My name is Cottonmouth--Cornell Cottonmouth--and if you do not release Mr. Slick immediately--I shall be forced to make you put him down--and that, I guarantee you, is something you would surely regret! 
Appearing in "Call Him... Cottonmouth!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Cottonmouth's Gang
- Mike (First appearance)
- Ike (First appearance)
- Mr. Slick (First appearance)
- ⏴ Cottonmouth (Cornell Cottonmouth) ⏵ (First appearance)
- Boss Morgan's Gang
- Zooka (First appearance; unnamed)
- ⏴ Boss Morgan ⏵
- Numerous unnamed gangsters
Other Characters:
- Steeplejack (Jake Mallard) (Mentioned in narration)
- Flea (Mentioned)
- Diamondback (Willis Stryker) (Mentioned in narration)
- Mr. Slick's Limousine Driver
Races and Species:
Locations:
Items:
- Zooka's Bazooka (First appearance; unnamed)
Vehicles:
- Mr. Slick's Limousine
Synopsis for "Call Him... Cottonmouth!"
Coming home after witnessing the poisoning death of his informant, Flea, Luke Cage comes home to find a package waiting for him. What's inside are two poisonous snakes, which Cage easily defeats. Cage is then visited by two strong men under the employ of Cottonmouth: Mike and Ike. After a brief scuffle, Luke beats them both and threatens them with the snakes unless they tell him everything he wants to know.
This leads him to Cottonmouth himself, the boss of a massive heroin ring who was the source of the heroin that originally got Luke Cage framed. Cottonmouth believes he has found a kindred spirit in Luke Cage and offers him a position in his organization considering that Luke passed his "tests". Luke, figuring he can get close to Cottonmouth in order to shut down the organization, agrees to join.
However, Cottonmouth's right hand man Mr. Slick, doesn't trust Luke and suggests a test of loyalty is in order. Cottonmouth agrees and sends Luke to steal a heroin shipment from the rival crime boss Morgan. Luke manages to break into Morgan's operations and find the stash of heroin. Planning to mark it so that the police can use it as evidence, Luke is distracted enough for Morgan and his men to sneak up and get the drop on him.
This story is continued next issue...
Notes
Publisher Notes[]
- This issue features a letters page, Comments to Cage. Letters are published from John E. Mullen, George Govos and Michael Gilbert.
- The letters page also contains a Series "A" Marvel Value Stamp: Vol 1 64 Sif.