A tense duel turns almost comedic when Iron Fist’s opponent begins throwing moves right out of Capcom’s Street Fighter playbook.
As the Iron Fist, Lin Lie is a master of martial arts – but even he has trouble contending with some moves that are technically from outside of his universe. In this particular duel, he faces Immortal Weapon Fat Cobra, who strikes with devastating speed despite his impressive size. Eagle-eyed readers may notice something familiar about Fat Cobra’s demeanor and style: namely, that it would fit right in with Capcom’s Street Fighter franchise, bringing one of the series’ most famous techniques to Marvel comic canon.
Formerly known as Sword Master, Lin Lie became Iron Fist after his sword was destroyed and he found himself in K’un-Lun. As Iron Fist, with mysterious powers and the shattered fragments of his sword embedded in his arms, he has mainly sought to reclaim the scattered pieces of his sword and thwart the machinations of his nemesis, the demon Chiyou. As for Fat Cobra, he has had a storied career as a fighter that has taken him all over the Marvel universe, even fighting with the previous Iron Fist, Danny Rand. As one of the Immortal Weapons, Fat Cobra is one of the strongest martial artists in the Marvel universe and guards the mystical city of Peng Lai.
In Iron Fist #4 by Alyssa Wong, Michael Yg, and Jay David Ramos, fans are once again introduced to the Immortal Weapons Fat Cobra and Bride of Nine Spiders when they appear before Lin Lie and his friends. While Fat Cobra reveals that Danny Rand asked him to track Lin Lie down, he’s more than happy to take this opportunity to test himself against the latest Iron Fist. Still struggling to control the chi of Shou-Lao, Lin Lie proves to be no match for Fat Cobra, and instead must flee the fight to continue chasing down his brother Feng.
During the fight, Fat Cobra uses a flurry of open-palm strikes to send Lin Lie flying. These strikes bear a close resemblance to the signature move of Street Fighter classic character E. Honda, the “Hundred-Hand Slap,” in which E. Honda unleashes a barrage of palm thrusts too quickly for the eye to see. The parallels between Fat Cobra and E. Honda are likewise hard to ignore: both are large fighters with the appearance and build of Sumo wrestlers, clad only in loincloths. They each bear striking ornamentation, too: E. Honda’s face is brightly painted, whereas Fat Cobra has Chinese characters tattooed across his body.
What makes this fight so delightful from a lore perspective is that the Marvel and Capcom universes have famously crossed paths before in the Marvel vs Capcom series of fighting games. Although E. Honda was never confirmed for the Marvel vs Capcom roster, Iron Fist Danny Rand has appeared in Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3. While Fat Cobra’s use of this move may simply be a visual easter egg, it’s fascinating to consider what kind of martial arts knowledge could have bled through these fights and made it into the Marvel universe. While Street Fighter may not yet officially be Marvel canon, one of its most iconic moves apparently is – as Iron Fist has unfortunately learned firsthand.
Iron Fist #4 is now available from Marvel Comics.
