Recently in Luke Cage Category

Here’s a big laugh courtesy of John Byrne, from The Comic Reader 143, circa 1977.  It was around this period when Iron Fist was set to become Luke Cage’s best buddy—and share the masthead when Power Man was re-titled Power Man and Iron Fist with issue #50.  Claremont and Byrne were the creators behind this odd couple pairing.

The signature reads: John Byrne, from an idea by Roger Stern, with apologies to Don Martin.  Don Martin was one of the premiere artists from Mad Magazine, who drew funny characters with elongated features.  Why not take a visit to the Don Martin Shrine today?  Nuff Said!

More John Byrne Marvel Funnies:

Spidey Introduces the Punisher to the Electric Company.

Storm critiques Ms. Marvel’s costume, courtesy of John Byrne.

Iron Sis and Shang-She.

Fantastic Four had a great run during the mid-1970s, when Roy Thomas wrote the series and was joined by artists like Rich Buckler and George Perez.  During one of these stories, the Thing lost his powers and reverted back to Ben Grimm.  Who replaced him in the FF?

You got it baby: Luke Cage, PowerMan!  Hired at a really good hourly rate by Reed Richards to fill out the team’s roster.  You’d think Ben Grimm would have been happy about getting a break and being able to schwing with his girlfriend, Alicia Masters.  Oh no!

Ben’s feeling left out and jealous when the FF goes off to fight the Wrecker.  It’s kind of ironic, in this 1975 story, Luke Cage fights the Wrecker for the second time (the first was in Defenders #17-19 in 1974).  In New Avengers #7-8 he helps defeat the Wrecker once again, but steals his Asgardian forged crowbar, which he uses to escape the Dark Avengers in New Avengers #49.

Luke Cage only stays with the FF for three issues.  By issue 170, Cage is under the thrall of the Puppet Master and fighting Ben Grimm, who is inside a robot suit that resembles his former rocky self.

There’s gotta be great What If or Exiles material in here somewhere.  What If Cage stayed with the FF and Reed Richards was killed and Cage married Sue Storm?  What If Cage stole Alicia Masters from Ben Grimm?  What If Cage Became the Herald of Galactus?  Sweet Christmas, it’s time to get off this planet!  Nuff said.

When Luke Cage first appeared in 1971, it was such a big event that Stan Lee highlighted the character in his Bullpen Bulletins Soapbox column:

When I think of Luke Cage, I also remember Richard Roundtree and Isaac Hayes.  Shaft.  The one movie I wanted to see, because it looked so damn cool in those movie posters, but I couldn't get in because it was rated R.  Then there was Shaft's Big Score, Shaft Goes to Africa, and eventually Shaft came to CBS in a series of TV movies.  But I digress. 

Shaft had taken off, and Marvel wanted a character who could claim some of that glory.  Hero for Hire #1 premiered.  Despite some great stories by Archie Goodwin and Steve Englehart, the sales must have not been as great as Marvel hoped.

In 1973, we saw this ad in Marvel Magazines...

I think the fact checkers at Marvel were out to lunch when this ad was being pasted together.  The "first and still greatest black superhero of all"?  We all know that the Black Panther appeared in 1966, making him Marvel's first black superhero.

Perhaps Marvel thought that "Hero for Hire" was way too mercenary sounding.  Luke Cage needed to be seen as more of a superhero.  His title was renamed "Luke Cage, POWERMAN!" with issue #17.

This bombastic cover by Gil Kane really shows off Cage's invulnerable steel-hard skin.  To make it even more of a re-launch, this issue featured Cage fighting Iron Man.  Steel-hard skin against Iron-clad armor!  Of course, they kissed and made up by the end.

There is a funny story behind this name change. 

Stan Lee had a gentleman's agreement with DC Comics never to infringe on copyrights by making an opposite-sex version of a character.  Wonder Man, who seems like a male version of Wonder Woman from the sound of it, appeared in Avengers #9.  He was killed off by the end and Stan Lee assured DC he would never come back.

Power Girl first appeared in 1976 in All Star Comics #58.  It was not a one-time appearance, this was an ongoing character!  Stan was mad, the gentleman's agreement was off, and Wonder Man came back to life in Avengers #152.

Mark Gruenwald did this gag in What If #34 as an in-joke to this controversy, with a female version of Power Man--Marvel's Power Girl!  I kind of think she looks better in that outfit than Cage!

I have been surprised and pleased by Brian Bendis' love for Luke Cage, highlighting the character in Alias, the Pulse, and in New Avengers.  Bendis has given the character a great arc, from relative obscurity to a leader of superheroes..  And there is no need for tiaras or silly code names.  You can't have a name cooler than Luke Cage!  Nuff said.