Regarding the topic of comics and comic book heroes, I’ve always had a big fascination with Marvel. While there are some heroes within DC Comics I also treasure, I’ve enjoyed the diversity that Marvel manages to showcase and have showcased for many decades. As such, I was thrilled when Marvel decided to have the superhero Luke Cage integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his own TV series. First portrayed in the television series Jessica Jones by actor Mike Colter (also known lately for his role as Spartan Jameson Locke in the Halo series), Cage was shown to be a force to be reckoned with. Effortlessly taking down anyone his opponents and foes and showcasing the dynamics between himself and Jones (portrayed by Krysten Ritter), which was a nod to their relationship in the comics, served as an excellent promise for his future roles within the MCU. Before we go further, let’s look at the history of the character and his role in the comics. He made his debut in June 1972 in the comic Luke Cage, Hero for Hire during a time when Blaxploitation films had emerged and had become popular within the U.S. However, due to the declining popularity of Blaxploitation films, Luke Cage was unable to support itself as a standalone comic and thus was paired up with another superhero in order to prevent cancellation: the martial arts superhero Iron Fist. During the early 90’s, Luke Cage was relaunched in the new series Cage but was cancelled after 20 issues. Eventually, Cage started garnering more exposure among other stories within the anthology series Marvel Comics Presents. Eventually he would be featured in future stories such as Secret Wars, Daredevil, New Avengers, and Thunderbolts. Now to discuss the hero and his exploits. Raised in Harlem, New York under the name Carl Lucas, spent most of his youth in a gang and commits petty crimes. After being framed for the possession of heroin by his former friend Willie Stryker (later a foe of Cage), Lucas is sent to prison. After being transferred to another prison, he is chosen as a candidate for an experimental cell regeneration based on the variant of the Super Soldier process utilized for an assassin known as Warhawk (a later foe of Iron Fist). However, during the process, a sadistic guard who had a history of targeting Lucas altered the experiment in an effort to kill him. However, the treatment exceeds past its intended limitations and altered Lucas’ body to give him superhuman strength, an accelerated healing factor, and his trademark unbreakable skin. Upon escaping the prison and running across criminals, he decides to adopt the alias “Luke Cage” and take on a career of being a “hero for hire”, helping anyone who could match his price. He would run across many opponents that had ties during his prison days and run across many heroes during his exploits such as Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Daredevil Iron Man, Punisher, Ghost Rider, and many others. He would also take an active role during the “Superhero Civil War”, siding with Anti-Registration forces upon comparing the Superhuman Registration Act to the Jim Crow Laws from back in the day. He would go on to help establish the New Avengers and Mighty Avengers at a later date and would continue his superhero exploits. Luke Cage became symbolic within Marvel Comics as one of its first black superheroes alongside Black Panther (1966) and Falcon (1969) and would continue to have impact with the Marvel world. Seeing his integration into the MCU has made me and many Marvel fans excited to see how his character will progress in his standalone series. Marvel’s Luke Cage will debut this September and should be a promising series for a hero who is without a doubt, unbreakable.