A good artist would have made this series more popular.

Still, I’m surprised Cage got his own title while Black Panther didn’t get his unitl much later

Well, that’s $200 in 1970s money. Adjusted for inflation, I’m sure it’s closer to a couple of thousand dollars. But, yeah, I like the whole thing about how Cage won’t let anyone stiff him his fee, not even Doctor Doom.

Actually, what struck me on reading the Essential Power Man is how influential Steve Englehart was–all of what we picture as “Luke Cage”, the jive talk, the “Sweet Christmas!”, et cetera, was really more Englehart than Goodwin. When Goodwin was writing the title, the blaxploitation element was there, but it was really more background than foreground.

(Anyone wanna relate this to Englehart’s taking over Captain America in the 70s and the way the Falcon became more politically conscious?)

Doesn’t he also stop a slave uprising in the process?

Man, Luke was really some kind of Wonder Woman wannabe, wasn’t he? I bet on the original version of that Power Man #17 cover, he had a word balloon saying, “Hola! Let’s play bullets and bracelets!”

I call to your attention Marvel MAX’x Alias #1. And there we have our hero having (what appeared to be) rough a**l sex with Jessica.
Sweet Christmas, indeed.
And he must be “the best at what he does”…Jess became his baby’s mama.

As well as all of that (including what has already been said above), he’s also a regular commentator for Seanbaby’s Hostess Ads.
http://www.seanbaby.com/hostess.htm

Right on.

Would that be C. Montgomery Burns?

And I *LOVE* 100 Bullets.

Part of the pleasure, and this certainly is the case with today’s entry, is knowing that a character (or creator) is going to wind up being a reason to love comics sometime during the year. It’s just a matter of when, and the anticipation is killing me.

If you’re still taking suggestions for future installments, I am eagerly awaiting the day that you put a spotlight on comics’s (and indeed the world’s) only multiplujillionaire.

Sweet Christmas!

They tried to hip-hop-ize him recently in that MAX mini, and I’m afraid that’s the direction they want to go in the proposed movie. No way, man. A Cage movie needs to be a 70’s period piece. The guy is Shaft meets Mr. T, only, you know, with the ability to be taken seriously.

Disagree! I don’t quite know what you mean by “hip-hop-ize,” since the series pretty much pulled Cage into the present day rather than the ’70s pastiche he’d been stuck in, but the Azz/Corben series was a pretty accurate look at how I see Luke Cage. He’s a guy who’s had life pretty much consistently crap on him, but he is going to soldier on and maintain his good heart.

He had a fade, too, which is something you don’t see enough in comics nowadays. I wear my hair at an even length all around (1/8″!) and haven’t worn a fade since I was a kid, but it’s nice to see in comics.

I take a brief look at Cage here if you’re interested, and my buddy goes into a Cage story that is pretty good and fairly obscure here!

I do wholly agree with Cage being on this list, though. He’s a great character.

When did Luke Cage first appear? Compared to Black Lightning’s first appearance (I’m presuming he was DC’s first black hero in his own title)?

Sure, no problem. Cage first appeared in 1972 in Hero for Hire #1, seen above. He pre-dates Black Lightning by five years. Tony Isabella, creator of Black Lightning, was also one of the early writers for Luke Cage. I believe Cage was created by Archie Goodwin and either John Romita or George Tuska.

Perfect!

Hey Bill — I hope this sounds like the inquiry I mean it to be, and not an arrogant demand, because I realize you’re already doing a sh¡tload of work here — but I’d love to see some dates and other fact(oid)s mixed in with your fun take on the characters. For example: When did Luke Cage first appear? Compared to Black Lightning’s first appearance (I’m presuming he was DC’s first black hero in his own title)? That sorta stuff would add some excellent context. For those of us who are, well, too lazy to look it up ourselves.

And just how do you shave steel-hard hair?

With an adamantium razor!