Luke Cage
Carl Lucas grew up in the streets of Harlem and worked closely with his friend and street partner Willis Stryker. Stryker however, ended up framing Lucas, planting drugs on him after an argument over a woman. The woman, Reva Connors was killed shortly after the ordeal during a mob hit that was intended for Stryker. Lucas, learning of Connors’ death and being sentenced to prison, becomes enraged and gathers notorious fame for his violent tendencies in prison. As a result he was sent to a higher security prison, where experimental procedures were offered in exchange to reduce prisoners’ sentences. Lucas was intended to be given immunity to all illness, but security guards who had felt Lucas’s wrath beforehand decided to intervene with the experiment, inadvertently causing Lucas to gain superhuman strength and steel-hard skin. Lucas broke out of prison and adopted the name Luke Cage. Deciding to use his new found power for mercenary work, he sets up Heroes for Hire, an agency where, as the name implies, one can hire a superhero.
Luke Cage (otherwise known as Power Man) was one of the first African American superheroes to star in his own ongoing comic book series. Originally the series had debuted as Luke Cage, Hero For Hire, but later renamed Power Man. Cage has featured in many publications to date including Alias, Secret War, The Pulse, Daredevil, The New Avengers and having his own joint comic; Power Man And Iron Fist.
The evolution of Luke Cage is fairly intricate and forever flowing. In the early days of Power Man his reeking confidence was established, and displays itself in a constant thread no matter what the publication. His strength and downright “badassery” is undeniable. But it is rather his experiences which take to the tone of the character, bending it and causing themes to transmute. Luke Cage has come a long way from his days embodying a vintage street hustler; he has had several relationships, a marriage, and a child. Whether or not Netflix choose to depict Luke Cage as Power Man or to explore his relationship with Jessica Jones, or both, they have a character of varied potential on their hands.
