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Luke Cage
Luke Cage
Luke Cage
Alter Ego: Carl Lucas
Notable Aliases: Power Man
First Appearance: Luke Cage, Hero For Hire #1 (June, 1972)
"Sweet Christmas!"
Luke Cage, (aka Power Man) is a Marvel Comics superhero, originally created as part of the 1970s blaxploitation craze. He first appeared in "Hero for Hire" #1 (June, 1972), created by writers Archie Goodwin and Roy Thomas, along with artists John Romita, Sr. and George Tuska.
Luke's original name was Carl Lucas, and he grew up on the streets of Harlem. Convicted of a crime he didn't commit, he was offered a chance at parole if he'd participate in a prison experiment on cell regeneration. The experiment was sabotaged by a prison guard with a grudge against Lucas, granting him Super-Strength and Nigh-Invulnerability. Traumatised by the experiment, Lucas lashed out at the guard, then, fearing that his lash-out would see him losing parole, made a break for it. Returning to New York, he was inspired to become a 'hero for hire', helping out anyone who could pay his price, and adopted the pseudonym "Luke Cage".
He originally had his own solo title, known as "Hero for Hire" for 16 issues (June, 1972-December, 1973), then as "Power Man" for issues #17-49 (February, 1974-February, 1978). In issue #50, Luke was teamed up with Iron Fist. The series continued as "Power Man and Iron Fist" for issues #50-125 (April, 1978- September, 1986). With its cancellation, Luke was left with no regular series for a few years. He returned to stardom with "Cage" vol. 1, which ran for 20 issues (April, 1992-November, 1993). "Cage" vol. 2 was a 5-issue miniseries (March-September, 2002) by Brian Azzarello. In 2005, Luke joined the New Avengers and has been a regular ever since. In this period Luke married Alias star Jessica Jones. They have a daughter, Danielle. After Dark Reign Luke became the man in charge of the Thunderbolts up through the end of the series.
Luke and his Hero For Hire days have inspired a number of other heroes — one has taken up Luke's old "Power-Man" name, and several others have created an entire team devoted to this way of heroism, Heroes for Hire.
- 10-Minute Retirement: When Bendis' New Avengers run ended, he quit to take care of his family. Now he's back as the leader of the new roster of the Mighty Avengers.
- Action Politician: In the aftermath of Devil's Reign he's become Mayor of New York. And in Gang War he's helping the Spider-Men restore order.
- Amazon Chaser: Discussed in Alias. Carol Danvers accuses him behind his back of having a fetish for superpowered women, citing a string of short-lived relationships and one-night stands with everybody from Jessica Drew to She-Hulk. When Jessica Jones questions him on it later, Luke counters that most of the women he knows are superheroes—"If I was a lawyer, I'd probably mostly date lawyers"—and that she doesn't exactly have a leg to stand on since she came on to him.
- Arch-Enemy: Gideon Mace; he was Luke's most recurring foe, and a huge threat in all of his appearances. On a thematic level, he could also be the Angry White Man to the angry black man that Luke was regarded as, being a dishonorably discharged Vietnam veteran who was obsessed with striking back at society and "the man" for its perceived mistreatment, betrayal, and abandonment of him and others like him.
- Bald of Authority: As the leader of the Thunderbolts and New Avengers.
- Bald Head of Toughness: His more recent depictions are this, adding to his Super-Strength and Super-Toughness a completely bald head.
- Bash Brothers: Cage and Iron Fist are perhaps one of the greatest superhero duos in comic history.
- Berserk Button:
- Back in the day, he strongly objected to being called a mercenary.
- Do not run out on a debt you owe him. See Determinator for details.
- Do not make any insults towards his relationship with his wife. Any implied lip about the relationship being interracial will earn you a swift beatdown.
- The Big Guy: Works well as the heavy hitter for any team he's on, and when he teamed with Iron Fist.
- Blaxploitation: The character was initially created as an attempt to cash in on the popularity of the genre, much like how Shang-Chi and Iron Fist took advantage of the Kung-Fu genre. He has since evolved considerably, with much of the character's modernization being owed to writer Brian Michael Bendis.
- Boisterous Bruiser: Rarely does he miss the chance to trash talk and punctuate them between punching.
- Brains and Brawn: When he works with Iron Fist, he's technically the brawn, while Danny is the brains, though with the spin that Danny is often a clueless Fish out of Water compared to Luke, the New York native.
- Cain and Abel: Cage and his brother Coldfire often come to blows. Or did, since James is now quite dead.
- Calling the Old Man Out: Luke and his dad's reunion in Mighty Avengers, unsurprisingly, has a lot of shouting going on, especially since Luke's learned his father has some exploits in his past he never mentioned.
- Chained by Fashion: He often wore a chain belt as part of the wrongly-convicted-past motif.
- Character Catchphrase:
- SWEET CHRISTMAS!
- Usually shortened to simply "Christmas!" He also threw around "Sweet Sister!" a lot early on.note
- Character Filibuster: As written by Bendis, he's got a habit of speechifying. Admittedly, characters written by Bendis tend to be verbose anyhow, but with Cage it's an acknowledged trait that he will unleash speeches on anyone he feels deserves it, and they're gonna listen... unless it's Jessica Jones, who can power straight through Cage's righteous indignation with her own.Jessica: (after Luke's been startled by Blue Marvel) Was it the "I don't break" speech?
Luke: (sagging in exasperation) Yeah...
Jessica: I love that one. - Civvie Spandex: His old costume was mostly just chains and metal bands around a shirt and pants. Since that time, he hasn't worn a costume at all.
- Clear My Name: Has happened more than once.
- In fact, it's how he started, getting sent to Seagate Prison for possession of drugs as a frame-up by Willis Stryker, over a girl they both fancied. Once he got out, he headed straight to New York to make Willis admit his crimes. Their fight wound up with Willis kind of dead, which scuppered that one.
- At the end of Heroes for Hire, the series ended with Danny being accidentally beaten to death by "Captain Hero", and Luke getting the blame for it, forcing him to go on the run... again.
- Cursed with Awesome: He's got invulnerable skin and muscle tissue which means he can tank nearly any external damage. However, having super-tough skin makes dealing with internal injuries like brain damage or swelling difficult, to say the least; it's near impossible to perform surgery and Luke has nearly died more than a few times from some attack on his life that caused internal damage.
- Determinator:
- Never mind the fact he'll keep fighting, he just would not stop giving money to a coffee machine that kept screwing up his orders. Ever.
- You should never... ever... ever try to run out on a debt to Luke. As referenced in the quote under the Badbutt entry: Dr. Doom tried and it resulted in Luke bum rushing the Baxter Building to 'borrow' a Fantasticar (clobbering the Thing in the process), flying himself all the way to Latveria and beating Doom like a rented mule. This was all over a matter of $200. "Where's my money, Honey?" has on occasion been referred to as the four scariest words in the Marvel Universe.
- Fanboy: Of Isaiah Bradley, the first African-American superhero who becomes Captain America (In-Universe, chronologically). He is among several African-American heroes, along with The Falcon, Goliath (Bill Foster), Monica Rambeau, and Triathlon; who are gleefully surprised when Isaiah arrives as a special guest at the wedding of Storm and Black Panther. Luke also describes Isaiah as "the first me".
- Genius Bruiser: While he’s not a super genius like Reed Richards or a disciplined martial artist like his partner Iron Fist, Cage is nowhere near as stupid as his go to battle strategy implies. He once stealthy broke into Stark Enterprises (after being tricked into doing so of course) and was able to Spot the Imposter by realizing that the original and fake were wearing different shoes.
- Gosh Dang It to Heck!: Part of the justification about the whole "Sweet Christmas!" is this (it was the 70s. Luke couldn't swear even if he wanted to). Apparently Momma Lucas had Opinions on swearing, and came down harshly on hers son for it, so Luke took up alternatives, and after a while it just became second nature. These days, he just uses actual swearing.
- Cage used his catchphrase "Sweet Christmas!" in place of profanity because his grandmother didn't like him swearing, and by his account, she was way meaner and tougher than any of the villains he fought.
- Averted in his later incarnations.
SWEET F**KING CHRISTMAS!- In a later Heroes for Hire series, Jessica has him control his language after the baby starts cussing, and this carries over to his missions with Iron Fist.
Cage: This guy is a bad Knick-Knack-Paddy-Whack.Iron Fist: A bad what? - Happily Married: His marriage with Jessica Jones has a lot of love.
- Healing Factor: A little, but if injured, Luke is capable of recovering from mild injuries in 1/3rd the time it would take an ordinary human.
- Henpecked Husband: Jess will sass Luke, much as they love one another.
- Hero Does Public Service: A 1980s anti-smoking comic that crossed over with Spider-Man and Storm opened with Cage coaching a high school track team. He got embroiled in a plot involving organized crime and illegal sports betting when he went to investigate why his star player, Brett, suddenly wasn't doing so hot.
- Heroic Willpower: Luke's skin isn't the only thing that's unbreakable. During the climax of Mighty Avengers, when the entire world is being put in a Lotus-Eater Machine, Luke is able to power his way out alone. The only other person shown to be able to resist on their own is Captain America, and even he isn't able to put up as much of a fight.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners:
- Cage and Daniel Rand, aka Iron Fist. are literally super friends. Luke even named his daughter Danielle after him.
- He also had this sort of friendship with Spider-Man when they both were part of the New Avengers.
- Honor Before Reason: Despite being broke, without insurance, and with a baby to support, Luke flat out refuses a stipend from Steve Rogers and S.H.I.E.L.D. because he was promised that the New Avengers would be totally autonomous. Jessica immediately calls him out on this.
- Insistent Terminology: He most definitely did not ever wear a tiara. It was a headband. Head. Band.
- Immune to Bullets: One of his powers from the prison experiment is super durability, so bullets can't hurt him.
- I Was Quite a Fashion Victim: It was a Justified Trope in his first issue, with Luke deciding that if he was going to make money as a superhero, he had to dress in something a superhero would wear, which included a chain and a tiara. The likes of Deadpool and Spider-Man love reminding the poor guy about it, while he affirms how the look was cool.
- Jive Turkey: Like we said, honky, he first appeared in the seventies. It gets funny when he gets a hold of Mjolnir in an early What If?:By the gleamin' gates of funky Asgard, you suckers are gonna eat hammer!
- The Leader: Of the New Avengers, between Civil War and the return of Steve Rodgers, and then for the entirety of Vol. 2, for the Thunderbolts during the Heroic Age, and then with the Mighty Avengers team.
- Legacy Character:
- Mixed Black/Hispanic teen Vic Alvarez, who took up the 'Power Man' name on the grounds Luke wasn't using it anymore.
- Luke himself took the name from the villainous Power Man (Erik Josten, now better known as Atlas from the Thunderbolts).
- Jessica Jones also goes by "Power Woman" when she isn't Jewel, Knightress, or whatever the hell else she goes by.
- Let's You and Him Fight: Guess how he and Danny Rand first met. Go on, guess.
- Likes Older Women: A gag in New Avengers was that he and elderly Ann-Marie Hoag of Damage Control once had a fling.
- Logical Weakness: Having super-tough skin makes dealing with internal injuries difficult, to say the least; it's near impossible to perform surgery. He has a good Healing Factor though, so that helps. He's also susceptible to knockout or sleeping gas.
- The Maiden Name Debate: Spoofed in one issue of New Avengers, where Luke tries to convince Jessica to use "Power Woman" as her superhero name.Luke: You married me. Take the name.Jessica: But I'm my own person.Luke: Who's married to me.
- Maligned Mixed Marriage: When the new Power Man shows up and is initially antagonistic towards Luke, he suggests that Luke's less of a black man for having married a white woman. Punching ensues.
- Mugging the Monster: An almost literal example as many a thug made the mistake of trying to jump Cage only to realize too late who he was when their knife/bullets bounced off his skin.
- Nigh-Invulnerability: Luke Cage's skin is as hard as metal and his muscle and bone tissues are considerably denser than the tissues of an ordinary human, granting him much greater resistance to physical injury than an ordinary human. He can withstand conventional handgun fire and cannot be cut by any blade forged of conventional material. He can withstand up to one-ton impacts or blasts of 150 pounds of TNT without serious injury, and is highly resistant to extreme temperatures and electrical shocks. He has withstood impacts from superhumans a good deal stronger than him, destructive energy attacks including electricity, and falls from great heights such as ninety story high skyscrapers.
- Only Sane Man:
- When the rest of the New Avengers either gets a little TOO gung-ho or a little TOO pacifist, he lets his opinion be known that they're acting a mite off.
- An exception during Secret Invasion when Cage willingly took the bait and engaged both Avengers teams in a battle with their Skrull copycats in the Savage Land (while New York was concurrently burning to the ground) because his doppleganger annoyed him. This was despite the fact that Ares, God of War, was very clear that this was a very deliberate waste of time and that they should retreat immediately. Luke himself even realises it's stupid, but... well, the Skrulls have just ticked him off too much.
- Papa Wolf: You put his child in danger, good luck surviving the rest of the day.
- Reaching Towards the Audience: Frequently has his fist in the foreground of official art.
- Really Gets Around: Apparently has had relations with Tigra, Jessica Drew and She-Hulk. Ms Marvel once joked that he was known as a habitual "cape chaser." Luke Cage however disagrees when Jessica brings this up. He points out that if he was a lawyer or a professional, it's more than likely that most of his relationships would be with fellow professionals, and that he doesn't have any particular thing for superheroines aside from it being the women he meets in his line of work most often. Though it doesn't change the fact the man really likes to sow his oats.
- Reformed Criminal: A large part of Luke's past. Luke spent his youth causing trouble on the streets and eventually joined a gang called The Rivals, committing various petty thefts and robberies while being in and out of juvenile homes throughout his teens. He dreamed of becoming a major New York racketeer until he finally realized how his actions were hurting his family and tried to go straight. Unfortunately he was framed for drug possession and sent to prison.
- Running Gag:
- In the 70s and 80s he had a coffee machine that always got his order wrong. Clearly a god was behind it because the one time it got his order right, Cage slipped and dropped his drink. When it was getting replaced the new one got smashed very quickly.
- Subtler one — can you name any of his old comics that didn't feature him losing his shirt? Or his office getting trashed? Likewise, can you name any of the newer comics he's in that don't feature him losing his shit?
- In the first issue of the 2017 book he notes that he goes through so many of his iconic yellow t shirts that he's had start buying them in bulk.
- Scary Black Man: Even though he grew up in the 'hood, was an ex-convict, and had the mentality, he's fully aware of the stereotypes and acknowledges them. He's sort of made it his thing.
- Secret Public Identity: He didn't use "Power Man" for long and even when he did, it was more of a nickname since everyone knew him as Luke Cage and he obviously did not wear a mask. While Luke Cage was not his birth name, it did eventually become his legal name.
- Spotlight-Stealing Squad:
- Cage bears the brunt of being one of Brian Michael Bendis' big favorites, thus he often takes a lot of roles in Bendis' series such as Alias and Daredevil where he eventually snagged a major supporting character slot. Also, he's a Mighty Avengers leader.
- Despite Iron Fist being his lifemate, Spider-Man and Cage often come across as this in New Avengers.
- Stealth Expert: Played for laughs in one issue of Mighty Avengers, when he claims that living with a baby daughter means he's learned how to be very quiet when he needs to.
- Super-Strength: After undergoing the original experiment, Cage's strength was increased to superhuman levels. Over the years, Depending on the Writer, his strength level was anywhere between Spider-Man's or the Hulk's.
- Super-Toughness: Luke Cage's signature superpower, as detailed under Nigh-Invulnerability above.
- Symbol Swearing: Sweet *$!%&# Christmas, this has been a modern staple of Luke's.
- Terror Hero: The reason he wears a plain yellow top instead of armour is because seeing an angry black man get hit by a shotgun blast and completely No-Sell it is highly intimidating.
- We Help the Helpless: There's a reason he called himself a Hero For Hire. At one point while working with The Defenders, he complains that all the time he spends with them takes away from good-paying jobs. This prompts Nighthawk, alias multimillionaire Kyle Richmond, to pull out his checkbook and put Luke on retainer so he gets paid for helping the Defenders.
- What the Hell, Hero?: As part of above-mentioned speeches. If Luke Cage feels someone needs a yelling at, they are damn well getting a yelling at.
- Working with the Ex: The 2016 run has Luke and Danny's relationship as this when they're pulled together for one last job when their former receptionist gets out of prison with a job for them.
Allies
Big Ben Donovan
Big Ben Donovan
Alter Ego: Benjamin Donovan
Notable Aliases:
First Appearance: Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #14 (October 1973)
Claire Temple
Claire Temple
Alter Ego: Claire Temple
Notable Aliases:
First Appearance: Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #2 (August 1972)
A fierce night nurse who tended to superheroes. She was Luke Cage's love interest from his Hero for Hire days. She's also the ex-wife of Bill Foster.
- The Bus Came Back: After not being seen since 1983, she reappeared during All-New Captain America in 2015.
- Damsel in Distress: Taken captive by Bushmaster to be used as a hostage to force Luke to do stuff for him. This was one of the last straws that made her leave Luke's life.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: She went from an afro to having her hair loose.
- Hospital Hottie: A nurse and quite attractive.
- Ret-Canon: Her reintroduction showed her with an appearance based on Rosario Dawson thanks to her participation on various Marvrl Netflix television shows, including Luke Cage.
David Griffith
David Griffith
Alter Ego: David Griffith
Notable Aliases: D.W. Griffith
First Appearance: Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #2 (August 1972)
David Griffith was a long time associate and friend of Luke Cage when they shared the same apartment-building in a movie theater.
- The Bus Came Back: After disappearing for a long while, he reappeared in Mighty Avengers in 2013. He disappeared again after the end of Captain America & the Mighty Avengers in 2015.
James Lucas, Sr.
James Lucas, Sr.
First Appearance: Cage #3 (April, 1992)
Luke's father, a former NYPD cop.
- Fish out of Water: He's an entirely normal human being, which is why he stayed away from Luke's life for so long. He's just too weirded out by the typical super-hero goings on that surround his son.
- Freak Out: In the 70s, he had a run-in with Blade, Kaluu and the Blue Marvel that involved foiling four supernatural villains trying to attain unlimited power. Being a regular cop, he was too terrified at the bizareness to do anything.
- Outliving One's Offspring: His eldest son James Lucas Jr. died trying to save him alongside Luke.
Noah Burstein
Noah Burstein
Alter Ego: Dr. Noah Burstein
Notable Aliases: Noah Bernstein
First Appearance: Luke Cage, Hero For Hire #1 (June 1972)
Dr. Noah Burnstein is a scientist whose experiments for the creation of super-soldiers have created several superhumans, most notably Luke Cage.
- Distressed Dude: Kidnapped more than once by people wishing to use his scientific expertise.
Reva Connors
Reva Connors
First Appearance: Luke Cage, Hero For Hire #1 (June 1972)
A friend and love interest of Luke Cage, also known as Power Man.
- Killed Off for Real: Reva died in a conflict between Cage, Stryker and the Maggia. Her death still weighs heavy on Luke's memory.
Enemies
Billy Bob Rackham
Billy Bob Rackham
Alter Ego: Albert Rackham
Debut: Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (June, 1972)
Racist prison guard who terrorized Luke Cage. Once a Captain, he was eventually busted down to guard when a reformist Warden came to the prison. In an act of revenge, Rackham accidentally caused the process that changed Luke Cage. He would later re-appear to seek revenge, but justice prevailed with him being hit and killed by a speeding ambulance.
- Death by Ambulance: Hit and killed by a speeding ambulance.
Black Mariah
Black Mariah
Alter Ego: Mariah Dillard
First Appearance: Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #5 (January, 1973)
"Rob'ries, jailbreaks — anythin'— nobody 'members an official-lookin' vehicle later an' it pays awful darn good! We's specialists— Got every angle nailed! Heist a body, take de cat's home an' office keys, an' rip 'em off 'fore day gets closed up. Yeah... we got a one-of-a-kind operation here, boys— An' it's all yours, thanks to your own Black Mariah."
Black Mariah was a 400-pound racketeer who crossed paths with Luke Cage. She got her alias from a slang term for a police wagon, symbolizing the way she ran her first operation: using fake police vans and ambulances to loot the scenes of accidents before the actual authorities arrived, as well as taking house, car and office keys from the victims. Cage went toe-to-toe with her and shut down her operation, though she's since popped up from time to time, dealing designer drugs and taking control of part of Tombstone's former empire.
- Acrofatic: She turns out to be surprisingly fast and agile.
- Fat Bitch: 400 pounds and one of Luke Cage's biggest enemies.
- Lightning Bruiser: To Luke's surprise, she turns out to be surprisingly fast and agile during their first encounter, and he realizes that ultra-hard skin isn't going to help him if a woman of Mariah's size and mass bodychecks him at full speed; it's all he can do to brace himself and let her attack rebound back on her.
- The Queenpin: She's a female crime lord.
- Stout Strength: She is exceptionally strong considering her weight, and proficient at unarmed combat.
- Trojan Ambulance: She led a gang of criminals, using fake ambulances and paddy wagons to pick up people without being questioned. They would cart off the bodies of rich people who died in public places, as well as collecting criminals. After taking the valuables from their victims they would take the victim's home and office keys and rob them before they could be closed up.
Bushmaster
Bushmaster I
Alter Ego: John McIver
Notable Aliases: John Bushmaster, Power Master
First Appearance: Iron Fist #15 (September, 1977)
John McIver, known as John Bushmaster, became a Maggia crime boss in Europe and later expanded into the United States. In the United States, he was confronted by Misty Knight, Iron Fist and Power Man. Due to an accident during a fight with Power Man, Bushmaster was transformed into "Unliving metal", which later led to his death.
- Killed Off for Real: Killed in 1983 and while he was briefly revived by his son Cruz, he ended up dying shortly after and hasn't returned since.
- Legacy Character: After his death his brother Quincy took the Bushmaster codename, and also his son Cruz McIver briefly took the codename.
- Super-Strength: Just like Luke Cage, he was given the same process that made him super strong and have Super-Toughness.
Bushmaster II
Alter Ego: Quincy McIver
First Appearance: Captain America #310 (October, 1985)
Bushmaster is a human being with cybernetic arms as well as a cybernetic serpent's tail in place of his legs after his limbs were destroyed in an accident.
Bushmaster III
Alter Ego: Cruz McIver
First Appearance: Cage #1 (April, 1992)
"hank you, Hardcore. Now, you were speaking of things worth dying for? Let's test your conviction and my abilities at once, shall we?"
Cruz McIver, the son of Bushmaster (John McIver), attempted to restore his father to normal he used the family fortune to hire the Untouchables to capture people and put them through the process that Dr. Noah Burnstein used to create Luke Cage in order to perfect the process.
- Healing Factor: Despite his near invulnerability, it is possible for him to be hurt. If injured, he is capable of recovering from mild injuries in 1/3rd the time it would take an ordinary human
- Killed Off for Real: Killed by his own father and hasn't returned since 1993.
- Super-Strength: After undergoing the original experiment, his strength was increased to superhuman levels sufficient to lift approximately 3 tons.
- Super-Toughness: His skin is as hard as titanium steel and his muscle and bone tissues are considerably denser than the tissues of an ordinary human, granting him much greater resistance to physical injury than an ordinary human. He can withstand conventional handgun fire at a range of 4 feet and cannot be cut by any blade forged of conventional material.
Chemistro
Chemistro I
Alter Ego: Curtis Carr
Notable Aliases: High-Tech
First Appearance: Luke Cage, Hero For Hire #12 (August, 1973)
While working as a chemist for Mainstream Motors, Curtis Carr created an "alchemy gun" capable of transmuting matter from one form to another by an unknown process (wood to glass, etc.). Horace Claymore, the company's president, was impressed until Curtis voiced his intent to keep the device. Claymore argued that since the gun was made on company time, it belonged to Mainstream. When Claymore fired him, Curtis adopted the persona of Chemistro to gain revenge and to extort his former employers.
- Alliterative Name: Curtis Carr.
- Cut Lex Luthor a Check: An inversion from the usual way around, where the Luthor in question becomes a criminal after being offered a legit way to make money. And then, as seen just below, he actually did take a paying job.
- Heel–Face Turn: Eventually, Curtis went to prison, and helped Luke fight the second Chemistro. After that, he took a job at Stark Enterprises.
Chemistro II
Alter Ego: Archibald Morton
Notable Aliases: Arch Morton
First Appearance: Power Man #37 (November, 1976)
Arch Morton was the fellow inmate of Curtis Carr, the original Chemistro, and forced Carr to reveal the secret of the alchemy gun to him. After his release, Arch tried to recreate the alchemy gun, only for it to blow up in his face, but as a result it gave his hands transformative powers.
Chemistro III
Alter Ego: Calvin Carr
First Appearance: Power Man and Iron Fist #93 (June, 1983)
Calvin Carr, the brother to the original Chemistro, became the third and most well known man to use the Chemistro identity.
- Alliterative Name: Just like his brother.
- Anti-Magic: Calvin was able to use his chemistry gun to break the wards of Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum. Magic ain't no match for chemistry.
- Character Death: Killed during Matt Fraction's Iron Man.
- Legacy Character: There has been three characters to fight Cage with the identity of Chemistro.
- Legion of Doom: Calvin was a high-profile member of the Hood's crime syndicate.
- Rogues' Gallery Transplant: Starting off as an enemy to Luke and Iron Fist, during Acts of Vengeance he goes after Iron Man, which was enough for the Mandarin to consider him one of Tony's enemies years later.
Cheshire Cat
Cheshire Cat
Notable Aliases: Cheshire
First Appearance: Power Man #37 (November, 1976)
An associate and trusted employee of Big Brother, the two came into conflict with Power Man when they threatened to override all computers in New York City and demanded a substantial ransom.
Cockroach Hamilton
Cockroach Hamilton
Alter Ego: Dontrell Hamilton
Notable Aliases: Cockroach, Roach
First Appearance: Luke Cage, Power Man #28 (December, 1975)
Dontrell "Cockroach" Hamilton was a hitman in New York City.
- I Call It "Vera": Hamilton had a six-barrel shotgun, which he named "Josh", that he was very possessive of. It fired lethal ammunition blasts as well as gas.
Coldfire
Coldfire
Alter Ego: James Lucas, Jr.
Notable Aliases: Jim Lucas, Junior, James Lucas
First Appearance: Cage #3 (June, 1992)
James Lucas, Jr. is the brother of Luke Cage. He was given superpowers by the Corporation with the sole purpose of fighting Cage.
- Cain and Abel: With his brother Carl Lucas/Luke Cage.
- Playing with Fire: Coldfire is capable of turning his own body temperature into fire to shoot out of his palms. He can also turn the body temperature of someone else into flames, incinerating the person.
- Remote Body: He is able to leave his human body and inhabit the white out plasma and control it as if it was his body.
Comanche
Comanche
Alter Ego: Darius Jones
First Appearance: Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (June, 1972)
Comanche was a man Luke Cage met in prison. He was usually seen partnered with Shades. Between the two, Shades & Comanche, Comanche was the muscle.
- Brains and Brawn: The Brawn to Shades' Brains.
Cottonmouth
Cottonmouth
Alter Ego: Cornell Stokes
Notable Aliases: Cornell Cottonmouth
First Appearance: Luke Cage, Power Man #18 (June, 1974)
A drug kingpin who had the shipment of heroin stolen from him. This resulted in the framing of Luke Cage.
-
Badass Decay: While he is still a good crime boss, his strength has been downplayed heavily. - One-Steve Limit: He has the same codename as the member of the Serpent Society Burchell Clemens, although Clemens has indeed fought Luke Cage.
- Scary Teeth: Sharp teeth like those of a reptile.
Diamondback
Diamondback
Alter Ego: Willis Stryker
Notable Aliases: Stryker, Mr. Sky
First Appearance: Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (June, 1972)
Willis Stryker, formerly friends with Luke Cage, framed Cage, who ended up in prison. Stryker was a knife specialist. He died when one of his own customized explosive knives detonated.
- Back from the Dead: He was revived in the All-New Guardians of the Galaxy: Free Comic Book Day special in July of 2017.
- Came Back Strong: His resurrection comes with some beefing up, allowing him to go toe-to-toe with Luke, Iron Fist and Jessica Jones without losing any important bodyparts.
- Evil Is Petty: Set Luke Cage up just to steal a girl they were both interested in.
- Hoist by Their Own Petard: In his fight with Cage, he was killed by one of his own exploding knives, which he'd asked for solely to kill Luke with.
- One-Steve Limit: He's in no way connected to the other Diamondbacks who work under the Serpent Squad/Society/Solutions, and does not have issues with Captain America.
- Starter Villain: Luke's first enemy as a superhero (for hire), who died in their first fight.
- Took a Level in Badass: He is much more of a threat in The Defenders than he ever was before.
- We Used to Be Friends: He and Luke were friends growing up, even running in the same gang, until Luke went straight. Willis did not.
El Aguila
El Aguila
Alter Ego: Alejandro Montoya
Notable Aliases: The Eagle
First Appearance: Power Man and Iron Fist #58 (August, 1979)
A modern day Robin Hood, Alejandro Montoya has the power to shoot bursts of electricity through metal conductors.
- Gratuitous Spanish: El Águila means The Eagle in Spanish.
- Just Like Robin Hood: More like Just Like Zorro.
- Legacy Character: Montoya is merely the latest in a long line of El Águila's dating back to the 19th century.
- Mutant: Stands out from other Luke Cage's rogues by being a mutant, rather than a Badass Normal, mutate or someone using technology. To protect the secret of his mutant nature, El Águila deliberately misled the public to believe that his sword housed an electric blaster.
- Shock and Awe: He's a mutant capable of shooting electricity using metal conductors, hence the sword.
Gideon Mace
Gideon Mace
Alter Ego: Gideon Mace
Notable Aliases: A01372712
First Appearance: Luke Cage, Hero For Hire #3 (October, 1972)
An American solider who lost his right hand during Vietnam War. He had his hand fitted for a prosthetic mace and began to recruit soldiers into his own personal army to gain revenge on the nation that had mistreated him.
- Asshole Victim: He's eventually brutally murdered by an Eldritch Abomination for outliving any potential usefulness. Even when the abomination is defeated and the effect it has on the Mighty Avengers is undone, Mace remains completely dead.
- It's Personal: With Hector and later Ava Alaya, the White Tiger, having killed their family.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: As your stereotypical right-wing militia nut.
- Rogues' Gallery Transplant: He's tussled with Spider-Man, but his biggest nemeses, as noted, is probably the White Tigers, for the things he did to them.
- Would Hurt a Child: Mace, or one of his men, shot a young Ava
Lionfang
Lionfang
Alter Ego: Alejandro Cortez
First Appearance: Hero for Hire #13 (September, 1973)
Doctor Alejandro Cortez created a helmet that linked his mind with those of three jungle cats, giving them the ability to speak and Cortez their inhuman agility and skill.
- The Beastmaster: Can control wild cats with his helmet.
- Not Quite Dead: Surviving an assassination attempt by the Scourge is remarkable for a C-list character.
- Retired Badass: He moved to Philadelphia and stopped using the identity of Lionfang a long time ago, but he is still a powerful mob enforcer with the authority to command tigers who has beaten death twice, one being against the Scourge of the Underworld himself.
- Unexpected Character: He showed up for the first time in decades back in 2010.
Mangler
Mangler
Alter Ego: Shadrick Daniels
First Appearance: Power Man #34 (August, 1976)
The Mangler is a wrestler who assisted his brother, the Spear, in his scheme for revenge against Noah Burstein who had experimented on their brother, Jack, while in prison. They were defeated by Luke Cage and subsequently imprisoned.
- Force and Finesse: The Force to Spear's finesse, being a wrestler while his brother uses spears.
- Sibling Team: With his brother Spear.
Mister Fish
Mister Fish I
Alter Ego: Mortimer George Norris
Notable Aliases: Mort
First Appearance: Luke Cage, Power Man #29 (April, 1975)
Mister Fish, an infamous villain from Luke Cage's rogue gallery, was a man who worked for the Maggia. During a heist he was effected by the radioactive isotope that they were stealing, and instead of killing him, he was mutated into a fish humanoid.
- Fish People: Mutated into a fish-man.
- Green and Mean: He and his brother have green skin and are criminals.
Mister Fish II
Alter Ego: William "Bill" Norris
First Appearance: Daughters of the Dragon #4 (June, 2006)
Bill Norris ended up with the same mutation and became his successor to his brother Mortimer Norris.
- Joke Character: He's never been treated that seriously as a threat, even back when he was first created.
- Legacy Character: The Norris Brothers (Mortimer and Bill) share the identity of Mister Fish.
- Secondary Color Nemesis: Green skin and wears a reddish-orange suit.
Nightshade
Nightshade
Alter Ego: Tilda Johnson
Notable Aliases: Deadly Nightshade, Doctor Nightshade, Nighthawk
First Appearance: Captain America #164 (August, 1973)
Nightshade is a biochemist with a strong interest in lycanthropy. She uses potions, manipulation and seduction as a means to get her own way and if that doesn't work she also has an army of wolves ready to tear you apart.
- Affirmative-Action Legacy: During Secret Empire, she becomes the new Nighthawk.
- Afro Asskicker: Used to have a prominent afro before cutting it to her current short hairstyle.
- Dark Is Not Evil: Her Nighthawk appearance is quite intimidating, but she fought against HYDRA during Secret Empire.
- The Dragon: Was Superia's second-in-command while at the Femizons. She also worked for Dredmund Druid in his plan to become a wolf-god.
- Heel–Face Turn: Kind of. After being an enemy of the Heroes for Hire for years, she became a non-official member of the Avengers when she fought against the Secret Empire to honor the Supreme Power Kyle Richmond by taking his mantle.
- Karmic Transformation: During the "Man and Wolf" arc of Captain America, the Werewolf by Night turns her into one of her own werewolves so she'll be motivated to cure everyone else she's been making all fuzzy.
- Mad Scientist: She's brilliant, but often completely off her trolley. Such as turning people into werewolves... yeah...
- The Man Behind the Man: One scheme has her using a robot she called Chubby to try and take over New York's crime scene (followed by all crime in the world! Dream big, Nightshade.)
- Morally Ambiguous Doctorate: She's gone by the name Doctor Nightshade, while still committing villainous acts. However, she originally had no actual medical degree. All her knowledge is self-taught.
- Odd Friendship: During Christopher Priest's run of Black Panther, she befriends a future version of T'Challa (who is losing his mind).
- Omnidisciplinary Scientist: Benefits of having acquired a whole three PHDs worth of knowledge by the time she was in her teens. She's got knowledge of advanced chemistry and robotics under her belt.
- Rogues' Gallery Transplant: She's tussled primarily with Captain America, but she's also bothered the Hulk, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, and Black Panther in her time.
- Scary Black Woman: Not as intimidating as Nightshade, but certainly scary as the new Nighthawk.
- Spikes of Villainy: Her 90s outfit includes a spikey collar.
- Stripperiffic: Back when she was only Nightshade her outfit was very revealing. Basically, a bra and panties.
- Take Up My Sword: Took the Nighthawk moniker after the death of Kyle Richmond.
- Teen Genius: She learned everything from hard study in her childhood.
- Undying Loyalty: To Superia, in the 90s. This has fallen by the wayside.
- Villain: Exit, Stage Left:
- Well, wouldn't you run from the Hulk if he'd just found out you'd lied to him?
- She tried doing this after a run-in with Luke Cage and Iron Fist, by blinding them and then running for it, but failed to account for Danny's other senses compensating for a lack of sight.
Pirahna Jones
Pirahna Jones
Alter Ego: Raymond Jones
First Appearance: Power Man #30 (April, 1976)
Crime boss and enemy of Luke Cage.
- Scary Teeth: Like Cottonmouth his teeth are sharpened like his namesake.
Professor Soos
Professor Soos
First Appearance: Cage #1 (November, 2016)
An insane academic who seeks battling superheroes to prove he is the best fighter.
- Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy
- The Beastmaster: Controls an army of engineered Talking Animals.
- Evil Old Folks: He has an elderly appearance.
- The Most Dangerous Game: He captures superheroes and brings them to his private island to fight them.
- Rhymes on a Dime: He always rhymes his speech.
- Shout-Out: He is a cross between Mad Scientist Dr Moreau, animal hunter Zaroff and children's author Dr Seuss.
- That Came Out Wrong: He undresses for a final battle with Cage, saying that he is the trophy Cage will receive for winning against his animal army. Cage nearly throws up, before an annoyed Professor explains he considers Cage a Worthy Opponent.
Señor Muerte
Señor Muerte
Alter Ego: Phillip Garcia
First Appearance: Captain America #224 (August, 1978)
After Ramon's death, his younger brothers Jaime and Phillip took over his operations, and became the co-owners of their brother's gambling casinos. Jaime became "Señor Suerte" and Phillip became "Señor Muerte". Jaime was a professional thief, and Phillip was a professional assassin.
- Legacy Character: Took the Señor Muerte codename after the death of his brother Ramón.
Señor Suerte
Señor Suerte I
Alter Ego: Ramon Garcia
Notable Aliases: Señor Muerte
First Appearance: Hero For Hire #10 (June, 1973)
Ramon went by Senor Suerte on a regular. It is not until he changes into his killer costume that goes by Senor Muerte. After his death his younger brothers, Phillip and Jaime, split the alias amongst themselves. Phillip took the Muerte title, and Jaime took Suerte.
- Unexplained Recovery: After being dead since 1973, he somehow reappeared alive during Spider-Woman Vol 5 #5 in 2015.
Señor Suerte II
Alter Ego: Jaime Garcia
First Appearance: Power Man/Iron Fist #56 (April, 1979)
After Ramon's death, his younger brothers Jaime and Phillip took over his operations, and became the co-owners of their brother's gambling casinos. Jaime became "Señor Suerte" and Phillip became "Señor Muerte". Jaime was a professional thief, and Phillip was a professional assassin.
- Legacy Character: His brother Phillip took the Señor Muerte moniker, while he used his brother Ramón's original codename of Señor Suerte.
Shades
Shades
Alter Ego: Herman Alvarez
First Appearance: Luke Cage: Hero for Hire #1 (June, 1972)
A former member of the Rivals gang, later given a superpowered visor by Ward Meachum. The father of Victor Alvarez, the third Power Man.
- Brains and Brawn: The Brains to Comanche's Brawn.
- Cool Shades: Even without his visor, he wears shades, hence the codename.
- Eye Beams: Ward Meachum equipped Shades with a visor that emitted powerful blasts created at Rand-Meachum Inc.
- Heel–Face Door-Slam: After turning his life around, giving up crime and becoming a community organizer, Shades is killed by Bullseye blowing up a building he happened to be in, as part of a plot to frame Daredevil on Norman Osborn's orders.
- Like Father, Unlike Son: He's a criminal while his son Victor is a hero.
- Those Two Guys: He's been tied to Comanche for decades.
- We Used to Be Friends: Shades ran in the same gang as Luke and Diamondback when they were younger, and was sent to Seagate same as Luke. He escaped, and went looking for Luke to get help in getting payback.
Spear
Spear
Alter Ego: Jasper Daniels
First Appearance: Power Man #28 (February, 1976)
Luke Cage villain armed with a spear gun.
- Cool Mask: Which has the shape of a cross.
- Force and Finesse: He's the finesse of Shadrick's Force, using a spear gun while his brother fights with his fists.
- Purple Is Powerful: His costumes tend to be purple.
- Sibling Team: With his brother Mangler.
Steeplejack
Steeplejack
Alter Ego: Jake Mallard
First Appearance: Luke Cage, Power Man #18 (April, 1974)
Three men have taken the identity of Steeplejack with the first two having battled Power Man and Ms. Marvel on separate occasions.
- Legacy Character: After the death of Mallard, Maxwell Plumm took the costume and became the second Steeplejack, until his death by the Scourge of the Underworld during the Bar with No Name massacre. The third claimed the identity after it was sold to him by Roderick Kingsley.
- Secondary Color Nemesis: The Steeplejack costume is green.
- Villain Has a Point: Maxwell Plumm was a building contractor who hired Luke Cage and Iron Fist as bodyguards because Steeplejack considered Plumm responsible for his brother's death due to Plumm's cutting corners. When Plumm later became Steeplejack himself and fought Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers' investigation into his dirty dealings proved that the first Steeplejack's accusations were right all along.
White Jennie
White Jennie
Alter Ego: Jennifer Royce
Notable Aliases: Jennie Royce
First Appearance: Power Man and Iron Fist #56 (April, 1979)
An employee of the Heroes for Hire team when Luke Cage and Iron Fist just started their business.
- Face–Heel Turn: After disappearing for years, she asked Iron Fist for assistance after being thrown in prison. David Walker's Power Man and Iron Fist run revealed she's turned actual criminal, working with Black Mariah.
