Ward's 'Iron Fist' Fate Is Different In The Comics

Marvel's latest Netflix series Iron Fist is now out in the world and while the reviews haven't been stellar, that hasn't stopped fans from watching. The new series follows Danny Rand, also known as the Iron Fist, as he returns home to New York after being presumed dead for the past 15 years. His father, Wendall, started a company called Rand Enterprises, with his friend Harold Meachum, and when Danny returns, it's Harold's kids, Ward and Joy, who are running the business. While Danny is an interesting character, Ward definitely captured fans attention, leaving some to wonder what happens to Ward Meachum in the Iron Fist comics?

First, it's important to note that while Ward is Harold's son on the show, he was actually Harold's brother in the comics believe it or not. The creator of the show hasn't said the reason for the change, but it's definitely an interesting choice to make. One thing that hasn't changed between the comics and the books, however, is that Ward is still a villain (at least at the beginning and middle of the series). In the comics, Iron Fist was blamed for the death of Harold. This led Ward and Joy (who was still Harold's daughter in the comics), to decide to seek vengeance against Iron Fist. Ward himself hired multiple villains to kill the Marvel superhero, including Steel Serpent.

Davos, also known as the Steel Serpent, was the first son of Lei Kung the Thunderer, the Iron Fist's trainer in K'un-Lun. He had his own issues with Iron Fist (which gets explored a little bit later on in Season 1), but that's a story for another day. The point is Ward and the Steel Serpent teamed up until Davos decided to part ways due to Ward's criminal connections.

Enter Master Khan, a good guy who turned bad after his daughter was killed. Ward started working for him and hired Luke Cage villain Shades along with others to go up against Iron Fist and Luke Cage himself. Unsurprisingly, they easily defeated the villains, and to make a long story short, Ward and his henchmen ended up in prison and Master Khan was defeated by the Iron Fist.

Later on, Ward finally met his true demise when he teamed up with another villain Emperor Kl'rt, also known as the Super-Skrull. In exchange for helping him, Skrull promised Ward "the most beautiful woman in the Skrull Galaxy." However, at the bad advice of another villain, Ward was convinced Skrull was lying to him and therefore betrayed him. Unfortunately, Skrull didn't take that well and burned Ward alive. The ironic thing was, Skrull had actually planned on keeping his word, so it was really Ward's paranoia that led to his death.

It's obvious Ward's comic book life wasn't that great and if you've managed to make your way through all 13 episodes of the show, you know that things go a lot differently for Ward. In fact, I'd go so far as to even call him a good guy by the end of it all. Is this just a temporary thing and he'll eventually resume his comic book villainy or will that particular story arc go to someone else — like his sister, Joy, perhaps? Fans will have to wait and see.