The recent death of his partner is only the latest in a seemingly endless barrage of challenges that life has seen fit to throw at Luke Cage. Beginning with his estrangement from his parents, straight through to his incarceration for a crime he did not commit, it's pretty clear that if it weren't for hard luck he wouldn't have any luck at all. But Cage has never been a quitter, he has always found a way to turn disaster into opportunity. And even though the story begins with Cage trapped in a pit of despair, we know that this is a condition that cannot last. Cage has spent his "vacation" in reflection and he's come to some conclusions. Since his accident granted him super-powers, he's been coasting on the thrill of being an adventurer without any thought as to why he's doing what he's doing.

Here's what Cage knows: He wants to continue in this line of work. Which leaves him with a couple of questions. Why does he want to continue? And just what exactly is "this line of work?" He's searching for the answers. One thing he knows for sure, his passion for making a buck is going to have to take a back seat to higher ideals. Since his morals have always kept him from using his abilities to make himself rich (he's barely keeping the wolf from the door right now), Cage has nothing to lose by making his moral code explicit. From now on, he's going to pick and choose his assignments purely on the basis of what he thinks is right. If Cage decides to take a case, his clients will pay him whatever their pocketbook can bear. Money will guide him, not rule him. And now that he is completely his own man, he has set a task for himself: to define exactly who that man is going to be. And as we've seen, once Luke Cage has set a goal, he is relentless in its pursuit. The story of HERO FOR HIRE, is the story of Luke Cage's redefinition of his beliefs, of his moral code and of his self.

I don't intend to tinker much with the original premise of HERO FOR HIRE, in fact my proposal is based on the idea that the book has always been carried by a very strong premise, so strong that Marvel has never quite gotten around to defining the character at its center. No matter how good the hook, and I think HERO FOR HIRE is blessed with a great hook, a hook will only bring readers in the door. High-concept can convince people to take a look at a property, but it's characters that bring them back for more. We identify with people, not gimmicks. Spider-Man, The X-Men, Captain America, The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor and Daredevil, are among those members of a long tradition of Marvel titles whose names evoke more than a hook. All of these titles also have in common sharply defined characters. We know who they are, and want to spend more time with them. I submit that once Luke Cage's character is defined, it will provide the missing handle for good stories that the hook on its own lacks. It's a lot easier to write a story about a richly detailed, well-defined character like Spider-Man, than it is to write a super-hero story about some generic guy who can stick to walls. Cage has been tough to write because we don't know who he is. A solid premise is more than just, "What can he do and how does he do it?" it's also "Who is he and why do I care?" We've long known the answer to the first set of questions, this proposal will suggest some directions for answering the second.

HERO FOR HIRE is to be a "Pilot episode" for an action-adventure series set in the Marvel Universe. For the sake of accessibility to new readers, all of Cage's old adventures will be relegated to backstory (perhaps to be picked up on if the book should continue as a regular series). I want to play it so that if you are familiar with Cage, you'll recognize the continuity with the old series, but if he's new to you, you'll read these same references as enticing hints at the lead character's exciting and mysterious past.

Cage operates from his newly refurbished office/apartment above the old Gem Theater (which, in the increasingly gentrified Times Square area has become a Cineplex Odeon-style multiplex). This storefront operation is the perfect springboard into any kind of adventure. Luke's conflicts can arise in any of the ways that other Marvel Super-Heroes' do but in addition, they can also walk right in his front door, attached to a potential client asking for his help.

The world Luke Cage inhabits is complex, gritty and morally ambiguous. The street-level problems that occupy the bulk of his time take such an ethical toll on him that he almost finds the clear-cut conflicts he has with standard Marvel Super-Villains a relief. But while his battles with the most powerful villains in the Marvel Universe test his physical mettle (and occupy the bulk of our story time), it is the small, personal conflicts of duty vs. honor, the law vs. his personal sense of justice, and his increasingly felt responsibility as a "role model" to his community, that will test and direct his fledgling personal code.

Cage's origin will remain untouched, except for the assumption that he was substantially younger than we might have thought when he was arrested for the crime he did not commit (possession with intent). He wasn't simply a poor, misguided street kid, he was a freshman in college. He wasn't some anchorless drifter, he has a family. His mother is a Congresswoman and his father a police detective. His father, who never approved of Luke's associations with some of the slightly shadier guys, denounced him upon hearing of his arrest. The men haven't exchanged a word since. Luke has also avoided his mother, fearing that his criminal record would prove a political embarrassment to her. But Luke (or whatever his real name is) despite his denial of the fact, is clearly his parents' child.

Luke's parents' are divorced now. His mother is a liberal Harlem congresswoman, his dad an earthy, no-nonsense, Times Square police detective. They met during one of his cases, had a passionate affair, and got married and divorced within three years. Every couple of years for the past twenty, they have rekindled their relationship, and though it fails every time, they remain friends. Cage inherited the belief they share in common, a fierce passion for aiding the downtrodden. But he's also made up of a combination of the qualities that divide them. He's possessed of his father's relentless drive but he also shares his mother's boundless compassion. The same qualities that so often set his parents at odds create powerful internal conflicts for Cage. Resolving these conflicts is Cage's continual struggle. When he can put his drive in the service of his compassion, Cage is at his best. He becomes a magnificent force for good. To define him in a catch phrase, "Cage cares."

Cage was raised in the urban cauldron where his father lives and works, but spent his weekends in his mother's world, a world of relative financial comfort. Cage felt a bit guilty about his somewhat privileged existence, and overcompensated by befriending the "bad" kids who lived in his father's neighborhood. Those associations led to his frame-up and in turn to the experiment that created Power Man. Little more than a child when fate bestowed super-powers on him, Cage has remained that way until now. Now he's starting the difficult process of becoming a man.

My intention in making these additions to his origin is to move Cage away from the black buck stereotype that has characterized him in the past. Good intentions were perhaps sufficient to make this sort of characterization acceptable in 1974, but we are hopefully a bit more sophisticated and sensitive than that today.

Cage's motivations now go beyond simple survival. He still wants, hell needs, to make an honest buck, but that motivation will often take a back seat to his genuine desire to aid the oppressed. He will help those that no one else will, the downtrodden, the helpless and forgotten. Cage is a character in the process of defining himself, and of becoming a man. And here is where his cultural heritage is crucial to his characterization. The eminent sociologist, Bob Blauner points out that African-Americans tend to define manhood in terms of, "someone who speaks up for what is right and is willing to fight for his principles." Obviously then, for Cage to be a man in his own eyes, he must clearly define those principles and stand up for them. Storylines must always test Cage's beliefs, and his willingness to back them up.

Luke Cage has set some difficult challenges for himself and he won't be able to meet them without the support of some good friends. But the death of the man closest to him has left Cage more remote and difficult to reach than ever before. Not to worry, Cage is a good man and good people will come into his life.

Tyrone King--The mysterious and unflappable police detective who serves as Cage's unofficial connection to the police department. He occasionally calls on Cage for aid, either when the rules don't work, or when the cops just plain can't handle the situation.

Misty Knight--Bionic-armed, freelance adventurer who was the lover of Cage's late partner. She is the only character in the book who knows and understands the man Cage used to be. Perhaps she is the only character who can fully appreciate how much greater a man he is in the process of becoming.

David, "Don't call me D. W.," Griffith--Cage's best friend. He knew him as an employee of the old Gem theater. Now he's an important documentary filmmaker, chronicling the underbelly of N.Y.C. His investigations will lead Cage into many adventures. Griffith finally got around to seeing "Birth of a Nation" and, mortified at the politics of his namesake, has renounced his nickname.

Barraki Young--An Afro-American studies professor at Hunter College who will eventually be the first lover that Cage ever takes who is also his friend and equal. Through the device of challenging Cage's developing belief system with traditional African Dilemma Tales, she will provide an important cultural counterpoint to Cage's street-bred ethics (as well as providing a structure for the writer to build narrative around).

Cage's Family-- This is important. In fifteen years, we've never met a single relative of Luke's. Should we go to series, I intend to change that. A multi-part storyline that introduces us to his family, and puts them in jeopardy will go far in helping us to understand Luke and his motivations. This is the only major contribution I intend to add to Cage's canon, something of a continuity insert intended to help define the man, and explain his devotion to aiding the downtrodden.

I incidentally intend to explain away some of Luke's embarrassing catch phrases ("Sweet Sister!," "Christmas," and the like) as a nod of respect to his grandmother, who did not permit him to swear in her presence.

Perhaps this can be a four-issue "pilot," along the lines of what was done with the Deathlok series. I might suggest double-sized standard format comics, rather than the more expensive bookshelf format.

• We meet Cage again through the eyes of a Morlock, who braves the surface world to gain the aid of the near legendary "Hero for Hire" who, rumor has it, will help anyone who has been wronged, even a lowly mutant subway dweller. Cage agrees to protect the Morlock from his oppressors: The Reavers (or whatever that group is that Sabertooth leads). They've been hired to kill the Morlock, who knows a secret that could tear the city apart. This issue's cliffhanger will introduce Cage's mom to the series. His estranged father needs his help.

• Cage's mother asks him to help his father, whom he hasn't spoken to in years. Cage's dad is a fearless police officer who has backed off of a case for the first time in his career. He's on the trail of real estate corruption in the Times Square renovation project. Or he was before the top man's enforcer, the Rhino, asked him to back off. Cage plans to have a little talk with the Rhino and get his dad back on the case. When the "talk" is over, Times Square is going to need some renovation.

• Cage, his father and documentary muckraker, D.W. Griffith, follow a trail of corruption including city officials and the Kingpin of crime to it's source the mysterious crimelord known only as Top Dog. Top Dog is a ruthless real estate baron who has paid off the Kingpin, and threatened or killed off any other competition in his bid to control Times Square. No reason we couldn't bring in Spider-Man or Daredevil as guests on this one. And no reason that after Cage busts up Top Dog's super-powered help, that Top Dog couldn't convince Spidey and/or D.D. that Cage is the bad guy here.

• Concluding the storyline. Taking Top Dog down, reconciling, to a degree, Cage and his Father (who has already regained his resolve as a result of his son's actions) and nailing down Cage's status quo for the future.

• A child hires Cage to stop her father from physically abusing her mother. A tough job, both D.W. and Barraki warn him, one with no simple solutions. It doesn't seem so to Cage. At least, not until he discovers that the girl's father is Freedom Force's Avalanche.

• Cage agrees to protect one of Barraki Young's students, a young man who accidentally "spilled the blood of an innocent," from the wrath of the Ghost Rider.

• Cage tries gamely to let Barraki handle her sexual harassment (by a superior at work) on her own, until he realizes that the man is connected with a child pornography ring run by a brand-new, and somewhat sicker than usual, super-villain: Pederast. Guest starring Power Pack (just kidding about the guest stars).

• Cage is hired by a group of widows whose husbands were all killed by the same man. They want Cage to capture the Punisher.

• Someone is after Misty Knight's bionic arm. Cage thinks it's Deathlok

• A meeting with Iron Fist, after the latter's inevitable resurrection. A bittersweet story about two close friends who have grown apart. They could fight some common foe from the old series.

• When a militant group promises to kill a controversial homeless rights advocate during a speech in Manhattan, the Government responds by sending U.S. Agent in to protect the man. Police Detective Tyrone King calls in his marker to get Cage to keep an eye on "U.S. Agent," who he believes might be the assassin in disguise.

• Cage's life becomes a living hell when an old enemy puts a price of ten million dollars on his head, in addition to the ten grand apiece price tag he puts on the life of "any and all of Cage's friends and associates."

• Claire Temple, Cage's old flame, is now remarried and being blackmailed by a group that wants her to reveal the new identity and whereabouts of Dr. Noah Bernstein, the creator of the process that gave Cage his powers. They intend to recreate the experiment on their private army.

HERO FOR HIRE is a high-concept book with the potential to catch an audience that enjoys the gritty, hard edge of the PUNISHER titles as well as the fantasy-lovers who prefer the standard thrills of our bread-and-butter super-hero books. It boasts a distinct and compelling lead character, a pair of strong sales hooks (It's a character revival with a one-sentence premise), and a high-action formula. With the right team on this book, it has a shot at being a real winner. I have a notion or two about artists, but I'm sure I'm the right writer. In addition to delivering an exciting, action-packed comic that's fun to read, with all the requisite twists and turns a project like this should contain, I can also add the cultural authenticity that this book owes to its audience. If we're going to do a book with an African-American lead, and we certainly should, let's not embarrass ourselves with another "Brother Voodoo" or "Blade", or for that matter, with what "Power Man" has been on occasion. Let's do it right.

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