Harold Meachum

Harold Meachum was a ruthless businessman who built up Rand Enterprises with his dear friend Wendell Rand. However, Meachum's greed led him to make a deal with Madame Gao to have the Rands murdered, and when he was diagnosed with cancer, he agreed to help the Hand in exchange for his life. Meachum was brought back from the dead and forced to live in hiding, controlling his former company through his own son Ward Meachum. Upon the return of Danny Rand, who was now the Iron Fist, Meachum saw a chance to return to his old life and manipulated Iron Fist into fighting the Hand for him, allowing him to kill Bakuto and have Gao disappear while Meachum returned to New York City and betrayed Rand. His plans were eventually uncovered, and Meachum was finally killed by his own son while fighting against the Iron Fist.
==Biography==
===Early Life===
====Beaten by His Father====
To ensure he was a strong man, Harold Meachum's father would beat him with his own belt whenever he believed Meachum had screwed up in any way, forcing Meachum to apologize for forcing his hand. Despite these beatings, Meachum viewed his father with respect and appreciation, grieving his death years later.Iron Fist: 1.02: Shadow Hawk Takes Flight
====Building Rand Enterprises====
As a young man, Meachum met and decided to build a business with his friend Wendell Rand. The business they ended up creating was Rand Enterprises for which they built the headquarters within New York City. However, Meachum forever felt a sense of hatred and resentment towards his friend, as the day they first stepped onto the roof of their new building, Meachum felt a desire to push his friend off the roof, although he did not. Meachum continued working with Rand at the business, as the pair of them had children, as Meachum having kids named Ward and Joy while Rand had a son named Danny, who they groomed to take over the company some day in the future.
===Deal with the Hand===
====Fatal Cancer Diagnosis====
Meachum was diagnosed with terminal cancer and faced the fear of death since he was widowed with two children to raise. During his treatment which was not helping him, Meachum was approached by Madame Gao who claimed she could cure his death. Meachum then agreed and requested Gao assist him in killing his business partner as he was on the verge of discovering their dealings. Gao then supplied Harold with poison to be used on the pilots of the Rand's plane and caused a plane crash which killed Wendell and Heather Rand while their son Danny Rand disappeared in the mountains.
Gao had attempted to talk him out of using the plane crash to kill the Rands, as she had believed it would cause unwanted attention, but Meachum insisted upon it. Meachum suffering from his illness for three years, being cared for by Ward and Joy Meachum who would turn him over in bed to stop him getting bed sores, but eventually he died from cancer. Only a few days later, Meachum rose up from the dead as Gao had promised and the Hand began forcing him to live in hiding, controlling Rand Enterprises for the Hand's benefit through his son Ward who was the only one to know of his survival.Iron Fist: 1.04: Eight Diagram Dragon PalmIron Fist: 1.13: Dragon Plays with Fire
====Controlling Ward Meachum====
Meachum invited his son Ward to join him in his Penthouse where he informed him that the Chinese yuan stokes were dropping so they would need to react to that before Meachum informed his son that he already knew that Danny Rand had just returned into New York City. As Ward believed his father was behind the Rand situation, he threatened to stop answering his father's calls for then onwards, at which point Meachum had insultingly called him a child.
When Ward questioned if Kyle was at the Penthouse all the time now and how much he had known about their secret dealings with Rand Enterprises, Meachum went on his rant about how any businessmen should hire his employees young and overpay them so he could then ensure their loyalty in the future. Meachum tried to send Kyle home for the day, but Kyle told him as it was past midnight it would be too late. They then took a seat as they discussed the Rand situation, with Meachum noting how Shannon had just failed to handle the situation when Ward had sent him to attempt to assassinate Rand.
Meachum questioned what Rand was like, as Ward claimed he was clearly a lunatic, however, Meachum claimed that it was possible that this Rand was merely an imposter who had actually been hired by one of their rival companies to make them look bad, although Ward insisted he and Joy Meachum had already considered this. Meachum then considered what it would mean if this truly was Rand, who may have survived the plane crash, as they agreed they could not allow him to go public, while Meachum began to worry that maybe Wendell and Heather Rand may have survived the crash as well.
Despite Ward being unconvinced by the theory, Meachum continued on, questioning how Rand had survived, where he had been and how had he learned martial arts while he was gone, noting that they could not find this out by sending thugs to beat him up. Meachum told his son that they would need to handle this new Rand situation carefully, promising to take care of everything. With this, Meachum arranged to have Rand sent to Birch Psychiatric Hospital to receive treatment, in the hope this would also destroy any legitimacy in the public's eyes about him truly being the long-lost Rand back from the dead.Iron Fist: 1.01: Snow Gives Way
====Investigating Danny Rand====
While training, Meachum was joined by Ward Meachum who had been invited so they could discuss the Danny Rand situation, with Meachum revealing he had put up cameras in Birch Psychiatric Hospital so he could monitor Rand's treatment. They discussed how Rand claimed to be rescued by the Order of the Crane Mother which Meachum claimed did not exist; however, Meachum explained that he was starting to believe Rand was indeed who he said he was.
Although Ward suggested that they keep Rand locked up inside the hospital and drugged up to keep him silent, Meachum refused to allow it, insisting that they continue trying to understand what was happening before they decide on a course of action. Meachum then told Ward that Rand had made a single phone call to Colleen Wing, so he ordered Ward to travel to the Chikara Dojo in order to speak with her and find out what she knew. When Ward told him to send one of his own men to do it, Meachum told Ward that he was one of his most trusted men and told him to do as instructed.
Meachum then continued to watch while Paul Edmonds conducted interviews with Rand in which he tried to understand who he was. When Kyle apologized for choosing Edmonds to conduct Rand's interviews, Meachum asked why Kyle would continue apologizing to him all of the time, which Kyle then apologized for. Meachum then explained how when he had screwed up as a child, his father would whip him with a belt, demonstrating this by striking Kyle's desk hard. Explaining that he now never apologized, Meachum then told Kyle to get his car so he could leave the Penthouse and go for a drive.
====Learning of Iron Fist====
Meachum traveled to Birch Psychiatric Hospital where he waited for darkness and had then revealed himself to Danny Rand, who was still struggling with the effects of all the drugs he was being given. With Rand confused by seeing Meachum, who he noted should be dead, Meachum reminded him of how he used to sing to him to annoy Rand as a child before singing a bit of the song. Meachum had then questioned Rand about the Order of the Crane Mother and requested to know where exactly it was, although Rand was still struggling to answer Meachum due to the effects of the drugs.
Rand eventually revealed that the Order was in K'un-Lun, even telling Meachum that he should have never left it to return to New York City as he knew what his place was within K'un-Lun. Despite struggling to focus, Rand explained to Meachum that in K'un-Lun he was a warrior known as the Immortal Iron Fist, destined to destroy the Hand. As he had spent the last few years as the slave and hostage for the Hand, Meachum was intrigued by the concept that Rand was the only one who could destroy them and promised that he would get him out of the hospital, first though Meachum put him back to sleep.
Meachum then returned to his Penthouse where he then immediately ordered Kyle to research everything that he could on the Iron Fist so he could get a better understanding of what Rand was talking about. However, Meachum then spotted that a handprint had been left on his glass window and a message from Madame Gao questioning where he had gone. Meachum attempted to wipe the message away with his sleeve, only to realize it had somehow been written on the outside of the glass, while Meachum was forced to consider the true threat of Gao and the Hand who were still spying on him.
The next day, Meachum had continued his spying on Rand inside the hospital where he had seen that Paul Edmonds was also starting to believe that Rand might be who he said he was. Kyle then informed Meachum that he had been unable to find anything significant in his research on the Iron Fist. Meachum called up Ward Meachum, who was now annoyed to be pulled out of the Rand Enterprises meeting. Meachum, however, told Ward that he believed Rand was he had said he was and had insisted that they move him out of the hospital immediately, which Ward mistook to believe he wanted Rand dead.
Meachum, however, insisted that he wanted Rand to be kept safe, claiming that he could be of great value to him, although Ward told him that nothing good would come out of still keeping Rand alive. Running out of patience with his son, Meachum ordered Ward to do as instructed without question. While watching monitors, Meachum witnessed Rand then being taken away by Dink, Leo, and Tony to a locked room where he was beaten up. However, Meachum watched as Rand used the power of the Iron Fist to win their fight and break himself out of the hospital by punching through a steel door.
====Madame Gao's Threat====
While getting some sleep inside his cryo chamber, Meachum was soon awakened by the arrival of Ward Meachum, who had come to what to do about Danny Rand having just escaped from the Birch Psychiatric Hospital, with Meachum telling his son to pay for the door Rand had destroyed in order to ensure that people were not talking about the incident for too long, and risking it being overly exposed. Meachum then asked about Ward's dealings at Rand Enterprises and offered his advice on how Ward should handle them.
When discussing Raj Patel's deal, Meachum had recommended that Ward allow Joy Meachum to take charge of the deal, as he believed she would know how to approach it, although Ward insisted that he could still handle the deal. Insulted by Ward's remark, Meachum had reminded him that all the work he was doing was to benefit both his children before claiming that Ward was disobeying his orders. When Meachum commented on how Ward had tried to have Rand killed, he struck Ward in the back, knocking him to the floor, ordering Ward to take care of Rand when he came seeking their assistance.
While he was undergoing his fighting training with his boxing coach, Meachum was advised on how to move and how to strike, until he managed to gain the upper hand and knock his own trainer to the ground, something the trainer complimented him on as they prepared to take a break. Meachum then poured himself a glass of water and suggested that they should move onto weapons training before then noticing that his trainer had vanished and the lights were cut off, with Madame Gao's voice echoing through Meachum's Penthouse, which caused him to drop the glass onto the floor in utter horror.
Gao told Meachum that the Hand were disappointed in him and that they were discussing his loyalty to them, although Meachum insisted that he was doing everything the Hand was telling him to do. When Gao questioned why he had left the Penthouse, Meachum explained he had gone to investigate Rand's return, with Meachum claiming it would not be an issue. Gao had then told Meachum there would be consequences for him disobeying the Hand and ordered him to kneel down on the broken glass, cutting his legs and hands as punishment for leaving the Penthouse without their express permission.Iron Fist: 1.03: Rolling Thunder Cannon Punch
====Reunion with Danny Rand====
Meachum was confronted by Ward Meachum who had discovered Meachum visited Danny Rand inside Birch Psychiatric Hospital, with Ward questioning why Meachum would do this. When Meachum insisted that he could do whatever he wanted, Ward reminded him that this was not true as he was locked in this Penthouse. When Ward threatened to expose Meachum, he showed his cuts, warning that the Hand would kill his entire family if Ward exposed him, as Meachum asked Ward to keep helping him.
As they were talking, an intruder was heard outside the window, so Ward pushed him out, only to realize it was Rand. Having survived the fall, Rand was then brought inside the Penthouse where he was greeted by the Meachums. Rand was astonished to see Meachum alive having read the reports of his death to cancer and noted that seeing Meachum in Birch Hospital was not a hallucination as he had assumed, only for Meachum to explained that it was done to protect all Rand Enterprises. Rand and Meachum then hugged, with Rand explaining that Meachum was the only family he had left.
Meachum explained how his body had been destroyed by the cancer and how, in the wake of the death of Wendell Rand, he had made a deal with the Hand to be cured, telling Rand that first he died of the cancer and was then returned to life just three days later. Rand then explained that while in K'un-Lun he had been told the story of the Hand, but was horrified to learn they were in New York City and had infected Rand Enterprises. They discussed how the Iron Fist was destined to destroy the Hand and Meachum begged Rand to help him destroy his captors and set him free at long last.
Meachum ordered Ward to reinstate Rand into his family's company, even giving him his father's office back in exchange for Rand helping him battle against Madame Gao and the Hand. They discussed how the Hand had made Rand Enterprises buy a pier and Meachum recommended that Rand talk with Joy Meachum about it as she had closed the deal herself. Rand and Meachum then hugged before Rand made his way to the elevator with Ward, with Rand offering to teach Meachum kung-fu some time which he seemed enthusiastic about, telling Rand to come by his Penthouse anytime.
Meachum watched the report on Rand being welcomed back to his company, noting that Jennifer Many from the New York Bulletin had questioning his stay at the Birch Hospital and his treatment by Paul Edmonds. Meachum called Ward to congratulate him on the success of welcoming Rand back before questioning how they would deal with Mary before she continued exposing the story. As Ward agreed to handle Mary, Meachum claimed it would make up for the situation with Rand Leishmaniasis Cure which had just been lowered in price under Rand's orders, despite them trying to keep Rand busy.
====Reward for Loyalty====
While training inside his Penthouse yet again, Meachum witnessed the unexpected arrival of the Hand, led by Madame Gao. Meachum was thrown a full face mask which Gao ordered him to put on, so he did as instructed without question. As he stood surrounded by Gao's soldiers, Meachum asked her where they would all be going, fearing that Gao intended to have him assassinated, but Gao only answered that they were going for a ride before Meachum was blindfolded and taken out of his Penthouse by the Hand soldiers.
|Meachum is allowed to view Joy Meachum
Meachum was then taken blindfolded to a building where he was able to look out of the window and see Joy Meachum for the first time in years. Gao had told Meachum that due to his good work in securing the pier for them, the Hand had chosen to give him this gift as a token of their appreciation. As Meachum was admiring his daughter who he had last seen as a child, he noticed that she had been hit across the face, as Gao explained she had been attacked, but fortunately had just been rescued by her bodyguard. With that, Meachum requested one last favor from Gao and the Hand.
Granted his request, Meachum and a team of ninjas were driven to the Golden Sands where they had surrounded all the Yangsi Gonshi members and their leader Hai-Qing Yang. One of the ninjas had then demanded to know who the man was who had hit Joy Meachum, at which point only one of the hatchet men stepped forward. With that, Meachum stood before the man, who grabbed who axes to defend himself, but was not fast enough to stop Meachum from plunging his sword into his skull, killing him instantly. With that, Meachum cleaned his sword as the others left the restaurant without another word.
====Punishment through Pain====
As Meachum slept in his cryo chamber, he was awoken by a hard tap on the glass. Opening his eyes, Meachum saw a Hand printed on the glass above his head moments before he was dragged out of the chamber. Meachum was questioned by Alexi and Vando over why he was not doing as the Hand instructed, pointing to him leaving his Penthouse in order to investigate Danny Rand, but Alexi simply explained that Madame Gao had already met with Rand in person.
Initially, Meachum played dumb, claiming that Rand did not know he was alive and denying any knowledge of the Iron Fist, but Alexi then informed him that while this may be true, Gao could only accept such foolishness as bringing the Iron Fist, the sworn enemy of the Hand, into Rand Enterprises, if he was punished. Meachum watched in horror as Alexi drew a knife and Vando held his arm down, with Alexi pointing to Vando having lost his fingers and tongue for lying about a mistake. Meachum had pleaded with Alexi as he claimed that he had nothing to do with Rand, who did not even know that he was alive.
Just as Meachum said this, however, Rand entered the Penthouse to speak with him, much to the shock of Alexi and Vando. As Vando loosened his grip on his wrist for a moment, Meachum grabbed the blade and stabbed Alexi in the gut. While Vando fought against Rand, Meachum continued stabbing Alexi to death before getting behind Vando and slicing open his throat. Meachum questioned why Rand had not summoned the Iron Fist during the fight, but he explained he had just used it during the Da Jue Zhan and it had drained all of his own Chi, making it harder for him to access the Iron Fist again.
Meachum explained to Rand who Gao was, noting that it was Gao who had made the deal with him on his deathbed. Rand, however, noted that Gao claimed to know Wendell Rand, which Meachum claimed to have no previous knowledge of. When Rand insisted that he had to find Gao and find out more of her relationship with his father, Meachum insisted that it was too dangerous as Rand would be playing into Gao's hands. Meachum promised to get rid of the bodies, but to cover up his own involvement, Meachum then cut off his own finger to make it appear they had completed their task.Iron Fist: 1.07: Felling Tree with Roots
====Hiding the Bodies====
|Meachum tells Ward Meachum to help him
Meachum called Ward Meachum, who refused to answer the phone for a long while and when he finally did, Meachum told him that he was glad that he did. Meachum told Ward that he needed him to come to the Penthouse immediately, despite the late hour, for something important. When Ward expressed his desire not to come, Meachum told him that he needed him in an attempt to emotionally manipulate his son.
Meachum then focused on the bodies of Alexi and Vando, using a hammer to destroy their faces and teeth and cutting off their fingers in order to make them harder to identify. When Ward arrived, he was horrified to see his father smashing in the faces of dead men and threw up, although Meachum remained calm, questioning what had happened to Ward's broken hand. Meachum told his son to take the bodies to and dump them in the lake, noting that the Hand or the New York City Police Department would eventually find them but hopefully, they would be in the clear by then.
Ward furiously confronted his father about calling him in the middle of the night to dump bodies for him, but Meachum argued that there was nobody else he could call to help him with this, and that Ward always came when he needed him. Meachum compared this action to them going deer hunting when Ward was a child, although Ward noted that they had never been hunting together, as Meachum then questioned if he had taken Joy Meachum hunting instead. Meachum then continued smashing Vando's teeth in while Ward looked on with disgust and horror at all the violence his father was committing.
===Resurrection===
====Murdered by Ward====
The next day, Meachum and Danny Rand were discussing the Steel Serpent heroin, which Madame Gao was now attempting to sell all across New York City. Rand questioned how much Meachum had known about Gao's involvement with Rand Enterprises, but Meachum had still insisted that he had always been honest with Rand. They tracked the heroin operation to a warehouse in Brooklyn which Rand believed Radovan Bernivig was being kept, although Meachum recommended they leave Bernivig and focus on destroying Gao.
Seeking to keep Ward Meachum in the country, Meachum blocked his secret credit card, leading to Ward charging into the Penthouse to confront him. Meachum revealed he had discovered the card, which Ward was using to steal money from the company, and he had kept it hidden from the company for years, calling Ward a terrible thief. As Ward begged for the chance to be freed, Meachum noted that they would all soon be free of the Hand, telling him that he had simply had a moment of weakness which he would not be punished for, to which Ward insisted he was not a child, which he was being treated as.
Ward told his father that the last time he was truly happy was the day that he had watched Meachum die, which Meachum responded to by hitting Ward in the stomach and reminding him of how he had raised him up to run the company and to be feared and respected, claiming this mean Ward belonged to him. Meachum went to show Ward how Gao stole from Rand and the Roxxon Corporation, but Ward grabbed a knife and plunged it into his own father's gut. Ward continued stabbing Meachum until he had bled out and died, before driving his corpse to and then dumping it.
====Coming Back to Life====
Despite his corpse being left underwater for over a day, Meachum awoke from death and surfaced from the water. Confused by his whereabouts, Meachum found the knife that Ward Meachum had killed him with still lodged in his gut, which he then pulled out and marveled at his resurrection. Realizing that his own deal he had made with the Hand must have been what had brought him back from the dead, Meachum dragged himself out of the lake to finally return home.
Walking back towards New York City, Meachum then came across a group of children playing by a burst water hydrant. Meachum walked into the water to wash himself of the dirty lake water he was covered in, only to be confronted by one of the children's mothers, who told him to move on. Meachum, however, still confused from his ordeal, ranted about having a son of his own before walking away. Walking through Central Park, Meachum came to a hot dog vendor and burnt his hand on his boiling oil when he tried to grab the food, before then spitting out some lake water and then calmly walking away.
Meachum arrived at the Rand Enterprises Building where he decided to go take a look around. While looking through the window of their building, Meachum claimed that the building should be named after him before he had accidentally bumped into Davos who was walking past. Going to the side of the building, Meachum used a password to access the building and get to the top floor where he walked around Ward and Joy Meachum's offices before he had studied photographs of Wendell Rand and himself. Meachum then discovered that Ward's office was now Frank Robbins' since they were kicked out.
Having seen all he needed to see, Meachum called Kyle to come and collect him. As they were driving back towards the Penthouse, Kyle expressed how worried he had been for Meachum since he had not heard from him since all his children had lost their positions at Rand Enterprises along with Danny Rand following the orders of Lawrence Wilkins. Changing the subject while drinking his bourbon, Meachum asked Kyle what he would do if he had discovered that he could live forever. However, Meachum was disappointed when Kyle answered that he would simply eat ice cream for multiple meals every day.Iron Fist: 1.09: The Mistress of All Agonies
====Reunion with Ward Meachum====
Meachum returned to his Penthouse where he awaited the arrival of Ward Meachum. Upon Ward's arrival, Meachum revealed himself while still holding the knife that killed him, and told the horrified Ward about the day he was born. When Ward had questioned how Meachum was alive, he explained that due to the Hand's treatment it turned out he could never die again, despite Ward having already killed him. Meachum then questioned if Ward viewed him as a monster who had never done anything good, which Ward said he was.
Stepping closer to his son, Meachum had dropped the knife onto the floor and apologized to him, grabbing Ward and embracing him in a hug, much to Ward's confusion. As Meachum claimed that he had destroyed everything that had ever mattered to him and begged for his son's forgiveness, telling him that he loved him and that he had returned from the dead twice, which should be celebrated. Meachum poured Ward a drink and offered him whatever he wanted within the world, although Ward had insisted that all he wanted nothing to do with Rand Enterprises and instead wished to be left alone.
Although disappointed, Meachum told Ward that he had only desired to toughen him up ready to face the world, but told him that he was allowed to leave and never return if he had wished. Just as Ward was walking out, however, Meachum had hinted that he would recruit Joy Meachum to take up Ward's place, claiming he had no other choice. Ward, however, insisted that if she was brought into this, Joy would become a target of Madame Gao and the Hand, although Meachum promised he was now working on a solution for that and told Ward to walk away, taking a drink as Ward had then left the Penthouse.
====Murdering Kyle====
Once Kyle had finished for the day and was preparing to go home, Meachum spoke with him and invited him into the dining room where he presented him with various flavors of highly expensive ice creams as a gift. Kyle was delighted as Meachum insisted he call him by his first name, as Kyle joked that he thought he would be the first time he would see Meachum eating any sugar, as Meachum exclaimed he was a new man.
|Meachum furiously beating Kyle to death.
However, when Kyle asked for vanilla ice cream, claiming he did not like the fancy flavors, Meachum suddenly took great offense, due to all the effort he had put into arranging this for Kyle. Calling Kyle an ungrateful little shit, Meachum furiously grabbed the ice cream scoop and struck his own assistant across the skull. As Kyle attempted to crawl away, begging for mercy, Meachum continued striking him until he cracked open his skull, with Meachum then sitting down by Kyle's corpse with his face covered in blood, telling Kyle's body that he had experienced death and simply claimed that it was not so bad.
====Telling Joy the Truth====
Having hidden away Kyle's corpse, Meachum had watched on all his monitors while Joy Meachum arrived at his building alone. Taking this moment of his daughter returning to him as fate, Meachum opened the doors of the elevator for her and guided her towards his Penthouse. When Joy finally made it upstairs, Meachum revealed himself to her, to her complete horror as she questioned how he could still be alive as she had last seen him lying dead inside of his casket.
Meachum had apologized that his daughter had ever been forced to see him like that before commenting on how much she had grown up in the years since he had last seen her. Meachum then embraced Joy who could not hold back the tears as the emotions of being reunited with her long believed dead father flooded her all at once. Meachum had then comforted Joy as she cried into his shoulder, telling her that everything would not be okay as he cried as well. Meachum then spent the next few hours explaining everything that had happened to him to Joy and how he had returned from the dead years earlier.
While Joy concerned herself with what Ward Meachum must have been going with, Meachum insisted that they had no choice as they had to stay hidden or the Hand would have killed them, while noting how Danny Rand learned of the truth by accident. They discussed Meachum's illness and how they had cared for him, explaining he had desired to keep her away from all the pain she was feeling while watching him die. Meachum told Joy that he was sorry for everything before they discussed the feeling of his death, which Meachum had described as being trapped in the freezing cold emptiness.
Meachum expressed his desire for his family to be back together and happy, which Joy expressed her desire for as well, despite telling him that this situation was incredibly strange. Meachum noted that Ward had struggled as well upon finding out the truth but he promised that they could adapt to their situation and move forward. They discussed Ward, who had been checked into Birch Psychiatric Hospital to deal with his new addiction to Steel Serpent, as Meachum had then told Joy that they must do everything they could to assist while they still focused on Rand Enterprises and regaining their position.
Joy then called up Rand and explained that she knew of Meachum's resurrection, when Rand expressed his surprise that Meachum was still alive, noting the blood he found and his belief that Madame Gao had killed him, which Meachum told him not to worry about. While Meachum told Rand to focus on regaining the company, Rand told him that his new ally Bakuto had helped him defeat and capture Gao. When Meachum tried to celebrate Gao's defeat by drinking with Joy, she refused which angered Meachum, who then smashed the bottle on the floor out of a fit of brief rage and complete frustration.Iron Fist: 1.10: Black Tiger Steals Heart
====Bakuto's Threat====
While Meachum prepared to eat his dinner later that night, he was shocked to discover Bakuto had snuck inside and was currently waiting for him inside his Penthouse. As Meachum sat across from Bakuto and ate his dinner, he listened while Bakuto explained that he was now taking over all of Madame Gao's operations, including watching and controlling Meachum's movements while he was in their Penthouse. When Meachum questioned if Danny Rand told Bakuto of him, Bakuto confirmed that he had not done so directly.
Meachum had then expressed his sadness that the Hand were not allowing him to live his life free of them, although Bakuto promised that he was not as much of a threat as Gao was. Bakuto explained that he needed Meachum to continue working as he had done for Gao, but now for him, promising that if he did as they instructed, the reward would be that Meachum would be allowed to return to his public life at Rand Enterprises at long last, free of the Hand's control. Delighted by this proposition, Meachum invited Bakuto to continue talking as they made their new arrangement for the future.
====Regaining the Company====
Under the orders of Bakuto, Meachum had then traveled to the Rand Enterprises Building where he then snuck into the office of Lawrence Wilkins, who was horrified to see Meachum alive. Once they were all alone, Meachum showed Wilkins photographs of him being arrested by the New York City Police Department for hiring prostitutes and embezzling money, telling him that all of this was being done for legacy and the future for their children, offering to give Lawrence the chance to do right by his own children by obeying his instructions.
Telling him that the phone lines had been cut, Meachum told Wilkins of a terrible future for his son if these photos were to be leaked to the media, so Meachum told Wilkins that the simple solution was to kill himself before the news could get out. Wilkins was horrified and then ordered Meachum to leave him, telling him that he did not care either way. Meachum told Wilkins that a father's first responsibility was to provide his kids with a beautiful lie before he shot Wilkins through the skull. Meachum then ordered Kevin Singleton to cover up the murder to look like a suicide while Meachum calmly walked away.
By the next morning, Joy and Ward Meachum both regained their positions within Rand Enterprises, so Meachum and Joy celebrated this with champagne back at Meachum's Penthouse. Joy told her father that for years since his death she had thought she could feel his presence, although now she believed he was there manipulating things behind the scenes. Questioning his promise to be loyal, Joy asked if Meachum had had Wilkins assassinated, at which point Meachum looked her straight in the eye and promised that he had not, although he admitted he planned to destroy Bakuto.
===Defeating the Hand===
====Finding the Silver Bullet====
Meachum trained in his Penthouse, as he had found himself stronger than before as he burst his punchbag. Meachum then rejoined Joy Meachum who was drinking vast amounts of coffee, while busy researching what the Hand had been doing inside Rand Enterprises for all those many years. Despite Meachum telling her to get some sleep, Joy had explained that she had uncovered how the Hand were hiding accounts within their company and stealing millions of dollars from them, which had just been moved.
Meachum realized it was Bakuto moving all of Madame Gao's old accounts since taking over her work; however, Joy noted that they were not Gao's accounts, but Rand Enterprises accounts which they could, therefore, control and manipulate for themselves. Meachum celebrated this revelation by kissing Joy on the head and telling her that despite the Hand taking away so much from them, they would now be able to make them pay. Meachum asked if Joy had heard from Danny Rand, although she expressed more concern for Ward Meachum, with Meachum telling her not to worry about her brother.
Eventually, Rand returned to the Penthouse, where Meachum cooled down a tense reunion between him and Joy before being introduced to Davos, Rand's friend of K'un-Lun. Rand had told Meachum about Bakuto's Hand Compound, as Meachum explained that they would not need to attack it directly as they would then draw Bakuto out by taking his money. Davos expressed his concern over the plan, noting what a skilled warrior he was, although Meachum argued that he would not stand a chance against both Rand and Davos. Rand and Meachum then confirmed to Joy that they would have to kill Bakuto.
Meachum gave his orders to Kevin Singleton and Gary, telling them not to allow anyone into the Penthouse. Meachum then talked to Joy about how many people knew he was alive, with Meachum noting that if all went to plan that night, then he could soon return from the dead publicly, at last, comparing it to Rand's return. Joy questioned if they really had to commit murder to bring him back, but Meachum simply told her they would do whatever it took, ordering her to shut off Bakuto's accounts and drain out his money, despite Joy warning him over how the Hand would react to this betrayal.Iron Fist: 1.11: Lead Horse Back to Stable
====Betrayed by Ward====
Meachum and Joy Meachum watched their monitors as they tracked how the money was being taken out of all the Hand's accounts, as Meachum commented on how pleased he was to be working with his daughter again. They discussed how Joy used to speak to Meachum on his death bed about how school was going, with Meachum then expressing his one regret that she had to be there during his treatments, although Joy told her father that they were the only times she felt close to him.
They were interrupted as Kevin Singleton informed them that Ward Meachum had just arrived at the Penthouse to speak with him. Ward asked to speak with Joy alone, while Meachum ordered Singleton to find out how he had been released from Birch Psychiatric Hospital. Meachum asked Ward what was happening, being told that Ward wanted to spend time with his sister, when Meachum revealed that the hospital had not signed off on his release, Ward lost his temper and told Joy of Meachum killing Alexi and Vando and accusing him of killing Kyle who he noted was missing.
When Ward tried to drag Joy away, Meachum ordered Singleton to stop him, only for Ward to wrestle him to the floor and stool Gary's gun, aiming it at Meachum and demanding that Joy come with him. Although Singleton offered to put a stop to this, Meachum told him not to while Joy agreed to go with her brother. However, when Joy pressed the button for the elevator, she was shocked to see the arrival of Bakuto, who was revealed to have been working with Ward. Bakuto's men executed Singleton and Gary when they tried to fight back and then took all of the Meachums as their hostages.
Meachum was forced to watch as Ward was ordered by Bakuto to stop the transfer of his money from Rand Enterprises, with Bakuto questioning if Meachum really thought that stealing his money would end the threat of the Hand. When Meachum asked about their deal, Bakuto explained that Ward had agreed to hand over the company in exchange for killing his father and helping him capture Danny Rand. Once Ward had ended the transfer of his money, Bakuto dragged Meachum out of his seat and explained that if they removed his head, then Meachum would be unable to return to life.Iron Fist: 1.12: Bar the Big Boss
====Bakuto's Hostage====
While held as Bakuto's hostage, Meachum was forced to watch as Bakuto called Danny Rand on a video call and shot Joy Meachum in the gut as a demonstration of how serious the situation was, telling Rand that if he did not show his face at Harold Meachum's Penthouse, then he would be forced to allow Joy to bleed out and die before cutting off Meachum's own head with his own sword. Meachum was then forced to watch Joy bleed out while they waited for Rand to arrive and save them all.
Eventually, however, Bakuto informed them that their time was up and drew his sword, ready to remove Meachum's head from his shoulders. While Bakuto explained how a powerful sword it was, Meachum joked about not wanting to waste it on killing him, while Bakuto offered him a chance to say his final words. Meachum turned to Ward Meachum and told him that he was the biggest disappointment of his life since trying to train him to take over Rand Enterprises before telling Joy that he regretted not putting all of his faith in her. Meachum then told Bakuto that he was ready to be executed.
Mere moments before the blade could be brought down, Rand then arrived in the Penthouse and ordered Bakuto to stop. While Rand was surrounded and captured by the Hand soldiers, Meachum ran to Joy's aid and attempted to stop her bleeding, telling her that everything would be okay. It was agreed that once Rand and Bakuto had left, Joy would be taken to Metro-General Hospital. Bakuto then handcuffed Rand and reminded Ward on how to kill his father, and despite Joy's protests, they allowed Rand to be taken away by Bakuto and his men which Meachum described as a noble sacrifice by Rand.
====Saving Joy Meachum====
While Iron Fist fought against Bakuto and all of his men, Meachum focused on getting Joy Meachum to Metro-General Hospital where she could get treatment for the bullet wound given to her by Bakuto. While they both waited to hear about Joy's condition, Meachum then took the chance to look around the hospital ward, marveling at being around normal people for the first time in so many years, noting that he had forgotten how disgusting people could be.
Sitting down beside him, Meachum then confronted Ward Meachum while he was writing out the paperwork for the hospital, telling him that it had taken serious balls to betray him over to Bakuto and the Hand, noting that this had reminded Meachum of his relationship with his own father. When Ward tried to insist that this action of siding with Bakuto and the Hand had been a mistake, Meachum told Ward that the only mistake that had been made was by anyone thinking they could be stopped from retaking Rand Enterprises, hinting at his plans to regain the power that he had lost.
While they were talking, Danny Rand called Meachum on his cell phone, who explained that with the help of Davos and Colleen Wing they had successfully defeated and seemingly killed Bakuto once and for all. Meachum told Rand that Joy had been taken in for surgery and would be okay soon when Rand asked which hospital they were at, Meachum told him not to worry as he and Ward were there. Meachum asked where Rand would be staying, being told he would be at the Chikara Dojo with Wing for the time being, while Meachum thanked him for freeing him from the Hand's control.
====Betraying Danny Rand====
With the threats of Bakuto now over seemingly for good, Meachum chose to call the DEA in order to have Danny Rand framed and also destroy his reputation. With that done Meachum put on his best suit and prepared to finally leave his Penthouse and return to his former life. While packing his suitcase ready to go back to work, Meachum watched as Thembi Wallace reported on the hunt for Rand who had successfully managed to escape from all the DEA agents and was now on the run, much to Meachum's amusement.
Meachum then drove himself back to the Rand Enterprises Building where he parked right outside the building and walked inside. Greeting Megan, Meachum then walked into Ward Meachum's office where he found him speaking with Jeri Hogarth, who was horrified to see Meachum alive after so many years, noting that this was clearly fraud on the highest level. Meachum, however, was not bothered and asked her to leave so that he could speak with his son alone. Meachum then found and opened his old safe, which amazed Ward as he had no idea the safe had been in his office all that time.
When Ward questioned how Meachum expected to now be welcomed back into Rand Enterprises after being dead for so many years, Meachum explained that he would tell the board he had been involved with gene therapy and cryotherapy to explain his absence. Ward tried to question him, but Meachum warned that as Ward had tried to defeat him in the past, if he betrayed him again then only Meachum and Joy Meachum would run the company, with Meachum calling Rand a drug smuggler, despite Ward noting that Rand had saved him from the Hand which Meachum was unbothered by.
While preparing to leave, Meachum was greeted by Joy who had just checked herself out of Metro-General Hospital, who questioned why there were so many armed guards there. When Meachum tried to arrange a car to take her home, Meachum refused so they could talk privately. Meachum made a casual comment about getting noodles from the place Joy liked, which made her realize that he had been spying on her for the years he had been missing. Joy then questioned why her father had betrayed Rand to the DEA, noting that only he had access to the files on Madame Gao's drug smuggling.
Meachum then lied to Joy, claiming that he had withheld certain documents about the drug dealing to protect her from the idea that Rand was a drug smuggler. Joy demanded to see the documents, but Meachum claimed to have handed them over, which Joy claimed was a lie as her father would always keep a copy for himself. As Meachum continued to lie to her face, Joy accused him of setting up Rand, although Meachum claimed that Rand was a liar and vowed not to allow him to take over the company, as Meachum claimed the company belong to him now, so Joy then walked away.
====Battle at the Rand Enterprises Building====
Meachum caught Ward Meachum on the phone in his office, telling Danny Rand on the other end all about the guards that Meachum had in the offices, so Meachum responded by striking his son round the head with a golf club and knocking him out cold. Meachum then dragged Ward's unconscious body into another room before being informed by one of his guards that Rand had entered the Rand Enterprises Building and was now quickly making his way upstairs to confront Meachum.
Meachum reminded his guards that regardless of the Iron Fist, Rand was not bulletproof, and watched as his men surrounded the elevator and waited with their guns aimed to shoot Rand as soon as the doors opened. While Meachum watched from a distance, awaiting his victory, he was briefly distracted as Ward got back to his feet. However, to their surprise, Rand had actually gone outside as he swung inside the office with the Iron Fist and smashed through a window right beside Meachum, knocking back his guard with incredible force, and Meachum then quickly ran for cover.
While Meachum ran inside his office to regain his gun, Iron Fist fought against his remaining guards, who kept him at bay with prolonged gunfire. As Meachum stepped out, looking for a clear shot to execute Rand, he discovered Colleen Wing was sneaking up behind him in an attempt to stab him in the back. Just as Meachum prepared to kill Wing, Iron Fist dived out from under cover and used all his might to punch the floor, causing a shockwave through the building which knocked everyone, including Meachum off their feet, but Meachum was soon able to get up and then ran away.
====Final Standoff====
Meachum soon made it onto the roof where he aimed his gun at the doorway in the hope of killing Danny Rand as he stepped outside. However, Rand proved to be faster than Meachum and was prepared for as he avoided the gunshots. Meachum remained calm and waited for the right moment, while managing to fire a well-aimed shot which hit Rand in the hand, causing Rand great agony as he recalled how he had last been on that rooftop with Wendell Rand many years earlier, noting he had wanted to push Wendell off the rooftop.
As Meachum kept talking, Rand charged out from his hiding place and kicked him, knocking him over, before Rand ran for cover again. Meachum told Rand that his sole focus would now be vengeance for Rand turning his family against him, although Rand insisted that it was Meachum who had destroyed his own family through his actions. Rand managed to attack Meachum and pinned him to the ground, but found that with his Chi damaged and his hand wounded, he was unable to summon the Iron Fist to aid him, so Meachum used this to his advantage before using an iron pole to attack him.
Rand furiously told Meachum that it was him who had turned Joy and Ward Meachum against himself, and no one else, telling him that because of his own actions he was now hated by those who should love him. Meachum furiously attacked Rand, using Rand's own rage to his advantage as he managed to strike him several times and even knocked him to the ground. However, remembering Madame Gao's words to him, Rand got up and struck Meachum hard, knocking him back where Meachum impaled himself onto a steel spike. However, Meachum was unaffected and mockingly asked Rand for a hug.
|Meachum attempting to shoot the Iron Fist
Now trapped on the spike, Meachum told Rand to finish him off, but Rand looked up to see the lights above them and was reminded of Shou-Lao and found peace, telling Meachum that he would instead hand him over to the New York City Police Department and ensure that he ended up in a prison a lot worse than his Penthouse Prison. Determined to get his revenge against Rand, Meachum managed to free himself of the spike and shot at Rand, who summoned the Iron Fist and block the bullet before Ward appeared and shot his own father, causing Meachum to fall off the building to his death. His corpse was later cremated to prevent further resurrection.
===Legacy===
====Family Breakdown====
To be added
==Personality==
Despite his revival and imprisonment by the Hand, Harold Meachum retains a cheery, fatherly demeanor towards his children Joy and Ward Meachum, assistant Kyle and, initially, Danny Rand treating the latter two like his own children. However, he has shown to prefer harsh levels of punishments which he claims is because of his father beating him when he was young yet Meachum still loved and respected him for it. He often verbally and physically reprimanded Ward for his disobedience and, according to Ward, has been harsh towards him his entire life. Though Meachum claims it was to make him a great man, Ward hated him for it nonetheless. When he murdered Kyle, Meachum claimed it was because of ingratitude for buying him ice cream like a father would do. It later becomes clear that his resurrection from death has turned him into a violent maniac as shown in his homicidal reaction to perceived or fictional crimes against himself and his family.
Even before being revived, Meachum showed some villainous tendencies such as having an urge to push Wendell Rand off their building when they were overlooking New York City together. He was ruthless enough to kill his best friend and business partner along with his entire family to gain full control of Rand Enterprises but opportunistic enough to accept the Hand's offer to bring him back to life after his cancer kills him. This is a similar situation when he used Danny Rand to free him from the Hand's captivity and later betrays Rand despite his love for Meachum. Ultimately, Harold Meachum's manipulative and selfish nature destroyed any hope of love from the Rands and his own family.
Regardless of his ruthless and abusive attitude towards Ward and Danny, Meachum has shown genuine love towards his daughter Joy. After his first resurrection, he initially wanted to tell Joy that he was alive but Ward wouldn't let him due to the potential danger he posed to her, but immediately did after his second revival. When Joy, Ward, and Harold were held captive by Bakuto and the Hand, Meachum, with a sword at his neck, asks about his daughter's condition after she was non-fatally shot rather than himself. However, he also apologizes for choosing Ward over Joy all his life, implying he spent more time with Ward or saw more potential in him for great things that he did.
==Powers and Abilities==
===Powers===
*Longevity: Due to the effects of the Resurrection Elixir, Meachum retained his biological age and appearance from the time of his first death, causing him to not visibly age afterward. In addition, his overall health and vitality were increased when he resurrected, enough that he was strong enough to punch a hole in his punching bag after his second resurrection.
*Resurrection: Harold Meachum made a deal with The Hand wherein he will be cured of cancer in exchange for his loyalty. The Hand kept their promise and helped cure him by giving him the power to resurrect whenever he died. It took time for him to recover from whatever killed him, though no damage inflicted on him would be permanent after he resurrected. Unfortunately, as a side-effect, Meachum would become more violent with each death and resurrection, and his head needed to remain attached in order for him to come back, meaning that decapitation or cremation would kill him permanently.
*Regeneration: Upon being brought back from the dead thanks to his resurrection powers, he seemed to have regenerated the finger that he cut off in a desperate attempt to fool Madame Gao.
===Abilities===
*Master Businessman: To be added
*Expert Tactician: To be added
*Combatant: Meachum was proficient in boxing and was sometimes seen practicing with a punching bag or sparring with a trainer.
*Marksman: To be added
==Equipment==
===Weapons===
*: Meachum used this handgun to kill Lawrence Wilkins in his office, as Wilkins had been instrumental in bringing his sons out of the company. Meachum then gave the gun to Kevin Singleton, to make it appear as a suicide.
*: Meachum retrieved this handgun from the safe in his old office at the Rand Enterprises Building once Danny Rand broke into the building, hoping to shoot at him while he was distracting dealing with his guards. Meachum managed to hold Colleen Wing at gunpoint, and despite he was knocked down by Rand's Iron Fist, he escaped with the gun to the roof. Meachum confronted Rand and managed to shoot him in the hand, injuring him, and one last time after Rand delivered what would have been a fatal blow. However, this last bullet was blocked by his Iron Fist, who also healed the previous wound.
*Hand Ceremonial Knife: Meachum kept possession of the dagger that was used to cut off his pinky finger which had been previously used by Alexi and Vando. It was later used by Ward to kill him and was dumped with it still in his heart.
===Other Equipment===
*Resurrection Elixir: After being diagnosed with cancer, Meachum decided to make a deal with the Hand by letting them use a mystical substance, known as the Resurrection Elixir, to become alive once again.
==Facilities==
*Rand Enterprises Building: To be added
*Harold Meachum's Penthouse: To be added
*Red Hook Pier: To be added
==Relationships==
===Family===
*Father †
*Wife † 
*Ward Meachum - Son and Killer
*Joy Meachum - Daughter
*Unborn Grandchild
===Allies===
*Rand Enterprises
**Megan
*Kevin Singleton † - Bodyguard
*Gary † - Bodyguard
*Davos - Situational Ally
===Enemies===
*Wendell Rand † - Former Best Friend, Business Partner and Victim
*Heather Rand † - Former Friend and Victim
*Lawrence Wilkins † - Victim
*Danny Rand/Iron Fist - Former Friend and Attempted Victim
*Jeri Hogarth - Former Ally
*Hand
**Madame Gao
**Bakuto † - Attempted Killer
**Alexi † - Victim
**Vando † - Victim
*Yangsi Gonshi
**Hai-Qing Yang †
*Kyle † - Former Assistant and Victim
*Colleen Wing
==Appearances==
Appearances for Harold Meachum
==Trivia==
*In the comics, Harold Meachum accompanied Wendell Rand, his wife Heather and their son Danny in an expedition to K'un-Lun, only to let Rand die in order to conquer the affection of Heather and Rand's share of business. His legs were amputated due to frostbite. When Iron Fist later confronted Harold Meachum, he decides to spare him from his revenge only for Harold to be killed by an unidentified ninja.
==Behind the Scenes==
*Rick Kain, Josiah Nolan, and Jason Mello were stunt doubles for David Wenham in the role of Harold Meachum.
==References==
==External Links==
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Category:Characters
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Category:Resurrected Characters
Category:Deceased Characters
Category:Characters Killed by Ward Meachum