‘Iron Fist’ Spoilers: 8 Comic Book Connections To Watch For

The Iron Fist release date is just a few nights away, and for a moment we are going to ignore the ongoing controversy to talk about the series’ potential connections to the comics and previous Marvel-Netflix shows. Danny Rand has the most complicated origin out of any Defenders member and since the groundwork for the series has already been set up, he’s got tons of connections to villains from Daredevil and characters from Luke Cage. Here’s what you need to know before you watch and comic book connections you should look out for.

CRANE MOTHER

Madame Gao, first introduced as a villain in Daredevil, is an odd character. She has blind servants and once said her true home is “a considerable distance” away from China. Could she be referring to K’Un-Zi, one of the seven capital cities of heaven? If so, this poses an interesting theory: Is Gao the Crane Mother? In the comics, The Crane Mother is the ruler of K’Un-Zi, an adversary of Danny Rand and previous Iron Fists.

READ: 'Daredevil' Villains Explained

This whole complicated storyline with Madame Gao sitting right in the middle is very peculiar, and an Iron Fist scene between Danny and Harold Meachum revealed at New York Comic Con makes it even more confusing. Harold mentions Crane Mother by name, and Danny appears to know who she is.

“I understand you were taken in by some monks by order of the Crane Mother. Where exactly is the monastery?” Harold repeatedly asks Danny until he responds, “Kun-Lun.”

Furthermore, the name of Gao’s heroin has a steel serpent symbol on it, which could signify her connection to another comic book villain.

STEEL SERPENT

If you’re familiar with Iron Fist, you know his powers originate from K’un-Lun and his training with Lei-Kung, the mystical city’s Kung-Fu master. But Danny wasn’t his only student. Lei-Kung’s son, Davos, like all males of K’un-L’un, trained to become the Iron Fist. Davos didn’t train with Danny, but Danny’s father, Wendell Rand.

During Davos’ quest to defeat Shou-Lou and obtain the power of the Iron Fist, Wendell Rand proved a better candidate, defeating Davos in battle. Though Wendell never battled Shou-Lou to obtain the Iron Fist, Davos was ultimately defeated by the Shao Lau dragon without the city’s blessing, embarrassing his father. Shamed because of Wendell and envious when Danny Rand defeated the dragon, he was exiled and has been on a quest for vengeance ever since.

Davos is eventually embraced by the Crane mother, who asks him to be the champion of K'un-Zi in exchange for killing Iron Fist. That’s where the Steel Serpent comes into play. In the comics, the Steel Serpent doesn’t represent drugs. Davos is the Steel Serpent. The Steel Serpent’s symbol, which is on Davos’ chest, is stamped on the heroin packages. So Madame Gao being Crane Mother would certainly be a departure from the comics in some ways, but it could make sense in relation to Steel Serpent.

JERI HOGARTH

Hogarth knows both Daredevil and Jessica Jones. At the end of Daredevil Season 2, Hogarth offers Foggy Nelson a job specifically dealing with ‘supernatural’ humans, since Nelson and Murdock are done for the time being. But we know Hogarth will appear in Iron Fist and it looks like Danny has recruited Hogarth to help him get back his father’s business and fight The Meachum’s on a legal front.

READ: 'Daredevil' Recap: 15 Pivotal Scenes

In fact, it could be the other way around. Hogarth very well could have reached out to Danny upon hearing he’s back in New York. In the comics, Jeryn Hogarth was a good friend of Wendell Rand, Danny’s father. He was his lawyer, and when he died, took care of the Rand estate. Jeryn Hogarth also hired Misty Knight and Colleen Wing to keep an eye on Danny when he first returned. Now that Danny is back, Jeri could be the first person looking for him.

Jeryn Hogarth went on to become the attorney for Heroes For Hire, a group Luke Cage and Iron Fist form with Misty Knight and Colleen Wing. However, it’s unclear if we’ll see Heroes for Hire come to fruition on the Netflix series. At this point it seems highly likely Jeri Hogarth will become a major recurring character for Marvel-Netflix, much like Claire Temple, who has appeared in every series thus far.

HAROLD MEACHUM

One of the first teasers for Iron Fist was an image of the New York Bulletin ’s front page headline, “Harold Meachum Gravely Ill,” crumpled up on the sidewalk. Now a ruthless corporate leader, Harold Meachum was partners with Wendell and Heather Rand at the time of their death. Captioned,“Who is truly loyal?,” the image further hints that Iron Fist will have to decide Harold Meachum’s fate if the series is at all similar to the comics. “Gravely ill” could suggest a different storyline than we are familiar with. After Meachum lets Wendell fall to his death, he gets lost near K'un-Lun and nearly freezes to death. Both of his legs had to be amputated due to frostbite. It’s unclear how, or if, this will play out in the series.

SHANG CHI

Once rumored to be getting his own series, Shang Chi is known as one of the best martial artists in the MCU, able to dodge machine gun bullets and deflect sniper shots. His father, Fu ‘Han’ Manchu, was a criminal mastermind and talented martial artist. Once Shang-Chi realized the extent of his father’s evil, he turned on him. Shang-Chi has worked as a British Intelligence MI6 agent, is an Avenger, and fits in the Shadowland Arc shared by Daredevil. He also has affiliations with Heroes For Hire alongside Danny Rand, Luke Cage, The Punisher, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing. While Netflix hasn’t confirmed his appearance, he’s a character well worth watching out for.

COLLEEN WING

Colleen Wing is a martial arts expert running her own dojo. She’ll be an invaluable ally to Danny Rand as he returns to his life in New York from after leaving K’un-L’un. In the comics, Colleen’s father, Professor Lee Wing, predicted Iron Fist’s return and urged her to befriend him. She’s a member of Luke Cage and Iron Fists’ Heroes for Hire and becomes very close friends with Misty Knight.

MISTY KNIGHT

Misty Knight, a NYPD detective, had a brief fling with Luke Cage but ended up becoming one of his strongest allies by series end. While it hasn’t been confirmed we’ll see Misty in Iron Fist (she will be in The Defenders) , she and Danny Rand have a pretty serious romantic relationship in the comics. She goes on all sorts of adventures with Colleen Wing, Luke Cage and Iron Fist as part of Heroes For Hire. With the first season of Iron Fist exploring Danny Rand’s origins, maybe he doesn’t have time for all that. It would also be a nice change of pace for Marvel-Netflix to hold off on the romance for Iron Fist, but Misty’s whereabouts are definitely something to look out for.

THE HAND

Danny being a sworn enemy of the hand means he could end up getting involved with the whole Black Sky situation from Daredevil . When Harold asks Danny, “What kind of warrior are you?” in the scene from New York Comic Con, Danny reveals it’s his personal mission to defeat The Hand. “I’m the only one who can do it,” Danny says after Harold asks how he plans on defeating them. So it’s clear The Hand poses at least some kind of threat to K’un-Lun or the legacy of the Iron Fist.

Finn Jones also recently said Iron Fist doesn’t end until the last episode of The Defenders , so incorporating The Hand into Iron Fist’s storyline, even if they aren’t the main villains, could be a way to tie all four series’ together.

READ: Biggest Cliffhangers of 'Daredevil' Season 2

The final battle between Daredevil and The Hand left Nobu dead and Elektra about to be resurrected by The Hand to become Black Sky. What kind of evil weapon is The Black Sky, and why would Stick need to protect Elektra from her own destiny? It’s no coincidence that Claire discovered the dead members of The Hand were dead once already, so this has got to be part of the resurrection process. Also, why is The Hand protecting a huge hole in the ground? Look out for clues to these questions in Iron Fist because they will likely carry on to The Defenders.

Iron Fist arrives on Netflix March 17.