Warning: spoilers for Devil's Reign #1 are ahead. 

New York City is home to some of the biggest names in Marvel Comics, and has been the site of countless superhero fights over the past several decades. And while New York has experienced its fair share of difficulties over the years, its inhabitants demonstrate a strength of character that differentiates it from any other city depicted in a superhero comic. Unlike Gotham City in DC Comics, New York is meant to be seen as as a place that, against all immense odds, remains good no matter what or who tries to gain power over it. So far, this is the central idea behind Marvel's newest event, Devil's Reign.

Devil's Reign #1 depicts the fallout that ensues after Mayor Wilson Fisk calls for all superheroes to be taken in by the police (written by Chip Zdarsky, art by Marco Checchetto, colors by Marcio Menyz, letters by Clayton Cowles). Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and their daughter, Danielle, are ambushed by Fisk's Thunderbolts group, resulting in them having to publicly fight them off in the streets. As Luke and his family regroups after the fight, Luke addresses the crowd, saying, "Look, I'm not Captain America. I'm not Mr. Fantastic. I'm a New Yorker like you. And if someone's in trouble, I do what New Yorkers do: I help. If Mayor Fisk wants to stop me... He can come try."

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Luke’s words reflect a primary difference between the New York City of Marvel Comics, and Gotham City in DC Comics, explaining why New York has so many superheroes. As Luke points out, helping others is built into the DNA of being a New Yorker. In this environment, it is no surprise that there are as many superheroes as there are in the five boroughs, because while there are an unusually high number of tragedies that happen in New York, there are always people who will respond in a moment of crisis.

Luke Cage in Devil's Reign #1.

Within the context of the Devil's Reign event, Luke Cage's remarks on New York are significant because they are in direct defiance to the fear-mongering that Kingpin is trying to stoke in the city. To Fisk, superheroes are the reason why the average New Yorker is so often the victim of terrible, cosmic-level tragedies, but Luke has a powerful counterpoint. While Fisk is trying to paint New Yorkers as passive victims in this instance, Luke sees people like himself as fulfilling a neighborly duty to keep other people safe, no matter what happens. In this way, superheroes are just a symptom of an already existent culture within New York City, one that Kingpin will never understand.

New York City has played an immensely important role in Marvel Comics over the years, and this first issue of Devil's Reign proves why it is such a crucial place within the Marvel Universe. While New York has some more outlandish superheroes like Captain America and the Fantastic Four, it still has regular people on the street like Luke Cage and Jessica Jones, who will help their fellow New Yorker just like anyone else. This variance in heroism makes New York such a dynamic location for Marvel Comics, and proves why Wilson Fisk will never truly succeed with his plans.

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