Iron Fist debuted in Marvel Comics in 1974, an answer to the kung-fu movie craze that had taken the world by storm. The first Iron Fist in Marvel Comics was Danny Rand, a white American boy whose father was obsessed with finding the mythical city of K’un-Lun and died in an accident near its gates. He was raised in the city, trained in the arts of kung-fu, and challenged for the role of the Iron Fist warrior. When Danny beat Shou-Lao the Undying, he earned the right to the power and returned to America, where he became one of Marvel’s greatest heroes.
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However, Danny Rand wasn’t the first Iron Fist, and he isn’t the version now defending the streets in the Marvel Universe. With over 50 years of Iron Fist stories in Marvel Comics, here are the best of the best.
10) “The Shattered Sword” (Iron Fist #1-5, 2022)
Lin Lie is Iron Fist in Marvel Comics now. The former Sword Master, Lin Lie, was thought to have died while fighting with the Agents of Atlas during the Death of Doctor Strange storyline. However, he washed ashore near K’un-Lun and was taken in and healed, although his former mythical sword was shattered, and many pieces were embedded in his arms. “The Shattered Sword” shows the new Iron Fist trying to come to terms with his new role, something he feels he had not earned, and his reluctance to accept help from Danny Rand in taking on his new role. This was a nice start to the new hero’s journey, and by the time this story ended, Lin Lie was entrenched as the new Iron Fist, and he hasn’t looked back.
9) “Soul Games” (Power Man and Iron Fist #100)
It didn’t take long after Iron Fist arrived in Marvel Comics that the company decided to combine the 70s love of blaxploitation and kung-fu movies by having Danny Rand team with Luke Cage in Power Man and Iron Fist. The series started with Power Man #50, which added Iron Fist to the title, and by issue #100, it was time to lead them to their biggest battle yet. Master Khan was the villain here, and he had kidnapped all of Iron Fist’s friends and allies before finally using a gem to steal Danny’s actual soul. Luckily, Iron Fist had Power Man as an ally, and the two of them finally won the day, but it was one of Danny’s toughest battles early in his career.
8) “The Mortal Iron Fist” (Immortal Iron Fist #21-27)
“The Mortal Iron Fist” was a story that foreshadowed the eventual death of Danny Rand. Released in Iron Fist Vol. 5, this was the storyline that revealed that every Iron Fist warrior from the past died when they were 33. It just so happened that Danny was 33 during this story, so his fate seemed sealed. The title clearly shows that he was no longer immortal, and he faced the fact that there were beings out there, both in the world and in the spirit world, who wanted him dead. This story played out with the theme that Iron Fist was a great hero, but he really needed to rely on his friends, and in this case, at least, they were there for him.
7) “Iron Fist 50th Anniversary Special” (2024)
Sadly, 15 years later, Iron Fist died. This was only one year in Marvel Comics time, as Danny was 33 in “Mortal Iron Fist” and this issue was on the day of his 34th birthday. The thing that made this single-issue comic book so special was that it was split into different stories, each one showing Danny and what he meant to some of the people in his life. There was a Power Man and Iron Fist story, and another smaller moment with Colleen Wing and Misty Knight. There was a bit with Lin Lie and Pei in action against The Shocker (although this was to set up the shocking finale). There was a training story with Wolverine and a nice moment where Luke Cage was celebrating his friend’s birthday. However, these nice moments were all there to lead into Danny Rand’s murder in the final pages, which was shocking and changed Iron Fist’s legacy forever.
6) “Return to K’un-L’un” (Power Man and Iron Fist #75)
Iron Fist’s story was always tied to the mythical city of K’un-Lun. Just like every Iron Fist before him, Danny Rand left the city to forge his own path and then couldn’t find his way back. Finally, in Power Man and Iron Fist #75, Marvel Comics brought back the mythical city. The Heroes for Hire followed the evil Master Khan through a portal and ended up in the city, which finally offered readers a look at its place in the Iron Fist mythos. However, what no one expected was that K’un-L’un wasn’t a good place, and many there took the side of Master Khan in this battle, with them planning to use Danny as a sacrifice, proving that he can’t go back home because it isn’t the home he remembered.
5) “The Boys Are Back” (Power Man and Iron Fist #1-5, 2016)
Power Man and Iron Fist were one of the best pairings in Marvel Comics history, and the lifelong friendship between Luke Cage and Danny Rand was always great. Marvel reunited them in 2016. However, Luke didn’t want them reunited, and it only happened because Danny was so desperate to do something more with his life, even though their first mission was based on a lie and a setup by someone they thought they could trust (their old secretary, Jennie Royce). The art takes a little bit to get used to, but it was nice to see Power Man and Iron Fist back together, even if it wasn’t something that Cage wanted to see happen at the start, even though he later admitted it was likely for the best.
4) “The Last Iron Fist Story” (Immortal Iron Fist #1-6)
Immortal Iron Fist launched in 2006 and was a huge reset on the entire mythology of Iron Fist and K’un-Lun. Creators Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction crafted a deep story that took readers back in time to see how the roles of Iron Fist evolved over the years, culminating in Danny Rand as the modern-day hero. To do this, they introduced the Book of Iron Fist into the storyline and spent the first six issues telling stories from that book, which World War I Iron Fist Orson Randall gave to Danny. Orson was the only person to ever walk away from his role as Iron Fist rather than dying in the role, and this was all for Orson to prepare Danny for what was to come, which included dark secrets from K’un-Lun.
3) “Freedom” (Power Man and Iron Fist #50)
“Freedom” was the first issue of Power Man and Iron Fist. It is numbered at #50 because the first 49 issues were just called Power Man and were part of a solo hero series for Luke Cage. This was a significant series for both heroes, as it was the issue where Luke was finally exonerated of the crimes that had falsely convicted him and sent him to prison. As he celebrates his freedom, he is attacked by two villains, and in the end, he and Danny decide they should give teaming up a chance. What resulted was the best long-term pairing of two heroes in Marvel Comics history and the precursor to the later named Heroes for Hire.
2) “The Fury of Iron Fist” (Marvel Premiere #15)
It is impossible to read Iron Fist stories without at least going back to where it all began. Danny Rand’s introduction came in 1974 in the book Marvel Premiere, with the story, “The Fury of Iron Fist.” This was an era where kung-fu movies reigned supreme, and Marvel Comics wanted to capitalize on it with Iron Fist and Shang-Chi (who was introduced one year earlier). This was his origin story, where his father died and he was trained to be a martial arts master in K’un-Lun. What is most impressive about this origin story is that it was never retconned or changed in later years and is one of the few superhero stories that remains the same, without any significant changes.
1) “The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven” (Immortal Iron Fist #8-14)
The best Iron Fist storyline ever told arrived in the Immortal Iron Fist comic book series and started right after the introduction of the Book of Iron Fist. This series not only showed how there were several Iron Fists, going back over a million years, but also that K’un-Lun wasn’t the only mythical city, and there were six others (eight total if you count the prison world). Plus, each of the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven had their version of Iron Fist, all of which were known as Immortal Weapons. Every so often, the seven cities would have a tournament to determine which city would appear on Earth next. This led to political corruption and a Hydra plot, and the entire story here allowed Danny Rand to see what K’un-Lun was really about and how that city only scratched the surface of this amazing mythology.
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