Iron Fist is a very interesting character with a whole lot of lore behind him and a long history in Marvel Comics. For one reason or another though, the character has never quite launched to that top tier of popularity like so many others. That might change now though as he enters a brand new chapter with a new character taking up the mantle.
“Iron Fist #1” is the start of a new era for the Iron Fist and the legacy of K’un-Lun. There have been some drastic changes in recent years for Danny Rand and some of his friends and now it’s time for a new person to become the immortal Iron Fist.
Danny Rand is no longer the Iron Fist. He gave up his powers in order to save the world, you know, as heroes do. That’s not going to stop him from using his extensive knowledge of kung fu and unique skillset from protecting innocent people though.
After all his years as a superhero and everything he’s been through with the likes of the Avengers and pretty much every major hero you can think of, nothing can really surprise him any more. Unless of course, he comes face to face with the new Iron Fist.
Lin Lie has a complicated family history, as most heroes in the Marvel Universe do. Due to the recent “Death of Doctor Strange,” a demon was set free, setting him down a path that led to him becoming the immortal Iron Fist. This is a destiny he never thought he would see but it’s one he can’t ignore.
One of the best things about this new issue is the completely new role for Danny Rand. For one reason or another, the character always seemed to get lost in the shuffle in those big crossover events and never really emerged as a star. This new role could make him more relatable and more fun, which could lead to a huge spike in popularity amongst Marvel fans.
The first issue also provides a very interesting backstory for this new character, Lin Lie. We get a lot of context very quickly here, but we’re still going to need a lot more to fully understand his story. Some very good groundwork was laid out here and we could be looking at a very exciting character for the suture.
This story however, could also easily get too weird. We’re already dealing with the chi of a dragon that gives a martial artist a special glowing fist and all of the superhuman abilities that come with it. Now, we’re also throwing in a demon, a shattered magical sword and who knows what else. A couple of wrong turns could lead to this story become far too complex and difficult to follow.
However, with this interesting and relatable new character at its center, if the story can stay at least somewhat grounded, it could be very interesting. Sure, there are going to be some mystical elements to the story but if the path doesn’t get too far into the weeds of dragons and demons, this could be the Iron Fist story that takes the character to that top tier. Even if it is a new Iron Fist.
You can check out “Iron Fist #1” now. For more on this week’s comics, check out today’s episode of Marvel Time: