Iron Fist Appreciation

[Libaax]

That pattern sucks because Bru,Fraction and co build him up to be an master of his skills than some freaky guy kicks his ass.

The hole idea of this guy killing all other IFs so easily except Orson sucks and killed my interest. Whats the hole point of the issues before Duane's run if you will do things that dont make sense.


For old IF fans it might not be nothing but for me who never saw him as anything but a DD supporting character i was delighted and excited by the last run and this happens....

[residentholy3]

So yeah, Iron Fist.
First of all I would love to see a Marvel-themed LEGO game (you know, like Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Batman), mostly because the thought of a LEGO Iron Fist doing that punch of his is very appealing to me.
Secondly, I never thought much of this character--he wasn't really a 'top dog'. I did like his appearance in New Avengers though, esp. his conversation w/ Doc. Strange about their replacements. I thought he made sense on that team after his role in Civil War.
Anyway I like the character now. I've read his first arc The Last Iron Fist Story, and the most recent 3099 issue, which was great. I'll probably look into picking up #7-20 in trades or back issues now.

[taozen]

I have not read any recent New Avengers issues. Does Danny shine in any of those issue? I thought he was not used much in the series.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Sadly after #20 , Iron Fist became a salary cap casualty in my comics collecting. I didn't wanna cut the book. But I had to. The decision was made faster since Fraction and Brubaker aren't on the book.

[taozen]

So yeah, Iron Fist.
First of all I would love to see a Marvel-themed LEGO game (you know, like Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Batman), mostly because the thought of a LEGO Iron Fist doing that punch of his is very appealing to me.
Secondly, I never thought much of this character--he wasn't really a 'top dog'. I did like his appearance in New Avengers though, esp. his conversation w/ Doc. Strange about their replacements. I thought he made sense on that team after his role in Civil War.
Anyway I like the character now. I've read his first arc The Last Iron Fist Story, and the most recent 3099 issue, which was great. I'll probably look into picking up #7-20 in trades or back issues now.

What was said between Iron Fist and the good doctor?

[taozen]

I just read Fantastic 4 #562, and they had a funeral where Danny was present. He was drawn with the big collar uniform. Man I wish creators would stop using the old classic uniform. You don't Luke Cage running around with his old yellow shirt and tiara. Why don't they use the Aja designed one from Immortal iron fist. It looks so much better. Sorry about the rant but fist was in the old costume in the new avengers and now in the FF book. I wish they would bury the old 70s collar costume and use the Aja designed one.

[Bingo!]

I have not read any recent New Avengers issues. Does Danny shine in any of those issue? I thought he was not used much in the series.

No, not particularly. Besides providing a base of operations and legal cover for the team, Iron Fist has unfortunately just been someone in the background. His role always felt marginalized. Perhaps it was his uncertain role within the group. He recently left the team to focus on his business, Rand International.

I'd love to see Danny back on the Avengers, but only if he gets a writer who understands him and gives him better page time.

[Jimmy Holograph]

No, not particularly. Besides providing a base of operations and legal cover for the team, Iron Fist has unfortunately just been someone in the background. His role always felt marginalized. Perhaps it was his uncertain role within the group. He recently left the team to focus on his business, Rand International.

I'd love to see Danny back on the Avengers, but only if he gets a writer who understands him and gives him better page time.

Yeah, Bendis can't really write Danny that well. The excuse for leaving the team was weak as well. If it was to travel to the Himalayas with his team of fellow Immortal Weapons to enter the Capital City of Hell, then I would be fine with it. But to take care of his business is soft, showing that Bendis doesn't do his homework (but when does he ever?), seeing that Rand Int. is now a non-for-profit organisation.

[Yunlee]

IMMORTAL IRON FIST #25
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Pencils by TRAVEL FOREMAN
Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER

Danny and the Immortal Weapons suffer infernal torment as the rollicking ESCAPE FROM THE EIGHTH CITY arc continues! Fighting back to back with a mystical ally, Danny comes face to face with the diabolical leader of this warped dimension - Changming! But what is his deadly secret?! It's all-out kung fu/horror/mystery/super hero action in Hell from Duane Swierczynski and Travel Foreman!

32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99

[mdg1]

Oh look... Danny's being beaten up on the cover again.... :P

[taozen]

Oh look... Danny's being beaten up on the cover again.... :P

Maybe Danny should stop being called the Iron Fist and be called the Iron Punching Bag.

[James Conniff]

I just re-read every one of DS's issues.

Danny basically loses every fight he's in except the last one.

He did get trounced pretty thoroughly, but the same can be said about any superhero when a new villain shows up, they're going to get beat on until the final battle.

Even at the school, the other Weapons do most of the fighting. And the Old West IF also loses.

Orson won, true... by shooting unstable celluloid and starting a fire.

I don't like the pattern I'm seeing here.

The pattern is just as Orson Described it in The Last Iron Fist story.
Paraphrased from memory)
Danny: We're deep beneath New York City in an abandoned theoretical train station, with a Horde of Hydra raining down on us, how could things get worse?
Orson: Don't be so optimistic, you're an Iron Fist. Things can always get worse.

It is a pattern though, every Immortal Weapon dies in combat and normally they all fall at the hands of the Servant of Chi Lin, it is just a matter of time before each weapon meet their match.

That pattern sucks because Bru,Fraction and co build him up to be an master of his skills than some freaky guy kicks his ass.

Bru and Fraction also had him get his arse handed to him on a regular basis as well. He got beaten down by a Mechagorgon (which isn't too much to be ashamed of), barely scraped a victory out of the fight with Davos the Steel Serpant in the old Rand Corp HQ, Fat Cobra kicked the crap out of him in the tourney, Danny is a Master of his martial arts form, but this "freaky guy" 's whole existence is based around killing Iron Fists, being able to feed off of their Chi and knowing how to defeat their brand of Kung Fu.

The Servant has killed each Iron Fist (save for Orson who dodged his destiny with at least a half century of Opium abuse) as is the celestial cycle, Fraction set this up in his stunning issue 16 and Duane it rolling with it well by putting a foe that Danny is destined to die against in the book... I'm thinking he will find a way to avoid his destined fate. Just like he always finds a way to win in the end.

The hole idea of this guy killing all other IFs so easily except Orson sucks and killed my interest. Whats the hole point of the issues before Duane's run if you will do things that dont make sense.

What didn't make sense? Fraction set up the entrance for Chi Lin in 16, we saw Orson was using drugs for a reason from the earlier part of the run, and Duane revealed that the Servant is tied to the 8th city which Bru and Matt also set up in their run as well.

The Servants whole purpose is to balance the cosmic scales, to kill each Iron Fist and in turn start the cycle anew, and from the Iron Fist's we saw killed or attempted to be killed by the Servant in Danny's case, he used a wide variety of powers to wear down the Iron Fist, followed by his trump card that takes away the Chi Powers that Shao Lao the undying grants each of Kun Lun's immortal weapons. Makes sense that these warriors all fell to this man who has lived across the eons battling men and women with essentially the same martial ability (varrying from Fist to Fist), and the same source of powers that the Servant can negate.

It made sense to me at least.

Duane is using the storylines form Bru and Fractions run and has worked them into his epic Iron Fist tale, Danny meeting and defeating the being destined to kill him, and now the Immortal Weapon's journey to hell. And even squeezed in an old classic Iron Fist storyline, Danny having to use sheer force of will to beat his opponents when his powers are drained from him or aren't an option for use. It's about as classic with Iron Fist as Spider-man lifting heavy things.

For old IF fans it might not be nothing but for me who never saw him as anything but a DD supporting character i was delighted and excited by the last run and this happens....

Bru and Fractions legendary run on the book made me into a fist fan too. So much so that i went out and found the single issues from the Bronze age Iron Fist stuff and the Powerman and Iron Fist stuff as well.

I'm enjoying Duane's run so far on the book. Duane has kept the same tone on the title that Bru and Fraction had, lots of action, great character moments, Epic storylines and some dark humor.
Now if you ask which run I prefer at this point, it isn't hard for me to point to the Bru Fraction issues and say they are better, because they are some of my favorite comics printed. But I think Duane is doing a Hell of a job, and I look forward to the next story arc perched on the edge of my seat.

I mean seriously, there's an Eighth City and it's "Hell" and the Immortal Weapon's (WOOT!!! FAT COBRA!) are heading there to find out why the citizens of Heaven have been lied to for so long. I'm pumped for this arc.

Oh look... Danny's being beaten up on the cover again.... :P

LOL. Now, he's just like every other super hero! Constantly shown beaten on the covers of their books.
It's the Lord of HELL beating the crap out of Danny. I have to say when it comes to the Superpowered characters form the realms of Heaven (and Hell) we should expect Danny to be under constant threat, and even outmatched at times as well.

What was said between Iron Fist and the good doctor?

The two talked about how they will eventually be replaced, most likely by younger better looking people than themselves. To which Danny Replied,"Well, I hate them" (in reference to their future replacements), and the good Doctor replied with something along the lines of "As do I".

Out side of this moment though Fist was really underused as a character in the book. And Danny leaving the Team makes a lot of sense when he is going to be traveling to Hell and spending a bit of time there over the next couple Marvel "Months" . If he is brought back to the team, hopefully he will be used for more than his Rand Corp Jets and ability to find an apartment for the Avengers to hang out in.....I was hoping Fist would stay on the team and move their headquarters to the Train Station under New York, but it makes sense that he won't be on the team for a bit with the stories that are coming up in his own book.

[taozen]

Tremmar, I agree with most of your comments. I just want to see Danny take it to someone. I want to see him "hold back the storm when no one else can." Even in Bru and Fraction's series, he did not defeat any top fighters.

Tell me the last known great fighter that Danny has defeated. I know he defeated Steel Phoenix a couple of mini series ago. He laid waist to a horde of hydra but so does every other marvel hero. I want to see him as the living weapon. I know Bru has been using Danny in the current Daredevil Lady Bullseye arc, and it would be cool to see Danny and DD spar and train together. But that is another topic.

In my opinion Danny should be considered one of the elite fighters in the marvel universe. he should be comparable to Steve Rogers Cap(but way cooler since he has the Kung Fu mystical bad@ss angle covered)in combat, but you do not see that. And no I do not want him unbeatable because that would not be interesting. For years Captain America (SR) had that problem because he never lost to another combatant. I just do not want to see Danny always getting his face kick in.

[BugsySig]

I just read Fantastic 4 #562, and they had a funeral where Danny was present. He was drawn with the big collar uniform. Man I wish creators would stop using the old classic uniform. You don't Luke Cage running around with his old yellow shirt and tiara. Why don't they use the Aja designed one from Immortal iron fist. It looks so much better. Sorry about the rant but fist was in the old costume in the new avengers and now in the FF book. I wish they would bury the old 70s collar costume and use the Aja designed one.

I could not agree more...the new look (like with Cage) gives him SO much more credibility. I am all for throw-backs, but those two's outfits were horrendous.

[James Conniff]

Tremmar, I agree with most of your comments. I just want to see Danny take it to someone. I want to see him "hold back the storm when no one else can." Even in Bru and Fraction's series, he did not defeat any top fighters.

With Bru and Fractions Iron Fist relaunch they had to focus on him as a character and his supporting cast without connecting him to too much to the universe as a whole. The book needs to be able to stand on it's own feet before he is sparing with Marvel Universe regulars. That said I will agree with you that without Danny fighting a main Stream Marvel character it is harder to show Danny's superior fighting abilities when compared to the rest of the universe.

Tell me the last known great fighter that Danny has defeated. I know he defeated Steel Phoenix a couple of mini series ago. He laid waist to a horde of hydra but so does every other marvel hero. I want to see him as the living weapon. I know Bru has been using Danny in the current Daredevil Lady Bullseye arc, and it would be cool to see Danny and DD spar and train together. But that is another topic.

I couldn't tell you the last Mainstream Marvel Character that Danny got into a big fight with. He has been sticking to his own little corner of the universe for the most part. He did punch that train to death in The 7 capitol cities of heaven..

The thing is, his biggest threats in his series have come from his mystical Kung Fu roots, making all the people h hangs out with as powerful and dangerous as he is. So it's kinda hard to show him kicking their asses especially when the Prince of Orphans should be able to mop the floor with Any of the other weapons...and most of the Marvel U.

In my opinion Danny should be considered one of the elite fighters in the marvel universe. he should be comparable to Steve Rogers Cap(but way cooler since he has the Kung Fu mystical bad@ss angle covered)in combat, but you do not see that. And no I do not want him unbeatable because that would not be interesting. For years Captain America (SR) had that problem because he never lost to another combatant. I just do not want to see Danny always getting his face kick in.

If you want to read some classic Fist stories featuring events such as this I suggest picking up the Essential Iron Fist. An absolute must own for Fist fan's (until they start printing Old school Fist Omnibuses) Featuring Roy Thomas Gil Kane, and then Claremont and Byrne (back when that was a good thing).
It's in black and white and we see Danny go up against some cheesy villains, but also Sabertooth (in his first appearance) and most of Claremont's Giant Sized X-men, where he beats the crap outta wolverine without Wolvie laying a finger or claw on him and without using his Iron Fist which instead is used on Collosus, and evading the rest of the X-men while giving them quite a working over...until he gets caught by Storm that is.

I would love to see Danny show up and kick ass, but It needs to be in a story that makes sense. Good Stories can contain Great fight scenes, but a great fight scene isn't enough to make a story.

Though I have to admit i would love to see some sparing between DD and Fist, or an all out brawl between Fist and Wolverine., maybe a bit of hand 2 hand work with the new cap, Since Fist did throw down with Steve back in the day. I wouldn't mind seeing Danny return after his stint in Hell and help the New Avengers in a fight against the Norman's "Avengers". I would love to see Danny just lay the ever loving smack down with his enhanced Iron Fist abilities. Danny isn't just a Street Level fighter power wise anymore, he has some HUGE abilities that I would love to see dished out against the DA's Heavy hitters.