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Luke Cage

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Hero for Hire)
For the television series, see Luke Cage (TV series).
"Hero for Hire" redirects here. For his partner with whom he shares the title, see Iron Fist (character). For the DuckTales episode, see Hero for Hire (DuckTales episode).
Luke Cage
Luke Cage as depicted in New Avengers vol. 2 #1 (June 2010).
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 49 issues of solo adventures; the comic was later 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).

Publication history

[edit]

Creation

[edit]
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 by Archie Goodwin, John Romita Sr., Roy Thomas, and George Tuska.[5][6] Marvel Comics publisher Stan Lee wanted to create a character based on the Blaxploitation genre, and he worked with Thomas to create an initial premise of a hero who asks payment for his work.[7] Thomas attributed many of the creative decisions to Lee.[8] Romita created Cage's initial design, and Tuska became the series' main artist. Goodwin wrote the first stories featuring Luke Cage.[7] Billy Graham, the only black artist working at Marvel at the time, was also brought on to ensure that Tuska's "African-American characters looked African-American".[9] It was determined that he would at some point take over as artist for the character.[8]

Luke Cage was the first of Marvel's African–American characters to lead his own series.[10] He was developed during a period of increasing diversity in comic books and popular media more broadly.[5] American society at the time was undergoing a shift in how race was viewed and calls for social justice were increasing.[6] The character was made distinct from other superheroes by having him live in poverty and struggle with practical affairs like supporting himself and starting a business.[11] During internal deliberations, Marvel determined that Cage had the best marketing potential of their properties.[7]

Blaxploitation films like Shaft (1971) and Super Fly (1972) were the inspiration for the character.[12] When developing Cage's abilities, Thomas was inspired by the novel Gladiator (1930). In the novel, the character Hugo Danner discovers he is bulletproof after examining where he is struck by machine gun fire during World War I.[13] Dan Hagen of Back Issue! compared Cage's origin to The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, to which Thomas said that the book may have had "a conscious or subconscious effect" on Lee or Goodwin.[14]

1970s

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Cage was introduced as the starring character of his own series, Luke Cage, Hero for Hire, in 1972.[15] The series alternated between its continuing plot of Cage trying to support himself and address problems in his personal life alongside individual secondary plots each issue where Cage completed a job as a hero for hire.[16] Goodwin wrote the first four issues before Steve Englehart became the writer. Tuska was the series' artist, but Graham worked as inker and frequently shared responsibilities with Tuska as penciler.[8] Englehart and Tuska came into conflict while working on Luke Cage, Hero for Hire. Englehart wrote subplots for the series, only for Tuska to disregard them and say "I didn't feel like drawing that". In issue #8 (1973), Luke Cage is described with the racial slur schvartze. According to Englehart, he was not aware it was a slur and was tricked into adding it by Tuska. Englehart printed an apology in issue #11.[17]

Marvel made a stronger push toward representation of black characters in 1973. Reframing the character, the company announced that "much of Cage's jivin' slang will be eliminated".[18] Cage made an appearance outside of his own series when he fought with Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man #123 (1973). The issue was drawn by Gil Kane and John Romita Sr.[19] Graham became the main artist for Luke Cage beginning with issue #13 (1973).[20] The character and the series were renamed "Power Man" in issue #17 (1974).[10][21] The name was inspired by the black power movement,[22] and according to Thomas the change was made in an attempt to increase sales.[20] Cage appeared in The Defenders #17–19 (1974–1975), which had him fight the Defenders before they work together to stop the Wrecking Crew.[23]

Cage did not have a dedicated writer in the issues after Englehart's departure, so several writers briefly contributed. Tuska remained active as an artist for the series at this time.[23] Don McGregor eventually requested writing duties for Power Man, and he worked on issues #28 and #30–35.[24] A production problem prevented him from writing issue #29, leaving issue #28's cliffhanger open as an alternate story was featured in issue #29.[23] McGregor made various additions to the character during his brief run, including several of Cage's classic villains. McGregor glamorized Cage's ability to persevere through suffering. The series went through several artists at this time.[24] Cage also co-starred in Fantastic Four #168 (1976), when Roy Thomas used him to briefly replace the Thing as a member of the Fantastic Four.[25] Marv Wolfman became Cage's writer after issue #36 (1976).[25] Power Man was accompanied by an annual edition the same year, created by Chris Claremont.[25] The duo of Claremont and John Byrne were then made artists for the series, continuing a period of collaborations between the two.[26]

The martial arts superhero Iron Fist joined the series as a co-star in issue #48 (1978), and the series was renamed Power Man and Iron Fist with issue #50 (1978). They were grouped after neither character proved popular enough to support his own series. Jo Duffy, a fan of both characters, was appointed as its writer at her request beginning with issue #56.[27] Cage's innocence was proven in this storyarc, and he was no longer written as an escaped convict.[28] To elevate Luke Cage and Iron Fist, Duffy and artist Trevor Von Eeden began with a story in which the characters encountered the X-Men and the Living Monolith before returning them to more mundane environments.[29]

1980s–1990s

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Power Man and Iron Fist received its long-term artist when Kerry Gammill was added for issue #61 (1980). Gammill continued drawing the series until issue #79 (1982), and Duffy continued writing it until issue #84 (1982).[29] Their editor, Dennis O'Neil, disliked the light-hearted and humorous tone that Duffy had used for the series.[30] Denys Cowan took over for Gammill. Bob Layton was announced as Duffy's replacement, but he never began and O'Neil filled in until Kurt Busiek became writer with issue #90 (1983).[31] Busiek continued the light-hearted tone and he too was removed from the series, ending his run on issue #102 (1984).[30] The series had no dedicated creators or storylines until Christopher Priest became the writer from issue #111 (1984) until the series' cancellation with issue #125 (1986), working alongside artist M. D. Bright. Priest, who was himself black, was criticized within Marvel for reducing Cage's use of stereotypical black dialogue.[32]

After Marvel canceled Power Man and Iron Fist, Cage spent the remainder of the decade making guest appearances in other comics. He was revitalized with a new series, Cage, in 1992. This series removed the blaxploitation elements of the character, tempering him and putting him in common street clothes.[33] With minimal resemblance to the original depiction of the character, the series was not well-received and it sold poorly.[34] It was canceled after 20 issues.[7] Cage then made an appearance in Marvels (1994), where artist Alex Ross used Jim Brown as a model for Luke Cage's design.[35] The character made an appearance in a parody edition of What If where he found and wielded Mjolnir, the hammer of Thor.[36] Another attempt was made to revive the character in 1996 with the publication of a new Luke Cage and Iron Fist duo series, Heroes for Hire, but it was canceled after 19 issues.[7]

2000s

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By the start of the 21st century, Luke Cage was not meaningfully used by Marvel and was seen as outdated following the end of the blaxploitation era. The writer Brian Michael Bendis created an updated version of Luke Cage in 2001 by making him as a supporting character in the series Alias, where Cage is a romantic interest for the main character Jessica Jones. According to Bendis, he was teased by his colleagues for his insistence on the character's inclusion, who called it a "man-crush".[7] A new Cage series was published under the adult-targeted Max imprint in 2002, featuring more explicit content.[37] Created by Brian Azzarello, Richard Corben, and José Villarrubia, this series portrayed the black community in a more stereotypical way and had Cage work as muscle for hire in less heroic circumstances. It has been described as Luke Cage redesigned for hip-hop culture.[38]

Bendis used Cage again as a main character in The New Avengers, which took place after the 2004 "Avengers Disassembled" storyline.[39] He decided to have Cage shave his head in the second issue, inspired by a similar style change by comedian Damon Wayans, and the new look became standard for the character's appearance.[7] Cage concurrently returned in Bendis's next Jessica Jones series, The Pulse, beginning in 2004. Jones is pregnant with Cage's daughter throughout this series, and issues #11–14 (2005–2006) feature the child's birth and Cage's subsequent marriage proposal to Jones. Her acceptance and their wedding are depicted in The New Avengers Annual #1 (2006).[40] Cage was also one of the guest stars in the Black Panther storyline "Bad Mutha" in 2006, along with Blade and Brother Voodoo.[41]

Cage's continued appearances in The New Avengers focused on his new life as a husband and father.[42] This coincided with the company-wide storylines Civil War, Secret Invasion, "Dark Reign", and Avengers vs. X-Men between 2005 and 2012.[43] Civil War compels him to fight against other superheroes and send his family into hiding. As a black character, he is used to challenge Iron Man's strict adherence to the law by invoking the civil rights movement and slavery.[44] Cage then has his own subplot in Secret Invasion where to find his kidnapped daughter he aligns with Norman Osborn.[45] Cage remains a major character in The New Avengers until its conclusion in The New Avengers: Finale (2010).[46] He was simultaneously a major character in House of M: Avengers (2008), where he is depicted in his original design.[47] A film noir version of Luke Cage was depicted in Luke Cage Noir (2009–2010), set in the 1920s.[48]

2010s

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The New Avengers: Luke Cage was published in 2010, containing the three-part "Town Without Pity" storyline set in Philadelphia, written by John Arcudi and drawn by Eric Canete. It was published alongside a one-shot in which Daredevil and Cage fight for charity, written by Antony Johnston and drawn by Sean Chen.[49] Avengers Origins: Luke Cage was then published in 2013, written by Michael Benson and Adam Glass.[50] Cage was one of several black superheroes teamed together in The Mighty Avengers (2013–2014) and Captain America and the Mighty Avengers (2014–2015).[51]

A new volume of Power Man and Iron Fist began publication in 2016 as part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel branding, written by David F. Walker and drawn by Sanford Greene.[52] CAGE! was published the same year as a comedic interpretation of Cage's original design. This series, first announced in 2007, was written and drawn by Genndy Tartakovsky.[53]

A new Luke Cage series began publication in 2017 to coincide with the Luke Cage television series. The first five issues made up the "Sins of the Father" story arc, written by David F. Walker and drawn by Nelson Blake.[54] The series was then rebranded under Marvel Legacy, which adjusted the series' numbering. The "Caged" story arc was published as issues #166–170. Walker remained as the writer while Guillermo Sanna and Marcio Menyz were its artists. It was canceled in 2018 after issue #170.[55]

Brian Michael Bendis wrote The Defenders with artist David Marquez in 2017, placing Cage in a team alongside Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, and Daredevil to coincide with the television adaptations of these characters.[56] The three-issue series Luke Cage: Everyman was released in 2018 as the second publication in the Marvel Digital Original line, written by Anthony Del Col and drawn by Jahnoy Lindsay.[57]

2020s

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A miniseries titled Luke Cage: City of Fire began production, written by Ho Che Anderson, with an expected release date in 2021. The series would have featured a story about police brutality based on the murder of George Floyd, but Marvel canceled it shortly before its release out of fear that it would provoke retaliation. According to Anderson, executives told him it was canceled so he would not be "attacked by right-wing nuts".[58]

Cage appeared as a major character in the "Devil's Reign" event in 2021, which ended with him becoming mayor of New York City.[59] He then received his own tie-in series for the "Gang War" event that began in 2023. Luke Cage: Gang War was written by Rodney Barnes and drawn by Ramon Bachs, depicting Cage's time as mayor and his decision to resume illegal vigilantism.[60]

Characterization

[edit]

Fictional character biography

[edit]
Luke Cage, as he appeared during his debut. Art by George Tuska.

Carl Lucas is a resident of Harlem.[61] He was in a gang with his friend Willis Stryker until having regrets about a criminal life and leaving. When Stryker's girlfriend breaks up with him and seeks out Lucas, Stryker frames Lucas for drug possession.[62] Lucas is sent to prison and is abused when he refuses to be an informant.[63] He agrees to a dangerous experiment in the hope that it will help him get parole, but the experiment is sabotaged by a racist guard in an attempt to kill him.[64] The experiment inadvertently gives Lucas superhuman strength and nearly impenetrable skin, which he uses to escape.[61] When he stops a robber and receives a cash reward, he decides to start a business as a super-powered private detective.[65][21] Lucas takes on a new name, Luke Cage,[61] and he later starts calling himself Power Man.[10]

When Cage is blackmailed by Bushmaster to kidnap Misty Knight, he meets Knight's boyfriend, Iron Fist. They work together to prove Cage's innocence, and they become partners as the Heroes for Hire. Cage becomes a fugitive again when he is blamed for Iron Fist's apparent death, but Iron Fist is eventually found to be alive.[62] For a time, Cage moves his Hero for Hire operations to Chicago.[66] Cage moves away from hero work as a bodyguard and bar owner, and he has a sexual encounter with his friend Jessica Jones.[7] The two fall in love while working on a bodyguard job together for Matt Murdock, Daredevil's alter ego. They go on to have a daughter together and marry each other.[62] Cage was one of several heroes who responded to a breakout from the supervillain prison the Raft, and they join together to become the New Avengers.[67] He refuses to register after the Superhero Registration Act is passed and he aligns with Captain America's resistance, separating him from his family and making him a fugitive.[44]

Cage's daughter is kidnapped by a shapeshifting alien Skrull during the Secret Invasion. In his desperation, he agrees to register and aligns with then-head of S.H.I.E.L.D., the villain Norman Osborn, and he recovers his daughter.[42] He then attacks Osborn's henchmen, sparing Osborn only because of his assistance in finding the child.[68] After Osborn's rule ends, Cage becomes the leader of another group of New Avengers and takes command of the reformed supervillain team the Thunderbolts.[62] Cage retires from heroism after realizing the stakes of living his lifestyle while having a child,[69] but he later joins the Mighty Avengers and then a new version of the Defenders.[62] He is diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy as a consequence of his violent lifestyle.[57] Cage runs to be mayor of New York, challenging Mayor Wilson Fisk. Following Fisk's arrest, Cage runs unopposed and is elected.[59]

Personality and motivations

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Cage was shaped by his life in poverty in Harlem, where he was forced to become a criminal and learn to survive.[70] While in poverty, he expresses more frustration when his enemies destroy his office than when they attack him personally, understanding that he will have to pay to fix the damage.[71] He has disdain for the wealthy East Side in Manhattan, seeing the neighborhood and its residents as artificial.[72] He takes satisfaction in his business as he becomes more successful and upgrades his office. After moving his operations to Times Square, he retains his previous office over a grindhouse theater in a poorer part of the city to ensure that he is still accessible to the working class.[73] His financial concerns are alleviated after he partners with his wealthier ally Iron Fist.[16]

The character's anger defines Cage when he is first introduced, bitter about the injustice of his false imprisonment.[6] His experiences living in Harlem and being experimented on in prison made him cynical.[74] Cage is believed dead after he receives his powers, separating him from society more than a traditional superhero.[21] Rather than act purely out of altruism, Cage seeks compensation for heroic acts.[61] He believes that this altruism is unrealistic when race and class are taken into consideration.[75] Despite this, he sometimes refuses to accept a fee.[11] By the third issue of Luke Cage, Hero for Hire, Cage returns his fee to a widowed mother whose husband had hired him.[76]

Cage is portrayed as highly masculine, especially in the context of African–American culture.[77] This is closely associated with his origin as a Blaxploitation character, where such hypermasculinity is common.[78][79] He is written as promiscuous and highly sexual, especially in his youth. He is embarrassed by this past when his old sexual partners continue making advances after he is married.[40] Other characters understand him to be a "cape chaser" who had regular sexual encounters with female superheroes.[40] As Cage's character evolved, more nuanced traits were allowed to develop as he became husband and father and as he balanced his superheroism between street crime and more traditional supervillains.[80] His characterization underwent a major shift in The New Avengers, which reframes him as a paternal figure, having him care for his infant daughter while serving as a mentor for younger superheroes who are racial minorities. He is shown as a responsible, caring father while other heroes are fighting.[81] Part of his motivation for joining the team is so his soon-to-be-born daughter will be able to hear that her father was an Avenger.[82] This leads to further conflict with Cage's split roles as a father and a superhero, as the dangerous nature of his work puts his daughter at risk and causes his wife to doubt his sincerity about prioritizing the family.[83] His romantic relationship with Jessica Jones became his primary focus, eventually accompanied by their daughter together.[22]

Cage does not present himself aesthetically as a traditional superhero. He does not consistency use a superhero name or wear a superhero costume.[21] He does not have a secret identity, though he changed his name to Luke Cage while in hiding after escaping prison.[84] Cage wears an extravagant street-clothes outfit in his original design, featuring a bright yellow top with a collar and open front, black spandex pants, yellow-trimmed boots, a chain belt, metal bracelets, and a metal headband. This outfit both reflects his inability to afford more sophisticated costumes and balances the seriousness of the character.[85] When the character chooses these outfits, he remarks that the chains will remind him of his past imprisonment, as well as the possibility that he could be imprisoned again. He similarly chooses the name Cage to invoke his origin as a prisoner.[28] He later wears more casual outfits like a t-shirt with jeans.[39] Cage is associated with a catchphrase, "Sweet Christmas!", which he often used in the 1970s.[8]

Powers and abilities

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Luke Cage has superhuman strength and durability.[86][61] He gained his powers through an experiment, described as an "electro-biochemical process" that was intended to improve human healing by speeding up cellular regeneration.[64] Cage's skin is as strong as steel,[87][62] and his muscles and bones are much denser than those of an average human, and he can heal three times as quickly.[62] Cage's powers are more defensive than active, making him a relatively passive character in combat.[88] When the character was created, a rule was implemented that he could not use his powers to leap high into the air, but this rule was broken by his sixth appearance.[89] Besides his superhuman abilities, Cage is street smart[10] and a skilled fighter.[62]

Themes

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Race and its social implications are considered prominently in Luke Cage stories.[15] Luke Cage is symbolic of the racism that defined the black identity in the United States,[90][91] and the character is used to explore problems faced by African–Americans because of institutional racism.[63] Cage's symbolism arises from his being a black man with bulletproof skin.[86] The fact that his powers are derived from his skin creates a contrast where his skin is both what causes him to be persecuted and what gives him the ability to fight back.[87] The character originated from the black power movement, although this interpretation of the character receded by the 1980s as the black power movement declined in prominence and the black power hero moved out of the cultural zeitgeist.[22]

Prison reform had become a major political issue in the years leading up to Cage's debut,[63] and Luke Cage, Hero for Hire introduced the character alongside a criticism of police brutality and the prison system in the United States.[92] Cage's origin as both a superhero and a prisoner makes him distinct from other superheroes with more traditionally noble origins.[6] Unlike the heroic experiment that gave Captain America his superpowers and the science-fiction themes of later superheroes, Cage is given his powers in the less glamorous environment of a prison experiment.[93] Shortly after Cage's first appearance, news of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study became public as a real-life example of black men being experimented on.[93]

Issues relating to class are a regular feature in Luke Cage stories,[11][94] and Cage's persona draws from a tradition of urban folk heroes who represent the working class.[95] This contrasted him from Marvel's other well known black superhero of the time, the Black Panther, the king of a highly developed African nation.[96] Cage's origin gives focus to the financial aspects of superheroism as the character has to fund his own operations.[15] Cage operates out of New York like many other Marvel Comics superheroes, but his origin is in the inner city as opposed to more affluent or suburban areas.[84] This setting depicts less desirable aspects of New York City relative to the settings of other superhero stories, showing a poorer, rougher area.[97]

Cage's public blending of his career and his heroism subverts the usual trope of heroes trying to keep these things separate.[84] The transactional nature of Cage's heroism challenges the notion of a selfless hero being morally superior. It indicates that social privilege and financial stability are necessary for a hero to act without compensation, which is not an option for working class heroes like Luke Cage.[77] This theme became less prominent a few years into Luke Cage's publications as the series shifted toward more traditional heroics to boost sales.[12] Cage's balancing of his life as a father and as a superhero then became a major theme used to comment on the fatherhood of black men and domestic life more generally. Several franchise-wide storylines took place while Cage learned to become a father, presenting obstacles for the character in his attempts to prioritize his family. Cage's role in these stories subverts common ideas of absent fathers and masculinity being incompatible with domesticity when he remains committed to his responsibility as a father.[98]

Supporting characters

[edit]
Main article: List of Luke Cage and Iron Fist supporting characters

Luke Cage is closely tied to the character Iron Fist. They were brought together for the shared series Power Man and Iron Fist in 1978 where they came to be partners.[27] Cage's primary romantic interest is Jessica Jones. Their relationship becomes central to his character after their marriage, and they have a daughter named Danielle.[99] Cage formed a team, the Defenders, with Jones, Iron Fist, and Daredevil.[100]

In the first issues of his original series, Cage is established with the supporting characters Claire Temple, a doctor who operates a clinic with the man who gave Cage his powers, and David Griffith, the nephew of his landlord who becomes a friend of Cage.[76] Cage's first love interest is Reva Connors. In his origin story, Willis Stryker competes with Cage for her attention, eventually framing Cage and getting him sent to prison. Connors is then accidentally killed in a mob hit targeting Stryker.[87]

Villains

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Luke Cage's original nemesis is his friend-turned-rival Willis Stryker, who calls himself Diamondback.[8] The pair were partners who became involved in gangs, but Cage left the lifestyle while Stryker became more involved in it.[101] Diamondback becomes his own version of a hero for hire, using trick knives with different functionalities.[8] Shades and Comanche are also villains Cage encounters in his origin, meeting them as fellow prisoners during his origin story.[102] Other recurring villains introduced in Cage's original series include Gideon Mace, Black Mariah, Chemistro, Stiletto, Steeplejack, Cockroach Hamilton, Mr. Fish, and Piranha Jones.[103]

Cage's earliest villains were underworld criminals, typically working for a crime boss or a criminal organization. He has faced several villains of this type, including Cottonmouth, Diamondback, Steeplejack, and Stilleto.[104] Many of Cage's villains are people who became criminals because they were unable to achieve social mobility, including Big Brother, Chemistro, Mr. Fish, and Piranha Jones.[105] Cage shares the name "Power Man" with the villain Erik Josten, introduced in The Avengers #21 (1965), and the two first encounter one another in Power Man #21 (1974).[20]

Power Man and Iron Fist writer Jo Duffy commented on the difficulty of writing villains for the titular characters, saying that they are too strong to fight common criminals but too weak to fight powerful supervillains.[106] To address this, she introduced the superpowered swordsman El Águila and the scheming mountaineer Montenegro.[107]

Reception and legacy

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Luke Cage was created as African-American heroes were first becoming acceptable to the American public, and the writers at Marvel developed the character to support this movement.[14] Cage was positively received by readers when he was introduced, both for representation that came with an African–American superhero and for the means of exploring class and race in comic books.[15] The 2016 television adaptation of Luke Cage similarly debuted during a period of renewed interest in how police brutality in the United States affects black men.[93]

Although the character was successful, Cage did not achieve the same popularity as Marvel's more well-known characters.[65] Marvel introduced several black superheroes shortly after Luke Cage's success, including Blade and Brother Voodoo in 1973 as well as Storm and Black Goliath in 1975. Black Panther received his own series in 1974. None of these were as successful as Luke Cage.[108] Like these heroes, Cage was defined by his blackness when he was introduced and was portrayed in a stereotypical manner, which received mixed reception from critics.[109] Cage did not have significant effect on the Marvel Universe, leaving the niche of an influential African–American superhero unfilled for the time.[110]

Several individual Luke Cage stories have received critical praise. Hero for Hire #9 (1973) has Cage pursue one of Marvel's most imposing supervillains, Doctor Doom, over a $200 debt. Power Man and Iron Fist #50 (1978) saw Cage clear his name as a fugitive and marked the beginning of his sharing a series with Iron Fist as the Heroes for Hire.[111][112][113] New Avengers #22 (2006) defined the character's motives as he sided against Iron Man in the "Civil War" event.[111][112][114] The miniseries Luke Cage: Noir (2009) reimagined Cage as a detective in a story praised for its style.[112][113][114]

Cage was satirized by the Milestone Comics character "Buck Wild, Mercenary Man".[79] The actor Nicolas Cage, born Nicolas Coppola, was a fan of Luke Cage and chose his stage name as an homage to the character.[115]

Accolades

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  • In 2008, Wizard Magazine ranked Luke Cage 34th in their "Top 200 Comic Book Characters" list.[116]
  • In 2011, IGN ranked Luke Cage 72nd in their "Top 100 Comic Book Heroes" list.[117]
  • In 2012, IGN ranked Luke Cage 72nd in their "Top 50 Avengers" list.[118]
  • in 2015, Gizmodo ranked Luke Cage 23rd in their "Every Member Of The Avengers" list.[119]
  • In 2015, Entertainment Weekly ranked Luke Cage 11th in their "Let's rank every Avenger ever" list.[120]
  • In 2019, ComicBook.com ranked Luke Cage 45th in their "50 Most Important Superheroes Ever" list.[121]
  • In 2022, Screen Rant included Luke Cage in their "10 Most Powerful Avengers In Marvel Comics" list.[122]
  • In 2022, CBR.com ranked Luke Cage 2nd in their "10 Coolest Avengers" list,[123] 2nd in their "Thunderbolts' 10 Best Leaders" list[124] and 10th in their "10 Best Mercenaries In Marvel Comics" list.[125]

In other media

[edit]
Mike Colter smiling
Luke Cage is portrayed by Mike Colter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Mike Colter portrayed Luke Cage in Jessica Jones (2015), Luke Cage (2016), and The Defenders of Marvel's Netflix television series within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.[126] Adaptations of Luke Cage have appeared in animated series like Ultimate Spider-Man, The Super Hero Squad Show and The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The character appears in several video games, including the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance series, Marvel Heroes, and Lego Marvel's Avengers.[127]

Quentin Tarantino considered making a film about Luke Cage in the early 1990s, hoping to cast Laurence Fishburne in the starring role, but he lost interest in the idea after his friends insisted that this was poor casting and he should instead choose Wesley Snipes.[128] Producer Edward R. Pressman worked with Stan Lee on a possible Luke Cage film in 1995 starring Fishburne as the titular character. It would have been written by John Singleton and Joseph Dougherty, adapting the original series and the 1992 Cage miniseries and pitting Cage against the villain Moses Magnum.[129] Another possible Luke Cage film was optioned by Columbia Pictures in 2003 with Ben Ramsey writing and John Singleton directing. Singleton considered Tyrese Gibson for the role of Luke Cage and Terence Howard as Diamondback.[130]

Collected editions

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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

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Power Man #50
  2. ^ Marvel Legacy: The 1970s Handbook
  3. ^ Hero for Hire #1 (June 1972) at the Grand Comics Database. Retrieved on February 14, 2018. "Out of Hell -- A Hero! / Luke Cage / comic story / 23 pages / Script: Roy Thomas; John Romita; Archie Goodwin."
  4. ^ Child, Ben (September 30, 2016). "A bulletproof black man: Luke Cage is the superhero America needs now". The Guardian. UK. Archived from the original on September 30, 2016. Retrieved November 7, 2016. He was the first black superhero to get his own comic book. Now, Luke Cage is the first black superhero with his own TV show.
  5. ^ a b Friedenthal 2021, p. 41.
  6. ^ a b c d Bukac 2019, p. 73.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Riesman, Abraham Josephine (2016-09-30). "How Luke Cage Went From Cutting Edge to Caricature, and Then Back Again". Vulture. Archived from the original on 2024-04-16.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Hagen 2019, p. 10.
  9. ^ Gual Boronat & Millanes Vaquero 2023, p. 147n8.
  10. ^ a b c d Eury 2005, p. 6.
  11. ^ a b c Davis 2018, p. 151.
  12. ^ a b Friedenthal 2021, pp. 41–42.
  13. ^ Hagen 2019, pp. 6–7.
  14. ^ a b Hagen 2019, p. 3.
  15. ^ a b c d Fawaz 2016, p. 22.
  16. ^ a b Bealer 2017, p. 181.
  17. ^ Howe 2012, p. 142.
  18. ^ Howe 2012, p. 131.
  19. ^ Hagen 2019, p. 12.
  20. ^ a b c Hagen 2019, p. 13.
  21. ^ a b c d Hagen 2019, p. 9.
  22. ^ a b c Nama 2011, p. 65.
  23. ^ a b c Hagen 2019, p. 14.
  24. ^ a b Borenstein 2023, pp. 181–182.
  25. ^ a b c Hagen 2019, p. 15.
  26. ^ Howe 2012, p. 197.
  27. ^ a b Callahan 2010, p. 4.
  28. ^ a b Bealer 2017, p. 179.
  29. ^ a b Callahan 2010, pp. 4–5.
  30. ^ a b Callahan 2010, p. 9.
  31. ^ Callahan 2010, p. 8.
  32. ^ Callahan 2010, p. 10.
  33. ^ Nama 2011, p. 62.
  34. ^ "Lament For the Lost". Wizard. No. 29. 1994. p. 124.
  35. ^ Nama 2011, p. 113.
  36. ^ "Top Ten Funny Comics". Wizard. No. 45. 1995. p. 127.
  37. ^ Eury 2005, p. 9.
  38. ^ Nama 2011, pp. 62, 65.
  39. ^ a b Brown 2021, p. 50.
  40. ^ a b c Brown 2021, p. 53.
  41. ^ Nama 2011, p. 110.
  42. ^ a b Brown 2021, p. 55.
  43. ^ Brown 2021, p. 47.
  44. ^ a b Brown 2021, pp. 54–55.
  45. ^ Brown 2021, p. 57.
  46. ^ Brown 2021, p. 60.
  47. ^ Nama 2011, pp. 65–66.
  48. ^ Nama 2011, p. 158n18.
  49. ^ Verhoven, Karl. "New Avengers: Luke Cage – Town Without Pity". Slings & Arrows.
  50. ^ DeCandido, Keith R. A. (2016-09-29). "A Brief History of Luke Cage in the Comics". Reactor.
  51. ^ Brown 2021, p. 144.
  52. ^ Camacho, Jess (2016-02-18). "Pick of the Week: "Power Man and Iron Fist" #1". Multiversity Comics.
  53. ^ Schedeen, Jesse (2016-10-06). "Cage! #1 Review". IGN. Retrieved 2025-01-19.
  54. ^ Brooke, David (2017-11-15). "'Luke Cage Vol. 1: Sins of the Father' review: Fun, dramatic, and a great beginning". AIPT.
  55. ^ Salvatore, Brian (2018-02-15). "Exclusive Preview: "Luke Cage" #170". Multiversity Comics.
  56. ^ Cardona, Ian (2018-01-01). "Best Comics of 2017: Defenders Stands as One of Bendis' Best". CBR.
  57. ^ a b Brooke, David (2018-11-14). "3 Reasons Why: 'Luke Cage: Everyman' breaks new ground in comic book storytelling". AIPT.
  58. ^ Gribbin, Sean (2023-02-05). "Exclusive: Luke Cage Miniseries Was Canceled Over Fear of 'Right-Wing Nuts'". Comic Book Resources.
  59. ^ a b Erdmann, Kevin (2025-01-19). "Daredevil Ushered Kingpin Into Office, But His Successors Were Even More Surprising". ScreenRant.
  60. ^ Brooke, David (2024-05-22). "Luke Cage: Gang War TPB review". AIPT.
  61. ^ a b c d e Fawaz 2016, p. 191.
  62. ^ a b c d e f g h Fentiman 2019, p. 67.
  63. ^ a b c Nama 2011, p. 55.
  64. ^ a b Bealer 2017, p. 166.
  65. ^ a b Friedenthal 2021, p. 42.
  66. ^ "Picks From the Wizard's Hat". Wizard. No. 6. 1992. p. 69.
  67. ^ Fentiman 2019, p. 35.
  68. ^ Brown 2021, p. 56.
  69. ^ Brown 2021, p. 59.
  70. ^ Bealer 2017, pp. 172–173.
  71. ^ Davis 2018, pp. 154–155.
  72. ^ Davis 2018, p. 155.
  73. ^ Davis 2018, p. 157.
  74. ^ McCausland & Salgado 2023, p. 129.
  75. ^ McCausland & Salgado 2023, p. 130.
  76. ^ a b Hagen 2019, p. 11.
  77. ^ a b Fawaz 2016, p. 192.
  78. ^ Bukac 2019, p. 71.
  79. ^ a b Nama 2011, p. 53.
  80. ^ Brown 2013, p. 136.
  81. ^ Brown 2021, p. 13.
  82. ^ Brown 2021, pp. 50–51.
  83. ^ Brown 2021, pp. 57–58.
  84. ^ a b c Davis 2018, p. 153.
  85. ^ Nama 2011, pp. 56–58.
  86. ^ a b Borenstein 2023, p. 182.
  87. ^ a b c Hagen 2019, p. 6.
  88. ^ Bukac 2019, p. 74.
  89. ^ Hagen 2019, pp. 9, 11.
  90. ^ Nama 2011, p. 66.
  91. ^ Bealer 2017, pp. 166–167.
  92. ^ Bukac 2019, p. 72.
  93. ^ a b c Hagen 2019, p. 5.
  94. ^ Fawaz 2016, p. 193.
  95. ^ Fawaz 2016, pp. 127–128.
  96. ^ Hagen 2019, p. 4.
  97. ^ Callahan 2010, p. 3.
  98. ^ Brown 2021, pp. 47, 53–54.
  99. ^ Brown 2021, pp. 53–55.
  100. ^ Fentiman 2019, p. 107.
  101. ^ Bealer 2017, pp. 173–174.
  102. ^ Hagen 2019, pp. 4–5.
  103. ^ Hagen 2019, pp. 11–15.
  104. ^ Nama 2011, p. 58.
  105. ^ Gual Boronat & Millanes Vaquero 2023, p. 138.
  106. ^ Callahan 2010, p. 5.
  107. ^ Callahan 2010, pp. 5–7.
  108. ^ Eury 2005, pp. 7–8.
  109. ^ Brown 2021, p. 51.
  110. ^ Lackaff & Sales 2013, p. 68.
  111. ^ a b Byrne, Craig (2016-09-03). "Best Luke Cage Comics to Read Before the Netflix Series". Collider.
  112. ^ a b c Lealos, Shawn S. (2021-10-31). "The 10 Best Luke Cage Stories From The Comic Books". ScreenRant.
  113. ^ a b Cronin, Brian (2011-11-14). "The Greatest Luke Cage Stories Ever Told!". CBR.
  114. ^ a b Schedeen, Jesse (2016-10-05). "5 Luke Cage Comic Books You Should Read". IGN.
  115. ^ Eury 2005, p. 7.
  116. ^ "Wizard's top 200 characters. External link consists of a forum site summing up the top 200 characters of Wizard Magazine since the real site that contains the list is broken". Wizard magazine. Archived from the original on June 8, 2011. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  117. ^ "Luke Cage is number 72". IGN. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  118. ^ "The Top 50 Avengers". IGN. April 30, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  119. ^ Bricken, Rob (February 26, 2015). "Every Member Of The Avengers, Ranked". Gizmodo. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  120. ^ Franich, Darren (April 29, 2015). "Let's rank every Avenger ever". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  121. ^ Cartelli, Lance (February 25, 2019). "Ranking The 50 Most Important Superheroes Ever". Movies. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  122. ^ Harn, Darby (June 25, 2022). "10 Most Powerful Avengers In Marvel Comics". Screen Rant. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  123. ^ Harth, David (September 19, 2022). "10 Coolest Avengers". CBR. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  124. ^ Allan, Scoot (October 12, 2022). "Thunderbolts' 10 Best Leaders, Ranked". CBR. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  125. ^ Eckhardt, Peter (December 15, 2022). "The 10 Best Mercenaries In Marvel Comics, Ranked". CBR. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  126. ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (2024-05-21). "Marvel's Luke Cage Star Mike Colter Reveals What It Would Take to Return to MCU". ComicBook.com.
  127. ^ "Luke Cage". Behind the Voice Actors.
  128. ^ Crow, David (2020-03-31). "Quentin Tarantino Talks About the Luke Cage Movie He Almost Made". Den of Geek.
  129. ^ Peters, Jenny (1995). "Pressman Cranks Out Comics Films". Wizard. No. 52. p. 89.
  130. ^ Cronin, Brian (2016-10-05). "Movie Legends: Did Idris Elba Almost Star in a Luke Cage Movie?". CBR.

References

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Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Luke_Cage&oldid=1270481810"