Luke Cage is the unbreakable hero of Harlem. He’s dealt with gangsters, corrupt politicians and secret ninja organizations. But in season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again, Luke might have been taken down by his greatest enemy yet: his past.
In episode 7, “The Hateful Darkness,” CIA operative Mr. Charles tells Jessica Jones that Luke, hinted to be the father of her daughter Danielle, is overseas working black ops for the CIA. Or what Charles calls “doing the lord’s work.”
For the fans of his Netflix series Luke Cage, this doesn’t make any sense. Luke Cage is a man fighting on behalf of his community, not shadowy government agencies. So why is he now a government lapdog?
The Throne of Harlem’s Paradise
Harlem’s Paradise is a nightclub founded by the Stokes crime family. It’s been passed down through generations of criminal rule, from Mama Mabel to her grandson Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes, and then to his cousin Mariah Dillard after she murdered him.
Luke started out washing dishes there. By season 2 of Luke Cage, he was the man sitting behind the desk.
After Mariah’s empire collapsed and she was poisoned by her own daughter, she left Harlem’s Paradise to Luke in her will. It was a trap as Mariah believed that power would corrupt Luke the same way it had changed her. Once he tasted that power, he wouldn’t be able to give it up.
Luke tried to tell himself a different story. With Mariah gone, rival gangs were ready to tear Harlem apart over the territory. Someone had to hold the line. Luke’s logic was: if there is going to be crime in Harlem, it happens on his terms, not theirs. He replaced the famous photo of Biggie Smalls wearing a crown with a picture of Muhammad Ali. He called himself the Sheriff of Harlem, not a king. He was trying to protect his community, even if that meant getting his hands dirty.
It wasn’t one of Luke’s best ideas but his intentions were good. But it’s looking like that decision put a target on his back.
How Harlem’s Paradise Made Him a Target
Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, the CIA’s director, splits people into two categories: assets and liabilities. The moment Luke decided to take control of Harlem’s Paradise, he became both.
Val’s pattern is well established across the MCU. She recruited John Walker (U.S. Agent) after he lost the Captain America shield. She turned Yelena Belova into a weapon by exploiting her grief following the death of her sister Natasha (Black Widow). She looks for people who are already compromised.
At the end of the day, Luke Cage is the head of a major criminal organization. The federal government doesn’t care about his intentions. It doesn’t change the fact that he’s in possession of an establishment that was used as a front for criminal activities in New York City. To the CIA, there’s no distinction between him and Wilson Fisk. He has relationships with crime figures across the borough, and he can’t be hurt. That combination makes Luke extremely dangerous but also too valuable to ignore.
Mr. Charles shipping him overseas keeps Fisk’s biggest rival out of New York. It keeps Jessica, who “colorfully” rejected Charles’ recruitment efforts, off the board. Because Luke is the one thing that can be used against her. And it gives Val a nearly indestructible soldier for missions too dangerous and illegal for official military operation.
How Long Can This Arrangement Last?
Luke doesn’t yet know that Mr. Charles sent a team of tactical agents to Jessica’s home. Those agents tried to kill her and nearly killed Danielle by throwing a grenade into the living room where she was playing. When he finds out (and he will), it’s hard to believe he’ll want to continue his arrangement with the CIA.
It’s worth noting that in a late 1990s Heroes for Hire storyline, Luke seemed to be working for a villain while secretly acting as a double agent the whole time. It’s possible that the real reason Luke is working with Mr. Charles is because he plans to double cross him.
Now, this is all just speculation at this point. Luke is set to appear in season 3 of Daredevil: Born Again along with Jessica and his best friend Danny Rand (Iron Fist). Set photos from season 3 show Luke is still wearing his Harlem’s Paradise suits, implying that he’s operating in a morally gray area. Hopefully we’ll get an answer on why he agreed to be Mr. Charles’ attack dog and how that decision is affecting his relationships and his morality.
Mariah was hoping that power would corrupt Luke. Instead, it made him vulnerable, which is probably worse.
