Today we share with you the very first issue of Hero For Hire featuring the origin of Power Man. We always liked that Power Man mostly went by his real name of Luke Cage. If we were invincible and could smash walls with our fists, we’re pretty sure we’d just use our real name, too.

Luke has been alternately lauded as a positive step in multi-racial integration of super-heroes and lambasted as just an example of crass blaxploitation. In reality, he was probably a little of both. But, his character was solid, and he just gets better with age. We have some more recent Luke Cage goodies to share with you, including a slightly modified origin story where Cage ponders his incarceration in a stark contrast to his personal hero, the Black Panther, King of Wakanda.

Collector’s Guide:

– From Hero For Hire #1; Marvel Comics, 1972.

– Reprinted in Essential Luke Cage, Power Man TPB #1; 2005.

The series was later retitled “Power Man / Iron Fist.” Luke Cage and Danny Rand have been tight ever since.