Marvel Re-Teams Luke Cage And Iron Fist Ahead Of Live-Action Debut

Luke Cage, a.k.a. Power Man, and Danny Rand, a.k.a. Iron Fist, are one of the Marvel universe’s best known duos. Not only are they good friends, but the two have foiled many a crime/evil plot together over the decades, most notably in the 1970s series Power Man and Iron Fist. In recent years Luke and Danny haven’t spent as much time together battling the bad guys, but ahead of their live action debuts on Netflix in the near future, Marvel is reteaming the two heroes in a new ongoing series.

Written by David Walker (Cyborg, Shaft) and illustrated by Sanford Greene (Runaways, Uncanny Avengers), the new Power Man and Iron Fist series will pair the two heroes together after years of drifting apart when an old friend comes asking for their help. The duo will be dishing out their classic brand of street justice against threats like Tombstone and Black Mariah while trying to rekindle their bromance. This is the first ongoing book starring the two heroes since 1996’s Heroes for Hire revival (which lasted 19 issues), though the two did feature in a five-issue miniseries tying into the 2011 event Shadowland.

In the comics, Luke Cage was a framed convict who was given super strength, unbreakable skin and cellular regeneration during an experimental procedure in prison. After escaping, he started his own business Hero for Hire, where he would use his powers to help people for the right price, though not for illegal activities. Iron Fist, who is a martial arts master and can channel his body’s natural energy (“chi”) into his hand, later joined forces with Power Man, and they became the Heroes for Hire. Although the business eventually disbanded, Luke and Danny continued to work together in the years following, but this time protecting the innocent free of charge.

This announcement comes right as both these characters are about to make their first appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Good Wife’s Mike Colter will first appear as Luke Cage this November in Jessica Jones before leading his own Netflix series. An Iron Fist Netflix series will follow, though given their close ties, we wouldn’t be surprised if Danny Rand appears in some capacity during Luke Cage. Both heroes will then team up with Daredevil and Jessica Jones in the Defenders miniseries.

You can find Power Man and Iron Fist in 2016 at your local comic book store or online.