Hey everybody, welcome to another great character spotlight, right here in Marvel Snapshot! This week, I’m going to be showcasing one of the best group of warriors in the entire Marvel U! The Immortal Weapons are not only fierce in combat, but also very unique, and a more diversified group cannot be found! These characters were created by Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, and David Aja (Immortal Iron Fist #8, 2007).
The book Immortal Iron Fist lasted for 27 issues, and that was a travesty. Anyone who’s read that book will tell you. Nevertheless, let us push forward and look at a man named Fat Cobra. This enormous man was born 111 years ago, and his mother died giving birth to him. His father went broke trying to feed his voracious appetite. He grew to a gigantic size and was an outcast. He eventually joined a Kung Fu school, and began to learn the ways of combat. He was in and out of military organizations, and traveled the world doing everything from acting to playing pro football! He eventually fathered so many children that their number couldn’t be counted. For many years, his illegitimate children came after him with the intent of killing him. He dispatched every one of them, and then fought the dragon-snake named Xiang Yao. After two failed attempts to defeat this beast, Fat Cobra took it down and cemented his place in the Seven Cities.
The Bride of Nine Spiders is a woman that you don’t want to tick off. Why? Because she can release a horde of venomous spiders from her mouth and chest that can either incapacitate or kill you. During the tournament, she defeated Dog Brother #1, and then helped the others defeat Hydra when they attempted to invade the Seven Cities. She also has some telepathic abilities and is a master martial artist.
The Prince of Orphans, John Aman, is a man of great mystery and fantastic powers. He was raised by Tibetan Monks for the first two and a half decades of his life, and was trained in martial arts. He also has the ability to turn himself into vapors (a la Dracula) when he wishes. This ability is something that proves almost indefensible during combat for his opponents. He has been seen trying to kill the former Iron Fist, Orson Rand, and also side by side with the heroes of the Marvel Universe fighting in Fear Itself. More recently (in the pages of Defenders), it has been revealed that he has been part of a group that vowed to protect a machine(s) called the Concordance Engine. It is a machine that can warp reality and raise the dead. Aman was one of a group of super-humans that defended these “engines” decades ago, but he is now the only survivor.
Dog Brother, Tiger’s Beautiful Daughter, and of course, Iron Fist, make up the rest of the Immortal Weapons. These warriors are the top of the food chain as far as martial artists go, and even with mystical abilities. In Defenders, even the former sorcerer supreme, Doctor Strange, is having a difficult time trying to defeat the Prince of Orphans! Definitely check out the original Immortal Iron Fist series, as well as the subsequent Immortal Weapons, and Defenders for more on these great characters!
As usual, check out my recommended reading list along with some great cover shots below! By the time everyone reads this, I’ll be enjoying myself at the Baltimore Comic Con! It will be my first visit to this con, so wish me luck! See you next week.
Recommended Reading
The Immortal Iron Fist (2007) — #8—14, 16, 19—20, 22—23, 25—26
Immortal Weapons – Tpb
Iron Man 2.0 #5 & 6
Spider Island: Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #3
Defenders #6-9
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net