Marvel Comics; 35¢ 

What makes the best comic book covers? It’s a great topic for debate. For us as individuals there is no wrong answer, of course. It’s purely subjective. But with a little thought, it is frequently possible to explain what it is about a particular image that grabs you. The best ones are the ones that make you stop and check out something you weren’t previously going to purchase – and in some cases, you even end up picking up a title you’ve never even heard of before. 

The character of Iron Fist, also known as Danny Rand, first appeared in May 1974’s Marvel Premiere #15 and continued through October 1975’s Marvel Premiere #25 before moving over to his own title beginning with Iron Fist #1 the following month. Riding the martial arts wave running through film and television, the series would last through Iron Fist #15, cover-dated September 1977. 

Though Iron Fist ended, the character next appeared in Power Man #48 (December 1977) as a guest star, which was the precursor of a big change. 

For his part, Luke Cage debuted in Hero for Hire #1, which hit the stands as a June 1972 cover-dated issue. Cage was a step beyond Black Panther and The Falcon, an effort to develop a street-level, African American crime fighter. The series ran until Hero for Hire #16 before transforming into Power Man #17, the February 1974 issue. 

Like Iron Fist, though, Power Man was a title with a small but loyal following. It enjoyed a run of 32 more issues, good but not enough of one to keep it going, at least not on its own. 

So following Power Man #49 (February 1977), another issue guest starring Iron Fist, the April 1977 issue arrived as Power Man and Iron Fist #50. 

Despite picking up the seemingly conflicting atmospheres of both predecessor series, Power Man and Iron Fist quickly established the two heroes as a duo in the minds of many fans, and Dave Cockrum’s cover for Power Man and Iron Fist #50 really helped set the tone for that. 

With its strong montage of images, the piece conveyed action, danger, supporting players, threats and the atmosphere in which Luke Cage and Danny Rand would operate. Its use of colors on the stars while dropping the other characters and situations into simple red and black was highly effective. 

How effective? That issue – note, it didn’t require a new #1 – ran 76 issues through Power Man and Iron Fist #125 (September 1986), an issue more than the combined total of their solo series 

The characters have continued to be a part of the Marvel Universe and even been showcased in TV series. 

– J.C. Vaughn