(bright music)
- If there are two things that come to mind
when imagining the iconic superhero,
it'd probably be their fantastic costumes
and their fantastic names.
Together these two things form the alter ego,
which most importantly makes the hero look cool
but also hides their true identity.
They allow Peter Parker to protect his family
and Oliver Queen to protect his reputation.
Bruce Wayne's alter ego, Batman, is the reason
he can be more than just a guy in a suit.
Instead he is a symbol of hope and of fear.
Okay, so then why would any super powered person
choose not to use one?
Hello, I'm DK and this is Alter Ego,
the show that strives to take a deeper look
at some of our favorite names in comics.
Luke Cage, Hero for Hire from Harlem.
The first black superhero to headline his own solo title.
He would be a man set apart, and for many,
above any other heroes of the day.
Inspired by Shaft and similar films,
creators Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, and John Romita, Sr.,
knew they wanted to bring that same tone into comics.
Luke was not gonna be a secretive,
work from the shadows kind of hero.
He was also not going to be
a soaring above the masses kind of hero.
No, Luke would be a boots to the pavement,
man of action where what you see is what you get.
And a guy like that doesn't much care for grandiosity.
So when his first issue was published in June of 1972,
there was no larger than life title for him.
Instead, in bold yellow lettering
at the top of the page
was simply his name and his occupation.
Luke Cage, Hero for Hire.
The issue opens with him locked away
in Seagate Prison for a crime he did not commit.
And it's here that then-named Carl Lucas
gains his impenetrable skin and super strength.
After being persuaded by a scientist
to take part in a cell regeneration program,
he is submerged in a vat of chemicals
and that's when things go terribly wrong
because, when don't they with superhero origin stories?
Lucas is left in far too long
and soon finds himself breaking out of not just the vat,
but also the prison with his newly found strength.
Now a fugitive, Carl Lucas takes on the name Luke Cage
and eventually decides to capitalize on his super abilities
by becoming a hero for hire.
It's worth noting he does try to fit
into the superhero scene a bit with his costume
but having a hero name never seems to cross his mind.
He then takes to intervening
in the dealings of crime syndicates,
making sure to always leave behind
his trademark calling card.
Completely off topic here but did you know
that Nicholas Cage actually changed his name
from Nick Coppola to Nick Cage because of Luke Cage?
Did he know it wasn't Luke's original, original name?
Anyway, it wasn't until February of 1974
that he first tried a bonafide alter ego on for size.
He noticed the name Luke Cage
wasn't exactly drawing headlines
and he wanted something more flashy to contend
with the likes of Spider-Man and Iron Man.
Hey, more press means more pay, right?
So in the middle of an already existing run,
issue 17 to be exact, the writers changed the title
of the series from Luke Cage, Hero for Hire
to Luke Cage, Power Man.
We find out exactly how and why he chose the name
in this issue.
It begins with Luke being contracted
to visit Stark Industries
and requisition an experimental suit of armor.
While doing exactly that, he's confronted by Iron Man,
who informs Luke that he's actually stealing it
and the man who wants the suit is a thief.
The two then join forces to stop him.
Luke rips the door off of the villain's escape ship,
later exclaiming, "Chalk it up to black power, man."
And eureka, he has it.
The comic ends with Luke parting ways with Iron Man,
informing his new ally to address him
under his new name, Power Man.
He would go on to hold this title steadily
for a number of years, through adventures
with the Fantastic Four, the Defenders,
and his now best friend, Iron Fist.
But it did ultimately end up being relatively temporary
as, like a number of other heroes, he opted
to change his name back to the original.
There are many reasons why a character would do this.
They may be turning over a new leaf like Emma Frost
or maybe they were never quite able to find
a pseudonym to fit, like Kitty Pryde.
Perhaps their transformations were just so public
that there was no real reason to use an alter ego at all,
as is the case of the Fantastic Four
and especially Ben Grimm,
who couldn't even hide his powers if he tried.
Or, you know, they could just be like Tony Stark
and not feel like hiding at all.
- I am Iron Man.
(everyone shouting questions at once)
- But what was Luke's motivation to drop Power Man?
Well, similarly to Emma Frost,
he wanted to wipe his slate clean.
He'd just gotten out of a mess involving Iron Fist's death,
then resurrection, and found a job
with the Chicago Spectator to once again
become Luke Cage, Hero for Hire.
He was flying solo and didn't need flamboyant words
like power to get the job done.
So writers began calling him Luke Cage again in 1992
in his new series simply titled, Cage.
And that's how things remained until this past year
when Power Man made a comeback
in the reboot, Power Man and Iron Fist.
Sweet Christmas, that was a journey.
So, what do you think?
Do you prefer Luke Cage, or Power Man?
Also, how do you feel about alter egos in general?
Are they necessary, or overused?
Let us know in the comments below.
Also, I really hope he says, "Sweet Christmas," in the show,
I haven't actually seen it yet
but it was kind of his thing.
Alright guys, if you happen to like this show
and want some more of it, check out this playlist
of all the Alter Egos to date.
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