Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Essential Daredevil Vol. 2 by Stan Lee Essential Daredevil Vol. 3. Overview: Welcome back to the continuing adventures of Daredevil, the Man without Fear. In this volume, we say goodbye to writer Stan Lee, as he gives up the reigns to Rascally Roy Thomas and, later, Gerry Conway. Most of the art in this volume comes from the talented Gene Colan, although we do get a taste of early Barry Windsor-Smith in this collection. This volume starts off with Matt suffering from a crisis of conscience. Foggy Nelson has been elected District Attorney and has gone his separate ways from Matt. Matt wants to ditch his red union suit and try to settle down into a reasonably normal life with Karen Page. Sadly, circumstances force Matt back into costume, as Daredevil has a city to protect. One of the early villains introduced is Star Saxon, a genius who builds killer robots. (Saxon later appears in this same volume as Mister Fear, but his fame would eventually peak when he takes the name Machinesmith, being a foil for Daredevil, Captain America, Spider-Man, and others.) Long time foes Gladiator and Jester make return appearances to take on Daredevil, as well as Cobra and Mr. Hyde coming over from the pages of Thor . The volume concludes with a crossover between Iron Man and Daredevil, as they battle the Zodiac. It makes for a nice change of pace to see Don Heck’s take on Daredevil for these issues. What makes this Essential?: Once again, the artwork steals the show with this volume. I’ve praised Gene Colan’s talents many times in this blog, and there is not much else I can say to convince you on his art. This volume is no exception. In terms of the stories themselves, the tales in here are generally forgettable, quite honestly. This feels like a time in the character’s history where the primary concern was just to get a monthly book out, and any character development was a secondary concern. By all means, get this volume for Colan’s art. Just don’t get your hopes up if you are getting this for the Daredevil stories. Footnotes: Daredevil #73 and Iron Man #35 & #36 are also collected in Essential Iron Man Vol. 3 . If you like this volume, try: the Daredevil run from Frank Miller. In the late 1970s, Miller came onto the book as the artist and eventually took over the writing chores as well. During his run, Miller took a throwaway character introduced in Daredevil #69, Turk Barrett. Turk made that one appearance and then did not appear again for nearly 10 years until the Miller run. Turk was a two-bit thug that had dreams of bigger jobs with greater rewards, but he always seems to make the wrong choice. Daredevil would crash into whatever bar Turk was drowning his sorrows in, smash everything (and everyone) up, and then question Turk, who would squeal and give Daredevil whatever info he was needing. Notwithstanding the use of Turk, the Miller run on Daredevil is the first one mentioned when people talk about the best Daredevil runs. Miller pushed the boundaries for a monthly newsstand comic and helped set the tone for comics to come in the 1980s. This has been collected numerous times as both hardcovers and trade paperbacks. If you haven’t read this yet, you are missing out on one of the all-time great Daredevil stories. Daredevil Vol 1 7. The Sub-Mariner, in order to deal with his restless people (and the goading of Warlord Krang), appears on the surface world and forces his way into the law office of Nelson and Murdock in order to seek the audience of a lawyer. Namor seeks to sue the surface world for its exploitation of the sea, however when Murdock explains how ridiculous the notion is, Namor goes on a rampage across the city. Donning his brand new Daredevil costume, Matt goes after and battles Namor in order to convince him to turn himself over to the authorities to answer for the damage that he's done. Although Namor wins the fight, he admires Daredevil's courage in facing the monarch of the deep, and so Namor turns himself over to the authorities. However, as the court case starts, Lady Dorma arrives to inform Namor that Warlord Krang has started an uprising in Atlantis, however, when Namor tries to leave the authorities to try to keep him from getting away. Murdock manages to talk Namor out of fighting and to follow the law, Namor decides to comply for 24 hours. However, when the wheels of justice are unable to turn fast enough for Namor, he breaks out of jail and in spite of Daredevil's attempt to stop him manages to escape into the sea in order to deal with the uprising in his native land. Essential Daredevil volume 2. Marvel Comics built its fan-base through strong and contemporarily relevant stories and art, but most importantly, by creating a shared continuity that closely followed the characters through not just their own titles but also through the many guest appearances in other comics. Such an interweaving meant that even today completists and fans seek out extraneous stories to get a fuller picture of their favourites’ adventures. In such an environment, series such as ‘Essential’ and DC’s ‘Showcase’ are an economical and valuable product that approaches the status of a public service for collectors. This particular edition, reprinting the exploits of a very different Daredevil to the one radicalised into a grim urban vigilante by Frank Miller and his successors from the 1980’s onwards, covers the period from March 1967 (#26) to January 1969 (#48), and includes the first Annual plus Fantastic Four #73 where a long-running storyline concluded (see what I mean about cross-collecting?). The adventures are fairly typical 1960’s action-fodder. Matt Murdock is a blind lawyer whose other senses hyper-compensate, making him a formidable acrobat and fighter, and a human lie-detector. Very much a second-string hero for most of his early years, he was nonetheless a popular one, due in large part to the incredibly humanistic art of Gene Colan. He fought gangsters and a variety of super-villains, and even the occasional alien invasion. He also joked and wise-cracked his way through life, unlike the grim and moody quasi-religious metaphor he’s been seen as in latter years. The action commences with marked improvement in overall story quality as Stan Lee began to use longer soap operatic plot-threads to string together the unique fight scenes of increasingly bold Gene Colan, who was finally shaking off the last remnants of his predecessor’s art style. In a very short time John Romita had made the character his own before moving on to Spider-Man, so when Colan took over he kept the clipped solid, almost chunky lines whilst drawing the Man without Fear, but increasingly drew everything else in his loose, fluid, near-tonal manner. This clash of visuals was slow to pass but by the time of ‘Stilt-Man Strikes Again’ ( DD #26, March 1967) a leaner, moodier hero was emerging. The major push of the next few issues was to turn the hopeless romantic triangle of Matt Murdock, best friend/Law partner Foggy Nelson and their secretary Karen Page into a whacky quadrangle by introducing fictitious twin brother Mike, who would be “revealed” as Daredevil to divert suspicion from the blind attorney who actually battled all those weird villains… Also skulking in the background was arch-villain Masked Marauder who was closing in on DD’s alter ego. He got a lot closer in ‘Mike Murdock Must Die!’ (inked by Frank Giacoia) as Stilt-Man teamed with the Marauder and Spider-Man clashed with old Horn-Head before the villains met their apparent ends. DD had his first clash with extraterrestrials in #28’s moody one-trick-pony ‘Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor’s Planet!’ a Dick Ayers inked thriller wherein the invaders’ blindness rays proved inexplicably ineffective against the Crimson Crime-buster. John Tartaglione inked the next tale, a solid, action-packed gangster thriller entitled ‘Unmasked!’ whilst issue #30 began a protracted and impressive epic clash with old Thor foes the Cobra and Mister Hyde, complete with Asgardian cameo in ‘…If There Should Be a Thunder God!’ Attempting to catch the criminals DD masqueraded as Thor only to encounter the real McCoy, and was ambushed by the villains once the Thunderer departed. As a result DD lost his compensating hyper-senses and had to undertake a ‘Blind Man’s Bluff!’ which almost fooled Cobra and Hyde… Sadly it all went wrong before it all came right and against all odds Murdock regained his abilities just in time ‘…To Fight the Impossible Fight!’ Daredevil #33 saw the entire cast head to Canada for Expo ’67 (the World’s Fair) encountering another borrowed villain in ‘Behold… the Beetle!’ and its frenetic sequel ‘To Squash the Beetle!’ The first Annual follows; a visually impressive but lacklustre rogues’ gallery riot as five old foes ganged up on Daredevil in ‘Electro and the Emissaries of Evil!’ with the Man without Fear putting a pretty definitive smack-down on the electric felon, the Matador, Gladiator, Stilt-Man and Leapfrog. Of more interest are the ‘Inside Daredevil’ pages, explaining his powers, how his Billy Club works and the Matt/Mike Murdock situation, with stunning pin-ups of Karen, Foggy, Ka-Zar, DD and a host of old foes. Rounding out the experience is a short comedy tale ‘At the Stroke of Midnight!: an Actual Unrehearsed Story Conference with (and by) Stan and Gene!’ ‘Daredevil Dies First!’ pitted the sightless wonder against old Fantastic Four foe Trapster, but Horn-Head was only a stepping-stone in his complex plan to destroy the World’s premier super-team. However DD managed to turn the tables in #36’s ‘The Name of the Game is Mayhem!’ (inked by Giacoia) a clash that left the blind hero weakened and easy prey for another FF arch-foe. Tartaglione returned to ink the startling ‘Don’t Look Now, But It’s… Doctor Doom!’ Helpless before the Iron Dictator DD was trapped in ‘The Living Prison!’ (Giacoia inks) as Doom swapped bodies with the sightless crusader to facilitate an ambush on the FF which culminated in a stupendous Battle Royale in Fantastic Four #73’s crossover conclusion as the Torch, Thing and Mr. Fantastic fought DD, Thor and Spider-Man in ‘The Flames of Battle…’ (by Lee, Jack Kirby & Joe Sinnott). When involved in mind- swap cases it’s always prudent to advise your friends when you regain your original body… DD finally got to battle some of his own bad-guys in #39 as old foes the Ani-Men returned with a new name and a new boss. ‘The Exterminator and the Super-Powered Unholy Three’ (inked by George Tuska) reintroduced Bird-Man, Ape-Man and Cat-Man in the pay of a criminal genius working with time-based weapons, but the real meat of the tale was Foggy Nelson’s campaign to become New York City’s District Attorney and his revived relationship with ex-con Deborah Harris: now Matt Murdock’s only rival for Karen’s affections was his imaginary twin brother Mike… That story proceeded in #40, resulting in a spectacular clash ‘The Fallen Hero!’ (inked by Tartaglione) and concluded the only way it could in ‘The Death of Mike Murdock!’ as Matt took advantage of his final battle with the Exterminator to end the charade. He didn’t come clean though, as Daredevil revealed that Mike was only one of a number of Men without Fear in the first part of a prolonged battle with a new nemesis as ‘Nobody Laughs at The Jester!’ (inked by Dan Adkins). The Malevolent Mountebank only wanted to be more successful as a criminal than he had been as an actor until mayoral candidate Richard Raleigh hired him to spoil incorruptible Foggy Nelson’s campaign for the D.A. post; precipitating a protracted saga which kicked off with a temporarily befuddled DD ‘In Combat with Captain America!’ (inked by Vince Colletta) before being framed for killing the Jester’s alter ego Jonathan Powers in #44’s ‘I, Murderer!’ Defeated by the Jester in ‘The Dismal Dregs of Defeat!’ , Horn-Head became a wanted fugitive and after a frenetic manhunt was finally arrested before snatching victory in the thoroughly enthralling conclusion ‘The Final Jest!’ as inker extraordinary George Klein began a long and impressive association with the series. With the Vietnam War raging a story involving the conflict was inevitable, but #47’s ‘Brother, Take My Hand!’ was so much more than a quick cash-in or even well-meaning examination of contemporary controversy, as Marvel found a new African-American character (one of far too few in those blinkered times). Newly-blinded veteran Willie Lincoln turned to Matt Murdock and Daredevil for help on his return home. A disgraced cop framed by gang-boss Biggie Benson before joining the army, Lincoln was now back in America to clear his name… at all costs. This gripping, life-affirming crime thriller not only triumphs in Daredevil’s natural milieu of moody urban menace but also sets up a long-running plot that would ultimately change the Man without Fear forever. The book ends with the return of Stilt-Man in ‘Farewell to Foggy’ as Matt’s oldest friend wins the election for D.A. but acrimoniously turns his back on Murdock, seemingly forever. This is a good place to end as Stan Lee would hand over the scripting to Roy Thomas soon after this and the social turbulence that marked the end of the 1960s would begin to transform the dashing, wise-cracking Daredevil into something closer to his current dark archetype. But that’s for another volume… DAREDEVIL Essential Reading. Daredevil has gotten a lot of great press since the release of the phenomenal Netflix TV series. The show managed to give die-hard comics fans what they wanted without alienating the casual TV viewer. So if the tv show has given you a taste for the adventures of blind attorney Matthew Murdock, or if you’ve always wanted to read some of Hornhead’s stories but don’t know where to start, ComicsVerse is pleased to guide you through what we consider DAREDEVIL essential reading material. Special thanks to Matthew Murphy and Mark Hassenfratz for helping me put this list together. DAREDEVIL #1 (1964) by Stan Lee and Bill Everett. Congratulations True Believers! What you are about to read is the senses-shattering origin of Daredevil, The Man Without Fear! Written by Stan Lee, this was a done-in-one tale which introduced the world to Matt Murdock, Daredevil, Karen Page, and Foggy Nelson. It opens in Fogwell’s bar where some ne’er-do-wells are playing poker. They are interrupted by a cocky young man in a bright yellow costume. After exchanging a few quips and punches, he finally introduces himself as Daredevil and says that he’s looking for the Fixer! Our blind hero has changed over the years but during his first few years, his adventures were light and slightly campy. Matt didn’t hide in the shadows; he stood out in the light and would often just enter a villain’s lair through the front door. However, this issue is a lot of fun, and it sums up all you need to know about our hero in just one issue. For the curious, he gets his red costume in issue #7. Daredevil’s debut issue can be bought digitally on Marvel’s website, but if you prefer your comics in their floppy format, it can be found in printed form as part of the MARVEL MASTERWORKS: DAREDEVIL VOL.1 COLLECTION. DAREDEVIL VISIONARIES: FRANK MILLER, VOL. 1 – 3 (1981) One cannot mention Daredevil without bringing up Frank Miller. The DAREDEVIL BY FRANK MILLER collection is an instant classic and introduced us to time-honored Daredevil villains like Gladiator, Kingpin, and Bullseye. The villains make this collection, but the relationships Matt Murdock has with deadly assassin Elektra and stealthy spy Black Widow also establish a longstanding tradition of Matt’s unsuccessful love life. The modern iteration of the series can trace its roots back to this legendary run. DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN (1986) by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli. DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN shows what a mark Miller left on the series. It’s one of the greatest Marvel stories of all time. We see Matt Murdock hit rock bottom at the hands of the unstoppable Kingpin, who has found out his secret identity, and Matt’s attempts at rebuilding his life afterward. With stunning art by David Mazzuchelli and a script by Frank Miller that’s brilliant, heartbreaking, and, ultimately, redeeming, this story strips everything away to reveal who exactly Matt Murdock is: a hero. ELEKTRA LIVES AGAIN (1990) by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley. Released in 1990, ELEKTRA LIVES AGAIN is a rarely discussed Frank Miller graphic novel. It is the final Elektra story told by Miller, and you’re wondering why it’s included on an essential DAREDEVIL list. The answer is that it’s meant to be the final Elektra chapter in Matt Murdock’s life. The graphic novel follows Murdock as he is haunted by the death of his lover and dreams of her resurrection nightly. Something is brewing with Bullseye and the Hand, and it all has to do with Elektra. If you can find the comic, it is an absolute must-read. ELEKTRA LIVES AGAIN is the story of how Matt Murdock found peace after heartbreak, how Elektra found peace in death. DAREDEVIL: THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR (1993) by Frank Miller and John Romita Jr. Akin to his reinvention of Batman’s origin with David Mazzuchelli in BATMAN: YEAR ONE, DAREDEVIL: MAN WITHOUT FEAR is the reinvention of Daredevil’s origin as told by Frank Miller and John Romita Jr. It is the series that the DAREDEVIL TV series relied on for adaptation, and it’s easy to tell why. It’s Miller’s final Daredevil story to date and the first collaboration between the storyteller and Romita Jr. DAREDEVIL: THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR is the YEAR ONE of Daredevil stories. It shows Matt Murdock at his weakest, physically and emotionally, and his two inspirations are his father, Battlin’ Jack Murdock, and his mentor, Stick. An inexperienced Daredevil is not one many fans are used to. Murdock has been written two ways over the years: confident or depressed. Miller breaks open the character he made famous at the beginning of his career and tells one of the greatest tales ever to take place in Hell’s Kitchen. DAREDEVIL: GUARDIAN DEVIL (1998) by Kevin Smith and Joe Quesada. Drawing from his religious experiences, Kevin Smith delves deep into Matt Murdock’s Catholic upbringing in GUARDIAN DEVIL. A teenage girl leaves her new-born daughter with Daredevil, claiming she bore the child without ever having sex. Diving into the mystery, Matt discovers that the girl could be the returning Christ or the coming of the Anti-Christ. Engaging with demons and Spider-Man villains, Daredevil must question his very faith to get through this harrowing adventure. With action, excitement, and very real loss, Smith hits all the right notes that will have the reader questioning everything until the very end. DAREDEVIL (2001 – 2006) by Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev. With a run that spanned over five years (#16–#81), this epic series by Bendis and Maleev takes Daredevil through the wringer. The Kingpin, Elektra, Bullseye, Black Widow, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage all make an appearance that culminates in Daredevil’s secret identity being outed by the press. This arc hailed as the pinnacle of DD stories, and it’s easy to see why. With beautiful art by Maleev and Bendis firing on all cylinders, this series (collected in three volumes) stands as a testament to great superhero storytelling. DAREDEVIL: THE DEVIL, INSIDE AND OUT (2006) by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. Continuing from Bendis and Maleev’s impressive run could be daunting for any creative team, but Brubaker and Lark step up to the plate and hit a home run. The FBI have detained Matt Murdock, jailed in a federal prison. Meanwhile, Daredevil prowls the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, battling injustice wherever he finds it. Wait, what? While Matt struggles to survive on the inside, encountering many of his most dangerous foes, someone else has taken up his heroic mantle, keeping the streets of New York safe at night. It could be challenging beginning a new DAREDEVIL run with your hero in jail, but Brubaker and Lark make it work, deftly balancing prison life with the mystery of who the new Daredevil is. DAREDEVIL (2011) by Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera, Chris Samnee, Javier Rodriguez and Matthew Wilson. Matt Murdock has always been a hero that fights in the shadows, full of angst and turmoil. But with the relaunch of DAREDEVIL with a new #1 in 2011, the creative team (with Samnee replacing Rivera at #23) brought The Man Without Fear into the light. DD’s attitude was fun, full of optimism and hope, harking back to the early Lee/Kirby days. He became a positive force, which threw a lot of his long-time friends who expected him to be the elusive Matt they all knew. Waid, Rivera, and Samnee gave Matt plenty of challenges, facing old foes and discovering long-lost secrets, yet injecting proceedings with a sense of fun that hadn’t graced the series in a long time. With Daredevil’s biography being produced and a relocation to San Francisco, every issue is a delight to read, and as such you need to read the entire run, no excuses! DAREDEVIL: END OF DAYS (2012) by Brian Michael Bendis, David Mack, Klaus Janson, Alex Maleev and Matt Hollingsworth. If THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR is the BATMAN: YEAR ONE of Daredevil stories, DAREDEVIL: END OF DAYS is the character’s version of THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. However, we don’t see an elderly Matt Murdock put on the costume after a long retirement. Brian Michael Bendis, David Mack, Alex Maleev, and Klaus Janson team up to tell the story of Daredevil’s death and it’s unlike any Daredevil story told before. END OF DAYS is an interesting Daredevil story because Matt Murdock is not the active protagonist of the story. This is the story of Ben Urich solving one of Daredevil’s last secrets. It is the story about the death of Bullseye. A story about Elektra finally finding peace. The comic celebrates the long history of Daredevil, his supporting cast, and it keeps readers guessing throughout each issue. After Matt Murdock dies, what comes next? So there you have it, essential Daredevil stories that will heighten your senses! But that’s not all there is to ol’ Hornhead. This is just a taster of his many exciting adventures. Once you have these stories read, there’s plenty more Matt Murdock on the bookshelves! What do you think are the most important DAREDEVIL stories? Tell us what we left out in the comments, or on Facebook or Twitter. Essential Series: Daredevil Vol 1 2. The story begins with Daredevil practicing acrobatics. He has taken the afternoon off in order to wander the city. He then realizes that he needs to return to the Nelson and Murdock Law Office, in case Foggy Nelson or Karen Page need him. He makes his way through New York City, while musing about how his secret identity helps him to avoid traffic jams. A passerby fails to recognize him, but figures that the man in the suit is yet another superhero. Another passersby comments that New York City is full of them. Daredevil returns to his office by swinging through an open window. He fears what would happen if he ever forgot to open this window. He decides to switch from the role of Daredevil to that of Michael "Mike" Murdock, a "madcap" role that he is beginning to really enjoy. While changing his clothes, hairstyle, and glasses, Daredevil jokes about feeling like a "one-man repertory theatre". He is acting as three different characters in his daily life: "conservative" Matt Murdock, dazzling Daredevil, and carefree Mike Murdock. He figures that he could eventually open his own school of method acting, feeling that he is superior to Konstantin Stanislavski. Fully changed into Mike Murdock, Daredevil comments that he feels himself changing while in the role. He feels very confident. He wonders whether he should quit his superhero career and get an acting job. Perhaps Hollywood is looking for another Cary Grant. Daredevil suddenly realizes that Foggy and Karen are about to leave the office, without seeing him. He does not want his transformation to be wasted without an audience, so he starts singing in Mike's voice to attract their attention. Both Foggy and Karen are convinced that Mike is the real Daredevil, and the singing gives them the opportunity to discuss their views on the subject. Karen thinks that Daredevil is "fabulous", while Foggy considers him an "idiot", and a "loud-mouthed swell-headed showoff". The door opens and Karen is pleased to see Mike. Foggy can not hide his hostility to the man, though Mike claims that Foggy's words could never hurt him. Mike Murdock flirts with Karen and compliments her beauty, while mocking the scowling Foggy. He threatens Foggy jokingly, while making an impression of James Cagney. Foggy fails to get the joke and considers Mike to be insane, but Karen does get the joke and names the actor Mike is imitating. Mike is impressed with her, and claims that her only flaw is that she can not use Daredevil's Billy Club. Foggy comments that Mike/Daredevil is a "fearless, full-time nut". Karen accuses Mike that he is never serious. He light-heartedly proposes marriage to her and she mockingly turns him down. The two are enjoying themselves, but Foggy is getting frustrated with their wacky attitude. Foggy grabs Karen and drags her away. He reminds her that they should prepare for the next day's case, the arraignment of the Leap-Frog. Mike Murdock pretends that he has just heard of the arraignment and requests his own seat at the court. He wants to watch the "legal eagles" in action. He also reminds them that he was the one who bested the Leap-Frog and got them the case in the first place. Karen supports his request, though Foggy finds the request outlandish. Foggy drags Karen out of the office. In the corridor outside the office, Foggy, Karen, and Mike meet Mr. Frank Farnum, the building manager. He is effectively their landlord. He wanted to see them for some reason. Farnum claims that he has learned that their office is going to represent the Leap-Frog at court. He reminds them that they work in a respectable building. He is not happy that his tenants are seemingly involved with despicable criminals. He asks them why do they have to defend cut-throats and knaves. Foggy admits that he prefers corporation law to defending criminals. But he has a few words for Farnum. In the United States, every man is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Anyone who comes to trial is entitled to the best defense available. And the legal team of Nelson and Murdock provide the best defense. He then steps away from Farnum in order to exit the building. Farnum silently stares at Foggy's back. Mike congratulates Foggy for his words, but he informs him that Farnum is unlikely to renew their lease. Mike then informs Foggy that they will next meet at the court. The story skips ahead to the following morning, at the court. Mike Murdock attends the arraignment, while Matthew Murdock is mysteriously absent. Murdock muses that he has started to really feel like two separate people. He fears that he might end up in a "funny farm" (insane asylum). The crowds at the court are surprised that Foggy Nelson is handling the case instead of Matthew Murdock, and speculate on the reasons of Matthew's absence. One person speculates that Foggy is tired of Matthew always holding the spotlight, and now wants his share of publicity. Inside the court room, Mike Murdock pretends to be bored. Karen speaks to him, and reports that his brother Matthew was supposed to handle the case, but then asked Foggy to replace him. She does not know why. Murdock thinks to himself that he decided to attend the court as Mike, so Matthew had to go missing. The Leap-Frog attends his trial, while wearing a civilian suit. The district attorney presents, as evidence against him, the shoes of the Leap-Frog's Suit and explains how they work. The Leap-Frog claims never to have seen the shoes before, and never to have worn the suit. He claims to have a severe fear of heights. Mike loudly asks why the district attorney does not measure whether the defendant's feet are the same size as the shoes. He gets into an argument with another spectator, and Karen warns him that the bailiff will evict him from the courtroom. The Leap-Frog next claims that these shoes are too small for his feet, and could never fit him. The district attorney challenges him to wear the shoes, which is exactly what the criminal wanted. As the Leap-Frog wears the shoes, Mike shouts for someone to stop him. The shoes fit the man, and he admits being the Leap-Frog. But then uses the shoes to leap away and attempts to escape. The Leap-Frog breaks through a window and discovers he has made a fatal mistake. His shoes have to be tightly fastened on his feet to work properly, but the district attorney had somehow removed the fasteners. The super-villain is falling from a great height, while one of the shoes falls away. The Leap-Frog lands on the street and is in pain. His single shoe broke his fall and saved his life, but one of his legs is now broken. He hears someone calling him a fool for failing to wait for his rescue, and discovers someone towering above his body. He looks up and discovers that his would-be savior is the Stilt-Man, who the Leap-Frog considered to be deceased. The Stilt-Man explains that he had read about the Leap-Frog's capture and had decided to help the man escape. Stilt-Man was looking for a partner and thought the Leap-Frog could join him in a new career of crime. They could have been an unbeatable team, if the Leap-Frog had not ruined the plan by bungling everything like an an amateur. Inside the court, Mike Murdock smilingly tells Karen that its his time to play the hero. In his haste to leave the court room, Mike almost collides with another man. They get into an argument and threaten each other, but Mike runs away. He has had considerable trouble capturing the Leap- Frog, and worries that the villain will get away. He quickly changes to wearing the Daredevil's Suit. He muses that this was Foggy Nelson's big chance to handle a defense case, and he does not want Leap-Frog to ruin it. Swinging out of the building, Daredevil overhears crowds speaking about the Leap-Frog being injured. He initially thinks his presence is not needed, but then discovers that Stilt-Man is on the scene and decides to confront him. On the street, the Leap-Frog is immobile and possibly unconscious. The Stilt-Man tries to lift him, in order to escape with him and get some medical help for him. The Stilt-Man is convinced that the Leap-Frog's injuries are treatable. The Stilt-Man sees Daredevil approaching and switches his attention to his old foe. He apologizes to the Leap-Frog for leaving him behind, but he has an urgent matter to attend to. Daredevil attempts to attack Stilt-Man, but Stilt-Man easily shifts his height to evade the attack. The two start to fight. Stilt-Man seizes control of Daredevil's cable and starts swinging Daredevil around. He informs Daredevil that the Stilt-Man's Suit has been modified since their previous encounter, and now has twice its previous strength. He throws Daredevil against a building. Daredevil struggles to hold on to a ledge, to avoid falling to his death. Stilt-Man draws an energy weapon and seems to fire at him. He was actually aiming at the wall next to Daredevil, and uses the shot in an attempt to intimidate Daredevil. As the wall seems to be on fire, Daredevil uses his cable to escape and to launch a counter-attack. He kicks the Stilt-Man, but this seemingly has no effect. The Stilt-Man claims that his protective armor is too strong for Daredevil. Daredevil answers with a more powerful kick. The kick causes the Stilt-Man's head to collide with a nearby building. The story is then interrupted by a flashback, which explains how Stilt-Man managed to return from the Microverse. In the flashback, Stilt-Man has been hit by a shrink ray. He shrinks away in front of Daredevil, while his voice gets weaker. Then he disappears completely, leaving empty space behind. He spend the subsequent period in a state of "timeless limbo". Eventually the effects of the shrinking ray wore off and Stilt-Man regained his normal size. He reappeared in the spot where he had vanished, realizing that he had been away for many months. Stilt-Man considered this a "harrowing experience", but he was healthy and still had control of his stilts. He decided to design a stronger armored suit for himself, before returning to a life of crime. The scene shifts to a night scene, outside the Nelson and Murdock Law Office. The Masked Marauder uses an armored truck and a hydraulic lift to enter the office, through an open window. His past encounters with Daredevil have convinced the villain that his enemy is somehow connected to Neslon and Murdock. He searches the office for clues concerning the hero's true identity. He is certain that Daredevil is neither Foggy Nelson, nor Matthew Murdock. One man is soft and flabby, the other one is blind. But they must be aware who Daredevil is. An hour later, the Masked Marauder has found nothing. He tells his gang to depart with the truck. He takes off his mask and reveals his true identity, that of Frank Farnum. Farnum is determined to keep spying on Nelson and Murdock until he finds the truth about Daredevil. The scene shifts back to the battle between Daredevil and the Stilt-Man. Stilt-Man keeps firing his energy weapon and missing. Daredevil realizes that his opponent is too nervous to properly aim the weapon. Daredevil kicks the weapon out of his opponent's hand. Stilt-Man retaliates by unhooking the other end of Daredevil's cable line. Daredevil falls from a great height, but uses the cable to tie himself to the Stilt-Man. A few swings of the cable, and the legs of the Stilt-Man Suit are all tied-up. The Stilt-Man begins to loose his balance. Daredevil uses his own weight to pull the Stilt-Man down, while truing to avoid hurting the innocent bystanders. The Stilt-Man falls head-first to the street. His body lies in an alley. Daredevil tries to keep the crowd from approaching his foe. Meanwhile, Frank Farnum transports the unconscious Stilt-Man to the trunk of his car. Farnum has decided to recruit the Stilt-Man to his cause. As Farnum tries to escape with his car, Daredevil urges him to take off. He warns Farnum that Stilt-Man is on the loose. By mistake, Daredevil calls him "Farnum", as if they know each other. The Masked Marauder realizes that Daredevil knows his true name. He also realizes that the man behind Daredevil's mask is someone he has met before. He smiles wickedly and drives away. Meanwhile, Daredevil checks Farnum's heartbeat to ensure that he is not Stilt-Man in disguise. As the crowd of New Yorkers congratulates Daredevil, Karen Page observes the hero from above. Karen muses that only she and Foggy know that Daredevil is Mike Murdock. Foggy claims that their knowledge is worthless. Foggy is secretly convinced that Karen has fallen for Daredevil, and he dislikes this new direction in her life. The story ends.