History Characters / MCULukeCage

* AdaptationDyeJob: In the comics, he sported an afro. In the series, he's bald.

* AdaptationRelationshipOverhaul: In the comics, he and Iron Fist are HeterosexualLifePartners who've headlined [[ComicBook/HeroesForHire their own series together]] and often serve as ThoseTwoGuys of the Marvel Universe. Here, they don't even meet until ''Series/TheDefenders2017'' and they have a [[LetsYouAndHimFight fight]]. Even afterward, they still aren't portrayed the way they are in the comics. This does seem to be changing with ''Luke Cage Season 2'', where the two bond.
* AfroAsskicker: [[spoiler:He had an afro when he was in Seagate, and he was a total badass already.]]

* ArbitrarySkepticism: The man has bulletproof skin, has been shot with bullets made of alien metals, has fought a cult of ninjas led by evil immortals, dated a woman with superhuman abilities, took legal counsel from a "blind ninja", and is pals with a dude who can make his fist glow and punch out walls... and yet he refuses to believe that dragons might be real. Danny calls him out on this. One must assume [[spoiler:he didn't see the dragon bones while fighting the Hand under Midland Circle (though, to be fair, the place wasn't exactly full-on light).]].

* BadassInANiceSuit: Luke occasionally kicks ass while wearing a very well tailored suit courtesy of Dapper Dan.
** [[spoiler: At the end of Season 2, after Mariah leaves him Harlem's Paradise, he's seeing sporting another tailored suit from another tailored suit more in line with his darker portrayal from the comics.]]

* BlessedWithSuck: Sure his impenetrable skin protects him from harm, but it also [[spoiler:prevents him from getting an injection that can save his life,]] and it's not just his skin, almost all his soft tissue is similarly invulnerable. [[spoiler:This makes trying to remove shrapnel an absolute bitch.]] [[spoiler: As of Season 2, even with supposedly better invulnerability a powerful enough blast from a specialized shotgun to the shoulder was enough to dislocate it.]]

* CainAndAbel: Is the Abel to [[spoiler:Diamondback's Cain, albeit unknowingly at first]].

* ComicBookMoviesDontUseCodenames: Much like Jessica Jones, his comic superhero name Power Man is introduced as a gag when Pop jokingly calls him by it. However, after [[spoiler:Pop's death]], he begins to embrace it -- he still only calls himself Luke Cage, but on a couple of occasions when people compare him to Iron Man he responds: "It's Power Man." Then again, [[spoiler:"Luke Cage" technically is his codename as his real name was "Carl Lucas" before he changed it to adopt a new identity after escaping prison]].

* CurbStompBattle: One could even pity the fools that have to deal with him. Nothing short of Jessica, Judas bullets, Danny's Iron Fist technique, or Bushmaster can make him look like he's even trying.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: [[spoiler:Diamondback had him framed for a crime he did not commit, had him forced into an underground fighting ring, had him subjected to human experimentation that killed every other subject, and since then, he's been on the run, living under an assumed name. He's also in denial about the fact that his preacher father had an illegitimate son]].

* ExpansionPackPast: Introduced as an ex-con turned bartender. His solo series reveals that [[spoiler:he was the son of a preacher man from Savannah, Georgia, that he was a Marine, and specifically a [[ElitesAreMoreGlamorous Force Recon Marine]] and then a sheriff before he ended up in prison.]]

* {{Forgiveness}}: Luke parts with Jessica on shaky terms in ''Jessica Jones'' [[spoiler: due to her role in Reva's death. While Luke learns that Jessica was being controlled at the time by Kilgrave, the wounds are still too fresh for the two to reasonably continue their relationship. It's not until his own series that Luke finally learns of Reva's true nature, and was able to finally let go the past. By the time Luke and Jessica meet again in ''The Defenders'', they're back to being on friendly terms.]] It goes on in his series when his dad returns.

* IdealHero: Luke is as close as Netflix MCU gets to one. He's extremely righteous, never wishing to stray into anything remotely unlawful like having an affair, tries to avoid swearing, refuses to be paid for his heroics, and initially disliked violence and only went to it as a last resort. [[spoiler: Season 2 starts to see him slip from some of this: he's willing to broker deals with crime lords to help keep the peace in Harlem, extorts an admittedly very crooked business man for money to settle a lawsuit out of court, comes to use far more brutal means of taking down foes up to and including brief acts of torture, and treats yet more crime lords to the VIP section of the club Mariah leaves him in the season finale.]]

* InnocentlyInsensitive: As a child, he used to use the phrase "I'm a Lucas" to explain to Willis why he needed to fight and defend his reputation. He had no idea that Willis [[spoiler:is his half-brother, and resents the fact that his last name is "Stryker" because he was TheUnfavorite.]]

* LargeAndInCharge: [[spoiler:He becomes the new leader of Harlem's Paradise in Season 2 and his 6 foot 3 stature just makes him even more imposing.]]
* LEGOGenetics: The cinematic universe's explanation for his powers is that [[spoiler:he was infused with sea snail DNA.]]

* TheLostLenore: Jessica's last act before escaping Kilgrave was to kill his wife. Naturally, she isn't inclined to let him know about this. [[spoiler:Luke is understandably pissed off to learn what really happened, and breaks off all communication with Jessica afterward.]]

* LovingAShadow: Luke when he learns that Reva was not the woman he thought she was. Although she ''did'' fall in love with him sincerely later, [[spoiler:he is shaken by the fact that the woman who used to give him hope in prison was, in fact, working with his tormentors all along and knew everything that they were up to.]]

** The suit he's shown wearing [[spoiler: as the new owner of Harlem's Paradise in the season two finale]] is reminiscent of [[http://media.comicbook.com/2016/03/pmif2016002-dc11-01-173434.jpg how he appears]] in the 2016 -- 2017 ''Power Man & Iron Fist'' comics.

* NoMoreHoldingBackSpeech: He spends the first two episodes of his show refusing all attempts to get him to be a hero, but is finally driven to it by [[spoiler:Pop's death]]. He ends the episode by invoking [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crispus_Attucks Crispus Attucks]], the highly renowned first black American hero whose name is now adorning Mariah's stashhouse, declaring he'll now be taking his place in that legacy.

* OldShame: In-universe, his canonical 70's outfit revolves around this, but not only this extends to the overall silly look, but also condones a plot recalling from his [[spoiler:old prison ID: Tiara.]]

** Swearing isn't really his thing -- it's even further enforced in Pop's Barbershop, where the old man keeps a "swear jar" whenever somebody uses a profanity. That said, it really sticks out where Luke finally snaps and calls Jessica a "piece of shit" when he learns [[spoiler:she killed his wife, albeit under Kilgrave's power.]]
** Also swears when [[spoiler:Pops' barbershop is riddled with bullets. As the old man lays dying, he frantically screams "Someone call a goddamn ambulance!" Pops uses one of his last breaths to remind him to put money in the swear jar.]]
* PrimaryColorChampion: His signature outfit consists wears a yellow t-shirt and blue pants.

* CatchPhrase:

* CelebritySuperhero: While he isn't exactly at the same celebrity level as the Avengers, he could probably be seen as the biggest star among the Defenders: He is a local hero for the residents of Harlem and has a lot of fans in the black community, to the point he has his own merch. He also saves [[AsHimself the rapper]] [[Music/WuTangClan Method Man]] who wrote an in-universe song for him, making him a much more well-known public figure.

* CelebritySuperhero: While he isn't exactly at the same celebrity level as the Avengers, he could probably be seen as the biggest star among the Defenders: He is a local hero for the residents of Harlem and has a lot of fans in the black community, to the point he has his own merch. He also saves [[Music/WuTangClan the rapper Method Man]] who wrote an in-universe song for him, making him a much more well-known public figure.

* CelebtritySuperhero: While he isn't exactly at the same celebrity level as the Avengers, he could probably be seen as the biggest star among the Defenders: He is a local hero for the residents of Harlem and has a lot of fans in the black community, to the point he has his own merch. He also saves [[Music/WuTangClan the rapper Method Man]] who wrote an in-universe song for him, making him a much more well-known public figure.

* RatedMForManly: A 6'3" tall, bulletproof, super strong black man named Luke Cage.

* BadassBaritone: He has a deep voice to match his ripped physique.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lukecage2.png]]

* BreakingPointSwearing:
** Swearing isn't really his thing -- it's even further enforced in Pop's Barbershop, where the old man keeps a "swear jar" whenever somebody uses a profanity. That said, it really sticks out where Luke finally snaps and calls Jessica a "piece of shit" when he learns [[spoiler:she killed his wife, albeit under Kilgrave's power.]]
** Also swears when [[spoiler:Pops' barbershop is riddled with bullets. As the old man lays dying, he frantically screams "Someone call a goddamn ambulance!" Pops uses one of his last breaths to remind him to put money in the swear jar.]]

* GoshDarnItToHeck: Downplayed. Luke was raised by a strict father who frowned upon harsh language, and Luke in turn avoids using it, and was the biggest enforcer of the swear jar in Pop's barbershop. He adopted phrases such as his infamous "Sweet Christmas" from his father instead of cursing. [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness On the rare occasion he does swear]] they tend to be [[BreakingPointSwearing big moments]]. He's noticeably much looser with his language throughout season 2.

* ProtagonistJourneyToVillain: DownplayedTrope but this is his season 2's storyline in a nut shell. The stress of heroes work without pay and the celebrity status that comes with it contributed to his AngerIssue. This led to him alienating his allies, isolating himself and taking more drastic measures in dealing with gangs in Harlem. This culminated in him turning Harlem into a {{Protectorate}} by making deals with criminal groups and overseeing his "kingdom" from Harlem Paradise, the EvilLair of the Stokes.

* GoshDarnItToHeck: Downplayed. Luke was raised by a strict father who frowned upon harsh language, and Luke in turn avoids using it, and was the biggest enforcer of the swear jar in Pop's barbershop. He adopted phrases such as his infamous "Sweet Christmas" from his father instead of cursing. [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness On the rare occasion he does swear]] they tend to be [[PrecisionFStrike Precision F Strikes]]. He's noticeably much looser with his language throughout season 2.

* PrecisionFStrike:
** Swearing isn't really his thing -- it's even further enforced in Pop's Barbershop, where the old man keeps a "swear jar" whenever somebody uses a profanity. That said, it really sticks out where Luke finally snaps and calls Jessica a "piece of shit" when he learns [[spoiler:she killed his wife, albeit under Kilgrave's power.]]
** Also swears when [[spoiler:Pops' barbershop is riddled with bullets. As the old man lays dying, he frantically screams "Someone call a goddamn ambulance!" Pops uses one of his last breaths to remind him to put money in the swear jar.]]

* BerserkButton: He absolutely ''detests'' the word "nigga" as he feels it is an insult to his ancestors and heroes, ''especially'' when another black man uses it. Say it, and prepare for a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech at best, an ass-kicking at worst. He also hates being called by his real name "Carl Lucas", which sent him into an UnstoppableRage when the scientist who gave him his powers repeatedly referred to him as such.

* NoMoreHoldingBacKSpeech: He spends the first two episodes of his show refusing all attempts to get him to be a hero, but is finally driven to it by [[spoiler:Pop's death]]. He ends the episode by invoking [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crispus_Attucks Crispus Attucks]], the highly renowned first black American hero whose name is now adorning Mariah's stashhouse, declaring he'll now be taking his place in that legacy.

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* AngryBlackMan: Deconstructed in Season 2, he's been losing his temper for rather legitimate reasons such as people recording him for stopping bad guys, and having his father revisit him doesn't help him at all. He's still generally calm and collected but his breaking point has been showing up at inopportune moments, giving everyone else this impression.

[[center: [- [[Characters/MarvelCinematicUniverse Main Character Index]] > Heroic Organizations > [[Characters/MCUDefenders Defenders & Their Allies]] ([[Characters/MCUDaredevil Matt Murdock]] | [[Characters/MCUJessicaJones Jessica Jones]] | '''Luke Cage''' | [[Characters/MCUIronFist Danny Rand]] | [[Characters/MCUThePunisher Frank Castle]] | [[Characters/MCUKarenPage Karen Page]] | [[Characters/MCUElektraNatchios Elektra Natchios]]) -]]]

[[center: [- [[Characters/MarvelCinematicUniverse Main Character Index]] > Heroic Organizations > [[Characters/MCUDefenders Defenders & Their Allies]] ([[Characters/MCUDaredevil Matt Murdock]] | [[Characters/MCUJessicaJones Jessica Jones]] | '''Luke Cage''' | [[Characters/MCUIronFist Danny Rand]] | [[Characters/MCUThePunisher Frank Castle]] | [[Characters/MCUKarenPage Karen Page]]) -]]]

[[center: [- [[Characters/MarvelCinematicUniverse Main Character Index]] > Heroic Organizations > [[Characters/MCUDefenders Defenders & Their Allies]] ([[Characters/MCUDaredevil Daredevil]] | [[Characters/MCUJessicaJones Jessica Jones]] | '''Luke Cage''' | [[Characters/MCUIronFist Iron Fist]] | [[Characters/MCUThePunisher The Punisher]] | [[Characters/MCUKarenPage Karen Page]]) -]]]

[[center: [- [[Characters/MarvelCinematicUniverse Main Character Index]] > Heroic Organizations > [[Characters/MCUDefendersAndAllies Defenders & Their Allies]] ([[Characters/MCUDaredevil Daredevil]] | [[Characters/MCUJessicaJones Jessica Jones]] | '''Luke Cage''' | [[Characters/MCUIronFist Iron Fist]] | [[Characters/MCUThePunisher The Punisher]] | [[Characters/MCUKarenPage Karen Page]]) -]]]

[[center: [- [[Characters/MarvelCinematicUniverse Main Character Index]] > Heroic Organizations > [[Characters/MCUDefenders The Defenders]] ([[Characters/MCUDaredevil Daredevil]] | [[Characters/MCUJessicaJones Jessica Jones]] | '''Luke Cage''' | [[Characters/MCUIronFist Iron Fist]]) -]]]

[[center: [- [[Characters/MarvelCinematicUniverse Main Character Index]] > Heroic Organizations > [[Characters/MCUDefendersAndAllies Defenders & Their Allies]] ([[Characters/MCUDaredevil Daredevil]] | [[Characters/MCUJessicaJones Jessica Jones]] | '''Luke Cage''' | [[Characters/MCUIronFist Iron Fist]] | [[Characters/MCUThePunisher The Punisher]] | [[Characters/MCUKarenPage Karen Page]]) -]]]

[[center: [- [[Characters/MarvelCinematicUniverse Main Character Index]] > Heroic Organizations > [[Characters/MCUDefendersAndAllies Defenders & Their Allies]] ([[Characters/MCUDaredevil Daredevil]] | [[Characters/MCUJessicaJones Jessica Jones]] | '''Luke Cage''' | [[Characters/MCUIronFist Iron Fist]] | [[Characters/MCUThePunisher The Punisher]]) -]]]

* BaldOfAwesome: Luke is both very bald and very awesome.

HeroesPreferDogs: Implied in an episode of ''Jessica Jones''. After handling a pair of guard dogs off screen, Jessica asks if they're alright. He assures her he doesn't hurt dogs.