Netflix’s Luke Cage premieres today, but who is this hero?

September 30, 2016

Netflix is going to release Marvel’s Luke Cage‘s first season on Friday, September 30. The smooth-talking Harlem superhero joins the streaming giant’s roster of Marvel Cinematic Universe shows, alongside renowned shows like ‘Daredevil’ and ‘Jessica Jones.’

The first season of ‘Marvel’s Luke Cage’ consists of 13 episodes and it is set in Harlem, New York City. The title character is a native from the rough area, and he will use his unbreakable skin and massive brute force to fight crime in the corrupted streets of his hometown.

Netflix’s latest superhero show stars Mike Colter as Luke Cage, and features renowned personalities such as Rosario Dawson, Alfre Woodward, Simone Missick, and Mahersala Ali of ‘House of Cards’ fame as one the main villains of the season.

Who is Luke Cage?

Like all of Marvel’s adaptations for TV and film, Luke Cage debuted in a comic. Created in the early 70s, Luke Cage was a side product of the ‘blaxploitation’ media movement that swept the United States during that period.

However, the African-American superhero was able to amass a cult following alongside his partner Iron Fist throughout a run of joint issues that saw the two New York City crime-fighters working together. Luke Cage transcended all ethnic ties to his original origin and has been a fan favorite ever since.

Cage’s superhero origins in the comic are quite troubled, making him the result of excruciating experiments following an early life of petty crimes and imprisonment in several jails around the country.

Then, he lands in the hands of a sadistic scientist. An experiment gone too far grants Luke Cage his superhuman strength and unbreakable skin by accident.

Luke Cage’s TV adaptation will stick to the comic storyline

In the Netflix 13-episode adaptation, viewers can catch glimpses of the apparent origin of Cage within the show’s mythology. His in-show origins do not seem to deviate that much from the comic, as he claims that he was subject to cruel experiments while he was locked in a cage.

As the recently revealed title sequence suggests, ‘Marvel’s Luke Cage’ will place the bulletproof man in his hometown of Harlem, shortly after the events that took place during the first season of ‘Jessica Jones.’

Luke was an instrumental piece during the Marvel’s private eye series and as the star of his story he has had some time to rest from all the craziness in New York City.

Harlem faces a local threat now, and it is up to Luke Cage to fight crime with his bare hands. Audiences can expect cameos from Jessica Jones and perhaps even Iron Fist, but not a significant involvement in the series’ plot like the one Luke had in other shows.