie Goodwin and Roy Thomas shortly after blaxploitation films emerged as a popular new genre.[7] He debuted in his own series, with the cover trademark Luke Cage, Hero for Hire and the title Hero for Hire.[8] The series initially was written by Goodwin and pencilled by George Tuska, with the character's costume designed by John Romita Sr.[9] The character was the first Black American superhero to star in his own comic-book series,[4] which was retitled with the cover trademark Luke Cage, Power Man and the trademarked title Power Man with issue #17.[10] Cage's adventures were set in a grungier, more crime-dominated New York City than that inhabited by other Marvel superheroes of the time.[7]

As blaxploitation's popularity faded, Cage was paired with the superhero Iron Fist, whose popularity was based on the declining martial arts film genre, in an effort to save both characters from cancellation.[7] The series' title remained Power Man, though with issue #50 (April 1978) the trademarked cover title became Power Man and Iron Fist, retained through the series' cancellation with issue #125 (September 1986). The series' final writer, James Owsley (a.k.a. Christopher Priest), attempted to shed Cage's blaxploitation roots by giving him a larger vocabulary and reducing usage of his catchphrase, "Sweet Christmas!"[7]

In 1992, Cage was relaunched in a new series simply titled Cage, set primarily in Chicago. The revived series updated the character, with Cage symbolically destroying his original costume on the cover of the first issue. The series, written by Marc McLaurin, ran 20 issues. Cage received exposure in other books at the time, including his own serial in the anthology series Marvel Comics Presents. In the aftermath of the "Onslaught" and "Heroes Reborn" companywide storylines, Cage was included in the series Heroes for Hire, written by John Ostrander, which lasted 19 issues. In 2002, writer Brian Azzarello and artist Richard Corben collaborated on Cage, a standalone mini-series set outside the mainstream Marvel canon. The mini-series was published under the Marvel MAX imprint, which allowed for a much greater degree of violence, sexual content and profanity.[11]

Subsequently, Cage was featured in the Brian Michael Bendis-written series Alias, Secret War, The Pulse, Daredevil, and The New Avengers.

In 2010, Cage became a regular character in Thunderbolts, starting with issue #144,[12] and continued as leader of the team when the title transitioned into Dark Avengers beginning with issue #175. Cage also reappeared as a regular character in the second volume of The New Avengers series.[13]

In 2007, it was announced that cartoonist and Samurai Jack creator Genndy Tartakovsky would write and illustrate a four-issue limited series called Cage!, which would take place in a retro 1970s setting outside of the established continuity.[14] The project was heavily delayed, but finally saw publication in 2016.[15]

In 2016, a new volume of Power Man and Iron Fist was launched, written by David F. Walker. The series ran for 15 issues before transitioning into a new Luke Cage series (also written by Walker), which ran for another 10 issues.

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John Romita Sr.

John Romita Sr.

John V. Romita is an American comic book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man and for co-creating characters including Mary Jane Watson, the Punisher, and Wolverine. Romita is the father of John Romita Jr., also a comic book artist and husband of Virginia Romita, for many years Marvel's traffic manager.

Archie Goodwin (comics)

Archie Goodwin (comics)

Archie Goodwin was an American comic book writer, editor, and artist. He worked on a number of comic strips in addition to comic books, and is best known for his Warren and Marvel Comics work. For Warren he was chief writer and editor of landmark horror anthology titles Creepy and Eerie between 1964 and 1967. At Marvel, he served as the company's editor-in-chief from 1976 to the end of 1977. In the 1980s, he edited the publisher's anthology magazine Epic Illustrated and its Epic Comics imprint. He is also known for his work on Star Wars in both comic books and newspaper strips. He is regularly cited as the "best-loved comic book editor, ever."

Blaxploitation

Blaxploitation

Blaxploitation is an ethnic subgenre of the exploitation film that emerged in the United States during the early 1970s. The term, a portmanteau of the words "black" and "exploitation", was coined in August 1972 by Junius Griffin, the president of the Beverly Hills–Hollywood NAACP branch. He claimed the genre was "proliferating offenses" to the black community in its perpetuation of stereotypes often involved in crime. The genre does rank among the first after the race films in the 1940s and 1960s in which black characters and communities are the protagonists and subjects of film and television, rather than sidekicks, antagonists or victims of brutality. The genre's inception coincides with the rethinking of race relations in the 1970s.

George Tuska

George Tuska

George Tuska, who early in his career used a variety of pen names including Carl Larson, was an American comic book and newspaper comic strip artist best known for his 1940s work on various Captain Marvel titles and the crime fiction series Crime Does Not Pay and for his 1960s work illustrating Iron Man and other Marvel Comics characters. He also drew the DC Comics newspaper comic strip The World's Greatest Superheroes from 1978–1982.

African diaspora

African diaspora

The African diaspora is the worldwide collection of communities descended from native Africans or people from Africa, predominantly in the Americas. The term most commonly refers to the descendants of the West and Central Africans who were enslaved and shipped to the Americas via the Atlantic slave trade between the 16th and 19th centuries, with their largest populations in Brazil, the United States, and Haiti. However, the term can also be used to refer to the descendants of North Africans who immigrated to other parts of the world. Some scholars identify "four circulatory phases" of this migration out of Africa. The phrase African diaspora gradually entered common usage at the turn of the 21st century. The term diaspora originates from the Greek διασπορά which gained popularity in English in reference to the Jewish diaspora before being more broadly applied to other populations.

New York City

New York City

New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over 300.46 square miles (778.2 km2), New York City is the most densely populated major city in the United States and more than twice as populous as Los Angeles, the nation's second-largest city. New York City is located at the southern tip of New York State. It constitutes the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the U.S. by both population and urban area. With over 20.1 million people in its metropolitan statistical area and 23.5 million in its combined statistical area as of 2020, New York is one of the world's most populous megacities, and over 58 million people live within 250 mi (400 km) of the city. New York City is a global cultural, financial, entertainment, and media center with a significant influence on commerce, health care and life sciences, research, technology, education, politics, tourism, dining, art, fashion, and sports. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy, and is sometimes described as the capital of the world.

Martial arts

Martial arts

Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preservation of a nation's intangible cultural heritage.

Catchphrase

Catchphrase

A catchphrase is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass media. Some become the de facto or literal "trademark" or "signature" of the person or character with whom they originated, and can be instrumental in the typecasting of a particular actor. Catchphrases are often humorous, but are never long enough or structured enough to be jokes in themselves. However, a catchphrase can be the punchline of a joke, or a reminder of a previous joke.

Marcus McLaurin

Marcus McLaurin

Marcus McLaurin is an American comic-book writer and editor known for developing and editing the influential Marvel Comics series Marvels.

Marvel Comics Presents

Marvel Comics Presents

Marvel Comics Presents was an American comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics originally from 1988 to 1995. It returned for a second volume in 2007–2008, and a third volume that started in 2019.

Heroes Reborn (1996 comic)

Heroes Reborn (1996 comic)

"Heroes Reborn" is a 1996–97 crossover story arc among comic book series published by the American company Marvel Comics. During this one-year, multi-title story arc, Marvel temporarily outsourced the production of several of its best-known comic books to the studios of artists Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld, who were among Marvel's most popular artists before leaving to form independent companies.

Heroes for Hire

Heroes for Hire

Heroes for Hire are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in Power Man and Iron Fist #54, and was created by Ed Hannigan and Lee Elias. The team continued to appear in comics regularly over the years, and has made guest appearances in television productions and game environments featuring other superheroes.

Fictional character biography

Origin

Born Carl Lucas and raised in New York City's Harlem neighborhood, he spends his youth in a gang called the Rivals. With his friend Willis Stryker, he fights rival gangs and commits petty crimes. In and out of juvenile homes throughout his teens, Lucas dreams of becoming a major New York racketeer until he finally realizes how his actions are hurting his family. He seeks to better himself as an adult by finding legitimate employment. Meanwhile, Stryker rises through the ranks of crime, but the two men remain friends. When Stryker's activities anger the Maggia crime syndicate, he is badly beaten in a mob hit, saved only by Lucas's intervention. When Stryker's girlfriend, Reva Connors, breaks up with him in fear of his violent work, she seeks solace with Lucas. Stryker is convinced that Lucas is responsible for the breakup, so he plants heroin in Lucas's apartment and tips off the police. Lucas is arrested and sent to prison where contact with his family is sparse due to the resentment of his brother James Lucas Jr., who intercepts Lucas's letters to their father James and eventually leads each to believe the other is dead.[16] During this time, Reva is killed by members of the Maggia, whose drugs Stryker had stolen to frame Lucas in the first place.[17]

Lucas is consumed by rage over Stryker's betrayal and his father's supposed death, engaging in frequent brawls and escape attempts. Eventually transferred to Seagate Prison off the coast of Georgia, he becomes the favorite target of racist corrections officer Albert "Billy Bob" Rackham, whose sadistic brutality ultimately leads to a demotion that he blames on Lucas. Research scientist Dr. Noah Burstein recruits Lucas as a volunteer for a cellular regeneration experiment based on a variant of the Super-Soldier process he had previously used to empower Warhawk. This experiment would later be revealed to be part of the Weapon Plus program, specifically, Weapon VI.[18] Burstein immerses Lucas in an electrical field conducted by an organic chemical compound; then he leaves Lucas unattended, Rackham alters the experiment's controls, hoping to maim or kill Lucas. Lucas' treatment is accelerated past its intended limits, inducing body-wide enhancements that give him superhuman strength and durability. He uses his new power to escape Seagate and makes his way back to New York, where a chance encounter with criminals inspires him to use his new powers for profit.[17]

Adopting the alias Luke Cage and donning a distinctive costume, he launches a career as a Hero for Hire, helping anyone who can meet his price. He soon establishes an office above Times Square's Gem Theater, where he befriends film student D. W. Griffith.[19] Burstein, aware of his friend's innocence, also relocates to New York and opens a medical clinic, assisted by Dr. Claire Temple, whom Cage begins dating. Although Cage is content to battle strictly conventional criminals, he soon learns that New York is hardly the place to do so. Stryker himself has become a Maggia agent known as Diamondback and dies battling Cage.[17][20]

Superhero ties

Although Cage has little in common with most of New York's other superhumans, an ill-conceived attempt to collect a fee from a reneging Doctor Doom leads him to befriend the Fantastic Four.[21] Via a later retcon, Cage also befriends Jessica Jones, a young woman whose superhuman strength and unconventional style match his own.[22] During a mission in which Cage and Iron Man track down Orville Smythe, who had duped him into stealing an experimental starsuit from Stark International, Cage follows the example of his new peers and takes the codename of Power Man.[23] Cage battles a rogue Erik Josten for the use of the Power Man name, winning the right.[24]

Shortly afterward, Luke Cage begins associating with the loose-knit super-team the Defenders, alongside whom he battles the Wrecking Crew[25] and the Sons of the Serpent.[26] Called to assist the Defenders against the Plantman, Cage begins to complain that his participation in their group is interfering with his paying work. Wealthy Defenders member Nighthawk solves this problem by placing Power Man on retainer, giving Luke a steady paycheck for his Defenders activities. For some time thereafter, Power Man serves as a core member of the Defenders. Together, they defeat minor threats including the Eel and the Porcupine, and major menaces such as the Headmen, Nebulon, Egghead's Emissaries of Evil, and the Red Rajah; but Cage feels out of place in the often-bizarre exploits of the Defenders and eventually resigns.[27]

Power Man and Iron Fist

Having obtained proof of Cage's innocence in his original drug charges, the criminal Bushmaster abducts Burstein and Temple, using their safety and the hope of acquittal to blackmail Cage into abducting detective Misty Knight, who humiliated Bushmaster in an earlier encounter. Cage's efforts lead to a fight with Knight's boyfriend, the martial artist Iron Fist, who had spent most of his life in the extra-dimensional city of K'un-L'un and was unfamiliar with Earth society. Upon learning of Cage's situation, Iron Fist and Knight help him defeat Bushmaster and rescue his friends.[28] Cleared of criminal charges, Power Man legally changes his name to "Lucas Cage".[29] He briefly works for Misty Knight and Colleen Wing's detective agency, Nightwing Restorations, but soon elects to join Iron Fist in a two-man team, Heroes for Hire,[30] founded by attorney Jeryn Hogarth and staffed by administrative wunderkind Jennie Royce. Although the streetwise Power Man and the unworldly Iron Fist seem to have little in common, they soon become the best of friends. Cage's relationship with Claire Temple proves less durable, and he instead begins dating model Harmony Young.[31]

Power Man and Iron Fist achieve great success with Heroes for Hire, earning an international reputation and fighting a wide variety of criminals. Their partnership's downfall begins when the mysterious government agency S.M.I.L.E. manipulates Power Man and Iron Fist into the employment of Consolidated Conglomerates, Inc., which eventually frames Cage for the apparent murder of Iron Fist, causing Cage to become a fugitive.[32]

Chicago

A fugitive again, Cage breaks contact with his New York friends and relocates to Chicago,[33] but, with Hogarth's help, he is cleared of criminal charges when Iron Fist turns up alive. Cage discovers that Iron Fist had been replaced by a doppelganger of the plantlike H'ylthri race, K'un-Lun's ancient enemies during his treatment. This doppelganger's existence and destruction at the hands of the Super-Skrull are part of a bizarre scheme engineered by Iron Fist's enemy, Master Khan.[34]

Wanting a new start after his murder charge is dropped, Cage abandons his Power Man guise and begins operating out of Chicago as the plainclothes Luke Cage, Hero for Hire; he makes arrangements with the Chicago Spectator for exclusive reports of his adventures and frequently works with detective Dakota North. On his first mission in Chicago, he assists the Punisher in battling drug dealers.[35] Cage attracts the interest of the refined assassin Hardcore, an employee of Cruz Bushmaster, son of the villain whose defeat cleared Cage's name the first time.[36] Cage learns that Cruz, following in his father's extortion footsteps, has abducted Noah Burstein's wife Emma to force the scientist to recreate the process that had empowered Cage. Cruz undergoes the procedure himself, but the elder Bushmaster drains the power from his son, reversing his near-catatonia and declaring himself the Power Master. Cage teams with Iron Fist to thwart their plans, freeing the Bursteins while the Bushmasters apparently perish. Cage's power is augmented further by exposure to the Power Man virus.[37]

While Cage tries to locate his surviving family members with the aid of Dakota North, his brother keeps moving his father around to keep Cage away from them. James Lucas Jr., is eventually recruited by the criminal Corporation, whose power-enhancing scientist Dr. Karl Malus mutates him into the superhuman Coldfire. As Coldfire, James Jr. hopes to be a match for his brother, whom he regards as a threat. Though James, Jr. works with the Corporation quite willingly, Malus has James Sr. held hostage as extra insurance of Coldfire's cooperation. When Cage learns the Corporation is holding his family, he invades their headquarters and battles Coldfire. The brothers ultimately join forces to rescue their father from Malus, and Coldfire sacrifices himself to destroy the Corporation's headquarters.[38]

Heroes for Hire return

A few months later, Cage investigates the murder of Harmony Young and fights her killer, the demon Darklove, alongside Ghost Rider.[39] The mystic Doctor Druid recruits Cage to serve in his Secret Defenders against the sorcerer Malachi. Cage returns to New York and, deciding his heart is no longer in superheroics, becomes co-owner of the Gem Theater with his friend D.W. Griffith. Even an invitation from Iron Fist to join a new and expanded Heroes for Hire fails to interest him; yet when the Master of the World tries to recruit Cage as a spy within Iron Fist's team, destroying Cage's theater in the process, a curious Cage plays along. Cage joins Heroes for Hire and serves with them for some time while reporting to the Master. Cage begins to sympathize with the more benevolent aspects of the Master's goals, but in the end, Cage can neither betray Iron Fist nor reconcile himself to the tremendous loss of life the Master's plans of conquest will entail, and he helps Heroes for Hire destroy the Master of the World's plans. Cage remains with the group thereafter, and dates a fellow member, the She-Hulk. When the Stark-Fujikawa Corporation buys out Heroes for Hire, Cage and Ant-Man are fired because of their prison records, and the rest of the team quits in protest.[40]

Cage, bitten by the hero bug once more, continues to share adventures with Iron Fist and other heroes. Briefly resuming his Power Man identity, he is hired by Moon Knight to join an unnamed team of street-level New York vigilantes, but mere days after he joins, the group dissolves following clashes with the forces of Tombstone and Fu Manchu. Deciding that a return to basics is in order, he re-establishes his Hero for Hire activities and soon learns that, despite his international fame, he is almost forgotten on the streets where he originally made his reputation. He invests his money in a bar and sets about ridding his immediate neighborhood of criminal elements, deciding that the business of world-saving is best left to others.

Jessica Jones and the New Avengers

After a sexual encounter with a drunken Jessica Jones, now a private investigator, Cage's life is briefly thrown into disarray by Jones's reaction to the incident.[41] The two make peace while working as bodyguards for Matt Murdock.[42] Cage extends emotional support to Jones when she is forced to revisit past abuses by the villainous Purple Man, and Cage's feelings for her grow.[43] After Jones reveals that she is pregnant from their tryst,[44] she and Cage move in together.[45] Soon afterward, Jones becomes a superhuman consultant with the Daily Bugle.[46] After she is attacked by the Green Goblin during a Bugle investigation, Cage, helped by Spider-Man, deliberately attacks Norman Osborn to provoke him into revealing he is the Goblin.[47]

Months afterwards, Cage is present at the breakout at the supervillain prison 'The Raft' and becomes a founding member of the re-formed Avengers.[48] Luke and Jessica Jones then have a daughter, whom they named Danielle, in honor of Danny Rand.[49] Soon thereafter, he and Jessica are married.[50] He also meets the Black Panther (revealed to be one of Luke's personal heroes), joining him and several other superhumans of African descent on a mission against vampires in New Orleans.[51][52]

When the Superhuman Registration Act is enacted, Cage refuses to register, comparing the act to Jim Crow laws. He and Jessica agree that she will take their newborn daughter away to Canada where they can be safe, though he himself refuses to leave. S.H.I.E.L.D. forces come to arrest Cage, but he fights his way to safety with the help of Captain America, the Falcon, and Iron Fist (posing as Daredevil), and joins Captain America's "Secret Avengers".[53] He fights alongside them in opposition to the act until Captain America surrenders to U.S. authorities.[54]

Cage does not comply with the amnesty offered to the Secret Avengers, going underground and re-forming the New Avengers.[55] Luke assumes leadership of the New Avengers after the assassination of Captain America, with the team now operating underground and provided with secure accommodation by Doctor Strange.[56]

Following a Skrull invasion, Captain America (James "Bucky" Barnes) organizes a meeting with the New Avengers at his home, offering it as a base of operations.[57] Cage is offered the role as leader of the New Avengers, but turns it down, giving the role to Ronin.[58]

Thunderbolts

Following the Siege of Asgard, Steve Rogers appoints Luke Cage leader of the Thunderbolts program. Soon after, he begins to recruit new Thunderbolts, a balanced mix of former and older members, personally inducting the Ghost, Moonstone, the Juggernaut and Crossbones, with MACH-V, Fixer and Songbird's cooperation, and using the Man-Thing's powers for long-distance transportation.[59]

Reforming the Avengers

To convince Cage to rejoin the Avengers, Steve Rogers and Tony Stark sell the newly renovated mansion to Luke Cage for a dollar, allowing him freedom to recruit his own Avengers team and operate without directly taking orders from Rogers, though Rogers insists on having Victoria Hand join them as a liaison. Cage and his team are forced to assist Doctor Strange, Daimon Hellstrom, and Brother Voodoo in thwarting an attempt by Agamotto—the original owner of the Eye of Agamotto—to destroy existence, culminating in the apparent death of Brother Voodoo.[60] Although initially against the idea of being paid for being on the team, Cage is convinced to accept the offer.[61]

Following his imprisonment on Utopia,[56] he decides, following a conversation with Daredevil, to resign from his Avenger duties to ensure the security of his wife and child.[62] After the X-Men are defeated, Cage, Jessica, Squirrel Girl, and Iron Fist resign from the Avengers.[63] In volume 2 of The Mighty Avengers, Luke Cage wears a costume reminiscent of his yellow Bronze Age outfit, with a yellow top and blue jeans.[64]

Marvel NOW!

During the series The Superior Spider-Man, Cage assembles an incarnation of the Mighty Avengers, and officially declares the new assembled group to be Avengers.[64]

All-New, All-Different Marvel

As part of the "All-New, All-Different Marvel", Luke Cage and Iron Fist take on the murder case of their former secretary, Jennifer "White Jennie" Royce, and discover she has been corrupted by an ancient African artifact called the Super Soulstone.[65]

During the "Civil War II" storyline, Luke Cage hears about the talents of Ulysses Cain and the fight over him. After thinking this through, Luke tells Iron Fist that he is sitting this fight out.[66]

During the "Secret Empire" storyline, Luke Cage became a member of the Defenders alongside Daredevil, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones. They alongside Cloak and Dagger, Doctor Strange, and Spider-Woman fought the Army of Evil during Hydra's rise to power where they were defeated by Nitro. Luke Cage and those with him were trapped in the Darkforce dome by Blackout when his powers were enhanced by Baron Helmut Zemo using the Darkhold.[67]

During the "Hunt for Wolverine" storyline, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones assist Iron Man and Spider-Man in finding Wolverine when his body has gone missing from his unmarked grave. When the four of them arrive undercover at a submarine in international waters upon hearing that a genetic material will be auctioned off, Luke and Jessica are shocked to find that the genetic material that will be auctioned off belongs to their daughter Danielle.[68] When Mister Sinister crashes the auction and attacks the unidentified seller claiming that he stole the DNA of Wolverine from him, the attack causes a hole in the submarine as Jessica Jones uses Luke Cage's body to help plug it up.[69] After Mister Sinister is defeated with the help of X-23 and the seller Declan Foy is questioned, Luke Cage is given a special Iron Man armor as part of their attack on Mister Sinister's base on the Kerguelen Islands.[70] After the database was destroyed and the mission was over, Luke and Jessica head home with Tony Stark, Peter Parker, and X-23 where Iron Fist had been babysitting Danielle Cage. After a talk with X-23, Tony informs Luke and Jessica that the destroyed database reveals that one of the X-Men members is not a mutant and there is a genetically-altered sleeper agent among them.[71]

Fresh Start

During the "Empyre" storyline, Vision and Doctor Nemesis meet up with Luke Cage as they investigate the Cotati's plants that have taken over Central Park.[72] As Vision brings the fight with his plant-like opponent outside of Central Park, Luke Cage and Doctor Nemesis mistake it for a Cotati only for Vision to correct them by stating that his opponent is actually Plantman.[73] Doctor Nemesis, Luke Cage, and Vision continue their fight with Plantman and his Sprout Soldiers. They managed to defeat Plantman, but are unable to make contact with Black Panther.[74]

When Fisk attempts to start a new campaign against superhumans,[75] the heroes decide to oppose this plan by having Luke Cage run for mayor against him (Tony Stark initially volunteered, but others noted that this would basically involve two white men competing for a position of power, and they wanted to establish themselves as different from Fisk, and the "Tony" who volunteered was later revealed to be the Chameleon in disguise[76]). After Fisk was forced to flee the city,[77] Cage won the election by default, but is forced to maintain the anti-vigilante laws as he lacks the authority to have them dismantled right away. His first step to control these laws is to appoint Clint Barton the leader of a new branch of the Thunderbolts, which Fisk had restarted as an anti-vigilante taskforce.[78]

Consequentially, at the end of the "Devil's Reign" storyline, Luke Cage is elected Mayor of New York.[79]

Discover more about Fictional character biography related topics

New York City

New York City

New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over 300.46 square miles (778.2 km2), New York City is the most densely populated major city in the United States and more than twice as populous as Los Angeles, the nation's second-largest city. New York City is located at the southern tip of New York State. It constitutes the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the U.S. by both population and urban area. With over 20.1 million people in its metropolitan statistical area and 23.5 million in its combined statistical area as of 2020, New York is one of the world's most populous megacities, and over 58 million people live within 250 mi (400 km) of the city. New York City is a global cultural, financial, entertainment, and media center with a significant influence on commerce, health care and life sciences, research, technology, education, politics, tourism, dining, art, fashion, and sports. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy, and is sometimes described as the capital of the world.

Harlem

Harlem

Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Harlem area encompasses several other neighborhoods and extends west and north to 155th Street, east to the East River, and south to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Central Park, and East 96th Street.

Diamondback (Willis Stryker)

Diamondback (Willis Stryker)

Diamondback is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is primarily an enemy of Luke Cage and is notable for being the first major supervillain that he faced.

Maggia (comics)

Maggia (comics)

Maggia is a fictional international crime syndicate appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The organization exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as Earth-616, as well as other Marvel universes. Its structure is somewhat similar to the real-world New York Mafia, but the Maggia differs in that it frequently hires supervillains and mad scientists to work for them. Some of the prominent Maggia members are supervillains themselves, such as Hammerhead, Silvermane, Count Nefaria and his daughter Madame Masque. The Maggia has come into conflict with various superheroes, including Spider-Man, Daredevil, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers.

David Griffith (comics)

David Griffith (comics)

David "D.W." Griffith is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is depicted as an ally of Luke Cage.

Claire Temple

Claire Temple

Claire Temple is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a medical doctor primarily affiliated with the superhero Luke Cage and is one of his early love interests.

Doctor Doom

Doctor Doom

Doctor Doom is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Fantastic Four #5. The monarch of the fictional nation of Latveria, Doom primarily serves as the archenemy of Reed Richards and the Fantastic Four. He has also come into conflict with other superheroes in the Marvel Universe, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, the X-Men, and the Avengers. He has also been portrayed as an antihero at times, working with the heroes if their goals align and only if it benefits him.

Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four

The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in The Fantastic Four #1, helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first superhero team created by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and editor/co-scripter Stan Lee, who developed a collaborative approach to creating comics with this title.

Jessica Jones

Jessica Jones

Jessica Campbell Jones Cage is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos and first appeared in Alias #1, as part of Marvel's Max, an imprint for more mature content, and was later retroactively established to have first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #4 in the Silver Age of Comic Books as an originally unnamed classmate of Peter Parker, created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko. Within the context of Marvel's shared universe, Jones is a former superhero who becomes the owner of Alias Private Investigations. Bendis envisioned the series as centered on Jessica Drew and only decided to create Jones once he realized that the main character had a distinct voice and background that differentiated her from Drew.

Iron Man

Iron Man

Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The character made his first appearance in Tales of Suspense #39, and received his own title in Iron Man #1. In 1963, the character founded the Avengers superhero team with Thor, Ant-Man, Wasp and the Hulk.

Erik Josten

Erik Josten

Erik Josten, also known as Power Man, Smuggler, Goliath and Atlas, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been a prominent member of both the Masters of Evil and the Thunderbolts.

Defenders (comics)

Defenders (comics)

The Defenders are a set of superhero groups with rotating membership appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders" who, in their prior adventures, are known for following their own agendas. The team often battle mystic and supernatural threats.

Powers and abilities

Luke Cage possesses superhuman strength and stamina, and has extremely dense skin and muscle tissue which render him highly resistant to physical injury. Cage possesses these abilities as a result of a cellular regeneration experiment which fortified the various tissues of his body. His skin can resist large-caliber bullets, puncture wounds, corrosives, biological attacks, and extreme temperatures and pressures without sustaining damage.[80] A second exposure to said experiments further enhanced his strength and durability.[81]

The same experiment which granted him his great strength and durability has also given him a faster-than-normal recovery time from injury.[82]

Luke Cage is an exceptional street fighter and was a gifted athlete before receiving superhuman abilities. He has also studied martial arts under Iron Fist's instruction, learning how to couple leverage with his strength to increase his combat effectiveness against more powerful opponents.

He owns a jacket that is as durable as his skin, having been exposed to the "Power Man" treatment during his second exposure.[81]

Supporting characters

Reception

Analysis

Sharon Packer of Priory Group made connections between Cage's origin story and historical events taking place in the time of the comics' publication. Carl Lucas uses his newfound power to crash through the prison's cement barricades, he symbolically breaks through barriers that were once closed to him, similar to other black people of his era. Luke Cage's story has a distinct connection to unethical medical experiments; his comics presumably enhanced awareness of the Tuskegee syphilis experiments that made New York Times headlines in the very same month and year that Luke Cage debuted. Dr. Altman published a book on self-experimentation ethics, one of many texts discussing ethical breaches in medical experiments at that time, meaning that the Luke Cage stories likely picked up on the rhetoric on prison experiments during that time and tapped into opprobrium about ethics. Since his comics were released at the same time that the news broke about the Tuskegee syphilis experiments on black men in Alabama, an event which caused public outrage and swayed public opinion against non-consenting or coercive human experimentation, it can be inferred that Luke Cage's story influenced some of the aforementioned public opinion.[83]

Accolades

  • In 2008, Wizard Magazine ranked Luke Cage 34th in their "Top 200 Comic Book Characters" list.[84]
  • In 2011, IGN ranked Luke Cage 72nd in their "Top 100 Comic Book Heroes" list.[85]
  • In 2012, IGN ranked Luke Cage 72nd in their "Top 50 Avengers" list.[86]
  • in 2015, Gizmodo ranked Luke Cage 23rd in their "Every Member Of The Avengers" list.[87]
  • In 2015, Entertainment Weekly ranked Luke Cage 11th in their "Let's rank every Avenger ever" list.[88]
  • In 2019, Comicbook.com ranked Luke Cage 45th in their "50 Most Important Superheroes Ever" list.[89]
  • In 2022, Screen Rant included Luke Cage in their "10 Most Powerful Avengers In Marvel Comics" list.[90]
  • In 2022, CBR.com ranked Luke Cage 2nd in their "10 Coolest Avengers" list,[91] 2nd in their "Thunderbolts' 10 Best Leaders" list[92] and 10th in their "10 Best Mercenaries In Marvel Comics" list.[93]

Discover more about Reception related topics

Priory Group

Priory Group

The Priory Group is a provider of mental health care facilities in the United Kingdom. The group operates at more than 500 sites with over 7,000 beds. Its flagship hospital is the Priory Hospital, Roehampton, which is best known for treating celebrities particularly for drug addiction. The Priory Group also manages schools, some for students with autism spectrum disorders through Priory Education and Children’s Services. Some of its facilities are run by its subsidiary Partnerships in Care. In January 2019 it opened its first overseas school in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge.

Wizard (magazine)

Wizard (magazine)

Wizard or Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture was a magazine about comic books, published monthly in the United States by Wizard Entertainment from July 1991 to January 2011. It included a price guide, as well as comic book, movie, anime, and collector news, interviews, and previews.

IGN

IGN

IGN is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former editor-in-chief, Peer Schneider. The IGN website was the brainchild of media entrepreneur Chris Anderson and launched on September 29, 1996. It focuses on games, films, anime, television, comics, technology, and other media. Originally a network of desktop websites, IGN is also distributed on mobile platforms, console programs on the Xbox and PlayStation, FireTV, Roku, and via YouTube, Twitch, Hulu, and Snapchat.

Gizmodo

Gizmodo

Gizmodo is a design, technology, science and science fiction website. It was originally launched as part of the Gawker Media network run by Nick Denton, and runs on the Kinja platform. Gizmodo also includes the subsite io9, which focuses on science fiction and futurism. Gizmodo is now part of G/O Media, owned by private equity firm Great Hill Partners.

Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular culture. The magazine debuted on February 16, 1990, in New York City, and ceased print publication in 2022.

Screen Rant

Screen Rant

Screen Rant is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. Screen Rant was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. Screen Rant has expanded its coverage with red-carpet events in Los Angeles, New York film festivals and San Diego Comic-Con panels. The associated YouTube channel was created on August 18, 2008, and has over 8.36 million subscribers and over 4,000 videos.

Other versions

Earth X

In the alternate future of Earth X, most of humanity has gained superpowers, but is still in need of policing. An older Luke Cage is a police officer, complete with uniform, and he recruits Peter Parker.[94]

Exiles

In an alternate reality depicted in the one-shot Exiles: Days of Then and Now, Luke Cage is Power Fist, a mix between the 616 versions of Luke Cage/Power Man and his friend Iron Fist. He is also this reality's leader of the Avengers. He leads them to eradicate the Vi-Locks and his life is saved by Sunfire when she is stuck on his world. He later moves to Quentin Quire's reality to replace one of his selves who had died when he shouldn't have.[95]

"Heroes Reborn"

In an alternate reality depicted in the 2021 "Heroes Reborn" miniseries, Luke Cage became the NYPD's police commissioner and an ally of Nighthawk.[96]

"House of M"

A version of Luke Cage resides in the "House of M" reality. After gaining his powers, Luke forms a crime syndicate in Hell's Kitchen, which he later turns into a Human Resistance Movement[97] and recruits several human heroes to his side, including Cloak, who looks up to Luke as a father figure. He is the first person to whom Layla Miller comes to 'awaken' from the House of M reality, and joins the force that takes down Magneto and his children in Genosha.[98]

Marvel MAX

In the Marvel MAX Cage limited series, Cage's origin is much the same, with Luke and Willis Stryker growing up as hoodlums working for the deformed mobster Sonny "The Hammer" Caputo. When Willis double-crossed Luke and had him sent to prison, Luke retaliated by putting out a hit on his former friend. However, Caputo's men botched the hit, accidentally killing Reva Connors instead.[99] While in prison, Cage voluntarily underwent an experimental procedure that gave him enhanced strength and durability.[100] However, the procedure did not actually leave him bulletproof, as demonstrated when he was badly beaten and nearly killed by Mick "Mountain" Marko.

After being hired by the mother of a young girl who was killed by a stray bullet, Cage is drawn into a gang war among Caputo, Tombstone and Clifford "Clifto" Townsend. The mini-series ends on an uncertain note, with Cage standing between Caputo and Tombstone as both men fire their guns.[101]

Marvel Noir

In the Marvel Noir universe, former criminal Luke Cage uses his bulletproof reputation to clean up his life and neighborhood after a stay in prison.[102]

Marvel Zombies

In Marvel Zombies, Luke Cage is a member of the Avengers and one of the first heroes to become infected by the alien virus, ultimately infected by the zombified Sentry, along with the other Avengers. He also encounters Ash Williams not long after being infected. He is among the few heroes who manages to eat the Silver Surfer, and receives cosmic powers by doing so. At the end of the Marvel Zombies miniseries, he helps to devour Galactus and becomes a member of "The Galacti" (along with Iron Man, Spider-Man, Giant Man, Wolverine, and the Hulk), who travel across the universe devouring all life on planets, however Galactus's energy bolts hit the lower half of Cage's body. Next, the Marvel Zombies attack a Skrull planet, only to encounter the Fantastic Four—consisting of Black Panther, Storm, the Thing and the Human Torch. It pleases the zombies so much that they attempt to capture the Fantastic Four and try to transport back to their fully populated reality, but the FF manage to escape.[103]

Luke Cage also has a role in Marvel Zombies 2, joining Spider-Man in fighting against the other Galactus as he realizes that their hunger has faded over time. His lost arm is replaced by a transplanted arm from an unknown being (possibly alien) and his lost lower half is also replaced with a cybernetic one. At the series conclusion, he is transported to another universe which also gets taken by the infection. Cage fights to defeat the hungry zombies of this reality, leading the converted Shi'ar against Earth, but is defeated and killed by the prime zombies of the new world.[104]

"Secret Wars"

During the "Secret Wars" storyline, different versions of Luke Cage appear in the different Battleworld domains:

  • In the Battleworld domain of Spider-Island, Luke Cage was part of the resistance's attack on Spider Queen.[105]
  • In the Battleworld domain of the Valley of Doom, Luke Cage helped Sheriff Red Wolf keep the peace in Timely following the death of Mayor Wilson Fisk.[106]
  • In the Battleworld domain of the Warzone, Luke Cage was still on Captain America's side as the superhuman civil war has intensified.[107]
  • In the Battleworld domain of Arcadia, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones assisted in fighting a horde of zombies from the Deadlands after the female Loki attacked part of the Shield.[108]
  • In the Battleworld domain of the Walled City of New York, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones are married and live in their residence in Harlem.[109]

Ultimate Marvel

A different version of Power Man appears in the Ultimate Marvel universe as a member of the Defenders, although he is never referred to as "Luke Cage".[110] In this universe, the Defenders consist of several people who want to be superheroes but have no superpowers, and appear to be more interested in the celebrity aspect of being heroes than actually doing anything heroic.[111]

However, in Ultimate Comics: New Ultimates, he and the Defenders all appear with powers similar to their mainstream versions, given to them by Loki.[112]

Discover more about Other versions related topics

Earth X

Earth X

Earth X is a 1999 comic book limited series published by American company Marvel Comics. Earth X was written by Jim Krueger with art by John Paul Leon. Based on Alex Ross' notes, the series features a dystopian version of the Marvel Universe.

Exiles (Marvel Comics)

Exiles (Marvel Comics)

The Exiles are a group of fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics commonly associated with The X-Men. They feature in three series, Exiles, New Exiles, and Exiles vol. 2. The Exiles consists of characters from different universes, or realities, which have been removed from time and space in order to correct problems in various alternate worlds and divergent timelines in the Marvel Multiverse.

Earth-616

Earth-616

In the fictional Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 is the primary continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place.

Heroes Reborn (2021 comic)

Heroes Reborn (2021 comic)

"Heroes Reborn" is a 2021 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of a central miniseries written by Jason Aaron and illustrated by Ed McGuinness, as well as a number of tie-in books. The storyline explores a Marvel Universe without the Avengers, though it is unrelated to the 1996–97 storyline of the same name. The plot involves a change in the timeline of the Marvel Universe, which results in a continuity in which the Squadron Supreme are Earth's mightiest heroes while the Avengers never came to be. However, the vampire slayer Blade is the only one aware of the change in history and works to uncover the mystery behind it. The crossover overall received mixed reviews with critics.

House of M

House of M

"House of M" is a 2005 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of a core eight-issue comic book limited series written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel and a number of crossover tie-in books. Its first issue appeared in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled storylines, in which the superhero Scarlet Witch suffered a mental breakdown and tried to alter the fabric of reality to recreate her lost children. Magneto, the Scarlet Witch, and her twin brother, Quicksilver, play major roles in the series. Like the (1995–1996) Age of Apocalypse storyline, House of M replaced the Earth-616 as the main reality for a brief time until Scarlet Witch reverted it to normal. The events of the storyline were later indicated to have occurred on Earth-58163.

Layla Miller

Layla Miller

Layla Rose Miller, also known as Butterfly, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in House of M #4, and was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel. Peter David has developed the character, placing Layla at the center of the ensemble of mutant private detectives in his title X-Factor.

Magneto (Marvel Comics)

Magneto (Marvel Comics)

Magneto is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #1 as an adversary of the X-Men.

Genosha

Genosha

Genosha is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as "Earth 616" in the Marvel Universe and a prominent place in the X-Men chronology. The fictional nation served as an allegory for slavery and later for South African apartheid before becoming a mutant homeland and subsequently a disaster zone. The island is located off the Southeastern African coast northwest from Seychelles and northeast of Madagascar. Its capital city was Hammer Bay.

Hammerhead (comics)

Hammerhead (comics)

Hammerhead is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as an adversary of the superhero Spider-Man. He is a temperamental mobster who often dresses and acts in the 1920s style, and a prominent member of the Maggia, a fictional organized crime syndicate. Following an accident, he had most of his skull replaced with an inflexible steel alloy by Jonas Harrow, giving his head a flattened shape and near-indestructibility, hence his nickname. The Hammerhead crime family, of which he is the second and current head, is named after the character.

Man Mountain Marko

Man Mountain Marko

Man Mountain Marko is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marko was and remains an affiliate of numerous organized-crime entities in the Marvel universe, including the Maggia.

Marvel Noir

Marvel Noir

Marvel Noir is a 2009/2010 Marvel Comics alternative continuity combining elements of film noir and pulp fiction with the Marvel Universe. The central premise of the mini-series replaces super powers with driven, noir-flavored characterization. The reality of Marvel Noir is Earth-90214.

Marvel Zombies

Marvel Zombies

Marvel Zombies is a five-issue limited series published from December 2005 to April 2006 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and covers by Arthur Suydam. It was the first series in the Marvel Zombies series of related stories. The story is set in an alternate universe where the world's superhero population has been infected with a virus which turned them into zombies. The series was spun out of events of the crossover story-arc of Ultimate Fantastic Four, where the zombie Reed Richards tricked his Ultimate counterpart into opening a portal to the zombie universe only for the latter to contain the former from ever coming to his universe.

In other media

Television

Film

Video games

Miscellaneous

  • Luke Cage appears in the motion comic Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D, voiced by Jesse Falcon.[115]
  • Luke Cage appears in the motion comic Wolverine: Weapon X, voiced Trevor Devall.[115]
  • Luke Cage appears in the motion comic War of the Realms: Marvel Ultimate Comics, voiced by Deven Mack.[115]
  • Luke Cage appears as a playable character in Unmatched: Redemption Row, published by Restoration Games and featuring art by Matt Taylor.[140]

Discover more about In other media related topics

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Heroes for Hire

Heroes for Hire

Heroes for Hire are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in Power Man and Iron Fist #54, and was created by Ed Hannigan and Lee Elias. The team continued to appear in comics regularly over the years, and has made guest appearances in television productions and game environments featuring other superheroes.

Christopher B. Duncan

Christopher B. Duncan

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Ogie Banks

Ogie Banks

Ogie Banks is an American voice actor. He is best known for his roles as Clawd Wolf in Monster High, and Luke Cage and Miles Morales in Ultimate Spider-Man. He also voices Dylan in the Bratz franchise and Omoi in Naruto.

S.H.I.E.L.D.

S.H.I.E.L.D.

S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the agency first appeared in Strange Tales #135. It often deals with paranormal and superhuman threats to international security.

Phil LaMarr

Phil LaMarr

Phillip LaMarr is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter. He was one of the original featured cast members on the sketch comedy television series Mad TV, where he stayed for five seasons. His voice acting roles in animated series include John Stewart / Green Lantern in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, Hermes Conrad in Futurama, the title characters of Samurai Jack and Static Shock, and Wilt in Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. LaMarr has also provided voices for video game franchises including Metal Gear, Jak and Daxter, Darksiders, Final Fantasy, Infamous, Dead Island, Kingdom Hearts, and Mortal Kombat. He also played as Browntooth the Goblin rogue in a Critical Role One-Shot "The Goblins".

Kimberly Brooks

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Captain America

Captain America

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Aunt May

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New Warriors

New Warriors

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Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers

Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers

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Collected editions

Title Material collected Published date ISBN
Essential Luke Cage, Power Man Vol. 1 Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1–16; Luke Cage, Power Man #17–27 March 2005 978-0785116851
Essential Luke Cage, Power Man Vol. 2 Luke Cage, Power Man #28–47, Annual #1 August 2006 978-0785121473
Marvel Masterworks: Luke Cage, Hero For Hire Vol. 1 Luke Cage, Hero For Hire #1–16 August 2015 978-0785191803
Marvel Masterworks: Luke Cage, Hero For Hire Vol. 2 Luke Cage, Hero For Hire #17–31 September 2017 978-1302903435
Marvel Masterworks: Luke Cage, Hero For Hire Vol. 3 Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #32–47, Annual #1 February 2019 978-1302916350
Luke Cage Epic Collection Vol. 1: Retribution Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1–16; Luke Cage, Power Man #17–23 February 2021 978-1302928315
Luke Cage Omnibus Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1–16; Luke Cage, Power Man #17–47, Annual #1 May 2022 978-1302944964
Luke Cage: Second Chances Vol. 1 Cage (vol. 1) #1–12, material from Marvel Comics Presents #82 September 2015 978-0785192985
Luke Cage: Second Chances Vol. 2 Cage (vol. 1) #13–20, Terror Inc. #11–12, material from Silver Sable & the Wild Pack #13–14 April 2016 978-0785195078
Marvel MAX: Cage Cage (vol. 2) #1–5 August 2003 978-0785113010
New Avengers: Luke Cage - Town Without Pity Avengers: Luke Cage #1-3, Daredevil: Cage Match #1, Hero for Hire #1 October 2010 978-0785144175
Luke Cage: Avenger Avengers Origins: Luke Cage, New Avengers (vol. 1) #22, 49, New Avengers: Luke Cage #1-3, Marvel Team-Up Annual #4 August 2016 978-1302901943
Luke Cage Vol. 1: Sins of the Father Luke Cage #1-5 November 2017 978-1302907785
Luke Cage Vol. 2: Caged Luke Cage #166-170 May 2018 978-1302907792
Luke Cage: Everyman Luke Cage MDO Digital Comic #1-3 November 2018 978-1302912918
Luke Cage: City on Fire Luke Cage: City on Fire #1-3 December 2022 978-1302932787
Luke Cage Noir Luke Cage Noir #1–4 March 2010 978-0785139423
Marvel Noir: Daredevil/Cage/Iron Man Luke Cage Noir #1-4 and Daredevil Noir #1-4, Iron Man Noir #1-4 June 2013 978-0785184041
Cage! Cage! #1-4 May 2017 978-0785127864

Source: "Luke Cage", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, March 26th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Cage.

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