Hero for Hire #1

(June 1972)

Out of Hell -- A Hero! (Table of Contents: 1)

Luke Cage / comic story / 23 pages (report information)

Script

Archie Goodwin (credited)

Pencils

George Tuska (credited); John Romita (credited) (see notes)

Inks

Billy Graham (credited); John Romita (credited) (see notes)

Colors

?

Letters

Skip Kohloff (credited)

Job Number

863Z

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Look closely at the figure before you.

Genre

superhero

Characters

Dr. Noah Burstein (supporting) (first appearance); Comanche (antagonist) (first appearance); Diamondback [Willis Harold Stryker] (antagonist) (first appearance); Luke Cage (origin) (featured) (first appearance); Billy Bob Rackham (first appearance); Shades (antagonist) (first appearance); Lonny; Quirt; Reva; Tyler Stuart

Universe

Marvel : mainstream

Synopsis

While serving time for a crime for which he was framed, Lucas volunteers for a medical experiment in a bid to earn parole. The chemical bath treatment is sabotaged by his nemesis, a violent guard, and the result ends in giving Lucas steel hard skin. He escapes and is presumed dead because his shirt, riddled with bullet holes, is recovered. Lucas vows revenge on Stryker, his former friend, who framed him and also caused the death of Reva, his romantic interest.

Reprints

• in Power-Man (Ediciones Vértice, 1977 series) #21 (July 1980)
• in Superaventuras Marvel (Editora Abril, 1982 series) #1 (Julho de 1982) [Do original falta: Página 3, as 3 primeiras vinhetas; Página 5, as duas últimas vinhetas; Última página toda.]
• in Essential Luke Cage, Power Man (Marvel, 2005 series) #1 (2005)
• in Hero for Hire No. 1 [Marvel Legends Reprint] (Marvel, 2006 series) (February 2006)
• in Marvel Firsts: The 1970s (Marvel, 2011 series) #1 (2011)
• in The Ultimate Graphic Novels Collection - Classic (Hachette Partworks, 2014 series) #18 - Marvel Origins: The 70s (March 2016)
• in Marvel. Официальная коллекция комиксов (Ашет Коллекция [Hachette], 2014 series) #116 - Классика Marvel: 70-е Годы
• in True Believers: Marvel Knights 20th Anniversary - Luke Cage, Hero for Hire (Marvel, 2018 series) #1 (November 2018)
• in Luke Cage : L'intégrale (Panini France, 2018 series) #1972-1973 (novembre 2018)
• in Luke Cage Epic Collection (Marvel, 2020 series) #1 - Retribution (2020)
• in Luke Cage Omnibus (Marvel, 2021 series) (2021)

Keywords

Harlem; Seagate Prison

Indexer Notes

Roy Thomas and John Romita are credited with creative contributions on the splash page. Thomas came up with the name Cage and the title Hero for Hire. John Romita, with some ideas from Thomas and Stan Lee, designed the costume.

Fred Snyder suggested that other hands were involved in the art, particularly John Romita. Nick Caputo agrees that Romita provided alterations on a few pages and redrew Stryker's face throughout. Stryker was also heavily redrawn by Romita on the last page which likely included the addition of a costume.