The Immortal Iron Fist

issues	27

main char team	Iron Fist

writers	Duane Swierczynski

artists	Travel Foreman

creative team month	September

creative team year	2008

creators	Ed Brubaker Matt Fraction David Aja Travel Foreman

tpb	Volume 1: The Last Iron Fist Story

isbn	0-7851-2489-6

subcat	Marvel Comics

sort	Immortal Iron Fist

The Immortal Iron Fist was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics and starring the superhero Iron Fist.

Publication history

The series was written jointly by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction from issues #1-14 with artists Travel Foreman and David Aja.[1] Fraction wrote issues #15 and 16 alone. From issue #17 to the series' cancellation at issue #27, the series was written by Duane Swierczynski and largely drawn by a returning Travel Foreman.[2][3][4]

Plot summary

"The Last Iron Fist Story" (#1–6)

The series' first story arc introduces Orson Randall, Daniel Rand's immediate predecessor as Iron Fist, who reneged on his responsibilities to K'un-Lun after suffering immense psychological trauma during the First World War. Randall, living in drug-soaked seclusion, is pursued by agents of the Steel Serpent and the terrorist group Hydra. Jolted out of his decades-long ennui, Randall seeks out Daniel 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 Capital Cities of Heaven.

The Steel Serpent, whose powers have been greatly augmented by Crane Mother, a ruler of another timeless city, quickly dispatches Randall in single combat. On the brink of death, Randall surrenders his Chi to Danny, giving him sufficient power to battle the Serpent to a standstill. After the battle, Rand is immediately summoned by his master, Yu-Ti.

"The Pirate Queen of Pinghai Bay" (#7)

This issue focus on the life of Wu Ao-Shi, the first female Iron Fist who lived circa 1545 A.D.

"The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven" (#8–14)

Annuals, Specials and Tie-ins

Civil War: Choosing Sides

This Civil War tie-in features a short story,"Choosing Sides", that acts as a prelude to the series. It was reprinted in The Immortal Iron Fist #1 Director's Cut.

Annual #1 - Men of A Certain Deadly Persuasion

Set between issues 9 and 10, Danny Rand learns the life story of his predecessor, Orson Randall, while fighting Hydra.

Orson Randall and The Green Mist of Death

Written by Matt Fraction with art by Mitch Breitweiser, Nick Dragotta, Russ Heath Jr. & Lewis LaRosa, this special shows the numerous confrontations between Orson Randall and Prince of Orphans across the decades.

The Origin Of Danny Rand

A reprint of Marvel Premiere #15-16 featuring new coloring and a framing sequence by Matt Fraction and Kano.

Orson Randall and The Death Queen of California

Spin-offs

Immortal Weapons Miniseries

After the conclusion of the main title, Marvel Comics published a 5-issue miniseries focusing on the Immortal Weapons. Each issue, with a cover by David Aja, featured a lead story about one of these characters, with a back-up feature starring Iron Fist running across all five issues. Entitled "The Caretakers", it was written by Duane Swierczynski with art by Travel Foreman (Parts 1 & 2) and Hatuey Diaz (Parts 3 to 5).[14][15][16]

The Books Of the Iron Fist short story

In September 2010 an epilogue to the series was published in the first issue of the I Am An Avenger anthology miniseries.[17] Written by Duane Swierczynski with art by Jason Latour, the eight-page short story entitled "The Books of the Iron Fist" deals with Misty Knight's pregnancy and her relationship with Danny Rand.

Collected editions

The series has been collected into a series of hardcovers and trade paperbacks:

Awards

The series was nominated for a 2008 Eisner Award for Best New Series.[18]

Ed Brubaker won the 2008 Eisner Award for Best Writer in part for his work on The Immortal Iron Fist.[19]

References

Dave Richards. Iron Drawing Hand: Aja talks "The Immortal Iron Fist" Comic Book Resources, November 16, 2006, retrieved February 21, 2007^
Dave Richards. New Fists Of Fury: Swierczynski Talks "Iron Fist" Comic Book Resources, April 7, 2008, retrieved June 11, 2010^
Steve Ekstrom. Talking Iron Fist With Swierczynski, Fraction, Brubaker and Foreman

"Escape from the Eighth City" (#22–23, 25–26)

Davos arrives at the behest of Lei Kung to inform Danny that the Eighth city is, in fact, a prison constructed to hold demonic creatures that had once threatened K'un-Lun and the other cities of Heaven. Davos also informs Danny that the previous Yu-Ti had housed anyone who attempted to rebel against his rule in the Eighth city, and Lei Kung commissions Danny and the Immortal Weapons to rescue the wrongful prisoners.

Upon arrival at the gates of the city, Danny and the others are literally sucked into the depths of the city, whereupon they are attacked by the prisoners of the Eighth City, which is ruled by the nefarious Changming, and forced to fight the demons of the city one by one, each time beaten nearly to death.[9] One of Danny's fellow prisoner reveals himself as Quan Yaozu, the first Iron Fist. Quan reveals that in the early days of K'un-Lun's history, Changming had been the one who had originally summoned all of the demonic creatures that had once plagued the city, including Shou-Lao, and used them to quickly conquer the city. One day, however, a lone warrior had entered the dragon's cave to challenge it.

Before Quan can finish, he and Danny are removed from their cells and brought into the arena for a fight. By now, Changming has learned that Danny and the Immortal Weapons have been formulating a plan to rescue the prisoners of the Eighth City and make their escape, by leaving each other Morse code messages in the arena after each fight. Changming declares that Danny and Quan will fight to the death.[10] However, once the fight begins, Danny immediately senses that his opponent lacks any perceivable martial arts skills and realizes that he is not the true Quan Yaozu. As the Immortal Weapons manage to escape and defeat the guards during the fight, Changming reveals that he is the true Quan Yaozu. He explains that he voluntarily stayed in the Eighth City to keep K'un-Lun's demons from escaping. However, upon seeing innocent people thrown into the Eighth City, Quan became disillusioned, and believed that K'un-Lun was not worth saving, eventually rising up to rule the Eighth City.[11]

Quan forces Danny to lead him out of Eighth City and back to K'un-Lun, but after making it outside the gate, the two encounter Davos, who is waiting outside the gate with a sniper rifle. He tells Danny that he has been sent there by Lei-Kung to assassinate Quan, as he and Lei-Kung believe that Danny lacks the ability to take his life. In the ensuing battle, Danny manages to defeat both Davos and Quan, going as far as to take a bullet in the hand for the latter. Danny's actions impress Quan, who decides that Danny may be living proof that K'un-Lun is not the corrupt city it once was. Danny and Davos agree to guide Quan to K'un-Lun and arrange a meeting between him and Lei-Kung to give Quan a forum for his grievances.[12]

endyr
ongoing	y
marts	first
superhero	y
multigenre	y
publisher	Marvel Comics
startmo	November
startyr	2006
endmo	August