''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
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
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
Billy Graham
William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally in the late 1940s. He was a prominent evangelical Christi ...
.
''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. Iron Fist joined the cast of ''Power Man'' in a three part
story arc
A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, board games, vid ...
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. A young
Kurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek ( ) (born September 16, 1960) is an American comic book writer. His work includes the '' Marvels'' limited series, his own series titled ''Astro City'', a four-year run on '' The Avengers, Thunderbolts'' and '' Superman.''
Early lif ...
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.
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.
Jim Owsley
Christopher James Priest (born James Christopher Owsley, June 30, 1961) is an American writer of comic books who is at times credited simply as Priest. He changed his name legally circa 1993. He was the first black writer-editor in mainstream co ...
, 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."
''Power Man and Iron Fist'' revivals
''Power Man and Iron Fist'' returned as a five-issue
limited series Limited series may refer to:
*Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series
*Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered
*Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
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. It returned again in 2016, with Luke Cage replacing Alvarez.
Creators
Writers
* Chris Claremont - ''Power Man/Iron Fist'' #50-53 (April 1978 - October 1978), #76 (December 1981)
*
Ed Hannigan
Ed Hannigan (born August 6, 1951) is an American comics artist, writer, and editor for both Marvel Comics and DC Comics.
Career
Ed Hannigan's first credited comics story was published in Marvel Comics' licensed ''Planet of the Apes'' #5 (Feb. ...
- ''Power Man/Iron Fist'' #53-55 (October 1978 - February 1979)
* Mary Jo Duffy - ''Power Man/Iron Fist'' #56–75, 77–84 (April 1979 – November 1981, January 1982–August 1982)
*
Bob Layton
Bob Layton (born 1953) is an American comic book artist, writer, and editor. He is best known for his work on Marvel Comics titles such as '' Iron Man'' and ''Hercules'', and for co-founding Valiant Comics with Jim Shooter.
Early life
Bob Layt ...
- ''Power Man/Iron Fist'' #67 (February 1981)
* Steven Grant - ''Power Man/Iron Fist'' #69, 91, 101 (May 1981, March 1983, January 1984)
* Mike W. Barr - ''Power Man/Iron Fist'' #76 (December 1981)
*
Dennis O'Neil
Dennis Joseph O'Neil (May 3, 1939 – June 11, 2020) was an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of titles until his retir ...
Kurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek ( ) (born September 16, 1960) is an American comic book writer. His work includes the '' Marvels'' limited series, his own series titled ''Astro City'', a four-year run on '' The Avengers, Thunderbolts'' and '' Superman.''
Early lif ...
- ''Power Man/Iron Fist'' #90, 92–100, 102, 105 (February 1983, April 1983–December 1983, May 1984)
* Archie Goodwin - ''Power Man/Iron Fist'' #103–104, 108 (February 1984–April 1984, August 1984)
* Alan Rowlands - ''Power Man/Iron Fist'' #106–107, 109 (June 1984–July 1984, September 1984)
*
Jim Owsley
Christopher James Priest (born James Christopher Owsley, June 30, 1961) is an American writer of comic books who is at times credited simply as Priest. He changed his name legally circa 1993. He was the first black writer-editor in mainstream co ...
Tony Isabella
Tony Isabella (born December 22, 1951) is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, artist and critic, known as the creator and writer of Marvel Comics' Black Goliath; DC Comics' first major African-American superhero, Black Lightning; and as ...
- ''Power Man/Iron Fist'' #110 (October 1984)
Artists
*
Kerry Gammill
Kerry Gammill (born April 26, 1954) is an American artist who has worked in the fields of comic books, special effects, storyboards, and character designs. As a comic book artist, he is best known for his work on ''Power Man and Iron Fist'' ...
- ''Power Man'' #67-68, 70–72, 74–75, 77–79, 84 (February 1981–April 1981, June 1981–August 1981, October 1981–November 1981, January 1982–March 1982, August 1982)
* Alan Weiss - ''Power Man/Iron Fist'' #69 (May 1981)
*
Greg LaRocque
Greg LaRocque (born February 24, 1954) is an American comics artist best known for his work on the ''Legion of Super-Heroes'' and ''The Flash''.
Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, LaRocque worked as an assistant teacher at the Professional I ...
- ''Power Man/Iron Fist'' #73, 91, 102–104, 106, 108–113 (September 1981, March 1983, February 1984–April 1984, August 1984–January 1985)
*
Frank Miller
Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book writer, penciller and inker, novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on ''Daredevil'' and subsequen ...
Denys Cowan
Denys B. Cowan (born January 30, 1961) is an American comics artist, television producer, media executive and one of the co-founders of Milestone Media.
Early life
Denys Cowan was first inspired by superheroes as a child from reruns of the 1950s ...
- ''Power Man/Iron Fist'' #80–83, 86–90, 92–93 (April 1982–July 1982, October 1982–February 1983, April 1983–May 1983)
*
Keith Pollard
Keith Pollard (; born January 20, 1950) is an American comic book artist. Originally from the Detroit area, Pollard is best known for his simultaneous work on the Marvel Comics titles ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', ''Fantastic Four'', and ''Thor'' i ...
Geof Isherwood
Geof Isherwood (born December 4, 1960) is an American painter, sculptor and comic book illustrator.
Career
Much of Isherwood's early work was done for Marvel Comics, including such titles as ''Silver Surfer'', ''Conan the Barbarian'', '' Dared ...
Billy Graham
William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally in the late 1940s. He was a prominent evangelical Christi ...
- ''Power Man/Iron Fist'' #114 (February 1985)
*
Mark Bright
Mark Abraham Bright (born 6 June 1962) is an English sports correspondent and former footballer.
Born to a Gambian father and English mother, he was adopted into a foster family in Stoke-on-Trent at an early age. He played non-league football ...