I want to talk a bit about Luke Cage aka Power Man, because I feel like he hasn't gotten much love in this thread. Recently I've come to the conclusion that I'm pretty sure he's one of my favorite Marvel characters and maybe one of my favorite superheroes because this is a guy who is just that: A guy. I mean yes, he has superpowers (unbreakable skin, which gives him superhuman strength and durability), but his powers are so simple that you almost forget he has them until the story reminds you that he does. He doesn't really even create a superhero name, just an alias to leave his old life behind and start a new life. This is a guy that just wants to do some good in the world whatever way he can, and raise a family while doing it.
Originally imprisoned by a crime he didn't commit, he served his time in a prison that ran experiments on him and gave him superpowers. Then, he went out and decided to start beating up drug dealers, street thugs, and gangsters in bad neighborhoods to help clean them up. Eventually starting Heroes for Hire with his boy Iron Fist, an agency to help out people who just need someone to help them out.
I mean yeah, this guy starts off as a means to capitalize off blaxploitation popularity, but then he got brought back in the 00's a chill bar owner. Then he becomes and Avenger, and not just an Avenger, he eventually leads the Avengers. Then he would go on to lead the Thunderbolts and help reform supervillain prisoners, and eventually create the Mighty Avengers: basically a super-sized version of Heroes for Hire, only no one is getting paid. It was a team of Avengers meant to help people.
I'm probably skipping a few things (I'll admit freely I haven't read everything with him so someone will probably have to hop in and fill the blanks), like all the on again, off again pairings with Iron Fist he keeps doing. Or how he started a family with Jessica Jones and amidst all the superheroing he does, he manages to maintain a marriage with a superhero private investigator and raise their daughter (who eventually becomes Captain America). This guy is always fighting to help the little guy. The average person. He fights to make sure this fucked up system that we have doesn't win, and that people can beat it by trying to reform prisoners and cleaning up bad neighborhoods. He's just a good fucking dude, a kickass leader, and when all is said and done he goes home to be a family man
Oh and did I mention he has superpowers?
Originally imprisoned by a crime he didn't commit, he served his time in a prison that ran experiments on him and gave him superpowers. Then, he went out and decided to start beating up drug dealers, street thugs, and gangsters in bad neighborhoods to help clean them up. Eventually starting Heroes for Hire with his boy Iron Fist, an agency to help out people who just need someone to help them out.
I mean yeah, this guy starts off as a means to capitalize off blaxploitation popularity, but then he got brought back in the 00's a chill bar owner. Then he becomes and Avenger, and not just an Avenger, he eventually leads the Avengers. Then he would go on to lead the Thunderbolts and help reform supervillain prisoners, and eventually create the Mighty Avengers: basically a super-sized version of Heroes for Hire, only no one is getting paid. It was a team of Avengers meant to help people.
I'm probably skipping a few things (I'll admit freely I haven't read everything with him so someone will probably have to hop in and fill the blanks), like all the on again, off again pairings with Iron Fist he keeps doing. Or how he started a family with Jessica Jones and amidst all the superheroing he does, he manages to maintain a marriage with a superhero private investigator and raise their daughter (who eventually becomes Captain America). This guy is always fighting to help the little guy. The average person. He fights to make sure this fucked up system that we have doesn't win, and that people can beat it by trying to reform prisoners and cleaning up bad neighborhoods. He's just a good fucking dude, a kickass leader, and when all is said and done he goes home to be a family man
Oh and did I mention he has superpowers?
