Danny Rand Hug Compilation

(After all, you can't become the Iron Fist if you're not good at hugging.)

When Daniel Rand was nine, at roughly the time K'un-Lun was scheduled to materialize, his father decided to bring him and Heather to K'un-Lun. Accompanied by Rand's business partner Harold Meachum, they traveled to the Himalayas, but Wendell fell from a mountain ledge; clutching the edge, he called to Meachum for help, but Meachum, hoping to control Rand's business shares, caused Wendell to plunge to his death. Shortly afterward, Heather sacrificed her life to protect Daniel from a wolf pack, and her spirit ascended to Feng-Tu. The denizens of K'un-Lun found Daniel and took him in, while a frostbite-crippled Meachum learned of Daniel's survival and spent the next decade preparing elaborate defenses against future attack. Vowing to avenge his parents, Daniel Rand studied martial arts under Lei Kung while growing up in K'un-Lun. His closest friends were Miranda Rand-K'ai, whom he did not know was his half-sister, and a K'un-Lun boy named Conal D'hu-Tsien. At nineteen, Rand requested and earned an opportunity to win the power of the Iron Fist by confronting Shou-Lao the Undying, whose power resided within a flaming brazier. Rand slew Shou-Lao, a feat no other warrior had ever accomplished, and plunged his hands into the brazier, imbuing himself with the mystic energy of the Iron Fist. Unknown to Rand, Shou-Lao's death angered Chiantang, who sought to destroy K'un-Lun in response but was imprisoned by Master Khan. Shortly afterward, Rand fought off jealous peers with the aid of Conal and Miranda, whom Conal had taught martial arts in defiance of K'un-Lun law. Fleeing K'un-Lun, Miranda and Conal were captured by K'un-Lun's ancestral enemies, the plant-beings called the H'lythri, and presumed dead. The dimensional nexus opened on schedule, and Rand, as Iron Fist, traveled to New York, seeking vengeance on Meachum. Meachum knew of Danny's return and placed a bounty of ten thousand dollars on his head. The open contract left Rand open to attacks from other costumed menaces such as the man called Scythe. Iron Fist eventually overcame Meachum's defenses, but on seeing Meachum was an invalid, he spared the broken man. #marvel #character #bio #CharacteroftheDay #ironfist

IRON FIST

At 19, Danny is given the chance to attain the power of the Iron Fist by fighting and defeating the dragon Shou-Lao the Undying, who guards the molten heart that had been torn from its body. Guessing that the heart provides life energy to Shou-Lao through the dragon-shaped scar on its chest, Danny covers the scar with his own body and hangs on until Shou-Lao collapses and dies, in the process burning a dragon brand into his own chest. Having killed Shou-Lao, he enters its cave and plunges his fists into a brazier containing the creature's molten heart, emerging with the power of the Iron Fist. It is later revealed that Danny is part of a long lineage of Iron Fists. 

Powers and Abilities

Plunging his fists into the molten heart of the dragon Shou-Lao the Undying infused the dragon's superhuman energy into Rand. This, along with being trained by Lei Kung the Thunderer, gave Rand the power of the Iron Fist, allowing him to summon and focus his chi energy (also called natural energy or life force energy) to enhance his natural abilities to extraordinary levels. His strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, reflexes and senses can all be greatly intensified. He is able to concentrate his own chi and the superhuman energy from Shou-Lao's heart into his hand, with it manifesting as a supernatural glow around his hand and fist. So concentrated, this "iron fist" can strike with superhuman hardness and impact, while his hand becomes impervious to pain and injury. However, summoning the power required by this feat leaves Rand physically and mentally drained, unable to repeat the act for a time, as long as an entire day in certain instances, though after years of using the ability, it has become less draining. He can focus his chi inward to heal himself or outward to heal others of injury, as well as to give himself psychic senses and to telepathically fuse his consciousness with another person. Rand is also a skilled acrobat, gymnast, and a master of all of K'un Lun's martial arts, as well as various fighting styles from Earth, including Shaolin Kung Fu, Aikido, Fujian White Crane, Judo, Karate, Muay Thai, Ninjutsu and Wing Chun. Rand's reflexes are enhanced to greater levels than normal humans. He can react fast enough to catch bullets. Rand can generate a chi-based "aura" radiating from his body to protect himself from energy based attacks to a varied degree, and make himself more resilient against physical damage. If he sustains injury or illness, Rand can focus his chi for the purposes of healing his injuries. On the brink of death after a battle with Radion the Atomic Man, Daniel received a vision of Yu-Ti revealing that "the Iron Fist is not a weapon but a force of will which could perform miracles including healing," saving his life. By focusing enough he can even purge his own body of poison, however, Rand experienced great pain in the process. Recently he has proven capable of healing himself almost unconsciously and does not feel drained in doing so. Rand can also channel this energy into other people. The possibility of a slowed aging process much like his predecessor Orson Randall. Through focus and meditation, Danny can sustain himself for extended periods of time in extreme temperature environments. When he was transported to another dimension together with the Eye of Agamotto, Doctor Strange's mentor, the Ancient One appeared to him. Iron Fist was sent back to Earth, with a new outfit. The new outfit provided by the Ancient One gave Iron Fist immunity to magic.

Bio

In Heros For Hire, Misty Knight infiltrates the organization of crime lord John Bushmaster. When Bushmaster discovers Knight's treachery, he kidnaps Claire Temple and Noah Burstein, close associates of Luke Cage, better known as Power Man, and holds them hostage to force Cage to eliminate Knight. Iron Fist is on hand to stop him, however, and after a battle, the truth comes out. Rand helps Cage and the Daughters of the Dragon (Knight and Wing) battle Bushmaster, rescue Temple and Burstein, and obtain evidence that proves Cage's innocence of prior drug charges. Afterward, Iron Fist and Power Man become partners, forming Heroes for Hire, Inc. Iron Fist, in his secret identity of Danny Rand, resumes control of his parents' fortune as half of Rand-Meachum, Inc., making him quite wealthy. This causes tension between Rand and Cage, who was raised poor. Power Man and Iron Fist's partnership ends with Rand contracting cancer and being kidnapped as part of a plot masterminded by Master Khan. Just prior to a battle with the Black Dragon Chiantang (the brother of the mythical Dragon King), Danny is replaced by a doppelgänger created by the extra-dimensional H'ylthri. The double (who wears a red variant of the Iron Fist costume) is killed by Captain Hero a short time later. Cage, now the prime suspect in Rand's apparent death, becomes a fugitive. Then in Resurrection, Iron Fist manages to focus his chi, curing his cancer, while in stasis in K'un-L'un with the H'ylthri. He is later freed from stasis by Namor.Rand and Cage reform Heroes for Hire, Inc. with an expanded team, this time working for Namor's Oracle Corporation. Namor ultimately dissolves Oracle as well as Heroes for Hire, Inc. Iron Fist later loses his powers to Junzo Muto, the young leader of the Hand, and subsequently becomes the guardian of a pack of displaced dragons in Tokyo. His powers are eventually restored by Chiantang, who brainwashes Iron Fist and forces him to battle Black Panther. Black Panther is able to free Iron Fist from the creature's control, and the two work together to defeat the Black Dragon in Wakanda. In the Iron Fist miniseries, Miranda Rand-K'ai also returns from the dead. The H'ylthri revive her and promise to restore her to full life if she retrieves the extra-dimensional artifact known as the Zodiac Key. To this end, she takes the identity of Death Sting, bringing her into conflict with Iron Fist as well as with S.H.I.E.L.D. When the H'ylthri try to kill Iron Fist, Miranda turns the power of the Zodiac Key against them, seemingly killing herself in the process. However, exposure to chemicals from the H'ylthri pods prevented her death.In The Immortal Iron Fist Orson Randall, Danny Rand's immediate predecessor, seeks out Danny Rand in New York and gives him The Book of the Iron Fist, a sacred ledger supposedly containing all the kung fu secrets of previous Iron Fists, which Randall claims will be necessary if Rand is to compete successfully in the coming tournament of the Seven Champions. The Steel Serpent, whose powers have been greatly augmented by the Crane Mother, dispatches Randall. On the brink of death, Randall surrenders his chi to Rand, giving him sufficient power to battle the Serpent to a standstill. After the battle, Rand is summoned by his master, Lei Kung (who is also the father of Steel Serpent) to compete in a tournament that will decide the cycle according to which each of the Seven Cities of Heaven appears on Earth. However, the leaders of the Seven Cities had secretly erected gateways between Earth and each city without the knowledge of the populace. The corruption of the leaders of the Seven Cities of Heaven spurs Iron Fist, Lei Kung, Orson Randall's daughter, and John Aman to plan a revolution. Iron Fist discovers that Crane Mother and Xao, a high-ranking HYDRA operative, are planning to destroy K'un Lun by using a portal. Upon learning of the plot, Steel Serpent helps Rand and the other Immortal Weapons defeat Xao. However, when Rand returns to New York, he finds a HYDRA cell waiting for him at Rand International, seeking retribution for the death of Xao, and holding Misty hostage. In the ensuing battle, Rand International is destroyed, but Rand and Misty escape unharmed. Now left with only a fraction of his former net worth, Rand and Misty purchase a new condo in Harlem, and Rand decides to focus all of his attention and remaining resources at the Thunder Dojo. While moving into their new home, Rand asks Misty to marry him. Initially skeptical of the offer, Misty accepts and reveals that she is pregnant with Rand's child.

Significance

Danny Rand is one of the most powerfully-diverse characters in the Marvel Universe as he possesses so many abilities. Other than, the overrated characters that leave Iron Fist in the shadows such as Spider-Man, or Doctor Strange, Danny’s abilities make him more than just a fighter as he is portrayed as. One of the many other lesser known abilities that Iron Fist possesses is called Mind Fusion. Through this technique, he can temporarily conjoin his consciousness with that of another person, allowing him to tap into the other's thoughts, feelings, memories, etc. Additionally, some villains originally started with fighting Iron Fist before entering other storylines. For example, Sabretooth actually debuted as an Iron Fist villain before Sabretooth had even appeared as an X-Men or Wolverine antagonist. Even Supra-Skrull has fought with Iron Fist, being an enemy of the Fantastic Four, he impersonated Danny after the “death” of Iron Fist. Iron fist along with multiple abilities comes with multiple enemies, making him very significant to the franchise. I think Danny’s story is one of the more realistic, yet deep intriguing. Growing up as a normal person with a great talent in fighting, then possessing incredible power through the battle of the dragon is just amazing. The sheer power from just the dragon, then later he would become even stronger through the Eye of Agamotto. I think that to make Iron Fist more popular and more noticeable, he needs to be put in a light such as when Heros For Hire or the Defenders. I think with Danny’s background, it makes the most sense to keep him in collaboration with others. 

 References:

http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Daniel_Rand_(Earth-616)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Fist_(comics)

hey just been getting into your iron fist blog. Anyway with the state of the character not being the iron fist anymore(still so jarring how it happened) what would you personally write(if theoretically somehow you get to write an iron fist book) the character would go from here accounting to all the previous plot lines in his runs?

Hi! Sorry for the delayed response; I love this question.

Yes, I get re-jarred again every time I think about it. Utterly baffling. Frankly, I would do a little bit of what they did with Pei in her recent wonderful Marvel Voices appearance, which was centered around her trying to find her purpose and place in the world after losing her powers (remember: she had the Iron Fist role taken away from her too). Danny's story, for the past 50 years, has centered on his relationship to the Iron Fist identity, to K'un-Lun, to Earth, and to where he truly belongs. He is a man of two worlds, and he has gone back and forth on how to handle that balance and what his role is in both worlds. He loved K'un-Lun but was betrayed by it in Power Man and Iron Fist volume 1. He built himself a purpose on Earth as a superhero, then re-found his connection to K'un-Lun with the discovery of the Iron Fist legacy in Immortal Iron Fist. He failed to save K'un-Lun in Living Weapon and redeemed himself and rediscovered his purpose in Iron Fist volume 5. He got his childhood best friend Sparrow back. He got his sister Miranda back. That rocky, winding journey of self-discovery and loss and gained connections to K'un-Lun and the Iron Fist identity is one of the things I love so much about following this character, and if any good can come from him giving up the chi of Shou-Lao, I'd say it would be in giving Danny yet another opportunity really delve into all of that. Who is he when he isn't the Iron Fist? And what is his connection to K'un-Lun when he is no longer their Immortal Weapon?

I feel like we have been deprived of a truly K'un-Lun-centered Iron Fist story for too long, and in this theoretical world in which I was the new writer, I would have that be the primary setting for a comic that would see Danny return home and truly reconnect with what K'un-Lun means to him, and what he means to K'un-Lun just as a normal citizen. I would want to really dig into why he gave up his role as the Iron Fist (the Heart of the Dragon creative team didn't bother to do it, so somebody's gotta make that make sense). I think this would be an amazing opportunity for a bonding adventure with Miranda, who he has never really had the chance to really talk to about their father and their shared history. Miranda is the child Wendell abandoned. She watched Danny become the Iron Fist for the sake of avenging a father who she had every reason to hate. I WANT THAT EXPLORED! I would also want to delve more into Danny's relationship with Sparrow, the new Yu-Ti. He was, for one glorious chunk of time, her Weapon. I loved that. Now that he is not, what is their dynamic? What continuing role can he play in rebuilding K'un-Lun, which is very likely still reeling from the revolution in Immortal Iron Fist and the two subsequent invasions in Living Weapon and volume 5? I would want to continue the conversation about the fruit from the Tree of Immortality, which Danny has rejected twice now. What would that offer mean to him now? What would it take for him to accept it? And of course, I would want Pei to be there, because as I mentioned, she is going through this exact same thing, and she is, for all intents and purposes, the child that Danny was never able to have with Misty, and I think that's really important, and their relationship is really important.

I guess what this all boils down to is this: Danny is lost and directionless, and returns to K'un-Lun with Pei to try and sort things out. Some kind of bonding adventure occurs that allows him to 1. show off the fact that he is still one of the top two martial artists in the Marvel Universe, goddammit, and 2. do some serious soul-searching with himself, and with Pei, Miranda, and Sparrow, and reconnect with the city where he grew up, now out of the shadow of the Iron Fist legacy. And you know what? Davos should be there too. How the heck does he feel about Danny not being the Iron Fist anymore? How does he feel, now that some time has passed, about having killed his father and being a sworn enemy of K'un-Lun? Is there a possibility for redemption? Does he want that? Does anyone want that?

I know this is all very jumbled, but there is a whole dang lot that I want right now, and if Marvel gave me even a fraction of any of this, I'd be grateful. Thank you again for the question!

If Marvel is wondering how to adequately celebrate the big 50th anniversary this year, I have ideas for a few series they could announce. If you'll indulge me...

Iron Fist Volume 7: Danny and Pei Get Their Powers Back. Miranda Is Also There (Please, I Miss Her).

Immortal Weapons Pan-Dimensional Kung Fu Shenanigans Series

Power Man and Iron Fist Volume 4: Mayoral Edition

Power Man and Iron Fist...2! (2 Power 2 Fist?): Pei and Victor Alvarez Team-Up

Daughters of the Dragon/Nightwing Restorations Ongoing

A Sparrow-Centered Series Set in K'un-Lun. Steel Serpent Is There Too.

Shang-Chi and Iron Fist: Deadly Hands of Kung Fu

More Adventures of Orson Randall and the Confederates of the Curious

Wu Ao-Shi Solo Mini-Series

Li Park Solo Mini-Series

Joy Meachum Retrospective/One-Shot

Spin-Off Series for That Future Where Dani and Lucy Are Married. Also, THIS.

Mini-Series About Danny and His Friends' Childhood Adventures in K'un-Lun

"Misty and Danny Forever" Ongoing, As We Were Promised

Retrospective Series of Colleen and Misty's Pre-Marvel Premiere Adventures

Book of the Iron Fist Anthology Series: New Stories About Past and Future Iron Fists We Haven't Met Yet

It Isn't Easy Being Green: Epic H'ylthri One-Shot

Some lovely, cathartic hugs from Iron Fist volume 5 #79 and 80 (by Ed Brisson, Damian Couceiro, Andy Troy, and Travis Lanham). Danny has never been shy about physical affection and it's something I really appreciate about his character.

Orson: “‘We only have to beat three each,’ he says.”

Danny: “I... I didn’t think that... I mean, you were fighting normal people. I didn’t expect we’d have to go up against crazy kaiju demons.”

Orson: “This is literally why you don’t make a deal with the Devil. It’s why the saying exists.”

Miranda: “I’ve never seen two grown men... Iron Fists, no less... so terrified of a fight. Did you not defeat Shou-Lao the Undying to earn your title? Each of you has defeated an ancient dragon known to devour and destroy civilizations, and yet the appearance of low-level demons has you shaking in your boots. Your Yu-Ti would be ashamed.”

Iron Fist vol. 5 #80 by Ed Brisson, Damian Couceiro, and Andy Troy

Miranda: “Orson Randall... finally a face to put to the name of the coward who turned his back on K’un-Lun.”

Orson: “I had my reasons for leaving K’un-Lun. And I don’t remember seeing you during my time there.”

Miranda: “You would have, had you stuck around and not abandoned the people who needed you. But you are trapped now. There’s nowhere to run.”

Orson: “Trust me, girl. I’m done running.”

Iron Fist vol. 5 #80 by Ed Brisson, Damien Couceiro, and Andy Troy

    I’ve talked before about how much I love this story arc, but I don’t think I ever discussed this fight specifically, and it’s one of my favorite parts. It was thrilling to get to see these two interact because I love them both, and also because this exchange, as short as it is, contains quite a bit of worldbuilding and character development. To start, Miranda’s comments here reveal the average K’un-Lun citizen’s attitude toward Orson-- something we’ve never really seen in a concrete way before. It was suggested in Immortal Iron Fist that Danny didn’t know much about the Iron Fist legacy (as a way of smoothing out the retcon of there having been an Iron Fist legacy at all), but I have a hard time believing that he didn’t know anything about the previous Iron Fist, because IIF also suggested that Orson was a publicly-known and notorious figure. Even if Danny wasn’t specifically told about how Orson screwed up (which-- again-- requires some suspension of disbelief because of the retcon), everyone would know about him and his disastrous behavior, because the Weapons are major public figures. Now here, finally, through Miranda, we get direct confirmation of how the people of K’un-Lun once viewed Orson. There have been a lot of changes in K’un-Lun recently, and it’s possible that his reputation has been repaired somewhat, but Miranda missed out on all of that. She is a relic of a K’un-Lun that no longer exists-- which makes her point-of-view extra fascinating.

    This also hurts because the reader, who has presumably read Immortal Iron Fist, knows how much of a sore topic this is for Orson. His experience as the Iron Fist ruined his life, and he fled K’un-Lun because he had crippling PTSD and couldn’t handle his responsibilities there anymore. Miranda doesn’t know that, but we do, and we know that Orson spent his life trying to reconcile his mistakes-- which is why his reaction here is so aggressive and defiant. “Trust me, girl. I’m done running” is a gut punch of a line, because it represents the degree to which Orson has come to terms with his past pain. He has suffered enough. He’s not apologizing for it anymore, and he knows Miranda has no idea what she’s talking about. 

    Finally, there’s the fact that Orson is Miranda’s grandfather as much as he is Danny’s. Orson adopted and raised Wendell; he and Miranda are family-- which adds a layer of dramatic irony to their exchange about Orson not having stuck around long enough for them to meet in K’un-Lun. They don’t know about this connection, and we get to experience the same horror Danny does upon realizing that two people he loves are about to fight to the death. 

Orson: “I’ll give your regards to the Yu-Ti.”

Danny: “Stop!”

Miranda: “Danny?”

Danny: “Orson, please... Miranda’s my sister.”

    There’s an amazing amount of emotion packed into this short interaction, and I love it. 

im writing about representation in comics for school and i was wondering who you think are the most prominent asian members of the iron fist comics?

    Oh, neat! 

    There are quite a few Asian characters, and the Iron Fist cast lineup has been shuffled around a lot over the 45 years since the comic started, so it kind of depends on your definition of “prominent”. (For example, there are a few characters who have large presences now, but were only introduced recently, so in the context of Iron Fist continuity they might not be considered prominent.) But based on my personal assessment, here are some of the major players, in no particular order: 

Steel Serpent/Davos

Introductory issue: Iron Fist volume 1 #14

Steel Serpent is arguably the most iconic Iron Fist villain, as well as the most prominent, as he has remained an important figure in Iron Fist comics since his introduction. He was best friends with Danny’s father in K’un-Lun, and believed becoming the Iron Fist was his destiny. However, he failed, and was banished to Earth for trying to illegally acquire the chi of Shou-Lao. He has spent the decades since trying to gain power no matter what, steadily becoming more and more unhinged. 

Lei Kung the Thunderer

Introductory issue: Marvel Premiere #15

Lei Kung is Davos’s father, and until his recent death at his son’s hands, he was K’un-Lun’s war-master/head martial arts instructor. He also served as a father figure for many of his students– sometimes literally (as in the case of Sparrow, mentioned below, and former Iron Fist Wu Ao-Shi, both of whom he basically adopted), and sometimes figuratively, as in Danny’s case. He continued to protect K’un-Lun and help/advise Danny up until his death.

Immortal Weapons

Introductory issue: Immortal Iron Fist #8

I’m including them here as a group, though they are all great characters individually as well. The Immortal Weapons are the super-powered champions of the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven (of which K’un-Lun is a member). Like the Iron Fist, the other Immortal Weapons are also mystical martial artists, but each city’s Weapon has their own specific legacy and power-set. The current batch are all on good terms with each other, and have had several really fun team-ups. 

Colleen Wing

Introductory issue: Marvel Premiere #19

Colleen is one of the oldest Iron Fist characters still appearing in the comic. She was the first friend Danny made upon returning to Earth, and they have remained very close ever since. She is at least half Japanese, on her mother’s side (since Wing isn’t a Japanese last name her father is probably Chinese, but this has never actually been addressed), and she trained with her grandfather in Japan from an early age to become an expert martial artist/samurai. She and her best friend, Misty Knight, co-run the Nightwing Restorations detective agency and are unofficially known as the Daughters of the Dragon.

Lee Wing

Introductory issue: Marvel Premiere #19

Colleen’s father vanished from the comics decades ago, but he was a very important character early-on, so I think he should be included. He was an anthropologist who specialized in Asian folklore traditions.

Sparrow/Yu-Ti

Introductory issue: Immortal Iron Fist #9

Sparrow is the daughter of the previous Iron Fist, Orson Randall (her mother is unknown, but presumably a citizen of K’un-Lun, thus making Sparrow biracial), and she was adopted and raised by Lei Kung. She and Danny were childhood friends and as adults they are semi-romantically involved. Sparrow is one of many K’un-Lun women who learned to fight in secret, and she recently led a feminist revolution that overthrew the government. She is now the city’s new Yu-Ti (ruler) and Thunderer. She was recently blinded by Steel Serpent, but that hasn’t slowed her down. 

Nu-An/Yu-Ti

Introductory Issue: Marvel Premiere #15

The previous Yu-Ti’s whereabouts are currently unknown, but he has been a significant recurring character since the very first issue of the comic. He is Danny’s adopted uncle, and mainly served as an antagonist– lying and scheming behind the scenes to maintain his power. He was indirectly responsible for Danny’s parents’ deaths, tried to kill Danny several times, and was a corrupt leader and all-around unpleasant guy. 

Pei/Iron Fist

Introductory issue: Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #1

Pei is a relatively new character who nevertheless has huge significance for the future of Iron Fist stories. She is a teenage monk from K’un-Lun who acquired the chi of Shou-Lao in an accident, which means she is the next Iron Fist, and will take over the position when Danny dies. Recent comics have covered her origin story and her time living with and training with Danny on Earth, and while she has been absent from the past two runs, logic suggests that she will return. 

Miranda Rand-K’ai/Death Sting

Introductory issue: Iron Fist volume 1 #2

Miranda is not nearly as prominent a character as she should be, in my opinion, but she has been around for a long time and was recently reintroduced back into the comic. She is Danny’s half-sister from his father’s first, K’un-Lun-era marriage. Since her mother was from K’un-Lun, Miranda is biracial (though the art doesn’t tend to reflect this). 

Shang-Chi/Master of Kung Fu 

Introductory issue: Special Marvel Edition volume 1 #15

Shang-Chi isn’t actually an Iron Fist character, though they were created around the same time. He has his own extremely successful comic (and is also getting his own movie soon!). But he is a major Marvel character, and has crossed over with Iron Fist enough over the years that it would have felt wrong to not include him. If you’re examining Asian representation in comics, you’ve got to mention Shang-Chi. 

Good luck with your paper; I hope this helps! 

Conal: “Weak. He could beat them all in seconds if he cut loose. But he doesn’t want to inflict permanent injury.”

Iron Fist vol. 3 #2 by Dan Jurgens, Jackson Guice, and Tom Ziuko

Danny takes out 88 SHIELD agents in seven minutes without using the Iron Fist. 

Orson: “[Lei Kung] was a friend. And taught me everything I knew. Well... almost.”

Danny: “Great, Orson. So you learned your kung fu from Lei Kung and Smith & Wesson?”

Immortal Iron Fist #4 by Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, David Aja, and Matt Hollingsworth

Orson: “I would give anything to have my guns right about now.”

Miranda: “Guns? You are an Iron Fist, not an iron gun. Stop looking for the easy way out!”

Iron Fist vol. 5 #80 by Ed Brisson, Damian Couceiro, and Andy Troy

Hey. Leave Orson and his gun fu alone.

“And his opponent-- recently returning from a long stint in Hell. K’un-Lun’s forgotten bastard child! The one they call Death Sting! Miranda Rand-K’ai!”

Iron Fist vol. 5 #79 by Ed Brisson, Damian Couceiro, and Andy Troy

    Ed Brisson just made my dreams come true and finally-- finally, after twenty long years-- brought back my favorite neglected Iron Fist character... so let’s talk about her. 

    First of all: Welcome back, Miranda! I’ve missed you so much! 

    Miranda K’ai (technically, Wendell wasn’t using “Rand” yet at that point. Rand-K’ai is also Danny’s full last name, for anyone who didn’t know...) was first introduced in Iron Fist vol. 1 #2. She was one of Danny’s best (read: few) friends in K’un-Lun, along with her boyfriend Conal-- another character forgotten in more recent comics. She is also Danny’s half-sister from Wendell’s first, K’un-Lun-era marriage. While it seems she was aware of this connection from the very beginning, she didn’t tell him about it until literally her dying breath. Maybe she didn’t want to talk about their dad, and how he abandoned her after her mother’s death. Maybe she just wanted to avoid unnecessary awkwardness. But in any case, Danny had no idea, for the ten years they were friends, that they were also family. 

    This isn’t the only secret she kept from him. Danny spent most of his childhood being bullied, and shortly after becoming the Iron Fist, he got jumped by a group of his peers. He was helped out by the arrival of Conal and a badass masked fighter, who turned out to be Miranda! 

Miranda: “By the seven pits of Hell, no! My mask!!”

Danny: “Miranda?”

Miranda: “The one and only. I’m sorry, Daniel-- I almost got away with it. And the fight was going so well, too.” 

Iron Fist vol. 1 #2 by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, and Michele W. 

    While change is finally in the air thanks to Sparrow’s ascension to the position of Yu-Ti, K’un-Lun has a long history of systemic sexism. Women were strictly forbidden from fighting, or experiencing any kind of violence (there were/are serious penalties for any man who struck a woman, which... was one of the few upshots to this policy, depending on how you look at it). However, many K’un-Lun women have snuck around this rule (99% of the female characters from K’un-Lun that we meet in the comics are fighters), and Miranda was no exception. It turns out that she had been training with Conal for years, entirely without Danny’s knowledge. However, having had her combat prowess exposed in public, she and Conal quickly ended up in hot water. To escape their punishment (getting mind-wiped and reeducated! Which is apparently a thing they do in K’un-Lun!), they fled into the wilderness outside the city, where they were captured by the H’ylthri. Danny tracked them down and arrived just in time to watch them die, and to learn the truth about Miranda-- who seemingly regretted her secrecy in her final moments.  

Danny: “Miranda, I... I...”

Miranda: “Daniel, help me! Please, help me--!! Brother!!”

“Brother... She called you... brother...”

Iron Fist vol. 1 #2 by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, and Michele W. 

    Danny was knocked unconscious by the H’ylthri before he was able to save her and Conal, and afterward remained haunted by this failure, and the loss of a family member that he didn’t even know he had. 

    And that might have been the end of it, but then Miranda and Conal returned twenty years later, in Iron Fist vol. 3. It turns out that they had been kept in suspended animation by the H’ylthri, slowly having their life leached from them, and were then sent to the earthly plain to steal the Scorpio Key-- an item of power that the H’ylthri wanted in order to keep their race alive. Danny, not initially recognizing them thanks to their spiffy 90s costumes, tried to stop them. 

Conal: “If Rand knew what the stakes were-- he would not stop us! If the H’ylthri die, we die, too!”

Miranda: “It’s true, Danny. Conal and I were imprisoned in those pods for years. We weren’t quite dead-- but we certainly weren’t alive. Sss’Lethcott freed us from the pods, but if we go more than a couple of days without their special chemicals-- we die!”

Iron Fist vol. 3 #3 by Dan Jurgens, Jackson Guice, Tom Ziuko, et al. 

    This arc ended with Miranda choosing to kill the H’ylthri and die, along with Conal, as a hero. Once again, Danny had found and then lost his sister in a matter of moments. However, unbeknownst to Danny, there was an epilogue, hinting at Miranda’s miraculous survival...

“Throughout your life, Daniel Rand, you have witnessed numerous events that most would consider impossible. Those experiences keep you hoping and praying that some way, some how-- your sister might have survived. That the explosion of the pods might have rained enough of their life-giving elixirs on her-- that she might have escaped-- to live the long and happy life she so richly deserves. A happy thought, but one no doubt rooted in fantasy.”

Iron Fist vol. 3 #3 by Dan Jurgens, Jackson Guice, Tom Ziuko, et al. 

    And then she wasn’t seen again... until this past Wednesday, another twenty years later. The fact that the main character’s sister, another character who bridges the barrier between K’un-Lun and Earth, who is filled with so much untapped storytelling potential, who is directly linked to Danny’s past, has never really had a presence in his story has always baffled me. There are so many interesting things that could be done with Miranda! So many new details that could be added to the mythos! There’s so much we don’t know about her! She is an Iron Fist writer’s dream! Why has she been left mostly undeveloped for so long?

    Her return raises all kinds of questions. Here, in the current story, she is clearly dead, which negates the implications of the epilogue from volume 3. Clearly, Ed Brisson is aware of that story-- Miranda’s fighting outfit is derivative of her white and red Death Sting look. And heck-- Brisson brought back D’Kay, a minor character from an old, extremely unmemorable tie-in story. He’s clearly up on his Iron Fist continuity. But because of the intentional vagueness of the volume 3 epilogue, and the fact that Miranda had to be dead to show up in the current narrative, this doesn’t bother me that much. It’s easily No-Prize-able by speculating that volume 3 Miranda and Conal were plant-based copies, just like Planny (plant Danny) from PMIF vol. 1, and that the actual Miranda and Conal did actually die the day they fled K’un-Lun. Or maybe she didn’t actually survive volume 3 after all. 

    In any case, I’m thrilled to see her again. Even if she goes three-for-three and dies in front of Danny yet again, at least she has been acknowledged as an important and lasting character within the Iron Fist mythos. And hey... that’s better than nothing. Since the next issue is the big finale, I’m nervous about her chances. However, it’s probably going to be her soul or Orson’s-- and as much as I would love to get Orson back, having three Iron Fists hanging around on Earth might be seen as too much by the creative team. (That said: give me a Danny/Orson/Pei team-up mini-series right now.) But maybe-- maybe-- Miranda will be allowed to come back to life, thus setting her up to finally get the development and recognition she deserves in future runs.  

Preview of Iron Fist vol. 5 #80 by Ed Brisson, Damian Couceiro, and Andy Troy, on sale April 18! Sadly, this is the final issue in the series. 

I started to wonder that Alice Eve is cast as Miranda, Danny’s sister, not some villains. Is that why you are also posting all these Miranda-related comic stories? Plus the set potots from BTS of S2.... so excited.

    I’ve actually been posting Miranda comic excerpts because she recently reappeared in the series after a twenty-year absence (so it’s a very big deal), and because I really like her. So of course, I would freak out if she appeared in the show too– particularly since she has been so under-used in the comics– and it’s certainly plausible that Alice Eve could be playing her. In the 616-verse she is biracial (her mom was from K’un-Lun), but since Wendell doesn’t seem to have lived there in the MCU, her potential ethnicity is subjective. It’s certainly an exciting possibility!      

After their new employers fired Cage and Ant-Man (Scott Lang) for their prison records, the remaining members disbanded. Weeks later, Iron Fist was manipulated into stealing the powerful Zodiac Key by Death Sting, actually Miranda Rand-K'ai, who, along with Conal, had been pressed into H'ylthri service. Iron Fist fought the pair and their H'ylthri masters, and both Death Sting and Conal were believed slain, although Death Sting survived. Meanwhile, the heroes supposedly slain by Onslaught had returned, and Iron Fist, belatedly realizing that humanity would reject rule by K'un-Lun, sought to stop the process he had begun; but young Hand assassin Junzo Muto stole his power in order to bring K'un-Lun to Japan. Heather Rand's spirit told Iron Fist that Muto could not succeed without him, leaving K'un-Lun to move on to an unknown fate. Unwilling to risk K'un-Lun's destruction, Iron Fist teamed with Wolverine, Yu-Ti and others to defeat Muto, but not before K'un-Lun began to merge with the city of Tokyo. Yu-Ti then stabbed Iron Fist, reasoning that his death would un-merge the cities. K'un-Lun indeed returned to its proper place, but Iron Fist was met in Feng-Tu by his proud parents, who restored him to life. Back in New York, former Heroes for Hire foe Nightshade resurrected Chiantang to use him against her current enemy, the Black Panther. Chiantang turned on her, re-empowered Iron Fist, and mentally enslaved him to fight the Panther, but Iron Fist regained his senses and helped defeat Chiantang. Returning to crime fighting, he found it unsatisfying and left New York to seek a new path. Yet all paths, it seemed, led back to K'un-Lun, for he soon faced Chi, a sorcerer exiled from K'un-Lun a millennium before, who hoped to use Iron Fist's unique bond to K'un-Lun for conquest. Iron Fist defeated Chi, accepting his heroic role anew. Danny's recently come back into the spotlight, taking up the mantle of Daredevil while Matt Murdock was incarcerated. #marvel #character #bio #CharacteroftheDay #ironfist #netflix #comics #mcu #defenders #superhero #martialarts

Daniel Rand is the son of Wendell Rand, who had, as a youth, visited the mystic city of K'un-Lun, which materialized in the Himalayas once a decade; founded roughly a million years ago by extraterrestrials, K'un-Lun was co-ruled by the aliens' descendants and powerful beings called the Dragon Kings, who were themselves subject to the godlike sorcerer Master Khan. Rand had saved the life of K'un-Lun's ruler Lord Tuan, who adopted Rand as his heir, to the resentment of Tuan's son, Yu-Ti. During his time in K'un-Lun, Rand married a woman named Shakari and fathered a daughter, Miranda Rand-K'ai. At some point, Rand won ritual combat against Davos, son of K'un-Lun's greatest warrior, Lei Kung the Thunderer, which entitled him to claim the power of Shou-Lao the Undying, a man transformed into a mystic serpent over a thousand years ago by the Dragon King Chiantang; however, although great K'un-Lun warriors had periodically wielded Shou-Lao's power as the Iron Fist, Rand declined the power. Ten years after coming to K'un-Lun, Rand was showing Shakari the restored nexus when Yu-Ti's men attacked them. Shakari was slain, and the grief-stricken Rand returned to Earth. Within a year, he became a successful businessman and married Heather Duncan. In his absence, Lord Tuan died and became ruler of Feng-Tu, abode of K'un-Lun's departed spirits, leaving Yu-Ti to rule K'un-Lun, while Lei Kung, shamed by Davos' defeat, banished his son to Earth. #marvel #character #bio #CharacteroftheDay #ironfist #netflix #comics #mcu #defenders #superhero #martialarts