Stiletto has more methods of attack than any foe you've ever faced -- And justice is on my side. 
Appearing in "Shake Hands with Stiletto!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- ⏴ Comanche ⏵ (Main story and flashback)
- ⏴ Shades ⏵ (Main story and flashback)
- ⏴ Flea ⏵ (Main story and flashback)
- ⏴ Claire Temple ⏵
- ⏴ Mrs. Jenks (Death)
Antagonists:
- ⏴ Billy Bob Rackham (Death)
- Stiletto ⏵ (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Señor Suerte \ Señor Muerte (Ramon Garcia) (Mentioned)
- Daily Bugle (Only in flashback)
- Phil Fox (Only in flashback)
- J. Jonah Jameson (Mentioned)
- Noah Burstein (Mentioned)
- Boss Morgan (Mentioned)
- FBI (Mentioned)
- Jerome Mackey (Mentioned in narration)
- Unnamed Hutzel Hospital Paramedics
- Devil (Mentioned)
- Unidentified Police Department
- ⏴ Big Ben Donovan ⏵
- NYPD
- Iron Man (Tony Stark) (Cameo)
Races and Species:
Locations:
Items:
- Iron Man Armor Model 3 (Cameo)
Synopsis for "Shake Hands with Stiletto!"
Continued from last issue...
Being brought to Comanche and Shades by Flea, Luke Cage learns of how they escaped from Seagate to get revenge against Rackham and also to set themselves up as costumed criminals in New York. He also learns of Phil Fox getting a hold of Noah's notebook, and his failed partnership with Rackham that left Fox dead, Mrs. Jenks in Rackham's clutches and Claire framed for Fox's murder. The four men agree to work together to stop Rackham, unaware that they are being stalked by a costumed man named Stiletto.
Tracking Rackham to a home in New Jersey, the fight causes the house to collapse when Stiletto gets himself involved. Both Mrs. Jenks and Rackham are seriously injured in the collapse. While Cage is busy battling Stiletto on the property, Rackham tries to escape and is struck and killed by an arriving ambulance. Cage is stunned by Stiletto long enough for the attacker to escape, and the police arrive with Big Ben Donovan.
Donovan, a lawyer, gets a confession from Jenks that Rackham was the real murderer of Phil Fox, clearing Claire's name before she died of her injuries in the ambulance. The police arrests Shades and Comanche, and Luke returns to New York with Donovan where he reunites with the just-released Claire.
Notes
Publication Notes[]
- Englehart stated he and Graham co-plotted this story.[1] Isabella stated he wrote this story without assistance from Englehart or Graham.[2]
- Page one credits "Special Thanks to Len Wein and Marv Wolfman".
- After this issue, and as announced on the last story page, the title changes its name from Hero for Hire to Power Man to reflect the shift to Cage becoming more of a conventional super-hero book.
- Additional writer references from SteveEnglehart.com.
- No letters page is published in this issue.