Power Man and Iron Fist

This article is about the comic book series Power Man and Iron Fist. For Heroes for Hire team and eponymous series, see Heroes for Hire.
Power Man and Iron Fist

Power Man and Iron Fist, 50th issue cover
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
Genre
Main character(s) Power Man and Iron Fist

Power Man and Iron Fist (originally Luke Cage, Hero for Hire then Luke Cage, Power Man) was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the superheroes Power Man and Iron Fist.

Publication history

Hero For Hire/Power Man

The series debuted as Hero For Hire #1, and became Power Man from #17 onwards. The cover logo included Luke Cage's name, so from #1–16 the cover logo read Luke Cage, Hero For Hire and from #17 onwards Luke Cage, Power Man. The series was initially written by Luke Cage's co-creator Archie Goodwin, pencilled by George Tuska, and inked by Billy Graham.

Power Man and Iron Fist

Eventually, Power Man's sales became unsustainable. Marvel decided to combine his series with Iron Fist, another once popular superhero who could no longer support his own series, in order to save both characters from full cancellation.[1] Iron Fist joined the cast of Power Man in a three part story arc in #48–50. The series title changed to Power Man and Iron Fist with #50, though the indicia did not reflect this change until #67.

Iron Fist writer Chris Claremont penned the initial stories pairing the characters, but was soon forced to turn the series over to Jo Duffy due to his unmanageable workload. Duffy's run was noted for its lighthearted, humorous, character-driven tone, and had relatively few fight scenes.[1] A young Kurt Busiek had his first regular assignment with the title, writing it from issue #90 to #100. He emulated the lighthearted humor of Duffy's run, not knowing that Duffy had been taken off Power Man and Iron Fist precisely because the editorial staff disapproved of her lighthearted tongue-in-cheek approach to the series.[1]

Goodwin then returned to the series, but had difficulty keeping up with the work, and his brief second run was littered with issues by fill-in writers, including two by Busiek.[1] Jim Owsley, another Marvel staffer, took over as regular writer. The series concluded with the death of Iron Fist in #125, a controversial story. Owsley later commented, "Fist’s death was senseless and shocking and completely unforeseen. It took the readers’ heads clean off. And, to this day, people are mad about it. Forgetting, it seems, that (a) you were supposed to be mad, that death is senseless and Fist’s death was supposed to be senseless, or that (b) this is a comic book."[1]

Heroes For Hire

In 1996, Marvel launched a new Heroes For Hire, written by John Ostrander and illustrated by Pasqual Ferry, featuring Luke Cage and Iron Fist along with many other characters. It lasted for 19 issues.

A new Heroes for Hire series was developed in 2006 as a spin-off of the Daughters of the Dragon limited series. The team line-up did not include Luke Cage or Danny Rand.

Power Man and Iron Fist revival

Power Man and Iron Fist returned as a five-issue limited series in 2011, spinning-off from the "Shadowland" storyline, which introduced a new Power Man, Victor Alvarez. It was written by one of the character's creators Fred Van Lente, with art by Wellinton Alves.[2][3][4]

Reprints

Four Marvel Essential trade paperbacks were published reprinting issues of the first Power Man and Iron Fist series. Essential Luke Cage, Power Man Volume 2, features Power Man #48-49, Essential Iron Fist Volume 1 features Power Man #48-49 and Power Man and Iron Fist #50. Essential Power Man and Iron Fist Volume 1 reprints Power Man and Iron Fist #50-72 & 74-75; issue #73, which features a story where Power Man and Iron Fist meet Rom the Spaceknight, was omitted from the collection due to the fact Marvel does not hold the rights to the Rom character. Essential Power Man and Iron Fist Volume 2 reprints Power Man and Iron Fist #76-100 and Daredevil #178.

Creators

Hero for Hire

Writers

Artists

Power Man

Writers

Artists

Power Man/Iron Fist

Writers

Artists

Collected Editions

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Callahan, Timothy (December 2010). "Power Man and Iron Fist". Back Issue!. TwoMorrows Publishing (45): 3–11.
  2. ↑ Richards, Dave (July 22, 2010). "CCI EXCLUSIVE: Van Lente's New "Power Man & Iron Fist"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  3. ↑ Ching, Albert (July 23, 2010). "SDCC 2010: POWER MAN & IRON FIST: Reunited For The 1st Time". Newsarama. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  4. ↑ Richards, Dave (December 15, 2010). "Van Lente Buddies Up With "Power Man & Iron Fist"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved September 25, 2011.

External links

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