This article contains spoilers for A.X.E: Judgment Day #4
Marvel's Luke Cage has a new job - and he's already failing at his duties because he was never meant to be a politician from the start. The superhero who once called himself "Power Man" is currently stuck behind a desk as New York City's newest mayor, and Luke Cage himself once asserted that he could affect real change from this position. But in A.X.E: Judgment Day #4, Cage is judged a failure by the Celestial, thanks to his politician's answer to a simple question.
In current comics continuity, the entire planet is in jeopardy, thanks to the war between the X-Men and Eternals. Iron Man, in an effort to stop the war, attempts to wake the Progenitor Celestial - but this attempt backfires horribly when the Celestial begins to act on its own. Believing the people of Earth are a massive disturbance to the planet itself, the Celestial vows to "judge" all humans, mutants and Eternals as individuals and as a group; a collective failure to pass this judgment will force the Celestial's hand and the Earth will be destroyed.
In A.X.E: Judgment Day #4, written by Keiron Gillen with art by Valerio Schiti, the Progenitor Celestial judges the most heroes it has ever judged since the event began. It judges Daredevil (thumbs down), Ms. Marvel (thumbs up), even the villain Doctor Doom (thumbs up), and many more. When it comes time to judge Luke Cage, it disguises itself as a member of the press and asks how he would judge his own performance. "Ask me tomorrow," Cage answers - but this is not an option. The Celestial fails him by default and continues to judge the population of Earth.
Why did the Progenitor Celestial fail Luke Cage when it passed the likes of Doctor Doom? The Celestial takes into account one's own thoughts about the situation. A healthy amount of doubt is rewarded (such is the case with Ms. Marvel), but not too much, and abstaining from judging oneself is apparently out of the question. Luke Cage gives a politicians' answer - something he would never do when he was on the streets as the Hero for Hire. Cage isn't lying per se, but he is avoiding a self-assessment, which the Godlike Celestial practically requires in order to judge a person.
In Thunderbolts #1, Cage is furious at Hawkeye for leading the Thunderbolts on a mission gone wrong - but perhaps he is even more upset at the fact that he couldn't intervene himself. Politicians mustn't let their anger drive their actions, even when that anger is entirely justified. The Celestial, in a way, believes what the readership of Marvel Comics has always known: Luke Cage is smart enough to become a politician, but he is also far too honest for the job.