Devil’s Reign 4 (2022) by Chip Zdarsky & Marco Checchetto

Cover: Joshua Swaby (variant)

Daredevil

There he is

    So you want to start reading Iron Fist comics? Here is a brief guide to this wild, wonderful corner of the Marvel universe.      

Where to Start:

    There are a number of good places to jump into Iron Fist, but I recommend starting with Immortal Iron Fist (not to be confused with Immortal Iron FistS, which is a fun comic but not a great entry point). It’s a fantastic series that expands upon and re-introduces many key elements of the Iron Fist mythos, making it a perfect introduction to the characters and the world. It’s also a relatively recent series, and thus perfect for newer readers who may feel intimidated by older comics. 

    From there, you can jump backward– all the way to Danny’s introductory stories in Marvel Premiere, and then to Iron Fist volume 1. That leads into Power Man #48-49, which in turn kicks off Power Man and Iron Fist vol. 1, which is an absolute must-read. From there, you should have enough of a grounding in the character to read whatever else you want, in whatever order suits you. 

Here are my main recommended Iron Fist series, in (mostly) chronological order:

Marvel Premiere #15-25: Danny, Colleen Wing, and Misty Knight’s introductory series! Nineteen-year-old Danny Rand becomes the Iron Fist and returns to New York to avenge his parents’ deaths. 

Iron Fist vol. 1 #1-15: In his first official solo series, Danny teams up with Misty to rescue Colleen, inherits his parents’ fortune, accidentally battles Captain America, accidentally battles the X-Men, gets framed for murder (again), and attempts– with varying degrees of success– to adapt to his new life on Earth.

Marvel Team-Up (1972) #63-64: A tale of power, vengeance, and extreme hugging. Steel Serpent makes his first real attempt to steal the chi of Shou-Lao from Danny. Guest-starring Spider-Man and the Daughters of the Dragon. 

Power Man #48-49 and Power Man and Iron Fist vol. 1 #50-125: One fateful day, Marvel’s editorial team decided to take two struggling comics and squish them together. The result was the wacky powerhouse buddy book, Power Man and Iron Fist. The merger begins in Power Man #48-49 and continues right into the main series (which starts at #50). The best approach for this wild ride of a comic is just to hop on and take it as far as you want to go, which is why I’m recommending the whole thing. Danny joins Luke’s Heroes for Hire business, and the two friends face down every kind of threat imaginable (for a fee, of course).  

Namor the Sub-Mariner #16-18, 20-25: A follow-up to the events of the final Power Man and Iron Fist arc. Misty, Colleen, and Namor hunt for Danny, who isn’t as dead as he’d seemed. 

Heroes for Hire vol. 1 #1-19: Danny re-starts Heroes for Hire with Luke’s blessing and an expanded line-up. Shenanigans ensue. This series is irreverent, over-the-top, and a whole lot of fun– everything a Heroes for Hire comic should be. 

Iron Fist vol. 3 #1-3: Danny discovers that his half-sister Miranda might not be as dead as he’d once believed. Miranda is a criminally underused character, and I cherish every moment she appears, so I really enjoy this run. Also featuring: awkward Danny/Joy Meachum team-ups.

Iron Fist/Wolverine #1-4: Danny decides to pull K’un-Lun onto the earthly plane permanently, then immediately regrets it when the Hand steal the chi of Shou-Lao and attempt to use the city for their own purposes.

Immortal Iron Fist #1-27: As mentioned above, this series is essential modern Iron Fist reading. Danny fights for K’un-Lun’s honor in a tournament against the super-powered champions of the other Capital Cities of Heaven. This sends him on a journey through which he gains a new understanding of the Iron Fist legacy and his place within it. 

Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death: A series of vignettes outlining the adventures of the Confederates of the Curious as Orson Randall (Danny’s immediate Iron Fist predecessor) flees the Prince of Orphans. This is directly connected to the first story arc of Immortal Iron Fist, so read that first.  

Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Death Queen of California: A delightfully moody kung-fu noir story set in 1920s Hollywood. Orson answers a call for help from an old WWI buddy, and ends up embroiled in a mystical mystery at the heart of the budding film industry. 

Immortal Weapons #1-5: A mini-series focusing on the backstories of the other Immortal Weapons. It also includes a great secondary story about one of Danny’s students from the Thunder Dojo.

Daredevil vol. 2 #112-115: Danny, Matt Murdock, and Master Izo (Matt’s alcohol-loving, pun-tastic grandpa sensei) battle the Hand.

Thunderbolts (2006) #137: Danny gets kidnapped, tortured, and brainwashed by Norman Osborn, and then is sent to kill Luke. Read! This! Issue!

I Am an Avenger #1, “The Books of the Iron Fist”: Misty and Danny reflect on their relationship in the aftermath of Misty’s false pregnancy.

Secret Wars: Secret Love, “Misty and Danny Forever”: The perfect antidote to “The Books of the Iron Fist” (above). In an alternate universe in which Misty and Danny are married and have a child, they must face the most frightening challenge of all: going on an actual date. Guest-starring Colleen Wing, the Jones-Cage family, and a punchable T-rex.

Iron Man 2.0 #5-7: The Immortal Weapons are one of my favorite Marvel superhero teams, and so I cherish their infrequent appearances. This is a fun little “Fear Itself” tie-in, in which the Weapons assemble to shut down a security breach in the Eighth City. (The Eighth City is introduced in Immortal Iron Fist, so again– read that first.)

Spider-Island: Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #1-3: A self-contained spin-off from the “Spider-Island” event (in which random people acquire spider powers). Shang-Chi (Master of Kung Fu) teams up with Danny and the other Immortal Weapons to battle an ancient creature attempting to manifest in New York City.

Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #1-12: K’un-Lun is in ruins, and Danny must face down the ghosts of his violent origin story or risk losing everything. A massive sucker-punch of a series.

Power Man and Iron Fist vol. 3 #1-15: Danny and Luke try to recreate their Heroes for Hire glory days in a world in which everything has changed. Equal parts humor, introspection, and butt-kicking.

Immortal Iron Fists #1-6: Danny is tasked with training Pei, a teenager from K’un-Lun who was imbued with the chi of Shou-Lao in a freak accident. Pei must survive high school. Danny must survive parenting. They both must survive the demons suddenly popping up all over New York. Shenanigans ensue!    

Iron Fist vol. 5: In the wake of the recent sacking of K’un-Lun, Danny finds his connection to the chi of Shou-Lao fading. He embarks on a quest to restore his power, rediscover his purpose, and save his home.

Iron Fist: Phantom Limb: An Iron Fist horror comic. ‘Nuff said. While grappling with the guilt of failing to save a child’s life, Danny is attacked by a demon that literally turns his body against him. Maybe don’t read this if you’re freaked out by hands…

Pei: Wayward Warrior: (Also known as Marvel’s Voices #51-56.) So far, this story lives exclusively on the Marvel Unlimited app as part of their digital Infinity Comic series, though I’m keeping all of my fingers and toes crossed for a physical release. This solo adventure (with cameos by the Jones-Cage family) follows Pei’s psychological journey as she struggles to adjust to life in New York now that she no longer has the chi of Shou-Lao.   

This is far from all of the Iron Fist-relevant comics, but they should provide a nice, rounded look at the character and the mythos. Enjoy!