Issue(s): Cage #17
Cover Date: Aug 93
Title: "Someone has to pay for this"
Credits:
Marc McLaurin - Writer
Scott Benefiel - Penciler
Frank Turner - Inker
Karl Bollers - Assistant Editor
Chris Cooper - Editor

Review/plot:
Did someone say something about a Crusade?

I've talked in the past about the Gruenwaldian aspects of Marc McLaurin's writing. His ability to make these sorts of connections and go with them, no matter how stupid, is kind of endearing. At the same time, though, it seems that his attention to continuity only extends as far as remembering that these characters exist. You'll note that the above scene refers only to the Crusader's first appearance and ignores the one in Avengers Spotlight #39. On the other hand, maybe his loss of "power" explains why he was a match for Thor in his first appearance but could be beaten by the Black Knight in his second. But we'll have to blame the Goddess for his return to insane zealotry after the end of the Black Knight story had him trying to return to a normal life.

The main story in this issue is about Analisa Medina's decision to do an expose on Luke Cage in her paper, the Chicago Spectator (as we saw last issue). It's not quite as bad as on the cover, where it makes it seem like Cage is accused of murdering his mother. The story in the interior says that Cage was part of a gang, and another gang member murdered his mother.

But Cage is still angry to see his employer publishing this story about him. And his father wants him to put his relationship with the paper (and his "hero for hire" routine in general) behind him so that he can start using his "position and power to affect the black community 'round the world". Cage is about to head over to the Spectator to give Analisa a piece of her mind when Troop shows up. Troop wants to hire him (we don't learn for what yet). Troop resurfacing calms Cage down a bit, but he still heads to the paper, leaving Troop with his father.

Meanwhile, though, the Crusader is not affected by the Goddess' suppression effect, and in fact he takes it upon himself to attack and kill criminals that are currently repenting their crimes (vandals that are replacing headstones in the cemetery). He then decides to go attack the Spectator because he knows "full well the power of the media to influence". So he gets into a fight with Cage.

Since we're tracking characters' religions during this crossover, note that Cage says he believes in a God (but he wasn't recruited by the Goddess).

An interesting thing is that the Spectactor's expose actually has the effect of turning public opinion in favor of Cage. People like, as Medina belatedly observes, heroes with feet of clay, and it's said that the fact that he's a hero "for hire" doesn't make him bad (he's compared to a police officer taking a paycheck to defend people). I think it's interesting because i made a big deal in the Crusader's first appearance about Marvel deities on Earth and how they may draw power from "worshippers" and how that may have affected the fight between Thor and Crusader. And in this story you could argue that Cage is kind of drawing from the power of the approving crowd.

It's probably not an intentional callback to the original story; i'm just indulging in my own weird little theory.

Also in this issue, camerman Micky Hamilton has been given what should have been an easy assignment while he's fighting cancer, but he sees a homeless person accost Councilman Randolph Creed, and then he sees Creed's goons toss the guy into a pit where he's attacked by a shadow thing.

The homeless man's daughter winds up being helped by someone named Dred. Note that he calls the shadow creature a bogeyman.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: A footnote points to Infinity Crusade #1, but it's in reference to the Goddess calming everyone's criminal tendencies, which we didn't learn about explicitly until Infinity Crusade #2. So i'm placing this after #2.

References:

• Cage thought Troop was dead after Cage #11.
  
• We did see people getting touched by the Goddess in Infinity Crusade #1 but we didn't learn what it really meant until the next issue.
  
• It's said that the Crusader lost his power in Thor #331.

Crossover: Infinity Crusade

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A