The newest Iron Fist Marvel Comics’ former sword master Lin Lie has interestingly proven why he is the wielder who deserves Shou-Lao’s dragon chi more than former Iron Fist Danny Rand in the new epic tie-in from “Judgement Day AX Iron Fist”. Tie-infor those who don’t know, it’s like a work of fiction based on some other product made in media format, be it a film, game, TV series, etc.
Danny Rand was first introduced in 1974’s Marvel Premier #15 and held the title for decades in Marvel Comics. However, he heroically gave up his power to allow Wakandan warrior Okoye to save the world in Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon.
Amidst all this, the heroic Rand is still around and his offer to train Lin Lie in the powers of the Iron Fist has finally been accepted, meaning we could see some even more meaningful interactions between the former and current Living Weapons in the future.
The old Iron Fist was incredible, a powerful martial artist with a strong heart who wielded the supernatural dragon chi with a passion all his own. Yet the way Lin Lie manages to obtain the Dragon Mark in this issue shows exactly what sets him apart from Danny and the other Iron Fists before him.
The critically acclaimed “Judgement Day” event saw several iconic Marvel heroes and villains being “judged” by the Celestial Progenitor, and in “AXE Iron Fist,” both Lin Lie and the Asgardian god Loki are judged by this cosmic entity.
Because Loki partners with Lin Lie’s villainous brother Feng to try to gain control of K’um-Lun, the Progenitor decides to test their minds. As Loki is being attacked by a massive storm of Mjolnir hammers being thrown at him, Lin Lie manages to catch one of the hammers, something the old Iron Fist never did, managing to save Loki and proving himself worthy of wielding Mjolnir. This was one of the first signs that the new Iron Fist is the man best suited to take on the title.
After this, the Progenitor then transforms into the dragon Shou-Lao, the entity from which Iron Fist’s Chi powers are derived, testing Lin Lie and asking him to defeat the dragon and rip out its heart.
While this is a common ordeal that an Iron Fist must go through to gain his powers, Lin Lie considers Shou-Lao an ally, as the dragon saved him from death after he washed up on the shores of K’un-Lun. Thus, he is incredibly resistant to the request to rip out the dragon’s heart.
Instead of stealing this heart, Lie thinks that the previous bearers have always stolen the dragon’s heart and he wants to break this cycle by simply asking the dragon to grant him the full powers of the Iron Fist.
The moment the character does this, he not only passes the Progenitor’s test, but also, when he awakens from his ordeal, he realizes that he is now the bearer of the Mark of the Dragon on his forearm, meaning that he has also passed the dragon’s test.
The former Iron Fist was very powerful and dedicated, but the fact that Lin Lie managed to pass the trial, asking for the powers instead of taking them without consent, proves that he is the ideal person to receive the power and be the bearer of the mantle of the Living Weapon.
