Marvel; December 1977
Cover by Gil Kane and Joe Sinnott

Title: “Fist of Iron — Heart of Stone!”
Synopsis: A hostage situation forces Luke Cage to come after Misty Knight – something that doesn’t sit too well with Iron Fist.

Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciler: John Byrne
Inker: Dan Green

Review: Changing social mores can sometimes make it difficult to enjoy a Bronze Age comic; rarely is this more apparent than with Power Man. Both Colleen Wing and Misty Knight refer to Luke Cage as a “buck,” while Cage dismisses them as “only a woman” and “mama.” And the villains? With names like Bushmaster and Shades? Let’s not even go there. Still, Chris Claremont uses this issue to start establishing the Power Man/Iron Fist dynamic that continues even today. On the art side, John Byrne storytelling is strong, but the finished art – inked by Dan Green – isn’t his best.

Grade: B+

Second opinion: Recommended by The Slings & Arrows Comic Guide (second edition).

Cool factor: Claremont and Byrne find a new home for Iron Fist.
Not-so-cool factor: Oh, those enlightened race and gender relations of the ’70s.

Character quotable: “Guess I oughtta be proud o’ myself – I mean, two women punched out in one night. What’s next – kids?” —–Luke Cage, not feeling so good about his bad self

Copyright ©2016 Off the Wahl Productions, all rights reserved. Each week, T. Andrew Wahl takes a look at a Bronze Age Fantastic First. For more reviews like this one, check out Wahl’s website, SequentialReaction.com.