The Marvel Knights Group presents: Iron Fist #2

WHAT HAS COME BEFORE: Danny Rand is a founding partner in a new engineering and architectural firm in Miami. He received a visit from Jessica Drew, inquiring into a missing friend of Danny’s father. Jonas Harrow was working to restore an unknown super-villain when his patient was stolen out of his lab by a mysterious figure. And now, as Danny is leaving his office for the day, he is attacked by the Taskmaster!

In the parking deck adjacent to the Rand-Monroe Building, Danny Rand kneels in front of the villainous Taskmaster, who stands before him, looking down at Danny with interest. “I don’t know who sent Taskmaster after me,” Danny thinks to himself, “but I get no shortage of assassins on my tail.”

“We can do this one of two ways, bud,” Taskmaster offers, reaching behind his head, and pulling an arrow from his quiver, even as he holds his bow in his right hand. “You can either let me finish you off quick, or you can drag it out. Don’t make any difference to me. You might not like the second option so much, though.”

“To be honest,” Danny responds, as he gets to his feet, even as Taskmaster loads his bow with the arrow, “I don’t like either option!”

“That’s life, buddy,” Taskmaster responds, letting the arrow loose, even as Danny leaps out of the way. “We don’t always get the choices we want.” The arrow strikes the concrete floor where he had been a mere moment earlier, and releases an explosive charge that lays waste to a nearby car, its alarm screeching and echoing throughout the parking deck.

Danny rolls across the concrete ground, the lower part of his pants in tatters, and his suit jacket smokes. “This is an expensive suit, Taskmaster!” Danny remarks, irritated, as he tosses his suit jacket on the ground, rushing towards the villain.

“A shame,” Taskmaster responds coldly. As Danny leaps at Taskmaster, the villain kicks out his right leg, striking Danny in the pit of the stomach, driving him back. “Maybe they’ll bury you in a new one.”

Taskmaster quickly advances towards Danny, who has landed on his back. Behind Danny is a small break in the wall, leading down several floors below. Taskmaster leaps at Danny, who raises his legs, catching the Taskmaster in the chest, flipping him over his head and down through the break in the concrete wall, causing him to fall towards the floor several floors below.

“That went quicker than I thought,” Danny comments, getting to his feet, brushing the dirt and dust off his white shirt. He notes with irritation that his sleeves have small scratch marks and there is a tear in the back of his shirt. He walks over to the small opening in the concrete wall, checking to see if he can see any sign of Taskmaster on the lower levels.

As Danny looks down, he is greeted by a boot that slams into his chin, driving him back. He staggers on his feet, even as Taskmaster flips back onto his level. “I can’t believe you fell for that old trick!’ Taskmaster remarks, as he presses his attack, reaching into his belt, pulling a machete from a small scabbard on his belt. He slashes it forward, even as Danny backs away. The machete tears into his white shirt, ripping several buttons off and cleaving a big hole in his shirt, revealing the familiar tattoo emblazoned across his chest.

“Whoa!” Taskmaster comments, noting the tattoo. “Looks like I’m going up against a professional.” He tosses his machete down onto the ground, pulling another arrow out of his quiver, quickly mounting it on the bow. “No problem, though. My client will have to pay my super-hero rate. Might have to have a few words with him about keeping it a secret, though.” He fires the arrow at Danny, who leaps up into the air, just avoiding the arrow, which shoots out sparks of electrical energy, as it imbeds itself in the windshield of the car that was behind Danny shortly before.

Danny leaps through the air, turning his body in mid-air, as he rotates around, kicking Taskmaster in the side of his face, driving him back. “I don’t think you need to worry about collecting anything on this trip!” Danny retorts.

“Nice move,” Taskmaster comments, running the back of his hand along the side of his face, as he gets to his feet. “It’s mine now.”

“You know what,” Danny remarks, as he leaps to the ground, extending his hands. He uses his momentum to push himself forward, his legs extended towards Taskmaster. His kicks Taskmaster in the face with his left foot, then his right foot in short secession, and flips back, to land on his feet. “You can have that, too!”

“Pretty clever, ain’t you?” Taskmaster asks. “I see a lot of eastern influence in your moves. That’s okay,” he adds, smiling underneath his skullish mask, “I’m always happy to add to my repertoire.”

“I don’t have a lot of patience with assassins, Taskmaster,” Danny retorts. “I plan on sending you to the Vault, where you belong!” Danny swings his fist towards Taskmaster’s head, but is surprised by Taskmaster’s keen reflexes, as he raises his shield to his face, blocking the intended blow.

“Been there,” Taskmaster returns. “No immediate plans to go back,” he continues, swinging his shield at Danny, who leans back, as the shield passes over his stomach. “I’ll let you know if I change my mind.”

Danny kicks out his left foot, swinging it around behind Taskmaster’s right leg, catching him behind the knee in the back of his leg. “I didn’t say you had a choice in the matter!” Danny retorts, as Taskmaster stumbles on his feet.

INTERLUDE

In a darkened room, a regal figure approaches a still form, lying on a hospital bed. There is a doctor, wearing a lab coat, doing an examination on the man laid out before him. The doctor is Oriental, wearing a thin moustache, and a thin hairline. As the regal man—who hired him for this job—approaches, he sees the purple-cloaked sleeves out of the corner of his eyes.

“How much longer will it take?” the regal figure asks, his voice echoing his impatience.

“I don’t know,” the doctor responds, exasperated. He has heard this same question many times in the past few hours.

“Your tone irritates me,” the figure responds sharply, reaching his hand out with one quick, fluid motion, as he effortlessly lifts the doctor by the neck, causing him to stare into his dark eyes. “I asked you a question.”

“I told you,” the doctor responds with measured attempts to rasp through his constricted windpipe, “this is not my area of expertise.”

The figure lowers him back onto his feet, but his knees are weak, and he collapses to the floor. He looks up at the man who hired him, who now towers over him. “Yes, you did,” the figure responds. His dark eyebrows turn upward and his moustache and goatee drop down beneath his set mouth, even as his eyes burn into those of the doctor. “And I told you that you would be rewarded handsomely for reviving this man. You have had ample opportunity to do so.”

“I think the process is nearly complete,” the doctor returns, “but I cannot be certain. From what you told me, it is impossible that he received the injuries you talked about. His body is nearly in perfect condition, but I think he has been in a coma, so that his body could re-generate itself.”

“Yes,” the purple-clad figure returns, growing increasingly irritated. “Those are all things that you learned directly from me. Have you added nothing to what you had when you were given this man some time ago?! Do you still not know how to revive him? He is no use to me in a coma…much like you are no use to me if you can contribute nothing.”

The doctor starts to get to his feet, realizing that his knees are shaking, and he is nearly paralyzed by his own fear. “I have a theory,” the doctor manages.

“A theory?!” the villain urges, his rage building. “You should have more than a theory by this time. The man was almost revived when I brought him to you. Have you forgotten there is another side to the reward?”

“No,” the doctor responds, his head lowered. “I have not forgotten.” In his mind’s eye, he sees his wife, and his daughter, locked in a dungeon, guarded day and night by this man’s minions.

“Very well,” the man responds, stepping into the light. “Revive this man immediately, for Master Khan is unaccustomed to waiting for what he wants.”

END OF INTERLUDE

Taskmaster blocks Danny’s intended kick to his head with a forearm, in a movement so fast that it surprises Danny. While his leg is still outstretched, and he is vulnerable to attack, Taskmaster capitalizes on this fact, slamming his fist into Danny’s hamstring, twisting his wrist as he strikes, to maximize the damage to Danny’s leg.

Danny steps back, limping slightly, reeling from the painful blow to his leg. Taskmaster smiles beneath his mask, as he continues forward, pressing his advantage. He slams his shield into Danny’s mid-section, doubling him over. Then, he leaps into the air, kicking Danny in the chest, and sending him hurtling backward, slamming against a parked car!

“Looks like your luck’s taken a turn for the worse,” Taskmaster remarks, as he kicks Danny in the mid-section, sending him flying back into a windshield of a parked car. The car alarm goes off, and Taskmaster rolls his eyes under his mask, shaking his head.

“So has yours!” a female voice echoes throughout the car garage, even as a blast of bioelectric energy shoots into the Taskmaster’s back. Spiderwoman flies into the garage, even as Taskmaster falls to the floor, rolling with the impact of the blast to his back.

“Spiderwoman?!” Iron Fist comments, rising slowly from the hood of the vehicle, leaving the shattered windshield behind him. As he rises to his elbows, he notices that Taskmaster is already kneeling on one knee, his shield protruding in front of him. “And her voice sounds very familiar,” he adds silently, watching her closely. “With that long, dark hair…could it be…?”

“Well, what do you know?” Taskmaster remarks flippantly, the shield deflecting Spiderwoman’s next bioelectric blast. “It looks like you’ve got someone watching your back.” He looks around his shield, noting how well Spiderwoman fits into her skin-tight costume. “Not bad.”

“This is certainly a surprise,” Spiderwoman silently considers, as she continues to send out her bioelectric blasts, keeping Taskmaster on the defensive. “I decided to keep an eye on Mr. Rand*, only to find out that he’s actually Iron Fist. I thought he looked familiar, but couldn’t place him. It looks like this is going to be an interesting night.”

[*They met last issue.]

Danny leaps off the car, landing on the ground. “She can’t hold off Taskmaster forever,” Danny thinks to himself, noting that Taskmaster has already made it to his feet, and continues to block her attack with his shield. “I don’t know how long she can even keep up the pressure, but she gave me the break I needed. Now, it’s time to return the favor.”

With that, Danny leaps into the air, flipping twice in the air, curling his hands into his knees, as he flips over the final time; then straightening his body out in mid-air, before he kicks Taskmaster in the side of the face, driving him to the ground with great force.

Danny lands on the ground, immediately assuming a battle stance, as Taskmaster rolls with the kick, and is soon on his knees. Danny shakes his head in disbelief at his foe’s speed. “That move reminds me of Captain America,” Danny thinks to himself. “He probably picked up the move from Cap. I’m not thrilled about the prospect of fighting Cap again.”**

[**As he did in Iron Fist #12.]

While Taskmaster gets to his feet, Spiderwoman lands behind a parked car, keeping her eyes on Taskmaster. “The bio energy didn’t work,” she thinks to herself, “and I don’t have a lot of built-up energy to hit him with. I don’t understand why he didn’t get knocked out with the first charge, though. He must have some armor plating in his costume. It’s time to try something different.”

Spiderwoman kneels over, grabbing the underside of the vehicle, a Ford Taurus. With a grunt and a showing of strength, she flips the vehicle up and into the air, as it spins towards Taskmaster. Danny dives out of the way, and Taskmaster looks up, his eyes widening underneath his mask, as he sees the car rapidly approaching.

With a skill and speed that surprises everyone but himself, Taskmaster leaps into the air, flipping over the approaching vehicle, as he does three consecutive forward flips, narrowly avoiding the roof, antennae, and the back end of the car as it rockets past him, smashing into the wall of the parking garage. As it does so, it sets off alarms on the surrounding vehicles, even as the windshield of the car blows out, and the roof caves in from the impact with the ungiving concrete wall.

As he comes down, however, Iron Fist is upon him, taking advantage of his vulnerability. Iron Fist leaps across the distance separating them, kicking his foe in the stomach, doubling him over. He then leaps into the air, spinning through it as he kicks Taskmaster in the side of his face, jerking his head around with the sheer power and ferocity of the attack!

Iron Fist then kicks at Taskmaster, but is stunned to see him leaping back, narrowly avoiding the intended kick, even as he does a back flip out of the way. He quickly flips over, landing on his feet, and kneels in front of Iron Fist. He then unleashes his shield, which shoots out, slamming into Iron Fist, catching him in the mid-section and quickly doubling him over, sending him flying back against the concrete wall!

Spiderwoman takes to the air, quickly crossing the distance between her and Taskmaster, who is even now moving in on Iron Fist. Iron Fist is getting off the ground, but is clearly groggy from the blow, and his collision with the wall. He shakes his head, even as he raises his fists defensively.

“You super-hero types do tend to stick together, don’t you?” Taskmaster remarks, as he makes his way over to Iron Fist. “I never understood it, but you start something with one of you clowns and three or four others come to the party.” He reaches into his quiver, pulling out another bow. “Not that I mind, really. I never back down from a challenge. It’s just bad for business. I never know when I might have to take out your buddies next, and I don’t like doing two-for-the-price-of-one jobs.”

“Maybe this will be your last job anyway, you blow-hard!” Spiderwoman exclaims, unleashing a charge of electrical energy at Taskmaster. However, Taskmaster heard her coming, and leaps out of the way, rolling onto his side in one fluid, well-crafted motion. He immediately then unleashes the arrow in his quiver, headed directly for her.

“Blow-hard, huh?” Taskmaster remarks, even as his arrow makes its way flawlessly towards Spiderwoman, whose eyes widen underneath her mask. “That’s okay, toots. I’ve been called worse…and by better than you!”

The arrow explodes directly in front of her, with a small explosion. Out of the tip of the arrow, a large net shoots outward, completely encompassing Spiderwoman within a split-second. The net has an electrical charge, and Spiderwoman quickly feels a series of electrical shots cascading all over her shapely body. She finds it impossible to stay aloft, and to focus on her flying, with the stinging sensation, and being trapped within the confines of the net. As a result, she quickly falls the twelve feet, directly to the hard, concrete ground below!

Taskmaster nods with satisfaction. “A shame I had to do that,” he remarks with mock concern. “She was a real looker, too. Oh well.”

“You callous bastard!” Danny shouts out, leaping the distance between them, and tackling Taskmaster around the waist, bringing them both to the ground, twisting his body so that Taskmaster takes the brunt of the blow from their fall. “If she’s seriously hurt…!”

Iron Fist slams his fist down on Taskmaster’s face, sending his head down, slamming against the unforgiving pavement. There is rage in his eyes, as he swings his arm around, slamming his elbow into Taskmaster’s face, jerking his head to one side violently with the ferocity of his attack.

Taskmaster leans back on the ground, kept up on his elbows. He tucks his legs forward, slamming his knees into Iron Fist’s chest. He then stretches his feet out, wrapping his legs around his foe’s mid-section in a scissors move. Rolling to one side, he then flips Iron Fist towards the wall. Slowly, he gets to his feet, shaking his head.

“No doubt about it,” he silently considers, getting slowly to his feet, “that guy can fight. I have a nagging suspicion that someone’s trying to pull a fast one on me, and I don’t like the set-up one little bit.”

Iron Fist is upon him with such quickness that it surprises Taskmaster. He leaps toward Taskmaster, kicking him in the side of the face, bringing him to the ground hard. As Taskmaster raises his shield, he brings it around towards Iron Fist, slamming it into his side with great force! Iron Fist reacts with a guttural exclamation, as his face contorts with the pain from the blow to his side.

Taskmaster quickly gets to his feet, even as Iron Fist takes a few steps back, favoring his side. “I think I’m going to renegotiate this deal,” Taskmaster remarks. “You should take that as a compliment.”

“I’ll try to keep that in mind,” Iron Fist sarcastically responds, as he stands ready for Taskmaster’s attack, his hands held in front of his face, even as he lowers his body, ready to defend himself.

Taskmaster lunges forward, swinging his shield around towards Iron Fist! Iron Fist moves back slightly, bringing his arm forward avoiding the shield and blocking Taskmaster’s next blow, an under-cut, with his forearm.

Iron Fist charges up his fist with energy, and brings it around, striking Taskmaster in the side of the face. Taskmaster is sent flying back, through the opening in the wall, and out of sight.

Rushing over to the hole in the wall, Iron Fist looks down, seeing Taskmaster lying on the ground below. “I’ll deal with him later,” Taskmaster remarks. He then rushes over to Spiderwoman, who is stirring on the ground, still covered by the electrified net. Iron Fist leans down, grabbing the net, which still surges with electricity, and throws it away from Spiderwoman!

He leans down, concern etched on his face. “Are you all right?” he asks, pulling her head into his arms. Part of her mask was burned by the electrical energy, and her identity is no longer in doubt. “Jessica?”

“I guess my secret’s out?” Spiderwoman asks, smiling a slight smile, despite the coarseness in her voice.

“Don’t worry about that,” Danny responds, helping her to her feet. “Are you able to walk?”

“I think so,” Spiderwoman responds. “Fortunately, my body can harness electrical energy—up to a point. I guess that’s about the only thing that kept me alive.”

“True,” Danny responds, “but you also had a fall…”

“I’ll be all right,” Spiderwoman urges. “What about Taskmaster?”

“I’ll go check, if…” Danny hesitates. Spiderwoman motions for him to go on forward, as she stands gingerly, watching him rush over to the opening in the wall. He walks back, shrugging his shoulders. “He got away.”

“That’s okay with me,” Spiderwoman says, allowing a smile. “I’ve had enough fighting for one day.” She then flashes a smile at him. “And I’m getting hungry.”

“Well,” Danny replies, a smile crossing his face, “that offer for dinner is still open.”

“I think my schedule for the night just cleared up,” she replies, “that is, if you let me get changed?”

Danny looks over his utterly destroyed shirt and pants, nodding. “I don’t think that will be a problem,” he responds, pulling a key out of his pocket. “And I even have a nice, quiet location for both of us to get changed.”

NEXT ISSUE: More on Danny and Jessica! Plus: What is Master Khan up to…and who is the man he is reviving? Also, who is Danny’s partner? Find out in Iron Fist #3!

MARTIAL MISSIVES

Welcome to the second issue of IRON FIST. I hope everyone enjoys the direction the title is heading in, and there will be more definitive development in the months to come, as Danny settles in, and we see more of the supporting case. For now, though, let’s see what people have to say about the first issue…

After reading the first issue I will admit that I am hooked. As some may already know I'm a big fan of the martial arts and Iron Fist is one of those books that gets me hooked right away. Keep up the good work.

Alex Hayden

Thanks, Alex. I like Iron Fist, and I hope you continue to like the direction I’m taking the character. There will be plenty of martial arts action to come as well, so let me know what you think.

I am always skeptical when I hear that someone else is going to have a go on Iron Fist, one my Marvel Favs. I had also heard of the writer through the whisperings of fanfic so I decided, why not give the combo a try?

I was pleasantly surprised. Mr. Melton has the main character down. I'm rather curious to see how Ms. Drew fits in as well. I don't know if Danny has outgrown his partnership with Cage or not but I do enjoy the solo martial arts action.

Solid read!

C. William Russette

Thanks for the kind review. Danny and Luke are certainly friends, and Luke will be seen in these pages, but this is Iron Fist’s book, and I think he deserves a shot at some solo action. As for Jessica, and the rest, I hope you like what I have planned.

Your comments, suggestions, and questions are welcome and appreciated. Feel free to send them to me at earth2jsa@yahoo.com.

-Jeff Melton