Issue(s): Power Man annual #1
Cover Date: 1976
Title: "Earthshock!"
Credits:
Chris Claremont - Writer
Lee Elias - Penciler
David Hunt - Inker

Review/plot:
Luke Cage has been hired by the wealthy Amanda Sheridan to go to Japan to protect her grand-daughter Samantha ("Sam") from Moses Magnum. Amanda actually wanted Cage to kill Magnum, but Cage of course refuses that part of the assignment. It also turns out that if Cage had refused the entire assignment she was prepared to attempt blackmail; she knows that Cage is an escaped convict from Seagate prison.

Sam is a geophysicist, and Magnum's scheme involves deriving power from earthquakes.

Magnum has been powered up since his last appearance, with enough strength to remind Luke Cage of the Thing, and some additional tech tricks as well. He'd like to be called Magnum Force now.

Magnum is also employing some local goons that consider themselves equal to Iron Fist in their martial arts ability. I wonder if Cage remembered that when he eventually meets Iron Fist.

One of the goons is actually working for someone else, and is trying to kill Sam, rather than just capture her. Cage stops the assassination, and Magnum thanks him by throwing him and the traitor out an airplane. But Cage survives and makes his way back to Magnum's base, rescuing Sam and getting into a final confrontation with Magnum...

...that ends with Magnum getting dropped into a fissure (and right into the arms of Apocalypse, per Classic X-Men #25).

Here is Moses Magnum's escape from his seeming death in his previous appearance. It is quite a different account; in that version we saw him melt to death on panel.

It's not said who was trying to get Sam Sheridan killed, except that it's a Council...

...but the MCP lists Edward Buckman, the Hellfire Club's White King, as appearing in this issue, so that's probably your answer, although i don't know when that is revealed.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: The MCP places this between Power Man #35 and #37 (#36 was a reprint). But #37 has Cage using bus fare borrowed from the Defenders, so Cage's appearances in Defenders #40 and Defenders annual #1 should take place after this issue.

References:

• Moses Magnum was thought killed by the Punisher in Giant-Size Spider-Man #4. Amanda Sheridan attempted to contact the Punisher to get him to finish the job, but says he was "unavailable".
  
• A kick from Magnum reminds Cage of the time he fought the Thing in Fantastic Four #170.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

I think it's just inferred that because this is early Claremont, "the Council" must refer to the Council of the Chosen, i.e. the Hellfire Club Inner Circle. Shaw hasn't grabbed power yet, so Buckman would still be in charge.

Ballard (later Centurion, first seen in 1976's Black Goliath #4) is working for "the Council" in 1977's Ms. Marvel #9.

It has never been made quite clear, but the general assumption seems to be that this is the Hellfire Club's Council of the Chosen as well.

The Council actually gets a 2nd goon to try killing Samantha later on, although the 1st goon's thought balloons make him appear to be working solo. Magnum's security firewalls must be nonexistent.

At one point there is a reference to a friend of D.W.'s called "Edelman", which I'm assuming is a nod to Scott Edelman.