Iron Fist
Daniel Rand is the son of businessman Wendell Rand. When Daniel was nine years old, his family, along with Wendell’s business partner Harold Meachum, went on a mountaineering expedition in search of the mystical city of K’un L’un. Wendell had discovered K’un L’un as a boy, and wished to revisit the fabled city which is said to materialize itself in the Himalayas once every decade. Unfortunately a storm arose during the expedition causing Daniel and his mother to fall from a cliff. Despite landing safely on a ledge, they were separated from Wendell, who dangled helplessly from the cliff. Meachum, seeing this as an opportunity to seize Wendell’s business, refused to help Wendell, letting him to fall to his death Scar-style instead. Proclaiming his love Daniel’s mother, he offered to assist the two but they hastily refused choosing to venture into the storm to find escape. The two, becoming lost in the storm, attracted the attention of a pack of wolves. Daniel’s mother opted to sacrifice herself in hopes that Daniel could escape, dying in the process. After what seems to be only a journey filled with despair, Daniel eventually is found by the citizens of K’un L’un and is taken into their hospitality. Daniel trains in K’un L’un for ten years, practicing their native martial arts. Daniel then leaves K’un L’un to exact revenge on Meachum.
Daniel “Danny” Rand is Iron Fist; one of the more prominent characters to arrive during a pop culture trend in the 1970’s martial art based heroes. Iron Fist quickly became a fan favourite, establishing his name in a solo comic self titled “Iron Fist” almost immediately after debuting in Marvel Premiere #15-25 and returning as a feature character within Marvel in many publications to date.
Iron Fist is unconventional in the sense that he did not gain his superhuman attributes innately or through sporadic circumstance. Instead, he had to train himself in the teachings of K’un L’un for many years. Iron Fist utilises and displays a distinctive blend of character; he carries classic martial art ethos portraying an honourable and natured attitude, yet is most unfamiliar with contemporary society as a result of spending his younger years in the other worldly city of K’un-L’un. Despite his heightened mental and spiritual state, this contrast in persona fluctuates in Iron Fist’s personality, and he often questions his adequacy as a hero.
Iron Fist harbours disparate themes and qualities, and Netflix could take him in a number of directions. Most of Iron Fist’s doubts are interestingly not met with angst or depression, but due to his zen like mentality he rather views them as philosophical indifferences. However it will be interesting to see how Netflix injects its gritty reputation into Iron Fist’s chi. His extensive back story will be well suited for television, and with the right choreographic input the Young Dragon’s live action debut could easily be a success.
