Iron Fist
Encyclopedia
Iron Fist is a fictional character
, a comic book
superhero
in the , and a practitioner of martial arts
. Created by Roy Thomas
and Gil Kane
, he first appeared in Marvel Premiere
#15 (May 1974). The character starred in his own solo series in the 1970s, and shared the title Power Man and Iron Fist for several years.
, came from Marvel Comics
during a pop culture trend in the early 1970s for martial arts
heroes. Debuting in a story by writer Roy Thomas
and penciler Gil Kane
in the umbrella title Marvel Premiere
#15-25 (May 1974 – October 1975), he was then written successively by Len Wein
, Doug Moench
, Tony Isabella
, and Chris Claremont
, with art by successive pencillers Larry Hama
, Arvell Jones
, Pat Broderick
, and, in some of his earliest professional work, John Byrne. Following this run, Iron Fist was immediately spun off into the solo series Iron Fist, which ran 15 issues (November 1975 – September 1977). The solo series was written by Claremont and pencilled by Byrne. A subplot involving Steel Serpent
left unresolved by the cancellation of the series was wrapped up in issues #63-64 of Marvel Team-Up
.
Iron Fist joined the cast of the Luke Cage
series in a three-parter story in Power Man #48-50. The title series changed to Power Man and Iron Fist with issue #50, although the indicia
did not reflect this change until issue #67. Iron Fist co-starred the series until the final issue (#125, September 1986).
Two solo miniseries
followed a decade later: Iron Fist (vol. 2) #1-2 (September – October 1996), by writer James Felder
and penciller Robert Brown; and Iron Fist (vol. 3) #1-3 (July – September 1998), by writer Dan Jurgens
and penciller Jackson Guice
. Also around this time, he was among the ensemble of the group series Heroes for Hire
which ran 19 issues (July 1997 – January 1999).
Following a four-issue miniseries by writer Jay Faerber
and penciller Jamal Igle
, Iron Fist: Wolverine (November 2000 – February 2001), co-starring the X-Men
character Wolverine
and cover-billed as Iron Fist/Wolverine: The Return of K'un Lun, came another solo miniseries, Iron Fist (vol. 4) #1-6 (May – October 2004), by writer Jim Mullaney
and penciller Kevin Lau. The first issue of a new ongoing series, The Immortal Iron Fist, by co-writers Ed Brubaker
and Matt Fraction
and primary artist David Aja
, premiered with a January 2007 cover-date. Duane Swierczynski
took over the series from issue #17.
Writer co-creator Roy Thomas
wrote in a text piece in Marvel Premiere #15 that Iron Fist's origin and creation owe much to the 1940s Bill Everett
character, Amazing-Man
. Thomas later wrote that he and artist co-creator Gil Kane
had...
Iron Fist appearances outside his own title include three Iron Fist stories in Marvel's black-and-white comics magazine Deadly Hands of Kung Fu
#10 (March 1975), an additional story co-starring the Sons of the Tiger
in issue #18 (November 1975), and a six-part serial, "The Living Weapon", in #19-24 (December 1975 – May 1976). He made guest appearances in such titles as Marvel Two-in-One
, Marvel Team-Up
, the Sub-Mariner series Namor, Black Panther
, and Daredevil
.
, the son of American businessman Wendell Rand, a wealthy entrepreneur who discovered the mystical city of K'un-L'un
as a young boy. During his time in K'un L'un, Wendell saved the life of the city's ruler, Lord Tuan, and was adopted as Tuan's son. However, Wendell eventually left K'un L'un and became a wealthy entrepreneur in the United States. He married socialite Heather Duncan and had a child, Daniel. When Daniel was nine, Wendell organized an expedition to again seek out K'un L'un, taking his wife Heather, his business partner Harold Meachum, and Daniel. During the journey up the mountain, Daniel slipped off the path, his tie-rope taking his mother and father with him. Meachum, who also loved Heather, forced Wendell to plunge to his death but offered to rescue Heather and Daniel. She rejected his help, preferring to journey without him or die.
As explained in Marvel Premiere #15, Heather and Daniel come across a makeshift bridge that appears out of nowhere and are attacked by a pack of wolves. Heather throws herself on the wolves to save Daniel and is killed even as archers from K'un L'un attempt to save her. The archers take the grieving Daniel to see Yü-Ti, the hooded ruler of K'un L'un. When Daniel expresses his desire for vengeance, Yü-Ti apprentices him to Lei Kung, the Thunderer, who teaches him the martial arts.
Daniel proves to be the most gifted of Lei Kung's students. Rand conditions his fists by plunging them into buckets of sand, gravel, and rock to toughen them. At 19, Daniel is given the chance to attain the power of the Iron Fist by fighting and defeating the dragon
known as Shou-Lao the Undying, which guarded the molten heart that had been torn from its body. During the battle, Daniel throws himself against the scar of Shou-Lao, which burns a dragon tattoo into his chest. Having killed Shou-Lao, he enters its cave and plunges his fists into a brazier containing the creature's molten heart, emerging with the power of the Iron Fist. It is later revealed that there have been many Iron Fists before Daniel, making him the modern member of a long lineage of Iron Fists.
When K'un L'un reappears on Earth after 10 years, Daniel decides to leave and find his father's killer. Returning to New York, Daniel Rand, dressed in the ceremonial garb of the Iron Fist, seeks out Harold Meachum, now head of Meachum Industries. After overcoming a number of attempts on his life, he confronts Meachum in his office, only to find the man legless—an amputation carried out when, after abandoning Daniel and his mother, he was caught in heavy snow and his legs became frostbitten.
Impressed by Iron Fist's abilities, Meachum accepts his fate and tells Iron Fist to kill him, but overcome with pity for this pathetic shell of a man, Iron Fist walks away. At that moment Meachum is murdered by a mysterious ninja and his daughter Joy blames Iron Fist for the death. Eventually, Iron Fist clears his name and begins a career as a superhero, aided by his friends Colleen Wing
and Misty Knight
, falling in love with the latter. Notable adversaries in his early career include the first appearance of the villain Sabretooth
(who was not yet known to be connected to Wolverine
), the mysterious Master Khan
(whom the ninja that killed Meachum once served), and the Steel Serpent
, the exiled son of Lei Kung, who coveted the Iron Fist power.
early in his career. Soon after that, he recounted his first battle with the H'ylthri.
Just before Rand's battle with Steel Serpent, Misty Knight had been working undercover, infiltrating the organization of the crime lord John Bushmaster. When Bushmaster discovered Knight's treachery, he kidnapped Claire Temple and Noah Burstein, the closest associates of Luke Cage
, better known as Power Man, holding them hostage to force Cage to eliminate Knight. Iron Fist was on hand to stop him, however, and after a battle, the truth came out. Rand then helped Cage and the Daughters of the Dragon
(Knight and Wing) battle Bushmaster, and rescue Temple and Burstein as well as obtain evidence that proved Cage's innocence on prior drug charges. Iron Fist and Power Man decided to become partners, forming Heroes for Hire
, Inc.
Although Iron Fist and Power Man supposedly were only heroes for money, they were always doing the right thing, which usually left them with less money rather than more. Iron Fist, in his secret identity
of Daniel Rand, had reassumed control of his parents' fortune as half of Rand-Meachum, Inc., and was actually quite wealthy. This caused a lot of tension between him and Cage, who was raised poor in the ghetto, even though Rand had actually handed control of his company over to other managers while he learned how to cope in the real world after so long living in K'un-L'un rather than relying on money that he had inherited.
At one point, the pair traveled to K'un-L'un together, where they battled Master Khan
.
Power Man and Iron Fist's partnership ended with Rand contracting cancer from radiation poisoning and inadvertently dying at the hands of Captain Hero, and Cage becoming a fugitive as the prime suspect in Rand's death.
. He admits that he had been Captain Hero, and that the plot to destroy the lives of Rand and Cage had been masterminded by Master Khan
. It is also revealed that the "Iron Fist" that had died was actually a doppelgänger
created by the extra-dimensional H'ylthri. Rand had, in fact, been kidnapped and replaced by the H'ylthri copy just after he left K'un L'un for the last time. While in stasis with the H'ylthri, Rand manages to focus his chi, curing the cancer. Iron Fist is later discovered alive in K'un-L'un. With Namor and Misty Knight, he battles Master Khan once more.
After Marvel's Onslaught
crossover event, Rand and Cage reform Heroes for Hire, Inc. with an expanded team, this time working for Namor's Oracle Corporation. Chronicled in a new Heroes for Hire series, the title is eventually canceled due to low sales, ending with Namor dissolving Oracle as well as Heroes for Hire, Inc.
Iron Fist at one point also lost his powers to Junzo Muto
, the young leader of the Hand
, but subsequently regained them.
In the Iron Fist miniseries, Miranda Rand-K'ai also returns from the dead. The H'ylthri revive her and promise to restore her to full life if she retrieves the extra-dimensional artifact known as the Zodiac Key. To this end, she takes the identity of Death Sting, bringing her into conflict with Iron Fist as well as with S.H.I.E.L.D.
When the H'ylthri try to kill Iron Fist, Miranda turns the power of the Zodiac Key against them, seemingly killing herself in the process. However, exposure to chemicals from the H'ylthri pods prevented her death.
During the "House of M
" crossover event, Rand is shown to be a part of Luke Cage's resistance group.
Rand disguises himself as Daredevil
to convince the media and the public that Matt Murdock is not the masked vigilante. Rand believes that he had been hired to pose as Daredevil by Foggy Nelson
. In reality Nelson had faked being murdered and was in witness protection.
During the Civil War
, he was opposed to the Superhuman Registration Act, joining Captain America
while still pretending to be Daredevil. Rand was apprehended by Pro-Registration forces, calling Tony Stark
'Judas
' and giving him a silver dollar, which he says makes thirty one pieces for him. He was later freed from the Negative Zone Prison, joining Captain America's team for the final battle with Iron Man
's forces.
and which includes his former teammate Luke Cage. Also, in the public eye, Rand is able to avoid arrest with legal loopholes.
During the Dark Reign storyline, Rand leaves the New Avengers due to a variety of problems but lets them know if they ever need him to give him a call. He then participates in searching for Luke and Jessica
's daughter Danielle, taking out a HYDRA
cell with Spider-Woman thinking the Skrull
Jarvis
has contacted Earth villains looking for a way out of New York or the Earth.
Rand was taken captive by Norman Osborn
's Thunderbolts
and brainwashed into fighting Luke Cage as part of a mental reconditioning project Osborn created to use on other heroes to do his bidding. However, Rand manages to shake off the brainwashing by using his focused chi energy to clear his mind. Later along with Misty Knight, Doctor Strange
, Doctor Voodoo, Hellcat, Valkyrie, Daredevil
, and the Thing
aid the New Avengers in locating and rescuing Cage from Osborn after he suffered a heart attack and summarily taken into custody as a fugitive.
In 2006, Marvel launched a new ongoing series, The Immortal Iron Fist
, co-written by Ed Brubaker
and Matt Fraction
and featuring art by Spanish illustrator David Aja
. "The Immortal Iron Fist" began with a six-part arc, counter-intuitively titled "The Last Iron Fist Story". The story reveals the Iron Fist to be a legacy power conferred on the champion of K'un Lun roughly once a generation. There have been sixty-six Iron Fists. K'un L'un is also revealed as one of the Seven Cities of Heaven, each of which has an analogous champion Warrior.
The story introduces Orson Randall, Daniel Rand's immediate predecessor, who reneged on his responsibilities to K'un L'un after suffering immense psychological trauma during the First World War. Randall is discovered in Thailand, apparently preserved by the spirit of Shou-Lao and in full possession of his powers, but living in drug-soaked seclusion. Randall is pursued by agents of the Steel Serpent
and the terrorist group HYDRA. Jolted out of his decades-long ennui, Randall seeks out Daniel Rand in New York and gives him The Book of the Iron Fist, a sacred ledger supposedly containing all the Kung-fu secrets of previous Iron Fists, which Randall claims will be necessary if Rand is to compete successfully in the coming tournament of the Seven Champions.
The Steel Serpent, whose powers have been greatly augmented by Crane Mother, quickly dispatches Randall in single combat. On the brink of death, Randall surrenders his Chi to Rand, giving him sufficient power to battle the Serpent to a standstill. After the battle, Rand is immediately summoned by his master, Lei Kung (who is also the father of Steel Serpent) to compete in a tournament that will decide the cycle according to which each of the Seven Cities of Heaven appears on Earth. However, the leaders of the Seven Cities had secretly erected gateways between Earth and each city without the knowledge of the populace. The corruption of the leaders of the Seven Cities of Heaven has spurred Iron Fist, his master Lei Kung the Thunderer, Orson Randall's daughter, and John Aman
to secretly plan a revolution. Iron Fist discovers that Crane Mother, and Xao, a high-ranking HYDRA operative, are planning to destroy K'un Lun by using a portal. Upon learning of the plot Steel Serpent helps Rand and the other Immortal weapons to defeat Xao.
Rand destroys the train intended to destroy K'un Lun by extending his chi to find the train's electromagnetic field, transforming himself into "a human bullet." Meanwhile, the revolution orchestrated by Lei Kung and Orson's daughter proves successful, with Nu-an, the Yu-Ti of K'un Lun fleeing in terror. When Rand confronts Xao, Xao reveals that there is an eighth city of Heaven before killing himself. Steel Serpent ultimately seeks to redeem himself to his father and to the populace. Rand suggests Lei Kung as the new Yu-Ti, with Orson's unnamed daughter as the new Thunderer.
After the events, and learning that the Randall fortune that started Rand International was formed from the oppression of the Cities of Heaven, Rand decides to transform the company into a non-profit organization, dedicated to helping the poor. He also sets up the Thunder Dojo in Harlem to help inner city children, buys back the old Heroes for Hire building as the new Rand International Headquarters, and his new home, while offering Luke Cage a position at the company. He also tries to reconnect with Misty Knight. Rand (on his 33rd birthday) soon learns a disturbing fact about the previous Iron Fists: every single one has died at the age of 33, except Orson Randell, who vanished at that same time.
Soon afterward Rand is attacked by a servant of Ch'l-Lin, defeating Rand easily. He claims that he has killed many Iron Fists. However, Luke, Misty, and Coleen arrive just as the servant prepares to slay Rand. Luke manages to get ahold of the mysterious assassin, but he then suddenly vanishes. Rand searches for answers in the Book of the Iron Fist to try to understand how Orson Randall was able to avoid being slain by the Ch'l-Lin's assassin. However, one of Rand's new business associates calls Rand up to alert him of the Ch'l-Lin assassin staking out the Thunder Dojo.
Rand heads for the dojo, where he finds the assassin, whose real name has been revealed as Zhou Cheng. Cheng has placed some sort of telepathic command upon the students to kill each other if Rand does not surrender. Rand bows before him, but this is quickly revealed to be only a ploy, as Luke, Misty, and the other Immortal weapons arrive to aid Rand. While still formidable in combat, Rand correctly guessed that an opponent who was tailored to fight the Iron Fist would not be as effective against the other weapons. The group defeats Cheng, but he vanishes into thin air.
The Immortal weapons embark on a hunt for Cheng, while Rand attempts to learn about his new adversary. He soon learns that Orson Randall was only able to escape Cheng by addicting himself to heroin, thus damping his chi and leaving Cheng under the assumption that he had died. While searching for a way to defeat Cheng in the Book of the Iron Fist, Rand discovers that his assistant, Nadine, is an accomplice to Cheng, after she poisons his coffee. While Rand's chi prevents the poison from killing him, it is sufficiently strong to weaken him significantly. All of a sudden, Cheng arrives in Rand's office, thanks Nadine (who, although being Cheng's "beloved," appears to have been a rather reluctant accomplice), and prepares to finish what he and Rand started. Just then, Nadine steps in and attempts to stop Cheng, revealing to him that she is pregnant with his child, and does not wish for their baby to be the child of a murderer. Cheng, is it revealed, is seeking to retrieve the heart of the Iron Fist in order to enter K'un Lun and devour the egg that births the next Shou-Lao the Undying every generation, thus wiping out K'un Lun's Iron Fist legacy. Despite having slain evey previous Iron Fist who did not otherwise fall in battle or relinquish their power (excepting Orson Randall), Cheng has always failed to reach the egg.
Cheng, who it is also revealed has been slowly buying out Rand Int. over the past 20 years, throws Nadine out of the way, and continues his attack. Rand has his shoulder dislocated during the battle, but manages to defeat Cheng even in his weakened state. Following the duel, the Immortal Weapons, Luke, Coleen, and Misty arrive, and reveal to Rand that they have discovered a map in Cheng's apartment that leads to the Eighth City of Heaven, whose existence was mentioned by Xao during the tournament of the seven cities. Rand and the others realize that his is where the Ch'l-Lin originated, and depart for the Eighth City.
Before their departure, Davos arrives at the behest of Lei Kung to inform Rand that the Eighth city is, in fact, a prison constructed to hold demonic creatures that had once threatened K'un Lun and the other cities of Heaven and its gate only allows for passage in but not out, making it effectively synonymous with Hell. However, Davos also informs Rand that the previous Yu-Ti had housed anyone who attempted to rebel against his rule in the Eighth city, and Lei Kung commissions Rand and the Immortal Weapons to rescue the wrongful prisoners, and informs them that the in-not-out rule can be bypassed by all six of the Immortal Weapons.
Upon arrival at the gates of the city, Rand and the others are literally sucked into the depths of the city, whereupon they are attacked by the prisoners of the Eighth city, which is ruled by the nefarious Changming, and forced to fight the demons of the city one by one, each time beaten nearly to death (their Chi weakened by having been pulled into the city) and rotated repeatedly, while being allowed to heal just enough to be able to fight again. While Rand is in his cell after a fight, he hears a tapping on his cell wall, and realizes it is being done in Chinese, with the message "You are an Iron Fist. Just like me." Meanwhile, it is revealed that Davos has not been honest with Rand and the Immortal Weapons about their mission, as he has posted a spy outside of the gate of the Eighth City, who reports there being "no signs of life," but that "something is clearly happening," and Davos determines that this requires him to battle Rand once again.
Rand's fellow prisoner reveals himself to be Quan Yaozu, the very first Iron Fist. Quan reveals that in the early days of K'un Lun's history, Changming had risen to power during a time of moral decadence in the city. Changming had been the one who had originally summoned all of the demonic creatures that had once plagued K'un Lun into the city, including Shou-Lao the Undying, and used them to quickly conquer the city. One day, however, a lone warrior had entered the dragon's cave to challenge it.
Before Quan can finish, he and Rand are removed from their cells and brought into the arena for a fight. By now, Changming has learned that Rand and the Immortal Weapons have been formulating a plan to rescue the prisoners of the Eighth City and make their escape, by leaving each other Morse code messages in the arena after each fight. Changming declares that Rand and Quan will fight to the death. Rand refuses to "fight an old man," but Quan, now in his Iron Fist suit, replies, "Sorry, Young Fist. I've been waiting for this chance for freedom Far Too Long."
However, once the fight begins, Rand immediately senses that his opponent lacks any perceivable martial arts skills and realizes that he is not the true Quan Yaozu. As the Immortal Weapons manage to escape and defeat the guards during the fight, Changming reveals that he is, in fact, the true Quan Yaozu. He explains that he voluntarily stayed in the Eighth City to keep K'un Lun's demons from escaping. However, upon seeing his lost love thrown into the Eighth City, Quan became disillusioned, and believed that K'un Lun was not worth saving, eventually rising up to rule the Eighth City as Changming. Rand and Fat Cobra manage to defeat Quan in the battle, and prepare to ask him the true nature of the Eighth City and why they have been sent there.
However, Rand soon discovers that the Immortal Weapons are pawns in a plan Quan has hatched. As the door to the Eighth City can only be opened from the inside by the Immortal Weapons, his plan was for the Immortal Weapons to make an escape attempt, thereby opening the gate and unleashing Quan and his army to take his revenge on the Seven Cities for having sentenced him and many of their citizens to an eternity in the Eighth City.
Quan forces Rand to lead him out of Eighth City and back to K'un Lun, but after making it outside the gate, the two encounter Davos, who is waiting outside the gate with a sniper rifle. He tells Rand that he has been sent there by Lei-Kung to assassinate Quan, as he and Lei-Kung believe that Rand lacks the ability to take a life. In the ensuing battle, Rand manages to defeat both Davos and Quan, going as far as to take a bullet in the hand for the latter. Rand's actions impress Quan, who decides that Rand may be living proof that K'un Lun is not the corrupt city it once was. Rand and Davos agree to guide Quan to K'un Lun and arrange a meeting between him and Lei-Kung to give Quan a forum for his grievances.
However, when Rand returns to New York, he finds a HYDRA cell waiting for him at Rand International, seeking retribution for the death of Xao, and holding Misty hostage. In the ensuing battle, Rand Int. is destroyed, but Rand and Misty escape unharmed. With Rand Int. destroyed and now left with only a fraction of his former net worth, Rand and Misty purchase a new condo in Harlem, and Rand decides to focus all of his attention and remaining resources at the Thunder Dojo. While moving into their new home, Rand asks Misty to marry him. Initially skeptical of the offer, thinking it may only be "one of those honor things", Misty accepts and reveals that she is pregnant with Rand's child.
. Osborn uses new technology to brainwash Rand, using a mentally-induced simulation in which Rand kills Wolverine, Spider-Man
, and Captain America but cannot bring himself to kill Luke Cage. Ghost suggests completely mind-wiping Rand, but Osborn does not want him to lose his skills so he forces Rand to undergo a dangerous procedure where his mind is further tampered with. Iron Fist assists in capturing Luke Cage, who later escapes thanks to the Ghost's tampering. Iron Fist attacks Cage (who had been assisted in his escape by Ant-Man
, whom he had previously swallowed), and Rand makes it appear that he killed Cage, allowing the two to escape by surprise. It is later revealed that when Rand used his focused chi to punch Cage, it had cleared his warped mind.
, Rand rejoined the newly reformed New Avengers. While fighting a demonic invasion of New York apparently originating from the Eye of Agamotto
, Iron Fist was teleported into another dimension when he came in contact with the Eye, simultaneously creating a rift on Earth that Doctor Strange
claimed would mean the end of everything. As the Avengers battle the demons back on Earth, Iron Fist finds himself in a white void where he encounters the Ancient One
, who claims that he is responsible for the current invasion due to his anger at Strange's recent 'failures'. When Iron Fist returns to Earth- now dressed in a new costume-, he claims that the Ancient One has told him that Strange stole the Eye from the Ancient One rather than being given it by his master, challenging Strange to admit the truth. Although it is subsequently revealed that Rand was actually being manipulated by Agamotto as part of his attempt to destroy this reality, he retains his new costume even after Agamotto's defeat and Doctor Voodoo's sacrifice. After finding out that Misty's pregnancy was false, Misty and Danny decide to move out of their apartment and live separately, but continue their relationship.
Danny later has an encounter with someone who is going by the name of Power Man. He and Luke Cage discover that the Power Man is Victor Alvarez who was a survivor of the building that Bullseye blew up.
The day after Bullseye's murder, Iron Fist and Luke Cage
are discussing Murdock's actions when they are visited by the Kingpin
, who comes to warn them that soon they will need to take Murdock down. Iron Fist later joins Luke Cage and the other street heroes when talking to Daredevil. When Kingpin unleashes Ghost Rider upon Shadowland, Daredevil suspects them behind Ghost Rider's attack and orders his ninjas to hunt them down.
In the final battle for Shadowland, Iron Fist uses his chi to heal Murdock's body and soul, giving Daredevil the power to fight back against the beast inhabiting his body.
After Shadowland, Iron Fist becomes the new Power Man's mentor and the two become a team.
The ultimate expression of this focus is the ability to concentrate his body's natural energies into his hand, manifesting as a supernatural glow around his clenched fist, making his fist "like unto a thing of iron." So concentrated, this "iron fist" can smash into its target with superhuman hardness and impact, while his hand becomes impervious to pain and injury. However, the feat of summoning the power required leaves Rand physically and mentally drained, unable to repeat the act for a time, as long as even an entire day in certain instances. Such an ability is described as "quasi-mystical".
Other applications of the Iron Fist power include the ability to focus chi energy inward to heal oneself or outward to heal others of injury, as well as the ability to telepathically
fuse his consciousness temporarily with another person and meld with that person's mind. In Maximum Carnage
, Rand was able to use the mental application of the Iron Fist to temporarily calm a rioting mob. When asked about this by Spider-Man, Rand replied that all humans are, in essence, one divine being, in a constant craving for that oneness, and once it is offered, it cannot be refused. When asked by Spider-Man how long it would take to learn this "meditative technique", Rand replied, "Eight or ten years."
Orson Randall, Rand's predecessor as Iron Fist, demonstrated applications including hypnosis
and channeling his chi energy into projectile weapons to increase their destructive capacity. Randall also showed enhanced resistance to injury, including resilience to poison gas dropped on his fellow combatants in the trenches of World War I, and a greatly slowed aging process. Although almost one hundred years old by the time he encountered Daniel Rand, he demonstrated physical vitality commensurate with a highly-trained martial artist half his age. Rand has presumably acquired powers and abilities at least equivalent to Orson Randall's—though not necessarily the skill to control them—thanks to combining Randall's chi energy with his own. He is also in possession of the Book of the Iron Fist, study of which will greatly expand his kung fu skills.
Rand displayed what he had learned from Orson Randall regarding alternative applications of the Iron Fist when he was able to extend his chi from his fist into the electromagnetic field of the train intended to destroy K'un Lun, transforming himself into "a human bullet." Despite the train being loaded down with "enough raw explosives to make Hiroshima look like a sparkler", Rand was able to destroy the train, and survive the massive explosion virtually unharmed.
Even without the Iron Fist, Rand is a master of all of K'un Lun's martial arts and many of Earth's, making him easily one of the most skilled practitioners of unarmed combat in the Marvel Universe
.
In a confrontation with Tony Stark, it is revealed that Iron Fist has been registered as a lethal weapon, as is supposedly required of advanced martial artists in the United States. His lawyer is present during the confrontation and argues the loophole that he is already registered with the government, and that his abilities are skill based and not power based, meaning that he does not technically qualify as a superhero and it is suggested that he has broken no laws.
(vol. 1) #2, a man is seen running from Holocaust
with the Iron Fist tattoo on his upper left shoulder.
#24, in which he is retired after the death of Misty Knight, his wife in this universe. However, he temporary steps back into costume to aid Spider-Girl against the might of Dragon Fist.
miniseries. He can be seen in several splash panels, as well being bitten by a zombie version of Luke Cage
, and again punching a hole through a zombified Black Cat
and once again being bitten. A different Iron Fist appears in Marvel Zombies Return
in an alternate universe where he is unaffected by the zombie outbreak until the Wolverine from the Marvel Zombies
universe kills him with his claws.
. His first appearance in the Ultimate universe was in Ultimate Spider-Man #1/2. Later, he appeared in the Warriors story-arc (issues #79-85) along with Shang Chi, Moon Knight, and others. He reappears in the Ultimate Knights arc, as a member of a Daredevil-led team trying to take down the Kingpin. In Ultimate Spider-Man #107, however, he has apparently betrayed the group to the Kingpin
. Daredevil has uncovered the deception and ends issue #109 demanding answers from Rand. In issue #110 Iron Fist reveals that he has a daughter and the Kingpin threatened her life, so he chose his daughter's life over Daredevil's, and the rest of the heroes that teamed up to take down the Kingpin. He did distract Kingpin while Daredevil grabbed Kingpin's wife. Rand is last seen with his daughter and his daughter's mother Colleen Wing
.
alters reality, Daniel Rand emerges from K'un-Lun, unaware of the mutant-dominated planet. He is attacked by mutant police, and eventually joins Luke Cage's Human Resistance Movement.
magazine. IGN
also ranked Iron Fist as the 68th greatest comic book hero of all time stating that in the Marvel Universe, mastery of martial arts is enough to qualify as a super-power, and none are more super at the art of fighting than Iron Fist.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
in the , and a practitioner of martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
. Created by Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
and Gil Kane
Gil Kane
Eli Katz who worked under the name Gil Kane and in one instance Scott Edward, was a comic book artist whose career spanned the 1940s to 1990s and every major comics company and character.Kane co-created the modern-day versions of the superheroes Green Lantern and the Atom for DC Comics, and...
, he first appeared in Marvel Premiere
Marvel Premiere
Marvel Premiere is an American comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics. It ran for 61 issues from April 1972 to August 1981....
#15 (May 1974). The character starred in his own solo series in the 1970s, and shared the title Power Man and Iron Fist for several years.
Publication history
Iron Fist, along with the previously created Shang-Chi, Master of Kung FuShang-Chi
Shang-Chi is a Marvel Comics character, often called the "Master of Kung Fu". He was created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Jim Starlin....
, came from Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
during a pop culture trend in the early 1970s for martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
heroes. Debuting in a story by writer Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
and penciler Gil Kane
Gil Kane
Eli Katz who worked under the name Gil Kane and in one instance Scott Edward, was a comic book artist whose career spanned the 1940s to 1990s and every major comics company and character.Kane co-created the modern-day versions of the superheroes Green Lantern and the Atom for DC Comics, and...
in the umbrella title Marvel Premiere
Marvel Premiere
Marvel Premiere is an American comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics. It ran for 61 issues from April 1972 to August 1981....
#15-25 (May 1974 – October 1975), he was then written successively by Len Wein
Len Wein
Len Wein is an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men...
, Doug Moench
Doug Moench
Douglas Moench , better known as Doug Moench, is an American comic book writer notable for his Batman work and as the creator of Black Mask, Moon Knight and Deathlok.-Biography:...
, Tony Isabella
Tony Isabella
Tony Isabella is an American comic book writer, editor, artist and critic, known as the creator and writer of Marvel Comics' Black Goliath, DC Comics' first major African American superhero, Black Lightning, and as a columnist and critic for the Comics Buyer's Guide.-Marvel Comics:Before he joined...
, and Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
, with art by successive pencillers Larry Hama
Larry Hama
Larry Hama is an American comic book writer, artist, actor and musician who has worked in the fields of entertainment and publishing since the 1960s....
, Arvell Jones
Arvell Jones
Arvell Jones is an American comic book illustrator best known for his work for Marvel Comics, and for DC Comics and its imprint Milestone Media.-Biography:...
, Pat Broderick
Pat Broderick
Pat Broderick is an American comic book artist known for his work on the Micronauts. Broderick also pencilled the four-part Batman: Year Three storyline, written by Marv Wolfman, which detailed the first meeting of Batman and Tim Drake.-Early career :Fresh from high school in Tampa, Florida,...
, and, in some of his earliest professional work, John Byrne. Following this run, Iron Fist was immediately spun off into the solo series Iron Fist, which ran 15 issues (November 1975 – September 1977). The solo series was written by Claremont and pencilled by Byrne. A subplot involving Steel Serpent
Steel Serpent
Steel Serpent is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Universe and an enemy of Iron Fist.-Fictional character biography:The Steel Serpent is an exiled native of K'un-L'un, and son of Lei Kung the Thunderer named Davos...
left unresolved by the cancellation of the series was wrapped up in issues #63-64 of Marvel Team-Up
Marvel Team-Up
Marvel Team-Up is the name of several American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story...
.
Iron Fist joined the cast of the Luke Cage
Luke Cage
Luke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
series in a three-parter story in Power Man #48-50. The title series changed to Power Man and Iron Fist with issue #50, although the indicia
Indicia (publishing)
Indicia is the plural of the Latin word indicium, meaning distinguishing marks.In magazine publishing, indicia refers to a piece of text traditionally appearing on the first recto page after the cover, which usually contains the official name of the publication, its publication date, information...
did not reflect this change until issue #67. Iron Fist co-starred the series until the final issue (#125, September 1986).
Two solo miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
followed a decade later: Iron Fist (vol. 2) #1-2 (September – October 1996), by writer James Felder
James Felder
James Felder is a comic book editor and cartoon writer best known for his work editing Daredevil and writing for the series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Chaotic.-Biography:...
and penciller Robert Brown; and Iron Fist (vol. 3) #1-3 (July – September 1998), by writer Dan Jurgens
Dan Jurgens
Dan Jurgens is an American comic book writer and artist. He is best known for creating the superhero Booster Gold, and for his lengthy runs on the Superman titles Adventures of Superman and Superman , particularly during The Death of Superman storyline...
and penciller Jackson Guice
Jackson Guice
Jackson "Butch" Guice , is an American comic book artist who has worked steadily in the mainstream comics industry since the early 1980s.-Biography:...
. Also around this time, he was among the ensemble of the group series Heroes for Hire
Heroes For Hire
Heroes for Hire is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in Power Man and Iron Fist #54 , and was created by Ed Hannigan and Lee Elias.-Publication history and original concept:...
which ran 19 issues (July 1997 – January 1999).
Following a four-issue miniseries by writer Jay Faerber
Jay Faerber
Jay Faerber is an American comic book and television writer. Faerber is known for his work on Generation X and New Warriors for Marvel Comics, and The Titans and Connor: Spotlight for DC Comics. He later wrote his own creator-owned titles for Image Comics, including Noble Causes, Dynamo 5 and Near...
and penciller Jamal Igle
Jamal Igle
Jamal Yaseem Igle is an American comic book artist, editor, art director and animation storyboard artist.-Career:...
, Iron Fist: Wolverine (November 2000 – February 2001), co-starring the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
character Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
and cover-billed as Iron Fist/Wolverine: The Return of K'un Lun, came another solo miniseries, Iron Fist (vol. 4) #1-6 (May – October 2004), by writer Jim Mullaney
Jim Mullaney
Jim Mullaney is an American ghostwriter and later credited writer of 26 novels in The Destroyer paperback-novel series. In addition, he and Warren Murphy co-authored the Destroyer companion guide, The Assassin's Handbook 2: Chiun's Big Book of Rainy Day Fun. Mullaney has also worked on Iron Fist...
and penciller Kevin Lau. The first issue of a new ongoing series, The Immortal Iron Fist, by co-writers Ed Brubaker
Ed Brubaker
Ed Brubaker is an Eisner Award-winning comic book writer and cartoonist. Brubaker first early comics work was primarily in the crime fiction genre with works such as Lowlife, The Fall, Sandman Presents: Dead Boy Detectives and Scene of the Crime...
and Matt Fraction
Matt Fraction
Matt Fritchman, better known by the pen name Matt Fraction, is an Eisner Award-winning American comic book writer, known for his work as the writer of The Invincible Iron Man, The Immortal Iron Fist and Uncanny X-Men for Marvel Comics and Casanova for Image Comics.-Career:Fraction wrote two...
and primary artist David Aja
David Aja
David Aja is a Spanish comic book artist, best known for his work on The Immortal Iron Fist and Daredevil.-Biography:He obtained a degree in Fine Arts at the University of Salamanca and served as a member of the faculty of fine arts from 1995 to 2000.Aja began working as a professional illustrator...
, premiered with a January 2007 cover-date. Duane Swierczynski
Duane Swierczynski
Duane Louis Swierczynski is an American crime writer who has written a number of non-fiction books, novels and also writes for comic books.-Early life:...
took over the series from issue #17.
Writer co-creator Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
wrote in a text piece in Marvel Premiere #15 that Iron Fist's origin and creation owe much to the 1940s Bill Everett
Bill Everett
William Blake "Bill" Everett, also known as William Blake and Everett Blake was a comic book writer-artist best known for creating Namor the Sub-Mariner and co-creating Daredevil for Marvel Comics...
character, Amazing-Man
Amazing-Man (Centaur Publications)
Amazing-Man is a fictional, American comic book superhero whose adventures were published by Centaur Publications during the 1930s to 1940s period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books. Historians credit his creation variously to writer-artist Bill Everett or to Everett together...
. Thomas later wrote that he and artist co-creator Gil Kane
Gil Kane
Eli Katz who worked under the name Gil Kane and in one instance Scott Edward, was a comic book artist whose career spanned the 1940s to 1990s and every major comics company and character.Kane co-created the modern-day versions of the superheroes Green Lantern and the Atom for DC Comics, and...
had...
Iron Fist appearances outside his own title include three Iron Fist stories in Marvel's black-and-white comics magazine Deadly Hands of Kung Fu
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu is a martial arts comic book magazine published by Curtis Magazines, a short-lived imprint of Marvel Comics. There were a total of 33 issues published, plus one "Special Album Edition," before the series was cancelled.-Overview:...
#10 (March 1975), an additional story co-starring the Sons of the Tiger
Sons of the Tiger
The Sons of the Tiger were three martial arts heroes featured in comic books published by Curtis Magazines called the Deadly Hands of Kung Fu...
in issue #18 (November 1975), and a six-part serial, "The Living Weapon", in #19-24 (December 1975 – May 1976). He made guest appearances in such titles as Marvel Two-in-One
Marvel Two-in-One
Marvel Two-In-One was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics that featured the Fantastic Four member, the Thing, in a different team-up each issue with a different character. The series continued from the team-up stories starring the Thing in the final two issues of Marvel...
, Marvel Team-Up
Marvel Team-Up
Marvel Team-Up is the name of several American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story...
, the Sub-Mariner series Namor, Black Panther
Black Panther (comics)
The Black Panther is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller-co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #52...
, and Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
.
Background
Daniel Rand was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the son of American businessman Wendell Rand, a wealthy entrepreneur who discovered the mystical city of K'un-L'un
K'un-L'un
K'un-L'un is a fictional location in the Marvel Comics Universe usually associated with Iron Fist.-Publication history:K'un-L'un first appeared in Marvel Premiere #15 , and was created by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane....
as a young boy. During his time in K'un L'un, Wendell saved the life of the city's ruler, Lord Tuan, and was adopted as Tuan's son. However, Wendell eventually left K'un L'un and became a wealthy entrepreneur in the United States. He married socialite Heather Duncan and had a child, Daniel. When Daniel was nine, Wendell organized an expedition to again seek out K'un L'un, taking his wife Heather, his business partner Harold Meachum, and Daniel. During the journey up the mountain, Daniel slipped off the path, his tie-rope taking his mother and father with him. Meachum, who also loved Heather, forced Wendell to plunge to his death but offered to rescue Heather and Daniel. She rejected his help, preferring to journey without him or die.
As explained in Marvel Premiere #15, Heather and Daniel come across a makeshift bridge that appears out of nowhere and are attacked by a pack of wolves. Heather throws herself on the wolves to save Daniel and is killed even as archers from K'un L'un attempt to save her. The archers take the grieving Daniel to see Yü-Ti, the hooded ruler of K'un L'un. When Daniel expresses his desire for vengeance, Yü-Ti apprentices him to Lei Kung, the Thunderer, who teaches him the martial arts.
Daniel proves to be the most gifted of Lei Kung's students. Rand conditions his fists by plunging them into buckets of sand, gravel, and rock to toughen them. At 19, Daniel is given the chance to attain the power of the Iron Fist by fighting and defeating the dragon
Chinese dragon
Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology and folklore, with mythic counterparts among Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Bhutanese, Western and Turkic dragons. In Chinese art, dragons are typically portrayed as long, scaled, serpentine creatures with four legs...
known as Shou-Lao the Undying, which guarded the molten heart that had been torn from its body. During the battle, Daniel throws himself against the scar of Shou-Lao, which burns a dragon tattoo into his chest. Having killed Shou-Lao, he enters its cave and plunges his fists into a brazier containing the creature's molten heart, emerging with the power of the Iron Fist. It is later revealed that there have been many Iron Fists before Daniel, making him the modern member of a long lineage of Iron Fists.
When K'un L'un reappears on Earth after 10 years, Daniel decides to leave and find his father's killer. Returning to New York, Daniel Rand, dressed in the ceremonial garb of the Iron Fist, seeks out Harold Meachum, now head of Meachum Industries. After overcoming a number of attempts on his life, he confronts Meachum in his office, only to find the man legless—an amputation carried out when, after abandoning Daniel and his mother, he was caught in heavy snow and his legs became frostbitten.
Impressed by Iron Fist's abilities, Meachum accepts his fate and tells Iron Fist to kill him, but overcome with pity for this pathetic shell of a man, Iron Fist walks away. At that moment Meachum is murdered by a mysterious ninja and his daughter Joy blames Iron Fist for the death. Eventually, Iron Fist clears his name and begins a career as a superhero, aided by his friends Colleen Wing
Colleen Wing
Colleen Wing is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Colleen Wing first appeared in Marvel Premiere #19 , and was created by Doug Moench and Larry Hama.-Fictional character biography:...
and Misty Knight
Misty Knight
Misty Knight is a fictional character in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. She was first mentioned in Marvel Premiere #20 and appeared in the next issue. She normally appears with Colleen Wing.-Publication history:...
, falling in love with the latter. Notable adversaries in his early career include the first appearance of the villain Sabretooth
Sabretooth (comics)
Sabretooth is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne. The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14...
(who was not yet known to be connected to Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
), the mysterious Master Khan
Master Khan
Master Khan is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.Within the shared universe of that company's publications, Master Khan is a sinister sorcerer "god" of K'un-L'un who demands human blood sacrifices from his worshippers.-Publication history:...
(whom the ninja that killed Meachum once served), and the Steel Serpent
Steel Serpent
Steel Serpent is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Universe and an enemy of Iron Fist.-Fictional character biography:The Steel Serpent is an exiled native of K'un-L'un, and son of Lei Kung the Thunderer named Davos...
, the exiled son of Lei Kung, who coveted the Iron Fist power.
Heroes for Hire
Iron Fist met the hero Iron ManIron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
early in his career. Soon after that, he recounted his first battle with the H'ylthri.
Just before Rand's battle with Steel Serpent, Misty Knight had been working undercover, infiltrating the organization of the crime lord John Bushmaster. When Bushmaster discovered Knight's treachery, he kidnapped Claire Temple and Noah Burstein, the closest associates of Luke Cage
Luke Cage
Luke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
, better known as Power Man, holding them hostage to force Cage to eliminate Knight. Iron Fist was on hand to stop him, however, and after a battle, the truth came out. Rand then helped Cage and the Daughters of the Dragon
Daughters of the Dragon
The Daughters of the Dragon are the duo of Colleen Wing and Misty Knight, fictional characters from Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #32 , introduced in the early 1970s in early Iron Fist stories....
(Knight and Wing) battle Bushmaster, and rescue Temple and Burstein as well as obtain evidence that proved Cage's innocence on prior drug charges. Iron Fist and Power Man decided to become partners, forming Heroes for Hire
Heroes For Hire
Heroes for Hire is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in Power Man and Iron Fist #54 , and was created by Ed Hannigan and Lee Elias.-Publication history and original concept:...
, Inc.
Although Iron Fist and Power Man supposedly were only heroes for money, they were always doing the right thing, which usually left them with less money rather than more. Iron Fist, in his secret identity
Secret identity
A secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate persona , while keeping their true identity hidden. The character also may wear a disguise...
of Daniel Rand, had reassumed control of his parents' fortune as half of Rand-Meachum, Inc., and was actually quite wealthy. This caused a lot of tension between him and Cage, who was raised poor in the ghetto, even though Rand had actually handed control of his company over to other managers while he learned how to cope in the real world after so long living in K'un-L'un rather than relying on money that he had inherited.
At one point, the pair traveled to K'un-L'un together, where they battled Master Khan
Master Khan
Master Khan is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.Within the shared universe of that company's publications, Master Khan is a sinister sorcerer "god" of K'un-L'un who demands human blood sacrifices from his worshippers.-Publication history:...
.
Power Man and Iron Fist's partnership ended with Rand contracting cancer from radiation poisoning and inadvertently dying at the hands of Captain Hero, and Cage becoming a fugitive as the prime suspect in Rand's death.
Resurrection
In the 1990s, the storyline of Rand's death is resolved in the pages of Namor. Although Rand apparently returns from the dead, it is revealed instead to be the Super-SkrullSuper-Skrull
The Super-Skrull is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #18 The Super-Skrull (Kl'rt) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The...
. He admits that he had been Captain Hero, and that the plot to destroy the lives of Rand and Cage had been masterminded by Master Khan
Master Khan
Master Khan is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.Within the shared universe of that company's publications, Master Khan is a sinister sorcerer "god" of K'un-L'un who demands human blood sacrifices from his worshippers.-Publication history:...
. It is also revealed that the "Iron Fist" that had died was actually a doppelgänger
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
created by the extra-dimensional H'ylthri. Rand had, in fact, been kidnapped and replaced by the H'ylthri copy just after he left K'un L'un for the last time. While in stasis with the H'ylthri, Rand manages to focus his chi, curing the cancer. Iron Fist is later discovered alive in K'un-L'un. With Namor and Misty Knight, he battles Master Khan once more.
After Marvel's Onslaught
Onslaught (comics)
Onslaught is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Man #15 , and was co-created by writers Scott Lobdell, Mark Waid, and artist Andy Kubert....
crossover event, Rand and Cage reform Heroes for Hire, Inc. with an expanded team, this time working for Namor's Oracle Corporation. Chronicled in a new Heroes for Hire series, the title is eventually canceled due to low sales, ending with Namor dissolving Oracle as well as Heroes for Hire, Inc.
Iron Fist at one point also lost his powers to Junzo Muto
Junzo Muto
Junzo Muto is a fictional character, featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a short, physically fit Asian with black hair, with no particularly distinguishing features. He first appeared in New Warriors #5, published February 2000, in a story entitled "Responsibility"...
, the young leader of the Hand
Hand (comics)
The Hand is a fictional supervillainous organization in the Marvel Comics universe.The Hand is an order of evil mystical ninja who are heavily involved in organized crime and mercenary activities such as assassination plots. The Hand covets power above all other objectives. They are primarily based...
, but subsequently regained them.
In the Iron Fist miniseries, Miranda Rand-K'ai also returns from the dead. The H'ylthri revive her and promise to restore her to full life if she retrieves the extra-dimensional artifact known as the Zodiac Key. To this end, she takes the identity of Death Sting, bringing her into conflict with Iron Fist as well as with S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
When the H'ylthri try to kill Iron Fist, Miranda turns the power of the Zodiac Key against them, seemingly killing herself in the process. However, exposure to chemicals from the H'ylthri pods prevented her death.
During the "House of M
House of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...
" crossover event, Rand is shown to be a part of Luke Cage's resistance group.
Civil War and Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
to convince the media and the public that Matt Murdock is not the masked vigilante. Rand believes that he had been hired to pose as Daredevil by Foggy Nelson
Foggy Nelson
Franklin P. "Foggy" Nelson is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe, part of the supporting cast of Daredevil ; Foggy is Matt's best friend. The character was created by Stan Lee and Bill Everett....
. In reality Nelson had faked being murdered and was in witness protection.
During the Civil War
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
, he was opposed to the Superhuman Registration Act, joining Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
while still pretending to be Daredevil. Rand was apprehended by Pro-Registration forces, calling Tony Stark
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
'Judas
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
' and giving him a silver dollar, which he says makes thirty one pieces for him. He was later freed from the Negative Zone Prison, joining Captain America's team for the final battle with Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
's forces.
New Avengers
After the arrest of Captain America, Rand joins the New Avengers, an underground group provided with secure accommodation by Doctor StrangeDoctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
and which includes his former teammate Luke Cage. Also, in the public eye, Rand is able to avoid arrest with legal loopholes.
During the Dark Reign storyline, Rand leaves the New Avengers due to a variety of problems but lets them know if they ever need him to give him a call. He then participates in searching for Luke and Jessica
Jessica Jones
Jessica Campbell Jones Cage is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe, created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos. Jones debuted in the series Alias as an embittered former superheroine who had used the aliases Jewel, Knightress, and currently Power Woman...
's daughter Danielle, taking out a HYDRA
HYDRA
HYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra...
cell with Spider-Woman thinking the Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
Jarvis
Edwin Jarvis
Edwin Jarvis is a fictional supporting character in the Marvel Comics titles, The Avengers, Iron Man, and Spider-Man.-Publication history:...
has contacted Earth villains looking for a way out of New York or the Earth.
Rand was taken captive by Norman Osborn
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
's Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts (comics)
The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
and brainwashed into fighting Luke Cage as part of a mental reconditioning project Osborn created to use on other heroes to do his bidding. However, Rand manages to shake off the brainwashing by using his focused chi energy to clear his mind. Later along with Misty Knight, Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
, Doctor Voodoo, Hellcat, Valkyrie, Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
, and the Thing
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
aid the New Avengers in locating and rescuing Cage from Osborn after he suffered a heart attack and summarily taken into custody as a fugitive.
The Immortal Iron Fist
The Immortal Iron Fist
The Immortal Iron Fist was a comic book ongoing series published by Marvel Comics and starring the superhero Iron Fist.-Publication history:...
, co-written by Ed Brubaker
Ed Brubaker
Ed Brubaker is an Eisner Award-winning comic book writer and cartoonist. Brubaker first early comics work was primarily in the crime fiction genre with works such as Lowlife, The Fall, Sandman Presents: Dead Boy Detectives and Scene of the Crime...
and Matt Fraction
Matt Fraction
Matt Fritchman, better known by the pen name Matt Fraction, is an Eisner Award-winning American comic book writer, known for his work as the writer of The Invincible Iron Man, The Immortal Iron Fist and Uncanny X-Men for Marvel Comics and Casanova for Image Comics.-Career:Fraction wrote two...
and featuring art by Spanish illustrator David Aja
David Aja
David Aja is a Spanish comic book artist, best known for his work on The Immortal Iron Fist and Daredevil.-Biography:He obtained a degree in Fine Arts at the University of Salamanca and served as a member of the faculty of fine arts from 1995 to 2000.Aja began working as a professional illustrator...
. "The Immortal Iron Fist" began with a six-part arc, counter-intuitively titled "The Last Iron Fist Story". The story reveals the Iron Fist to be a legacy power conferred on the champion of K'un Lun roughly once a generation. There have been sixty-six Iron Fists. K'un L'un is also revealed as one of the Seven Cities of Heaven, each of which has an analogous champion Warrior.
The story introduces Orson Randall, Daniel Rand's immediate predecessor, who reneged on his responsibilities to K'un L'un after suffering immense psychological trauma during the First World War. Randall is discovered in Thailand, apparently preserved by the spirit of Shou-Lao and in full possession of his powers, but living in drug-soaked seclusion. Randall is pursued by agents of the Steel Serpent
Steel Serpent
Steel Serpent is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Universe and an enemy of Iron Fist.-Fictional character biography:The Steel Serpent is an exiled native of K'un-L'un, and son of Lei Kung the Thunderer named Davos...
and the terrorist group HYDRA. Jolted out of his decades-long ennui, Randall seeks out Daniel Rand in New York and gives him The Book of the Iron Fist, a sacred ledger supposedly containing all the Kung-fu secrets of previous Iron Fists, which Randall claims will be necessary if Rand is to compete successfully in the coming tournament of the Seven Champions.
The Steel Serpent, whose powers have been greatly augmented by Crane Mother, quickly dispatches Randall in single combat. On the brink of death, Randall surrenders his Chi to Rand, giving him sufficient power to battle the Serpent to a standstill. After the battle, Rand is immediately summoned by his master, Lei Kung (who is also the father of Steel Serpent) to compete in a tournament that will decide the cycle according to which each of the Seven Cities of Heaven appears on Earth. However, the leaders of the Seven Cities had secretly erected gateways between Earth and each city without the knowledge of the populace. The corruption of the leaders of the Seven Cities of Heaven has spurred Iron Fist, his master Lei Kung the Thunderer, Orson Randall's daughter, and John Aman
Amazing-Man (Centaur Publications)
Amazing-Man is a fictional, American comic book superhero whose adventures were published by Centaur Publications during the 1930s to 1940s period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books. Historians credit his creation variously to writer-artist Bill Everett or to Everett together...
to secretly plan a revolution. Iron Fist discovers that Crane Mother, and Xao, a high-ranking HYDRA operative, are planning to destroy K'un Lun by using a portal. Upon learning of the plot Steel Serpent helps Rand and the other Immortal weapons to defeat Xao.
Rand destroys the train intended to destroy K'un Lun by extending his chi to find the train's electromagnetic field, transforming himself into "a human bullet." Meanwhile, the revolution orchestrated by Lei Kung and Orson's daughter proves successful, with Nu-an, the Yu-Ti of K'un Lun fleeing in terror. When Rand confronts Xao, Xao reveals that there is an eighth city of Heaven before killing himself. Steel Serpent ultimately seeks to redeem himself to his father and to the populace. Rand suggests Lei Kung as the new Yu-Ti, with Orson's unnamed daughter as the new Thunderer.
After the events, and learning that the Randall fortune that started Rand International was formed from the oppression of the Cities of Heaven, Rand decides to transform the company into a non-profit organization, dedicated to helping the poor. He also sets up the Thunder Dojo in Harlem to help inner city children, buys back the old Heroes for Hire building as the new Rand International Headquarters, and his new home, while offering Luke Cage a position at the company. He also tries to reconnect with Misty Knight. Rand (on his 33rd birthday) soon learns a disturbing fact about the previous Iron Fists: every single one has died at the age of 33, except Orson Randell, who vanished at that same time.
Soon afterward Rand is attacked by a servant of Ch'l-Lin, defeating Rand easily. He claims that he has killed many Iron Fists. However, Luke, Misty, and Coleen arrive just as the servant prepares to slay Rand. Luke manages to get ahold of the mysterious assassin, but he then suddenly vanishes. Rand searches for answers in the Book of the Iron Fist to try to understand how Orson Randall was able to avoid being slain by the Ch'l-Lin's assassin. However, one of Rand's new business associates calls Rand up to alert him of the Ch'l-Lin assassin staking out the Thunder Dojo.
Rand heads for the dojo, where he finds the assassin, whose real name has been revealed as Zhou Cheng. Cheng has placed some sort of telepathic command upon the students to kill each other if Rand does not surrender. Rand bows before him, but this is quickly revealed to be only a ploy, as Luke, Misty, and the other Immortal weapons arrive to aid Rand. While still formidable in combat, Rand correctly guessed that an opponent who was tailored to fight the Iron Fist would not be as effective against the other weapons. The group defeats Cheng, but he vanishes into thin air.
The Immortal weapons embark on a hunt for Cheng, while Rand attempts to learn about his new adversary. He soon learns that Orson Randall was only able to escape Cheng by addicting himself to heroin, thus damping his chi and leaving Cheng under the assumption that he had died. While searching for a way to defeat Cheng in the Book of the Iron Fist, Rand discovers that his assistant, Nadine, is an accomplice to Cheng, after she poisons his coffee. While Rand's chi prevents the poison from killing him, it is sufficiently strong to weaken him significantly. All of a sudden, Cheng arrives in Rand's office, thanks Nadine (who, although being Cheng's "beloved," appears to have been a rather reluctant accomplice), and prepares to finish what he and Rand started. Just then, Nadine steps in and attempts to stop Cheng, revealing to him that she is pregnant with his child, and does not wish for their baby to be the child of a murderer. Cheng, is it revealed, is seeking to retrieve the heart of the Iron Fist in order to enter K'un Lun and devour the egg that births the next Shou-Lao the Undying every generation, thus wiping out K'un Lun's Iron Fist legacy. Despite having slain evey previous Iron Fist who did not otherwise fall in battle or relinquish their power (excepting Orson Randall), Cheng has always failed to reach the egg.
Cheng, who it is also revealed has been slowly buying out Rand Int. over the past 20 years, throws Nadine out of the way, and continues his attack. Rand has his shoulder dislocated during the battle, but manages to defeat Cheng even in his weakened state. Following the duel, the Immortal Weapons, Luke, Coleen, and Misty arrive, and reveal to Rand that they have discovered a map in Cheng's apartment that leads to the Eighth City of Heaven, whose existence was mentioned by Xao during the tournament of the seven cities. Rand and the others realize that his is where the Ch'l-Lin originated, and depart for the Eighth City.
Before their departure, Davos arrives at the behest of Lei Kung to inform Rand that the Eighth city is, in fact, a prison constructed to hold demonic creatures that had once threatened K'un Lun and the other cities of Heaven and its gate only allows for passage in but not out, making it effectively synonymous with Hell. However, Davos also informs Rand that the previous Yu-Ti had housed anyone who attempted to rebel against his rule in the Eighth city, and Lei Kung commissions Rand and the Immortal Weapons to rescue the wrongful prisoners, and informs them that the in-not-out rule can be bypassed by all six of the Immortal Weapons.
Upon arrival at the gates of the city, Rand and the others are literally sucked into the depths of the city, whereupon they are attacked by the prisoners of the Eighth city, which is ruled by the nefarious Changming, and forced to fight the demons of the city one by one, each time beaten nearly to death (their Chi weakened by having been pulled into the city) and rotated repeatedly, while being allowed to heal just enough to be able to fight again. While Rand is in his cell after a fight, he hears a tapping on his cell wall, and realizes it is being done in Chinese, with the message "You are an Iron Fist. Just like me." Meanwhile, it is revealed that Davos has not been honest with Rand and the Immortal Weapons about their mission, as he has posted a spy outside of the gate of the Eighth City, who reports there being "no signs of life," but that "something is clearly happening," and Davos determines that this requires him to battle Rand once again.
Rand's fellow prisoner reveals himself to be Quan Yaozu, the very first Iron Fist. Quan reveals that in the early days of K'un Lun's history, Changming had risen to power during a time of moral decadence in the city. Changming had been the one who had originally summoned all of the demonic creatures that had once plagued K'un Lun into the city, including Shou-Lao the Undying, and used them to quickly conquer the city. One day, however, a lone warrior had entered the dragon's cave to challenge it.
Before Quan can finish, he and Rand are removed from their cells and brought into the arena for a fight. By now, Changming has learned that Rand and the Immortal Weapons have been formulating a plan to rescue the prisoners of the Eighth City and make their escape, by leaving each other Morse code messages in the arena after each fight. Changming declares that Rand and Quan will fight to the death. Rand refuses to "fight an old man," but Quan, now in his Iron Fist suit, replies, "Sorry, Young Fist. I've been waiting for this chance for freedom Far Too Long."
However, once the fight begins, Rand immediately senses that his opponent lacks any perceivable martial arts skills and realizes that he is not the true Quan Yaozu. As the Immortal Weapons manage to escape and defeat the guards during the fight, Changming reveals that he is, in fact, the true Quan Yaozu. He explains that he voluntarily stayed in the Eighth City to keep K'un Lun's demons from escaping. However, upon seeing his lost love thrown into the Eighth City, Quan became disillusioned, and believed that K'un Lun was not worth saving, eventually rising up to rule the Eighth City as Changming. Rand and Fat Cobra manage to defeat Quan in the battle, and prepare to ask him the true nature of the Eighth City and why they have been sent there.
However, Rand soon discovers that the Immortal Weapons are pawns in a plan Quan has hatched. As the door to the Eighth City can only be opened from the inside by the Immortal Weapons, his plan was for the Immortal Weapons to make an escape attempt, thereby opening the gate and unleashing Quan and his army to take his revenge on the Seven Cities for having sentenced him and many of their citizens to an eternity in the Eighth City.
Quan forces Rand to lead him out of Eighth City and back to K'un Lun, but after making it outside the gate, the two encounter Davos, who is waiting outside the gate with a sniper rifle. He tells Rand that he has been sent there by Lei-Kung to assassinate Quan, as he and Lei-Kung believe that Rand lacks the ability to take a life. In the ensuing battle, Rand manages to defeat both Davos and Quan, going as far as to take a bullet in the hand for the latter. Rand's actions impress Quan, who decides that Rand may be living proof that K'un Lun is not the corrupt city it once was. Rand and Davos agree to guide Quan to K'un Lun and arrange a meeting between him and Lei-Kung to give Quan a forum for his grievances.
However, when Rand returns to New York, he finds a HYDRA cell waiting for him at Rand International, seeking retribution for the death of Xao, and holding Misty hostage. In the ensuing battle, Rand Int. is destroyed, but Rand and Misty escape unharmed. With Rand Int. destroyed and now left with only a fraction of his former net worth, Rand and Misty purchase a new condo in Harlem, and Rand decides to focus all of his attention and remaining resources at the Thunder Dojo. While moving into their new home, Rand asks Misty to marry him. Initially skeptical of the offer, thinking it may only be "one of those honor things", Misty accepts and reveals that she is pregnant with Rand's child.
Thunderbolts
Rand is surprised one day when he finds Norman Osborn waiting for him in his office, and is then ambushed and captured by several of the ThunderboltsThunderbolts (comics)
The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
. Osborn uses new technology to brainwash Rand, using a mentally-induced simulation in which Rand kills Wolverine, Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, and Captain America but cannot bring himself to kill Luke Cage. Ghost suggests completely mind-wiping Rand, but Osborn does not want him to lose his skills so he forces Rand to undergo a dangerous procedure where his mind is further tampered with. Iron Fist assists in capturing Luke Cage, who later escapes thanks to the Ghost's tampering. Iron Fist attacks Cage (who had been assisted in his escape by Ant-Man
Ant-Man (Eric O'Grady)
Ant-Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . He is the third character to use the name Ant-Man. He first appears in The Irredeemable Ant-Man #1 and was created by Robert Kirkman and Phil Hester....
, whom he had previously swallowed), and Rand makes it appear that he killed Cage, allowing the two to escape by surprise. It is later revealed that when Rand used his focused chi to punch Cage, it had cleared his warped mind.
Heroic Age
In the aftermath of SiegeSiege (comics)
Siege is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics, who exists in the Marvel Universe.-Creative origins:John Kelly was initially created by Dwayne McDuffie and Gregory Wright as a pseudo-preview of their then-upcoming relaunch of Deathlok as well as to provide existing in-continuity backstory...
, Rand rejoined the newly reformed New Avengers. While fighting a demonic invasion of New York apparently originating from the Eye of Agamotto
Eye of Agamotto
The Eye of Agamotto is a fictional mystical item in the Marvel Comics universe. The artist Steve Ditko, drew inspiration from the real world charm called 'The All Seeing Eye of the Buddha', known among Buddhists as "The Amulet of Snail Martyrs", a Nepali symbol meant to protect its wearer against...
, Iron Fist was teleported into another dimension when he came in contact with the Eye, simultaneously creating a rift on Earth that Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
claimed would mean the end of everything. As the Avengers battle the demons back on Earth, Iron Fist finds himself in a white void where he encounters the Ancient One
Ancient One
The Ancient One is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe. He was the mentor of Doctor Strange and preceded him as Sorcerer Supreme.-Fictional character biography:...
, who claims that he is responsible for the current invasion due to his anger at Strange's recent 'failures'. When Iron Fist returns to Earth- now dressed in a new costume-, he claims that the Ancient One has told him that Strange stole the Eye from the Ancient One rather than being given it by his master, challenging Strange to admit the truth. Although it is subsequently revealed that Rand was actually being manipulated by Agamotto as part of his attempt to destroy this reality, he retains his new costume even after Agamotto's defeat and Doctor Voodoo's sacrifice. After finding out that Misty's pregnancy was false, Misty and Danny decide to move out of their apartment and live separately, but continue their relationship.
Shadowland
Iron Fist is amongst the heroes who battle Daredevil and the Hand. Luke Cage and Iron Fist are asked by Captain America, Iron Man and Thor to speak to Daredevil concerning the Hand's martial law imposed in Hell's Kitchen. As the former Heroes for Hire make their way to Hell's Kitchen, they witness Daredevil brutally murder Bullseye.Danny later has an encounter with someone who is going by the name of Power Man. He and Luke Cage discover that the Power Man is Victor Alvarez who was a survivor of the building that Bullseye blew up.
The day after Bullseye's murder, Iron Fist and Luke Cage
Luke Cage
Luke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
are discussing Murdock's actions when they are visited by the Kingpin
Kingpin (comics)
The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man...
, who comes to warn them that soon they will need to take Murdock down. Iron Fist later joins Luke Cage and the other street heroes when talking to Daredevil. When Kingpin unleashes Ghost Rider upon Shadowland, Daredevil suspects them behind Ghost Rider's attack and orders his ninjas to hunt them down.
In the final battle for Shadowland, Iron Fist uses his chi to heal Murdock's body and soul, giving Daredevil the power to fight back against the beast inhabiting his body.
After Shadowland, Iron Fist becomes the new Power Man's mentor and the two become a team.
Fear Itself
During the event Iron Fist and the Immortal Weapons are summoned to Bejing China to close the gates of the Eighth City that are on the verge of opening. However, Doctor Strange's prediction that Iron Fist is the problem and not the solution comes true when Danny is placed under mind control which is also creating a mystical interference with the ability of the Immortal Weapons to close the gate. He is then forced to battle his allies, including War Machine who had accompanied their group on this trip. Thanks to War Machine knocking him out, the mission is completed successfully. However, Doctor Strange realizes that Iron Fist is now an Immortal Weapon of Agamotto.Powers and abilities
Plunging his fists into the molten heart of the dragon Shou-Lao the Undying infused the dragon's superhuman energy into Rand; this along with training by Lei Kung the Thunderer gave Rand the power of the Iron Fist, allowing him to summon and focus his chi (or natural energy) and enhance his natural abilities to extraordinary levels. His strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes and senses can all be astronomically intensified, making his already formidable martial arts skills even more so.The ultimate expression of this focus is the ability to concentrate his body's natural energies into his hand, manifesting as a supernatural glow around his clenched fist, making his fist "like unto a thing of iron." So concentrated, this "iron fist" can smash into its target with superhuman hardness and impact, while his hand becomes impervious to pain and injury. However, the feat of summoning the power required leaves Rand physically and mentally drained, unable to repeat the act for a time, as long as even an entire day in certain instances. Such an ability is described as "quasi-mystical".
Other applications of the Iron Fist power include the ability to focus chi energy inward to heal oneself or outward to heal others of injury, as well as the ability to telepathically
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
fuse his consciousness temporarily with another person and meld with that person's mind. In Maximum Carnage
Maximum Carnage
"Maximum Carnage" is a fourteen-part comic book crossover published in Marvel Comics's Spider-Man family of titles in 1993. It featured Spider-Man and Venom teaming up to face Venom's murderous offspring Carnage.-Plot:...
, Rand was able to use the mental application of the Iron Fist to temporarily calm a rioting mob. When asked about this by Spider-Man, Rand replied that all humans are, in essence, one divine being, in a constant craving for that oneness, and once it is offered, it cannot be refused. When asked by Spider-Man how long it would take to learn this "meditative technique", Rand replied, "Eight or ten years."
Orson Randall, Rand's predecessor as Iron Fist, demonstrated applications including hypnosis
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...
and channeling his chi energy into projectile weapons to increase their destructive capacity. Randall also showed enhanced resistance to injury, including resilience to poison gas dropped on his fellow combatants in the trenches of World War I, and a greatly slowed aging process. Although almost one hundred years old by the time he encountered Daniel Rand, he demonstrated physical vitality commensurate with a highly-trained martial artist half his age. Rand has presumably acquired powers and abilities at least equivalent to Orson Randall's—though not necessarily the skill to control them—thanks to combining Randall's chi energy with his own. He is also in possession of the Book of the Iron Fist, study of which will greatly expand his kung fu skills.
Rand displayed what he had learned from Orson Randall regarding alternative applications of the Iron Fist when he was able to extend his chi from his fist into the electromagnetic field of the train intended to destroy K'un Lun, transforming himself into "a human bullet." Despite the train being loaded down with "enough raw explosives to make Hiroshima look like a sparkler", Rand was able to destroy the train, and survive the massive explosion virtually unharmed.
Even without the Iron Fist, Rand is a master of all of K'un Lun's martial arts and many of Earth's, making him easily one of the most skilled practitioners of unarmed combat in the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
.
In a confrontation with Tony Stark, it is revealed that Iron Fist has been registered as a lethal weapon, as is supposedly required of advanced martial artists in the United States. His lawyer is present during the confrontation and argues the loophole that he is already registered with the government, and that his abilities are skill based and not power based, meaning that he does not technically qualify as a superhero and it is suggested that he has broken no laws.
Age of Apocalypse
In Astonishing X-MenAstonishing X-Men
Astonishing X-Men is the name of three X-Men comic book series from Marvel Comics, the first two of which were limited series. The ongoing series began in 2004, with its first run written by Joss Whedon and art by John Cassaday. It was then written by Warren Ellis with art by Phil Jimenez. Daniel...
(vol. 1) #2, a man is seen running from Holocaust
Holocaust (comics)
Holocaust is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men Alpha , and was created by Scott Lobdell and Roger Cruz.-Fictional character biography:...
with the Iron Fist tattoo on his upper left shoulder.
MC2
Iron Fist appeared in the pages of Spider-GirlSpider-Girl
Spider-Girl is a superheroine in Marvel Comics' MC2 universe. The character was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the teenage daughter of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, and first appeared in What If #105...
#24, in which he is retired after the death of Misty Knight, his wife in this universe. However, he temporary steps back into costume to aid Spider-Girl against the might of Dragon Fist.
Marvel Zombies
Iron Fist is shown twice in battle during the Marvel ZombiesMarvel Zombies
Marvel Zombies is a five-issue limited series published from December 2005 to April 2006 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and covers by Arthur Suydam. It was the first series in the Marvel Zombies series of related stories...
miniseries. He can be seen in several splash panels, as well being bitten by a zombie version of Luke Cage
Luke Cage
Luke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
, and again punching a hole through a zombified Black Cat
Black Cat (comics)
The Black Cat is a fictional character, a superheroine in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Keith Pollard, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #194 ....
and once again being bitten. A different Iron Fist appears in Marvel Zombies Return
Marvel Zombies Return
Marvel Zombies Return is a weekly five-issue comic book limited series, published by Marvel Comics in late 2009. It is part of the Marvel Zombies series of comic books.-Publication history:...
in an alternate universe where he is unaffected by the zombie outbreak until the Wolverine from the Marvel Zombies
Marvel Zombies
Marvel Zombies is a five-issue limited series published from December 2005 to April 2006 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and covers by Arthur Suydam. It was the first series in the Marvel Zombies series of related stories...
universe kills him with his claws.
Ultimate Iron Fist
Daniel Rand has appeared in Ultimate Spider-ManUltimate Spider-Man
Ultimate Spider-Man was a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
. His first appearance in the Ultimate universe was in Ultimate Spider-Man #1/2. Later, he appeared in the Warriors story-arc (issues #79-85) along with Shang Chi, Moon Knight, and others. He reappears in the Ultimate Knights arc, as a member of a Daredevil-led team trying to take down the Kingpin. In Ultimate Spider-Man #107, however, he has apparently betrayed the group to the Kingpin
Kingpin (comics)
The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man...
. Daredevil has uncovered the deception and ends issue #109 demanding answers from Rand. In issue #110 Iron Fist reveals that he has a daughter and the Kingpin threatened her life, so he chose his daughter's life over Daredevil's, and the rest of the heroes that teamed up to take down the Kingpin. He did distract Kingpin while Daredevil grabbed Kingpin's wife. Rand is last seen with his daughter and his daughter's mother Colleen Wing
Colleen Wing
Colleen Wing is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Colleen Wing first appeared in Marvel Premiere #19 , and was created by Doug Moench and Larry Hama.-Fictional character biography:...
.
House of M
After Scarlet WitchScarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
alters reality, Daniel Rand emerges from K'un-Lun, unaware of the mutant-dominated planet. He is attacked by mutant police, and eventually joins Luke Cage's Human Resistance Movement.
Television
- Iron Fist appears in The Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad Show is an American cartoon series by Marvel Animation. It is based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad action figure line from Hasbro, which portray the characters of the Marvel Universe in a cartoonish super-deformed-style...
episode "A Brat Walks Among Us" voiced by Mikey KelleyMikey Kelley-Biography:He was born in Quincy, Massachusetts.Kelley was the voice of Michelangelo in the 2007 animated film TMNT.He landed his first major animation role when he was cast as the lead in Steven Spielberg's Invasion America for The WB Network...
. He is seen as a member of Heroes for Hire (alongside Luke Cage and Misty Knight) when Brynnie Bratton hires them to help look for her father.
Film
- In May 2000, Marvel StudiosMarvel StudiosMarvel Studios, originally Marvel Films, is an American television and motion picture studio based in Manhattan Beach, California. Marvel Studios is a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, a self-contained part of the The Walt Disney Company conglomerate....
brought Artisan EntertainmentArtisan EntertainmentArtisan Entertainment Inc. was a privately held independent American movie studio until it was purchased by a Canadian studio, Lionsgate, in 2003. At the time of its acquisition, Artisan had a library of thousands of films developed through acquisition, original production, and production and...
to co-finance an Iron Fist film, hiring Ray ParkRay ParkRaymond Park is a Scottish actor, stuntman and martial artist, best known for his playing the physical part of Darth Maul in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Toad in X-Men, Snake-Eyes in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and Edgar on Heroes.-Early life:Park was born in Glasgow, Scotland...
to star and John TurmanJohn Turman-Credits:*Full Moon in Blue Water *The Crow: Stairway to Heaven *Hulk*Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer *Ben 10: Alien Swarm...
to write the script in January 2001. Park studied a wide amount of comic books. Kirk WongKirk WongKirk Wong Chi Keung is a Hong Kong based film director and actor. He is probably most famous for directing the John Woo produced action comedy The Big Hit.-Filmography as director:...
signed to direct in July 2001, with filming set for late 2001/early 2002. Iron Fist nearly went into pre-production in March 2002. Wong left the project in April 2002. By August 2002, pre-production had started. Filming was pushed back to late 2002, and then to late 2003. In March 2003, Marvel announced a 2004 release date. In April 2003, Steve CarrSteve CarrSteve Carr is an American film director and producer of several movies, mostly of the comedy and family genre.-Biography:Carr will direct the film adaption of the Rumpus Entertainment comic Meet the Haunteds.-As a director:* Next Friday...
entered negotiations to direct. In November 2003, the release date was moved to 2006. In March 2007, Carr placed Iron Fist on hold due to scheduling conflicts. In 2009, Marvel announced they have begun hiring a gathering of scribes to help come up with creative ways to launch its lesser-known properties, such as Iron Fist, along with others such as Black PantherBlack Panther (comics)The Black Panther is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller-co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #52...
, CableCable (comics)Cable is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared as an infant in Uncanny X-Men #201...
, Doctor StrangeDoctor StrangeDoctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
, NighthawkNighthawk (Marvel Comics)Nighthawk is the name of several fictional characters that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. There have been five versions of the character: a supervillain-turned-superhero from the mainstream Marvel Universe continuity, Kyle Richmond, who belonged to the team Squadron Sinister;...
, and VisionVision (Marvel Comics)The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...
. In August 2010, Marvel Studios hired Rich WilkesRich WilkesRich Wilkes , attended El Camino High School in Oceanside, CA, and is an American filmmaker. His work to date is generally noted for its rooting in contemporary music and youth culture.- As screenwriter :...
to write the screenplay.
Video games
- Iron Fist appears as a non-playable character in the 16-bit video game Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum CarnageSpider-Man and Venom: Maximum CarnageSpider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage is a scrolling fighting game for the Super NES and Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, developed by Software Creations and published by LJN in 1994...
(1994), which was released for the Super NintendoSuper Nintendo Entertainment SystemThe Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
and Genesis game consoles. - Iron Fist appears as a playable character in Spider-Man: Friend or FoeSpider-Man: Friend or FoeSpider-Man: Friend or Foe is a Spider-Man computer and video game based on the comic book series and Spider-Man movies. The game was released on October 2, 2007....
voiced by John Rubinow. He is depicted as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who went missing when on Tangaroa Island. After Iron Fist is rescued from the P.H.A.N.T.O.M.s by Spider-Man, he joins him on his quest. - Iron Fist is a playable character in the Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation 3PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
versions of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, voiced by Peter DobsonPeter DobsonPeter Dobson is an American actor who has appeared in Drowning Mona, The Frighteners, The Poseidon Adventure, and the film adaptation of Last Exit to Brooklyn. He also had a cameo role in Forrest Gump as Elvis Presley. Peter also credits himself under alternate name Derek Hoyle...
. He is locked into the Anti-Registration faction during the Civil War portion of the game. - Iron Fist makes a cameo appearance in RyuRyu (Street Fighter)is a video game player character created by Capcom, the main protagonist of the Street Fighter series. Having premiered in the first Street Fighter in 1987, Ryu appears as the lead character from the game along with his best friend Ken Masters participating in the Street Fighter tournament...
's ending in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two WorldsMarvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worldsis a crossover fighting game developed by Capcom. It features Capcom's own characters and characters from American comic book company Marvel Comics. It is the fifth installment of the Marvel vs...
. - Iron Fist will appear as a new playable character in the upcoming Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3is a crossover fighting game developed by Capcom. It is an updated version of Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. After the events of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami disrupted the development schedule for downloadable content for the original game, the additional content was made into a...
, an update to the original Marvel vs. Capcom 3. In this game, he is voiced by Loren LesterLoren LesterLoren Lester is an American actor of stage, screen, and voice, best known for his portrayal of DC Comics superhero Robin and Nightwing in the numerous Batman animated series and features in the DC Animated Universe....
.
Reception
Iron Fist is ranked as the 195th greatest comic book character of all time by WizardWizard (magazine)
Wizard or Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture was a magazine about comic books, published monthly in the United States by Wizard Entertainment from July 1991 to January 2011...
magazine. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
also ranked Iron Fist as the 68th greatest comic book hero of all time stating that in the Marvel Universe, mastery of martial arts is enough to qualify as a super-power, and none are more super at the art of fighting than Iron Fist.
Collected editions
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential Iron Fist, Vol. 1 | Marvel Premiere #15-25; Iron Fist (vol. 1) #1-15; Marvel Team-Up (vol. 1) #63-64; Power Man #48-49; Power Man and Iron Fist #50 | October 2004 | SC: |
| Essential Power Man and Iron Fist, Vol. 1 | Power Man and Iron Fist #50-72, #74-75 | January 2008 | SC: |
| Essential Power Man and Iron Fist, Vol. 2 | Power Man and Iron Fist #76-100; Daredevil #178 | March 2009 | SC: |
| The Immortal Iron Fist, Vol. 1: The Last Iron Fist Story | The Immortal Iron Fist #1-6; Civil War: Choosing Sides | August 2007 November 2007 |
HC: SC: |
| The Immortal Iron Fist, Vol. 2: The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven | The Immortal Iron Fist #8-14, Annual #1 | June 2008 September 2008 |
HC: SC: |
| The Immortal Iron Fist, Vol. 3: The Book of the Iron Fist | The Immortal Iron Fist #7, #15-16; Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death; The Origin of Danny Rand; Marvel Premiere #15-16 | October 2008 February 2009 |
HC: SC: |
| The Immortal Iron Fist, Vol. 4: The Mortal Iron Fist | The Immortal Iron Fist #17-20; Orson Randall and the Death Queen of California | April 2009 July 2009 |
HC: SC: |
| The Immortal Iron Fist, Vol. 5: Escape from the Eighth City | The Immortal Iron Fist #22-27 | September 2009 November 2009 |
HC: SC: |
| The Immortal Iron Fist Omnibus | The Immortal Iron Fist #1-16, Annual #1; Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death; The Origin of Danny Rand; Civil War: Choosing Sides | June 2009 | HC: |
| Immortal Weapons | Immortal Weapons #1-5 | March 2010 | SC: |