Warning! Spoilers ahead for Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon #3
Luke Cage should be the guy topping everyone's zombie apocalypse partner list, and it's not hard to see why. Not only is Luke Cage super-strong, but he's also has unbreakable skin, making him practically immune to zombie bites. The latest issue of Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon displays these skills perfectly, and it's not the first time Luke has been considered for a zombie smashing role.
Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon #3, written by Larry Hama and illustrated by Dave Wachter and Neeraj Menon, opens with Iron Fist grappling with a worldwide ninja zombie invasion of his own making. Thus, he and his allies are forced to split up in order to fight the ninja zombies of the mythical Eighth City across the globe, all while protecting the benevolent Heavenly Cities' dragons appearing all over the world.
Luke Cage is sent to Rio De Janeiro, where he explains the situation to the X-Man Sunspot. When Sunspot hears that Iron Fist is partially responsible for unleashing the zombies, he immediately asks why he should even listen to Luke. He also asks if Luke is going to do anything to stop the zombies from taking over Rio. "I can manage that," Cage says, punching one fist into a zombie's head and then utterly pulverizing several more effortlessly with his bare hands. A stunned Sunspot simply looks on and says, "You'll do."
The scene shows just why Luke Cage is the ultimate zombie killer, and interestingly enough, this isn't the first time he's been considered for this role. Originally, Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman intended for Luke Cage to be the protagonist of Marvel Zombies, having avoided the infection because of his unbreakable skin. Interestingly enough, it was a simple oversight which doomed this concept, as a zombified Cage was inadvertently included in the art for Ultimate Fantastic Four. This lead Kirkman to switch gears and make Black Panther the role of the last known human on Earth. While Marvel didn't seem enamored with the concept from the beginning, it does raise the question of what might have been. The original story concept seems more akin to I Am Legend starring Luke Cage. On the other hand, however, the move away from Cage may have resulted on more focus on the Marvel Zombies themselves, who are now undoubtedly the most memorable element of the twisted mini-series.
Regardless, Luke Cage's prowess as a zombie killer can't be denied in the brief scene in Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon. And who knows what the future will hold for Luke Cage? It's very possible that he'll eventually feature in a similar premise that will see him as the lone survivor in as a zombie apocalypse, crushing zombie heads with his unbreakable fists. Until then Luke Cage will have to settle on ripping apart ninja zombies in Iron Fist's latest adventure.