Immortal Iron Fist #8-14 (2007-2008): The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven

Iron Fist is back in K’un Lun, being tutored by Lei Kung and learning to how to heal himself with meditation and preparing for a tournament between the immortal weapons of all seven capital cities of heaven.

The tournament is awesome. I mean, just look at the names of the characters…

The relationships between the combatants is fun–it’s truly potrayed as a sporting event, despite that the competitors can die during it.

Honestly, this is the best mass introduction of a supporting cast I’ve seen since the early days of Marvel. It’s also a great use of Lei Kung the Thunderer, whose character has never really been developed well–despite that he was 30 years old when this comic came out.

From there, everybody gets to Kung-fu fighting, with each immortal weapon having their own, unique fighting style and a signature move akin to Iron Fist’s iron fist.

Like Fat Cobra has a “thunder stomp.”

Bride of 9 Spiders is just terrifying. And from my perspective, that’s kinda like cheating–bringing an army of bugs to overwhelm the opponent in a karate contest.
While that’s happening, Danny’s friends (Luke Cage, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing) are trying to get to K’un Lun to help him.
In the background, Lei Kung and Danny learn that the other cities have been infiltrated by the likes of HYDRA, Steel Serpent and Crane Mother.

They plan to send a train load of explosives into K’un Lun and destroy it. And the tournament combatants must align to stop it.
Danny manages to communicate with his friends on the outside, who are facing Xao—who wants to mine K’un Lun’s secrets. Together, they get Xao to open the gate—through which he intends to send his train—so that the final showdown can happen.


Iron Fist stops the train using his iron fist power.






Of course Danny’s not dead. Together with his allies, they tear through Xao’s men and save the day.
Yu-Ti, one of K’un Lun’s keepers of the fist power, is revealed as a traitor and imprisoned, along with Steel Serpent. Lei King assumes the elder role of Yu-Ti while Orson Randall’s daughter takes on Lei Kung’s old role of Thunderer.