#seagate prison

[nickfuryagentofsword]

Ultimates 9 (2025) by Deniz Camp & Chris Allen

Cover: Dike Ruan

Ultimate Universe

[muchemovies]

DEFENDERS' SAGA Series 4: LUKE CAGE Series 1 PowerMan was always problematic for Marvel after the 70s: like Iron Fist he was created reactively, not proactively & so suffered when the fad wained, so when he reappeared in Avengers & then Defenders etc. he made an impact, but didn't find an audience. i'm really chuffed he was included in ABC/Netfux's Defenders' saga, & created SOO chuffin well by CHEO HODARI COKER - many elements were still tame & tv-realistic, but it felt engaging & informative to experience such a fantastical character in such a grounded & believable context, created by POC who could teach their audience authentically. it was another genesis series, but with Luke's introduction in Jessica Jones it was more developed than it might merely have been. 9/10

[aretheybisexual]

Do you know this (canon) bisexual character?

Propaganda:

He was sent to Seagate Prison, where he entered a same-sex relationship with his best friend. Various things happen and without getting too spoilery, becomes Mariah Dillard's lover when out of prison.

Wiki about character.

[bookoftheironfist]

So i was wondering...how does Danny use the fact he's rich? Especialy considering he hangs out with Luke, i could image him being aware of the problems and struggles of the working class and wanting to help, especialy if i understand correctly that he has a very "simple" view of "do what's right and opose what's wrong" while also being generaly optimistic?

Danny's relationship with money in general, and with his inherited fortune in particular, was a recurring theme in Iron Fist comics for a long time, and you're right, it initially came to the fore in Power Man and Iron Fist volume 1, as Danny started settling into Earth society, and particularly through his friendship with Luke and his work as part of Heroes for Hire.

Power Man and Iron Fist vol. 1 #56 by Mary Jo Duffy, Trevor Von Eeden, George Roussos, Frank Springer, and Tom Orzechowski

To start, Danny never had any interest in his parents' money; the inheritance, and his shares in Rand-Meachum Corp, were essentially dumped on him by his father's lawyer, Jeryn Hogarth. In Iron Fist volume 1, Jeryn tracks Danny down, drags him in front of the Meachums (who had taken full control of the company following the Rand family's apparent deaths), and insists that they give him his inheritance. Danny, who has not been back on Earth long and has much more pressing concerns in his life at this time, is irritated by the whole ordeal.

Iron Fist vol. 1 #8 by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, Dan Adkins, Bonnie Wilford, and Joe Rosen

Regardless of Danny's feelings on the matter, Jeryn succeeds in getting him what his parents left him: a huge amount of money, a 50% share in Rand-Meachum Corp, and the penthouse he grew up in. None of this has much of an impact on his stories at the time-- as Iron Fist, he has plenty of enemies to face and challenges to overcome, and at this point he was still trying to figure out who his civilian identity of Danny Rand even was. But one thing that does quickly become clear to him, as he settles further into the world of New York City, is that while he now has all of this money, he has no concept of the gravity or value of it. Having observed this about himself, he makes two key decisions: 1. He gives control of his Rand-Meachum Corp shares to Joy Meachum, and 2. He joins Heroes for Hire*. To be clear: he had many reasons for joining Heroes for Hire, key among them being his blossoming friendship with Luke and his search for a purpose while locked out of K'un-Lun. But he also embraces the opportunity to earn an honest living, and to learn the value of money through hard work.

*Just in case anyone reading this is unfamiliar with what Heroes for Hire actually was/is: When Luke acquired his superpowers and broke out of Seagate Prison (where he was being actively abused while held for a crime he did not commit), he found himself alone in the world, a fugitive, with nothing to his name but his newfound powers and his smarts. He managed to find himself a tiny apartment in Times Square (which was a very low-income, "seedy" part of the city in the 70s) and started up a business whereby people could hire him to help them, for a small fee. His goal was to earn enough money to keep himself fed and pay the rent. Over time, however, he became a known figure in the community: a superhero who looked out for the little guy. The operation expanded when Danny joined, and has taken on a number of different forms in the years since, but it has always been, first and foremost, an operation based in low-income communities and aimed at helping the underserved and oppressed. That is Luke's world, and it became Danny's too. Anyway, back to the post...

However, just because Danny is not interested in his fortune doesn't mean he doesn't still have it, and there are occasions when Heroes for Hire finds itself in need of serious cash and Danny has to dip into his funds. Luke doesn't love this; he, like Danny, wants to make it on his own, and he doesn't appreciate reminders of how well-off his friend is. Danny also comes to realize how complicated things can get when money is involved. At one point, Luke's apartment gets blown up by one of H4H's enemies, and Danny lets Luke bunk with him. He also offers him a check to get him back on his feet-- and is startled by his friend's reaction.

Power Man and Iron Fist vol. 1 #64 by Mary Jo Duffy, Kerry Gammill, Doc Martin, Dan Green, Jon D'Agostino, and Diana Albers

"Being able to help people is the best part of having money" pretty well encompasses Danny's attitude toward his fortune. While he does do the occasional goofy rich guy thing, like going to a fancy restaurant because he never noticed the price and just likes the view, or buying a yacht because he's having an identity crisis and thinks it might help, he pretty much only acknowledges his money in the context of how he can use it to help others. Having made close friends from all walks of life, and been immersed in low-income communities throughout his career as a street-level superhero and Hero for Hire, he is acutely aware of what he has and cares deeply about helping those who have less.

Immortal Iron Fist #16 by Matt Fraction, David Aja, Matt Hollingsworth, and Dave Lanphear

In partnership with his then-girlfriend Misty Knight, he creates the Thunder Dojo, a kung fu school in Harlem for children from struggling families that also provides them with meals, tutoring, and other means of support. And then, at the end of the Immortal Iron Fist series, he shuts down his father's company entirely and commits to donating away the rest of his fortune.

Immortal Iron Fist #16 by Matt Fraction, David Aja, Matt Hollingsworth, and Dave Lanphear

He sells his penthouse and moves into a little apartment with Misty. Not long after, he founds the Rand Foundation, a community-focused non-profit, and brings in Joy Meachum, businesswoman extraordinaire, to help run it.

Shadowland: Power Man #4 by Fred Van Lente, Mahmud Asrar, Ray-Anthony Height, Bruno Hang, Dave Sharpe, et al.

Frustratingly, this strand of Danny's character journey has fallen by the wayside in the decade-or-so since this development. I wrote a post recently about the inconsistencies surrounding Rand Corp and Danny's fortune, the vanishing of the Rand Foundation, and just the blatant lack of continuity regarding Danny's financial situation in general. Currently, for no clear reason, Rand Corp is back up and running and Danny has returned to being a rich guy living in a penthouse. But it's clear-- though frustrating-- that this is largely due to various creative teams' inattention to this particular detail, or perhaps a desire to return to a certain status quo, rather than to any changes in Danny's attitude toward money or helping people.

Defenders (2017) #5 by Brian Michael Bendis, David Marquez, Justin Ponsor, and Cory Petit

Thanks for the great question!

[marvelousmrm]

Power Man #49 (Claremont/Byrne, Feb 1978). Luke takes Danny back to where it all began — the lab at Seagate Prison. Thus begins a new chapter for the Hero for Hire!

[adultswim2021]

Superjail #2: “Superbar” | September 28, 2008 - 11:45PM | S01E01

Superjail! It’s back, baby! The darling of The Night of 1000 Pilots roars back onto our small screens. Glad to have it back; It’s been a very long time since I’ve watched through this show, and I’m not entirely positive I saw every single episode.

Superjail is formulaic. But, it’s also very, very funny and well animated, so you rarely feel how formulaic it is. Jailbot apprehends the recidivist Jackknife who commits crimes in the real world. Jailbot brings Jackknife to Superjail. A Thematic story unfolds that builds towards a big fight filled with violent sight-gags. Jackknife is seen escaping in the background. Repeat. 

In this one, Jackknife is at a carnival on a pier, where he darts a guy in the face to steal the carnival prize and tries to make a getaway on a rich family’s speedboat. Jailbot shows up in boat form and takes Jackknife away. 

At Superjail, the Warden wants to ask Alice out for a drink. For this to happen, he needs to build a bar in Superjail, which he does. This hearkens back to Bar Fight, Christy Karacas and  Stephen Warbrick’s 2001 short film that is set in a bar where a crazy fight breaks out. I’m pretty sure I mentioned this on the write-up for Superjail’s Bunny Love pilot, but it’s basically a prototype for this show.

The Warden gets jealous when Alice agrees to meet him at Superjail’s new watering hole, but brings a date; a prisoner she wants to bone. The prisoner is not there on his own accord; in fact he at one point bites his own head off to free himself from bondage when Alice ties him up at the bar. Despite now being a severed head squirming around on the bar counter, the Warden still tries to drunkenly pick a fight with him.

One of the bar patrons is disgusted by the condition of the men’s room (where a pile of naked prisoners are playing a lewd game of Twister), so he enters the pristine and empty ladies room. He gets fed up with an animatronic wall-display of the Warden and punches it, which puts a hole through the wall. That’s when he finds out that Superjail’s Seagate is just on the other side of the bathroom, and he enacts a plan to escape through it. 

Jared, a recovering alcoholic who is cruelly shoved into the role of Superjail’s bartender, winds up getting a drop of alcohol on his tongue which triggers a full-on relapse. He bitterly goes into the Warden’s office while puzzled on hooch and starts pushing random buttons, one of which open the seagate, causing the ocean to rush into Superjail’s bar and spurring the episode’s customary themed melee. This involves Jellyfish, Swordfish, Tridents wielded by mermen on sea horses, piranhas, et al. The part where the squid squirts so much ink it fills the entire screen is really cool. The show is very good at mixing up the visuals to keep things engaging. 

Jackknife escapes, and he creepily visits the teenage daughter of the rich family, in a final scene that looks like it’s more from a horror movie than a comedy. It’s difficult to watch comedy of almost any significant vintage and think YOU COULD NEVER MAKE BLAZING SADDLES, I MEAN, SUPERJAIL TODAY! But the show’s spirit is so fun despite it’s unpleasant-on-paper subject matter that it’s difficult to get truly mad at it. I said a lot of this in the Bunny Love. This applies to Alice, the walking trans joke. As misguided as some of that humor may seem today, I get the sense that the creators of the show like her as a character, and she's rarely (if ever) misgendered by her co-workers. It's not perfect, but it's not nothing.

There’s also a new prisoner guy, I think. He’s the guy who punches the hole in the wall. Maybe he was in “Bunny Love” but I remember thinking “oh, this is the main character on this show, now” the first time I saw this. He sorta seemed like an attempt to make a likable main prisoner guy. It’s the one added element to this show that felt like the biggest evolution from pilot to series. It’s fairly subtle, but it stuck out to me. It sorta makes the show feel more like a sitcom and less like an artsy-but-funny short film like Bunny Love does. 

Stray stuff: I think my favorite joke on this is when Alice shoves a plate of hot wings into a prisoner’s face, and it melts his skin off, so he dunks his whole head into a big barrel of bleu cheese to cool off. The Twins are in this, but they just sorta observe. At one point they go shirtless, and you can see they have quadruple nips. Didn't catch a Sealab 2021 reference when the prisoners were observing the underwater civilization, which I consider to be a good thing, fuck Sealab.

This episode is very good, and if it were my introduction to the series I’d probably be pretty impressed with it. But I feel the same way watching this as I do watching Robocop 2; that it’s about 80% as good as the original, but the original is one of the best things ever made, so it’s still satisfying. 

EPHEMERA CORNER:

MAIL BAG:

KON writes:

The Robin Bain bit (specifically her being nude and uncensored on DVD) never quite sat right with me because it seemed like it was by design a way to get easy-access nude tits into the hands of every 12 year old boy. Though I guess most kids would have had smartphones or at least unfettered internet access by then. And I didn't complain when the Whitest Kids I Like did it. Still, weird!

Yes, I agree! I think it's weird and suspicious when a show that doesn't have a built-in outlet for sleaze suddenly has sleaze in it. Not that I am saying nude female presenting nipples are SLEAZY, per-se, I just mean they are when Seth Green is involved.

[propertyofseagate]

Continued

Cage wasn't the most affectionate man; years spent in the harshest conditions within an inhumane prison did that to him. Seagate prison pushed his mind and body to the point of self deletion, but he had to fight it. Some would still say the man he was (Carl Lucas) died in Seagate thus birthing Luke Cage.

Relationships never came easy for him. A strained relationship with his father in his youth, his best friend framed him ultimately sending him to prison, then his fiancee's death. Reva Conners, the woman he loved, unknowingly trusted the man that betrayed him which was instrumental in her death. Revenge was the only motivation Cage had for surviving the unforgiving cruel environment that was Seagate prison.

Confessing love to Rangiku was the first time he uttered those words since his late fiancee. He couldn't lose her. Not without pleading his case.

"I never thought I ever would love another woman- but I do. You." He was a compassionate man, she was right- but his feelings for her since meeting her in Japan had escalated from compassion to something greater." Shit goes badly for me regardless of love or hate. I can handle it." He protested.

The tall, incredibly built man looks down upon her and lays a gentle palm on her shoulder." Ain't got a lot of people in my life I love. I need you."

@rangikuxmatsumoto

[racefortheironthrone]

#ubi#can we not with the convicted felons don't get ubi though#at least not if they've served out their sentence#like have we not learned already from the thing where we take away their voting rights and that's a major source of disenfranchisement#they still deserve a say in their government and they still deserve a ubi#especially since trying to get back into society after serving a criminal sentence is HARD#we should be encouraging those people not further marginalizing them#mcu

I understand where you're coming from here, but Trevor Slattery very much did not serve out his sentence. Granted, the decision to escape from Seagate Prison wasn't entirely of his own making, and he was technically in the custody of the Ten Rings after fleeing Georgia, but that's not the same thing.

On the subject of UBI, I always ask about the MCU UBI: Tony is a billionaire who lives a life of luxury, Bruce has a serious chronic illness that requires expensive medical care, and Trevor just wants to sit round all day drinking and doing drugs. I take the UBI guys more seriously if they can say what each man gets from a UBI.

That's a somewhat odd choice of characters to think about how a UBI would function in the MCU.

So yes, Tony Stark would get a UBI. Relative to his private income, his UBI check would be totally inconsequential - and given the level of taxation needed to support a UBI, it's pretty much guaranteed that Tony would be paying far more in taxes than he would be getting back in UBI payments.

This is not an accident or a mistake or a flaw in the system; this is how a healthy social policy should function. When Social Security was established in 1936, FDR made a big deal of the fact that even John D. Rockefeller would get a Social Security check - because it hammered home the point that everyone contributes, and everyone benefits. Reciprocal solidarity would short-circuit the divisive politics of distribution and redistribution and cement a permanent majority coalition in support of a universal welfare state.

Bruce Banner would also get a UBI check. Now, his financial situation is a little unclear - originally, Banner was a top research scientist at Culver University with U.S military contracts, so he would probably have been in the top 10% of incomes (affluent but not wealthy). After his transformation into the Hulk, however, Bruce was a wanted fugitive with no way of earning income.

After that, Bruce was an Avenger - and this is where things get odd. As established in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Avengers in the MCU don't get a salary: Tony gave them free housing and paid their Avengers-related expenses, but Sam Wilson notably relied on his veteran's pension and government contracts for his living (thus why his banker could justify turning him down for a small business loan rather than admitting to structural racial discrimination) and Steve Rogers even with his veteran's benefits, Social Security, and SHIELD salary couldn't afford a place in Brooklyn. This means that, while Bruce doesn't need to worry about money for his research and can save on rent, he does actually need the UBI for everything else.

This is very different from in the comics, where Avengers get quite decent salaries:

$4k a month in 1983 dollars works out to around $150k a year (on top of free housing at the Avengers Mansion), putting them solidly in the top 13% of U.S personal incomes.

As for Trevor Slattery, I feel like your description is unfairly characterizing a working actor. Slattery was not a major success in Hollywood - hence why he took Aldrich Killian up on his job offer and became part of a criminal conspiracy - and he does have some serious substance abuse issues, but what he does in his private life is his own business. Hell, even when he was abducted by the Ten Rings, he kept working as an actor. That being said, Trevor is going to have a hard time getting UBI, both because he's a wanted fugitive and convicted felon (which would end his eligibility in the U.S) and because he's now living in a rural village in another dimension.

[nickfuryagentofsword]

Luke Cage: Hero For Hire 1 (1972) by Archie Goodwin & George Tuska

Cover: John Romita

[docgold13]

365 Marvel Comics Paper Cut-Out SuperHeroes - One Hero, Every Day, All Year…

February 16th - Luke Cage

Carl Lucas, the man that would one day be known as the heroic ‘Luke Cage,’ was born and raised in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan. He was the son of Esther and James Lucas, a retired N.Y.P.D. detective. Lucas spent his youth causing trouble on the streets with his friends, a group of would-be gangsters who called themselves ‘The Rivals.’   In his younger years, Carl dreamed of becoming a powerful racketeer and crime boss.  As he grew older, however, he came to better understand how his actions were affecting others, especially his parents.  As such, he began to disengage from his pals among The Rivals.  Carl’s former best friend, Willis Stryker, felt angry and abandoned by Carl.  As retribution, he planted a large amount of narcotics in Carl’s apartment and informed the police.  It resulted in Carl being charged, sentenced and incarcerated.  

Following numerous fights and escape attempts, Carl was transferred to the notorious Seagate Prison of Louisiana.  There Carl was subjected to all manners of brutalities, primarily at the hands of a racist guard named Rackham.

Dr. Noah Burstein came to the prison to carry out secret medical research and recruited Carl as a volunteer. Bernstein was secretly working on experimental cell regeneration based on a variant of the Super-Soldier process that had transformed Steve Rogers into Captain America.  Burstien immersed Carl in the ‘Electro-Biochemical System,’ a device that contained an electrical field conducted by an organic chemical compound. When he left equipment unattended, Rackham tampered with the controls, hoping to kill Carl. However, the treatment was accelerated past its intended purpose causing mutagenic change throughout Carl's body, fortifying his cells and giving him superhuman strength and durability. Carl used his new-found powers to escape the prison and make his way back to Harlem. A chance encounter with criminals inspired him to use his new powers for profit.

Still a wanted man, Carl adopted the alias ‘Luke Cage.’  With his new super powers he decided to don a distinctive costume, and start a new career as a ‘Hero for Hire.’ He would help anyone who could meet his price.  He found an office above Times Square's Gem Theater and from there he continued his new career.

Dr. Burstein also relocated to New York and opened a Storefront Clinic, assisted by Dr. Claire Temple. Luke met Claire after he was attacked by hitmen hired by his old friend Stryker. When she rushed to help him she was shocked to find that he wasn't injured by the attack, but insisted on having her colleague look at his bruises. At the clinic he met his old friend Dr. Burnstein. Later, when Burnstein was attacked by a syndicate looking to convince them into paying a protection fee, Claire suggested that they take up Luke's services. Claire was kidnapped and Luke tracked her to the perpetrators lair, where he was surprised to find that it was his old friend and betrayer, Willis Stryker. The two former friends fought. During the fight Stryker fell through a skylight and was blown up by one of his own trick switchblades, ruining any hope Luke had that Stryker could clear his name.

Luke went on to have numerous adventures in his role as the hero for hire.  After an encounter with Iron Man, Luke decided to take on the moniker of ‘Power Man’ to further cement his status as a super hero.  He later became a member of The Defenders for a brief period of time and additionally acted as a member of The Fantastic Four, stepping in for The Thing who had temporarily lost his powers.  

Some time later, Clare Temple and Noah Burstein were abducted by the crime lord known as Cottonmouth.  The villain used them as hostages in order to coerce Power Man into taking down Misty Knight, a longstanding nemesis of Cottonmouth.  The scheme backfired when Cage joined forces with Misty and her boyfriend, Iron Fist, to take down Cottonmouth.  

Cage and Iron Fist did not have much in common with one another, yet they nonetheless got along extremely well.  The two decided to rebrand the Hero for Hire operation as Power Man and Iron Fist: The Heroes for Hire, and together achieved great success, earning an international reputation and battling a wide variety of criminals on countless adventures.  

Cage was ultimately able to clear his original name and he worked with investigator, Dakota North, in an effort to find and reconnect with his parents.  The effort was stymied by Cage’s older brother, James Lucas Jr.  Indeed James Jr.’s animosities toward his brother ran so deep that he ended up becoming a member of the criminal syndicate known as The Corporation, whose power-enhancing scientist, Doctor Karl Malus, mutated him into the super villain called Coldfire.  Yet the Corporation betrayed James Jr. and they took his father, James Lucas Sr., as a hostage to ensure his cooperation.  It was a critical error which ultimately led to the two brothers resolving their differences and teaming up to rescue their father.  Coldfire ended up sacrificing himself to save his father and destroy The Corporation.  

Following a brief tenure with an expanded Heroes For Hire squad, Cage decided to lay low from super heroics, retiring the ‘Power Man’ name and just going by Luke Cage.  He and Jessica Jones became body guards for attorney Matt Murdock.  Luke and Jessica became very close as he helped her overcome her difficulties with drinking and begin the process of working through past traumas she endured at the hands of the sadistic villain known as The Purple Man.  Luke and Jessica ultimately became romantically involved and have remained together ever since.  The two were married and have a daughter named Danielle Cage.  

In the wake of the Secret Invasion event, Cage once more found himself a fugitive as Norman Osborn took over SHIELD, rebranded it as HAMMER, and labeled Cage and many of his fellow heroes as enemies of the state.  Cage ended up a member of the New Avengers, battling against Osborn and his various schemes.  

Cage remained with the Avengers through the return of the heroic era, ultimately forming his own squad of Mighty Avengers.  Cage additionally spent time acting as the leader of a new iteration of The Thunderbolts squad.  Later Cage reunited with his former partner, Iron Fist, to take down a number of threats that were linked to Cage’s youth growing up in Harlem.  More recently, Cage, Iron Fist and Jessica Jones have teamed up with Tony Stark in an effort to bring down Mayor Wilson Fisk.

Actor Mike Colter portrayed Luke Cage in the MCU Netflix series Cage, along with the Defenders and Jessica Jones series.  The character first appeared in the pages of Hero for Hire #1 (1972).

[dontcallmecarrie]

tfw the plot bunny strikes and refuses to let go, here, continuation of this:

.

Loki was torn between chagrin and vague amusement, as he observed everyone else’s reactions to the two Justin Hammers in between herding everyone to one of the safehouses Victor von Doom had somehow managed to get ahold of in this strange world.

At first glance, Victor seemed to be the most unperturbed— but Loki knew him well enough to note the way his eyes had widened when he’d seen the two side by side, couldn’t help but catch the tiniest shift in the way he held himself and Loki would bet anything that if he were any sort of telepath, he’d be hearing nothing but an infernal screeching coming from his corner of the room. 

Ivan Vanko wasn’t much better, but at least he’d elected to hyperfixate on cleaning up the loose ends they’d left in relation to their original mission: from his mutters, some of the security cameras’ footage had been trickier to access than not, and required even more effort to scrub. Loki gave it another five minutes before he was forced to look away from his computer and acknowledge the reality of the situation.

Meanwhile, the Winter Soldiers were an interesting study in contrasts; while Winter was extremely apologetic about the situation and had already apologized no less than five times, Soldat seemed to be content to look on in bemusement as the situation unraveled from there. 

...which wasn’t very different from what Loki’s own counterpart was doing, actually, but at least Soldat wasn’t enjoying the chaos. Visibly, anyway, and Loki was getting a new appreciation for just how irritating that particular smirk looked on his own face. If they all weren’t so focused on calming the jumpier, more visibly frazzled-version of their leader, someone would’ve punched it off his face by now. As it was, though...

.

“Who the hell are you people?!” Justin Hammer whisper-shrieked, in between sharp gasps for air and eyes wide as he cowered away from his kidnappers. “And wh— wh—”

“He’s more high-strung than you are.” Someone muttered to the terrifying figure who had his face—

“Of course he is, he has no idea what’s going on and you guys kidnapped him,” his mirror image replied with a flat look, before turning to face him looking vaguely embarrassed. “Look, Hammer— can I call you Hammer? Wait, no, you can be Justin, I’ll go by Hammer and man this is weird— I can explain. Just. Sit down and take a breather, because it’s, uh, a bit of a long story.”

.

Justin would’ve thought an explanation would leave him with more answers than questions.

He was sorely mistaken.

The headache he had now wasn’t much of an improvement from before. 

.

“So, let me get this straight: you,” Justin jabbed a finger at the dude with the dark grey mask which was just about the only thing differentiating him from his twin, “grabbed me because you mistook me for him—”

“Sorry about that, by the w—”

“—and you’re all from some other dimension and pissed off goodness knows how many organizations trying to figure out how to get home,” Justin steamrollered on, closing his eyes in an effort to take things one step at a time because he was trying not to feel overwhelmed but these guys weren’t making it easy, “is that right?”

“Well...”

“I mean...”

“Yeah.” Ivan— not the bastard responsible for his being in Seagate, another version of him who apparently didn’t actively try and screw people over— replied, and Justin opened his eyes just in time to catch the tail end of his shrug. “That about sums it up.”

“Okay.” Justin nodded to himself. “Why?”

“Why what? You’re going to need to be more specific, here, I’m not a mind reader.” 

“How’d you even get here? Or do you weirdos just go dimension-hopping for fun on a Friday night?”

“You’re not the only one wondering that.” The alien god said airily, toying with a— that was a knife, okay, Justin already knew he was in way over his head, he didn’t need the reminder, thanks. Where did it even come from, anyway? “I would really like to know that as well, Ivan.”

“Oh, nah, this was a freak accident.” Ivan snorted, then gave them all a smirk that gave Justin goosebumps for a second. “As for why...look at it this way: this was weird and stressful for us, and from the start you guys knew what was going on and have me to figure out how to get us back. Now imagine if it’d been the Avengers.”

The silent, broody one— Victor, was it?— made a noise of realization. “That is diabolical. I love it.”

“I know, I was trying to figure out how to temper it when this happened. The ray gun was supposed to be temporary, I’m not sure what happened but the end goal’s a duration of twenty-four hours. Sorry you guys got caught up in the beta, by the way.”

“We are going to be having words about proper lab safety protocols when we get home, Ivan.” Victor said darkly, and something in his voice that had six out of the seven other people in the room freezing for a second.

Justin couldn’t help but notice his...twin was not part of that number.

But first, because this was something he’d been wondering ever since he’d heard of how this ‘Cabal’ operated— 

“Why are you going to this effort?”Justin asked.

“Oh, boy, here we go again,” the guy calling himself ‘Winter’ muttered, but before he do more than start to turn to him in confusion, Ivan spoke.

“Because death is too simple.” He said, not looking away from the computer he’d pulled out. “Because any rando with a gun could do that, if they wanted. No, if I’ve got a beef with someone, I want them to suffer. I want them to regret ever having pissed me off, to curse my name every time they step on a Lego and realize who put it there, to—”

“Yes, I know, we get it.” One of the alien gods cut in. The one who didn’t look like shit, and had a long-suffering look on his face partway into Ivan’s spiel. “If I had a penny for every time you go on that rant...”

“Says the guy who uses my ideas to become the official nemesis of the Avengers.” Ivan shot back, unamused, and the way Winter sighed and Victor pinched the bridge of his nose told him this was a recurring argument. 

“Guys,” Justin’s...twin cut in, and Justin couldn’t help but feel something in the pit of his stomach clench as he noticed the way everyone from his dimension came to attention. “If we could focus on getting home?”

“I know, I know, I’m on it.” Ivan muttered, turning back to his computer. “Trying to throw SHIELD off our trail’s easier here, but it’s still not exactly a cakewalk.”

“Okay. What can we do in the meantime?” 

.

The more Justin saw of this ‘Cabal’, of Hammer and the others, the more uncomfortable he felt. 

Because the more time passed, the more it felt like...he was seeing a better version of himself.

How long had he tried to get people to respect him? How many classes on public speaking and marketing had he taken, how many books had he read in an effort to build his charisma, to be remembered as something other than the cheap knockoff of Tony Stark?

And now...

Justin watched as someone wearing his face walked around, and he was quiet, and fairly introverted, but something about him demanded respect, commanded all the attention in the room when he talked, and... Justin wanted that.

.

Of course, Justin’s...twin noticed.

For some reason, the look of sympathy he got felt even worse than the first time he’d donned prisoner’s uniform in Seagate.

Not to mention the conversation they had, when Justin was ushered into a quiet corner near the safehouse’s kitchen as they had tea.

.

It was. A talk. 

Not a great one. 

Not that there really could’ve been, considering, but.

“I am not you, you are not me, and that’s a good thing.”

Justin didn’t know what he was expecting, really.

Another version of himself, forcing him to acknowledge things he’d thought he’d gotten over— how was he supposed to handle it?

“You were set up for failure from the start, you know. No child should ever have to carry some of the burdens you grew up with.”

Just.

Someone who understood, and how was he supposed to deal?

“You cannot change the past, but you can control your own actions in the future. What do you want to do, who do you want to become? What makes you, you?”

Justin had thought he’d felt tired when he’d finally been brought into the mess these guys were part of, but now his exhaustion felt soul-deep and he didn’t know when he’d started crying but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t stop—

.

Mercifully, the others left him alone for the rest of the day. 

He... needed to think.

.

Justin wasn’t the only one having a hard time, he knew: he’d noticed the way Soldat followed Winter around, trying to mimic his self-confidence, and the Loki of this world looked at the easy camaraderie his counterpart had with a hunger that would’ve made Justin very nervous if that expression were aimed at him. 

Something dark and feral, all jagged edges and brittle smiles and it shouldn’t have resonated nearly as much as it did but—

It made for a good conversation starter, if nothing else. Something relatable to bond over tea, because Victor was a monster who had an irrational disdain for coffee and Justin needed his caffeine fix if he wanted to keep what was left of his sanity.

.

Justin didn’t know what he brought to the table. Not compared to whatever his twin did, anyway, and he didn’t want to go that route either because he wanted to be himself. 

Even if he wasn’t certain what that looked like, anyway, not after decades of chasing after Tony Stark’s shadow, but...

He’d find out. Somehow.

.

“Hey! Guys, I figured it out!” Ivan’s excited cheer woke everyone up early one morning. “Just gotta get my hands on some materials, but we can go home soon!”

[propertyofseagate]

Luke didn't have a great relationship with his family. His father, James Lucas, was a police man and to no surprise clashed with his son's degenerate criminal behavior in his youth. When Cage was in prison he sent letters to his father all for them to be ignored for five years while he suffered in the most extreme conditions in Seagate penitentiary. Unbeknownst to Cage, his jealous older brother received his letters and ensured they never reached him. These days their relationship was a bit more stable but far from perfect.

"You bet yo' pretty smile I would!" Cage exclaimed, chocolate eyes scanning her art. Luke's profession didn't allow for much time to explore different hobbies but he figured since he was doing business in Tokyo he would take some time to explore the land.

The muscular man was taken back with the invitation to try his hand at her profession. He didn't even know where to begin." Well they say practice makes perfect -- and I see plenty of perfection from where I'm standin'." He chuckled.

Ayumi clearly wasn't messing around when she asked him to make something. The Hero-for-Hire had no clue where to begin. However, when he looked at the young woman a smile formed and he proceeded to carve an image of clay based on her face. It wasn't great work but it was decent enough for her to see what he was building.

Ayumi spent a lot of time and care on her ceramic projects-- making sure everything came out just right. If she wasn't completely satisfied, she'd end up redoing her work a few times. On more than one occasion, she had to reimburse the teachers for all the clay she'd used.

Her passion for creating things stemmed from both of her parents, who were art teachers at the same elementary school. Her mother co-taught class alongside her father before they fell in love. The redhead never tired of the times they'd reminisce as their stories were heartwarming.

"You would decorate your room with my projects?" Ayu echoed as her cheeks reddened from Luke's compliments. "Thank you! I've been crafting things out of clay since I was young. It's taken me years to improve my skill, and sometimes I still make a mess of everything." She gazed back at Cage, blinking in surprise when an idea popped into her head. "I think you should make something!"

The redhead hurriedly grabbed a slab of clay and set it down in front of Luke. "Make whatever comes to mind. I'm here to help if need be."

[marvelloussynergy]

COMIC BOOK REFERENCES & EASTER EGGS - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

The following is a guide to all the comic book references and Easter eggs I’ve spotted in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings along with any deviations from the source material. Note that owing to the convoluted and complex nature of comic books, I’ve tried to include only the most essential information regarding a character’s history and backstories.

In both media, Shang-Chi is known as an expert martial artist. As revealed in Special Marvel Edition #15 (1973), his comic book incarnation was raised at his father’s fortress in China. He was trained to fight by tutors and his father. At nineteen years of age, he was tasked by his father to assassinate Dr James Petrie (In the film, Shang-Chi is sent to kill the leader of the Iron Gang). After completing this assignment (in actuality Shang-Chi had attacked an android facsimile), he meets MI6 agent Sir Denis Nayland Smith, who reveals to him that his father is a criminal and not the noble man he was led to believe growing up. Shang-Chi returns to his father who confirms what he has learned. With this, Shang-Chi leaves, declaring that they are now enemies, and begins a new life in New York. Notably, this version of the character is half Chinese, with his mother being a White American. In the film, Shang-Chi’s mother, Jiang Li, is of Asian descent.

Wenwu is an amalgamation of two characters from the source material: the Mandarin and Fu Manchu. Though he claims to be a direct descendant of Genghis Khan, the comic book incarnation of the Mandarin was born to an unknown Chinese father and English mother who was a prostitute. In addition to being a superb martial artist and tactician, he possesses ten rings (worn on his fingers; in the film, they’re akin to bracelets), each of which grants him a different power. The ring worn on his right thumb allows him to rearrange matter, the ring on his right index finger can generate a concussive force, the one on his right middle finger enables the Mandarin to create a vortex from the air, the one on his right ring finger produces a disintegration beam, the one on his right little finger generates an area of darkness, the ring worn on his left thumb produces a range of electromagnetic energy, the ring on his left index finger can generate heat and flames, the one on his left middle finger discharges electricity, the one on his left ring finger enhances his psionic energy, and the one on his left little finger generates cold and ice. The Mandarin obtained the objects from the wreckage of a spaceship belonging to the Makluans (also known as Kakaranatharian).

In the comics, Fu Manchu is Shang-Chi’s father. He leads the secret organisation Si-Fan and has several bases around the world including one in Hunan, China. He’s a skilled combatant and has lived an extremely long life due to his consumption of the Elixir Vitae (In the MCU, Wenwu’s longevity is attributed to the ten rings). Fu Manchu was created by English author Sax Rohmer and featured in several novels before Marvel acquired the licence to use the character in their comics. With Marvel no longer having the rights to Fu Manchu, in Secret Avengers #8 (2010) it’s revealed that the character’s real name is Zheng Zu, with Fu Manchu being one of several aliases he’s used throughout the years.

While Xialing is a new character created for the film, Shang-Chi does have many siblings in the comics. The first one we learn about is Fah Lo Suee (another Rohmer creation), Shang-Chi’s half-sister. Although she initially sides with her father, she would go on to oppose him. Fah Lo Suee made her first Marvel Comics appearance in Master of Kung Fu #26 (1975). Then there’s Moving Shadow, Shang-Chi’s younger half-brother, who made his debut in Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu #1 (2002). First appearing in Black Panther #11 (2005) is Kwai Far, Shang-Chi’s sister who was offered as a bride to T’Challa. The story “Brothers and Sisters” (Shang-Chi #1-5, 2020-21)—released during production on Shang-Chi—would reveal the existence of even more siblings: Brother Staff, Shi-Hua/Sister Hammer, Takeshi/Brother Sabre, and Esme/Sister Dagger.

The Golden Daggers club is a reference to the Golden Dagger Sect of the comics, a criminal organisation led by Fah Lo Suee.

The comic book incarnation of Li Ching-Lin/Death-Dealer is an assassin and former MI6 agent who worked for Fu Manchu. He’s an experienced martial artist who wields triple-bladed weapons.

Several characters have used the Razor-Fist moniker in the comics. The first was William Young, who made his debut in Master of Kung Fu #29 (1975). Later, brothers Douglas and William Scott took on the identity. The pair first appeared in Master of Kung Fu #105 (1981). All three Razor-Fists have worked for drug lord Carlton Velcro. As their name implies, each of the Razor-Fists have had one or both their hands replaced with steel blades. The MCU version of Razor Fist, with his connection to the Ten Rings, may be partially based on the Razor Fist from Earth-13116. In this reality, the character is a student at the Ten Rings martial arts school (with the Master of the Ten Rings, Zheng Zu, being the emperor of K’un Lun).

In the comics, Ta-Lo is an extradimensional realm that’s home to the Xian (or Taoist gods). Creatures such as fenghuang, dragons, and haetae also inhabit the dimension. It made its first appearance in Thor #301 (1980).

In the film, the creature trapped in Ta Lo is referred to as the Dweller-in-Darkness. The comic book incarnation of the Dweller-in-Darkness originates from the Everinnye dimension and exists only as a head (though does use a robotic body). The Dweller-in-Darkness has the ability to cause others to feel fear, which he feeds off, making him more powerful.

There are also several MCU Easter eggs. The Blip is referenced on a poster while the Snap is alluded to by one of Shang-Chi’s friends. The street vendor from Spider-Man: Homecoming is a passenger on the bus when Shang-Chi fights Razor Fist. The Abomination (who now appears more reptilian per his comic book counterpart) fights Wong at the Golden Daggers club. Other contestants at the club include an Extremis soldier and an Asian Black Widow (we find out that her name is Helen). Wenwu watches footage of Tony Stark being held captive by the Ten Rings (taken from Iron Man). Wenwu holds Trevor Slattery prisoner having broken the actor free from Seagate Prison in All Hail the King. Shang-Chi meets Bruce Banner and Captain Marvel in the mid-credits scene.

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[propertyofseagate]

Having escaped from the torturous Seagate Prison, Luke Cage rented a 3rd story office/apartment at the Gem Theater.

The Gem Theater is located on 42nd Street near Times Square, one of the seedier areas of Manhattan (if not the United States). It's operated by D.W. Griffith on behalf of his Uncle Max. The Gem Theater is know for showing "B" Westerns. Cage, an admitted Western fan, seems to enjoy the genre. However, he has often complained that the late-night showings disturb his sleep...but rent was good so he ran his office there and made it his place of business.

This case was particular interesting, not to say the last ten weren't, but such was business these days." So run this by me again. You sayin' yo ain't seen yo' folks for how long and you want me to find 'em for you?"

@ghstspdrs Cindy Moon.

[macalcord]

Solutions

Doctor Noah Burstein M.D. was a medical doctor and scientist based at Seagate Prison where he performed enhancement experiments on inmates. The experiment was performed on Luke Cage, who gained enhanced physical abilities. Years later Luke is experiencings surges in his powers, his physical strenght growing isn’t what concerns him it’s the lack of control, he’s afraid that one day he’ll lose control and hurt someone..hurt Jessica or their baby. Luke needs help to know what’s going on with his powers and Dr. Burstein is probably the only person on the planet with answers. 

Luke had to use some of Danny’s vast resources to find the good doctor, seem after the events of Seagate Burstein went to ground and has been hiding from the authorities who blame him for the destruction and the dozens of prisoners that escaped in the chaos. 

Branson Missouri is not exactly known for World Class Genetic Scientist to retire to but a great place for one to disappear. There are woods that a deep and vast that someone that really wanted to could easily disappear into them. Which made finding him a complete pain in the ass once Luke and Jessica drove as far as the road would allow them. 

Well I guess we walk from here. Luke says sighing. They walked along a faded trail that eventually opened into a dirt road. Ok this is weird why is there suddenly a road here? They contiinue on for a few more miles and start to come across keep away signs, no trespassing the usual warning that people put up to scare folks off, Luke looks at Jessica and smirks. Seriously what can they do to us? Shoot us...land mines. He grins but then suddenly stops when he hears a distinct click from below his foot. Umm baby you may want to step back, I think the universe has a pretty twisted sense of humor and I just stepped on a land mine. 

[propertyofseagate]

Whatever this Cell thing is he was certain it was here in this timeline. Cage didn't know much about the multiverse/ alternate realities but he did know they existed. He knew it when he came across other heroes like Green Lantern, (John Stewart) Black Lightning, or that kid floating around on a trashcan lid called Static.

"Fair enough. You get me some clothes and Power Man will knock this creature from here to Gotham City." She probably had no idea what that meant. To be honest, Gotham was the most insane and uncomfortable place he's been in since being a lab rat at Seagate prison.

"Get me my strength back and I'm sure whatever this thing is I'll whoop it's ass." The tall, muscular man spoke. He was also really hungry since he hadn't had dinner leading up to this event.

"Also...Bulma, right? You wouldn't have anything to eat, huh? I'm starving my ass off."

"Cell isn't a man, and he isn't a lizard, either... He's...."

She trails off, trying to figure out how best to explain it. Maybe it would be best to sum everything up by calling him a 'monster'. Still, some paranoia is creeping up the back of her throat. If Cell's name is mentioned but he's not in view, it's possible that disaster is imminent.

".... Look, if you managed to end up here, then it's just as possible that Cell followed you. We have to get your strength back so you can be ready if something like that happens!"

It seems that despite having just met him, she has no issue enlisting him into her battles.

"Hey, don't worry about it, I can get you new clothes- and I have more than enough room for you to stay with us! I happen to know of an armor that shapes itself to it's wearer, but... I don't know if my husband would be happy if I let you wear it."