#kung lun

[muchemovies]

DEFENDERS' SAGA series 5: IRON FIST Series 1 i was so unrealistically excited for this series, as IF had been one of my faves in my childhood in the 80s. but he disappeared. i found his run in the Defenders' series, but he was different, & it had a different line-up. he & they felt like spare-parts slung together to make another line, but their chemistry & the writing didn't work for me. SO Netfux's announcement greatly intrigued & interested & exited me. whoops. more fool me. after DareDevil & jessica Jones & Luke Cage, i was confident this was going to work, and I adored Finn Jones & Jessica Henwick. infortunately, finn was wholey misscast & incapable & unconvincing, while Jessica's Colleen Wing just stole the show out from under everyone she was SOO capable & convincing. changes were made after S1, & for me it improves, but thankfully Danny's appearance as IF in Defenders works tremendously as he wonderfully tousle's with & bounces off Coulter's Luke Cage.

[kungfuwushuworld]

Gordon Liu vs Johnny Wang - Clan of the White Lotus

Action Director Lau Kar-leung

[cinematicendevaourz]

Lun-Mei Gwei brings her role in "Weekend In Taipei" as a drug mule getaway driver named Joey as circumstantial evidence that Taiwanese women may be the cutest Asians to ever walk the Earth. George Huang's flick is inspired by those Blockbuster/Liquor Store early 2000'S VHS rental kung-fu flicks that I used to gorge on as a kid when Jackie Chan was king and Jet Li was a new name to U.S. audiences. The film stars Luke Evans doing his best Van Damme or Segal impression, as he goes undercover in Taipei to bring down a heroin pusher. The big problem? The pusher is married to his old Taiwanese flame who he has a love child with unbeknownst to him for the past fifteen years when he was last undercover in Taipei. The film features great camera shots of Taipei city life, Marriot and 7-11 product placements, and shots of Gwei pushing Ferrari Spyder's to the extreme in one scene, and in another driving a Toyota Sienna with the utmost serenity - both moments equally captivating. The love triangle angle makes "Weekend In Taipei" a solid romance flick, while the lack Luke Evans', John, getting a whole teenager sprung on him invites substantial pondering about female body autonomy and their responsibility with their knowledge about proper paternity that often gets abused. The comedic timing helps to let off the gas of the seriousness the melodrama provides and the action sequences demand attention. Again, anytime Gwei is behind the wheel, whether she's test driving a Ferrari or in a car chase is must watch, while Evans beating the brakes off of Huang's cohorts is a treat as opposed to a chore in this era where every action flick is trying to be the next "John Wick". There's plenty violence in "Taipei", it's just not gory to the point that it's more taxing on the patience of the viewers than the characters. This isn't torture porn. "Weekend In Taipei" is the American family fun I grew up on - an Asian export with stylized action violence, corny jokes, a foreign beauty, fast cars, and a cast that speaks strictly English like no other language existed.

Huang is the Shaw Brother the world never knew until now.

C.V.R. The Bard 10th/Nov.2k24

[scarskelly]

Nobody tell Kamei about the height difference here between him and this little girl.

[bookoftheironfist]

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of Marvel Premiere #15, which hit shelves on February 19th, 1974! (The cover date of May 15 indicated when the book should be taken off the shelves.) This anthology series served as a testing ground where creative teams tried out new characters and storylines to gauge their appeal. One such character was Iron Fist/Danny Rand, who first appeared in #15 and stuck around for ten more issues until proving popular enough, both here and in his guest appearances in the Deadly Hands of Kung Fu magazine, to earn his own solo comic in 1975.

This was a time when martial arts were exploding in popularity across the U.S., and Marvel leapt onboard the trend with new characters like Shang-Chi/Master of Kung Fu, the Sons of the Tiger, White Tiger (Hector Ayala), and Iron Fist. These characters were a departure from Marvel's standard superhero fare; they were martial arts heroes first and foremost, directly inspired by kung fu films and famous contemporary masters like Bruce Lee, Jim Kelly, and Chuck Norris, and with stories heavily focused on beautiful, thrilling, technically precise fight scenes.

Caption: "You whirl: one man, still doubled with pain, receives the blow of the hammer...another, already reeling, you dispose of with the monkey blow. The fourth attacker, more cautious than his fellows, only now makes his forward leap..." Marvel Premiere #15 by Roy Thomas, Gil Kane, Glynis Wein, D. Giordano, and L.P. Gregory

This sucker-punch of an introductory issue flips breathlessly back and forth between nineteen-year-old Danny Rand's fight to survive the ritual Challenge of the Many and the One, and his flashbacks to the horrors he experienced as a nine-year-old child when, high in the mountains, he watched his parents die. The issue doesn't have room to introduce the dragon Shou-Lao the Undying (that epicness is saved for Marvel Premiere #16), but it introduces the world of Marvel's K'un-Lun and several of its key players, and teases the core premise by culminating in Danny's first time using the power of the Iron Fist. It's an explosive introduction to a character and corner of the Marvel universe that has only grown richer, larger, and more exciting over the past 50 years.

[tea-with-cinnamontoast]

so, we’ve all at least heard of the iron fist, right? whether it’s from the comics or netflix show, i am 90% sure you’ve at least heard about him! well, i’m here to tell you that there’s more that meets the eye! :)

the netflix show doesn’t flesh out danny as a character that well and some of you probably despise him (...i do too) but his comic self is waaay different. if nmcu danny is whiny and all "because im the iron fist" every five minutes, then comics danny is a mix of a silly little guy, dumbass (affectionate), and a walking sunshine.

of course, there are some comics where he may act a lot different, but he is just a green flag—albeit traumatised—little guy!

the iron fist show itself MESSES UP the lore so badly that i literally do not know what’s so special about the iron fist. so here’s a (not so) deep dive into the lore of the iron fist mantle until lin lie! and some comic recommendations of danny :D

(open the cut for more 💖)

let’s start with the basics, shall we?

What is the Iron Fist? Who is the Iron Fist?

the iron fist is a power that comes from a dragon named shou-lao. this power is the dragon’s chi—or the soul, according to chinese belief. this chi allows them to access the dragon’s powers and unlock different ways of using said powers! the most common was is to turn their fists into "things of unto iron"!

however, the iron fist is not just a power, it’s a mantle given to those who can defeat the dragon themselves. these candidates are trained in k’un lun and if they do win, they will be named the champion of k’un lun. the first iron fist is quan yaozu.

What? What the hell is K’un Lun? What do you mean ‘champion’?

i’m glad you asked! k’un lun is one of the capital cities of heaven! there are 7 capital cities of heaven, according to iron fist lore, each with their own champions who possesses different abilities. they are also called the immortal weapons.

(note that the new weapon in this picture is davos, a long time nemesis of danny, because of circumstances. the actual weapon is the crane mother’s child.)

the fat cobra is from peng lai, a child of a pig farmer raised in abandonment. he was an opera singer as a child and fought in both sides of the world war.

the bride of nine spiders is from the kingdom of spiders, yet her origins are unknown.

dog brother comes from the under city and used to be a poor street orphan with an adoptive brother to protect. he was a slave, too.

tiger’s beautiful daughter is a strong woman from tiger island, an island where women ruled over men. i’m not kidding, in the one chapter where her origins are introduced, she literally destroyed the patriarchy. we stan.

prince of orphans is from z’gambo. unfortunately, we do not know his origins, but he is powerful. like necromancer powerful.

read more about them in ‘the immortal weapons’! absolutely worth it.

Wait, wait, wait. The Immortal Weapons? Are they immortal or just the mantle? Is Danny immortal?

...yes and no.

they are immortal until they die in battle. in a sense where the immortality only applies to their age not their whole body. however, this is highly speculation, since we do not actually know if the term ‘immortal’ refers to them or their title. what we do know is that danny refused to eat the apple of immortality, making him more or less fully human. and he dies multiple times. sort of.

Ooookay... How do you become the Iron Fist?

to become the iron fist, you must be trained in k’un lun as a child of k’un lun. these trainings are watched under lei kung, the thunderer, who is immortal. those who want to challenge shou-lao has to fight each other and win before they are allowed to fight the dragon. these fights are a test of not only physical strength, but spiritual strength, too. chi is like... an inner power. a part of your soul.

then, they fight the dragon. if they figure out how to and win, they will be given the mark of the dragon (the iconic iron fist logo) and they must plunge their fists into the dragon’s molten heart. survive.

Wait, if only a child of K’un Lun is allowed to be the Iron Fist, why does Danny become one? Isn’t he American?

orientalism

well, he was raised there, i guess. dunno. in orson randall’s case, though, it works because he was born in k’un lun despite his parents being american.

Who’s Orson Randall?

orson randall is danny’s predecessor. he’s the iron fist of the 1900s. he had fought in both world wars and more. tired old man. also a mentor of danny’s dad (whoopee). really a fucking cool character to read about definitely check out the orson oneshots.

Who’s Danny’s successor, then?

a chinese kid named lin lie! formerly the sword master, lie was last seen in death of doctor strange: white fox. he sort of died in that comic but SIKE! he’s back as the iron fist babyyyy !!!!!

Who’s my favourite Iron Fist?

it’s danny rand, duh. 🙄 (it’s wu ao-shi. what a girlboss).

What the hell.

hey man you’re gonna love danny and his tragic but interesting backstories i swear it’s just weird to summarize/say out loud 😮‍💨

anyway! some recommendations:

the immortal iron fist - start with this one, basics and a rework of his older comics history !!!

the immortal weapons + orson randall oneshots - just fun as fuck

avengers volume 2 (i think it was 2012)

defenders (2018) - if you like the nmcu this one is for you!

iron fist: living weapon

iron fist: phantom limb - blood, gore, and body horror warning!

immortal iron fists - girl dad danny rand im not kidding he’s so silly here

heart of the dragon

iron fist (2020) - lin lie !!

that’s it thank you for listening to me autistic rambling

[archivist-crow]

The Immortal Iron Fist - issues #8-14 - “The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven” (2006-2007)

The second arc is where everything comes together. Called back to his adopted home of K’un-Lun, Danny soon discovers that there are other mystical cities, each with their own warrior champion. Every 88 years, the champions of each city must compete in a tournament to determine the order in which the cities will appear on earth. Besides the tournament, Danny must also rescue a kidnapped friend, discovers a conspiracy to destroy K’un-Lun, and must learn the secrets of his new abilities and his father’s legacy.

Brubaker, Fraction, and Aja really deliver the goods. In an Enter the Dragon style tournament, the Iron Fist is matched up against the Immortal Weapons of each city: Fat Cobra, The Bride of Nine Spiders, Dog Brother #1, Tiger’s Beautiful Daughter, the mysterious Prince of Orphans, and the new champion, Danny’s nemesis, The Steel Serpent. Taking a cue from kung fu movies, Aja incorporates the names of strikes—with names like Whirlwind of Impending Doom, The Black Milk of Hell, and Jawsnapper in Twilight—into some beautifully wrought fight scenes. Aja’s work here is stunning, with amazing graphic techniques to emphasize the action. However, he is a bit inconsistent, in the sense that throughout the arc he doesn’t always draw the present tense scenes. Towards the end of the arc, Kano ably fills in, though I still don’t know why.

With some help from his friends—Luke Cage, Misty Knight, and Colleen Wing—and the other Immortal Weapons, Danny foments a revolution, takes on Hydra, and learns what it means to be the Iron Fist.

It is an incredible arc, and the run could have ended quite satisfactorily with issue #14. But with his newfound knowledge and enlightenment, there is a bit more for Danny to do.

2/3

[444namesplus]

Ba Ban Bang Be Ben Beng Bi Bia Bian Biang Bie Bien Bieng Bing Bio Bion Biong Biu Biun Biung Bo Bon Bong Bu Bun Bung Cia Cian Ciang Cie Cieng Cii Ciia Ciian Ciiang Ciie Ciien Ciieng Ciin Ciing Ciio Ciion Ciiong Ciiu Ciiun Ciiung Cio Cion Ciong Ciu Ciun Da Dan Dang De Deng Di Dia Dian Die Dien Dieng Din Ding Dio Dion Diong Diu Diun Diung Do Don Dong Du Dung Fa Fan Fang Fe Fen Fi Fia Fian Fiang Fie Fien Fieng Fin Fing Fio Fion Fiong Fiu Fiun Fiung Fo Fon Fong Fu Fung Ga Gan Gang Ge Gen Gi Gia Gian Giang Gie Gien Gin Ging Gio Gion Giong Giu Giun Giung Go Gong Gu Gun Ha Han Hang He Hen Heng Hi Hia Hian Hiang Hie Hien Hieng Hin Hing Hio Hion Hiong Hiu Hiun Ho Hon Hu Hun Jia Jiang Jie Jien Jii Jiia Jiiang Jiie Jiien Jiieng Jiin Jiing Jiio Jiion Jiiong Jiiu Jiiun Jio Jion Jiu Jiung Ka Kan Kang Ken Keng Ki Kia Kian Kiang Kie Kien Kieng Kin Kio Kiong Kiu Kiun Kiung Ko Kon Kong Ku Kun Kung La Lan Le Len Li Lia Lian Liang Lie Lien Lieng Lin Ling Lio Lion Liong Liu Liun Lo Lon Long Lu Lun Lung Ma Me Men Meng Mi Mia Miang Mie Mieng Min Ming Mio Mion Miong Miu Miung Mo Mon Mong Mu Mun Mung Na Nan Nang Ne Neng Ni Nia Niang Nieng Nin Ning Nio Nion Niu Niung No Non Nong Nu Nung Pa Pan Pang Pe Pen Peng Pi Pia Pian Piang Pie Pien Pieng Pin Ping Pio Pion Piong Piu Piun Piung Pon Pu Pun Pung Qa Qang Qe Qen Qeng Qi Qia Qian Qiang Qie Qien Qieng Qin Qing Qio Qion Qiong Qiu Qiun Qiung Qo Qon Qong Qu Qun Qung Ra Ran Rang Re Ren Reng Ri Ria Rian Riang Rie Rien Rieng Rin Ring Rio Rion Riu Riun Ro Ron Rong Ru Run Rung Sa San Sang Se Si Sia Sian Siang Sie Sien Sieng Sin Sing Sio Sion Siong Siu Siun Siung So Son Song Su Sun Sung Ta Te Ten Teng Ti Tia Tian Tiang Tie Tien Tieng Tin Ting Tio Tion Tiong Tiu Tiun To Ton Tong Tu Tun Tung Wa Wang Wen Wi Wia Wian Wiang Wie Wieng Win Wing Wio Wion Wiong Wiu Wiun Wo Won Wong Wu Wun Wung Xia Xian Xiang Xie Xien Xieng Xii Xiia Xiian Xiiang Xiie Xiieng Xiin Xiing Xiio Xiiong Xiiu Xiiun Xio Xion Xiong Xiu Xiung Za Zan Zang Ze Zeng Zi Zia Zian Ziang Zie Zieng Zin Zing Zio Zion Ziong Ziu Ziun Ziung Zo Zon Zu Zung

[youcantcallmethat]

So I just watched the first season of Iron Fist and I have some Thoughts about the finale.

First of all, Colleen Wing is amazing and should have always been the protagonist of this show. I only watched the show for her and Claire, and they both kept me going through it, but early on it was a struggle.

The last 6 episodes before the finale? Great. Loved Colleen's arc, loved Davos (which was a surprise), and even started liking the Meachums (Ward, mostly, became a more interesting character and was written better).

So in Episode 12, Colleen completes her arc by defeating Bakuto. Fantastic. It ends with a weird almost dance number and I actually thought that was the season end, and that Harold was set up for season 2. Then they're on the run, but I thought perhaps that will lead into Defenders.

No. There's an entire episode left???

And it was the worst episode.

First of all, even when going to Bakuto's compound, Danny and Colleen don't even really care about the fact that Bakuto's body is missing (even though Danny points out in episode 12 that Harold came back from the dead) or that the compound is empty, which surely means that the Hand has just moved on. But neither of them suggest they're even going to address that in the future, and they leave Gao there to be found by her faction of the Hand, again without considering that the Hand will just regroup and continue doing anything. And it's not brought up in the rest of the episode?

Sure, emotionally Danny is fixated on Harold, but at the end of the finale they're shocked that the Hand attacked K'un-Lun, and before that they decide to just leave NYC for an unspecified amount of time without addressing Gao still.

Then, Danny barely uses kung fu when fighting Harold and gets beaten by a metal pole, while Colleen (having just defeated Bakuto, her hardest battle) has to be nerfed against Harold's mercenaries? After saying that she needs to kill Harold for Danny, she doesn't even make it to the final fight, and when Harold shoots Danny she shouts his name but stops instead of running forwards?

I'm not surprised that Iron Fist is bad, I was well-aware of it going in, but I can't believe episode 13 followed episode 12, which was a really satisfying conclusion to Colleen and Davos's arcs for the time being, and even Danny's arc felt wrapped up with just enough of something to continue in Defenders and season 2.

Anyway I love Colleen and I'm so disappointed that she's not one of the main Defenders given she's got more personality and better fighting skills and a stronger connection to the Hand compared to Danny fucking Rand.

[wwwtraditionalwushucom]

Foshan Wing Chun Kung Fu from Yip Man student Lun Gai Foshan China. Sifu Derek Frearson Lion Dance Tai Chi and Chinese Martial Arts Society. www.traditionalwushu.com.

[mysteriousyouthraia-blog]

Buhay Ko, Istorya Ko: Talambuhay ni Aira Manabo

Ang aking pangalan ay Aira D. Manabo at ako ay isinilang sa maliit na barangay ng Lun Padidu na isang maganda at tahimik na probinsya noong Agosto 23, 2004. Ang aking ina ay si Raida D. Manabo at ang aking ama naman ay si Ronnie A. Manabo. Ako ay nag-iisang anak lamang ngunit pinalaki ako na hindi kulang sa pagmamahal at aruga sapagkat palaging nasa aking tabi ang aking mga magulang upang suportahan ako sa lahat ng bagay. Mahilig akong tumuklas ng mga bagay na matatawag kong hobby at pinaka-ayaw ko sa lahat ang sobrang ingay. Sa musmos na edad, masasayang ala-ala ang aking naranasan at naikubli sa aking mumunting isipan. Natutunan kong tumakbo at maglaro kasama ang mga kaibigan sa mga gubat sa likod ng aming bahay at magtampisaw sa ulan sa tuwing uulan. Nasubukan kong madapa, masugatan, at umiyak dulot ng mga maliliit na bagay na dati ay parang mabigat na problema na para sa atin. Ang aking mga magulang ay mga masisipag, matiyaga at mapagmahal na indibidwal na nagbigay sa akin ng  nagturo sa akin na sa paglaki ay dapat na unahin ang pamilya at mahalin pag-aaral.

Nang tumungtong sa elementarya ay nag-aral ako sa Lun Padidu Central Elementary School, kung saan nagkaroon ako ng marami-raming kaibigan na aking naging sandigan sa tuwing nasa loob ng silid-aralan. Sa baitang na ito ay natutunan kong magpakita ng magandang performance sa aking pag-aaral at nakapagkwekwentuhan at nakikipaglaro sa maraming kaibigan na tiyak na magtatagal sa buhay. Dito ko natuklasan ang hilig ko sa pagsusulat, pagbabasa, at radio broadcasting nang sumali ako sa journalism club sa aming paaralan. Natuto akong sumulat ng mga lathalain nang nasa ikalimang baitang na ako na nagging dahilan para manalo ako sa iba’t ibang kompetesyon tulad ng Division Schools Press Conference (DSPC) na nagdala sa akin Regional Schools Press Conference (RSPC).

Sa high school, nagsimula akong mas magpursige na matuto at maging magaling na manunulat ng lathalain. Pumasok ako sa Special Program in Journalism (SPJ)  class upang mas mapagtuonan ko pa ng pansin ang aking hilig sa pagsusulat at radio broadcasting. Dito ay nagsimula akong maglaan ng aking libreng oras sa paggawa ng mga tula at maikling kuwento. Ang high school na buhay ay isang hamon ngunit kasiyahan sa akin. Mas bingyan ko ng pokus at naging aktibo ako sa pag-aaral, naging parte ng softball team at minsan ay nagsisilbing editor sa school newspaper. Sa high school na rin ako nagsimulang ma-engganyo sa mga bagay na may kinalaman sa pagsalba ng mga buhay, na nagbigay sa akin ng interes sa pagpursige ng aking karera sa medisina.

Pagkatapos ng graduation sa high school, nagpasya ako na magpa-enroll sa paaralan na alam kong mas mabibigyang pansin ang kurso na aking nais. Nagdesisyon ako na mag-aral sa General Santos Doctors' Medical School Foundation, Inc. at pumasok sa STEM strand sapagkat alam ko na magiging malaking tulong ito sa akin upang maging handa sa pagsabak sa kolehiyo. Senior high school student ako nang maging Presidente ako ng Supreme Student Government (SSG) na isang organisasyon sa paaralan na naglalayong pamunuan at maging mabuting huwaran sa mga kapwa mag-aaral. Dito ko natutunan kung paano at gaano kahalaga ang makinig at makihalubilo sa iba pang mga mag-aaral lalo na ang pagkakaroon ng pasensiya at pag-unawa.

Sa buong buhay ko, ako ay biniyayaan ng mga mapagmahal na pamilya at kaibigan, mga taong nagbibigay ng kasiyahan, at mga taong handa akong suportahan sa kahit na anong laban. Ako ay nagpapasalamat sa lahat ng ibinigay sa akin at pangako ko na mas pagbubutihin ko pa ang aking pag-aaral upang makapagtapos at masuklian ang hirap at sakripisyo na dinanas ng aking mga magulang. Sa pamamagitan ng aking pagtitiyaga at pagsisikap, naniniwala ako na maaari akong magbigay ng positibong epekto sa buhay ng mga tao at maging isang instrumento ng pagbabago sa mundo. Sa panahon na ito, patuloy ko pang hinahangad na maging isang responsible, matibay at epektibong mag-aaral na kayang panindigan lahat.

[perfectlyimperfectsblog]

TALAMBUHAY

Ako si Nhorbaica Manilla Guiamalon, Labing-pitong taong gulang. Ako ay ipinanganak sa Maasim Sarangani Province at ngayon ay nakatira sa Prk. 6 Kawas Alabel Sarangani Province. Ako ay isang Muslim. Ang aking ina ay si Normelita Sadavao Manilla at ang aking ama naman ay si Jodemar Mohamad Guiamalon. Mayroon rin akong kapatid, ang kaniyang pangalan ay si Kate M. Guiamalon. Anim na taon ang aming agwat.

Ako ay kasalukuyang nag-aaral sa General Santos Doctors’ Medical School Foundation Inc. bilang isang mag-aaral na nakapaloob sa STEM Strand. Nasa ika labing-dalawang baitang na ako ng sekondarya.

Nakapagtapos ako ng elementarya sa Kawas Central Elementary School at nakapagtapos ako ng Junior High School sa Lun Padidu National High School na With Honors . Simula elementarya hanggang sa kasalukuyan, hindi ako nawawala sa mga top sa klase dahil ‘yan ang ipinangako ko sa aking sarili.

Naalala ko pa noong ako’y isang paslit pa lamang. Nasa Daycare ako noon, iyak ako ng iyak dahil wala akong medalyang natanggap kahit alam ko naman sa sarili ko na ginawa ko ang lahat ng aking makakaya. Kaya mula noong mga araw na yun, ipinangako ko sa sarili ko na sa susunod na yugto ng aking pag-aaral ay pagbubutihin ko lalo ng mas marami ang medalyang aking matanggap. Kaya naman ngayon kilala ako bilang isa sa mga matatalinong mag-aaral sa klase. Marami akong medalyang natatanggap taon-taon. Masaya ako sa naging bunga ng aking pagsisikap. Marami na akong patimpalak na nasalihan. Math Olympics man ‘yan, Editorial Writing at Column Writing subalit ngayon ay tila ba parang nag-iba ang ihip ng hangin, gusto ko ng patunayan ang aking sarili sa lahat sapagka’t para sa akin ang pagiging with honors sa paaralan ay hindi pa sapat. Kaya naman kasalukuyan akong nagsusumikap upang akin pang mas higitan ang mga nagawa ko na. Kung dati’y natatakot akong maging isang leader, ngayon isa na akong SSG Vice President at President ng Math and Science Club sa aming paaralan.

[propertyofseagate]

Interesting custom. She accepted him showing her a handshake, her smile unwavering.

“Do you not believe in magic anymore?”

Maybe that was to be expected as someone got older, but she still liked to believe there was some magic in the world. She wasn’t referring to her own magical prowess, but the spirits that roamed the fields of her homeland. Maybe that wasn’t how things worked in New York.

“I do hope things were not too rough for you. My childhood was relatively safe, and happy.”

It was her experiences as a teenager that were dark. The Evil King attacked near her thirteenth birthday.

“I suppose that is one of the differences between ordinary people, and royalty. I was constantly coddled, and treated as though I was meant to let others do everything for me.”

What a lovely smile this woman had. He wondered if she was an elf but he didn't want to offend her. He hated when strangers asked him if he played football just because he was tall and muscular.

"Magic? I guess I do somewhat. Don't know if you ever heard of this place called, K'un Lun? It's some kind o' magical city that show once every years or somethin' like that. Iron Fist, my buddy, killed some kind o' magical dragon and got superpowers to go with his kung-fu mastery." It was a mouthful but hopefully he got his point across.

"I been there before. Kinda a lil crazy," he shrugged." So guess that make me a believer."

Their upbringings were night and day. He grew up on the rough streets of Harlem. He wasn't poor or anything but he sure as hell wasn't privileged." I ain't hatin' on you for how ya came up. Long as you ain't a shitty person we cool."

Cage did reflect on his time in prison and that was the toughest time of his life." Yeah. Y'know whatever don't kill us makes us stronger."

"We should have dinner sometime." Too soon for a date he wasn't sure but he'd shoot his shot.

[scarskelly]

DG Throwback: Kamei suggests that KFM join in on today's NV dance (only after interrupting it the first time) and something tells me Ho Ho didn't get the memo.

[bookoftheironfist]

    In which all of the comics fans who spent this whole episode going “Heal her, dummy! Heal her!” are finally rewarded! What a great reveal this is. I mentioned in an earlier post that this season did not dig very deep into the Iron Fist power-set, but it did give us two key components: the punching and the healing, and since the healing is much less famous than the punching, it was hugely exciting to see it spotlighted in this climactic moment. 

    In the comics, pre-Immortal Iron Fist Danny was, relatively speaking, an untrained Iron Fist-- which is to say that he didn’t know about a lot of the things that the chi of Shou-Lao could do. This wasn’t really his fault, as his predecessor, Orson Randall (who we will get to next episode!) took with him the source of that knowledge, the Book of the Iron Fist, when he ran away from K’un-Lun. Both 616 and MCU Danny are forced to learn a lot of the business of being the Iron Fist through lived experience, trial-and-error, and sometimes just by accident. 

The circumstances in which Danny discovers his healing powers in the comics are different than in the MCU, but equally desperate: he gets caught in a collapsing building and finds himself trapped in the rubble, dying from his injuries. On the edge of unconsciousness and hallucinating, he receives some vital information from the image of his uncle, Nu-An, the Yu-Ti of K’un-Lun: 

Nu-An: “Save yourself, young dragon!” Danny: “H-how?!” Nu-An: “The power lies within you, as it always has, nephew. The legacy of Shao-Lao can heal as well as kill... The Iron Fist is not a weapon--it is a force of will...and used properly, it can accomplish...miracles.” Iron Fist vol. 1 #4 by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, Janice Cohen, Frank Chiaramonte, and John Costanza

    Danny’s first healing experience is extremely painful and exhausting, but it works. He survives. Over time, he grows more comfortable with using the dragon chi in this way, and after his power-up in Immortal Iron Fist he is able to do so casually, whenever he needs to, for both himself and others.  

Lei Kung: “Daniel?” Danny: “Hunh...I healed without even thinking of it. And I don’t feel drained at all.” Immortal Iron Fist #8 by Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, David Aja, and Matt Hollingsworth

Danny: “Your doctors did most of the hard work weeks ago... All I’m doing...is focusing your chi a bit...” Dakota: “...Whoa...” Danny: “...To speed up your natural healing process.” Daredevil vol. 2 #111 by Ed Brubaker, Clay Mann, Matt Hollingsworth, Stefano Gaudiano, and Chris Eliopoulos

    MCU Danny is at much the same state of training as pre-Immortal Iron Fist 616 Danny, and I love that his effort at healing Colleen is clearly painful for both of them, reflecting that early power level and lack of experience. And the fact that Danny just passes the heck out afterward and is unconscious for the rest of the episode means a lot to me.  

    (There is a great issue of Heroes for Hire volume 1 in which a desperate, pre-Immortal power-level Danny heals Luke from life-threatening injuries and nearly kills himself in the process. Obviously, this is not on the same level as that, but it has a similar flavor.)  

    While this is all very exciting for geeky reasons, it is also a major plot point. After being teased as Colleen’s mysterious sensei earlier in the season, here Bakuto swoops in to save the day...much to the annoyance of Madame Gao, who is pissed that he’s muscling in on her Iron Fist manipulation efforts. And not only does Bakuto help, he knows about the Iron Fist-- including details that even Danny doesn’t know. That is hugely significant, a mystery that leads us directly into the next episode...

[I’ve been going through and providing in-depth commentary on Iron Fist season 1. Look here for all of the posts so far!]

[frankfradella]

I’ve really been enjoying playing with this painterly style. Here’s Iron Fist, one of my favorite characters, and someone who just doesn’t get enough love. What do you think?