Noah Burstein

Noah Burstein is the scientist whose experimental super-soldier procedure — intended as a prison rehabilitation program — accidentally granted Luke Cage his bulletproof skin and superhuman strength, making Burstein directly responsible for creating Marvel's first Black superhero.

A fixture of Marvel's gritty Bronze Age street-level universe, Noah Burstein made his debut in Hero for Hire #12 in 1973, brought to life by Steve Englehart and George Tuska. He's a supporting player woven into the fabric of Luke Cage's world, sharing those hard-edged pages with the likes of Claire Temple and Power Man himself across titles like Hero for Hire and Power Man. What makes Burstein worth seeking out is precisely that longevity — a character introduced over fifty years ago who keeps resurfacing in Luke Cage's corner of the Marvel universe, a testament to how essential he feels to that mythology. For collectors tracing the roots of one of Marvel's most enduring street heroes, Burstein is a name worth knowing.