 | |
| Seagate Prison | |
| Category: | Prison |
| Continent: | North America |
| Country: | United States of America |
| State: | Georgia |
| 1st appearance: | Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 |
Seagate Prison is a fictional correctional facility featured in comic book titles published by Marvel Comics. It first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 in June, 1972.
Description & History[]
Seagate is a maximum security prison located on the eastern coastline of the state of Georgia. Many years ago, a prisoner named Carl Lucas was transferred to Seagate from Harlem. Although Lucas was a known criminal, he was actually innocent of the drug possession charges for which he had been imprisoned. At the behest of the facility's physician, Doctor Noah Burstein, Warden Stuart offered Lucas a full pardon if he agreed to be a test subject for Doctor Burstein's experiments. Burstein's work involved duplicating the Super Soldier Serum process that once turned weakling Steve Rogers into the patriotic power house Captain America back in the 1940s. Lucas agreed to be Burstein's test subject, but a racist prison guard named Rackham tampered with the machine. Despite this, the process yielded the desired results and Carl Lucas developed superhuman strength and bulletproof skin. He escaped from Seagate and made his way back to New York where he assumed the alias of Luke Cage.
Comics that feature Seagate Prison[]
Staff[]
- Tyler Stuart
- Tyler Stuart was the warden of Seagate Prison. He hired scientist Doctor Noah Burstein to work as the head of the prison's medical staff and was also responsible for hiring two prison guards named Rackham and Quirt. When Stuart discovered Quirt assaulting a prisoner named Carl Lucas in his cell, he had him fired. Warden Stuart approved Doctor Burstein's scientific experiments to recreate the Super Soldier Serum, using a volunteer from the prison. After conducting a personal interview with Carl Lucas, he decided that he would be an ideal test subject.
- Noah Burstein
- Noah Burstein was a scientist who advanced processes once studied by his father back in World War II. These processes led to the creation of the patriotic Super Soldier, Captain America. Years later, Doctor Burstein reproduced a similar experiment that yielded superhuman strength and durability to a convicted inmate named Carl Lucas. Lucas changed his name to Luke Cage and became a costumed superhero.
- Billy Bob Rackham
- Billy Bob Rackham was the captain of the prison guards at Seagate Prison. Like many who worked there, he was racist and abusive and more often than not, looking to satisfy his own selfish aims rather than maintain order. Captain Rackham disrupted a confrontation between a prisoner named Carl Lucas and two would-be supervillains named Shades and Comanche, who were trying to get Lucas to join a prison gang. He wanted Lucas to become an informer for him, but Lucas refused. As a result, Rackham had another guard named Quirt attack Lucas in his cell. Warden Tyler Stuart learned of this and fired Quirt and Rackham was demoted. Rackham later learned that Carl Lucas had been selected to be the beneficiary of an experiment conducted by the prison's physician, Doctor Noah Burstein. Seeking to assuage his need for revenge against Lucas, he tampered with the controls on the containment tube holding Lucas' body. The increased chemical dosage did not kill him however, but rather gave him super-strength and skin as hard as steel. Lucas broke free of his containment tube and escaped the prison.
- Quirt
- Quirt was a guard at Seagate Prison. He was an angry and abusive man who was known for mistreating the prisoners, in particular Luke Cage. Quirt had Cage confined to Solitary prior to his volunteering for an experiment being conducted by Doctor Noah Burstein. Along with Captain Rackham, Quirt assaulted Cage in his cell until Warden Tyler Stuart came upon them and fired him.
Prisoners[]
- Luke Cage
- Carl Lucas grew up on the streets of Harlem and was never what anyone would consider a law-abiding citizen. His best friend was a man named Willis Stryker who was involved in various criminal enterprises, not the least of which involved drug trafficking. Both men vied for the affection of a woman named Reva Connors, but Reva ultimately chose Lucas after witnessing his heroism when he saved Stryker's life during a run-in with the Syndicate. Willis may have been grateful to be alive, but he was not grateful that Lucas won the girl. He had Carl framed for drug possession and he was arrested. Lucas was sentenced to serve time in Seagate Prison in Georgia. Although he tried to behave as a model prisoner, he invariably found himself getting into fights with other inmates such as Comanche and Shades who tried to recruit him into prison gang. This also drew the attention of several of the more disreputable guards at Seagate including Captain Billy Bob Rackham and another man named Quirt. Rackham had Quirt assault Lucas in his jail cell and Carl was soon put in Solitary Confinement. When Warden Tyler Stuart learned of this, he demoted Rackham and fired Quirt. Stuart had a long conversation with Lucas and learned about his troubled past. He told him about a secret experiment being conducted at Seagate by Doctor Noah Burnstein, which was intended to serve in the interests of helping mankind and wanted Lucas to volunteer as a test subject. Lucas agreed and Doctor Burstein placed his body inside of a containment tube, which he flushed with a special chemical formula. The embittered guard Rackham, seeking to assuage his vendetta against Lucas for costing him his rank, tampered with the controls on the containment tube, increasing the chemical dosage to dangerous levels. Not only did Lucas survive the process however, but he actually emerged from the container with superhuman strength and bulletproof skin. While attempting to escape from the prison, he was hit by a barrage of bullets, but shrugged them off and managed to dive through a window to freedom. It was believed that Lucas had been killed by the gunfire. Carl Lucas returned to his old neighborhood in Harlem and changed his name to Luke Cage. He acquirred a bright costume, a metal headband and a belt made out of heavy chain and earned a living as a "Hero for Hire".
- Comanche
- Comanche was the code name used by a costumed supervillain who had been incarcerated at Seagate Prison. He was the partner of another man named Shades and part of a street gang that operated inside the prison. Comanche and Shades tried to recruit a prisoner named Carl Lucas to join their gang, but he refused. A fight broke out and Lucas successfully defended himself against both men.
- Shades
- Shades was a costumed supercriminal who was incarcerated at Seagate Prison. He was the partner of Comanche and part of a street gang operating inside the prison. Shades tried to recruit Carl Lucas to join their gang, but he refused. A fight broke out and Lucas successfully defended himself against both men.
Marvel Cinematic Universe[]
On Marvel's Luke Cage, Seagate Prison made an appearance in a flashback scene chronicling the origin of Carl Lucas. This took place in episode 1x03, "Step in the Arena".
Inmates[]
Visitors[]
See also[]
Appearances[]
Comics[]
- Luke Cage, Hero for Hire 1
- Luke Cage, Hero for Hire 2 (In flashback only)
- Power Man and Iron Fist 50 (In flashback only)