'The Defenders' - A Second-Hand Solution
(originally posted 9 March, 2018)
With a new season of Luke Cage coming up and having only recently (finally!) watched ‘The Defenders’, some friends and I were spitballing ideas and we all pretty much agreed that Cage’s first season was some A1 stuff, until Cottonmouth and Black Mariah were unceremoniously shoved aside in favour of Diamondback, who was revealed as the true mastermind behind everything.
We were all agreed that Diamondback wasn’t a problem per se, but the fact that he was supposed to be a mastermind just didn’t fly, and he would’ve worked better as “We’ve brought in some out-of-town muscle to deal with our little ‘Hero of Harlem’ problem. Seems he even has a history with our Mister Cage...” but as a mastermind is, in the words of my erstwhile podcasting compadre, Mike Gillis, too much Joker, not enough Kingpin.
I was always of the mind that, if you were going to have a behind-the-scenes mastermind pulling the strings of the villains, a good candidate would’ve been Gideon Mace - a disgruntled former soldier who wants to organize a military coup over the United States - who fought Cage in his original run a mess of times.
At this point, as is so often the case, a big story jumped fully formed into my head. Now be warned, this is some pure, self-indulgent, fan-fictiony nonsense. So brace yourselves.
Leading into ‘The Defenders’, you had 5 Seasons. 2 of Daredevil, and 1 each of Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. Daredevil remains roughly the same, however, in Jessica Jones, there’s an implication that the experiments that created Killgrave may not be over, or may have started again. A shadowy character is introduced and has a brief cameo - a scientist interested in creating and experimenting on superhumans. There are any number of existing Marvel characters this could be. If Miles (The Jackal) Warren weren’t tied into Spider-Man, he’d be a candidate... but that sort of guy. A Street-level Doctor Moreau-type. He and Jessica never meet, but it’s implied that he may have an appearance in Season 2, that he has an interest in Jessica, or that she may come to have an interest in him. In my mind, he’s played by Garret Dillahunt, who plays a similar character in ‘The Gifted’, but he’s just such a damned fine character actor.
In Luke Cage, again, there’s a behind the scenes mastermind, Gideon Mace. He’s a bitter former military man who sees the country going down the drain and thinks that the only way to bring it back from the brink is with a total military takeover. However, until that time, he’s raising capital as a high-end arms dealer... selling stolen Stark and Hammer Tech weaponry to whoever will pay his prices, and fixer... connecting people who need stuff done with trained mercenaries with the necessary skills. He’s the guy who equips and outfits Diamondback and sends him after Cage.
Kind of divided here on Mace. In the comics, he's your standard-issue reactionary white guy (in which case, I'd be looking at an actor like Max Martini, or William Sadler), however, there's a case for casting a black actor, in which case, I'd be looking at someone like Tony Todd. Each would play the role very well, and very differently.
We were all agreed that Diamondback wasn’t a problem per se, but the fact that he was supposed to be a mastermind just didn’t fly, and he would’ve worked better as “We’ve brought in some out-of-town muscle to deal with our little ‘Hero of Harlem’ problem. Seems he even has a history with our Mister Cage...” but as a mastermind is, in the words of my erstwhile podcasting compadre, Mike Gillis, too much Joker, not enough Kingpin.
I was always of the mind that, if you were going to have a behind-the-scenes mastermind pulling the strings of the villains, a good candidate would’ve been Gideon Mace - a disgruntled former soldier who wants to organize a military coup over the United States - who fought Cage in his original run a mess of times.
At this point, as is so often the case, a big story jumped fully formed into my head. Now be warned, this is some pure, self-indulgent, fan-fictiony nonsense. So brace yourselves.
Leading into ‘The Defenders’, you had 5 Seasons. 2 of Daredevil, and 1 each of Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. Daredevil remains roughly the same, however, in Jessica Jones, there’s an implication that the experiments that created Killgrave may not be over, or may have started again. A shadowy character is introduced and has a brief cameo - a scientist interested in creating and experimenting on superhumans. There are any number of existing Marvel characters this could be. If Miles (The Jackal) Warren weren’t tied into Spider-Man, he’d be a candidate... but that sort of guy. A Street-level Doctor Moreau-type. He and Jessica never meet, but it’s implied that he may have an appearance in Season 2, that he has an interest in Jessica, or that she may come to have an interest in him. In my mind, he’s played by Garret Dillahunt, who plays a similar character in ‘The Gifted’, but he’s just such a damned fine character actor.
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| (Garrett Dillahunt) |
Kind of divided here on Mace. In the comics, he's your standard-issue reactionary white guy (in which case, I'd be looking at an actor like Max Martini, or William Sadler), however, there's a case for casting a black actor, in which case, I'd be looking at someone like Tony Todd. Each would play the role very well, and very differently.
 |
| (L-R: Max Martini, William Sadler, Tony Todd) |
In Iron Fist, we dispense with the Miller-era Daredevil version of The Hand (Ninjas! Ninjas! Ninjas!) in favour of a more of traditional Chinese Organized Crime vibe, led by Madame Gao. You could give her a behind-the-scenes ally, or just make her more than she appears, as she’s revealed as a kind of Anti-Iron Fist - absorbing and draining the life force of others to power mystical abilities.
Okay, because ‘Iron Fist’ is hot garbage fire, I’m pretty much pulling it to bits. First, restore the original origin. Danny is a CHILD when he enters K’un L’un after watching his Father’s business partner murder his father and seeing his mother torn to pieces by wolves while on a mountaineering expedition. Danny Rand’s dad is a bit of a shark, and more than a bit of a creep. He’s a high-powered corporate predator with a new age obsession with ‘Eastern Spirituality’ - he sleeps on a Futon, has Martial Arts weapons and Hokusai prints on the wall. Basically, he’s a dude who read too many Eric Van Lustbader novels and knows James Clavell’s ‘Shogun’ word-for-word. He’s an Orientalist who Fetishizes a weird nonexistent version of Asian Culture, to the point of needing an Asian wife and son to “complete his collection”.
This version of Iron Fist is about the destructive power of Revenge. As Danny grows older, he discovers he cannot stay in K’un L’un. The city requires peace, and Danny’s heart burns with a desire to avenge himself. He wants to kill the man who killed his parents and stole his birthright. Danny becomes the Iron Fist not because he is the best warrior in K’un L’un but because he is broken. He cannot remain, so he must assume the mantle of the ceremonial warrior who is exiled from the city so that he may defend it. At this point, Danny thinks he has it all sorted out. Kill the man who killed his parents, take back the business which is his birthright then knock off early for Kung-Fu training at the dojo. Danny comes to learn (often at high price) that he’s wrong about pretty much everything. He thinks that killing Harold Meachum is the end, but when Meachum fakes his own death and pins it on Danny, it perpetuates the cycle, as Meachum’s children Ward (who, like Danny, makes the mistake of venerating a father who doesn’t deserve it) and Joy (who until her father’s “death” was sympathetic to Danny).
At the end of the series, Danny also learns that he can channel his chi into others to heal them. Up until then, he’d only used the power of the Iron Fist to destroy - when you think like a Hammer everything starts to look like a nail. When you think like a Living weapon, everything looks like an enemy. But hammers can be used to build things as well, to hold things together and create bonds. Not just to smash things. As the Season closes, Danny is wiser. But the main thing he knows is that he still has a LOT to learn.
At this point, leading into the Defenders, you introduce another character. A more subtle guy, who’s main strength is making connections, making deals, making introductions. He’s the kind of guy who knows everyone and can smooth over the inevitable cracks that happen when you put a bunch of powerful psychopaths in the same room. He’s the Anti-Claire Temple. The glue that holds it all together, so all together, you’ve got:
Okay, because ‘Iron Fist’ is hot garbage fire, I’m pretty much pulling it to bits. First, restore the original origin. Danny is a CHILD when he enters K’un L’un after watching his Father’s business partner murder his father and seeing his mother torn to pieces by wolves while on a mountaineering expedition. Danny Rand’s dad is a bit of a shark, and more than a bit of a creep. He’s a high-powered corporate predator with a new age obsession with ‘Eastern Spirituality’ - he sleeps on a Futon, has Martial Arts weapons and Hokusai prints on the wall. Basically, he’s a dude who read too many Eric Van Lustbader novels and knows James Clavell’s ‘Shogun’ word-for-word. He’s an Orientalist who Fetishizes a weird nonexistent version of Asian Culture, to the point of needing an Asian wife and son to “complete his collection”.
This version of Iron Fist is about the destructive power of Revenge. As Danny grows older, he discovers he cannot stay in K’un L’un. The city requires peace, and Danny’s heart burns with a desire to avenge himself. He wants to kill the man who killed his parents and stole his birthright. Danny becomes the Iron Fist not because he is the best warrior in K’un L’un but because he is broken. He cannot remain, so he must assume the mantle of the ceremonial warrior who is exiled from the city so that he may defend it. At this point, Danny thinks he has it all sorted out. Kill the man who killed his parents, take back the business which is his birthright then knock off early for Kung-Fu training at the dojo. Danny comes to learn (often at high price) that he’s wrong about pretty much everything. He thinks that killing Harold Meachum is the end, but when Meachum fakes his own death and pins it on Danny, it perpetuates the cycle, as Meachum’s children Ward (who, like Danny, makes the mistake of venerating a father who doesn’t deserve it) and Joy (who until her father’s “death” was sympathetic to Danny).
At the end of the series, Danny also learns that he can channel his chi into others to heal them. Up until then, he’d only used the power of the Iron Fist to destroy - when you think like a Hammer everything starts to look like a nail. When you think like a Living weapon, everything looks like an enemy. But hammers can be used to build things as well, to hold things together and create bonds. Not just to smash things. As the Season closes, Danny is wiser. But the main thing he knows is that he still has a LOT to learn.
At this point, leading into the Defenders, you introduce another character. A more subtle guy, who’s main strength is making connections, making deals, making introductions. He’s the kind of guy who knows everyone and can smooth over the inevitable cracks that happen when you put a bunch of powerful psychopaths in the same room. He’s the Anti-Claire Temple. The glue that holds it all together, so all together, you’ve got:
- Wilson Fisk, The Kingpin of Crime,
- Gideon Mace, The General, Armourer and Quartermaster,
- (Mad Scientist Guy), Tech Support and Monsters Made To Order,
- Madame Gao, the Spider at the Centre of the Web, and,
- Our Mysterious Facilitator and Go-between.
Now THAT’s a Hand! (As an aside... Anyone got any suggestions for existing Marvel Universe characters who could work as the mad scientist or the facilitator?)
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