| 1 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 2 | |
| 3 | !!Luke Cage |
| 4 | [[folder:Luke Cage]] |
| 5 | !!Luke Cage |
| 6 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/LukeCageOrigin_2891.jpg]] |
| 7 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/amazing_spider_man_vol_4_18_defenders_variant_textless.jpg]] |
| 8 | [[caption-width-right:250:[[CharacterCatchphrase Sweet Christmas!]]]] |
| 9 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Carl Lucas |
| 10 | !!! '''Notable Aliases:''' Power Man |
| 11 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Luke Cage, Hero For Hire'' #1 (June, 1972) |
| 12 | ->''"Sweet Christmas!"'' |
| 13 | |
| 14 | '''Luke Cage''', (aka Power Man) is a Creator/MarvelComics superhero, originally created as part of the [[TheSeventies 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. |
| 15 | |
| 16 | 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". |
| 17 | |
| 18 | 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 Comicbook/IronFist. 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 ComicBook/NewAvengers and has been a regular ever since. In this period Luke married ComicBook/{{Alias}} star ComicBook/JessicaJones. They have a daughter, Danielle. After ComicBook/DarkReign Luke became the man in charge of the ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}} up through the end of the series. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | 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, ''ComicBook/HeroesForHire''. |
| 21 | ---- |
| 22 | * TenMinuteRetirement: 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. |
| 23 | * ActionPolitician: In the aftermath of ''ComicBook/DevilsReign'' he's become Mayor of New York. And in ''[[ComicBook/GangWar2023 Gang War]]'' he's helping the Spider-Men restore order. |
| 24 | * AmazonChaser: {{Discussed}} in ''ComicBook/{{Alias}}''. [[ComicBook/MsMarvel 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 [[ComicBook/SpiderWoman Jessica Drew]] to ComicBook/SheHulk. 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''. |
| 25 | * ArchEnemy: 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 AngryWhiteMan 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. |
| 26 | * BaldOfAuthority: As the leader of the Thunderbolts and New Avengers. |
| 27 | * BaldHeadOfToughness: His more recent depictions are this, adding to his SuperStrength and SuperToughness a completely bald head. |
| 28 | * BashBrothers: Cage and Iron Fist are perhaps one of the greatest superhero duos in comic history. |
| 29 | * BerserkButton: |
| 30 | ** Back in the day, he strongly objected to being called a mercenary. |
| 31 | ** Do ''not'' run out on a debt you owe him. See {{Determinator}} for details. |
| 32 | ** 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. |
| 33 | ** When he first appeared, he was very insistent at not working on the Sabbath. Anyone trying to push the issue with him was in for some pain. That said, he was willing to discuss potential jobs with clients like J. Jonah Jameson as long as they didn't expect him to get started on the same day. |
| 34 | * TheBigGuy: Works well as the heavy hitter for any [[TheTeam team]] he's on, and when he teamed with Iron Fist. |
| 35 | * {{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. |
| 36 | * BoisterousBruiser: Rarely does he miss the chance to trash talk and punctuate them between punching. |
| 37 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d3RqCUvK3g "Now look at MODOK. Now back to me. Now back to Sugar Man. Now back to me."]] |
| 38 | * BrainsAndBrawn: 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 FishOutOfWater compared to Luke, the New York native. |
| 39 | * CainAndAbel: Cage and his brother Coldfire often come to blows. Or did, since James is now quite dead. |
| 40 | * CallingTheOldManOut: 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. |
| 41 | * ChainedByFashion: He often wore a chain belt as part of the wrongly-convicted-past motif. |
| 42 | * CharacterCatchphrase: |
| 43 | ** SWEET CHRISTMAS! |
| 44 | ** Usually shortened to simply "Christmas!" He also threw around "Sweet Sister!" a lot early on.[[note]]Fortunately for him, he does not actually have a sister, hence avoiding implications of incest.[[/note]] |
| 45 | * CharacterFilibuster: 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. |
| 46 | -->'''Jessica:''' ''(after Luke's been startled by Blue Marvel)'' Was it the "I don't break" speech?\ |
| 47 | '''Luke:''' ''(sagging in exasperation)'' Yeah...\ |
| 48 | '''Jessica:''' I love that one. |
| 49 | * CivvieSpandex: His old costume was mostly just chains and metal bands around a shirt and pants. Since that time, he [[NotWearingTights hasn't worn a costume at all]]. |
| 50 | * ClearMyName: Has happened more than once. |
| 51 | ** 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. |
| 52 | ** 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. |
| 53 | * CursedWithAwesome: 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. |
| 54 | * {{Determinator}}: |
| 55 | ** 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. |
| 56 | ** 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. |
| 57 | * {{Fanboy}}: Of Isaiah Bradley, the first African-American superhero who becomes Captain America (InUniverse, 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". |
| 58 | * GeniusBruiser: 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 [[LeeroyJenkins battle strategy]] implies. He once stealthy broke into Stark Enterprises (after being tricked into doing so of course) and was able to SpotTheImposter by realizing that the original and fake were wearing different shoes. |
| 59 | * GoshDangItToHeck: 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. |
| 60 | ** 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. |
| 61 | ** Averted in his later incarnations. |
| 62 | -->''SWEET F**KING CHRISTMAS!'' |
| 63 | ** 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. |
| 64 | -->'''Cage:''' This guy is a bad Knick-Knack-Paddy-Whack. |
| 65 | -->'''Iron Fist:''' A bad what? |
| 66 | * HappilyMarried: His marriage with Jessica Jones has a lot of love. |
| 67 | * HardboiledDetective: Some of Luke's clients have hired him for detective work, and he was more than ready to get rough when he had to. |
| 68 | * HealingFactor: A little, but if injured, Luke is capable of recovering from mild injuries in 1/3rd the time it would take an ordinary human. |
| 69 | * HenpeckedHusband: Jess will sass Luke, much as they love one another. |
| 70 | * HeroDoesPublicService: A 1980s [[DrugsAreBad 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. |
| 71 | * HeroicWillpower: 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 LotusEaterMachine, 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. |
| 72 | * HeterosexualLifePartners: |
| 73 | ** Cage and Daniel Rand, aka Iron Fist. are literally super friends. Luke even named his daughter Danielle after him. |
| 74 | ** He also had this sort of friendship with Spider-Man when they both were part of the New Avengers. |
| 75 | * HonorBeforeReason: 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. |
| 76 | * InsistentTerminology: He most definitely did not ever wear a tiara. It was a headband. Head. Band. |
| 77 | * ImmuneToBullets: One of his powers from the prison experiment is super durability, so bullets can't hurt him. |
| 78 | * IWasQuiteAFashionVictim: It was a JustifiedTrope 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. |
| 79 | * JiveTurkey: Like we said, honky, he first appeared in the seventies. It gets funny when he gets a hold of Mjolnir in an early ''ComicBook/WhatIf'': |
| 80 | -->By the gleamin' gates of funky Asgard, you suckers are gonna '''''eat hammer!''''' |
| 81 | * TheLeader: 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. |
| 82 | * LegacyCharacter: |
| 83 | ** Mixed Black/Hispanic teen Vic Alvarez, who took up the 'Power Man' name on the grounds Luke wasn't using it anymore. |
| 84 | ** Luke himself took the name from the villainous Power Man (Erik Josten, now better known as Atlas from the Thunderbolts). |
| 85 | ** Jessica Jones also goes by "Power Woman" when she isn't Jewel, Knightress, or [[IHaveManyNames whatever the hell else she goes by]]. |
| 86 | * LetsYouAndHimFight: Guess how he and Danny Rand first met. Go on, guess. |
| 87 | * LikesOlderWomen: A gag in ''New Avengers'' was that he and elderly Ann-Marie Hoag of Damage Control once had a fling. |
| 88 | * LogicalWeakness: 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 HealingFactor though, so that helps. He's also susceptible to knockout or sleeping gas. |
| 89 | * TheMaidenNameDebate: Spoofed in one issue of ''New Avengers'', where Luke tries to convince Jessica to use "Power Woman" as her superhero name. |
| 90 | -->'''Luke''': You married me. Take the name. |
| 91 | -->'''Jessica''': But I'm my own person. |
| 92 | -->'''Luke''': Who's married to me. |
| 93 | * MalignedMixedMarriage: 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. [[BerserkButton Punching ensues.]] |
| 94 | * MuggingTheMonster: 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. |
| 95 | * NighInvulnerability: 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. |
| 96 | * OnlySaneMan: |
| 97 | ** 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. |
| 98 | ** 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. |
| 99 | * PapaWolf: You put his child in danger, good luck surviving the rest of the day. |
| 100 | * ReachingTowardsTheAudience: Frequently has his fist in the foreground of official art. |
| 101 | * ReallyGetsAround: 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. |
| 102 | * ReformedCriminal: 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. [[FromBadToWorse Unfortunately he was framed for drug possession and sent to prison.]] |
| 103 | * RunningGag: |
| 104 | ** 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. |
| 105 | ** Subtler one -- can you name any of his old comics that didn't feature him [[ShirtlessScene 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? |
| 106 | ** 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. |
| 107 | * ScaryBlackMan: 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. |
| 108 | * SecretPublicIdentity: 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. |
| 109 | * SpotlightStealingSquad: |
| 110 | ** Cage bears the brunt of being one of Creator/BrianMichaelBendis' 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. |
| 111 | ** Despite Iron Fist being his lifemate, Spider-Man and Cage often come across as this in New Avengers. |
| 112 | * StealthExpert: 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. |
| 113 | * SuperStrength: After undergoing the original experiment, Cage's strength was increased to superhuman levels. Over the years, DependingOnTheWriter, his strength level was anywhere between Spider-Man's or the Hulk's. |
| 114 | * SuperToughness: Luke Cage's signature superpower, as detailed under NighInvulnerability above. |
| 115 | * SymbolSwearing: Sweet *$!%&# Christmas, this has been a modern staple of Luke's. |
| 116 | * TerrorHero: 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 NoSell it is highly intimidating. |
| 117 | * WeHelpTheHelpless: 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 [[CrimefightingWithCash multimillionaire Kyle Richmond]], to pull out his checkbook and put Luke on retainer so he gets paid for helping the Defenders. |
| 118 | * WhatTheHellHero: As part of above-mentioned speeches. If Luke Cage feels someone needs a yelling at, they are damn well getting a yelling at. |
| 119 | * WorkingWithTheEx: 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. |
| 120 | ---- |
| 121 | [[/folder]] |
| 122 | |
| 123 | !!Allies |
| 124 | |
| 125 | [[folder:Big Ben Donovan]] |
| 126 | !!Big Ben Donovan |
| 127 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1901118_ben.jpg]] |
| 128 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Benjamin Donovan |
| 129 | !!! '''Notable Aliases:''' |
| 130 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #14 (October 1973) |
| 131 | |
| 132 | ---- |
| 133 | -> See Characters/DaredevilSupportingCharacters |
| 134 | [[/folder]] |
| 135 | |
| 136 | [[folder:Claire Temple]] |
| 137 | !!Claire Temple |
| 138 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/claire_temple_earth_616_from_captain_america_sam_wilson_vol_1_4_001.jpg]] |
| 139 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Claire Temple |
| 140 | !!! '''Notable Aliases:''' |
| 141 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #2 (August 1972) |
| 142 | |
| 143 | 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. |
| 144 | ---- |
| 145 | * TheBusCameBack: After not being seen since 1983, she reappeared during ''All-New Captain America'' in 2015. |
| 146 | * DamselInDistress: 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. |
| 147 | * ExpositoryHairstyleChange: She went from an afro to having her hair loose. |
| 148 | * HospitalHottie: A nurse and quite attractive. |
| 149 | * RetCanon: Her reintroduction showed her with an appearance based on Creator/RosarioDawson thanks to her participation on various Marvrl Netflix television shows, including ''Luke Cage''. |
| 150 | [[/folder]] |
| 151 | |
| 152 | [[folder:David Griffith]] |
| 153 | !!David Griffith |
| 154 | [[quoteright:255:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/3864726_david_griffith_earth_616_from_mighty_avengers_vol_2_4inh_002.jpg]] |
| 155 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' David Griffith |
| 156 | !!! '''Notable Aliases:''' D.W. Griffith |
| 157 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #2 (August 1972) |
| 158 | |
| 159 | David Griffith was a long time associate and friend of Luke Cage when they shared the same apartment-building in a movie theater. |
| 160 | ---- |
| 161 | * TheBusCameBack: 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. |
| 162 | [[/folder]] |
| 163 | |
| 164 | [[folder:James Lucas, Sr.]] |
| 165 | !!James Lucas, Sr. |
| 166 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/james_lucas_5.jpg]] |
| 167 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Cage'' #3 (April, 1992) |
| 168 | |
| 169 | Luke's father, a former NYPD cop. |
| 170 | ---- |
| 171 | * FishOutOfWater: 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. |
| 172 | * FreakOut: 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. |
| 173 | * OutlivingOnesOffspring: His eldest son James Lucas Jr. died trying to save him alongside Luke. |
| 174 | [[/folder]] |
| 175 | |
| 176 | [[folder:Noah Burstein]] |
| 177 | !!Noah Burstein |
| 178 | [[quoteright:148:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2080800_drnoah_burnstein_avengers_origins_luke_cage_1.jpg]] |
| 179 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Dr. Noah Burstein |
| 180 | !!! '''Notable Aliases:''' Noah Bernstein |
| 181 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Luke Cage, Hero For Hire'' #1 (June 1972) |
| 182 | |
| 183 | Dr. Noah Burnstein is a scientist whose experiments for the creation of super-soldiers have created several superhumans, most notably Luke Cage. |
| 184 | ---- |
| 185 | * DistressedDude: Kidnapped more than once by people wishing to use his scientific expertise. |
| 186 | [[/folder]] |
| 187 | |
| 188 | [[folder:Reva Connors]] |
| 189 | !!Reva Connors |
| 190 | [[quoteright:157:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/5337879_reva_connors.jpg]] |
| 191 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Luke Cage, Hero For Hire'' #1 (June 1972) |
| 192 | |
| 193 | A friend and love interest of Luke Cage, also known as Power Man. |
| 194 | ---- |
| 195 | * KilledOffForReal: Reva died in a conflict between Cage, Stryker and the Maggia. Her death still weighs heavy on Luke's memory. |
| 196 | [[/folder]] |
| 197 | |
| 198 | !!Enemies |
| 199 | |
| 200 | [[folder:Billy Bob Rackham]] |
| 201 | !!Billy Bob Rackham |
| 202 | [[quoteright:287:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2044617_10_15_2011_001.jpg]] |
| 203 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Albert Rackham |
| 204 | %%!!! '''Notable Aliases:''' |
| 205 | !!! '''Debut:''' ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #1 (June, 1972) |
| 206 | |
| 207 | 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. |
| 208 | ---- |
| 209 | * DeathByAmbulance: Hit and killed by a speeding ambulance. |
| 210 | [[/folder]] |
| 211 | |
| 212 | [[folder:Black Mariah]] |
| 213 | !!Black Mariah |
| 214 | [[quoteright:308:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/5160341_mariah.jpg]] |
| 215 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Mariah Dillard |
| 216 | %%!!! '''Notable Aliases:''' |
| 217 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #5 (January, 1973) |
| 218 | ->''"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."'' |
| 219 | |
| 220 | 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. |
| 221 | ---- |
| 222 | * {{Acrofatic}}: She turns out to be surprisingly fast and agile. |
| 223 | * FatBitch: 400 pounds and one of Luke Cage's biggest enemies. |
| 224 | * LightningBruiser: 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. |
| 225 | * TheQueenpin: She's a female crime lord. |
| 226 | * StoutStrength: She is exceptionally strong considering her weight, and proficient at unarmed combat. |
| 227 | * TrojanAmbulance: 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. |
| 228 | [[/folder]] |
| 229 | |
| 230 | [[folder:Bushmaster]] |
| 231 | !!Bushmaster I |
| 232 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/john_mciver_earth_616_from_power_man_and_iron_fist_vol_1_67_001.jpg]] |
| 233 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' [=John McIver=] |
| 234 | !!! '''Notable Aliases:''' John Bushmaster, Power Master |
| 235 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Iron Fist'' #15 (September, 1977) |
| 236 | |
| 237 | 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. |
| 238 | ---- |
| 239 | * KilledOffForReal: Killed in 1983 and while he was briefly revived by his son Cruz, he ended up dying shortly after and hasn't returned since. |
| 240 | * LegacyCharacter: After his death his brother Quincy took the Bushmaster codename, and also his son Cruz [=McIver=] briefly took the codename. |
| 241 | * SuperStrength: Just like Luke Cage, he was given the same process that made him super strong and have SuperToughness. |
| 242 | |
| 243 | !!Bushmaster II |
| 244 | [[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/6991499_bushmaster2.jpg]] |
| 245 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' [=Quincy McIver=] |
| 246 | %%!!! '''Notable Aliases:''' |
| 247 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Captain America'' #310 (October, 1985) |
| 248 | |
| 249 | 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. |
| 250 | ---- |
| 251 | -> See Characters/CaptainAmericaSnakeThemedEnemies |
| 252 | |
| 253 | !!Bushmaster III |
| 254 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cruz_bushmaster_earth_616_1.jpg]] |
| 255 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' [=Cruz McIver=] |
| 256 | %%!!! '''Notable Aliases:''' |
| 257 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Cage'' #1 (April, 1992) |
| 258 | ->''"hank you, Hardcore. Now, you were speaking of things worth dying for? Let's test your conviction and my abilities at once, shall we?"'' |
| 259 | |
| 260 | 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. |
| 261 | ---- |
| 262 | * HealingFactor: 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 |
| 263 | * KilledOffForReal: Killed by his own father and hasn't returned since 1993. |
| 264 | * SuperStrength: After undergoing the original experiment, his strength was increased to superhuman levels sufficient to lift approximately 3 tons. |
| 265 | * SuperToughness: 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. |
| 266 | [[/folder]] |
| 267 | |
| 268 | [[folder:Chemistro]] |
| 269 | !!Chemistro I |
| 270 | [[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2633896_07530903526813068.jpg]] |
| 271 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Curtis Carr |
| 272 | !!! '''Notable Aliases:''' High-Tech |
| 273 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Luke Cage, Hero For Hire'' #12 (August, 1973) |
| 274 | |
| 275 | 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. |
| 276 | ---- |
| 277 | * AlliterativeName: '''C'''urtis '''C'''arr. |
| 278 | * CutLexLuthorACheck: 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. |
| 279 | * HeelFaceTurn: Eventually, Curtis went to prison, and helped Luke fight the second Chemistro. After that, he took a job at Stark Enterprises. |
| 280 | |
| 281 | !!Chemistro II |
| 282 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arch_morton_earth_616_from_power_man_vol_1_38_0001.jpg]] |
| 283 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Archibald Morton |
| 284 | !!! '''Notable Aliases:''' Arch Morton |
| 285 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Power Man'' #37 (November, 1976) |
| 286 | |
| 287 | 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. |
| 288 | ---- |
| 289 | |
| 290 | !!Chemistro III |
| 291 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/calvin_carr_earth_616_from_new_avengers_vol_1_55_001.jpg]] |
| 292 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Calvin Carr |
| 293 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Power Man and Iron Fist'' #93 (June, 1983) |
| 294 | |
| 295 | Calvin Carr, the brother to the original Chemistro, became the third and most well known man to use the Chemistro identity. |
| 296 | ---- |
| 297 | * AlliterativeName: Just like his brother. |
| 298 | * AntiMagic: 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. |
| 299 | * CharacterDeath: Killed during Matt Fraction's ''Iron Man''. |
| 300 | * LegacyCharacter: There has been three characters to fight Cage with the identity of Chemistro. |
| 301 | * LegionOfDoom: Calvin was a high-profile member of the Hood's crime syndicate. |
| 302 | * RoguesGalleryTransplant: 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. |
| 303 | [[/folder]] |
| 304 | |
| 305 | [[folder:Cheshire Cat]] |
| 306 | !!Cheshire Cat |
| 307 | [[quoteright:224:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cheshire_earth_616.jpg]] |
| 308 | !!! '''Notable Aliases:''' Cheshire |
| 309 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Power Man'' #37 (November, 1976) |
| 310 | |
| 311 | 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. |
| 312 | ---- |
| 313 | [[/folder]] |
| 314 | |
| 315 | [[folder:Cockroach Hamilton]] |
| 316 | !!Cockroach Hamilton |
| 317 | [[quoteright:204:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/109072_83486_cockroach_hamilton.jpg]] |
| 318 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Dontrell Hamilton |
| 319 | !!! '''Notable Aliases:''' Cockroach, Roach |
| 320 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Luke Cage, Power Man'' #28 (December, 1975) |
| 321 | |
| 322 | Dontrell "Cockroach" Hamilton was a hitman in New York City. |
| 323 | ---- |
| 324 | * {{BFG}}: Some artists drew "Josh" so large that it was almost a portable cannon. |
| 325 | * DeadlyGas: "Josh" could various types of gas as well as conventional bullets. |
| 326 | * ICallItVera: 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. |
| 327 | * PistolWhipping: Hamilton's shotgun "Josh" made him a deadly opponent in ranged combat. He could also be dangerous up close, since he had no problem swinging "Josh" like a club. |
| 328 | [[/folder]] |
| 329 | |
| 330 | [[folder:Coldfire]] |
| 331 | !!Coldfire |
| 332 | [[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/418884_coldfire.jpg]] |
| 333 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' James Lucas, Jr. |
| 334 | !!! '''Notable Aliases:''' Jim Lucas, Junior, James Lucas |
| 335 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Cage'' #3 (June, 1992) |
| 336 | |
| 337 | James Lucas, Jr. is the brother of Luke Cage. He was given superpowers by the Corporation with the sole purpose of fighting Cage. |
| 338 | ---- |
| 339 | * CainAndAbel: With his brother Carl Lucas/Luke Cage. |
| 340 | * PlayingWithFire: 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. |
| 341 | * RemoteBody: He is able to leave his human body and inhabit the white out plasma and control it as if it was his body. |
| 342 | [[/folder]] |
| 343 | |
| 344 | [[folder:Comanche]] |
| 345 | !!Comanche |
| 346 | [[quoteright:208:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1414446_comanche.jpg]] |
| 347 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Darius Jones |
| 348 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #1 (June, 1972) |
| 349 | |
| 350 | 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. |
| 351 | ---- |
| 352 | * BrainsAndBrawn: The Brawn to Shades' Brains. |
| 353 | [[/folder]] |
| 354 | |
| 355 | [[folder:Cottonmouth]] |
| 356 | !!Cottonmouth |
| 357 | [[quoteright:253:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1892426_cornell_cottonmouth_shadowland_power_man_1.jpg]] |
| 358 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Cornell Stokes |
| 359 | !!! '''Notable Aliases:''' Cornell Cottonmouth |
| 360 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Luke Cage, Power Man'' #18 (June, 1974) |
| 361 | |
| 362 | A drug kingpin who had the shipment of heroin stolen from him. This resulted in the framing of Luke Cage. |
| 363 | ---- |
| 364 | * BadassDecay: While he is still a good crime boss, his strength has been downplayed heavily. |
| 365 | * OneSteveLimit: He has the same codename as the member of the Serpent Society Burchell Clemens, although Clemens has indeed fought Luke Cage. |
| 366 | * ScaryTeeth: Sharp teeth like those of a reptile. |
| 367 | [[/folder]] |
| 368 | |
| 369 | [[folder:Diamondback]] |
| 370 | !!Diamondback |
| 371 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/195635_145068_diamondback.jpg]] |
| 372 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Willis Stryker |
| 373 | !!! '''Notable Aliases:''' Stryker, Mr. Sky |
| 374 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #1 (June, 1972) |
| 375 | |
| 376 | 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. |
| 377 | ---- |
| 378 | * BackFromTheDead: He was revived in the ''All-New Guardians of the Galaxy: Free Comic Book Day'' special in July of 2017. |
| 379 | * CameBackStrong: 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. |
| 380 | * EvilIsPetty: Set Luke Cage up just to steal a girl they were both interested in. |
| 381 | * HoistByTheirOwnPetard: 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. |
| 382 | * OneSteveLimit: 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. |
| 383 | * StarterVillain: Luke's first enemy as a superhero (for hire), who died in their first fight. |
| 384 | * TookALevelInBadass: He is much more of a threat in ''The Defenders'' than he ever was before. |
| 385 | * WeUsedToBeFriends: He and Luke were friends growing up, even running in the same gang, until Luke went straight. Willis did not. |
| 386 | [[/folder]] |
| 387 | |
| 388 | [[folder:El Aguila]] |
| 389 | !!El Aguila |
| 390 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1733164_el_aguila.jpg]] |
| 391 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Alejandro Montoya |
| 392 | !!! '''Notable Aliases:''' The Eagle |
| 393 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Power Man and Iron Fist'' #58 (August, 1979) |
| 394 | |
| 395 | A modern day Robin Hood, Alejandro Montoya has the power to shoot bursts of electricity through metal conductors. |
| 396 | ---- |
| 397 | * GratuitousSpanish: El Águila means The Eagle in Spanish. |
| 398 | * JustLikeRobinHood: More like Just Like Zorro. |
| 399 | * LegacyCharacter: Montoya is merely the latest in a long line of El Águila's dating back to the 19th century. |
| 400 | * {{Mutant}}: Stands out from other Luke Cage's rogues by being a mutant, rather than a BadassNormal, 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. |
| 401 | * ShockAndAwe: He's a mutant capable of shooting electricity using metal conductors, hence the sword. |
| 402 | [[/folder]] |
| 403 | |
| 404 | [[folder:Gideon Mace]] |
| 405 | !!Gideon Mace |
| 406 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/147239_75376_gideon_mace.jpg]] |
| 407 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Gideon Mace |
| 408 | !!! '''Notable Aliases:''' A01372712 |
| 409 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Luke Cage, Hero For Hire'' #3 (October, 1972) |
| 410 | |
| 411 | 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. |
| 412 | ---- |
| 413 | * AssholeVictim: He's eventually brutally murdered by an EldritchAbomination 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. |
| 414 | * ItsPersonal: With Hector and later Ava Alaya, the White Tiger, having killed their family. |
| 415 | * PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: As your stereotypical right-wing militia nut. |
| 416 | * RoguesGalleryTransplant: He's tussled with Spider-Man, but his biggest nemeses, as noted, is probably the White Tigers, for the things he did to them. |
| 417 | * WouldHurtAChild: Mace, or one of his men, shot a young Ava |
| 418 | [[/folder]] |
| 419 | |
| 420 | [[folder:Lionfang]] |
| 421 | !!Lionfang |
| 422 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alejandro_cortez_earth_616_from_new_avengers_luke_cage_vol_1_2_0001.jpg]] |
| 423 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Alejandro Cortez |
| 424 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Hero for Hire'' #13 (September, 1973) |
| 425 | |
| 426 | 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. |
| 427 | ---- |
| 428 | * TheBeastmaster: Can control wild cats with his helmet. |
| 429 | * NotQuiteDead: Surviving an assassination attempt by the Scourge is remarkable for a C-list character. |
| 430 | * RetiredBadass: 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. |
| 431 | * UnexpectedCharacter: He showed up for the first time in decades back in 2010. |
| 432 | [[/folder]] |
| 433 | |
| 434 | [[folder:Mangler]] |
| 435 | !!Mangler |
| 436 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shadrick_daniels_earth_616_from_power_man_vol_1_34_001.jpg]] |
| 437 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Shadrick Daniels |
| 438 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Power Man'' #34 (August, 1976) |
| 439 | |
| 440 | 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. |
| 441 | ---- |
| 442 | * ForceAndFinesse: The Force to Spear's finesse, being a wrestler while his brother uses spears. |
| 443 | * SiblingTeam: With his brother Spear. |
| 444 | [[/folder]] |
| 445 | |
| 446 | [[folder:Mister Fish]] |
| 447 | !!Mister Fish I |
| 448 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1414445_mister_fish.jpg]] |
| 449 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Mortimer George Norris |
| 450 | !!! '''Notable Aliases:''' Mort |
| 451 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Luke Cage, Power Man'' #29 (April, 1975) |
| 452 | |
| 453 | 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. |
| 454 | ---- |
| 455 | * FishPeople: Mutated into a fish-man. |
| 456 | * GreenAndMean: He and his brother have green skin and are criminals. |
| 457 | |
| 458 | !!Mister Fish II |
| 459 | [[quoteright:228:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/william_norris_earth_616_from_shadowland_power_man_vol_1_2.jpg]] |
| 460 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' William "Bill" Norris |
| 461 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Daughters of the Dragon'' #4 (June, 2006) |
| 462 | |
| 463 | Bill Norris ended up with the same mutation and became his successor to his brother Mortimer Norris. |
| 464 | ---- |
| 465 | * JokeCharacter: He's never been treated that seriously as a threat, even back when he was first created. |
| 466 | * LegacyCharacter: The Norris Brothers (Mortimer and Bill) share the identity of Mister Fish. |
| 467 | * SecondaryColorNemesis: Green skin and wears a reddish-orange suit. |
| 468 | [[/folder]] |
| 469 | |
| 470 | [[folder:Nightshade]] |
| 471 | !!Nightshade |
| 472 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tilda_johnson_earth_616_from_occupy_avengers_vol_1_4_001.jpg]] |
| 473 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Tilda Johnson |
| 474 | !!! '''Notable Aliases:''' Deadly Nightshade, Doctor Nightshade, Nighthawk |
| 475 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Captain America'' #164 (August, 1973) |
| 476 | |
| 477 | 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. |
| 478 | ---- |
| 479 | * AffirmativeActionLegacy: During ''Secret Empire'', she becomes the new Nighthawk. |
| 480 | * AfroAsskicker: Used to have a prominent afro before cutting it to her current short hairstyle. |
| 481 | * DarkIsNotEvil: Her Nighthawk appearance is quite intimidating, but she fought against HYDRA during ''Secret Empire''. |
| 482 | * TheDragon: Was Superia's second-in-command while at the Femizons. She also worked for Dredmund Druid in his plan to become a wolf-god. |
| 483 | * HeelFaceTurn: 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. |
| 484 | * KarmicTransformation: 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. |
| 485 | * MadScientist: She's brilliant, but often completely off her trolley. Such as turning people into werewolves... yeah... |
| 486 | * TheManBehindTheMan: 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.) |
| 487 | * MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate: 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. |
| 488 | * OddFriendship: During Christopher Priest's run of ''Black Panther'', she befriends a future version of T'Challa (who is losing his mind). |
| 489 | * OmnidisciplinaryScientist: 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. |
| 490 | * RoguesGalleryTransplant: 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. |
| 491 | * ScaryBlackWoman: Not as intimidating as Nightshade, but certainly scary as the new Nighthawk. |
| 492 | * SpikesOfVillainy: Her 90s outfit includes a spikey collar. |
| 493 | * {{Stripperiffic}}: Back when she was only Nightshade her outfit was very revealing. Basically, a bra and panties. |
| 494 | * TakeUpMySword: Took the Nighthawk moniker after the death of Kyle Richmond. |
| 495 | * TeenGenius: She learned everything from hard study in her childhood. |
| 496 | * UndyingLoyalty: To Superia, in the 90s. This has fallen by the wayside. |
| 497 | * VillainExitStageLeft: |
| 498 | ** Well, wouldn't ''you'' run from the Hulk if he'd just found out you'd lied to him? |
| 499 | ** 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. |
| 500 | [[/folder]] |
| 501 | |
| 502 | [[folder:Pirahna Jones]] |
| 503 | !!Pirahna Jones |
| 504 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/raymond_jones_earth_616_from_power_man_vol_1_30_001.jpg]] |
| 505 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Raymond Jones |
| 506 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Power Man'' #30 (April, 1976) |
| 507 | |
| 508 | Crime boss and enemy of Luke Cage. |
| 509 | ---- |
| 510 | * ScaryTeeth: Like Cottonmouth his teeth are sharpened like his namesake. |
| 511 | [[/folder]] |
| 512 | |
| 513 | [[folder:Professor Soos]] |
| 514 | !!Professor Soos |
| 515 | [[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/professor_soos_earth_616_from_cage_vol_1_4.jpg]] |
| 516 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Cage'' #1 (November, 2016) |
| 517 | |
| 518 | An insane academic who seeks battling superheroes to prove he is the best fighter. |
| 519 | ---- |
| 520 | * ArrogantKungFuGuy |
| 521 | * TheBeastmaster: Controls an army of engineered TalkingAnimals. |
| 522 | * EvilOldFolks: He has an elderly appearance. |
| 523 | * TheMostDangerousGame: He captures superheroes and brings them to his private island to fight them. |
| 524 | * RhymesOnADime: He always rhymes his speech. |
| 525 | * ShoutOut: He is a cross between MadScientist Dr Moreau, animal hunter Zaroff and children's author Dr Seuss. |
| 526 | * ThatCameOutWrong: 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 WorthyOpponent. |
| 527 | [[/folder]] |
| 528 | |
| 529 | [[folder:Señor Muerte]] |
| 530 | !!Señor Muerte |
| 531 | [[quoteright:228:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/phillip_garcia_earth_616.jpg]] |
| 532 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Phillip Garcia |
| 533 | %%!!! '''Notable Aliases:''' |
| 534 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Captain America'' #224 (August, 1978) |
| 535 | |
| 536 | 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. |
| 537 | ---- |
| 538 | * LegacyCharacter: Took the Señor Muerte codename after the death of his brother Ramón. |
| 539 | [[/folder]] |
| 540 | |
| 541 | [[folder:Señor Suerte]] |
| 542 | !!Señor Suerte I |
| 543 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ramon_garcia_earth_616_from_spider_woman_vol_5_6_001.png]] |
| 544 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Ramon Garcia |
| 545 | !!! '''Notable Aliases:''' Señor Muerte |
| 546 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Hero For Hire'' #10 (June, 1973) |
| 547 | |
| 548 | 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. |
| 549 | ---- |
| 550 | * UnexplainedRecovery: After being dead since ''1973'', he somehow reappeared alive during ''Spider-Woman'' Vol 5 #5 in 2015. |
| 551 | |
| 552 | !!Señor Suerte II |
| 553 | [[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jaime_garcia_earth_616.jpg]] |
| 554 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Jaime Garcia |
| 555 | %%!!! '''Notable Aliases:''' |
| 556 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Power Man/Iron Fist'' #56 (April, 1979) |
| 557 | |
| 558 | 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. |
| 559 | ---- |
| 560 | * LegacyCharacter: His brother Phillip took the Señor Muerte moniker, while he used his brother Ramón's original codename of Señor Suerte. |
| 561 | [[/folder]] |
| 562 | |
| 563 | [[folder:Shades]] |
| 564 | !!Shades |
| 565 | [[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/415955_shades_4_5.jpg]] |
| 566 | !!!'''Alter Ego:''' Herman Alvarez |
| 567 | !!!'''First Appearance:''' ''Luke Cage: Hero for Hire'' #1 (June, 1972) |
| 568 | |
| 569 | A former member of the Rivals gang, later given a superpowered visor by Ward Meachum. The father of Victor Alvarez, the third Power Man. |
| 570 | ---- |
| 571 | * BrainsAndBrawn: The Brains to Comanche's Brawn. |
| 572 | * CoolShades: Even without his visor, he wears shades, hence the codename. |
| 573 | * EyeBeams: Ward Meachum equipped Shades with a visor that emitted powerful blasts created at Rand-Meachum Inc. |
| 574 | * HeelFaceDoorSlam: 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. |
| 575 | * LikeFatherUnlikeSon: He's a criminal while his son Victor is a hero. |
| 576 | * ThoseTwoGuys: He's been tied to Comanche for decades. |
| 577 | * WeUsedToBeFriends: 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. |
| 578 | [[/folder]] |
| 579 | |
| 580 | [[folder:Spear]] |
| 581 | !!Spear |
| 582 | [[quoteright:207:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1414448_spear.jpg]] |
| 583 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Jasper Daniels |
| 584 | %%!!! '''Notable Aliases:''' |
| 585 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Power Man'' #28 (February, 1976) |
| 586 | |
| 587 | Luke Cage villain armed with a spear gun. |
| 588 | ---- |
| 589 | * CoolMask: Which has the shape of a cross. |
| 590 | * ForceAndFinesse: He's the finesse of Shadrick's Force, using a spear gun while his brother fights with his fists. |
| 591 | * PurpleIsPowerful: His costumes tend to be purple. |
| 592 | * SiblingTeam: With his brother Mangler. |
| 593 | [[/folder]] |
| 594 | |
| 595 | [[folder:Steeplejack]] |
| 596 | !!Steeplejack |
| 597 | [[quoteright:259:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/688083_anim009.jpg]] |
| 598 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Jake Mallard |
| 599 | %%!!! '''Notable Aliases:''' |
| 600 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Luke Cage, Power Man'' #18 (April, 1974) |
| 601 | |
| 602 | Three men have taken the identity of Steeplejack with the first two having battled Power Man and Ms. Marvel on separate occasions. |
| 603 | ---- |
| 604 | * LegacyCharacter: 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. |
| 605 | * SecondaryColorNemesis: The Steeplejack costume is green. |
| 606 | * VillainHasAPoint: 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. |
| 607 | [[/folder]] |
| 608 | |
| 609 | [[folder:White Jennie]] |
| 610 | !!White Jennie |
| 611 | [[quoteright:169:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/5160345_jeny.jpg]] |
| 612 | !!! '''Alter Ego:''' Jennifer Royce |
| 613 | !!! '''Notable Aliases:''' Jennie Royce |
| 614 | !!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Power Man and Iron Fist'' #56 (April, 1979) |
| 615 | |
| 616 | An employee of the Heroes for Hire team when Luke Cage and Iron Fist just started their business. |
| 617 | ---- |
| 618 | * FaceHeelTurn: 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. |
| 619 | [[/folder]] |
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