li-detective-if-fullDETECTIVE LI  

Real Name: Li (presumably his surname, with his first name unrevealed)

Identity/Class: Human (conventional weapons-user)

Occupation: Police detective

Group Membership: New York Police Department (NYPD; notably Officer Thomas)

Affiliations: The Fooh, Gork, Pei, Brenda Swanson;
    apparently his daughters' friends

Enemies: Aisyi, "Candance," Crane Mother's daughters, Davos (aka Steel Serpent), "frog demons," Madame Yeoh, Mara, the One, Jayce Paz, "pig demon" and associates, Darius Scott Pilling, Terror Priests, "water demon," Zhu-Rong;
    his daughters' boyfriends

Known Relatives: Three to five unidentified daughters (see comments); he referenced "his family" (rather than just his daughters, so presumably he has more, including a wife) 

Aliases: None;
    posed as Fed-XPS employee and as the relative of a local store-owner in Chinatown

Base of Operations: Manhattan, New York

First Appearance: Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#3 (August, 2014)li-detective-if-rocket-launcher

Powers/Abilities: Despite being overweight and lacking in endurance, Li is an experienced police detective, skilled in hand-to-hand combat as well as with a handgun; he is trained in police investigation and questioning witnesses. He can accurately fire a rocket launcher from a helicopter, and he can drive his car out of an upper-level of a parking garage, through a giant being, and land safely.li-detective-if-face-gun

    Initially overwhelmed and ineffective against supernatural threats, Li proved himself to be consistently willing to risking his life against such beings, engaging them directly or with various weapons. However, he did sometimes misinterpret the nature of such threats.

    Li is a vegetarian.

Height: Unrevealed (he seems to be about the height of the 5'11" Iron Fist, so perhaps 5'10" to 6')
Weight: Unrevealed (perhaps 220-240 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black (including goatee)

History: 


(Immortal Iron Fists#1) - Detective Li has three daughters.

(Immortal Iron Fists#4 (fb) - BTS) - After the "Chicago Incident," Li was not allowed to meet any of his daughter's dates...nor was he allowed to talk about the Chicago Incident.li-detective-if-face

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#3 (fb)) - Detective Li read Brenda Swanson's statement on her encounter with the zombie cyborg ninja.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#3) - At Marion M. Graham Hospital, Detective Li introduced himself to Brenda Swanson as she was watching over Pei and asked her to step outside to discuss her encounters. Brenda asked if he thought that the little girl would be OK, but he told her that was outside of his jurisdiction. Noting it had been a long night and that he could use a cup of coffee, he suggested that she looked like a Macchiato sort of girl.

    After they had gotten coffee and Brenda began relating her tale, Li noted that he had read her statement and was amazed that no one else was hurt, but he questioned how he could have a million-dollar-sized crater in the middle of a major street, the burnt out ruins of two apache helicopters, and no bodies. Further noting that Brenda, Daniel Rand, and the small girl had been the only witnesses, he asked her to confirm that the creatures had been trying to stop the girl from giving Rand the message to get home. When Li noted that they had been checking for records of Daniel's birth, Brenda clarified that the thing had been asking for the girl, not for Daniel Rand. As Li told Brenda they would have a translator get answers from the girl, advised her to stick around until things were sorted out, and assured Brenda they would keep her safe, one of the Terror Priests smashed through the ceiling as a result of a fight between the Crane Mother's Daughters and the Terror Priests, both of whom sought Pei.

    Li ordered Brenda to get to the exits, rather than stay to try to protect Pei, assuring her that was the best thing she could do. Seeing Pei running down the hall, Brenda followed, while Li futilely tried to order the fighting warriors to "ninja down"; when they did not respond, he wondered if they spoke English.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#5) - Detective Li found the fallen Brenda; after she told him about Pei, Li sent his officers to seek out and help her.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#6) - Detective Li and the police followed as Brenda raced to catch up with Pei; when Brenda ignored Li's instructions to slow down (and one of his officers noted, "Li, that woman's got no stop!" The gasping Li instructed the other cops to get in front of her before she got herself killed.

    When they finally caught up, they found Pei in the hands of Davos. Li ordered Davos to get away from the girl and her "...um, dog?" (it was Gork, the newborn Shou-Lao incarnation).

    After another officer informed Li that they had Davos surrounded and that there wasn't any way out but through them, Li shouted, "You hear that, Halloween? You left a lot of people hurt at the hospital. Get on your knees, hands in the air, or we send you there wrapped in a bag."

    Though Brenda advised Li to be careful, when Davos seemed to level a weapon, the police opened fire on Davos; wounded, Davos extended cybernetic weaponry that drained the lives of the other police. As Brenda pulled Li down and out of the way, only Li, Brenda, and Pei were left alive.

    After Davos departed with Pei, Li lamented the death of the policemen, but Brenda advised Li to get up and stop crying, as they had to see this to the finish. li-detective-if-xps

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#7) - With Brenda, Detective Li watched Rand Tower with a pair of binoculars. Li complained that his family still thought he was dead, but Brenda advised him that if the bad guys found out he wasn't dead, then he would be soon enough. When lawyer Mr. Miller was launched by the One from the top of Rand Tower and smashed into the car across the street from them, Li felt the need to call in their findings to the rest of the police, but Brenda told him they only had one chance to save Pei and there could be no mistakes, so they couldn't call in anyone for help. As "they" collected the body, she shushed Li, telling them they didn't have much time...

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#7 - BTS) - When Li and Brenda attempted to infiltrate Rand Tower as Fed-XPS employees delivering packages, the building's security recognized them as being armed but nonetheless considered them a minimal threat. 

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#7) - Darius Scott Pilling (now under the influence of the One) met Swanson and Li, surprising Li and causing him to scream. Brenda tried to cover this by explaining that her associate was undergoing training..."and has Aspergers, or epilepsy...no, you know that thing where youre always swearing at people..."(she meant Tourette syndrome).

    Unphased by any of this, Pilling offered to take them to someone qualified to sign for their deliveries. Swanson complimented Pillings on the building, and he discussed in detail the buildings upgrades and history. Regardless, this was all talk to keep their minds occupied, and he finally brought them to a room in which all of the residents of K'un-Lun were held in egg-like stasis devices. Departing, he told them to have a seat, and someone would be with them in a moment.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#9 (fb)) - Li was captured and imprisoned in a stasis tank at the bottom of Rand Tower alongside Brenda and Pei, their chi used to power the One.li-detective-if-stasis

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#9) - After Iron Fist was smashed into the basement by the One, the Fooh urged Daniel to take some of the chi for himself, which he painfully did.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#10) - After the One stole the chi Daniel had harnessed, Brenda and Detective Li were released. Li asked if she was OK, and Brenda complained about a headache before crying out for Pei.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#10 - BTS) - The One's efforts to open a portal to the realm of the dead unleashed the fiery god Zhu-Rong.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#11) - As Zhu-Rong smashed down the One, Davos attempted to flee alongside the Terror Priests, but Brenda and Detective Li rallied behind Pei and Gork to stop him.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#11 (fb) - BTS) - Via the One's connection to Rand Tower and to the chi of the K'un-Lun residents within it, Daniel animated the entire Rand Tower into an immense humanoid form.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#11) - As Daniel and the One assaulted assaulted Zhu-Rong via the animated building, Li and the others inside were thrown about. Li appreciated that the entire building was moving rather than falling, and Brenda urged him to hold on.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#11 - BTS) - When Davos, desperate to convince the others to flee with him, slew the young Gork, Brenda stood helplessly as Daniel lost the power to control the building; Zhu-Rong then destroyed the building-robot.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#11 - BTS) - Daniel then used his Iron Fist to make Zhu-Rong explode like a star going super-nova; the energies released transformed Pei into a new Iron Fist, and she smashed Davos into or through the wall.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#11) - Li watched in shock as Pei's hands glowed with energy.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#12) - Police officers reported to Li that they could not find anyone matching the description of Davos; Li told them to keep looking, as after the punch Davos had taken he was either dead or close to it. He also instructed them to send out a message that Davos was armed and dangerous, and that if he even looked at them funny, they should put him down.

    An Officer Thomas (presumably his surname), told Li to go home, as he looked like crap and his family must be worried sick. However, Li refused to go anywhere until they found "that one-armed sociopath," continuing that from the impact of Pei's punch, he could be ten city blocks from there. He instructed the other officers to gather him a team so they could go hunting.

(Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#12 (fb) - BTS) - Pei found a special chapter on reincarnating Shou-Lao, and she apparently performed the ritual, unwittingly resurrecting all 66 incarnations of Shou-Lao, including Gork.

(Immortal Iron Fists#1 (fb) - BTS / Immortal Iron Fists#2 (fb) - BTS) - Li at least heard reports of demons with flaming swords, animal heads, and golden armor in Chinatown.

(Immortal Iron Fists#1) - Li called Iron Fist, asking his aid in investigating missing people and arranging to meet him at a Chinatown restaurant. As Li and Rand arrived together, Li -- in response to Rand's difficulties in mentoring/raising Pei -- advised Rand "You don't try to understand teenage girls...you endure them. Trust me, I have three" (see comments). When the disguised pig demon) welcomed them and noted they had the freshest pork in the city, Li explained that he was a vegetarian.

    Ultimately, they learned that a pig demon was turning customers into pigs and then cooking them and serving them to other customers, who then became pigs as well. With the pig demon, Rand found a scroll, which was the first of ten exponential scrolls.

(Immortal Iron Fists#2) - After Li noted his amazement with how swiftly Rand had gotten the Rand building rebuilt, Rand explained how each of the 10 scrolls would be followed by a demon exponentially more powerful than the last, and that after the first 2-3, they would be unable to handle these demons. Rand further explained that Mara would be the ultimate demon in this grouping, and that they would need Buddha himself to save them. Receiving a call, Li led Rand to Chinatown to investigate a number of businesses that had been ransacked.li-detective-if-disguised

(Immortal Iron Fists#2 (fb) - BTS) - Li and Rand investigated a dozen ransacked shops, but the frightened and sweating owners refused to talk.

(Immortal Iron Fists#2) - Li and Rand had a similar experience at Chow's Herb Shop. Seeing motorcycle tracks on Chow's floor, Rand came up with the idea to have Li pose as a local to lead the perpetrators to them. li-detective-if-disguised-profile-kneeling

    Soon, the four bikers showed up and demanded tribute, ultimately leading the bikers to reveal their true natures as frog demons.

    As Li futilely struggled with one of the demons, Rand told him they needed to find the scroll. li-detective-if-fight-frogUltimately, Pei, sent there by her caretaker Madame Yeoh (secretly Mara's daughter), leapt down one of the frog demon's throats and retrieved the scroll. After Rand chastised Pei for getting involved in a supernatural struggle, Pei told him he had to let go so in order to have Pei come back to him. 

(Immortal Iron Fists#3) - Li and Rand futilely questioned another shop owner, during which they discussed the Wheel of Dharma and how time and space might be destroyed if Mara turned it backwards. Li stayed behind to finish things up, calling in nothing unusual to report (not taking note of the store owner's excessive thirst), while Rand departed to pick up Pei.

(Immortal Iron Fists#3 (fb) - BTS) - When the store was assaulted by a water demon and the store filled with water, Li called for back-up, and other policemen located Rand and requested his aid. 

(Immortal Iron Fists#3) - Rand was overwhelmed as well until the warrior Aisyi showed up and destroyed the water demon with her sword.

(Immortal Iron Fists#4 (fb) - BTS) - Li invited his daughters and their friends for a nice family cookout, and he bought a large peachwood log for firewood; he put the log atop his car.li-detective-if-iifs3-face

(Immortal Iron Fists#4) - Joining Iron Fist and Aisyi aboard a helicopter confronting a giant insect demon, Li ignored Aisyi's warning that weapons of his realm would have no effect, and he fired a rocket launcher at it...to no effect. Iron Fist then channeled his chi through Aisyi's sword to destroy the demon.

(Immortal Iron Fists#4 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Li, Iron Fist, and Aisyi destroyed four other demons.

(Immortal Iron Fists#4 (fb) - BTS) - Li later drove Iron Fist and Aisyi in his car. When Li and Fist took a taco break, Aisyi tracked down and took out a scroll demon on her own without telling them.

li-detective-if-peachwood-stake(Immortal Iron Fists#4) - Still in his car, Li discussed fatherhood with Iron Fist while Aisyi used her mystic compass to locate the next target, noting that where she came from, they used peachwood to kill the undead. Li asked Iron Fist why the billionaire didn't have a Fist-mobile or something.

    As Iron Fist and Aisyi faced a giant bat-demon, Li drove his car (along with the giant peachwood stake-chaped log) out of an upper level of a parking garage to implate and destroy the creature; he landed without significance damage to his vehicle. Aisyi then informed them that she had taken down another demon without telling them, bringing the total to ten and noting that Mara had always been in their realm but was not awakening.

(Immortal Iron Fists#5 (fb) - BTS) - Aisyi apparently guided Li to drive them to Pei's high school, where Pei's nanny, Madame Yeoh, had revealed herself to be Mara's daughter.

(Immortal Iron Fists#5) - Li crashed his car into the school, causing the peachwood log to go flying at Yeoh, who stopped it with one hand. However, Aisyi then revealed that she was also a daughter of Mara, she swatted aside Li's gunhand before standing at Yeoh's side. Pei's classmate Candance then revealed that she was the daughter of Mara. When Aisyi told Iron Fist to join him in assembling the scrolls, Li misinterpreted this and revealed the gathered scrolls inside his car. As Li assured the others that the scrolls were locked up safely, his car and the scrolls were consumed in an explosion., allowing Mara to take form from within the body of another of Pei's classmates, Jayce Paz; Li and Gork were knocked away without significant injury by the explosion.

    Li tried to tell Mara he could relate to having three daughters, but he was driven off and/or incapacitated by Mara's flames. After Pei sacrificed her chi to Iron Fist so he could destroy the Wheel of Dharma and defeat/drive off Mara, Li approached the agitated Iron Fist to check on him: All present no longer remembered Pei.

(Immortal Iron Fists#6) - Drawn to Iron Fist and Gork via his connection to Pei (as was Izzy and Ray, plus child welfare agent Cormier), Li rushed up noting there had been an emergency, but then, unable to recall why he had come there, he concluded that he must be there for a reason. With great difficulty, Gork then voiced, "Gor-pay!" causing Iron Fist, Li, and Izzy (and shortly thereafter, Ray) to recall Pei. As Rand reviewed the Book of the Iron Fist, Li noted how its pages looked blank to him; finding a tracking technique, Rand then explained that he could track and recover Pei once she used her chi.

    Li covered his eyes in the flash of energy when Rand finally opened the portal and returned Pei (and Jayce and Brenda) to Earth. He watched silently as Pei revealed how she had earned her Iron Fist by claiming the heart of the Mother-Dragon (parent to Shou-Lao), which she then returned, saving the dragon; and as Brenda departed, riding atop Mother-Dragon.

Comments: Created by Kaare Kyle Andrews.

    In Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#3, Li notes that he has two daughters Brenda Swanson's age. In Immortal Iron Fists#1, Li tells Iron Fist, "You don't try to understand teenage girls...you endure them. Trust me, I have three." It sounds to me like he is saying he has three teenage daughters, which, in addition to the two who are Brenda's age, would make a total of five...or maybe he's just saying he has three daughters, and that he is experienced with raising teenage girls. In Immortal Iron Fists#3 (and then repeatedly thereafter), Li confirms he has three teenage daughters.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Detective Li should be distinguished from:

images: (without ads)
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#3, pg. 5, panel 1 (face, oblique);
    #5, pg. 11, panel 2 (face, with gun);
    #7, pg. 14, panel 2 (XPS);
    #9, pg. 19, panel 1 (stasis tank);
Immortal Iron Fists trade paperback - designs (last few pages; full body);
    #2, pg. 12, panel 2-3 (disguise; frontal & profile)
        pg. 17, panel 1 (struggling with frog-demon);
    #3, pg. 6, panel 5 (face);
    #4, pg. 1, panel 2 (firing rocket launcher);
        pg. 13, panel 1 (skewering bat demon with peachwood stake atop car);

Appearances:
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#3 (August, 2014) - Kaare Kyle Andrews (writer and artist), Jake Thomas (editor)
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#5-6 (October-November, 2014) - Kaare Kyle Andrews (writer and artist), Jake Thomas (editor)
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#7 (January, 2015) - Kaare Kyle Andrews (writer and artist), Jake Thomas (editor)
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon#9-12 (April-July, 2015) - Kaare Kyle Andrews (writer and artist), Jake Thomas (editor)
Immortal Iron Fists I#1-5 (September-November, 2017) - Kaare Kyle Andrews (writer), Afu Chan (artist), Jake Thomas (editor)

First posted: 10/17/2021
Last updated: 10/17/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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