The Defenders is an 8 part miniseries that will air on Netflix. The series will bring together several superheroes from the MCU including Luke Cage, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist. The four superheroes will be combining their powers to fight The Hand.
Luke Cage
Marvel’s The Defenders are a team of superheroes who join forces to save New York City from The Hand. But two of those Defenders have a history that might make it difficult for them to work together.
In the MCU there are a lot of crossovers and relationships between the superheroes. Netflix has developed four independent backstories, one for each of the members of The Defenders. All of those series happen within the MCU and the events in those series influence what each member of The Defenders brings to the table.
As the primary superheroes in New York City, the members of The Defenders team have crossed paths before but each has their own unique history and their own Netflix series.
Luke Cage’s History
Luke Cage wasn’t always a superhero. Originally he was just a kid from Georgia who grew up with a distant father and some run of the mill issues. Before joining the Marines, Luke had already become an accomplished boxer. After his tour as a Marine, he joined the police force. He was framed for a murder and sent to Seagate prison. While he was in prison he was sent to an intervention program where he met Reva Connors, who would later become his wife.
Luke was involved in a boxing fight club during his stay in prison, that eventually led to him sustaining serious injuries. Because he was dying the prison doctor, with Reva’s support, performed a medical experiment on him to try and save his life. That medical experiment that turned him into a superhero. After the experiment, he found that he had super strength and unbreakable skin. Luke then escaped from prison and he and Reva moved to New York City. In order to remain hidden from police, Luke changed his name. He and Reva then lived quietly until her death.
Reva and Jessica Jones
Cage was suspicious about Reva’s Death. He kept digging into her death and found some clues but was never able to put all the pieces together. Until he met another superhero in NYC, Jessica Jones. Cage and Jessica become friends and then lovers before Luke found out that it was actually Jessica who had killed Reva. While under Kilgrave’s mind control Jessica killed Reva and made her death look accidental.
Kilgrave And Luke Cage
Understandably Cage couldn’t get past the fact that Jessica had killed Reva. Kilgrave then took control of Luke and sent him to kill Jessica. Despite her powers, Jessica barely escaped because Luke’s super powers of super strength and unbreakable skin made him almost unstoppable. After Cage got free of Kilgrave’s influence he forgave Jessica for killing Reva. Luke finally understood that when Kilgrave was in control of her she had no free will and couldn’t stop herself from killing Reva. He realized that she was just as powerless as he was when unable to stop himself from trying to kill Jessica.
Luke’s battle with Kilgrave wasn’t over yet. Kilgrave was able to get Luke under his control again and once again sends him to kill Jessica. This time the only way she is able to escape is to shoot him. Luke almost doesn’t survive. Jessica left him in the care of nurse Claire Temple who is an old friend of Luke’s and went to kill Kilgrave.
Luke Cage The Series
The Netflix original series Luke Cage primarily focuses on Luke’s life in Harlem fighting crime, while attempting to stay out of trouble. The series got positive reviews from critics and fans alike. So much so, that a second season was greenlighted. Season two of Luke Cage will premiere in 2018.
Luke Cage And The Defenders
On The Defenders, Cage is the most willing and able to take risks to do the right thing. Through fighting crime in Harlem, Luke has proven that he’s willing to take risks to save innocent lives. This willingness comes from a strong moral code within him. Some of the other superheroes on the team, like Jessica Jones, are not as motivated by a desire to help others. Cage is probably the best choice to be the leader of the team because of his altruistic leanings and his history with some of the other Defenders.
Whether or not he can take charge of the highly individualistic and reluctant other members of the Defenders and turn them into a united and cohesive fighting force remains to be seen. The Defenders premieres on Netflix on August 18th.
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Stay tuned for the rest of our The Defenders preseason coverage.
The Defenders Preseason: Daredevil
The Defenders Preseason: Jessica Jones
The Defenders Preseason: Iron Fist
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