Part of a family known for their ruthless business acumen, Joy Meachum is daughter to the scheming businessman, Harold Meachum, and inherits his greatest nemesis, the Iron Fist.
The Making of a Meachum
Joy’s father, Harold started Rand-Meachum Inc., a multimillion-dollar conglomerate with his friend, Wendell Rand. Though later, Harold secretly kills Wendell in a desire for more power and Wendell’s son Danny Rand, AKA Iron Fist, seeks to avenge his father’s death. When he attempts to kill Harold, now an invalid, he doesn’t have the heart to follow through. In a strange twist of fate, the mysterious Ninja, Rand’s ally, kills Harold instead.
After finding her father murdered, Joy inherits her father’s apartment, The Triplex Apartment atop the Meachum Building, corporate headquarters of Rand-Meachum, Inc. Joy inherits his position of CEO as well while the title passed to Danny. The split of power, and the assumption that Iron Fist killed Harold having found the Fist by his corpse, drive Joy to try and outsmart, kill or take out Iron Fist by any means necessary.
Family Business
Savvy in business with a sometimes ruthless approach, like her father Harold, the co-founder of Rand-Meachum, Inc., Joy runs the company after Harold dies. She goes on to control Danny’s share as well until he feels he’s earned it and later becomes the company’s director.
No Joy for Joy’s Enemies
The murder of Joy’s father pushes her down a vengeful path for years, making his assumed killer, Iron Fist, her a regular enemy. That is until she learns the truth and they reconcile.
Family Ties and Eventual Allies
Joy allies with her Uncle Ward to avenge her father’s death by killing Iron Fist. They work with Davos, AKA Steel Serpent, who is a forever foe to the Fist seeking revenge against him as well.
After learning the truth about her father’s death, she allies herself with Iron Fist, even tries to save him on occasion, and later becomes romantically involved with him.
Joy’s Account
When Joy suspected her Uncle Ward of making shady business deals, Joy ordered the Steel Serpent to look into him. Though resistant to anything not involving his revenge against the Iron Fist, he ultimately followed Joy’s orders. In the meantime, he protected her from an attack by local crime boss Chaka Kahn, whom Iron Fist fought at this time as well. Serpent later discovered Ward’s dealings to be criminal in nature and refused to work for him and Joy any further.
Boss Morgan, leader of the Harlem Rackets, abducted Joy when he suspected Rand-Meachum was carving up his turf. Iron Fist saved her life despite her mistrust of him which she made quite clear to the point where he had to knock her out with a nerve pinch he learned in K’un Lun. She later regained consciousness and offered 10 million dollars to Morgan to kill the Fist. Morgan refused and the Fist offered Joy a gun to kill him herself. She called his bluff and agreed that he did not kill her father but she blamed him for his life of terror, his fear of Danny coming back from K’un Lun. Fist explained to her that his terror was born of the guilt he carried from murdering his father. She realized it was a senseless circle and chose not to kill him. A few weeks later, Danny turned full control of his share in Rand-Meachum, Inc. to Joy until he earned a stake in it.
In getting over her thirst for vengeance, Joy hired Iron Fist and his partner Luke Cage, AKA Power Man, to transport a computer circuit to Chicago, though they got in trouble en route and lost the company millions of dollars.
When Joy’s Uncle Ward was burned in a bad deal with Super-Skrull, Oracle, Inc. bought Rand-Meachum Inc. and Joy argued with Lady Jacqueline Falsworth over the takeover.
In trying to save Iron Fist from a group of gunmen, Joy worked with Malik, a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. agent but it led to her being kidnapped and used as blackmail against Iron Fist who had to steal the Zodiac Key to get her back. It was Death Sting who called the shots and when Iron Fist came upon Death Sting, it was actually a drugged Joy dressed up in Death Sting’s costume.
Later, Rand-Meachum, Inc. became The Rand Foundation and Joy its Director. The company’s public mission changed to providing food, housing, social services and legal aid via a variety of direct intervention and educational programs, though Joy really managed Iron Fist and Power Man’s day-to-day super heroics. She approved when Danny hired Victor Alvarez, the new Power Man, and became romantically involved with Danny. Their relationship eventually ran its course and they parted ways.
