Issue(s): Power Man #37, Power Man #38, Power Man #39, Power Man #40
Cover Date: Nov 76 - Feb 77
Title: "Chemistro is back! Deadlier than ever!" / "--Big Brother wants you... dead!" / "Battle with the Baron!" / "Rush hour to Limbo!"
Credits:
Marv Wolfman - Writer
Bill Mantlo - Script on issue #38-39
Ron Wilson / Bob Brown / Lee Elias - Penciler
Aubrey Bradford / Jim Mooney / Klaus Janson / Frank Giacoia - Inker

Review/plot:
Don McGregor is gone, and Marv Wolfman is in his place. While McGregor is strong on sociopolitical themes and weak on super-heroes, Wolfman is a more traditional super-hero writer, so we get a four part story about a new Chemistro and some other super-powered criminals. This Chemistro doesn't have to use a gun to work his powers.

The story starts off with Cage nearly dying when he walks into his office only to find that everything, including the floor, has been turned into glass, and Cage's 300 pound body crashes right through.

The new Chemistro...

...a prison cell-mate of the original, is working for "The Baron", who is handling one side of a gang war against "Big Brother". However, Chemistro tells Cage that he's working for Big Brother, so after Cage beats Chemistro he goes after Big Brother, who is a weird cyborg looking guy.

After their misunderstanding fight they form an uneasy alliance while Cage fights the Baron...

...but then Cage goes back and stops Big Brother as well.

Big Brother has a henchman called the Chesire Cat.

Wolfman and the artists (including an early fill-in by Ron Wilson on issue #37) do a good job of demonstrating Chemistro's impressive powers.

The story also takes time to show Cage dealing with problems with his girlfriend Claire, and McGregor's running gags with Cage's fights with the soda machine are kept up.

Nonetheless, this isn't exactly great stuff.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Cage says he borrowed bus fare to get to The Baron's castle from the Defenders. So after issue #35 (issue #36 was a reprint), Cage appears in Power Man annual #1 and then his Defenders appearances in Defenders #40 and Defenders annual #1.

References:

• Luke Cage fought the original Chemistro in Hero For Hire #12 (referred to here as "Cage #12"). The first Chemistro got his foot disintegrated in that issue.
  
• Luke Cage beat Spear in Power Man #35 (the last non-reprint issue). He got a reward for it, but gave it to the family whose son was killed by Wildfire in Power Man #32.
  
• The IRS guy from Power Man #34 shows up again.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A