The Marvel Knights Group presents: Iron Fist #10

WHAT HAS COME BEFORE: Yu-Ti sent mercenaries to take down Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Nomad. However, they fought and overcame the mercenaries. However, before Iron Fist could stop Yu-Ti, he disappeared, taking Spiderwoman with him. Iron Fist, Nomad, and Luke Cage then went to Florida, enlisting the aide of Monkara, the daughter of Monako. She agreed to take them to K’un L’un. When they arrived, they found Yu-Ti, and Spiderwoman (as well as the villainous Titania). As the heroes closed in on Yu-Ti, he called forth his H’ylthri warriors and H’kuhn the undying—a twelve-foot giant to fight Luke Cage!

Iron Fist looks around at the situation that he finds himself in, even as he raises his hands defensively, making sure that Nomad’s back is to his own. Monkara completes their triangle of warriors. Facing them are a horde of H’ylthri warriors, clad in ancient leather armor, and brandishing swords, maces, morning stars, and daggers. Luke has motioned away from them, preparing to fight a twelve-foot giant, H’kuhn the undying, who looks to be composed of stone. He looks down at the suddenly short Luke Cage with ruby-red eyes, glowing with artificial life. The object of his journey here—his beloved Spiderwoman—is still kept in a hovering mystical orb, with Yu-Ti and the villainous Titania standing near her, overlooking the spectacle below their vantage point.

“I don’t guess you’ve ever been in a spot like this, huh, Jack?” Iron Fist offers, his face reflecting a slight smile, glad that he has such friends.

“Oh yeah,” Nomad returns. “I can assure you that there have been many times when the odds were like this.” He returns a smile of his own, as his days as the sidekick of the 1950s Captain America, and the excitement of those days, suddenly comes back. “It’s what makes this job so rewarding!”

“I’m glad that you two are so content to be here,” Monkara remarks. “I’ll just be content to stop these otherworldly warriors and put an end to Yu-Ti’s mad schemes. Any enjoyment I might get out of it will be purely coincidental.”

Yu-Ti connects his hands together, and crosses his index fingers, resting them against the lower part of his nose, as he watches with contentment. “Kill them, my warriors,” he says in an even tone. “There is no reason to keep them alive—any of them—on my account.”

“Your pal’s all heart,” Nomad says sarcastically, as he eyes the approaching warriors, two of whom are swinging their swords in a circular manner.

“Yeah,” Iron Fist responds with a nod. “He’s a real gem.”

One of the warriors leaps at Iron Fist, brandishing a morning star, with spikes leading out along the ball, kept together by a two-foot chain. He lets out a guttural roar. If the words have any meaning, they are unknown to any by the warrior himself—and perhaps his fellow aliens.

Iron Fist leans his upper body back, and kicks the warrior in the mid-section, just above the stomach. The effect is instantaneous. Iron Fist’s kick knocks the wind out of the warrior, who immediately drops his weapon. Iron Fist spins around, finishing the warrior with a blow to his head on the way down.

Iron Fist then leaps over the heads of two of the warriors, who are rushing towards him. He starts to slip down, and quickly extends both of his legs, slamming each of his feet into the sides of the two warriors’ heads, jerking their heads back and sending them each flying in opposite directions!

Nomad, meanwhile, takes a more traditional approach. As he is approached by a sword-wielding warrior, he sends out a blow to the flat of the blade that shatters it, causing his foe to look away defensively. Nomad then slams his fist into his foe’s face, knocking him out instantly.

Using his super-strength, Nomad grabs two more warriors by the head, slamming their heads together with sufficient force to knock them out, but careful to measure his strength so as not to kill his opponents.

As two warriors rush at Monkara, their eyes light up in anticipation, thinking her an easy mark. However, she smiles as well. She gestures towards their feet, energy sparkling from her fingertips and striking the floor at their feet. To their amazement, a black hole opens beneath their feet. It quickly grows, and they disappear into it. Their screams die off quickly, as the hole disappears once more.

“I guess that will teach them to under-estimate Monako’s daughter!” she comments with a confident smile.

Iron Fist leaps forward, landing on his hands. As he bends his body forward, his feet connect with the chins of two more on-rushing warriors, sending them tumbling back into a crowd of five other warriors, who quickly lose their weapons, and fall to the ground, trying not to impale themselves in the process!

H’kuhn the undying lumbers forward, swinging downward at Luke Cage. The hero moves out of the way at precisely the last moment, and the blow continues downward, shattering the concrete flooring at Luke Cage’s feet, as debris scatters in all directions, causing Luke to instinctively raise his hand to cover his face and eyes.

“Man!” Luke remarks, shaking his head. “I ain’t never been called fast, but you make me look like Quicksilver!” As he steps away, keeping his eyes on the huge, twelve-foot giant of stone, he adds silently: “And it’s a good thing, too. I doubt I can take many blows from this gargoyle!”

Luke jumps up into the air, using his strong leg muscles to propel him forward. As he reaches his foe, he cocks his fist and swings at H’kuhn, slamming his fist into the giant’s face. However, despite the power in that punch, it does not move H’kuhn. Instead, the powerful stone creature brings his left arm around, and slams his fist into the vulnerable Luke Cage’s mid-section, sending him flying back twenty feet in the opposite direction! He hits the plaster wall, sending cracks up and down the sides of the wall from the impact point.

Grabbing his right side, Luke’s face makes it clear that the blow left him in pain. He gets to his feet, however, and prepares for the next attack, even as the lumbering giant makes his way over to Luke. “Damn, that hurt!” Luke thinks to himself, watching as H’kuhn makes thundering steps in his direction. “How the hell did I get this draw, and have to fight big gray and gruesome here?”

H’kuhn moves forward, swinging his large fist outward towards Luke, who is still standing in front of the wall. Luke ducks under his arm, and the giant’s fist goes into—and through—the plaster wall as if it was cardboard!

Luke uses this opportunity to take a shot at his foe. He leans into H’kuhn, slamming his fist into the statuesque villain’s armpit with all of his strength! Luke surprises even himself when the mystical villain takes a step back, although just as much from lack of balance as the impact from his blow.

Sensing an opportunity, Luke takes it. He slams another blow into that same side, and starts to pound on his foe’s side, trying to press his advantage. So focused is he on his attack, however, that he does not notice that his foe has extricated himself from the wall, and is starting to move his arm back. He swings it back, and slams his elbow into the back of Luke’s head, slamming hard into the back of his head, where his head meets his neck. Luke is sent skidding across the floor, and flips over, crashing into an ivory pillar near the exit of the building!

Luke slowly gets to his feet, rubbing the back of his head and his upper neck, even as he shakes his head. He rolls his head from side to side, and his neck makes slight popping sounds. “I’m gonna hafta find a new strategy!”

INTERLUDE

Shoreline Towers, located on the oceanfront in Miami, Florida. It is a high-rise condominium, with a view of the Atlantic Ocean on one side and a large lake on the other. In the middle of the lake is a lighted fountain that shoots water fifteen feet into the air, spraying onto the lake below.

Walking along a concrete walkway leading to the back of the building is a figure largely obscured by the darkness, although there are lights at different points on the ground, pointed upward, at a ninety-degree angle. He is wearing a red costume, with black boots. He walks up to a night watchman, who is standing at the back door. The night watchman turns to see the man approaching.

“Hey, buddy!” the watchman calls out. “Are you coming back from a costume party of something?”

The figure makes no response, but his mustached face allows a slight sneering smile, as he continues to approach the door with a determine demeanor. The night watchman reacts slowly, but with surprise, at his continued approach.

“Hey, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before around here!” the night watchman exclaims, reaching for his gun, held in his holster. “Let me see your pass key…or some ID!”

In response, the man leaps into the air, sailing across the distance separating the two. He quickly kicks the night watchman in the face, driving him to the ground. As he does so, it is obvious that the man is actually the Tarantula! The gun falls from the watchman’s hand, and lands in the small set of shrubbery adjacent to the building, only a few feet away.

As the night watchman starts to get to his feet, pushing himself up on his hands and elbows, Tarantula moves forward. He sends out his foot to kick the night watchman, who manages to roll over on his side, and make his way away from the villain, whose kick strikes the building, dislodging some of the concrete forming the outer walls.

The night watchman desperately reaches for his firearm, realizing that he recognizes this man. “He’s fought Spider-Man before!” the night watchman silently considers, his eyes reflecting the fear that is clutching at his very heart, even as his pulse is racing. “My only chance is to shoot him…and fast!”

As the night watchman reaches over into the shrubbery, extending his body as far as he can, he feels a sharp sting along his ribcage and a blinding pain upon the impact of the Tarantula’s spiked boot slamming into his side. His face clenches in pain, as Tarantula stands over him, smiling down sadistically, blood mixing with a deadly poison on the spike of his left boot, the mixed fluid trailing from the wound in the night watchman’s side to Tarantula’s spiked boot.

“If it is an consolation,” Tarantula comments, kneeling down and jerking the keys, on a metal circle, from the night watchman’s belt, even as the watchman’s body convulses. “The pain will pass quickly…in death!”

Tarantula rises, and the watchman’s body grows stiff, even as the villain moves towards the back door, opening it with his stolen key.

End of Interlude

In the ancient city of K’un L’un, the battle continues, with Iron Fist and his allies battling the forces controlled by the villainous Yu-Ti. Iron Fist turns and kicks a warrior in the mid-section, driving him back. He is a force of constant motion, turning back around and slamming his fist into the face of another warrior, driving him back.

“This is getting us nowhere!” Iron Fist thinks to himself, as he leaps into the air, kicking two warriors in their faces, one with each of his extended feet. “We can get fighting them, but they keep coming. We’ve got to get to the source…”, he adds, as his eyes turn to Yu-Ti, still watching with interest from his position on the platform before them, “…and that’s Yu-Ti!”

As he looks back, Iron Fist sees that Monkara is focusing her attention on a group of warriors, who are rushing towards her. She extends her lithe fingers, as mystical energy shoots from her fingertips, striking the warriors and pushing them back like a battering ram!

“These warriors are just as father said they were,” Monkara comments, as she continues to keep them at bay, “they exist only to fight…and to mindlessly serve their master!”

For his part, Nomad grabs a marble statue, throwing it into a group of on-rushing warriors, sending them crashing to the ground! Nomad is tireless in his battle with the warriors. He leaps into a large group of warriors, and throws them in all directions, using his super-human strength!

“This is similar to fighting opposing armies,” Nomad remarks. “Or Cap’s own battles with the hordes of Hydra. The result needs to be the same, because no matter how many I take out of commission, it seems that more take their place!”

Iron Fist leaps in the air, kicking another warrior and knocking him back! He then leaps into the air and makes his way towards the platform, leaping onto the shoulders of on-coming warriors, and kicking them in the face at the same time. His eyes meet not only Yu-Ti, but also the object of his trip to the ancient city—Spiderwoman!

Yu-Ti moves towards the leaping Iron Fist, but reacts with surprise when he sees Iron Fist activating his chi, energy surging around his cocked-back fist. Instinctively, he backs out of the way. Titania starts to take a step forward, but likewise moves back when she sees Iron Fist bounding through the air. As they both move out of the way, they provide a clear passage for Iron Fist to reach Spiderwoman!

As he moves through the air, Iron Fist brings his fist forward, striking the energy disc that surrounds Spiderwoman. She looks up, hopefully, as Iron Fist slams his chi-charged fist into the midst of the disc. As energy strikes energy, Spiderwoman instinctively turns her head away. Energy erupts from the impact point of Iron Fist’s energy-charged fist and the energy dome, as the powerful punch ruptures the disc, shooting energy straight upward in a rapidly-growing hole in the energy disc, freeing Spiderwoman.

As Spiderwoman staggers forward into freedom, Iron Fist turns to face Yu-Ti. Titania moves forward, her instincts forcing her to protect her employer with her own body, separating Iron Fist from the villain.

“Not a good idea, blondie!” Titania calls out, with a warning tone in her voice. “This guy may be nutty, but he still signs my paycheck. You’re not getting to him, unless it’s through me!”

“I don’t like hitting a lady,” Iron Fist says, taking a step forward, even as Spiderwoman moves in behind him, “but…”

“It’s okay,” Spiderwoman interjects, gently pushing Iron Fist aside, by pushing against his shoulder, as she steps forward, slamming her fist into Titania, and sending her flying back against the wall immediately behind the platform where they are all located. “She’s no lady!”

As Spiderwoman takes to the air, flying forward to carry the fight to Titania, Iron Fist moves towards Yu-Ti. However, by this time, a host of warriors have leaped forward, onto the platform to protect the villainous Yu-Ti. They brandish weapons menacingly, separating Iron Fist from Yu-Ti, who smiles with satisfaction, nodding approvingly at this new turn of events.

“It will not be that easy, young Rand,” Yu-Ti comments. “It is not yet time to sully my hands in combat with you—not yet.”

The first warrior swings nunchukus towards Iron Fist, who slams his first forward, striking the chain separating the two metallic staffs, shattering it with the impact of his blow, even as the warrior reacts with surprise.

“Oh, you’ll be sullying a lot more than your hands by the time I’m done with you!” Iron Fist responds, as he continues to direct his attention towards the warriors protecting Yu-Ti, slamming his fist into the chest of the now defenseless warrior, sending him crashing back off the platform!

Nomad, meanwhile, is kicking another of the warriors in the stomach, driving him back. He has moved around, keeping an eye on Monkara, and moving to where they are protecting each other’s backs.

“Monkara,” Nomad calls out, “it looks like you’re doing fine. As long as we don’t get tired, we should be able to keep this up for a while!”

Monkara smiles, raising her hands above her head, and sending out her mystical energy in a wide arc, sending several of the onrushing warriors crashing back. “I don’t plan on getting tired,” she replies. “You still owe me a steak tonight…in case you’ve forgotten!”

“I don’t think you’re the kind of gal I could forget!” Nomad replies, throwing a fist into the jaw of another warrior, sending him flying through the air, where he crashes into another crowd of three onrushing warriors. “Let’s just hope we’re out of here before your favorite restaurant closes!”

Nomad suddenly ducks, as Luke Cage flies backwards just inches above his (now-ducked head)! Luke’s body continues forward, where he crashes into the plaster wall, causing it to buckle and shatter at the point of impact!

“Luke…you okay?” Nomad asks, turning to see Luke getting to his feet. His yellow silk shirt is torn along his right shoulder, where it meets his bicep. He brushes off the plaster dust from his shirt.

“Yeah, buddy,” Luke responds, shaking his head. “Just dandy!” Luke rushes forward, the way he came, and leaps into the air, slamming his shoulder into H’kuhn the undying along the chest, causing the unloving statute to take several steps back, even as his arms flail about!

Luke clasps his hands together and delivers a double-fisted blow at his opponent’s face, jerking his head to one side with the impact of the blow! “Let’s just hope this ugly mug won’t be able to say the same!”

“Yeah,” Nomad responds, leaning to one side and slamming his elbow into the nose of one of the warriors trying to sneak in behind him. His nose shatters, and he falls back, coughing up blood, even as other warriors rush forward to take his place in the conflict! “Good luck with that!”

Nomad turns to look around, still seeing seemingly as many warriors as he saw when the battle began, even though there are an uncounted number of warriors lying on the floor around them. He looks over, seeing a portal, where more warriors are emerging. The portal is on the eastern wall of the room, and looks to be about four feet in diameter…just big enough to be a doorway for the constant stream of warriors.

“Monkara,” Nomad calls out. “I think I see a way out of this mess!”

NEXT ISSUE: The final chapter of Iron Fist’s battle with Yu-Ti and his warriors! But where is Hamilton? Also: More on the Tarantula…what’s he up to? Find out in Iron Fist #11!