Daredevil #13

Featuring: Daredevil
Release: December 12, 1965
Cover: February 1966
12 cents
Dastardly story by: Stan Lee
Demonic layouts by: Jack Kirby
Devastating artwork by: John Romita
Dilapidated lettering by: Sam Rosen
20 pages

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No man is ever helpless… not while he lives… not while he dares!

The title promises the secret of Ka-Zar’s origin. The narration seems to hedge a bit, promising only new clues to his origin.

Recall, we had a bit of confusion last time. In name and appearance, Ka-Zar appears to be a character we’d met long before. David Rand, a jungle lord in the Congo introduced in Marvel Comics #1. This Ka-Zar looks the same and also goes by Ka-Zar, but lives in a hidden dinosaur-laden land in Antarctica. Is this Ka-Zar David Rand? And if so, how did we get to Antarctica?

We left off with Ka-Zar in peril from a plant and Daredevil in peril from Maa-Gor, last of the Ape Men, whom we met alongside Ka-Zar in X-Men #10.

Notably, Ka-Zar was endangered trying to get to the berries that would save Daredevil. Meanwhile, Daredevil has woken up anyway, and seems to be doing fine, except for having to fight the Ape Man.

Plunderer shows special interest in Ka-Zar. We didn’t notice this special interest last issue. Plunderer reveals Ka-Zar is his long-lost brother. That means Ka-Zar is Lord Plunder. Ka-Zar appears to have no possessions, but his loincloth has half a medallion.

Huh, Tarzan also turned out to be a Lord. Coincidence.

Wait, did both brothers find this hidden land by coincidence?

No, there’s a whole story here. Their father, Lord Plunder, was an explorer who found a wondrous rocklike fragment. It creates vibrations which shatter his hammer and make metal crumble. Plunderer lied when claiming to search for Atlantis. Really he sought his brother and his half of the medallion.

There’s a fancy rock that does vibration-stuff in the Marvel films. I wonder if there’s any connection.

Notably Ka-Zar’s name seems to be Kevin, not David. I guess this is a different jungle man with the same name. Kind of like how Johnny Storm isn’t the original Human Torch. They just look alike and have the same name.

Rating: ★★★☆☆, 55/100
Significance: ★★★★☆

Significance rating of 4 because I think that unnamed metal’s going to be important.

I read this story in Daredevil Epic Collection vol. 1: The Man Without Fear.

Characters:

• Maa-Gor
• Daredevil
• Ka-Zar/Kevin Plunder
• Zabu
• Plunderer
• Slagg
• Karen Page
• Franklin “Foggy” Nelson
• Lord Plunder
• Feepers

Story notes:

• Daredevil has lost all sensory powers.
• Ka-Zar again repeats catch phrase. Stronger than mastodon…
• Plunderer unintentionally rescues Daredevil from Maa-Gor.
• Slagg recognizes Daredevil has lost his sight.
• Foggy excited he’s found legal precedent to win biggest case; acknowledges Matt would have found it sooner.
• Karen concerned Matt’s cruise ship attacked. Foggy only concerned about Karen’s romantic interests.
• Matt presumed lost at sea.
• Berries restore Daredevil’s powers.
• Plunderer traps Ka-Zar.
• Plunderer poisons his own men.
• Everybody taken to Plunder’s coastal castle in England.
• Lord Plunder, Plunderer/Ka-Zar’s father introduced in flashback.
• No limit to power of vibrations. Small piece made into medallion, a key to the stone tomb where he hid the rest.
• Brothers seem around age 10 when given medallion.
• Both Feepers and Slagg betray Plunder to get medallion.
• Feepers part of international espionage network, codename F-18.
• Lord Plunder accuses Daredevil of murder and sends the police after him and Ka-Zar.

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