Iron Fist has had a number of premier artists illustrate his adventures over the past 45 years of his existence. Among them are some of the all-time greatest artists in the comics industry such as John Byrne, David Aja, and Gil Kane.
But who takes the top spot in this ranking?
We look at the top 10 artists who have contributed the most to Iron Fist’s history and those whose work defined the character more than any other. Needless to say, the artist’s work must be an eye-catcher as well.
I actually had a top 10 Iron Fist artists ranking previously, but it needed updating. Mike Perkins should have been on that list, but I had a difficult time trying to bump off Jae Lee mostly due to sentimental reasons.
Additionally, Lee drew a mean-looking Iron Fist, so that persuaded me to include him. Perkins, however, deserved to be in the top 10 from the start due to his stellar work in the fifth solo Iron Fist (2017) installment with writer Ed Brisson. As I pored over his artwork one more time, I realized my mistake and knew I had to rectify it.
Ultimately, it came down to Perkins’ more definitive take on the Living Weapon that led me to add him to this prestigious list. He was an artist on an Iron Fist regular series while Lee only drew him occasionally.
What you might find intriguing is how I not only inserted Perkins in the list, but I also revised some of the rankings. I also didn’t just add him as the 10th placer, I moved Perkins higher up the list as others had to take a backseat to him.
For those of you wondering where the original list was published, you won’t find it in a separate blog on this site. I posted it on my “I am Iron Fist” Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts where I did a daily countdown of Danny Rand’s greatest illustrators leading up to his 45th birthday last February. You can also find that list at the end of this blog.*
Now that we’re all clear, here we go with the top 10 Iron Fist artists of all time, beginning with a distinguished honorable mention:
Jae Lee
Sorry, Jae. Someone had to be the sacrificial lamb to make room for Mr. Perkins and I apologize that it had to be you. But, hey! This just means you’re the 11th best so that’s not too bad, I hope.
When I heard that Iron Fist would guest star in Spider-Man #41-43 (1990) with Jae Lee doing the pencil work, I knew I had to have them in my collection! When he took over the art chores on Namor the Sub-Mariner (1990) from John Byrne, he drew Danny for a few issues and he didn’t disappoint.
Lee drew Iron FIst with kinetic energy and passion. You can feel the action taking place as though it was being shown on TV!
On a personal note, in a comics trivia contest in college which I won with two other friends, one of the prizes I received was a Spider-Man vs. Iron Fist t-shirt based on the cover of Spider-Man #41 (1990)! It’s no wonder why I have fond memories of Lee as an Iron Fist artist.
10. Travel Foreman
Following a great artist on a series is a tall task, but Travel Foreman was up to the challenge. Beginning with The Immortal Iron Fist #17 (2007), Foreman took over the art chores from superstar artist David Aja and more than held his own. Issue 17’s cover was stunning and his interior art all the way to issue 27 (except for issues 21 and 24) conveyed the sense of urgency in writer Duane Swierczynski’s stories.
Iron Fist and the Immortal Weapons looked powerful and graceful at the same time. Moreover, there always appeared to be a tension that needed resolving in almost every scene no matter how mundane a particular part of the story was. Because of Foreman’s energetic art style, you will never grow bored reading Danny’s adventures.
9. David Marquez
He only drew Iron Fist for 10 issues in The Defenders (2017) series, but David Marquez convinced me that he was one of the best artists the Living Weapon has had when he drew issue 7 of the series. The fight scenes between Iron Fist and Elektra in that issue were drawn to perfection. Marquez’s art was simply breathtaking!
While I didn’t agree at all with writer Brian Michael Bendis’ portrayal of how the fight between Danny and Elektra went down, it was nevertheless masterfully handled by Marquez. You can almost feel your muscles tighten as though you were fighting against them.
SPOILER ALERT! Bendis had Danny use a chi blast as a last resort to win a fight against Elektra. As good as Elektra is, Danny should have been the definitive winner even without using a ranged attack.
But it wasn’t just in that eight-page sequence where Marquez solidified his status as one of the top Iron Fist artists ever. It was in the subtle nuances of Danny’s every move and expression that Marquez showed us how Iron Fist ought to act and look in every comic appearance.
8. Kerry Gammill
One of the best artists to grace the pages of Power Man and Iron Fist (1978) was Kerry Gammill. After John Byrne left the title to become the regular penciler on The Uncanny X-Men (1963), no one illustrated the Living Weapon in the series better than Gammill, who was one of the best Marvel artists during his heyday.
Gammill’s mastery of the human form showed in Iron Fist’s fluid movements, whether he was fighting an opponent hand-to-hand or avoiding gunfire. Danny was an athletic wonder and a formidable fighter at the same time with Gammill at the helm.
Furthermore, seeing some of his black-and-white pin-up sketches of the Heroes for Hire convinced me even more that he deserved to be on this list.
Gammill took on the art duties for 17 issues in the series and left his mark as an Iron Fist artist to remember.
7. Mike Perkins
Perkins brought to life Brisson’s stories in the pages of the most recent Iron Fist (2017) regular series. Brisson wrote some great martial arts adventures for Danny and it had been a while since we had seen him fight against other martial artists. Perkins was more than up to the task in showing off Danny’s otherworldly skills.
His character designs for the Seven Masters from the first arc of the series were fantastic. I also love how he made Shang-Chi look dangerous and how Sabretooth was more menacing than ever.
Unfortunately, I feel that Andy Troy’s dark colors took away some of the luster from Perkins’ work, which was beautiful to look at in black and white. It was probably because of this reason that I didn’t easily appreciate the art as much as I should have until closer inspection.
Perkins was the artist on the series for 12 issues before he left for another project.
6. Mike Deodato Jr.
Creating an iconic cover for The New Avengers #25 (2010), Brazilian artist Mike Deodato illustrated a Phoenix-powered Iron Fist that was a sight to behold! His art within the pages of the title was just as good, empowering Bendis’ writing as only he could.
From issues 9-34 (with a few guest artists filling in), Deodato was the main artist on the series. He had a style reminiscent of the ‘80s and ‘90s greats. His Iron Fist was someone you would respect as he had the built and stance of a deadly warrior. I would love to see him take on the Living Weapon full time in a new solo series.
It was Perkins who immortalized Iron Fist’s powerful punches to Skaar (Hulk’s son) in issue 20 and Ragnarok (Thor’s robotic clone) in issue 21. These legendary blows have made Deodato the artist on two of Iron Fist’s top 10 punches of all time! That’s saying something!
With Deodato, Iron Fist certainly lived up to his namesake as the Living Weapon.
5. Kaare Andrews
The cover of Iron Fist the Living Weapon #1 pretty much cemented Kaare Andrews’ status as one of the character’s premier artists. Not only did he illustrate an iconic cover, but he also drew the character’s glowing fists in a way that no one ever had.
Andrews’ rendition of Danny’s iron fist was like looking at it through an x-ray machine. It was so uniquely creative that it became the template for how Netflix’s “Iron Fist” TV series would portray his glowing hand in live-action. When channeling his chi, the transformation is a sight to behold.
While his style can sometimes look too cartoony, Andrews’ characters are so alive that they can almost leap off the pages of the comic book.
For 12 issues, Andrews drew Iron Fist with integrity and emotion, and he did this while also handling the writing, inking and coloring chores of the series at the same time!
4. Rudy Nebres
From the pages of The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu (1974), Filipino artist Rudy Nebres made a name for himself as a notable Iron Fist artist.
Unlike others who illustrated him like a regular street fighter, Nebres made Danny move like a true kung fu master. Iron Fist’s movements were fluid and you felt as though you were watching a kung fu movie from the 70s.
Very few have captured martial arts action with the combination of grace and power that the discipline deserved, and Nebres did it with his own unique style. Writer Chris Claremont gave his artist plenty of action to draw and Nebres did not disappoint. One can only wonder how spectacular his work would look if The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu (1974) magazine was in full color.
Nebres illustrated Iron Fist in issues 19-24 and 29, and inked the pencils of Frank McLaughlin in issues 10 and in The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu Special Album Edition #1 (June, 1974).
3. Gil Kane
As the co-creator of Iron Fist, Gil Kane designed the classic costume and dragon symbol that has come to define the character. These alone give him the right to be one of the top three artists on this list. Kane was the first artist to draw Iron Fist, but unfortunately, that was also his last as he had to move on to other projects.
The cover of Marvel Premiere #15 was Kane at his finest and his art within the pages of the issue was gorgeous. His fight scenes were well thought out and it showed off Iron Fist’s prowess in the martial arts.
Despite no longer drawing Danny Rand as the regular artist in the succeeding issue, Kane continued to contribute to the title by drawing all 11 covers in the series with Iron Fist as the featured character. Kane also illustrated six covers of Iron Fist’s first solo title.
It was his art that breathed life into Iron Fist co-creator Roy Thomas’ vision and he formed the foundation of how Iron Fist should be drawn to this day.
2. David Aja
One of the most creative artists to ever draw Iron Fist is Spanish illustrator David Aja. His art on The Immortal Iron Fist captured the imagination of comic book readers around the world. The Eisner-nominated series is a tour de force, not just because of writers Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction’s work, but also because of Aja’s excellent storytelling, composition, and character designs.
During his iconic run, Aja designed more than a dozen characters including the fan-favorite Orson Randall, prominent Iron Fists of the past, Crane Mother, the Immortal Weapons, and many others.
Moreover, Aja came up with a new costume for Danny after decades of hardly having a change in wardrobe and redesigned the dragon symbol on his chest as well. He thoughtfully composed the cover design that defined his run (issues 1 to 16) to stand out in a sea of comic books that came out weekly. And if these weren’t enough, he designed the Iron Fist logo, too!
The man is a genius!
1. John Byrne
The best Iron Fist artist is none other than one of comics’ most revered illustrators—John Byrne. Byrne made me a fan of the character from the get-go with his stunningly beautiful art that was ahead of its time.
My first encounter with his work is from Iron Fist #3 (1975) which my dad bought for me as a nine-year-old kid. I had no idea who this superhero was, but I loved the idea of a superhero martial artist.
Byrne inherited the Marvel Premiere (1972) assignment just as Iron Fist was transitioning to his solo title. From there, he and Claremont turned Danny into a more compelling character. Every panel from Byrne is a masterpiece. You have to savor each one to fully appreciate the work of the legendary creator.
To this day, Byrne’s Iron Fist is the standard by which I measure every other artist’s rendition of the character.
In case some of you don’t know, he also co-created Sabretooth with Claremont in Iron Fist #14 (1975), giving fans one of the deadliest supervillains in comic history.
The Canadian-American was the Living Weapon’s artist from Marvel Premiere #25 (1972) to Iron Fist #1-15 (1975), then on Marvel Team-Up #’s 63-64 (1972), and finally on Power Man #’s 48-49 (1972), and Power Man and Iron Fist #50 (1972).
Byrne was also responsible for resurrecting Iron Fist in the pages of Namor: The Submariner #21-24 (1990) after he was killed off at the end of the Power Man and Iron Fist (1972) series. Without having other pencilers fill in for him, Byrne was Iron Fist’s regular artist (where he is a lead character) on 21 issues, the most of any illustrator, making him definitively the best Iron Fist artist of all time.
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*My Original Top 10 List
10. Jae Lee
9. David Marquez
8. Travel Foreman
7. Kerry Gammill
6. Mike Deodato
5. Kaare Andrews
4. Rudy Nebres
3. David Aja
2. Gil Kane
1. John Byrne
I AM IRON FIST 
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