Issue(s): Power Man & Iron Fist #114
Cover Date: Feb 85
Title: "Squeeze!"
Credits:
Christopher Priest - Writer
Steve Geiger & Billy Graham - Penciler
Jerry Acerno & Keith Williams - Inker
Denny O'Neil - Editor

Review/plot:
While i like Jim Owsley/Christopher Priest a lot, i find that he's often too clever for his own good and winds up writing very complex plots that are hard to execute on. Often this is because he relies on the artist to convey important information and it doesn't pan out the way he'd like. In the case of this issue, i think he was just trying to get too much into a single issue.

So this story follows up on the character of Gordy of SMILE, who pressured Luke Cage into fighting the terrorist group Control-7 a couple of issues back. Gordy, a government agent, has a scheme to force Luke and Danny to take a long term contract with Consolidated Conglomerates Incorporated (CCI). CCI is having trouble with Control-7, and while the government can't contract Cage and Fist directly, manipulating them into working for CCI will have the same effect. He outlines all the details of the plan, like causing their operating license to expire and fail on the renewals, getting the IRS involved, etc. It's the sort of thing that could have been built up over several issues while regular stories were happening, so that we could see the frustration and eventually desperation set in for the duo, all while they're trying to resist getting tied up in a long term contract with CCI. Maybe even show the two heroes, or maybe their lawyer Jeryn Hogarth, cleverly avoiding a few of Gordy's traps.

Instead, all of the bureaucratic manipulations are over by the start of the next scene. All that's left is for Gordy's group to fake a Control-7 attack on the Heroes for Hire office...

....and then send some fake letters to each of the heroes.

In a set of scenes that do work pretty well, there's the parallel between the two letters above and a scene with Gordy, shown living in a run-down apartment, looking at an old break-up letter from his wife showing how this Control-7 operation has destroyed his life, which is why he's so willing to employ dishonest techniques to get them.

We also learn this issue that the real Control-7 are data geeks in addition to soldiers.

So, decent, but you really have to spot it a few points for intent.

Quality Rating: B-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• While Gordy is briefing his team on Power Man and Iron Fist, he mentions Power Man & Iron Fist #112, when Gordy first forced Luke cage onto a mission against Control-7, and shows a photo of the scene where Captain Hero punched Cage through a window, which was in Power Man & Iron Fist #111.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

I find it interesting that Christopher PRIEST, who in addition to being a writer and musician is also an ordained Baptist minister, had the opportunity to work with an artist named Billy Graham. It must have been divine providence that brought them together.