First Look | Marvel’s Luke Cage

As we prepare for the launch of the Netflix series, Marvel’s Luke Cage, let’s meet the man behind one of the most anticipated new shows of the fall.

Luke Cage, also known as Power Man is a fictional superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Archie Goodwin, John Romita, Sr. and George Tuska, he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (June 1972). Imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, he gains superpowers in the form of unbreakable skin and superhuman strength. The character frequently teams up with fellow superhero Iron Fist and is married to Jessica Jones, with whom he has a daughter. In 2005, writer Brian Michael Bendis added Luke Cage to the lineup of the New Avengers, and he has appeared in various Avengers titles since.

Cage possesses superhuman strength and stamina and has extremely dense skin and muscle tissue, which render him highly resistant to physical injury. Cage possesses these abilities as a result of a cellular-regeneration experiment which fortified the various tissues of his body. His skin can resist high-caliber bullets, puncture wounds, corrosives, biological attacks, and extreme temperatures and pressures without sustaining damage. A second exposure to said experiments further enhanced his strength and durability.

The same experiment which granted him his great strength and durability have also given him a faster-than-normal recovery time from injury.

Cage is an exceptional street fighter and was a gifted athlete before receiving superhuman abilities. He has also studied martial arts under Iron Fist’s instruction, learning how to couple leverage with his strength in order to increase his combat effectiveness against more powerful opponents.

He owns a jacket that is as durable as his skin, having been exposed to the “Power Man” treatment during his second exposure.

Actor Mike Colter played the character in the first season of Jessica Jones, a live-action television series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; and will headline his own series, which will premiere September 30, 2016. Colter is set to reprise his role in The Defenders.

Check out some images from the show, below: