On Earth-616, Luke Cage was convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. An experiment while in prison gave him the power he needed to prove his innocence and become a hero. Things are slightly different in the Ultimate Universe. Here, as Ultimates #9 reveals, Luke Cage became a hero long before he became Power Man.
Written by Deniz Camp with art by Chris Allen, Ultimates #9 explores the life of Luke Cage at two points in time. The first storyline begins with a 15-year-old Luke in 2005, wrongly convicted to a variable sentence of one year to life in prison. The second story takes place 20 years later as Luke is sent to a prison run by the villain Midas.
(Image Source: Marvel / Chris Allen)
As a teen, Luke takes advantage of every resource the prison provides. Beyond training his body in the gym, he trains his mind in the library. Moreover, he attempts to share his education with his fellow inmates. Unfortunately, his efforts to start a book club are crushed when the guards claim he was trying to form a gang.
It soon becomes clear that the Maker is trying to stop Luke Cage from becoming the man he is meant to be. However, these efforts ultimately fail. Even before Tony Stark restores the powers that are his destiny, Luke Cage causes good trouble. Having freed his own mind, he seeks to empower his fellow prisoners. This leads Luke, over the course of six months, to plan how to take over the prison.
(Image Source: Marvel / Chris Allen)
As Luke emerges from the prison, Tony Stark offers him a place in the Ultimates. However, Luke declines, saying that he can do more good on the inside than the outside. The comic closes with the revelation that Luke has been going to other prisons run over the past year, bringing them down from the inside by empowering other people to fight back against tyranny.
The Ultimates #9 is now available at comic shops everywhere.