Power Man and Iron Fist #93
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freePower Man and Iron Fist #93 marks the debut of Calvin Carr, the third character to wield the Chemistro identity — a villain who went on to menace Iron Man, join the Hood's criminal army during 'Secret Invasion,' and surface across decades of Marvel continuity. The issue also sits squarely within Kurt Busiek's maiden regular writing assignment at Marvel, a run on this series that launched one of the medium's most celebrated careers. Beyond its legacy contributions, the story engages authentically with Luke Cage's community tensions, depicting neighborhood residents turning against him for pursuing a local criminal — a street-level social texture that distinguished the title from most superhero books of its era.
In "The Chemistro Connection," Power Man and Iron Fist face a dangerous new threat when local tensions escalate after Luke Cage targets Mingo, a fellow neighborhood figure. Mingo retaliates by hiring the villain Chemistro, whose dangerous chemistry turns Bob and Colleen into glass—leaving the duo in a perilous situation they must survive without their usual strength. Written by Kurt Busiek and brought to life with striking visuals by Denys Cowan (interior art) and Joe Rubinstein (cover), this 1983 issue delivers a tense, high-stakes clash rooted in community conflict and unexpected transformation.
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Issue #93 was written by Kurt Busiek, who had only recently broken into professional comics with issue #90 of this same series — described by the Marvel Fandom wiki as his professional debut. Busiek was consciously continuing the character-driven, lighthearted approach of predecessor Mary Jo Duffy, unaware at the time that editorial had removed Duffy partly because of that very tone. Pencils were by Denys Cowan, who handled art duties across issues #92–93 before Ernie Chan took over with #94; Denny O'Neil served as editor, and Ricardo Villamonte provided inks.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Title of issue: 'The Chemistro Connection!' (Part 1 of 2); cover-dated May 1983, released February 8, 1983.
- First appearance of Calvin Carr as the third Chemistro — he steals the alchemy gun from his reformed brother Curtis Carr and hires himself out as muscle to the street criminal Mingo.
- Calvin Carr went on to become a persistent Marvel villain, later appearing in Iron Man #251–252, joining the Hood's gang during 'Secret Invasion,' and appearing in New Avengers and Shadowland storylines.
- Written by Kurt Busiek in what was only his third issue of his first professional Marvel assignment; Busiek would go on to write the series through issue #100.
- Art by penciler Denys Cowan (his final issue on the title before Ernie Chan took over with #94) and inker Ricardo Villamonte, edited by Denny O'Neil.
- The plot turns on Chemistro using the alchemy gun to transmute supporting characters Bob Diamond and Colleen Wing into glass — a cliffhanger resolved in issue #94.
- The story's central conflict — Cage alienating his own Harlem neighborhood by going after a local criminal named Mingo — reflects the series' ongoing engagement with questions of community loyalty and class identity.
- The issue was published in three simultaneous editions: Direct (newsstand-bagged), Newsstand, and a Canadian price variant.
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Reprints
Reprinted in Essential Power Man and Iron Fist #2 (2009), Power Man & Iron Fist Epic Collection #3 (2019)
Key issues in Power Man and Iron Fist
Variants (2)
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