1st Appearance "LIONFANG" (Alejandro Cortez)

When city accountant Clark Seacrest is murdered by seemingly intelligent felines (tigers, panthers, lions etc.) the mayor hires Luke Cage to investigate the situation, even though Luke himself doesn't quiet believe the story about intelligent cats.
After checking leads that advised him that the last thing Seacrest did was audit the board of education, Luke is attacked by giant cats who's claws and fangs have been coated with poison. While Cage manages to defeat the big cats, he rushes himself to Noah's clinic for treatment. There Phil Fox arrives to taunt Luke once more regarding his past.
Resuming his mission, Luke meets with the wife of Alejandro Cortez. Alejandro worked for the board, and his project which allowed him to transfer his mind into that of animals was scrapped due to the audit. He learns that after this was done Alejandro simply disappeared. After his interview, Luke notices that Cortez had a number of posters about the circus. Realizing there is one at Madison Square Gardens, Luke goes and checks it out.

There Luke finds Cortez, now the costumed villain known as Lionfang, who is now using his thought helmet to control the giant cats. During the fight, Lionfang falls from a trapeze when Luke runs into the base of it, Lionfang apparently dieing into the fall. A week later, Luke has consumed himself with grief over the whole incident, until Clair cheers him up and Luke realizes that Lionfang's death was his own making, and not Lukes fault, although Luke should take more time to remember how strong he really is when he's in a fight.

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