Thanks to Captain America, we now know that this bulletproof man is actually afraid of something.
Superheroes are supposed to be fearless and bold. They know that with their superpowers (and a little bit of training in the application of these powers) they can destroy enemies and get them running away. They are admired and loved for just this: their ability to do good using powers other humans don’t have, and in the process saving the world. But, it is in moments when small chinks in their armours are revealed that they are most endearing to us. Take Luke Cage for example.
Invincible body, bulletproof skin, superhuman strength. And with such powers in his possession, he is afraid of the most ordinary of things in the world: needles!
Highlights —
- How Luke Cage acquired his superpower
- Is Luke Cage really afraid of needles, of all things?
- This only makes Luke more human and, therefore, endearing!
How Luke Cage acquired his superpower
Luke Cage is known in the Marvel Universe for his superhuman strength, and there’s a pretty interesting backstory behind it. While in prison, Carl Lucas (Luke Cage’s original name) volunteered for an experiment by a Dr Noah Burstein in exchange for the likelihood of early parole.
During the procedure, something goes wrong, and Luke somehow gets super strength, stamina, and invincibility. He also gets a special accelerated healing energy and, of course, an almost unbreakable skin.
Is Luke Cage really afraid of needles, of all things?
In the comic series “Captain America and the Falcon #5” by Christopher Priest and Joe Bennett, Luke is paid a visit by Captain America and the Falcon, who are asking a favour of him. The antagonist they are up against, Anti-Cap, has superpowers that have been gained through, loosely speaking, a similar process to that of Luke’s superpowers.
They plan to acquire Luke’s blood sample so that they can synthesize something which would help them ultimately defeat Anti-Cap.
When the time comes for him to get pricked for the blood sample, he is visibly nervous. Captain America then asks him if Luke Cage fears needles, he is at a loss of words (he has to save face, after all), but does not say a definite no.
This only makes Luke more human and, therefore, endearing
That Luke Cage fears needles is at once funny and endearing. Even while being kind of bulletproof and throwing off heavy, high-impact blows from his enemies as if they were nothing but flies, turns out, Luke is apparently afraid of the tiny prick of a needle.
But this only serves to make Luke more human, wont to faults and misgivings of his own. He is one of the most relatable characters of the Marvel Universe anyway, but this further makes him endearing to us.
Later we’re told that Captain America did eventually manage to get hold of Luke’s blood sample, but we’re not actually shown how he made it happen. Seeing that he’s afraid of something as small as needles, we wouldn’t put a bit of screaming and flailing past Luke Cage.
