Early life

Luke Cage was a native of New York’s Harlem District. He was the son of James Lucas and Esther. James is a retired N.Y.P.D. detective. Luke Cage spent his youth causing trouble on the streets with his friends Reva Connors and Willis Stryker. He eventually joined a street gang known as “The Rivals” along with his best friend, Stryker. 

“You can’t fix me. I’m unbreakable.”

―Luke Cage

Luke was in and out of juvenile homes throughout his teens. He dreamed of becoming a prominent New York racketeer until he finally realized how his actions hurt his family members. Later seeking to better myself as a mature adult, eventually finding legitimate employment. Meanwhile, Stryker rose through the crime ranks, but the two men remained friends.

Eventually, Stryker’s activities gained the attention of Maggia, also known as “the Syndicate.” He was severely attacked in a mob hit. Fortunately, Luke Cage was there to save him from the crowd. Reva eventually broke up with Stryker and turned to Lucas for comfort. This caused tension between the two former friends, and Stryker believed Lucas was the cause of their breakup.

Stryker planted heroin stolen from Cottonmouth’s organization in Lucas’ place and tipped off the cops. Lucas was arrested and sentenced to prison; he attempted to get revenge by contacting the Maggia, only for the group’s attempt on Stryker’s life to go awry – Stryker survived. At the same time, Reva was killed in the process. After that, Luke Cage lost contact with his family due to the resentment of his brother James. James intercepted his brother’s letters to their father and eventually led each to believe the other was dead.

Seagate Prison

When he was in prison, Luke Cage was consumed with hatred and rage by his friend’s betrayal and the pain of losing his father. As a result, he spent his time getting into fights along with a few escape attempts. Because of this, he was transferred to the “Seagate Prison.” Which is one of the most formidable facilities off the coast of the State of Georgia. On his first day, he became the target of one racist and sadistic prison guard, Albert “Billy Bob” Rackham. His brutality toward Lucas was why he was later demoted, making him hate the inmate even more. 

During his tenure, Luke Cage would watch news about a certain royal (who said jailbird had unknowingly met before his imprisonment). Revealing the traditionalistically secret society, he hailed from the wider world. Hearing tells of this, Luke came to admire the only black king who was lord of his own marvelous metropolis. No matter how many crullers Rackham became to him in response. Dr. Noah Burstein came to the prison to carry out secret medical research and recruited Luke Cage as a volunteer. He secretly worked on experimental cell regeneration based on a variant of the Super-Soldier process. He had previously used to empower Warhawk.

Dr. Noah Burstein immersed Luke Cage in the “Electro-Biochemical System,” a device that contained an electrical field conducted by an organic chemical compound. Rackham tampered with the controls when he left equipment unattended, hoping to kill Luke Cage. However, the treatment was accelerated past its intended purpose, causing Cage’s body to mutate drastically. Fortifying his cells and giving him superhuman strength and durability. Lucas used his newfound powers to escape the prison and make his way back to Harlem. However, a chance encounter with criminals inspired him to use his new powers for profit.

“The Defenders.”

Luke Cage began associating with the superteam known as “The Defenders,” alongside whom he battled the Wrecking Crew and the Sons of the Serpent. Called to assist the Defenders against the Plantman, Cage began complaining that his involvement in the group was messing with his paying work. Nighthawk, wealthy Defenders member solved this problem by placing Power Man on retainer, giving Luke a steady paycheck for his Defenders activities. For some time after that, Power Man served as a core member of the Defenders. But later, Cage felt out of place in the often-bizarre exploits of the Defenders and eventually resigned.

Luke Cage & Iron Fist

Having obtained proof of Cage’s innocence in his original drug charges, the criminal Bushmaster abducted Burstein and Temple. Bushmaster used their safety and hope of acquittal to blackmail Cage into abducting Detective Misty Knight. She humiliated Bushmaster in an earlier encounter. Cage’s efforts led to a fight with Knight’s boyfriend, the martial artist Iron Fist. Upon learning of Cage’s situation, Iron Fist and Knight helped him defeat Bushmaster and rescue his friends.

Cleared of criminal charges, Power Man legally changed his name to “Lucas Cage.” He briefly worked for Misty Knight and Colleen Wing’s detective agency, Nightwing Restorations, but soon elected to join Iron Fist in a two-man team, Heroes for Hire, founded by attorney Jeryn Hogarth and staffed by administrative wunderkind Jennie Royce. Although the streetwise Power Man and the unworldly Iron Fist seem to have little in common, they soon become best friends. Power Man and Iron Fist achieved great success with Heroes for Hire, earning an international reputation and fighting various criminals. During this time, Luke briefly dated New York socialite and model Harmony Young.

Luke Cage & Jones

After a sexual encounter with a drunken Jessica Jones, now a private investigator, Cage’s life was briefly thrown into disarray by Jones’ reaction to the incident. However, the two made peace while working as bodyguards for Matt Murdock. Cage extended emotional support to Jones when she was forced to revisit past abuses by the villainous Purple Man. As a result, Cage’s feelings for her grew. After Jones revealed that she was pregnant from their tryst, she and Cage moved in together. Soon afterward, Jones became a superhuman consultant with the Daily Bugle. After she was attacked by the Green Goblin during a Bugle investigation. Cage, helped by Spider-Man, deliberately attacked Norman Osborn to provoke him into revealing he was the Goblin.

Marriage and the New Avengers

Jessica and Cage are now the parents of a daughter and have gotten married. At the Civil War’s start, Luke sent Jessica and his daughter to Canada to avoid registration, though he refused to leave. S.H.I.E.L.D. forces came to arrest him at the stroke of midnight despite not having used his powers since the Act went into effect. He fought his way to safety with the help of Captain America, the Falcon, and Iron Fist (posing as Daredevil). He was a dedicated member of Captain America’s “Secret Avengers” until Cap’s surrender to U.S. authorities.

After the events of the superhuman Civil War, Jessica returned with their baby from Canada due to the horrific death of their good friend Captain America. Taking refugee in Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum, Cage tasked the New Avengers with opposing the numerous escapees from the Raft prison. While uncovering and exposing the truth behind the Raft breakout, the corruption in S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA, the Civil War, and finding the connection between them.

Authorities and the Mighty Avengers often opposed cage and his comrades for operating as illegal, unregistered superhumans. These actions caused him to develop a strong sense of caution and even distrust when associating with registered superheroes such as Falcon.

Cage proved to be a practical field leader but was sometimes confronted with difficult situations that required additional tactical knowledge to determine the course of action. The New Avengers rescue mission in Japan and the time misplaced Invaders are two examples of this. He and Jessica eventually named their newborn daughter “Danielle” after his best friend Daniel Rand, whom they also declared her godfather. Danielle and Jessica are and continue to be Cage’s inspiration for his superheroic activities.

Secret Empire

During Hydra’s rise to power, Luke, alongside Jessica, Daredevil, and Iron Fist, would form the Defenders. The Defenders, alongside Cloak and Dagger, Doctor Strange, and Spider-Woman, would team up to take on the Army of Evil; however, they would end up defeated by the super-villain Nitro. 

Luke and the rest of his team would discover that Manhattan was covered in a dome made of Darkforce energy created by Blackout. The powers of the latter were enhanced by Baron Helmut Zemo using the Darkhold.

Devil’s Reign

Luke and Jessica tried to keep a low profile. At the same time, Mayor Wilson Fisk started a war against vigilantism and superheroes as part of a vendetta against Daredevil. But when the Shocker caused a bus to crash while trying to arrest Darkhawk, Luke and Jessica had to step in, rescuing some civilians. They both defeated Shocker and the Thunderbolt units that wanted to capture them, with Luke giving a speech to the people about how Mayor Fisk can’t stop them from helping people. 

After reuniting with some heroes in the old Avengers Mansion, everyone decided that Luke should run for Mayor to stop Fisk. In light of Fisk’s new Powers Act, Foggy Nelson acted as Cage’s legal representative during his campaign, allowing him and his family to remain free during the elections. However, the heroes later discovered that Fisk was using the Purple Man’s powers to manipulate the city.

After a failed attempt by the heroes to kill Mayor Fisk, Otto Octavius was allowed to keep the city under surveillance with his “anti-crime” drones. The heroes also learned from Rhino that Fisk was trying to kidnap the Purple Man’s children to secure his victory in the election. 

When Fisk sent the Purple Man supercharged with the power of his children onto New York to kill all heroes. Cage was among the few who fought against the army of mind-controlled villains. During the battle, one of the Purple Children, Joe, managed to stop his father with the help of Luke. 

With the city saved and Fisk disappearing from the public, Cage won the election and became the new Mayor of New York. Although vigilantism was illegal and the Thunderbolt Units still existed, Luke decided to change the Thunderbolts into what they were before Fisk got a hold on them. He and Jessica also decided to adopt Joe, the only remaining child of the Purple Man who still had powers.

Luke Cage Powers

• Burstein Process
• Superhuman Strength
• Superhuman Stamina
• Cage’s bulletproof durability
• Nigh-Invulnerability
• Accelerated Healing Factor

Luke Cage Abilities

• Expert Combatant
• Skilled Athlete
• Extended Education 
• Strong Speaker 

Weaknesses

• Near-Unbreakable Flesh
• Radiation

Paraphernalia

Equipment

• Cage owns a leather jacket that is impervious to virtually any injury. However, he wears it infrequently and is often left with shredded clothing in the wake of his adventures.

You can Stream Luke Cage on Disney+ Hotstar.