Iron Fist (2022), subtitled "The Shattered Sword" for collected editions, is a five-issue limited series from Marvel Comics, written by Alyssa Wong with art by Michael Yg and color by Jay David Ramos.
Iron Fist is the mystical champion of K'un Lun, a martial artist empowered by the city’s immortal dragon Shou-Lao. Until recently, the role was held by Danny Rand, but he gave it up to save the world.
Now there’s a new Iron Fist on the streets of New York, and Danny has no idea who he is. But whoever they are, and however they gained the powers, they seem to be hunting demons...
The first issue was released on February 16, 2022 and the last issue (#5) was released on 31 August 2022. The final issue doesn't fully resolve the plot arc, though, which continues in a Crossover Finale, a one-shot Iron Fist tie-in for Judgment Day (Marvel Comics).
This series contains examples of:
- Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: The new Iron Fist initially seems far more prideful and abrasive than Danny Rand or their predecessors despite clearly having problems controlling his abilities. He's also stubbornly resistant to the idea of asking for help and violently rejects Danny's repeated offers to assist him. Subverted when he becomes the narrator - as his first comment is about how he’s completely out of his depth. And by the final issue, Lie finally accepts Danny's offer to show him the ropes.
- The Bad Guy Wins: The series ends with Lin Feng succeeding in conquering K'un Lun after manipulating his brother Lie into providing a portal to the mystical city for him to jump through while leaving Lie and his allies stranded on Earth. When Loki shows up to congratulate Feng on his victory, Feng has already massacred the remaining inhabitants of the city and is burning the entire place to the ground in order to uncover Chiyou's tomb.
- Brought Down to Badass: Danny’s lost the Iron Fist powers, but he’s still an extremely competent martial artist.
- Canon Character All Along: The new Iron Fist is Lin Lie, better known as Sword Master, last seen losing his sword in The Death of Doctor Strange event.
- Narrator: Danny plays this role for the start of the first issue, covering his background and his first clash with the mysterious new Iron Fist. At which point the narration immediately flips to show how Lin Lie became the new Iron Fist, and how he feels out of his depth.
- Covers Always Lie: The cover of the fifth and final issue shows Lin Lie, Mei Min, and Yang Yi all together, preparing to throw down with Loki, accompanied by the subtitle: "Iron Fist must fight for the fate of K'un Lun! And in his way stands...Loki?!". In truth, Lie and his friends don't fight or let alone meet Loki in this issue, as the Trickster God only shows up to talk with Lin Feng for final two pages as a glorified cameo.
- Gotta Catch Them All: In order to defeat and reseal Chiyou the Dark Destroyer, Lin Lie must collect all of the shards of the now destroyed Sword of Fu Xi before the demons Chiyou beat him to the punch.
- Let's You and Him Fight: Even though they were forced into an impromptu team-up to beat down some rampaging demons, the new Iron Fist gets into an immediate physical confrontation with his predecessor Danny Rand over the latter's persistent effort to learn more about him.
- The Poorly Chosen One: Unlike previous Iron Fists, who had to earn the right to wield the chi of Shao-Lao the Undying, the injured Lin Lie was practically chosen out of the blue by Shao-Lao to become Iron Fist via Divine Intervention. As a result, he has no proper qualifications and initially lacks both the knowledge and discipline to use the Fist to its fullest potential. To make matters worse, the sword shards embedded in Lin's arms cause him agony and interfere with the flow of his chi, making Lin an even bigger Sketchy Successor to Danny. By the end of the series, Lin Lie works to rectify this by studying under Sparrow Yu-Ti and Danny Rand to try and reach his full potential.
- Sticky Fingers: Danny is good enough to secretly steal a magical stone fragment from Lin Lie mid-brawl in the first issue. And once he has, Lin Lie is good enough to immediately steal it back again.
- Wolverine Claws: Lin Lie gains these as an 11th-Hour Superpower by magically reforming the sword shards in his arms into a Blade Below the Shoulder.
