Summary
Marvel’s Iron Fist has been honored by a beautiful piece of fan artwork. The martial arts-based hero, trained in the mystical land of K’un L’un, has been a key figure in the Marvel Universe since the 1970s. Many fans believe that the character’s portrayal in the Netflix Iron Fist series did not live up to his potential, with this fanart reminding readers why they want to see the hero on-screen.
3D artist Kode Abdo(@bosslogic)makes an amazing tribute to Iron Fist and to his late dear friend, Andrew, who truly loved this kung-fu hero for hire. As both a tribute to a lost friend, and a solid representation of a classic Marvel comic book hero, this fanart stands out in deserve of recognition.
The image depicts Danny Rand in his full uniform and mask, channeling the power of the Iron Fist chi through his hands and creating a celestial dragon made in the image of Shou-Lau. Once fans glimpse his strength in this artwork, they’ll realize there is more to the Iron Fist.
Iron Fist Isn’t Just A One-Punch Man
The original Iron Fist, Danny Rand, debuted in 1974’s Marvel Premiere #15, written by Roy Thomas, with art by Gil Kane.
The Iron Fist mantle is a sacred role passed down to the chosen few, such as Danny Rand, who took the mantle further than anyone else. While traveling to visit the city of K’un L’un, Danny’s parents were killed, leaving him orphaned. The traumatized Danny was taken in by the monks of K’un L’un, who trained the boy to become an unstoppable lethal weapon. After defeating the dragon Shou-Lau, Danny’s reward was being bestowed the power of the Iron Fist. He then returned to New York to become the “Living Weapon,” battling ninjas, crime lords, and supreme beings.
Artist Kode Abdo originally created his Iron Fist fan art piece for his friend Andrew, who sadly passed away this year. As Abdo noted in his caption, he pulled the old piece out in the wake of his loss and decided to rework it in the memory of his friend. The image is notable for how charged with energy it is – the kinetic power of Iron Fist’s strength pops off the screen, making it clear even to those unfamiliar with the character, or his deep comic book history, that he is a force to be reckoned with in the Marvel Universe.
A Version Of Iron Fist Deserves To Thrive In The MCU
The infamous 2016-2017 Netflix show, Iron Fist, did very little to showcase Iron Fist’s full potential as a hero. While the show focuses on Danny’s return to NYC following his training like in the comics, he wasn’t able to use his full power. In the comics, Iron Fist establishes himself as a true underground superhero, who befriends Harlem native, Luke Cage, to form the team: “Heroes for Hire.” Over the years, Danny’s full power allowed him to defeat the strongest Iron Fist Davos, Thor’s clone Ragnarok, and the all-powerful Phoenix Five. He even managed to shatter reality and kill Yama, the Lord of Death, using his Iron Fist chi.
While Danny Rand was recently replaced as Iron Fist, this should actually encourage Marvel to bring a new version of the character into the MCU sooner rather than later. Netflix’sIron Fist is one of the rare examples where Marvel missed out on everything that makes the hero special – something even a simple fan art image, such as Kode Abdo’s, is able to convey effectively through color, framing, and use of the character’s key elements. What Iron Fist needs is more vocal supporters, and incredible artists like Kode Abdo, cheering him on to get him back on top in the MCU.
Source: Kode Abdo via Instagram
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