Page - 127 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 03/01

Bulletproof Love: Luke Cage (2016) and Religion | 127www.jrfm.eu 2017, 3/1, 123–155 friend Willis stryker, ending up in seagate Prison. he is tormented by a sadis- tic white guard, Albert “Billy Bob” rackham, and volunteers for an experiment run by Dr. Noah Burstein in exchange for early release. rackham sabotages the experiment in an effort to kill Carl, causing an explosion. But as is the way in comics, things go bizarrely awry – rackham is killed instead and Carl emerges from the wreckage with super strength, breaking out of prison and changing his name to Luke Cage. Cautious about whom he can trust, he makes few close friends; an early one is Claire Temple, who helps Luke when he’s hurt and who dates him for a while. All of these details are repeated in the 13-episode Netflix series, which unlike the original comics was made by Black artists, including creator and showrun- ner Cheo hodari Coker. Despite some of the big picture similarities to Luke’s original incarnation, these artists made many changes to his character, bringing him into the 21st century and out of white stereotypes. he is much quieter, and more thoughtful and reserved; instead of shouting bombastically and punching supervillains, he reads books and eschews violence. Pointedly unlike his comic book self, the Netflix Luke refuses to be paid for helping people, preferring to earn his living as a janitor in Pop’s barbershop. Changes were also made to his childhood: no longer raised in harlem by a police-detective father, Luke is now from Georgia and the son of a philandering preacher. in the television show, therefore, he is an outsider in harlem, working to help people he has only re- cently come to know and love. Claire, too, undergoes important shifts as her character is translated from the comics: she is now a hispanic nurse, instead of a Black doctor (fig. 3). Fig. 2 (l.): John Romita Sr., cover artwork, Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (June 1972) © Marvel Comics. Fig. 3 (r.): George Tuska, interior artwork, Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #2 (August 1972) © Marvel Comics.