HEROES FOR HIRE! Appreciation

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The first Heroes for Hire concept was created by Luke Cage

who was looking for a way to allow himself to be a super-hero while still paying his bills. Eventually Luke joined forces with Iron Fist.

The Heroes for Hire were created by Ed Hannigan and Keith Pollard in Power Man and Iron Fist #54.

Years later the team evolved when, in the wake of the defeat and perceived deaths of the Avengers and Fantastic Four by Onslaught,
Daniel Thomas Rand-K'ai (Iron Fist) and Jim Hammond (Original Human Torch) decided that the world needed heroes to believe in.

Since then the Heroes For Hire team has a very flexible roster

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Luke Cage, Hero For Hire #1 Jun 1972
"Out of Hell--a Hero!"
When Lucas, an innocent man, is sent to jail for a crime he did not commit, he decides he has nothing left to loose.
Subjecting himself to unorthodox experiments, this inmate is endowed with great physical strength and nigh-unbreakable skin.

No walls and bars on Earth can hold him.

Now, as Luke Cage, he is known as the Hero for Hire, and he's here to clean up the "Mean Streets," one criminal at a time.

Script by Archie Goodwin, pencils by George Tuska, inks by Billy Graham.
NOTE: Roy Thomas and John Romita are credited for their "considerable creative contributions."

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Heroes For Hire #1 Jul 1997
Heroes and Villains
After the U-Foes break into the Vault and release all of the prisoners, Iron Fist is prompted to re-form Heroes for Hire with the backing of Jim Hammond and Oracle, Inc. where he is joined by

Hercules and a new White Tiger (but not Luke Cage) in defusing a hostage situation in the United Nations building.


Heroes for Hire article by Mark Bernardo.

Script by Roger Stern (plot) and John Ostrander (script), pencils by Pascual Ferry, inks by Jaime Mendoza

[Michael Watkins]

it was my go-to series, at one point; all the characters I gave a damn about. I wish that Stark Industries had absorbed Oracle.

[Michael Watkins]

loved Luke's functional "costume"

[Nomads1]

Years later the team evolved when, in the wake of the defeat and perceived deaths of the Avengers and Fantastic Four by Onslaught,
Daniel Thomas Rand-K'ai (Iron Fist) and Jim Hammond (Original Human Torch) decided that the world needed heroes to believe in.

Since then the Heroes For Hire team has a very flexible roster[/CENTER]

IMHO, one of the best series Marvel has EVER published.

Peace

[Michael Watkins]

just my personal preference. but I think that they should have used Tigra instead of White Tiger. the series got really far away from the earlier concept when the stories started focusing more on White Tiger/Knights of Wundagore and Thena/Eternals. it's great that they were telling Avenger-y stories. but that eventually hurt the book; when the classic Avengers team returned from Onslaught-verse. it had no distinctive voice of its own. my favorite issues tended to be smaller in scale and centered around New York; like when they went after the Punisher or Dane investigated the corporate dragon. even the She-Hulk/Cage date was fun; goofy art aside. but that Acolytes/Wundagore stuff should have stayed in Quicksilver's book (w/ maybe a cameo by Heroes for Hire).

[mrjinjin]

it was my go-to series, at one point; all the characters I gave a damn about. I wish that Stark Industries had absorbed Oracle.

Yeah this team was great. I wonder if the Black Knight would have been used more using the weapons (Sword of Light and the Shield of Night) he had here rather than the Ebony Blade. Do you know what the issue number your picture is from?

[Kusanagi]

I adored the 90s Heroes for Hire. First non x book on my pull, book that got me into Deadpool, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, She Hulk and Hercules. Cancelled WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too soon.

[Michael Watkins]

Do you know what the issue number your picture is from?

hard to say. it's the start of that Master of the World storyline (maybe issue 12) where Luke seems to jump sides. they are discussing him in the pic (of course). the fact that they are all in gear makes me think this is right before they go out to confront the Master.

[Michael Watkins]

Yeah this team was great. I wonder if the Black Knight would have been used more using the weapons (Sword of Light and the Shield of Night) he had here rather than the Ebony Blade.

this was the coolest (from my perspective) take on Dane Whitman. Ostrander clearly liked the guy. and i was excited about his side story enough to backissue shop Dane's first few appearances and a couple mini-series. i was so disappointed that i ended up reading more about Sir Percy than Dane. i get why they returned to the ebon blade. it's as popular as the black knight mantle. but it felt like he had more freedom w/ the light sword. if only the series had lasted long enough for a Black Knight/Hercules focus issue. they never got a proper team-up.

[mrjinjin]

this was the coolest (from my perspective) take on Dane Whitman. Ostrander clearly liked the guy. and i was excited about his side story enough to backissue shop Dane's first few appearances and a couple mini-series. i was so disappointed that i ended up reading more about Sir Percy than Dane. i get why they returned to the ebon blade. it's as popular as the black knight mantle. but it felt like he had more freedom w/ the light sword. if only the series had lasted long enough for a Black Knight/Hercules focus issue. they never got a proper team-up.

A buddy story with Herc would've been great. A real good Black Knight story was in Marvel UK Hulk Weekly's. I think they were collected in The Siege of Camelot soft cover books. Captain Britain was also in it. I hope they get Dane back in Legacy somehow.

Thanks.

[Nomads1]

just my personal preference. but I think that they should have used Tigra instead of White Tiger. the series got really far away from the earlier concept when the stories started focusing more on White Tiger/Knights of Wundagore and Thena/Eternals. it's great that they were telling Avenger-y stories. but that eventually hurt the book; when the classic Avengers team returned from Onslaught-verse. it had no distinctive voice of its own. my favorite issues tended to be smaller in scale and centered around New York; like when they went after the Punisher or Dane investigated the corporate dragon. even the She-Hulk/Cage date was fun; goofy art aside. but that Acolytes/Wundagore stuff should have stayed in Quicksilver's book (w/ maybe a cameo by Heroes for Hire).

I had high hopes that they were going to add Jessica Drew as the White Tiger's replacement, after the Madripoor storyline. Sadly, it became the last arc of the book, so, fat chance of that happening.

Peace

[The BaRoN]

Oh man I loved the 90s team, It brought together all the heroes that were in limbo after Onslaught.

Antman, Hercules and Black Knight got some great time to shine.

Ferrys art was amazing.

[Michael Watkins]

I had high hopes that they were going to add Jessica Drew as the White Tiger's replacement, after the Madripoor storyline. Sadly, it became the last arc of the book, so, fat chance of that happening.

Peace

it's what got me interested in Jessica Drew. similarly to what I did with Dane, I started picking up her backissues; to find out more about her. I thought that they were setting her up to date Shang Chi for awhile, there. she started flirting him right off the bat.