The Strange Talent of Luther Strode
The Strange Talent of Luther Strode is an American comic book published by Image Comics that debuted in October 2011. The book features many historical, horror, pop culture, and Judeo-Christian theological references. Its writer was Justin Jordan, with art by Tradd Moore and colors by Felipe Sobreiro.
The series focuses on Luther Strode, a skinny teenager who lives with his mother. One day he orders a Charles Atlas analog, the Hercules Method, which gives him great strength, supernatural reflexes, enhanced speed, and the ability to heal at a superhuman rate. The creators wanted the story to be a slasher-style horror film combined with Spider-Man if Peter Parker didn't have Uncle Ben as a moral anchor.
Plot
Luther Strode comes home with his best friend Pete to find his mail order exercise manual for the Hercules Method has come in. He starts planning to use it immediately after Pete has left for the day. Luther trains by himself that night, but to his disappointment there are no visible results. A man bound from head to toe in a mysterious location is confronted by a bald man, identified as the Librarian; he approaches and tells the bound man they've found a candidate. Luther, meanwhile, has gained inhuman reflexes and speed, as seen when he catches a falling dish. At school, Pete pushes Luther into Petra, a girl who he's been pining for. Later at P.E. Pete is hit during a game of dodge ball; a bully, named Paul, takes a cheap throw at Luther, who isn't seemingly paying attention. Luther's reflexes kick in and he catches it and throws it back with enough force that it's later revealed he broke Paul's nose. Aboard a ship in an unknown location a single crewman is hunted and seemingly killed by the Librarian. Back at school, Pete and Luther are cornered by Paul and his friends in the bathroom; Luther at first takes the beating from Paul until Paul mentions Petra. Luther responds with a single punch that shatters Paul's jaw and disgusts everyone else.A few weeks later, Luther returns to the school after being suspended for the punch. Paul again tries to pick a fight. Uncharacteristically, as he stops Paul from going after Pete, Luther starts having visions of him starting a school massacre with just his bare hands. After relaxing and letting Paul go on his way, he begins to notice he is starting to see people as their musculature, but it appears to stop. Petra approaches, and after some talk that makes Pete leave her alone with Luther, Petra admits she mutually has feelings for Luther. Later that night, Paul is attacked and killed by the Librarian, who has already slaughtered his parents. Luther is training when Petra comes into his room, catching him in just his underwear. An unknown amount of time later, Luther recounts the night with Petra to Pete as they go to a liquor store, which gets held up. Luther uses his abilities to stop the robbery and Pete declares him a superhero.
A few nights later, Pete gives Luther a makeshift costume consisting of all black clothing and a homemade mask. After debating about the costume and his powers with Pete, it's revealed that Luther's father abused his mother and he felt helpless to stop it. After trying to slip out of the house and being caught by his mother, he tells he her he'll protect her if his father does find them. He goes on patrol in costume, but finds nothing until he discovers a man pulling a woman with him forcefully after leaving the club, he tries to intervene but the woman defends the man before Luther can do much. Luther decides to visit Petra, but after a brief talk her father catches her and he has to leave. It's shown later that the robbers that Luther stopped are killed by the Librarian, when Pete talks to Luther about it they're interrupted by Petra, who has been physically abused but is hiding it and being evasive. Luther in his frustration visits the guy who was defended by the woman the previous night, and beats him half to death. After throwing the beaten man across the room, the Librarian enters and tells Luther to finish it.
Luther believes it's finished, but the Librarian attacks saying he's wrong and telling Luther how he's been cleaning up behind him. Luther loses the brawl and is knocked out, when he awakens he finds his father being offered to Luther by the Librarian. It is only when Luther ask why he's picked that it's revealed it starts with biblical Cain, who then passed down his teachings of unlocking power through the years in the form of a manual that only some can unlock the potential, one of which is revealed to be the serial killer Jack the Ripper. It's revealed that Luther's father had the potential but he wasted it, Luther refuses to kill his father and the Librarian kills the elder Strode. After Luther recovers the Librarian tells him that he sent the friends of man Luther attacked to attack someone he cares for. Luther believes it's his mother, but after running off to help her, he finds her at home, safe and talking to Pete. It's only then which it occurs that it was Petra the Librarian was talking about.
Luther goes after Petra's father for information of where they took her and beats him bloody. Pete however is stuck explaining everything to Mrs. Strode, when the Librarian comes and kidnaps Mrs. Strode leaving Pete for dead after pinning him to a cabinet with knives. At the same time Luther mounts a rescue for Petra, and is shot, but it's revealed he's now impervious to small arms fire. Luther slaughters the kidnappers in front of Petra. She passes out and wakes up to find they're in Luther's home and Pete's barely alive still as Luther deduces the truth. Pete dies and Luther goes after the Librarian while telling Petra to warn the police. The Librarian is holed up in an old wooden fishery as he explains his work of spreading the "Hercules Method" to Luther's mother revealing that Luther is the first in decades to be gifted enough. Then the Librarian pulls Luther out of a hiding place, which begins their final fight, however it's interrupted as Luther accidentally kills his own mother as the Librarian dodges in a way that puts her in the path of Luther's attack. After lamenting his loss, Luther continues fighting, even after being disemboweled. Their fighting destroys the fishery revealing the cops have arrived with Petra as the building comes down. At first the Librarian appears victorious, but then Luther suddenly appears to rip his spine and head out of his back. Luther seeing no way out of this charges at the police and they gun him down. However, after being placed in the morgue Luther punches his way out of the body bags before cutting away to the man who is bound giving a chuckle.