Featuring: Daredevil
Release: May 5, 1966
Cover: July 1966
12 cents
Story by: Smilin’ Stan Lee
Art by: Jazzy Johnny Romita
Inks by: Fearless Frank Giacoia
Lettering by: Swingin’ Sammy Rosen
20 pages
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|---|---|---|
| Marvels #3 | POSTLUDE | |
| X-Men #23 | Reading order | Fantastic Four #52 |
| Daredevil #17 | Daredevil | Daredevil #19 |
Karen is about 99% convinced that I’m really Daredevil! But, she still hasn’t said she’ll marry me!
Next to the credits, we learn Stan had scripted 7 pages before taking a vacation, and that Denny O’Neil finished the script.
We met Dennis O’Neil on the final two issues Ditko’s Dr. Strange, his first comics work. He won’t be at Marvel long. He’ll go on to pretty good things at the Distinguished Competition.
Foggy enters a costume shop featuring various superheroes and villains. Recall how we saw a lot of superhero sculptures from Wally Wood to show off his takes on the characters; this is Romita’s chance to show he’s qualified for a variety of titles. Unfortunately Wood left before trying his hand at other Marvel characters.
Romita will be with Marvel for the rest of his days, and have generally more positive things to say about Stan and their relationship than the artists we’ve been seeing up until now. And Romita will get plenty of chances in the future to draw the characters he’s depicting here.
Two issues back, Spider-Man mistook Foggy for Daredevil. His spider-sense had led him to the office, and he deduced Daredevil couldn’t be the woman or the blind guy, so he picked the fat guy. This mistake has weirdly spiraling consequences.
Foggy has been trying to win Karen’s affections, in particular trying to win them over Matt. And Karen has always talked fondly of Daredevil. So Foggy figures that maybe letting Karen think Spider-Man was right is the way to her heart. I don’t know much about women, but this seems like a solid plan to me.
Obviously phase 2 in getting Karen to fall in love with him is to get himself an actual Daredevil costume. Which brings us to this seedy costume shop.
The shop-owner has Daredevil costumes, but not in Foggy’s size. As Foggy’s body type is nowhere near a match for Daredevil’s. And nobody would ever confuse them.
When Foggy finally gets the Daredevil suit on, we see he is in fact a very pudgy Daredevil.
Phase 3 of getting Karen to fall in love with him was suggested by the creepy shopkeeper. And Foggy sees no problems with this. The shopkeeper will set up a battle with a fake super-villain that Foggy can win to impress Karen.
Despite making a living off making superhero outfits, this shopkeeper apparently really hates superheroes. He has a theory that the only difference between an ordinary person and a superhero is a costume and a few gadgets. (I’m somewhat reminded how Joker thinks the only difference between an ordinary person and him is one bad day.)
With a costume, an arsenal, and a codename, the shopkeeper is ready to prove he’s as good as any superhero. He has become: The Gladiator!
Daredevil hasn’t had the best rogues gallery yet. Along with the Owl, Purple Man and Stilt-Man, Gladiator will be one of the most enduring.
We get to see Daredevil’s antics from a new perspective, with Foggy as the hero and Matt as the witness. Foggy has a nice suit and doesn’t know where to put it while off being Daredevil.
Matt thinks it sounds cornball when Foggy refers to himself as “The Man Without Fear”.
Foggy is defeated by Gladiator in a single blow. This is not the way to Karen’s heart.
Gladiator sees two paths in front of him. There is no middle ground. He must either commit to villainy or settle for the costume shop. He makes his choice, but will eventually make a different one. And probably a better one.
The first time she sees Foggy as Daredevil in battle, Karen runs to the police. She tells the police that Foggy is Daredevil and where they work.
Sounds to me like she can’t be trusted with Daredevil’s secret identity.
When Daredevil-Matt and Gladiator end up battling underwater, DD recalls his already-classic battle with Namor.
I’d like to remind us for no particular reason that we never learned the true identity of the Masked Marauder from the previous story arc.
Anyways, we meet Mr. Dunn, the building manager where Nelson & Murdock rent their office. He wants to discuss rent with Karen, and she faints.
I also faint when my landlord wants the rent.
We get a nice time lapse motion panel from Romita here, of the form Ditko often liked when illustrating Spider-Man stories.
Gladiator gets arrested, but I am struggling with what he did that was provably illegal. He attacked a lawyer in a superhero costume, but that lawyer literally paid him to do so. I feel like if Gladiator is a criminal, then Foggy is at least an accessory to whatever the charge is. And anyways the only statement Daredevil-Foggy makes is that he looked suspicious.
Mr. Dunn refers to some personal business he has with Foggy Nelson. Presumably concerning the rent.
Perhaps Foggy and Gladiator have both learned that being a superhero is about more than the costume.
By the end of the story, Gladiator also thinks Foggy is Daredevil. Last issue ended with Masked Marauder deducing that. Throw in Spider-Man and Karen… at this point Matt is the only person who doesn’t think Foggy is Daredevil.
We’re going to pause Daredevil’s adventures there as the story seems mostly resolved for the moment. Though we haven’t seen the last of Gladiator or Mr. Dunn.
But right now I’m more curious to see what the Fantastic Four get up to in a land called Wakanda…
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 57/100
Significance: ★★★★☆
I read this story in Daredevil Epic Collection vol. 1: The Man Without Fear.
Characters:
- Foggy Nelson/Daredevil.
- The Gladiator
- Matt Murdock/Daredevil
- Karen Page
- Mr. Dunn
Minor characters:
- Mac (police officer)
- Chuck (police officer)
Story notes:
- Costume shop has costumes of: Dr. Strange, Daredevil, Captain America, Thor, Dr. Doom, Iron Man…
- Foggy still allowing Karen to think he’s Daredevil in the hopes this will get her to marry him.
- Foggy describes the store as seedy and run-down, but admits they make great costumes.
- The shop-owner has no DD costume in Foggy’s size; Foggy explains he is trying to impress a girl. He agrees to alter the costume for an extra charge. Foggy is told to come back after dark.
- The shopkeeper hates superheroes; he thinks anyone could be a superhero or villain with the right costume and gadgets.
- Matt concerned Foggy’s game is dangerous but doesn’t know what to do without exposing his secret.
- Matt goes to hidden lower floor gym.
- Matt Murdock takes the morning off and gets to work at noon. Through the wall he hears Karen accept Foggy’s dinner invitation.
- Matt blames Spider-Man for giving Foggy the idea of being Daredevil.
- Shopkeeper seems unhappy Foggy saw the costume he was working on.
- Shopkeeper suggests a staged fight with someone in one of his super-villain costumes to impress Karen.
- Daredevil rides a helicopter and then jumps down to a flagpole.
- Villain’s plan is to lure the real Daredevil through his fight with Foggy.
- Gladiator’s accessories: nylon boots with tungsten alloy blades; wrist shields forged of twin-edged tungsten alloy powered with tiny transistorized engines enabling them to whirl at tremendous velocity, acting as propellers and gyroscopes; helmet with oxygen regenerator
- Foggy takes Karen to shady area on the Waterfront.
- DD had been practicing breathing techniques after battle with Namor.
- Daredevil finds a weak spot beneath the jaw and takes out Gladiator, then flees before the police come.
- Foggy could kill Daredevil’s reputation and effectiveness
| Previous | #530 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Marvels #3 | POSTLUDE | |
| X-Men #23 | Reading order | Fantastic Four #52 |
| Daredevil #17 | Daredevil | Daredevil #19 |
