Luke Cage

Luke Cage (Scenesys ID: 242)
Quote
"Always forward."
Profile
Full Name:	Luke Cage
Gender:	Male
Species:	Metahuman
Theme:	Marvel (FC)
Occupation:	Hero For Hire
Citizenship:	American
Residence:	Harlem, NY
Education:	High School
Status:	Dropped
Groups:	Defenders
Other Information
Apparent Age:	27	Actual Age:	27
Date of Birth	20 December 1998	Actor:	Idris Elba
Height:	195 cm	Weight:	115 kg
Hair Color:	Bald	Eye Color:	Brown
Theme Song:	"Wishes and Luck" by Cool Calm Pete

Profile

Luke Cage was a bartender from New York City who gained Super Strength and Nigh Invulnerable skin from an experiment to save his life turned murder attempt. After the resulting explosion gives him the chance to change his life, he goes on the lam, hoping to live out his life as a normal person in New York City. When Luke's past begins to catch up with him, it doesn't take long before he is forced to show the world what he can do.

Sheet

Description

Click to expand.

This large African-American man stands head and shoulders over average like a wall of pure muscle. He's shaved bald but sports a black goatee and his highly expressive brown eyes add an additional intensity to his noticeable physical presence.

His attire is as simple as he is. He wears a pair of dark denim jeans, held up with a simple black belt. A tight fitted t-shirt is wrapped around his incredibly muscular frame and thrown over that is a black hoodie with a yellow interior. On his feet are a pair of butterscotch flavored boots.

That's it. That's Luke Cage.

History

Click to expand.

Harlem. Yeah, I know what people say. I hear it. I just don't care. Ain't no place better or worse than my hometown. It's all the same shit, just different streets. And those streets is where my story begins.

I ain't gonna' front, I was a little bastard back in the day. Runnin' the streets with my man, Willis. We got into everything, man and wasn't none of it good. Bein' a little knothead, I let Willis talk me into joining The Rivals. We was bad as ever and didn't take no mess from no one. 'Specially no damn Diablos. But it ain't stop there, 'cause it never does, right? We started doin' jobs for punk ass Sonny Caputo, stealin', robbin', whatever got us money. Get busted, hit Juvey, get out an' start over again. I'mma tell ya' right now, that ain't no way to live. An' it took me seein' my Mama cry every night, 'cause of me, to realize there had to be another way. Livin' where I lived, the struggle, The Man? All thems was just excuses. And I hate excuses.

So I manned up. I got off the streets and got to work. I ain't finish high school so I worked wherever I could. I had a lot of crap to make up for but that's what bein' a man is all about. You gon' make mistakes, but you better learn from 'em and when the time comes, you better handle business. And that's what I was doin'. But so was Willis, jus' the wrong kind of business. I couldn't get him out. I tried, Lord knows I did. But he was stubborn as I was. But we was still friends, damn near brothers, an' I'll be damned if I was just gonna' write him off. Naw, that ain't my style. We been through too much for me to just turn my back on him. So when I heard things was goin' south for him, I stepped in, saved his life.

Or ruined it.

To hear him tell it, I'm the reason his girl broke it off with him. He thought I was pushin' up on her, which I wasn't. She was fine but not even my type. Next thing I know, I'm gettin' hauled off to prison on a bum ass drugs charge. Figures, right? The one that actually took the time to turn his life around ends up behind bars. Bullshit.

Now, I'mma' be real with y'all. A lot of people will try to tell you that prison is sweet an' it ain't no thing. But the truth is, prison is a bitch. I ain't have nobody. I tried to write my fam but I ain't never hear back. I got no visitors, no nothin'. I was on my own. And there was only one man to blame, at least how I saw it, and that was Willis Stryker. I knew his punk ass set me up, but good luck tryin' to get anybody to listen to you while you in prison. I might as well have been tellin' people I was the king of England. I was ruled by anger at that time, brawlin' with anybody that looked at me longer than two seconds. Hell, I even tried to escape a few times. I wasn't lettin' no prison stop me from whoopin' Stryker's ass. Believe that.

I was causin' too much trouble, though, 'cause eventually they found a way to get me outta' upstate and sent me down south to Seagate. My rep got me hassled the moment I stepped foot in the place. Buttin' heads with one of the guards, Racist Rackham we called him. Beatings were daily with Rackham and eventually I heard he got demoted or somethin', 'cause he was no longer in my face. Lucky for him.

I guess my time at Seagate wasn't all bad. That's where I met Doc Burstein. Noah. I ain't know the dude from Adam but after a couple visits, he was talkin' to me about some crazy research experiment he was doin'. I was down. Why not? Wasn't like I had anythin' better to do. Prison ain't exactly the Ritz, y'know? So I'm gettin' hooked up to this crazy ass machine, I don't know what it is. All I know is Noah's tellin' me I might die, but if I don't, what he's doin' could change the world. He gets his machine goin' and then he's off. At this point, I'm feelin' weird as hell. My body's goin' all kinda' crazy and then it goes crazier. Somethin' musta' went wrong 'cause I feel like a billion bucks. Or, I guess, somethin' musta' went right. By the time the machine powers down, I'm up an' at 'em and I see Rackham. This fool shoots me but I don't feel a thing. So you know what I do, right? I beat his ass an' get the hell outta' dodge.

Y'know, by punchin' down the wall. No bullshit.

So now I'm super, right? I mean, I'm indestructible. I'm punchin' down walls. I'm stronger than I ever been. And I damn sure ain't normal no more. Gift or curse, it ain't even matter. This the hand I was dealt and I was just gonna' have to play these cards. So I made my way back to New York. While I'm layin' low, I'm seein' what's goin' on. Crime is high, super this and super that is poppin' up all over the place. Innocent people is gettin' caught in the middle. And I got people gettin' robbed right in front of me. Now, I ain't sayin' life was all peaches an' cream when I left but this ain't what I wanted to come back home to.

So I did somethin' 'bout it. I saw somethin' bad goin' down, I stopped it. I became Luke Cage. Started workin' outta' the Gem Theater. Doin' what I could to try and keep my city from goin' to the dogs. But I had to eat too. So I became what I like to call a Hero For Hire. This is when things really started to get crazy. When I wasn't hired to be a hero, I was tag teamin' with other heroes, stoppin' craziness or savin' the world. Whatever works. But I wasn't gonna' forget about New York. I couldn't. So I played it close to home.

Now you don't whoop some bad guy ass an' save lives without startin' to get noticed. And I did. Eventually, I took to callin' myself Power Man. Even got me one of them stupid costumes. Tryin' to fit in with the hero crowd. It worked for a bit. People started recognizin' the skills and I was makin' pretty good bank. But that whole 'Power Man' gig got stale and I went back to keepin' the lowest profile I could keep.

You can only stay in the shadows for so long, though. Things got heated on the street again an' eventually I ain't have no choice but to step in. I was watchin' my neighborhood get torn apart an' that jus' ain't a life I'm about. So I stood up. I did somethin'. I fought back. Against anythin' an' everythin' that tried to wreck Harlem. An' I still do. To this day.

I fight. I defend. I help. And I love what I do.

So tell me, li'l man. You still want some?

Personality

Click to expand.

Luke Cage. Carl Lucas. Power Man. They all are different sides of the same man. A man that was dealt a bad hand and played the wrong cards. Upon getting a second chance, though, Cage has taken it upon himself to make things better for those that don't have the power to do that themselves. He's very much a passionate individual that believes in doing the right thing no matter the cost to himself. He's honest, blunt and extremely strong-willed. He's moved from being a man that only cares about himself to a man that cares about everyone else. He has a strong sense of loyalty and justice that carries him through his life. No matter what's going on or where he is or what's happening, you can always count on Luke Cage to be a man that's built on honor, justice and punching mofos in the face that deserve it. He shows and proves. He talks big and backs it up bigger. He will make it so you will have no other option but to answer when he asks: "What's my name?"

Abilities

Click to expand.

DURABILITY
Luke Cage's entire cellular structure has been augmented on a genetic level. His skin has become as hard as titanium steel. Beneath the skin his muscle and bone are eons more dense than ordinary humans. All of these features combined allow Cage to be able to withstand a variety of different things. His skin is unable to be cut by any conventional bladed means nor can it be pierced by bullets. Beyond unbelievable metals such as Adamantium the only other thing that has been capable of piercing Cage's skin was an overpowered medical laser. Fire, extreme temperatures, one-ton impacts, explosions and other destructive energy attacks are all things that Cage seems to be able to tank due to his marvelous durability.

ENDURANCE
Luke Cage's muscles have been augmented to superhuman levels. His muscles create considerably less fatigue toxins than that of normal and ordinary humans. This allows him to function at peak superhuman capacity for 24 hours before fatigue actually starts to affect him. With extreme duress he can likely push himself past these limits but that would severely increase the rate at which he fatigues after that 24 hour mark.

HEALING FACTOR
Luke Cage is blessed with an accelerated healing ability that allows him the chance to heal himself at a faster rate than normal humans. Granted, it is already difficult to harm or wound him in the first place, but should this happen, he will heal much faster than he would've prior to the experiment that turned him into the powerful man that he is today.

IMPENETRABLE SKIN
Luke's skin is resistant to the extent that bullets, even those of a high caliber, will simply bounce off. An attempt to stab him will likely only result in a broken blade.

SPEED
Due to the enhanced musculature of his legs, Luke Cage is capable of moving at speeds that are faster than the finest of human athletes. It gives him a serious edge when it comes time to put some punks on the ground.

STRENGTH
Luke Cage has had his strength augmented in an incredible way by experimentation via a program that he signed up for in prison. This experiment initially caused his strength to be augmented to be capable of lifting 3 Tons. However, over the years, his strength has substantially increased to being able to lift 25 Tons. This also means that he can exert just as much force. Considering that his strength increases with age there's the potential for his superhuman strength to continue to rise as well.

SUPER STRENGTH
Luke has an inhuman level of strength, capable of ripping doors off of cars and fire hydrants out of the ground. One punch is liable to shatter a sternum or a skull and send the recipient hurtling backward.

Skills

Click to expand.

ATHLETICS
Luke Cage has been gifted in athletics since he was a child. He's been a natural athlete without ever playing any formal sports or getting any actual fitness or athletics training. All of his ability is natural and therefore can be modified to fit a variety of situations, on the fly. Things like running, climbing, jumping, tackling and various other physical activities round out Cage's tremendous athleticism.

BOXING
Luke Cage studied boxing while in prison. It was one of the only things that allowed him a legal way to channel his rage into something productive. While he is nowhere near capable of being a boxing legend, he does understand the foundation of the sport and could handle himself in the squared circle should the need for such things arise. With or without his special abilities.

BRAWLING
Luke is a highly proficient street brawler, capable of holding his own in most hand-to-hand fights even without his powers.

CRIMINAL MIND
Luke Cage has a criminal mindset. Granted, what he went to prison for was a frame job, but before then he was part of a gang and did jobs for the local criminal organizations. This gives him an insight into the way the criminal mind works, some adeptness with breaking & entering or theft, as well as just a blanket knowledge of the criminal underworld and how it works.

INTIMIDATION
Luke Cage can be a very intimidating individual. Sometimes he uses his fists. Sometimes he uses his size. Sometimes he uses his words. And sometimes, the best times, he just stands there and glares until he gets what he wants. This tends to be his primary method of persuasion and it tends to work quite a bit of the time. Results may vary dependent on whom he's attempting to intimidate.

LEADERSHIP
Luke Cage is a considerable leader. He knows how to value those he works with and use their strengths to the advantage of the team. He can put together a plan and enforces it, either through his words or by leading by example. He's not exactly shy about being in a leadership position nor does he seem to be a power tripper. He will defer to someone with a greater expertise on matters just as quick as he will stand up and lead. What makes him a good leader are the same qualities that make him a great man and friend: Honesty, Nobility and Positivity.

SELF-EDUCATED
Luke Cage is a high school dropout but that doesn't mean he hasn't taken it upon himself to learn things throughout his life time. He's extremely well read and self-taught in a manner that normally wouldn't seem to be something someone in his position would do. Prison allowed him much free time to hit the books and he's become something of a Street Scholar. He knows a whole lot more than people give him credit for.

SMALL BUSINESS
Luke Cage has some growing knowledge of running a small business. He knows and understands how to deal with the problems that can arise in being a small business owner and puts a lot of time and energy into keeping Heroes For Hire on the up and up. He is nowhere near a master of business practices or anything. He's just good at running a business.

SPEAKER IN THE HOUSE
Luke Cage is an incredible speaker. Whether he's speaking from experience or simply giving a rousing speech to his allies, Cage has a way with words. He could be trying to convince, persuade or even just inform. The topic or reasoning doesn't matter, as long as he's capable of speaking intelligently about it. He can be incredibly charismatic when it comes to letting the words flow in such a manner. This is one of the big ways he makes a difference.

STREET FIGHTING
Luke Cage is a masterful street fighter and knuckle up brawler. He's been fighting since a young age, against multiple opponents or one-on-one. He's a dedicated expert in using his environment to his advantage, as well as simply straight up whoopin' some ass. He doesn't pull punches and he doesn't believe in the notion of "fighting dirty", considering that when he fights it is for survival. Or to protect those that need protecting. His preference for fighting is using his own two hands, but he will use anything he can get his hands on as well.

STREET KNOWLEDGE
Luke Cage was born and raised on the mean streets of Harlem... in the 80s. It was the time spent here and in the company of those that are of the lower socio-economic status that he learned how to traverse the social landscape of these types of places. While he happens to be from New York, the elements and the philosophy behind being street smart and streetwise remains the same. This allows Cage to be able to communicate with, investigate in and traverse various 'streets' in a manner that keeps him alive.

THE LAW
Luke Cage is not someone you'd expect to know the law, whether it be rules and regulations of the police or even how some of the things go down in the courtroom. That's one of the things that makes Cage different than the stereotypes that people seem to quantify him as. His time in prison allowed for some reading up on such things, which gives him a edge when dealing with law enforcement agencies and knowing just how far he can go as a Hero For Hire without breaking the law. He also knows loopholes. They come in handy.

Resources

Click to expand.

DEFENDERS
Luke Cage is a member of the Defenders. This gives him access to everything being a member of the Defenders gets him access to. Especially the other Defenders. Even if they shouldn't be a team, they are one.

ETTA CAGE
Luke Cage's Mama is alive and kicking and she don't take no mess. From nobody. Including her son. She will also whoop up on anybody that dares try to hurt her family. Including her son.

HARLEM
Luke Cage is Harlem. This is his 'hood. In much of the same way certain people claim Hell's Kitchen, Cage has claimed Harlem. Nothing goes on down here without his say so or without him knowing about it. Informants, the streets themselves, they all answer to Luke Cage. Whether they want to or not.

HEROES FOR HIRE
Luke Cage is the founder and current leader of the Heroes For Hire. This gives him access to everything that HFH has to offer, including databases, vehicles, cases and even heroes that are available for hire.

REPUTATION
Luke Cage is a name that is known. Whether it be on the streets of Harlem or those crazy estates in Silicon Valley, a lot of the time Luke Cage's reputation precedes him. If it doesn't, it makes sure to leave a lasting impression on anybody that's meeting him for the first time. In some circles, his name and his reputation, are better than gold.

TIARA
Luke Cage kept his tiara from his costumed hero days. Even if it does make him look like a damn fool.

TOUGHER THAN LEATHER
Luke Cage has a leather jacket that is as durable as he is. However, he very rarely wears or uses it. It does hang in his closet though for special occasions.

Weaknesses

Click to expand.

ENEMIES
Luke Cage has amassed a few enemies over the years of superheroing. Whether it is from his days as a Hero For Hire or his days being a Defender, there are a list of people that may want to see Cage harmed or even dead.

GOOD GUY
Luke is a compassionate and honorable man. This is easily exploited.

NEAR-UNBREAKABLE FLESH
Luke Cage's skin is can only be pierced by unconventional metals such as Adamantium. Beyond that, to date, only an extremely overpowered medical laser has been known to be able to penetrate Luke's skin. This makes surgery and other medical procedures requiring breaking through his skin highly difficult.

PEOPLE'S CHAMPION
Luke Cage has a responsibility to the People. Whether it be the people of New York or just People in general, Luke Cage believes himself to be their champion. He comes from the same beginnings as most of them and thus strives to make sure that he never forgets where he came from by sticking up for them and what he believes in.

RADIATION
Luke Cage can be hurt by extreme and excessive amounts of radiation. Such radiation can creates burns that will severely harm him. Prolonged exposure could even kill him.

WORKING CLASS HERO
Luke Cage does not have the luxury of being a billionaire with a flying suit or an inheritance to live off of. Cage has to work every dime he collects and that is something that will always be troublesome. It's hard to save the world when you're also trying to pay the rent.

Logs

Click to expand.

To Refresh Character's Log List Click Here. Then hit the resulting button to dump the old cached list.

Title	Date	Scene Summary
Harlem Nights	March 13th, 2023	Summary needed
The Cat Comes To Visit	January 7th, 2023	Black Cat seeks out Luke Cage and asks him to keep his ear to the ground for her. And she drinks his booze. Just like a cat.
A place where not everyone may know your name. Yet.	November 17th, 2022	Summary needed
Bishop to Cage	October 26th, 2022	Kate gets a drink at Luke's
What's a girl like you...	October 24th, 2022	Svetlana goes looking for trouble. She finds a little in Harlem. She also finds Luke.
Sweet Christmas, it's a bloody hayseed	October 11th, 2022	Two bar owners walk into someone else's bar, and a fight breaks out.
Lights, Camera, ACTION!	September 20th, 2022	Sometimes you beat up some criminals. Other times you terrify a bunch of actors and brutalize the director.
A petal for your thoughts	September 17th, 2022	Luke makes a trip across the country and drops in to see his friend Dinah at her flower shop. She disapproves of his accomodations for his time in the city. Greatly.
We Don't Need You Or Your Friends Around Here	August 26th, 2022	Luke decideds to solo a visit to the new gang trying to get a hold in Harlem. Things turn violent as he reads them from The Good Book. Timely backup provided by the Black Canary makes the situation go better than it might have. In appreciation, Canary is given a private reserve bottle of bourbon for when she visits Luke's Bar..
Nine O'Clock On A Saturday	August 6th, 2022	Sam and Sarah both come into Luke's bar.
Central Park Kata	August 3rd, 2022	Dinah offers Luke the Outsiders' assistance after offending his sensibilities.
A Terminator Hunter walks into a bar	August 2nd, 2022	Sarah comes into Luke's bar for a drink and a bit of bar tender philosophy
They Mostly Come Out At Night	July 30th, 2022	Dinah returns to Luke's bar for her bike and a hangover remedy. Who knew that a street fight was so effective?
A Girl Like You, A Place Like This	July 29th, 2022	Dinah visits Luke's bar for more than one drink. Discussions of heroism and safe trips home are had.
Harlem By Night	July 31st, 2019	Lara stops by with information about the upcoming trip searching for the Lost City
Dude. Where's Lara's Car	July 19th, 2019	Lara's jeep ends up in a chop shop, and she and Luke track it down and recover it
Return of Britain	July 14th, 2019	Lara Croft returns to Luke's Bar. NPC Roy is charming as always. Luke agrees to help Lara on a mission to Cairo.
A Hot Day In Harlem	July 7th, 2019	A hot summer day in Harlem brings Luke, Oz, Buffy, and Donatello together
Suprise Party! Supernatural Invite	July 2nd, 2019	In which Darcy tries to con Dean back to SHIELD but manages only to get him to agree to come party with her leading Luke to suspect she might have been send to spy on him - Darcy laughed too hard at that one! Or Darcy is SHIELD's best recruiter and should get commission for this.
The Man At The End Of The Bar	June 27th, 2019	Lara croft dodges the rain and ducks into Luke Cage's bar
Different Bar, Same Drink	June 20th, 2019	Jessica Jones, Silver, and Johnny Blaze end up in Luke's bar for drinks
Not Another Walks Into A Bar Joke	June 16th, 2019	Barbara's search for a villain lands her in Luke's Bar. Jokes about bars ensue.
We Need to Stop Meeting Like This	June 28th, 2018	Matt and Skye are attacked while catching up, but when they meet with Luke and Claire all the secrets come out.
Ninjas to the left of me, Ninjas to the right, Here I am.. Stuck in the Middle with You	June 22nd, 2018	Claire's clinic gets attacked. Matt, Elektra, and Luke come to the rescue. You know who got blamed for it all, right? Right?
Germination: Field Tests	June 18th, 2018	Dr. Strange, Hulk, Luke Cage, and Tony get samples from mushroom monsters. Mostly.
BlackSky: Paid Protection Plan	June 15th, 2018	Luke sounds off against members of the Hand, as well as Elektra - much as planned - and emerges with a much better understanding of the young woman.. and he, her, as well.
Meet me at Mercutio's	June 14th, 2018	Claire and Luke go for coffee, only to find Elektra there. Luke and Elektra make a devil's bargain.
Just say no to ninja	June 14th, 2018	Luke and Brooke stop at a kung fu studio. The Hand shows up and embarrass their teacher.
What Now	June 12th, 2018	Summary needed
Back at the Bar	June 7th, 2018	After Elektra admits that she's the leader of the Hand, Claire gets angry, Jess gets booze, Luke gets a job and Elektra and Matt make questionable choices (again).
It Was Never Goodbye	May 22nd, 2018	Post visit with Darcy, the others wander in (Claire and Luke) and interupt Matt and Elektra /not/ breaking up. Words are had. Secrets get out. People storm off. Matt and Elektra are left not saying goodbye.
Down at the Bar	May 19th, 2018	Three Defenders meet for drinks. They catch up.
Kindred Bar Spirits	August 28th, 2017	Summary needed
How do you solve a problem like, Toshiro	August 28th, 2017	Summary needed
The Middle Finger of the Hand	August 21st, 2017	Summary needed
Beyond the Rubble	August 14th, 2017	Summary needed
The Brownstone Boogeymen	August 9th, 2017	The Hand make a move on a notorious drug house in Hell's kitchen, but their plans are thwarted by several Defenders (and Kate Bishop)!
Handemonium	July 31st, 2017	Summary needed
Power Man & Iron Fist	July 26th, 2017	Summary needed
Cool Hand Luke	July 25th, 2017	Summary needed

Cutscenes

Click to expand.

To Refresh Character's Log List Click Here. Then hit the resulting button to dump the old cached list.

Title	Date	Scene Summary
No logs submitted yet.

Gallery

Click to expand.

{{{Gallery}}}