Daredevil #10

Featuring: Daredevil
Release: August 3, 1965
Cover: October 1965
12 cents
Exquisite editing by: Stan Lee
Lustrous layouts by: Bob Powell
Stunning script and art by: Wally Wood
Lots of lettering by: Artie Simek
20 pages

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Amazing Spider-Man #29	Reading order	Daredevil #11
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Wally Wood has always wanted to try his hand at writing a story as well as drawing it, and big-hearted Stan (who wanted a rest anyway) said okay! So, what follows next is anybody’s guess! You may like it or not, but, you can be sure of this… it’s gonna be different!

This comic’s cool because if you look closely you can see all the behind-the-scenes drama playing out on the page.

The hype box is unusually important. Stan notes Wally had always wanted to try writing a story as well as drawing it, so Stan’s giving him a shot. Really, Wally claims he’s already been writing these comics, but not being paid for doing so.

The precise way in which this issue was constructed is unclear to me, in part because the people who could describe it to history weren’t in agreement, and nobody involved is still living. My best guess is the process here is something like this. Wally came up with the story and gave it to Bob Powell to lay out. Wood filled in the final art and supplied the script. Lee made his final edits.

The other important part of that narration box is that this is a mystery with clues. We’ll see that the mystery isn’t resolved in this issue, but we’ll also see that Wood doesn’t write the next issue and instead leaves the company.

Having his one writing gig be the setup to a mystery he doesn’t tell anybody the ending of may have been an intentional parting shot from Mr. Wood.

Apparently future Daredevil star Charlie Cox likes this comic.

The mysterious Organizer has recruited Cat Man, Ape Man, Frog Man, and Bird Man to launch a crimewave against the city.

We’ll see much debate over who wrote what in this issue, that continues decades later. My only question is whether Wally or Stan came up with “Creepy-peepy” to describe the chest cameras.

Most of this gang is new to us, but Ape Man is a big hood named Monk Keefer. The Avengers briefly met a hoodlum named Monk in Avengers #12. Maybe the same guy?

Also note Daredevil had once fought a thug named Ape Horgan. And we learn Cat Man’s last name is Horgan. Coincidence? Probably.

A couple things to note about the issue before we get into the mystery and behind-the scenes drama. In this issue, Foggy runs for district attorney. While this attempt was not successful, it’s only the beginning of Foggy’s association with politics. Also, we meet Deborah Harris, a high school sweetheart of Foggy’s. She’ll show up again in the future.

Playing along

Let’s see if I can play along as we go. I have read this comic before, but not recently, and don’t recall who the Organizer is. So it’s semi-fair play to try to spot clues.

I mean I recall it’s one of the random people we meet in this issue, and that it’s not like secretly Daredevil himself or anything.

The Organizer makes it a point to steal from Adam Townes. Is this cover because he is Adam Townes? Well, we never meet Adam Townes again in the issue, so probably not.

The Organizer wants records of past elections destroyed. Had he unsuccessfully run for mayor in the past?

They make such a big deal out of the Reform Party, that this must be connected somehow. Is Organizer one of the candidates like Abner Jonas or Bernard Harris or Milton Monroe? (Hardly a fair play mystery if it’s not somebody we’ve met.) Surely, it’s not Foggy (I imagine I’d remember). Deborah Harris is a wildcard bet. They’ve certainly implied the Organizer is a man.

We get evidence of the connection when Matt’s senses detect the Organizer’s transmission coming from the Reform Party yacht. Note that Bernard and Deborah are visible while the message is being sent. And Jonas seems to have been there as well.

In speeches, Jonas has been using the crimewave to attack the administration. This fits in so nicely with the Organizer’s plans. Plus, Jonas is the mayoral candidate. Presumably the Organizer himself would prefer to be the mayor instead of some assemblyman.

Jonas was the one who introduced Deborah to Foggy, so if she’s in on it, perhaps he is too. Of course Bernard Harris is another suspect, and I think it’s implied he’s her father.

My best guess is that Milton Monroe is the organizer because he was the only candidate not visible when the Organizer was talking to Frog Man. Also, he made such a show of trying to convince the campaign not to capitalize on the crimewave, perhaps to throw us off the scent.

The end caption box is important too, as Stan notes he’ll be writing the next issue, claiming Wally left it to him to finish. He does claim a clue was planted. I’m not sure I caught it. Did you?

We’ll find out next issue. I swear it’s been years since I’ve read this and I really don’t recall which of these random dudes is the organizer.

I also have made sure that the relevant clue(s) are in the images I included, so you can play along.

Lee and Wood

Here’s the relevant bit of the opening text from Stan:

Wally Wood has always wanted to try his hand at writing a story as well as drawing it, and big-hearted Stan (who wanted a rest anyway) said okay! So, what follows next is anybody’s guess! You may like it or not, but, you can be sure of this… it’s gonna be different!

Stan Lee

Here’s the end note from Stan:

Now that Wally got the writing out of his system, he left it for poor Stan to finish next issue! Can our leader do it? That’s the real mystery! But, while you’re waiting, see if you can find the clue we planted showing who the Organizer is! It’ll all come out in the wash next issue when Stan wraps it up! See you then!

Stan Lee

All promotion and hyperbole. You have to squint to see what’s happening.

On the intro to the letter’s page, Stan adds this:

Well, if you’ve ever seen a more complicated, mixed-up, madcap mystery yarn than this one, you’ve got Us beat by a mile! And now, here’s the payoff– Wonderful Wally decided he doesn’t have time to write the conclusion next ish, and he’s forgotten most of the answers we’ll be needing! So, Sorrowful Stan has inherited the job of tying the whole yarn together and finding a way to make it all come out in the wash! And you think you’ve got troubles!

Stan Lee

Wally may have been happy to write the conclusion if paid to do so.

Final box from Lee, who had a lot to say about the behind-the-scenes of this issue.

Remember now, next ish will either be one of our Marvel moments of triumph, or another floppy fall on our foolish faces! It’s all up to Stan! Can he figure out how to end this yarn? Can he tie all the clues together? Will he ever talk to Wary Wally again? We have a hunch you’re in for a mess of surprises– but it won’t mean a thing unless you show up! So, face front! Join inimitable Irving Forbush as he murmurs “Make Mine Marvel!” Keep well and happy! And don’t be mad at us– we’ve been doin’ our best! See ya next ish! ‘Nuff said!

Stan Lee

Will Stan ever talk to Wally again? I’m guessing, no.

Let’s look ahead now to the letters page of Daredevil #12, made after Wood had cut ties with Marvel. Stan wrote the following.

Glad you liked Wally’s story, but we’ll let you in on a little secret— Stan the Man couldn’t keep his hands off the script, and when Our Leader got through editing it, about the only thing left that Wally himself had written was his name! Anyway, judging by all your mail, the whole mixed-up mess seemed to have been well-received in Marvel-land, and that’s all that really counts!

Stan Lee

Stan seems to be claiming he rewrote the entire script, despite crediting and paying Wood for it.

Also notice that Stan seems to be somewhat denigrating the comic as a mess. You’ve got to look past Stan’s constant showmanship to try to figure out what’s going on behind the scenes. But these really were two men just not getting along.

(We also see from the letters page in Daredevil #12 that plenty of readers put the clues together correctly. Did you?)

Here’s some quotes The Comics Journal has from an interview Wood did with Mark Evanier, many years later.

On his Daredevil run, generally:

I enjoyed working with Stan [Lee] on Daredevil but for one thing. I had to make up the whole story. He was being paid for writing, and I was being paid for drawing, but he didn’t have any ideas. I’d go in for a plotting session, and we’d just stare at each other until I came up with a storyline. I felt like I was writing the book but not being paid for writing.

Wally Wood

On this issue in particular:

I persuaded him to let me write one by myself since I was doing 99% of the writing already. I wrote it, handed it in, and he said it was hopeless. He said he’d have to rewrite it all and write the next issue himself. Well, I said I couldn’t contribute to the storyline unless I got paid something for writing, and Stan said he’d look into it, but after that he only had inking for me. Bob Powell was suddenly pencilling Daredevil.

Wally Wood

And:

I saw [Daredevil #10] when it came out, and Stan had changed five words—less than an editor usually changes. I think that was the last straw.

Wally Wood

Here’s a sample of original art. You can see where there is whiteout in the dialogue. That implies somebody was making changes, almost certainly the editor Stan Lee. I see at least 10 changes on this page alone. Likely minor. And the task of making these changes really is an editor’s job. So Wood (years later) exaggerated with a low number how many changes Lee made, but his basic point was that Lee was doing an editor’s work is correct. And Stan’s claim that the only thing Wally wrote was his name is plainly false.

A couple of Stan’s additions seem to help clarify the plot, and a couple add Stan’s trademark humorous banter.

Here’s Brian Cronin on the question of who wrote what. He’s always thorough.

Again, the argument is about which man came up with the phrase “creepy-peepy TV cameras”.

I’ll leave it on this short story Wood wrote many years later in an issue of The Woodwork Gazette from 1980: “What Makes Stanley Run?”

Once upon a time, many years ago a young man, born the son of a famous comic book publisher, decided to become rich and famous. He had no idea how to go about this at first, lacking both the brains and talent to achieve this goal. But he was driven by one emotion, rather TWO… ENVY and HATE. Envy for the people who were responsible for his enviable state, and hatred for the people who could DRAW. Comics are, after all, an artist’s medium. I’ve never read a story in comics that I would bother with if it were written in novel form.

Did I say Stanley had no smarts? Well, he DID come up with two sure fire ideas… the first one was “Why not let the artists WRITE the stories as well as draw them?”…. And the second was…. ALWAYS SIGN YOUR NAME ON TOP… BIG”. And the rest is history… Stanley, of course became rich and famous … over the bodies of people like Bill and Jack. Bill, who had created the character that made his father rich wound up COLORING and doing odd jobs.

And Jack? Well, a friend of mine summed it up like this.. “Stanley and Jack have a conference, then Jack goes home, and after a couple of month’s gestation, a new book is born. Stanley gets all the money and all the credit… And all poor old Jack gets is a sore ass hole.”

Wally Wood

That was written 15 years later, when Wood was 52. Wood remained bitter. Wally Wood died not long after that gazette was put out, at the age of 54 in 1981.

Stanley is obviously about Stan Lee. Jack is Jack Kirby. Bill is Bill Everett, creator of the Sub-Mariner and co-creator of Daredevil. The references to Stanley’s father refer to Martin Goodman, who is not Stan’s father, but an in-law.

August

We’ve reached August 1965. Let’s take a peek around the newsstand with the help of the Grand Comics Database and Mike’s Amazing World.

Marvel puts out Marvel Tales Annual 2, reprinting a handful of now-classic Marvel superhero stories.

In addition to the stories we are reading, Marvel puts out the latest Two-Gun Kid and Patsy Walker, as well as three (!) Millie the Model comics this month, including an annual.

Dell publishes the western hero, Lobo, the first Black character to headline his own comic title.

At DC, Green Lantern #40 is the first meeting between the new and old Green Lanterns, and that the issue introduced the villain Krona.

DC is focused on superheroes, but also publishing romance, war, and humor comics. Archie is publishing what you’d expect. Charlton has no obvious focus, with a mix of war, wester, superhero, humor, romance comics, and comics about racing cars. Dell is an odd mix, with TV adaptations being their primary focus, but also a bit of everything. Gold Key is almost entirely TV adaptations or comics with classic characters from the Phantom to Mickey Mouse. Harvey remains focused entirely on humor characters like Casper or Little Dot.

• Brave and the Bold #62, DC
• Heart Throbs #98, DC
• Superman #180, DC
• Archie #158, Archie
• Blue Beetle #52, Charlton
• Hot Rods and Racing Cars #76, Charlton
• Marines Attack #7, Charlton
• Nukla #1, Dell
• The Flintstones #30, Gold Key
• The Phantom #14, Gold Key
• Richie Rich Dollars & Cents #11, Harvey
• Creepy #5, Warren

Rating: ★★★☆☆
Significance: ★★★★☆

Significance is more for the end of Wood’s time with Marvel than the introduction of the villains or Foggy’s girlfriend.

Characters:

• The Organizer
• Cat Man/Horgan
• Bird Man/Henry Hawk
• Ape Man/Monk Keefer
• Frog Man/Frog Le Blanc
• Daredevil/Matt Murdock
• Karen Page
• Foggy Nelson
• Abner Jonas
• Bernard Harris
• Milton Monroe
• Deborah Harris

I’ll forgo my usual habit of hiding a spoiler in the credits. Perhaps there is some redundancy above as one of those people may be the Organizer. We’ll find out next issue.

Story notes:

• Cat Man orchestrates a prison break overseen by the Organizer, involving a blackout bomb in a move codenamed Operation Blackout.
• Cat Man breaks Monk Keefer out of prison.
• Le Blanc had been in the Navy, and is now wanted by the Navy.
• Organizer summons Le Blanc to the Chemco building.
• Henry Hawk a bookie, accepting a bet for $10 on Rosebud.
• Organizer’s goal is to take over city administration.
• Organizer allows henchmen to keep what they steal.
• Objectives: Cat Man to rob city treasury; Ape Man to steal Rajah Ruby from Adam Townes; Bird Man to remove records of past elections from city archives; Frog Man to cut city power and communications lines.
• Daily Chronicle reports on crimewave.
• Reform Party wants Foggy to run for DA.
• Matt fears Party is using Foggy, but Foggy thinks he’s jealous.
• Abner Jonas is Reform Party’s candidate for mayor; Bernard Harris is candidate for borough president; Milton Monroe for assemblyman.
• All candidates are wealthy, respected men.
• Foggy and Deborah went to Fillmore Junior High; they had been sweethearts. Karen may be jealous.
• Daredevil has sonar senses underwater.
• Daredevil stops Frog Man’s attack on yacht, but Organizer’s purpose had been served.
• Diagram of Chemco building.
• Team called: “The Organization”.
• Bird Man robs reform party but Daredevil stops him.
• Daredevil scans city with snooper scope.
• Organizer tricks Daredevil into opening vault for heist. Daredevil wanted by the police.
• Monroe objects to Jonas blaming the administration for the Organizer’s crimes.
• Deborah kidnapped but Cat Man arrested.
• Ape Man sent to assasinate Cat Man, stopped by Daredevil
• Deborah in league with Organizer.

Previous	#434	Next
Amazing Spider-Man #29	Reading order	Daredevil #11
Daredevil #9	Daredevil	Daredevil #11