From the Book of Luke

The Essential Luke Cage, Power Man, Volume 2 came out this week. An important reminder to the world that NOBODY LAUGHS AT MISTER FISH!

Most of this volume is written by Don McGregor, Marv Wolfman, and Chris Claremont, with some pinch-hitting by Bill Mantlo. Here are a few sample Luke Lines:

"CHRISTMAS! The walls are turnin' to MOLASSES! Which means CHEMISTRO'S gotta be here!"

"I remember somethin' REED RICHARDS told me when I was in the FF -- 'bout how water SHORTS OUT 'lectricity."

"That CHECKS IT, man! You been doin' a lot of heavy TALKIN', but all I dig is the POWER you been THROWIN' AROUND. Now maybe I HAVE been JIVED, like you been sayin' -- but YOU threw the FIRST PUNCH, Jack!"

And the chillingly prescient:

"Privacy? What's THAT, Noah? Didn't they pass an amendment AGAINST THAT or somethin'?"

Of course, Luke doesn't have a monopoly on slang in this book. Check out this random subway motorman from the story "Big Brother Wants You...Dead!":

"SWEET SAINTED MOTHER O'MERCY! Y'blasted MacGUFFIN! There's NAE WAY I can be STOPPIN' this thingy in TIME! NAE WAY, MAN!"

Cage manages to avoid the rampaging subway train, after which the pimp-like character C.C. reports in: "Our Man CAGE is a-LIVE an' JIVIN'!"

And we wouldn't have it any other way. Sweet Sister!