Eagle Alternative

Power Man and Iron Fist #58
“El Aguila has Landed!”
Writer: Mary Jo Duffy
Penciler: Trevor Von Eeden
Inker: Dan Green
Letterer: Diana Albers
Colorist: George Roussos
Cover: Bob Layton
Editor: Roger Stern
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter
Released: May 15, 1979

Last time the Philadelphia Eagles were in the Super Bowl, I used indigenous Marvel hero American Eagle as their analogue, after a person I still consider a friend even though he's a Philly fan made the spurious argument that they were America's team. Since they're back, I could have followed a similar pattern like I did with the Kansas City Chiefs' 342^nd consecutive appearance and just moved on to American Eagle's next issue.

But instead I decided to revisit another possible Eagle comparison, this one a breakout character from 2022's Disney+ series, “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.” OK, technically Madisynn King was the real breakout character, but the show probably was many people's introduction to El Aguila, whose name in Spanish means “Throws Snowballs at Santa.”

Wait, Luke Cage is right, it's actually “the Eagle,” which is also a good connection with Philly's football team. “She-Hulk” wasn't my introduction to El Aguila, although it might have been the first time I saw him in a narrative format. I remember references to him in other comics and maybe handbooks, but my first information about him came from an X-Men supplement to TSR's Marvel Super-Heroes Roleplaying game. Turns out El Aguila's a mutant with the ability to channel bioelectric energy through metal.

His metal of choice is a sword, as Iron Fist and Power Man learn when he interrupts their double date with Misty Knight and Harmony Young, who I remember from the first time the X-Men fought Dracula. It's an issue I thought I would have read in the Essential Power Man and Iron Fist, but revisiting it this week on Marvel Unlimited did not jog my memory.

Our heroes and their dates are at a night club where Power Man, aka Luke Cage, is struggling to adapt to social life after being in prison unjustly. Iron Fist and Misty are cutting a rug when a diminuitive drug dealer named Hayes arrives with his entourage. Cage laments the fact that he can't put Hayes away for his crimes, but a stranger at the bar decides he doesn't need probable cause to dish out his own brand of justice.

El Aguila bursts onto the scene, zaps Hayes and his muscle, then steals the dealer's watch, money and earring, as well as the jewelry he's given his lady friends – who seem quite taken with the Hispanic Robin Hood. When the skirmish escalates to gunfire, Iron Fist, Cage and Misty intervene. Cage takes a shotgun blast to his bulletproof skin to protect Aguila, who thanks him by blasting him and snatching the satchel containing his loot back. The Heroes for Hire give chase but cannot catch up with the vigilante.

Aguila's reputation continues to grow in the following days as he attacks other dealers and stops a couple of police officers are using excessive force on a suspect.* Questioning his methods if not his targets, Cage and Iron Fist try to track him down but find people not wanting to point the finger at this burgeoning folk hero.

They don't get a lead on him until representatives of the Lindon Street Property Owners' Association ask them to stop Aguila, who has been stealing money and documents from their offices. Cage declines, calling the group a bunch of slumlords. Turns out their company is already on retainer for the group. Their attorney, Jeryn Hogarth,** confirms they are obligated to work for them or face a legal battle.

Resigned, they follow Lindon Street bigwig J.P. Preston, who is eventually attacked by Aguila. The swordsman steals Preston's briefcase filled with incriminating material, then blasts Cage when he attempts to stop him.

Iron Fist disarms and subdues Aguila pretty quickly. Preston's goons start to rough him up and, after Aguila spits in his face, Preston picks up a gun, uses a slur that I am surprised was left in the Unlimited edition, then says they should make sure he doesn't bother them anymore.

Cage and Iron Fist take issue with that, prompting Preston to open fire. Unfortunately for him, his shots hit the bulletproof member of the duo. In the ensuing chaos, Aguila reveals his powers don't come from his sword, zapping the goons via the metal of the car he touches.*** Cage punches Preston, Iron Fist disarms his goons, and Aguila takes the case and flees.

Perhaps suffering from a loss of memory of the previous few minutes, Preston demands the Heroes for Hire pursue Aguila. Iron Fist declares that since they're on retainer, they get paid whether they succeed or not, and Cage informs Preston that it's after 5, so they're off the clock.

That even adds a bit to the already awesome cover, since "Rio Bravo" is the film on the marquee of the Gem Theater, above which Cage hangs his tiara.

I really don't remember reading this issue before, but it's another example of how much fun the Power Man and Iron Fist series could be. The idea of heroes being for hire allows for interesting twists on stories. This is not a situation in which the Fantastic Four are likely to find themselves.

Aguila himself doesn't feel like a cliche. He's not so over-the-top that he's clearly a villain, nor is he so squeaky clean that he's an instant ally. The story left me wanting to know more about him, as well as how the Heroes for Hire got out of having to pursue him the next day under their contract with the Lindon Street Property Owners' Association. I suppose Hogarth could have gotten them out of it since Preston shot at them, or maybe Preston read the writing on the wall and cut ties with them in favor of a mercenary with fewer ethical qualms. Fandom says Aguila doesn't appear again until issue 65, and as much as I extol the virtues of one-and-done stories, I'm not going to complain about the threads not immediately being picked up.

But even if the Eagles make it back to the Super Bowl again next year, I might just have to check that issue out sooner than later.

* - Is this when comics weren't political?

** - An older gentleman with little in common with Carrie-Anne Moss in the comics.

*** - I don't know if this runs contrary to what happens when lightning strikes a car,
but you can read about that in my post on the movie “High Voltage.”