From Panel To Play: Luke Cage

CP49 Luke Cage

In this installment of From Panel to Play, we’re taking a look at the people’s protector and the real power of a good man. This time, we’re looking at how Luke Cage made the jump from the panels to the table in Marvel: Crisis Protocol.

Wrongfully imprisoned at Seagate Prison for a crime he did not commit, as a convict, Luke Cage volunteered for an experimental cellular regeneration procedure that gave him impervious skin and strength beyond standard human capabilities. Cage used his new powers to escape Seagate and returned home to New York City to become Power Man, the Hero for Hire.

Working to keep the streets safe, Heroes for Hire, Inc. is an independent organization that offers comprehensive investigation and protection services for people who need it. As the savvy muscle of Heroes for Hire, Luke Cage uses his enhanced strength and durability to take on criminal outfits and powered villains alike.

Luke Cage is a man who shrugs off bullets with ease, and his miniature needed to capture a sense of his incredible durability, stern demeanor, and raw physical strength. Arms folded across his chest, Cage has an expression like someone just tried to test the strength of his impervious skin. Under one foot, the crushed steel beam shows just how much power this hero has.

Luke Cage is a steady defensive player able to keep his whole team in the fight. His above-average Physical Defense lets him get in close with his foes, where he can use his enhanced strength to good use. Power Man Punch, his primary attack, hits at a respectable Strength 5, and if you’re lucky enough to get two wilds in the attack roll, will leave Cage’s target reeling from the impact thanks to the Stagger condition. When Luke Cage rings somebody’s bell, it stays rung.

Of course, if you want to lay a massive hit on someone, look no farther than Luke Cage’s signature Sweet Christmas attack. Cage wallops his target with a shout of his festive catchphrase and sends them flying back with the impact’s force. Though it costs him 4 Power to use, it’s worth it to see the dazed and confused expression on their face as they pick themselves up from whatever debris they just got power-housed into.

While his enhanced strength will let Cage get some solid hits in, where he stands out is his imperviousness to damage. The medical experiment that transformed Luke Cage gave him bulletproof skin and the ability to heal from wounds at an accelerated rate. When Cage shows up to a crisis, his enemies know they have to figure out how to deal with him and fast. The power Too Dangerous to Ignore represents just how threatening this Hero for Hire can be. When an enemy attacks a nearby friendly character, Cage can spend 2 Power to force the attack to target him instead. This ability is even better combined with his innate power Impervious Skin, which allows him to reduce the damage he takes by 1. Luke Cage can draw fire from multiple attacks, shielding more vulnerable allies from harm and redirecting some of the nastier enemy effects from his teammates who hold critical objectives. He can help a team pull through a crisis on the power of his presence alone.

That’s all for our first look at how Luke Cage leaped Panel to Play. Check back for our next installment, when we examine another of your favorite characters as they jump onto the table in Marvel: Crisis Protocol.

Until then, this is Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off. Sweet Christmas!