WENDELL RAND-K'AI

Real Name: Wendell Rand-K'ai

Identity/Class: Disputed human vs.extradimensional (K'un-Lun) humanoid (see comments);
    active from early 20th century and into the pre-modern era (including 1900-1929, 1930-1945, and 1946-1960)

Occupation: Former senior partner of Rand-Meachum;
    former adventurer, warrior

Group Membership: Formerly the Confederates of the Curious (Barko, Lucky Pierre, Chores McGillicuddy, Shadu the Shady, Contessa Vera Vidal), House of K'ai, Rand-Meachum,

Affiliations: Lord Tuan (Yü-Ti), Orson Randall (Iron Fist, deceased)
    formerly Harold Meachum,

Enemies: Davos (Steel Serpent), H'ylthri,  Harold Meachum, Shou Lao, Yü-Ti (Nu-An)

Known Relatives: Daniel Rand (Iron Fist, son), Heather Rand, (Silver Dragon, wife, deceased), Miranda Rand (Death-Sting, daughter), Shakirah/Shakari (wife, deceased);
    Lord Tuan  (Yü-Ti, adoptive father (see comments)), Lady Meng (adoptive mother), Yü-Ti (Nu-An, son of Tuan; adoptive brother (see comments))

Aliases: Wendell Rand

Base of Operations: Feng-Tu (of K'un-Lun);
    formerly a house in the Riverside 80s of the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York;
    formerly K'un-Lun

First Appearance: Marvel Premiere#15 (May, 1974)

Powers/Abilities: Wendell is a supremely talented combatant, a master of the martial arts of K'un-Lun. He achieved the right to challenge Shou-Lao for the title of Iron Fist, but never went through with it.

    He is also a skilled entrepreneur.

History:
(Iron Fist I#6 (fb) - BTS / Marvel Team-Up I#64) - Wendell was the first born son of Tuan, who was the first son of his father (see comments).

(Immortal Iron Fist#12 (fb) - BTS) - Wendell Rand was raised an orphan.

(Immortal Iron Fist#?? (fb) - BTS) - Wendell Rand gave himself his own name.

(Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death#1 (fb) - BTS) - All his life Wendell was beat up, half starved, and lucky not to die in a gutter somewhere.

(Immortal Iron Fist#5 (fb)) - Working at a tavern in Nepal, a young Wendell Rand observed a ritualistic drinking game between Orson Randall, the renegade Iron Fist of K'un-Lun, and the last Lightning Lord of Me-Lao. While Randall was somewhat drunk and couldn't recall which of the three magic Chalices of Xu-Man the Lightning Lord had placed the poison in, Wendell had seen and he yelled out that the poison was in the green one. Forcing the Lightning Lord to drink the poison, Randall won the contest then thanked Wendell and offered him a meal.

(Immortal Iron Fist#2 (fb) - BTS / Immortal Iron Fist#9 (fb)) - Wendell Rand was trained in the martial arts by Orson Randall.

(Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death#1 (fb) - BTS) - Orson taught Wendell never to run away from a fight.

(Immortal Iron Fist#5 (fb)) - Wendell Rand learned of K'un-Lun from Orson Randall. When Wendell decided to travel to K'un-Lun and become the next Iron Fist, Randall tried to dissuade him, telling him that he would die in K'un-Lun, but Wendell pushed him away, determined to accomplish what he saw as his mission in life.

(Immortal Iron Fist#9 (fb)) - Orson told Wendell that he would never be Iron Fist, and that if he tried, he would die.

(Immortal Iron Fist Annual#1) - As part of the Confederates of the Curious, Wendell aided Orson against the Harem Harlots (granddaughters of Xao). Lucky Pierre was unable to shoot a woman targeting Orson, but Wendell took her out, and they recovered Orson's will.

(Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death#1 (fb)) - The Prince of Orphans tracked Orson through Shadu. Orson led the Confederates to flee in an ocean liner, but Wendell stayed behind with Barko, refusing to leave Orson's magic coins from the Heavenly Cities behind. Orson found Wendell, explaining that the Prince of Orphans was too dangerous to fight, but Wendell reminded Orson of his instruction to never run away from a fight. When the Prince of Orphans confronted them, Wendell followed Orson's instruction to take Barko and run, but when the Prince approached Orson, Wendell tackled him off a building, using a pair of glider wings to carry them both aboard the ship, which was already far out to sea.
    Wendell told Orson how the coins represented the promise of a better life that he deserved, that it was his destiny. Orson tried to tell Wendell that this wasn't a game.

(Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death#1 (fb)) - In the American Southwest, Wendell practiced his Kung Fu, pretending to be Iron Fist, but Orson insisted that Wendell would never be Iron Fist. Orson then led the Confederates to rescue Chores who had been captured by the Cowgirls from Hell. This proved to be a trap set by the Prince of Orphans. After the Prince nearly killed Chores, Orson used his life force to save Chores, then broke up the Confederates

(Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death#1 (fb) - BTS) - Alongside Orson in Germany, Wendell tried to emulate Iron Fist by catching bullets, but was wounded. Orson carried the bleeding Wendell 30 miles.

(Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death#1 (fb)) - Orson and Wendell arrived at a Doc Frankenstein's new castle and requested a blood transfusion. Doc had his the monster knock Orson unconscious so that Doc could transfer his own brain into Orson's body to gain the power of the Iron Fist. The Prince of Orphans then emerged through Doc Frankenstein, killing him. The Prince let Orson go and vowed to save Wendell as long as Orson agreed to leaves Wendell behind.

(Immortal Iron Fist#8) <over forty years ago> - Ignoring the bitter cold, Wendell Rand  ascended the Himalayan mountain and crossed the bridge, passing from Earth into K'un Lun, ignoring the corpses of those who had come before him and failed.

(Power Man/Iron Fist#75 (fb)) - Wendell came across Tuan (aka Tu-An; Yu-Ti, the August Personage in Jade, ruler of K'un-Lun) and his son (Nu-An) as they were cornered by the attacking Shou-Lao. Wendell fired his rifle, irritating and driving off Shou-Lao, though Shou-Lao struck out at Wendell as he departed, injuring him and depriving him of his chance to return to Earth.

(Immortal Iron Fist#8 (fb) - BTS) - Wendell, half frozen to death, collapsed outside K'un-Lun's front gate.

(Power Man/Iron Fist#75 (fb)) - Tuan and his son brought Wendell to K'un-Lun, where he was tended to by the fairest of their city's flowers--Shakari. Because Wendell had saved his line from extinction and saved both Tuan and his son, Tuan adopted Wendell as his son and heir, and offered him K'un-Lun's gifts of immortality.

(Immortal Iron Fist#8 (fb)) - After four days of recovery, Wendell awakened within the city and was greeted by Lei Kung who unintentionally surprised Wendell, causing him to block his hand in a style that Lei Kung instantly knew had been taught by Orson Randall. Sparring shortly thereafter, Lei Kung easily subdued Wendell and told him he knew of Orson's survival. Lei Kung told Wendell that while he was glad to know of Orson's survival that Wendell must keep that information secret, or Yü-Ti (Tuan) would become enraged and cause problems for them both. Lei Kung brought Wendell before Yü-Ti, and Wendell told him he found the city by becoming lost. Yü-Ti welcomed him to K'un-Lun. That same day, Lei Kung brought Wendell into his martial arts training school, and Wendell met Davos, his first sparring partner.

(Immortal Iron Fist#9 (fb)) - Wendell (hearing the advice, doubts, etc. of Orson in his head) sparred with Davos, who defeated him, and Wendell yielded.
    Wendell sat alone, shunned by the other young warrior trainees, until Davos approached, asking his permission to join him and asking him to tell him of his life on Earth, specifically of New York. Wendell thought Davos was teasing him, but Davos said that while the others did not trust him, both Lei Kung and Tuan liked him, and Wendell realized this was true.

(Immortal Iron Fist#9 (fb)) - When next Wendell sparred with Davos, he had only his own mercilessness, and he defeated Davos, though Davos refused to yield and was knocked unconscious.
    When Wendell later asked Davos if he had thrown the fight, perhaps out of pity, Davos assured him that he didn't and never would throw a fight. He demanded the best from Wendell and promised only the best from himself.

(Immortal Iron Fist#10 (fb) - BTS) - Wendell and Davos became close friends. Knowing each was vying for the chance to face Shou-Lao and become the Iron Fist, they told each other, "If it can't be me, let it be you."

(Iron Fist I#6 (fb) - BTS / Power Man/Iron Fist#75 (fb)) - Wendell fell in love with and married Shakirah. This earned him the enmity of Nu-An, who also loved Shakirah.

(Iron Fist I#6 (fb) - BTS / Power Man/Iron Fist#75 (fb)) - Shakirah bore Wendell a daughter, Miranda Rand-K'ai. She apologized for not giving him a son, but Wendell was ecstatic, and told Shakirah that they had all the time in the world.

(Immortal Iron Fist#10 (fb) - BTS) - Wendell and Davos watched an older class of fighters' competition and saw one man earn the challenge of facing Shou-Lao. The dragon tore him to peaces. Both Davos and Wendell then realized it was possible they could lose.

(Power Man/Iron Fist#75 (fb)) - After ten years in K'un-Lun, Wendell and Miranda were wandering some distance from the city when they were attacked by the Hylthri, who slew Shakari.

(Immortal Iron Fist#10 (fb)) <Over thirty years ago> - A year after the previous competition, Davos and Wendell competed in the final tournament of their class. While Wendell and Davos each cheered the other on, Wendell prayed he wouldn't have to face Davos, but he still studied Davos' moves and looked for flaws.
    Each eventually defeated their combatants in the semi-final contest to determine who would possess the right to face the dragon Shou-Lao the Undying and gain the Iron Fist power.

(Immortal Iron Fist#10 (fb) / Marvel Team-Up I#64 (fb)) - The next day, Davos battled Wendell before Tuan..

(Immortal Iron Fist#10 (fb)) - Ten minutes into the match, Davos let a devastating kick past him defenses. Though he normally would have allowed his friend a fraction of a second to recover, this battle was too important, and Wendell pressed the advantage, drop-kicking Davos to the ground. When Davos refused to yield, Wendell was forced to strike him again.

(Immortal Iron Fist#10 (fb) / Marvel Team-Up I#64 (fb)) - As Davos refused to yield, even when badly beaten, Yü-Ti declared victory for Wendell; but Davos accused Yü-Ti of playing favorites towards his son (Tu-An had made Wendell part of his house). Lei Kung commanded Davos silence and sent him from the room. Collapsing to the ground, Davos told Wendell he should have killed him.

(Immortal Iron Fist#11 (fb)) - Wendell, Yü-Ti, and the Terror Priests followed shortly behind Lei Kung to find Davos after he had broken K'un-Lun's laws, faced Shou-Lao, and had been defeated and dismissed by him. When Wendell asked Davos if he was alright, Davos spat blood in his face and stared at him with sheer hatred.

(Immortal Iron Fist#12 (fb)) - Meditating on his mission to face Shou-Lao, Wendell was anointed by the priests, encouraged by Yü-Ti, Nu-An, Lei Kung, and the others, and sent out to face his destiny. Despite his skill and training, Wendell felt fear, recalling Orson's words that he would never be Iron Fist, and that if he tried, he would die. As he approached Shou-Lao's chambers, he felt the Earth tremble.

(Marvel Team-Up I#64 (fb) - BTS) - Wendell did not challenge Shou-Lao.

(Immortal Iron Fist#12 (fb)) - Wendell came to Davos to discuss his actions, and Davos laughed at him and called him a coward. Wendell struck Davos, and the two fought savagely. Seeing the stark hatred in his former friend, Wendell realized that this was not the life he wanted. He darted out a window and rushed toward the portal to Earth, denying Davos' instructions to stay and fight. He decided he would escape to Earth as K'un-Lun made its once-a-decade intersection with Earth.

(Immortal Iron Fist#13 (fb)) - As Wendell rushed towards the gateway, Lei Kung instructed him to halt, not intending to try to prevent his traveling to Earth but only to ask him why. Wendell told him he was not Iron Fist and that he had doubt in his heart, which caused him to realize that the showdown with the dragon would be his end. When Lei Kung asked him what he sought on Earth, Wendell told him that he didn't know but that when he found it he would come back and tell him.

(Marvel Team-Up I#64 (fb) - BTS / Power Man/Iron Fist#75 (fb)) - On that day, overwhelmed by grief, Wendell, who had lived for a decade as a member of the House of Kai, wandered through the portal to Earth.

(Immortal Iron Fist#13 (fb)) - Wendell searched Tibet for Orson, beating others until learning Orson's location. Upon finding Orson's cabin and kicking in the door, he was disturbed to find Orson in a drug-induced stupor. Wendell's rage faded, and he felt compassion for his fallen former mentor.

(Immortal Iron Fist#14 (fb) - BTS) - For two days Wendell watched over Orson, trying to rouse him from his drug-induced dreams.

(Immortal Iron Fist#14 (fb)) - Orson finally began to come around. Wendell told him he had come there thinking he might kill Orson, and that he couldn't believe how Orson had become so weak. He explained that Orson had killed his dreams, but Orson told him that the only thing Wendell had ever wanted was the only thing he could never be. Wendell accused Orson of being mentally crippled and being unable to forget a war no one else remembered, but Orson explained that even if it were not the one Wendell was talking about that everything the Iron Fist is was always about war. Orson had wanted to spare Wendell from what he had seen and done, to allow him to have a chance to live a normal life. Orson told him that the Iron Fist wasn't a gift but a curse, a curse that would be passed on to Wendell's son.

(Immortal Iron Fist Annual#1 (fb) - BTS) - Orson's will gave Wendell his entire family fortune after Orson's final disappearance.

(Marvel Premiere I#15 (fb) - BTS) - Wendell appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, becoming an instant entrepreneur with mysterious funds. Wendell was an enigma to all who knew him.

(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu#23 (fb)) - Wendell met Heather Duncan and the two were soon married.

(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu#23 (fb)) - The next year Heather bore Wendell a son, Daniel.

(Marvel Premiere I#15 (fb) - BTS / Power Man/Iron Fist#75 (fb) - BTS) - Harold Meachum and Wendell Rand formed the business partnership of Rand-Meachum, Inc. Wendell owned 60% of the multi-million dollar conglomerate.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#4 (fb) - BTS) - Wendell regularly took young Daniel to his office on the top floor, and the glass walls made Daniel afraid of falling. Laughing, Wendell grabbed Daniel's shoulders and told him he'd protect him from whatever was down there. Suspended by Wendell, Daniel would lean toward the glass and start laughing. 
    Daniel later considered that while his father seemed gentle, kind, and warm, that he never really knew him; that he was always thinking of somewhere else and the past.

(Iron Fist I#8 (fb)) - Young Danny came running home from the park, having seen a dog and asking if he could have one, too.

(Iron Fist I#8 (fb)) - Heather chided young Danny for rushing in and breaking the vase Wendell had given her.

(Iron Fist I#8 (fb)) - Wendell came home and greeted Daniel.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#5 (fb) - BTS) - At least according to the One robot that had bonded to or mimicked Wendell Rand's corpse, Wendell advised Danny to stand up to an attacker; "Knocked down seven, stand up eight."

(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu#19 (fb)) - Harold and Joy Meachum attended the eighth(?) birthday of Daniel Rand at a party held by Heather and Wendell.

(Marvel Premiere I#15 (fb) - BTS) - After ten years on Earth, Wendell decided to return to K'un-Lun.

(Iron Fist I#8 (fb)) - Wendell asked Heather and Daniel to accompany him to K'un-Lun. Heather told Danny that K'un-Lun was a dream that Wendell wanted very badly to come true. Heather was scared, but agreed to go and Wendell told her that no matter what, he'd always be there to protect her.

(Marvel Premiere I#15 (fb) - BTS) - Harold attempted to dissuade Wendell Rand from taking Daniel and Heather on his quest to search for the city of K'un-Lun in the Himalayas. Failing this, Harold -- who hoped to somehow claim their company, as well as Heather, for himself -- agreed to accompany the three of them, claiming to be helping his friend and partner.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#2 (fb) - BTS) - It is hinted that Heather was either having or had discussed having an affair with Harold Meachum.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#12 (fb)) - The night before the start of their trip to K'un-Lun, Wendell was surprised to find Daniel still up; figuring he was so excited about the trip and couldn't sleep, he showed Daniel the parka they had gotten him (although he had planned to give it to him the morning of the trip). Instead, Daniel told him he didn't want to go ("we can't go!"); Wendell told him they'd been planning for months and it was too late to change their plans. He promised Danny that while things had been crazy lately, everything would change after this trip. When Danny noted that he didn't want things to change, Wendell told him he loved him and that not matter what happened, they'd always have this one moment Danny could keep with him.

(Marvel Premiere I#15 (fb)) - Harold, Wendell, Heather, and Daniel made their way across the frozen Himalayas, and Wendell remarked that he did not understand why Harold came along; Harold reassured Wendell that he did so out of friendship. 

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#1 (fb) - BTS) - As they got closer, Wendell sent back the guides to conserve their rations.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#1 (fb)) - While Daniel was scared, tired, and cold, Wendell encouraged him by describing the splendor of the city. Frightened, Heather asked Harold to talk to him, and when Wendell refused to listen Harold's to insistence that they turn back, Harold fired a flare gun in hopes of summoning back the guides. Instead, the gun's sound set off an avalanche. Wendell instructed Daniel to hold on to his mother and advised the others on how to survive the avalanche.

(Marvel Premiere I#15 (fb)) - Young Daniel slipped off of the edge of a natural bridge over a gorge, pulling his mother and father with him. The rope connecting the three broke, with Daniel and Heather rolling down the snow-packed mountainside, leaving Wendell hanging precariously off the edge. 

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#1 (fb)) - Heather urged Wendell to try to swing over to them, but Wendell was so obsessed on moving forward that he refused to accept any option but going up. 
    Daniel decided his father was insane and had been for a long time.

(Marvel Premiere I#15 (fb)) - Wendell gave Harold instructions on how to save Heather and Daniel, but Harold instead stomped upon Wendell's hands with his spiked climbing boots. Wendell held on for as long as he could, but he eventually fell, plunging to his death upon the rocks below.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#2 (fb) - BTS) - Heather thought she saw Harold let go of the rope, causing Wendell to fall.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#2 (fb)) - Heather repeatedly told Daniel to promise he would make Harold pay for what he had done to Wendell.

(Marvel Premiere#15 (fb) - BTS / Deadly Hands of Kung Fu#21 (fb) - BTS) - Lord Tuan was most saddened when Wendell Rand-K'ai was killed outside of the boundaries of Feng-Tu, resulting in his spirit being lost to Feng-Tu forever.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#9 (fb)) <As "remembered" by the One; spurious; see comments> - Wendell Rand survived the fall but was paralyzed by a broken neck and could only stare up at the skies and wait for someone to come rescue him. He wondered if his proximity to "the immortality of K'un-Lun" caused him to have fallen somewhere between life and death and where he would not (or refused to) cross over. Even as he felt his body crystallize, his eyes never closed. He imagined "that fool" Nu-An laughing in front of his Great Crystal, watching, knowing that he had kept Wendell from threatening his rule over K'un-Lun and from protecting Daniel. The rage of those endless days kept him warm, and he knew that some day someone would come for him.

    The decapitated One robot was apparently cast into the abyss in which Wendell Rand had fallen.

(Iron Fist II#2) - While returning to K'un-Lun, Iron Fist followed the sound of music in search of the portal. The music he heard turned out to be the wind whistling through his father's skull.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#12 (fb) - BTS) - Apparently acting on its programming to resurrect the Fooh, the One allegedly merged with portions of the corpse of Wendell Rand (or otherwise adopted his form somewhat), gaining his memories in the process (see comments).

(Iron Fist/Wolverine#4 (fb) - BTS) - Wendell Rand-K'ai eventually ended up in Feng-Tu.

(Iron Fist/Wolverine#4) - Daniel was on death's door and appeared in Feng-Tu. However, Heather and Wendell, reunited in Feng-Tu, told him it was not yet his time and sent him back to Earth. As he left, they told him how proud of him they were.

See the One's profile for discussion of its activities, and see the comments section for discuss of its contradictions, feasibility, etc.

Comments: Created by Roy Thomas, Gil Kane, and Dick Giordano.

    I

    The dream sequence in Iron Fist: The Living Weapon is either a glimpse into or just otherwise parallels an alternate reality:

Wendell Rand-K'ai - human or not?

• Originally from K'un-Lun and the first born son of Tuan.
• In a private discussion between Lei-Kung and Yü-Ti (Nu-An), which seems to indicate that it is a truth that only they know.Lei Kung specifically says:
        "Do not...the laws...say that we shall be ruled by the first son of the first son? And were you not born Lord Tuan's second son? Daniel Rand should have been told his heritage, Dragon Lord--! That his father should have ruled K'un-Lun--not you!"
• Marvel Team-Up I#65, with narrative in the second person backs this up.
• The initial stories in Marvel Premiere support the idea that Wendell Rand was not native to Earth.
• In private, Yü-Ti then says, "Even in death, brother...you seek to come between me and my heart's desire...You were unfit to rule, brother--I only took what was mine by right."
• In Iron Fist I#6, Lei Kung told Yü-Ti (Nu-An) that he thought Wendell Rand-K'ai's death was most convenient, hinting that perhaps Yü-Ti had something to do with that, as well.
• Uncanny Origins#14 covering Iron Fist has Yu-Ti (Nu-An) telling Iron Fist that Wendell Rand-K'ai was his (Nu-An's) brother--Per Degaton
  
• Ret-conned to human
• However, according to Yü-Ti's flashback in Power Man & Iron Fist#75, Wendell first crossed into K'un-Lun the day he saved Tuan and son from Shou-Lao. By Mary Jo Duffy's accounts, Wendell was a human who came to K'un-Lun and was adopted by Tuan.
• The OHotMU editions have supported the second version.
• The two versions are pretty much in direct conflict.
  Options, as I see them:
  1. Go with the most current version, as supported by the Handbooks-->Wendell was arriving in K'un-Lun for the first time in PM/IF#75 and was adopted by Tuan.
  2. Figure that when Yü-Ti told the story to Iron Fist, he had ample reason to lie, while when Lei Kung questioned Yü-Ti, both men knew the truth-->Wendell is the firstborn son of Tuan.
  3. Make BOTH versions true...you'd have to come up with something contrived, like Tuan sent Wendell's mother to Earth to raise him there and teach him of mortality. At the time of his arrival in K'un-Lun, perhaps only Tuan knew the truth, but later Lei Kung and Yü-Ti (son of Tuan) learned it.
• Donald Campbell first pointed this out to me in response to the Iron Fist entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Marvel Knights. In addition to pointing out the above, he goes on to argue:
  Many of the "immortals of K'un-Lun" hold "Earther mortals" in contempt and Davos was not an exception. He would never consider Wendell as Tuan's first-born son unless he couldn't avoid it (i.e. unless it was true).  Also, I think it unlikely that an American who had been trapped in K'un-Lun because he had been so seriously injured that he couldn't be moved would recover and develop fighting skills that were so great that he could defeat (one of) the best warriors of K'un-Lun.  Sure, Danny did so but he was VERY strongly motivated to do so whereas Wendell had a wife and daughter to occupy his time.  Why would he bother training...unless he WAS from K'un-Lun and, because of his upbringing, just couldn't help himself?
•     I think the first part of Donald's argument is the most convincing. Lei Kung holds humans in contempt as well, but he also argued that Wendell Rand was the rightful heir to the throne and the first son of Tuan. However, Lei Kung does love/accept Daniel, who was from Earth, but accepted and lived in K'un-Lun for some time. Perhaps the same respect was given to Wendell for the same reason? I do think that Lei Kung is loyal enough to the ways of K'un-Lun that he would not tell Danny of his true heritage if it had been forbidden by Yu-Ti.
• The Immortal Iron Fist series seemingly showed that Wendell was native to Earth and adopted. That's the official story until/unless someone else confirms it as different.
      ...though Wendell Rand was indeed an orphan and his name was chosen by himself...maybe they plan to reveal that he was actually originally from K'un-Lun at some point (as I hypothesized above). Or not.
• Those stories also neglect Wendell's initial encounter with Tuan and Nu-An, saving them from Shou-Lao, but perhaps that story was a lie told by Nu-An...though it might easily explain why Tuan had adopted Wendell into his home and why he might have even raised him to a higher station than Nu-An.
• The Immortal Iron Fist#12 story contradicts the Power Man and Iron Fist#75 as to the timing and reasons for which Wendell left K'un-Lun. Again, it may be that the information related by Nu-An was false.
  
• Current fate:
• We've got Wendell Rand as a young orphan in th 1920s with a mysterious past and who named himself.
  
• With Wendell's death occurring 10 years before Iron Fist's first appearance (maybe 5 years into the modern era, so perhaps 9 years ago Marvel Time), perhaps 19 years ago...which would make him 80-ish at the time he had an eight-year old son and climbed K'un-Lun mountain...and older every year.
• We're going to need some explanation of how he could be so young and vital at that age.
  
• Perhaps exposure to something while working with Orson Randall granted him that longevity?
  
• Or maybe he is indeed the son of Tuan and was sent to Earth as a youth for whatever reason...this is the explanation that keeps all stories true if you accept that Yu-Ti (Nu-An) had plenty of reason to lie about Wendell's past.
  

The One

    The One's decapitated form was thrown into the canyons 10 years after Wendell Rand's apparent death. The Fooh would have been executed shortly after the One was publicly exposed as a robot. While the One was ultimately revealed to have done everything in this series in order to resurrect the Fooh, the One only became active again suddenly 8-10 years later (Marvel Time)?

    We've seen Wendell's corpse (it was just a skeleton in the 1996 Iron Fist mini-series by James Felder) between the time of the One's decapitation and the One's revival where it claimed to have merged with his still living form. We've also seen Wendell's spirit in Feng-Tu several times, but I'm aware that we often see spirits in the afterlife in comics when a character turns out to have never been dead. There are a number of explanations for this sort of thing, but we don't have any explanation for the contradictions to previous, clearly-established facts.

    So...Wendell having still been alive and to have actually bonded with the One is clearly horseshit. There's no way around it. The One just believed itself to be Wendell Rand and somehow accessed his memories...maybe the mystic nature of K'un-Lun allowed it to access his spirit. Even if it bonded to Wendell's skeleton or tissue, it wouldn't normally gain access to his memories from that...but again, magic, is the best explanation.

Other material

Wendell's name is misspelled Wendall in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu#19.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:

• other "Wendell" or "Rand" characters beyond the relatives listed above

images: (not including ads)
Marvel Premiere I#15, p5, panel 3 (face in snow gear);
    pg. 7 (falling, crashing down rocks)
Power Man/Iron Fist#75, p10, panel 6 (with Shakkari & Miranda)
Marvel Team-Up I#64, p6, panel 4 (vs Davos)
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#12, pg. 20, panel 2 (pre-trip parka)

Deadly Hands of Kung Fu#19 (December, 1975) - Chris Claremont (writer), Rudy Nebres (artist), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu#23 (April, 1976) - Chris Claremont (writer), Rudy Nebres (artist), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Iron Fist I#6 (August, 1976) - Chris Claremont (writer), John Byrne (pencils), Frank Chiaramonte (inks), Marv Wolfman (editor)
Iron Fist I#8 (October, 1976) - Chris Claremont (writer), John Byrne (pencils), Dan Adkins (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Marvel Team-Up I#64 (December, 1977) - Chris Claremont (writer), John Byrne (pencils), Dave Hunt (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Power Man/Iron Fist#75 (November, 1981) - Mary Jo Duffy (writer), Kerry Gammill (pencils), Ricardo Villamonte (inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Iron Fist II#2 (October, 1996) - James Felder (writer), Robert Brown (pencils), Rey Garcia (inks)
Iron Fist/Wolverine#4 (February, 2001) - Jay Faerber (writer), Jamal Igle (pencils), Rich Perrotta (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Immortal Iron Fist#2 (February 2007) - Ed Brubaker & Matt Fraction (writers), David Aja (artist), Travel Foreman & Derek Fridolfs (artists p1-3), John Severin (artist, p17-19), Alejandro Arbona (assistant editor), Warren Simons (editor)
Immortal Iron Fist#6 (July, 2007) - Ed Brubaker & Matt Fraction (writers), David Aja (artist), Travel Foreman & Derek Fridolfs (artists p1-3, 11-13), Alejandro Arbona (assistant editor), Warren Simons (editor)
Immortal Iron Fist#8 (October 2007) - Ed Brubaker & Matt Fraction (writers), David Aja (artist), Roy Allan Martinez (artists p1-3, 7-10), Alejandro Arbona (assistant editor), Warren Simons (editor)
Immortal Iron Fist#9 (November 2007) - Ed Brubaker & Matt Fraction (writers), David Aja (artist), Raul Allen (additional inks), Scott Koblish & Roy Allan Martinez (artists p1-3, 14-16), Alejandro Arbona (assistant editor), Warren Simons (editor)
Immortal Iron Fist#10 (December 2007) - Ed Brubaker & Matt Fraction (writers), David Aja (artist), Kano (artists p1-3, 20-22), Alejandro Arbona (assistant editor), Warren Simons (editor)
Immortal Iron Fist Annual#1 (November, 2007) - Ed Brubaker & Matt Fraction (writers), Howard Chaykin (p1-5, 14-15, 22-23, 30-36), Dan Brereton (p6-13, 16-21), Jelena Kevic Djurdevic (p24-29), Alejandro Arbona (assistant editor), Warren Simons (editor)Immortal Iron Fist#11 (January 2008) - Ed Brubaker & Matt Fraction (writers), David Aja (artist), Kano (artists p7-9, 13-15), Alejandro Arbona (assistant editor), Warren Simons (editor)
Immortal Iron Fist#12 (February 2008) - Ed Brubaker & Matt Fraction (writers), David Aja (artist), Kano (artists p1-3, 17-19), Javier Pulido (artist p4-6, 12-15), Alejandro Arbona (assistant editor), Warren Simons (editor)
Immortal Iron Fist#13 (May 2008) - Ed Brubaker & Matt Fraction (writers), Tonci Zonjic (artist p4-6, 10-16, 10-22), David Aja (artist p7-9), Kano (artists p1-3, 17-19), Alejandro Arbona (assistant editor), Warren Simons (editor)
Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death#1 (April, 2008) - Matt Fraction (writer); Alejandro Arbona (assistant editor), Warren Simons (editor); Nick Dragotta, Mike Allred, Laura Allred (artists, part 1);  Russ Heath (artist, part 2); Lewis LaRosa, Stefano Gaudiano, Matt Hollingsworth (artists, part 3); Mike Breitweiser, Matt Hollingsworth (artists, part 4)
Immortal Iron Fist#14 (June 2008) - Ed Brubaker & Matt Fraction (writers), Tonci Zonjic (penciler, p4-23, 31-36), Clay Mann (penciler, p24-28), Stefano Gaudiano (inker, p4-28, 31-36), Kano (artist p1-3, 29-30), Alejandro Arbona (assistant editor), Warren Simons (editor)
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#1 (June, 2014) - Kaare Kyle Andrews (writer and editor), Jake Thomas (editor)
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#4-6 (September-November, 2014) - Kaare Kyle Andrews (writer and artist), Jake Thomas (editor)
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#9 (April, 2015) - Kaare Kyle Andrews (writer and artist), Jake Thomas (editor)
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#12 (July, 2015) - Kaare Kyle Andrews (writer and artist), Jake Thomas (editor)

First posted: 06/15/2005
Last updated: 08/25/2019

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

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