The focus is on power, friend. Prior to becoming Luke Cage, the Hero for Hire, Carl Lucas was just a small-time crook in Harlem’s streets. Gang leader Willis Stryker falsely accused him of dealing heroin, leading to his imprisonment at Seagate Prison – a high-security prison on the coast. Desperate to break free and exact vengeance upon Willis, Lucas agreed to serve as a test subject for Dr. Noah Burstein’s groundbreaking procedure in exchange for early release. As a physiologist working under Stark International’s funding, Burstein exposed Lucas to an electrical-chemical system designed to boost human cell regeneration, aiming to combat aging and illness.
Lucus, having emerged from his chemical bath with enhanced abilities, found himself strong enough to break free from prison without using any tools, and bullets seemed to ricochet off his unyielding hide. After this transformation, he journeyed back to New York City, where he adopted a fresh identity – a nod to his past imprisonment – and became Luke Cage, a mercenary with a price on his services. Known as Cage, he exacted his vengeance upon Willis, who went by the name Diamondback, and later assumed another alias: Power Man.
As a passionate cinematic enthusiast, I recall the transformation of the “Hero for Hire” comic series in 1973, rebranded as “Power Man” from issue #17 onwards. Eager to share the limelight with iconic heroes like Spider-Man and Captain America, my favorite character, Luke Cage, decided to adopt the flashier moniker “Power Man.”
Fast forward to 1977’s Power Man #48, where I witnessed an intense battle between Power Man and Iron Fist, a.k.a. Danny Rand, the Living Weapon. This epic confrontation led to another title change when we decided to join forces in “Power Man and Iron Fist” #50. The issue that followed, titled “Freedom,” was particularly significant as it marked Luke Cage’s exoneration for Willis’ crimes.
In another universe, Earth-6160, which initially mirrored our own Earth-616 but was later reshaped by a malevolent, cross-dimensional Reed Richards from the Ultimate Universe, a fifteen-year-old named Carl Lucas, better known as Luke Cage, was wrongfully incarcerated in Seagate prison in 2005.
In issue #9, penned by Deniz Camp and featuring artwork by Chris Allen, we shift to the present day: February 2025. Cage is moved to Gordium Correctional Facility, a penitentiary owned by the Midas Group, which specializes in the for-profit prison sector. In this universe, Midas is the wealthy tycoon who bought the White House back in 1963 – the same year that the United States transformed into the North American Union and Regional Subsidiaries as depicted in Ultimates #2.
In a twist of events, Cage loses his worldwide citizenship status and is made aware that within the confines of this secret detention facility, inmates have no legal protections. Having spent two decades incarcerated, during which he honed both his physical strength and mental fortitude despite facing cruel treatment from guards in uniform, Cage forms an alliance with another prisoner, Danny Rand, when he protects him from a potential attack involving a makeshift knife.
As a worker enrolled in Midas’ compulsory employment program, I find myself protesting against what feels like a modern-day form of bondage, stripping us of our humanity and reducing us to mere tools. I express this frustration to Rand, saying, “They claim it’s about justice, they claim it’s about the law, but it’s not about any of that nonsense. It’s about power, my friend.
2014 finds Cage reminiscing about Seagate, where he was mercilessly attacked for organizing a “prison fellowship” – a book club. In February 2025, Cage goes on: “Irrespective of your race or deity, the only significant divide in here is between the guards and the inmates. The wardens and the prisoners. Us and them.”
He further adds, “The guards are our adversaries here. Our immediate battle is against them, and through them, the unjust system they uphold. We fight for nothing more – and nothing less – than the control of our own lives. If we are to triumph in this struggle, you’ll need to defend the life of the man beside you as if it were your own. Because trust me, if they take him tomorrow… they’ll be coming for you tonight.
In a fractured world where the sinister members of the Maker’s Council secretly rule over the seven dominant regions, Tony Stark, also known as Iron Lad, embarks on a mission to mend the world. He established the Ultimates underground movement and employs Stark boxes to distribute technology to individuals such as Peter Parker, awakening their potential as the heroes they were destined to become. By recruiting heroes like Thor, Lady Sif, Steve Rogers/Captain America, Charli Ramsey/Hawkeye, Lejori Joena Zakaria/She-Hulk, Hank Pym/Giant-Man, Janet van Dyne/Wasp, Jim Hammond/Human Torch, Reed Richards/Doom, and America Chavez, he aims to restore balance.
2024-01-Cage is frequently hospitalized at Seagate Infirmary, earning him the nickname “unbreakable.”
2025-02-Within Gordium Correctional Facility, Cage strategizes a prison break. During a chess game with Rand, he shares his thoughts: “The individuals, whether confined here or roaming free, are powerless over their lives. Yet, we can seize control. First of this establishment, then our future. The system is unsustainable. It has always been too costly for the world. It never could be reformed — it resists change — but must be revolutionized instead. We will reclaim power for the people. Initially, many may fear us. That’s acceptable. We aim to scare them not to death, but to life.”
2024-01-Cage receives a Stark device and a message from Tony Stark. Inside the orb is an ionic catalyst that will grant him extraordinary strength and indestructible skin. As Cage embarks on his destiny, Iron Lad’s hologram appears to him: “United, we shall liberate the world.
2024, Luke Cage, imprisoned within Seagate Penitentiary, finds new life. Stark encourages him, “They’ve taken your future, stolen your destiny. Do you want it back?”
In February 2025, Gordium prison guards open fire on chained Cage. However, bullets ricochet off his unbreakable skin, and their chains prove inadequate to hold him.
A year prior, Cage had shattered the penitentiary walls, declaring, “All power to the people!” In February 2025, he rallies another rebellion within Gordium, echoing his defiant cry once more.
In January 2024, Iron Lad applauds Cage for capturing Seagate and liberating its inmates. He extends an invitation for Cage to become a member of the Ultimates, but Cage responds that he can make a greater impact by working within the system rather than from outside it.
1. In response to Stark, Cage says: “I’ve gone through so much, and I understand this truth – I won’t gain my freedom until everyone else is free too.” Later, as he’s moved to the New Brunswick Correctional Facility run by Midas Group, Luke Cage, still shackled from the prisons that didn’t break him, instigates another uprising with the battle cry: “POWER TO THE PEOPLE.”
2. Upon hearing Stark, Cage replies: “I’ve been through so much, and it’s clear – I can only be free when everyone else is set free as well.” After his transfer to the Midas Group’s New Brunswick Correctional Facility, Luke Cage, still in chains from the prisons that didn’t break him, incites another rebellion with the call: “POWER TO THE PEOPLE.”
3. To Stark, Cage explains: “I’ve suffered enough to realize – I can’t be free until everyone is free.” Moved to the New Brunswick Correctional run by Midas Group, Luke Cage, still wearing chains from the prisons that didn’t crack him, initiates another revolution with the rallying cry: “POWER TO THE PEOPLE.”
4. Responding to Stark, Cage asserts: “I’ve gone through enough hardships – I can’t gain my freedom until everyone else is freed too.” Upon reaching the New Brunswick Correctional Facility run by Midas Group, Luke Cage, still in chains from the prisons that didn’t bend him, triggers another uprising with the war cry: “POWER TO THE PEOPLE.”
Ultimates #9 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.
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2025-02-06 04:40