Luke Cage

-by Bill Sandefur

BIO:
Carl Lucas and Willis Stryker were good friends and a couple of small time crooks who grew up together. As time passed Lucas decided to go straight and clean up his act, while Stryker worked his way up the criminal ladder. Despite their differences the two men remained friends, that is until they both fell in love with the same woman, a woman named Reva. After a long rivalry for her affections Reva eventually chose Lucas over Stryker. This so enraged Stryker that he framed his old friend for a crime he didn't commit and Lucas was sent to prison. While in prison Lucas learned that Reva was killed in an attempt on Stryker's life. He vowed to get revenge and volunteered for a dangerous experiment in human cell regeneration. However, the experiment was sabotaged by a racist prison guard named Rackham, who hated Lucas. The sabotage caused a chemical explosion that granted Lucas super human strength and "steel-hard" skin that made him all but impervious to harm. Lucas then promptly used his new powers to smash through a wall and make his escape. Later, prison guards found his bullet riddled shirt near a river and, unaware of his super tough skin, mistakenly assumed he was dead. Shortly after his escape, Lucas stopped a criminal who was trying to rob him, and he got the idea to become a "super hero for hire". He quickly put together a costume and changed his name from Carl Lucas to Luke Cage. Luke then caught up to Willis Stryker, who had since become a super villain called Diamondback, who used trick knives, much like Hawkeye's trick arrows. The two battled and Diamondback ended up accidently killing himself with one of his own exploding knives. Luke Cage quickly proved himself as a hero and eventually he adopted the name Power Man. This didn't sit well with the original Power Man (a super villain who had fought the Avengers on several occasions). The evil Power Man forced Luke into a fight to determine who had the right to the name. Luke won and walked away as the one and only Power Man. After many solo adventures, Luke's life changed forever when he met the kung-fu hero, Iron Fist. The two became fast friends and formed the team Heroes For Hire. Though they are no longer involved with Heroes For Hire, Luke and Iron Fist remain good friends. Throughout his career Luke has been a member of the Defenders, the Fantastic Four and the New Avengers. He is currently married to Jessica Jones, and together they have a baby daughter.

POWERS AND ABILITIES:
Luke Cage possess superhuman strength (about the equal of Spider-Man's), stamina, "steel-hard" skin and an accelerated healing factor that combine to make him highly resistant to physical injury. He is a skilled street fighter as well.

POINTS OF INTEREST:
Legendary X-Men creators Chris Claremont and John Byrne wrote and drew "Power Man" #48 & 49 and "Power Man and Iron Fist" #50.
In Luke Cage, Hero For Hire #1 (the character's first appearance) Cage wore black pants and black boots with yellow cuffs.
By issue #3 this had been changed to blue pants with all yellow boots.
The promo art on the packaging of the Marvel Legend Luke Cage figure has him in blue pants with all yellow boots.
The actual figure however has black pants and black boots with yellow cuffs, thus making it, in effect, a "First Appearance" Luke Cage figure.

ORIGINAL CREATORS:
Archie Goodwin - George Tuska - Roy Thomas - John Romita, Sr.

REAL NAME: Originally Carl Lucas, legally changed to Luke Cage.

ALIASES: Power Man - Cage

ALLIES: Danny Rand/Iron Fist - Misty Knight - Colleen Wing

RELATIONS: Jessica Jones (wife) - Baby daughter (unnamed)

TEAM AFFILIATIONS: Heroes For Hire - New Avengers - Fantastic Four (briefly) - The Defenders.

TOUGHEST CHARACTER HE COULD TAKE IN A FIGHT: Power Man vs. Colossus would be a totally awesome battle.

KEY COMIC APPEARANCES:
Luke Cage, Hero For Hire #1: First appearance and origin.
Luke Cage, Hero For Hire #8-9: Luke battles Doctor Doom.
Luke Cage, Power Man #17: Luke Cage adopts the name Power Man. Title of book is changed from "Luke Cage, Hero for Hire" to "Luke Cage, Power Man".
Luke Cage, Power Man #21: Luke battles the original Power Man (a super villain) for the right to the name Power Man. Luke wins, of course, and the old Power Man eventually becomes the new (and villainous) Goliath.
Amazing Spider-Man #123: Luke Cage battles Spider-Man after being hired to capture the web-slinger by J. Jonah Jameson.
Power Man #48: First meeting of Power Man and Iron Fist.
Power Man and Iron Fist #50: "Power Man" is retitled "Power Man and Iron Fist".