#46: Luke Cage
AKA: Carl Lucas, Power Man
Powers: Unbreakable skin, fast healing
First Appearance: Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1, 1972
Created By: Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, Roy Thomas, John Romita
Portrayed By: Mike Colter
3 votes, 57 points (Top voter: Johnny Unusual)
Luke Cage is a man who has worn many hats in the Marvel Universe. He was originally a petty criminal named Carl Lucas who ended up in prison, where he was the subject of a scientific experiment based on the Super-Soldier program (I love how many characters were empowered over the years as a result of attempts to recapture the lightning-in-a-bottle success of Captain America). The experiment gave Lucas impenetrable skin, and he escaped prison, taking on the alias Luke Cage and hiring his services out to those who needed help.
Over the years, Luke formed a lasting partnership with Iron Fist, founded the Heroes for Hire, briefly joined the Defenders and the Fantastic Four, had a baby with and married Jessica Jones, became an Avenger, ran the Thunderbolts villain rehabilitation program, and most recently became the mayor of New York City. He was created to cash in on the "blaxploitation" trend of the 70s, but over the years has evolved into a well-rounded character, and it's usually a fun time when he shows up.
Luke was a regular character in the Netflix corner of the MCU before it disintegrated, appearing first in the Jessica Jones series and then getting his own show. I had problems with the writing and pacing of that series, but it was buoyed by Mike Colter's amiable performance. Let's not talk about The Defenders, though.