Earth's Mightiest Annotations
by Sean McQuaid

AVENGERS (volume 3) # 16
May, 1999
"Mistaken Identity"
By Jerry Ordway
with Al Gordon (inker), Tom Smith (colors), Richard Starkings & Comicraft
(letters), Tom Brevoort (editor) & Bob Harras (editor-in-chief).

Avengers Assembled:
Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Vision [II], Firestar &
Justice (as active members); Wasp (as reserve member); Black Knight [III] &
Photon (as inactive members); and Wonder Man & Carol Danvers (as former
members). In addition, Hercules and Spider-Man appear in flashbacks to
Photon's superheroic career, Hercules appears in a portrait in Avengers
Mansion, and She-Hulk appears in a flashback to the Black Knight's Heroes
for Hire membership.

Other Characters:
The Wrecking Crew (Bulldozer [II], Piledriver [II], Thunderball & Wrecker),
Doomsday Man [II], Frank Rambeau, Edwin Jarvis and the citizens of New
Orleans. In addition, the Lady of the Lake, Ant-Man [II], Iron Fist, Luke
Cage & Strider appear in a flashback to the Black Knight's Heroes for Hire
membership.


EXTERIOR COVER
This issue was printed with two different Ordway covers. One cover depicts
Thor, Iron Man & Photon in battle with the Wrecking Crew. The other cover,
drawn by Ordway and finished by Perez, features most of the Avengers seen
in this issue charging into action: Firestar, Justice, Thor, Photon,
Vision, Iron Man, Black Knight, Captain America & Scarlet Witch.


PAGES ONE through THREE
The Wrecking Crew's mystery benefactor is identified next issue. For more
information on the Wrecking Crew, see last issue's annotations.


PAGES FOUR & FIVE
PHOTON (Monica Rambeau) is a superhuman adventurer who can convert her body
into any form of energy within the electromagnetic spectrum, an ability she
gained in a freak accident while battling a criminal scientist as an
officer of the New Orleans Harbour Patrol. Dubbed Captain Marvel by the
media, Rambeau began experimenting with her powers and encountered
Spider-Man, who introduced her to the Avengers for further training (all
this in her first appearance, Amazing Spider-Man Annual # 16). As Captain
Marvel, Rambeau joined the Avengers in Avengers [v1] # 227, serving a
lengthy membership stint during which she eventually became the team's
chairman (in Avengers [v1] # 279). She was forced by injuries to leave the
active roster in Avengers [v1] # 294, but became one of the team's more
reliable reservists after recovering, assuming leadership roles on two
occasions. She last worked with the Avengers in Avengers [v3] # 1-3, when
she aided the team against Morgan Le Fay. She is currently among the team's
inactive membership.
Originally known as Captain Marvel (the second Avenger by that alias),
Photon was known by that name for most of her Avengers career; however, she
recently changed her alias to Photon in Avengers Unplugged # 5, conceding
the Captain Marvel title to Genis, the son of the original Captain Marvel,
out of respect for her predecessor.
Monica has declined active membership of late to concentrate on a charter
fishing business she established with her father, mentioned in Avengers
[v3] # 1 & 4. The name of their boat ("Jolly Roger") is presumably a
reference to longtime Avengers writer and Monica Rambeau co-creator Roger
Stern.
Monica's memory images include a flashback to the events of Amazing
Spider-Man Annual # 16 and a group shot of the Avengers circa Monica's
initial membership: Wasp, Black Knight (wearing his traditional costume and
wielding his ebony blade), Hercules (wearing the harness-and-trunks outfit
he adopted in Avengers [v1] # 256), Monica and Captain America (with his
traditional shield).


PAGE SIX
Wonder Man appeared on the television show Late Night with David Letterman
(along with Hawkeye, Black Panther, Black Widow & Beast) in Avengers [v1] #
239.


PAGE SEVEN
Hercules can be seen in a wall portrait; he is wearing his original
costume, which also happens to be his current costume. Another wall
portrait features the Scarlet Witch.

Hercules and the Black Knight served together for two ongoing active
membership stints circa Avengers [v1] # 254-285 & 336-375.


PAGE EIGHT
The third BLACK KNIGHT (Dane Whitman) first appeared in Avengers [v1] #
47-48, and became a recurring ally to the group thereafter. He was awarded
official Avengers membership in Avengers [v1] # 71. He has been an inactive
or reserve member for most of the years since then, though he has served
two significant active membership stints with the group (Avengers [v1] #
255-297 & Avengers [v1] # 336-375), serving as the team's de facto field
leader under chairwoman Black Widow during his second stint. He last worked
with the Avengers in Avengers [v3] # 1-4, when he aided the team against
Morgan Le Fay.

A little more Knightly info...

*********

BLACK KNIGHT (Dane Whitman)

Occupation: Adventurer and scientist, former crusader

Known Relatives: Nathan Garrett (late uncle); Sir Percy of Scandia, Lady
Rosamund & Eobar Garrington (ancestors)

Known Confidants: Doctor Strange, Wasp, Hercules, Crystal, Victoria Bentley
(deceased), Sean Dolan (estranged), Catherwood

Known Allies: Avengers, Defenders, Ultraforce, Heroes for Hire, Knights of
Wundagore, Doctor Strange, Captain Britain

Major Enemies: Mordred the Evil, Morgan Le Fay, Dreadknight, Masters of
Evil, Proctor, The Gatherers, The Kree, The Master of the World

Usual Base of Operations: Wundagore Mountain

Group Affiliation: Current leader of the Knights of Wundagore and inactive
Avengers member, former member of Ultraforce and Heroes for Hire

Education: Master's degree in physics, working on doctorate

History:
A descendant of the medieval heroic Black Knight (Sir Percy of Scandia) and
nephew of the modern-day criminal Black Knight (Nathan Garrett), scientist
Dane Whitman inherited the paraphernalia of both men and used it to become
a modern-day, heroic Black Knight. As the Black Knight, he became a
frequent ally to his uncle's old foes, the Avengers. After rescuing the
team from Kang, Whitman was made a full member but opted for reserve status
since he resided in England at the time, having inherited his family's
ancestral castle, Garrett Catle.
Whitman later fell under the spell of the wicked Enchantress, who turned
him to stone after she no longer considered him useful. His spirit was
somehow cast back to the time of the Crusades, where he inhabited the body
of his ancestor, Eobar Garrington, the Twelfth Century Black Knight, and
fought on behalf of King Richard. When Garrington's body finally died in
battle years later, Dane's spirit returned to his present-day body, which
was restored to its normal state by the wizard Amergin.
Dane rejoined the Avengers as a full-time member, serving until a curse on
his ebony blade (which he'd inherited from Sir Percy) petrified him again.
He was restored to normal through the combined efforts of his friends
Victoria Bentley, the caretaker of Garrett Castle, who purchased the Castle
herself during Dane's years in the Crusades to prevent the British
government from seizing the property for failure to pay taxes; Sean Dolan,
a young Irish orphan to whom Dane became a guardian and mentor; and Doctor
Strange, an old
ally of Dane's who had used his sorcerous skills to purge a curse from the
ebony blade once before. Following his restoration to human form, Dane
rejoined the Avengers as a reservist. He soon took on full active
membership again, and abandoned his ebony blade since he felt it was too
dangerous to use. Sean Dolan was later possessed by the blade and
transformed into the demonic Bloodwraith, killing Victoria Bentley and
becoming one of the Black Knight's most bitter foes.
Dane has never had much luck with women; the Enchantress used him as a
pawn and threw him away when she was done; he had a longtime crush on
Avengers founder the Wasp, but she didn't share Dane's feelings; he shared
a mutual attraction with sometime Avengers foe and one-time honorary
Avengers member Yellowjacket (Rita DeMara), but she died before they ever
had a chance to seriously pursue it; Bentley, too, died before her own
potential romance with Dane ever had a chance to develop; and Dane's second
active membership stint with the Avengers was complicated by a love
triangle involving himself and two of his teammates, Crystal & Sersi. Dane
was in love with Crystal, the estranged wife of longtime Avengers member
Quicksilver, but was also strongly attracted to the mentally unstable
Sersi, who was madly in love with him. When Quicksilver returned to the
group and seemed prepared to reconcile with
Crystal, Dane unselfishly renounced his feelings for her and devoted
himself to Sersi, accompanying her in her exile to another dimension when
her mental instability made her too dangerous to remain on Earth.
During their adventures in other dimensions, Sersi regained her emotional
stability and Dane spent some time with a super-team called Ultraforce,
even becoming its leader. He and Sersi eventually decided to
return to their own Earth, though, and managed to do so after an accidental
side trip to the Crusades, during which Dane earned the friendship and
enmity of Bennet du Paris, a power-mad knight who survived into modern
times as the super-powerful mutant terrorist Exodus, leader of the Acolytes.
On returning to present-day Earth, Dane and Sersi split up. The Avengers
were temporarily disbanded at the time, so Dane found a new home and new
employment at Oracle Incorporated, joining the company's new super-team,
Heroes for Hire. At about the same time, Dane was contacted by the Lady of
the Lake, who informed him that he was fated to be the champion of Avalon,
the mystical Celtic realm Dane had been allied with during his time in the
Twelfth Century. The Lady of the Lake gave Dane a new magical winged steed
and mystical weapons to better battle evil in Avalon's name. Since then,
Dane has accepted a position as leader of the High Evolutionary's Knights
of Wundagore, a post which allows him to practice both his knightly skills
and his scientific pursuits since Wundagore Mountain houses some of the
most advanced technology on Earth. He also remains an inactive member of
the Avengers, whom he stands ready to aid should they need him.

Appearance:
Dane Whitman stands six feet high, weighs one hundred and ninety pounds,
and has brown eyes & brown hair.

Abilities:
The Black Knight has above normal intelligence and the physical abilities
of a trained athlete. He was extensively coached in hand-to-hand combat by
Captain America and is an extremely experienced, highly skilled swordsman.
He is also an expert handler of horses and is familiar with a wide array of
advanced technologies, including genetic engineering.

Accessories:
Dane Whitman wears a mystical pendant given to him by Avalon's Lady of the
Lake. When Dane touches the pendant and invokes the name of Avalon, he
conjures up his armor, his sword, his shield and a magical winged horse,
Strider. The armor and weapons are extremely lightweight but supernaturally
durable. His Shield of Night not only protects him from most attacks but
also absorbs the energy of the forces directed against it. He can then
release that stored energy in the form of power blasts from his blade, the
Sword of Light. His horse, Strider, can fly at great speeds and is even
capable of travel underwater. While riding Strider, Dane is magically able
to breathe regardless of his environment.
Dane's past weapons include the ebony blade, his power lance and his laser
sword. The ebony blade, created by the wizard Merlin, is an indestructible,
enchanted sword that can cut through any susbstance; it can also deflect,
disrupt or penetrate energy fields, including mystical forces. The ebony
blade was Dane's principal weapon for years, but he abandoned it since its
cursed nature posed a variety of mental and physical dangers to its
wielder. It has since been adopted by his former friend Sean Dolan, who has
become the murderous Bloodwraith under the blade's influence. Dane's

original weapon was his power lance, a device adapted from the designs of
his criminal uncle; it was a lance outfitted with a variety of hidden
weapons, including heat beams, force beam projectors, gas emitters and
bolas that could enwrap opponents. He has very seldom used the lance since
adopting his various swords. His laser sword, also known as his neural
sword or photonic sword, is a hand-held device that generates a "blade" of
light; this blade could be adjusted to various settings, including a
penetrating laser that could cut through almost anything, and an immaterial
energy column that could disrupt a victim's nervous system without doing
physical damage.
Before acquiring Strider, Dane rode Aragorn, Valinor and an atomic steed.
Aragorn is a horse whom Dane gave wings and the power of flight through
genetic engineering techniques created by Dane's late uncle, the
previous Black Knight. When Dane's first time trip to the era of the
Crusades separated him from Aragorn, the horse was adopted by another
adventurer, Brunnhilde the Valkyrie. Aragorn remains in Valkyrie's custody
to this day,
with Dane's blessing. During his time in the Twelfth Century, Dane adopted
a mystical winged horse named Valinor. Unfortunately, Valinor was stolen
away by Dane's former friend Sean Dolan, the Bloodwraith, and remains in
Dolan's custody. For a time, Dane used an atomic steed, one of the
mechanical flying vehicles manufactured and employed by the High
Evolutionary's Knights of Wundagore. He has since abandoned it, though, and
left it in storage at Avengers Mansion, where it was used by the second
Swordsman and has since been adopted by Hawkeye.

Bibliography:
Significant appearances of the third Black Knight include...

Avengers 47-48 (Dane's origin and first encounter with the Avengers)

Avengers 54-55 (Dane aids the Avengers against the Masters of Evil)

Marvel Super-Heroes 17 (Dane moves to England, inherits Garrett Castle and
the ebony blade, makes contact with the spirit of Sir Percy for the first
time, changes his costume and battles Le Sabre)

Avengers 60 (Dane attends wedding of Wasp & Yellowjacket)

Doctor Strange 178 (Dane's first alliance with Doctor Strange)

Avengers 61-62 (Dane aids Avengers against Surtur, Ymir & Man-Ape)

Avengers 70-71 (Dane rescues Avengers from Kang and joins their team)

Avengers 84-85 (Dane battles Arkon & Enchantress alongside Avengers)

Avengers 100 (Dane battles Ares & Enchantress alongside Avengers)

Defenders 4 (Dane enslaved and then petrified by Enchantress)

Defenders 8, 11 (Dane's spirit takes up residence in the Crusades)

Marvel Fanfare 52-54 (some of Dane's adventures during Crusades recounted)

Avengers 225-226 (Dane battles Fomor alongside Avengers, returns to 20th
century)

Dr. Strange [v2] 68-69 (Dane meets Victoria Bentley, Strange purges curse
from ebony blade)

Avengers 252-292/Avengers Annual 14-16/West Coast Avengers Annual 1-2/
X-Men vs Avengers 1-4/Avengers guest appearances in various other comics
(Dane rejoins Avengers, develops unrequited crush on the Wasp, battles
various menaces alongside the Avengers)

Solo Avengers 4 (Dane battles his own descendant, a future Black Knight)

Solo Avengers 12 (Dane has brief romance with Yellowjacket II)

Avengers 293-297/Thor 396-400/Avengers 300 (curse on ebony blade
reactivated, gradually affecting Dane's mind and body, eventually leaving
him petrified again)

Black Knight [v2] 1-4 (Dane restored to normal through efforts of Victoria
Bentley, Sean Dolan and Doctor Strange, defeating Morgan Le Fay, Mordred
the Evil and Dreadknight; Dolan becomes Dane's squire)

Marvel Super-Heroes [v3] 4 (Dane battles dragon)

Avengers Spotlight 39 (Dane resumes crimefighting career in new costume)

Marvel Comics Presents 73 (Dane appearance)

Avengers 329-330, 332-333, 336-339 (Dane rejoins Avengers as reservist)

Avengers 343-375 (Dane rejoins Avengers full-time, replaces ebony blade
with laser sword, develops harsher combat attitude, attempts to kill the
Supreme Intelligence, modifies his costuming, serves as Avengers field
leader, has brief affair with Crystal, starts romance with Sersi, first
encounters Exodus, battles his evil otherdimensional counterpart Proctor
and the Gatherers, joins Sersi in otherdimensional exile)

Ultraforce 8-10, Ultraforce/Avengers Prelude, Avengers/Ultraforce,
Ultraforce/Avengers, Ultraforce v2 [1-12] (Black Knight and Sersi land in
the Ultraverse, where Black Knight becomes leader of the super-team
Ultraforce)

Ultraverse Unlimited 2 (Dane & Sersi set out for their own Earth)

Black Knight: Exodus (Dane & Sersi briefly stranded in Crusades, where Dane
becomes a friend and then an enemy of Bennet du Paris, later known as Exodus)

Heroes for Hire 2-8 (Dane becomes the champion of Avalon and receives new
armor, horse & weapons; Dane joins Heroes for Hire and battles various foes
alongside them; Dane is estranged from Sersi and decides to try to win back
Crystal)

Avengers [v3] 1-3 (Dane battles Morgan Le Fay & Mordred alongside Avengers)

Heroes for Hire 12-13 (Dane continues to serve with Heroes for Hire)

Avengers [v3] 4 (Dane declines active Avengers membership)

Quicksilver 7 (Dane fights Quicksilver for Crystal and she rejects them both)

Heroes For Hire 13 & up (Dane continues to serve with Heroes for Hire until
he is offered a position as leader of the Knights of Wundagore and accepts)

*********

Dane's tale is accompanied by two flashback images: the Lady of the Lake
appointing him as the new incarnation of King Arthur and endowing him with
the mystical power of Avalon (Heroes for Hire # 2); and Black Knight as a
member of the Heroes for Hire, surrounded by the faces of fellow members
Ant-Man [II], She-Hulk, Iron Fist & Luke Cage.

ANT-MAN was the first costumed identity assumed by Avengers founder Henry
Pym, though he later abandoned that guise to take on other costumed
identities. The second and current Ant-Man is electronics expert Scott
Edward Harris Lang, an ex-con and single father who was hired by Stark
International after getting out of prison. On Stark's behalf, Lang did some
electrical work at Avengers Mansion. Later, Lang stole Hank Pym's Ant-Man
costuming and equipment and used it to rescue Doctor Erica Sondheim (who
had been abducted by Darren Cross and imprisoned at Cross Technological
Enterprises) because only Sondheim had the skills necessary to save Lang's
daughter, Cassie, from a fatal heart condition. Cassie was cured, and Hank
Pym--who had observed Lang's activities as Ant-Man--offered to let Lang
keep the Ant-Man equipment as long as he put it to lawful use. Lang agreed,
and has since acted as a part-time superhero while raising his daughter.
His friendships with Pym and sometime employer Tony Stark (Iron Man) have
led to Lang becoming a close recurring ally of the Avengers, but he has
never accepted full membership in their group. He did, however, serve as a
substitute member of the Fantastic Four for a time; and more recently, Lang
accepted a position with the corporate super-team Heroes for Hire and
served with that group until it was purchased by the Stark-Fujikawa
company, which fired Lang due to his prison record.
As Ant-Man, Lang can reduce his bodily size using cannisters of Hank Pym's
shrinking gas, and can return to normal size using Hank Pym's enlarging
gas. He can also shrink and grow other people and objects using the gas,
though this can prove dangerous. He usually shrinks to a size roughly
comparable to that of an ant, at which size he actually has physical
strength equal to or greater than that of a full-size man. If necesary,
Lang can shrink to smaller sizes, and can even achieve submicroscopic
stature. His cybernetic helmet enables him to telepathically communicate
with and control ants. The helmet is also equipped with sound amplification
devices allowing Ant-Man to converse with normal-sized humans, a
retractable plexiglass face shield and a limited air supply. More recently,
Lang has also equipped his outfit with the disruptor stings formerly housed
in Hank Pym's Yellowjacket costuming, enabling him to stun opponents.
Scott Lang first appeared in Avengers [v1] # 181. He became the new
Ant-Man in Marvel Premiere # 47. His Avengers appearances include...

Avengers [v1] # 181
(as Scott Lang, did electrical work at Avengers Mansion)

Avengers [v1] # 195-197
(as Ant-Man, battled Taskmaster longside Yellowjacket [Hank Pym], Wasp and
Avengers)

Avengers [v1] # 222-224
(as Scott Lang, asked Tony Stark how Hank Pym was doing after Pym was
jailed on charges of treason; became concerned for Pym's welfare; as
Ant-Man, defeated Taskmaster alongside Hawkeye and shut down Taskmaster's
Carson Carnival operation; as Ant-Man, visited Hank Pym in prison and
offered to help him escape and clear his name, but Pym refused the offer
since he wanted to prove his innocence legally)

Avengers [v1] # 229
(as Scott Lang, delivered cerebral scanner helmet to Avengers Mansion)

Avengers [v1] # 275-277
(as Ant-Man, protected comatose Hercules from attacks by Aborbing Man and
Titania [II] alongside Wasp; with Wasp, defeated Absorbing Man and Titania
[II]; alongside Avengers, liberated Avengers Mansion from the control of
Baron Helmut Zemo's Masters of Evil)

Avengers 1999
(offered Avengers membership by Black Widow in the wake of the Onslaught
disaster but declined)


SHE-HULK (Jennifer Walters) is the cousin and close friend of the Hulk, and
gained superhuman strength and durability similar to his after he was
forced to give her an emergency blood transfusion. She joined the Avengers
during a membership drive in Avengers (v1) # 221 and went on to serve
several stints with the group before drifting away from the team for
reasons never fully explained. She has also served as a replacement member
of the Fantastic Four in the past. More recently, she worked for the
corporate super-team Heroes For Hire until she and all the other members
resigned after their group was purchased by the unscrupulous Stark-Fujikawa
corporation. She-Hulk is currently an inactive member of the Avengers, and
last worked with the team in Avengers [v3] # 1-4, when she aided the group
against Morgan Le Fay.


IRON FIST (Daniel Thomas Rand) is a master martial artist and wealthy
costumed adventurer who derives his powers and fighting skills from his
training in the mystical, otherdimensional kingdom of K'un-L'un. Daniel's
father grew up there as Wendell Rand-K'ai, one of two sons of Lord Tuan,
who ruled K'un-L'un as the August Personage in Jade. Wendell's brother,
Yu-Ti, coveted both their father's throne and Wendell's lover, Shakirah
(who bore Wendell's daughter, Miranda). Driven from K'un-L'un by Yu-Ti,
Wendell found refuge on the Earthly plane and started a new life for
himself as Wendell Rand, becoming a successful businessman. He married a
woman named Heather, and they had a son, Daniel. Wendell tried to find a
way back to K'un-L'un, but the nexus through which he came to Earth opened
only once every ten years. When Daniel was nine, Wendell set out to reach
the nexus in Tibet, accompanied by his wife, his son, and his business
partner, Harold Meachum. During their expedition, the Rands accidentally
fell from an ice shelf; Heather and Daniel landed safely on a ledge, but
Wendell dangled from the shelf until Meachum forced him off it, hoping to
take over the entire Rand-Meachum empire. After Wendell fell to his death,
Heather and Daniel spurned Meachum's offer of aid and continued on their
own. Shortly thereafter, Heather sacrificed her life to save Daniel from a
pack of wolves. Orphaned and alone, Daniel was finally found by citizens of
K'un-L'un and taken to their hidden city.
During Wendell's absence, Tuan had died and Yu-Ti had succeeded him as the
August Personage in Jade. Though Yu-Ti had secretly engineered the deaths
of Wendell and Heather, he decided to allow Daniel to live and train with
his father's people, apprenticing Daniel to martial arts master Lei Kung,
the Thunderer. For years, Daniel practiced under Kung in a series of
rigorous, bizarre and sometimes dangerous training exercises and trials by
combat. Finally, at the age of nineteen, Daniel was given the chance to
seek the power of the Iron Fist by battling the immortal dragon Shou-Lao
the Undying, whose molten heart had been removed by mystical means and was
contained in a brazier watched over by the dragon. Branded with the
dragon's mark during their battle, Daniel prevailed regardless and killed
Shou-Lao. Victorious, he plunged his hands into the dragon's heart,
absorbing its mystical power into himself. This victory earned Daniel the
title of Iron Fist since he could now mystically channel superhuman force
into his hands at will, augmenting their durability and striking power.
When the nexus to Earth reappeared, Iron Fist returned to the world of his
birth in search of revenge on Meachum, but abandoned this quest after
discovering that Meachum's Tibetan misadventures had left him a feeble
cripple. During his quest for Meachum, Iron Fist became active as a
costumed crimefighter on Earth and continued to battle evil after Meachum's
death, sometimes aided by private investigator Colleen Wing and her
partner, Misty Knight, who became Iron Fist's lover. Over time, Daniel also
made his peace with Meachum's daughter, Joy Meachum, who had taken over the
Rand-Meachum business, and Daniel became an instant millionaire when he
claimed his father's share of the company.
Later, Iron Fist formed a firm friendship and partnership with mercenary
adventurer Luke Cage (a.k.a. Power Man), and together they founded a
for-profit team as Heroes for Hire, selling their services as bodyguards or
detectives. This partnership prospered for years until Iron Fist was
seemingly killed by the deranged Captain Hero, a "death" for which Cage was
mistakenly blamed. Cage spent months as a fugitive from the law until he
cleared his name, and Heroes for Hire shut down in the meantime. Rand
himself later turned up alive in K'un-L'un, where he had been imprisoned as
part of a scheme by the tyrant Master Khan, who was defeated with the aid
of Misty Knight and Namor. Cage and Iron Fist eventually renewed their
friendship and subsequently revived their partnership as the core of a new,
larger Heroes for Hire organization funded by Oracle Incorporated (which
had purchased Rand-Meachum); however, when Stark-Fujikawa bought Oracle and
began demanding unacceptable changes to the Heroes for Hire operation
(notably the termination of Cage and Ant-Man due to their criminal
records), Iron Fist and the other HFH members resigned.
The disbanding of HFH left at least one major bit of unfinished business
behind. When most of Earth's major superheroes (including the Avengers)
were seemingly slain by Onslaught, Iron Fist feared the world would
degenerate into chaos and decided to create a new order by bringing
K'un-L'un to Earth through a mystical ritual. The heroes seemingly slain by
Onslaught have since returned, but the spell Iron Fist cast remains in
effect and will supposedly bring K'un-L'un to Earth in the new millennium.
When Iron Fist and Oracle executive Jim Hammond founded the new Heroes for
Hire, Iron Fist hoped the group would be able to help him cope with
whatever consequences might arise from K'un-L'un's inevitable appearance on
the Earthly plane. What he will do now that HFH has disbanded is uncertain,
though he remains active as a costumed adventurer.
Iron Fist is an expert martial artist who is also extremely adept in
combat gymnastics and acrobatics. By drawing on his chi (or natural
energy), he can heighten his senses and physical abilities to peak human
levels; he can also use this energy to hasten his body's natural healing
process, or to create temporary psychic rapports with others. If he should
focus this energy into his hand in combination with the power he absorbed
from Shou-Lao, Iron Fist can render his hand superhumanly powerful and
impervious to pain or injury for a few moments, enabling him to strike his
targets with superhuman force. Unfortunately, this feat drains his energy
to a significant extent, so he cannot use the "iron fist" technique too
often without totally draining himself.
Iron Fist first appeared in Marvel Premiere # 15. Though he is a friend
and ally to the Avengers and has encountered their members many times over
the years, Iron Fist has never been a member of the Avengers (though he did
briefly join the Defenders in Defenders # 62-64); in fact, he has never
made a real appearance in an Avengers comic to date.

LUKE CAGE is a superhuman adventurer who usually uses his powers for profit
as a "hero for hire." He was originally a man named Lucas (given name
unknown) who grew up in the slums of Harlem with his friend, Willis
Stryker. The two boys were petty thieves in their youth, but the adult
Lucas went on to obtain honest work while Stryker became a criminal
racketeer. Both men were in love with a woman named Reva Connors, and
Stryker's insane jealousy eventually led him to frame Lucas for heroin
possession. Lucas went to prison, and Connors was killed days later in a
mob hit meant for Stryker. Lucas swore revenge, allowing his anger over
Reva's death and his own unjust imprisonment to consume him. He was a
violent, disruptive prisoner who repeatedly attempted to escape. Finally,
his bad behaviour saw him transferred to the infamous maximum security
island prison Seagate, nicknamed Little Alcatraz. Prison life got worse for
Cage at Seagate, thanks largely to racist guards Albert Rackham & William
Quirt, who often taunted and beat Cage. When a new warden came to the
facility and uncovered this situation, Quirt was fired and Rackham was
demoted, blaming Cage for his downfall.
When research physiologist Doctor Noah Burstein came to Seagate to conduct
experiments in human cell regeneration using volunteers from the prison
population, he picked Lucas since Lucas was in excellent physical shape;
Burstein was also sympathetic to Lucas's claims of being framed, and
promised to seek parole for Lucas in return for his cooperation. Lucas
agreed to participate in the experiment, which bathed him in an electrified
organic chemical liquid for an extended period. During a stage in the
experiment when Burstein was absent, Rackham relieved the guard on duty and
began randomly manipulating the equipment's controls, hoping to maim or
kill Lucas; instead, he accidentally accelerated the experiment to a level
unplanned by Burstein, provoking a bodywide mutation in Lucas that gave the
convict superhuman strength and steel-hard skin. Lucas used his newfound
power to escape the experimental chamber and knock Rackham unconscious.
Mistakenly convinced Rackham was dead, Lucas decided to escape: he smashed
his way out of the prison and into the waters outside. When guards
recovered his bullet-riddled shirt later, they assumed Lucas was dead.
Lucas was very much alive, though, and made his way back to New York City
under a series of assumed names. Shortly after returning, he foiled a
robbery at a diner and was given a cash reward by the diner's owner.
Inspired by the experience, Lucas purchased a used escape-artist costume
and established a new identity for himself as Luke Cage, Hero for Hire,
then the only superhero in New York who sold his services. By then, Stryker
had become the underworld figure known as Diamondback, but Cage defeated
him and turned him into the police, avenged at last. Before long, Cage's
hero-for-hire business was making enough money for him to rent office space
above the Gem Theatre, where he befriended theatre manager D.W. Griffith.
Later, Cage became frustrated with how much more publicity other
superheroic figures got and decided to beef up his reputation (and drum up
new business) by assuming the costumed alias Power Man. The name had
already been used by longtime super-criminal Erik Josten (now the outlaw
hero Atlas), but Cage beat Josten in a grudge match for the rights to the
name, and Cage was known as Power Man for years thereafter. In the early
days of his career, Cage was a recurring member of the informal super-team
known as the Defenders, but later distanced himself from the group since he
felt their bizarre adventures were too different from the sort of
street-level crime he specialized in handling.
Eventually, circumstances led Cage to meet and befriend the wealthy
costumed adventurer Iron Fist, who helped Cage finally clear his name of
the crime Stryker framed him for years earlier; however, Lucas kept the
name Luke Cage, having legally changed it from his previous name. Together,
Power Man and Iron Fist formed a new Heroes For Hire business that was
personally rewarding and financially profitable for years, but the business
abruptly broke up when Iron Fist seemingly died and Cage was framed for the
murder. Cage returned to his life as a fugitive from justice for months,
but eventually cleared his name. Later, when Iron Fist turned up alive, the
two men renewed their friendship and subsequently revived their
partnership, becoming the core of a new, larger Heroes for Hire
organization funded by Oracle Incorporated (which had purchased
Rand-Meachum); however, when Stark-Fujikawa bought Oracle and began
demanding unacceptable changes to the Heroes for Hire operation (notably
the termination of Cage and Ant-Man due to their criminal records), Iron
Fist and the other HFH members resigned. Cage remains active as an
adventurer and presumably still does occasional mercenary work; however, he
likes to spend most of his time at the Gem Theatre, which he and D.W. now
own. He seldom employs his Power Man title these days, preferring to be
known simply as Luke Cage.
Cage is superhumanly strong and durable; his steel-hard skin can withstand
bullets and most other forms of conventional injury. Cage is also capable
of faster-than-human recovery from injuries or trauma. An experienced
streetfighter, the largely self-taught Cage is an unorthodox but brutally
effective unarmed combatant.
Luke Cage first appeared in the first issue of his own ongoing series,
Hero for Hire (the title of which later changed to Power Man, then changed
again to Power Man and Iron Fist). That series lasted 125 issues. Cage is
familiar with the Avengers and has befriended or worked with many of their
members, but he has never been a member of their team and has seldom
appeared in their comics (though former Avengers writer Roger Stern was
planning to temporarily use Cage as a recurring character in the Avengers
ongoing series, a plan that came to an abrupt halt when Stern was fired
from the book due to an unrelated creative dispute with his editor). Cage's
Avengers appearances include...

Avengers [v1] # 118
(among the many heroes coping with monstrous creatures unleashed on Earth
by Dormammu)

Avengers: Emperor Doom graphic novel
(along with most of the rest of the world, brainwashed into serving Doctor
Doom; alongside the Hulk, became one of Doom's personal bodyguards; freed
from Doom's control along with the rest of the world by the Avengers and
the Sub-Mariner)

Avengers Annual # 11
(cameo appearance in flashback to the Defenders' conflicts with Nebulon)



As noted above, Luke Cage was the original Hero for Hire. Later, he
expanded his business in partnership with Iron Fist, and the formed the
Heroes for Hire. This business folded during the period when Iron Fist was
mistakenly believed to be dead, but Oracle Incorporated executive Jim
Hammond (formerly the original Human Torch) re-established the organization
as a corporate-sponsored super-team who would accept money for their heroic
deeds when they had clients willing and able to pay. Iron Fist was hired as
the field leader of this group, while Hammond handled the organizational
side of things. Other HFH operatives included (at one time or another) Luke
Cage, the new White Tiger, Hercules, the Black Knight (Dane Whitman),
Ant-Man (Scott Lang), She-Hulk, Thena, Misty Knight, Colleen Wing,
Deadpool, Brother Voodoo, Shang-Chi and the Cat. The group disbanded after
Stark-Fujikawa purchased Oracle and began demanding personnel changes in
the Heroes for Hire organization, specifically the dismissal of members
with criminal records. Unwilling to let Stark-Fujikawa dictate their
membership or other aspects of their organization, the remaining Heroes for
Hire all quit the group.


PAGE NINE
This rash, impulsive behaviour is somewhat unusual for Photon, who
generally doesn't seem to be at her best through much of Ordway's
guest-writer stint.


PAGE TWENTY-ONE
As revealed in recent issues of Iron Man's ongoing series, Carol has
written a science fiction novel inspired by her adventures in outer space
as Binary. Wasp has adopted yet another new costume as of this issue.