Hello it's time for another Superhero Sunday with Logan. This month's superhero is Danny Rand a.k.a. Iron Fist (not the RZA movie and not Iron Man). No, no I am talking about the caucasian practitioner of martial arts and wielder of the mystical a force, that's the Iron Fist we are here for.
The History
Iron Fist was created by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane in 1974 and first appeared in Marvel Premiere #15-25. In the late 70's he got his own title and shared a book with Luke Cage called "Power Man and Iron Fist" they would later form another team "Heroes for Hire." The formation of Iron Fist comes from Roy in the 1970s. At this time there was a boom in martial arts in pop culture. The character made a big impression with Luke Cage and has outlasted the trend making him one of the more popular b-list superheroes of Marvel.
The Character
How does a white guy become a master of martial arts and receive Chi powers? It happens when your father (Wendell Rand) discovers the mystical city of K'un L'un and later saves the Yu-Ti (leader). Wendell dies and leaves Danny in K'un L'un. Danny proceeds to be raised and trained by the Yu-ti and go through the trials of becoming the Iron Fist; one of the universes immortal weapons. For a person to become an Iron First they must defeat a dragon (it is awesome). Once he becomes the Iron Fist, Danny makes the decision to leave the mystic city and return to New York to get his revenge. This leaves him human and not fully trained, thus is the origin of the Iron Fist.
It is only after his return that he joins the likes of Luke Cage and starts Heroes for Hire. From there, both Luke and Iron Fist join the Defenders. Danny also becomes more involved in the Marvel Universe post Civil War, becoming a member of the New Avengers. At one point even taking the mantle of Daredevil. He later plays a large role in the event Avengers vs. X-Men. Needless to say, Iron Fist pops up all over Marvel and each story is worth the read.
Why this hero?
So many amazing writers and artists have tackled Iron Fist but I have to mention my favorite and it is a writer I have spoke about before, Ed Brubaker, his 3 year run with artist David Aja is amazing. It was only after having read Brubaker's Iron Fist that I went back for more. During the "Immortal Iron Fist" we dive deeper into the history of the character and into the history of K'un L'un and the "immortal weapons." Brubaker fills Iron Fist with a rich history and amazing martial arts mythos.
Iron Fist spawned from the craze of Kung Fu/martial arts in the 70s and has lasted through the decades at Marvel by having a unique character that is both fun to see fight and interesting to learn about. He will show up on his own Netflix series in the coming years and I cannot what to see what they do with him (also appear in Jessica Jones).
Recommended Reading:
- Immortal Iron Fist: The Complete Collection
- Power Man & Iron Fist Epic Collection: Heroes for Hire
- Iron Fist Epic Collection: The Fury of Iron Fist
- Iron Fist: The Living Weapon