Iron Fist: What to Remember Before Watching Season 2

Netflix's Iron Fist has perhaps had the most uneven trajectory of any of the Marvel Netflix superheroes populating the MCU, with appearances varying in both quality and tone as Finn Jones has brought the title character to life. It's been sou never, even those who have watched every minute of Netflix's Marvel series might be a little confused as to where Rand stands. Thus, in preparation for the arrival of the second season this week on Netflix, we're breaking down the adventures of the MCU's Danny Rand from his introduction on Iron Fist Season 1, teaming up with the rest of Netflix's Marvel superheroes on The Defenders, and his most recent appearance in the second season of Luke Cage.

Danny Rand makes his quiet return to Manhattan in the series premiere of Iron Fist, having been presumed dead for the previous fifteen years following a plane crash in the Himalayas. Childishly naive and more than a bit socially awkward from all his years isolated from the rest of the world, Danny is initially barred entry from his family's pharmaceutical corporation, Rand Enterprises, which has since been run by Meachum family. Before his untimely death, Wendell Rand, Danny's father, had run the company with Harold Meachum, with the latter businessman faking his death and leaving the day-to-operations of Rand Enterprises to his children Ward and Joy.

Discouraged, Danny meets Colleen Wing, a young woman who runs her own Manhattan-based dojo, shortly before Ward has Danny apprehended and drugged. See, Ward believed Danny was attempting to take over his family's business shortly before Rand Enterprises extends its operations into China. When Ward orders an institutionalized Danny killed, the young hero reveals himself to be a master of martial arts and able to channel his inner strength into his fist granting it flashes of super-strength and endurance, having learned both after years of training in the mystical city of K'un-Lun; Danny then uses these abilities to escape custody.

After retaking control of Rand Enterprises with the help of Jessica Jones character Jeri Hogarth, Danny reunites with Harold who reveals the ancient ninja cult, The Hand, cured him of his terminal cancer in return for pledging his loyalty. Danny agrees to help his family friend destroy The Hand once and for all. Meanwhile, the stress of Danny's sudden return and takeover of the company with his unorthodox business methods along with Harold becoming more active in his life lead Ward to become addicted to heroin secretly manufactured by Rand Enterprises as part of Harold's deal with The Hand.

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As Danny strikes up a romance with Colleen, Madam Gao, a leader within The Hand first introduced in the first season of Daredevil, escalates the cult's activities in New York due to the presence of the Iron Fist. While Danny, Colleen and Colleen's student Claire Temple learn more about The Hand's operations and connection to the Rand family from Gao, Ward kills his father after the latter confronts him about embezzling money with plans to run away. However, The Hand's magic causes Harold to return to life with Ward learning that each resurrection results in his father becoming more dangerously psychotic.

Colleen's mentor Bakuto arrives and teaches Danny how to better use the Iron Fist before revealing that he and Colleen are also members of The Hand. While recovering from a fight with Bakuto, Colleen proves her love to Danny is real while the latter reunites with Davos, another student of K'un-Lun who harbors a deep resentment that Danny was able to slay a mythical dragon and become the Iron Fist instead of him and then abandoning his duty to protect the mystical city in order to return home.

Danny, Colleen and Davos are able to save Joy from Bakuto and The Hand but, after Davos kills Bakuto, Danny and Davos come to blows with the jealous Davos emerging victorious; his friendship with Danny broken forever. After learning it was Harold that secretly orchestrated the plane crash that killed his parents, Danny teams up with a repentant Ward with the martial artist able to kill the elder Meachum for good as Ward has his father's body cremated to avoid further resurrections.

Enraged by her father's death, Joy begins planning her revenge on Danny with Davos under the quiet supervision of Gao while Danny and Colleen travel to K'un-Lun only to find the holy city shut off from the rest of the world after a battle with The Hand. Returning to New York, the duo cross paths with Luke Cage with the Hero of Harlem investigating The Hand branching their activities into his neighborhood. After initially coming to blows, the two heroes join forces along with Daredevil and Jessica Jones in their fight against The Hand.

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The de facto team learns that The Hand intends to use the Iron Fist to uncover the skeleton of a dragon buried under New York City for its magical abilities with the resulting excavation running the risk of completely destabilizing the city. The assembled heroes defeat The Hand while NYPD detective Misty Knight and Colleen confront a resurrected Bakuto. Before being killed by his former protege, Bakuto manages to cut off one of Misty's hands and trigger an explosion nearly burying the heroes with Matt Murdock apparently lost in the blast. Remorseful over his loss, Danny decides to take up the role of Defender of Hell's Kitchen in Daredevil's absence.

While Colleen helps Misty come to terms with her lost hand, Danny has a powerful robotic prosthetic made for her to replace her lost limb. At Claire's behest, Danny then checks in on a conflicted Luke, the younger hero visibly more at peace with himself and confident in his abilities since his first return to New York. Now friends, the two heroes raid a drug warehouse run by new Harlem crime lord Bushmaster able to combine their super powers to devastating effect against their enemies.

Initially presented as a young man emotionally stunted by his childhood tragedy and repressed upbringing while incredibly naive about his abilities as the Immortal Iron Fist, Danny Rand has had the largest character arc of any of Netflix's Defenders. Now a martial artist with virtually no equal and firm friendships established between Danny and Luke and Colleen and Misty, the character has evolved into the Marvel superhero we've been promised for years. With Davos returning with Joy Meachum for their revenge and a new enemy in Typhoid Mary waiting in the wings, it will take all of Danny's mastered abilities and new allies to survive his latest adventure.

Arriving September 7 on Netflix, Marvel’s Iron Fist Season 2 stars Finn Jones as Danny Rand, Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing, Sacha Dhawan as Davos, Tom Pelphrey as Ward Meachum, Jessica Stroup as Joy Meachum, Simone Missick as Misty Knight, and Alice Eve as Mary Walker.

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