Page - 129 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 03/01

Bulletproof Love: Luke Cage (2016) and Religion | 129www.jrfm.eu 2017, 3/1, 123–155 There are other ways in which Luke submits to violence of different types, rath- er than leading with his fists. When his landlords are being threatened, he first asks the four men to stop being disrespectful, and then stands still while one of them hits Luke in the face and shatters his own hand (e01).5 After Cornell threatens to expose Luke as a fugitive, he decides to leave harlem, before Claire convinces him to stay and fight back (E07). He tells the two officers who stop him that he just wants to walk and mind his own business (E09). Despite his in- nocence he does not resist being taken back to prison at the end of the series (e13). even during his climactic battle with Diamondback, who is wearing a suit that makes him at least as strong as Luke, he simply decides to stop trading blows: “i’m not doing this any more. . . . you want me dead? then kill me” (e13).6 this is unusual behavior for a superhero. We are used to seeing these charac- ters – despite their ostensive commitment to peace – embracing violence with much more enthusiasm than Luke does. As robert Jewett and John shelton Lawrence have argued in several works,7 superheroes most often embody a troubling perspective – derived originally from certain biblical responses to cri- sis – that they have termed “zealous nationalism”.8 this perspective is rooted in moral dualism, as a lone savior driven by a commitment to justice is faced with 5 This is in fact the first time that we see Luke’s powers in action. 6 As it turns out Luke is employing a rope-a-dope strategy, letting Diamondback wear his suit out beating on him before being dispatched by our hero with three quick hits. still, the fact is that Luke wins by submitting to violence. 7 see, e.g., Jewett/Lawrence 1977, 2002, 2003, and 2010. 8 for a concise account of both zealous nationalism and prophetic realism (which is discussed below), and the biblical origins of each perspective, see Jewett/Lawrence 2003, 44–54. Fig. 4: Film still, “Code of the Streets”, Luke Cage (2016), S01/E02, 42:31.