DAREDEVIL #1: Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One Before

Published: April, 1964

Here we have the origin story of Daredevil. This should be something new and exciting…yes? Well, yes… and no. It is exciting to meet a new costumed vigilante, but in many ways, there’s little new about our newest superhero. He seems a conglomeration of all the elements that have gone into our existing superheroes. Yes, he’s a daredevil, but he could have just as easily been named Hero Hash, with a great big H blazoned upon his chest, instead of a D. (Oh, wait! Hasn’t H already been taken by the Hate-Monger?)

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying I dislike Daredevil, or his backstory, or his little corner of the Marvel Universe. I’m just saying I felt walloped by a giant blast of déjà vu while reading this book.

I almost feel Stan and company are aware that’s what readers are likely to experience, and are purposely drawing parallels. What’s one of the first things we see, in the left corner of the splash? An image of the cover of The Amazing Spider-Man #1, with a bold proclamation that essentially translates to: If you like Spider-Man, you’re going to love Daredevil!

They are unabashedly similar, and the Marvel bullpen doesn’t seem to care if you know it.

SOMETHING OLD…
Meet Matt Murdock, a studious fellow, much like Peter Parker. Murdock sticks to his studies to please his dad, while longing to play sports and be athletic. Parker, of course, sticks to his studies to please his beloved Uncle Ben, while longing to be popular, like Flash Thompson.

When Parker is shunned by the cool kids at school, he sobs, “They’ll be sorry they ever laughed at me!” When the neighborhood toughies taunt Murdock for “turning all those heavy pages in your school books,” he fumes, “The day will come when no one will ever laugh at me again!”

After establishing outsider status, each young man has a run-in with radioactive biological technology, which imbues them with supernatural powers. Here, Parker’s infamous spider bite is tweaked into a tale of teenaged Matt Murdock heroically saving a blind man, only to be struck by a radioactive canister. The accident blinds him (can you say “irony”?), but no matter! Now that he’s had a brush with radioactivity, he can do everything better, because all his other senses are heightened to superhuman levels.

Are you thinking, as I am, “My spider sense is tingling”?

In each story, the father figure is murdered by common thugs, inspiring the grieving young man to develop a costumed vigilante identity. And they do so with style, each sewing a nifty costume in which he will be free to bash heads, comically quipping with every swing, kick and blow.

The common thugs Daredevil first fights are a bunch of no-good-niks that have dealt him a personal blow. Matt’s father, aging boxer Battling Murdock, can no longer get honest fights, so he signs a contract with “The Fixer,” in order to finance his brilliant son’s college education. This seems to work well for a while, but when Battling Murdock faces Dynamite Davis, in a prideful attempt to impress his son, he WINS the fight rather than taking a dive, as instructed. The Fixer retaliates by ordering his elimination.

Tragic, yes, but let me pause a moment to say: I’m a bit confused. Previous to this fight, “middle-aged sensation” Battling Murdock had been unstoppable in the ring, declaring “I can’t believe it, FIXER! It all seems like some kinda miracle!” We understand the elder Murdock is nowhere as smart as his offspring, but can he really be so dense he doesn’t understand that having a manager named THE FIXER might have something to do with his success? And did he never realize that though winning against Dynamite Davis might earn him the respect of his son, double-crossing THE FIXER might not be the wisest career move?

Well, getting back on track with my “Something old, something new…” theme, I just thought I’d mention that The Fixer, with his jaunty hat, pin-striped suit and cigar, looks suspiciously similar to the thugs in every other Marvel comic.

Look up the term “Crime Syndicate Boss” in the dictionary, and any one of these fellows is likely to be showing his ugly mug on the page. This is what bad guys are supposed to look like—when they’re not wearing tights and capes.

SOMETHING NEW…
So…a lot of old favorite themes going on here…but what’s new? How about a new artist? Bill Everett gives us our first glimpse of Daredevil, in his vibrant yellow, red and black costume. Everett came in as a “guest artist” for this first issue, co-creating Daredevil (with Stan Lee, and to some degree, Jack Kirby). Back in the 1930’s, Bill Everett created Sub-Mariner for Timely Comics, which later morphed into Marvel Comics. A couple of years after co-creating Daredevil, he’ll return home to Marvel Comics, serving as a principal artist for Hulk and Doctor Strange.

Now, here’s something else new: red hair! Of course, carrot-tops are no strangers to the Marvel Universe, but I haven’t yet seen a character with hair as RED as Matt Murdock’s. Flash Thompson is working that creamsicle vibe, and Pepper Potts occasionally sports a most alarming shade of strawberry blonde, but Murdock’s hair is red-red, so red, it practically jumps off the page. If not for his super-acute senses, snazzy costume and fearless attitude, we might say that RED hair is his most defining characteristic.

SOMETHING BORROWED…
However, Murdock does have acute senses, and I’m going to use that to continue my theme of “Something old, something new, something borrowed…” Yeah, I’m stretching here a bit, because Marvel Comics is borrowing from itself, so really this is something old, but work with me here.

The Marvel superhero doesn’t always spring from a glowing resumé of pleasant experiences and advantages. Sometimes, the strongest people are those who have the most to overcome. As we’ve already seen, the very talented X-Men use their strange assortment of mutations to do much good in the world. These mutations might be considered handicaps (Beast’s appearance, Angel’s wings, Scott’s eyes). Even their leader, Professor X, is confined to a wheelchair, yet this in no way impedes his ability to use the great power of his mind.

In the Fantastic Four, it sort of works backwards. Ben Grimm is a handsome, strapping fellow, yet as Thing, his grotesque appearance might be considered a handicap (how in the world does he hold a knife and fork?). However, it’s through this “handicap” that he experiences tremendous physical strength.

Murdock does not have a “mutation” that is like a disability; neither does he have a superpower which impedes his ability to function in his normal life. No, he has an actual disability. It’s reported that in general, blind people find their other senses heightened, but thanks to a hefty dose of radiation, Murdock’s disability becomes his greatest asset. He develops a strange “tingling sensation” that acts as a sense of radar. (Again, “tingle” unapologetically draws a direct correlation to Parker’s “spider-sense.”) He can hear a heartbeat, recognize any smell, taste exactly how many grains of salt are on a pretzel. And forget Braille! Murdock’s sense of touch is so acute, he can read the newspaper simply by feeling the impression of the ink!

However cool and advantageous all of this might be, Murdock decides he also needs a weapon for fighting crime. So he creates one from his unassuming cane. Like the lame Dr. Don Blake, this “poor handicapped guy’s” accessory magically assists in transforming a disability into a great source of power.

With only a yellow and black costume, a weaponized cane and his radioactively-enhanced senses, Daredevil takes out the Fixer’s thugs. When the Fixer escapes, Daredevil follows the scent of his cigar smoke and tackles him in the subway. The Fixer dies of a heart attack, but Daredevil tricks his flunky into making a confession in front of two police officers. Our noble hero does not kill the bad guy, but since the bad guy’s usefulness has come to an end, the writer finds a way to conveniently dispose of him.

And here’s where we depart from the Spider-Man way. Peter Parker feels responsible for Uncle Ben’s death, and out of guilt, continues his crime-fighting crusade. Matt Murdock, on the other hand, gets closure regarding his father’s death, right here in the first story. As he continues his superhero exploits, it will no doubt be for very different reasons than young Parker.

DISASSOCIATED PERSONALITY DISORDER
However, as much as it seems Matt Murdock is an all-around good guy, extremely well-adjusted in the face of everything that’s happened to him, there’s something unnerving about some of his thought processes. To weasel his way around the promise he made to his dad to never “resort to force,” and “become a fighter,” he sews a yellow and black costume and decides that whenever he’s in costume, he will no longer be Matt Murdock, so he’ll be free to bash in heads left and right.

Villains are famous for referring to themselves in the third person. It happens so often, it’s almost comical. Sometimes you have to wonder if they do this to disassociate themselves from their evil deeds. “Oh! It’s not ME who’s planning to blow up New York City in a quest for world domination! It’s the wily, crafty Dr. NoGood!”

Daredevil doesn’t do this verbally, but Murdock does it psychologically. He seems to want to have it both ways, and has devised an elaborate fantasy so he can remain the good son to his dearly departed dad, while at the same time avenging his death. Well, he IS a smart guy, and a lawyer, so I guess he knows how to manipulate facts and circumstances to get the most desirable outcome. I’m curious to see, though, if in future issues he puffs out his chest and announces, “And now Daredevil will deal with your treachery!”

Tune in next week, folks…

Okay, where was I? Something borrowed? I’ve got one more. How about the name Hank? The driver of the truck that hits young Murdock is named Hank. I have never in real life met as many people named Hank as I have in a few short years of reading Marvel Comics. Do you think this truck driver is a moonlighting Hank McCoy or Hank Pym? Stan sure did love the name. Was it really that popular in the 1960’s? Or maybe Stan was a big fan of…Henry Fonda?

SOMETHING BLUE
And now at last I come to “Something blue”!

In the earliest Spider-Man stories, Peter Parker doesn’t have a buddy, but Matt Murdock opens a law firm with old college pal “Foggy” Nelson. They hire pretty young secretary Karen Page, who clearly catches Foggy’s eye. She, in turn, takes an instant liking to Matt—though it’s really more of a mothering thing, as she confesses to Foggy that she feels Matt “seems to need someone to look after him!”

Like Jane Foster and Pepper Potts, Karen has a not-so-secret crush on her boss, never suspecting he’s secretly a superhero. And, like Pepper, Karen will have to endure the unwanted attention of the boss’ second string cohort, who lusts after her, even as she envisions herself with the star player.

Pepper’s unwanted suitor is ironically named “Happy,” but Karen’s attention comes from “Foggy.” I’m giving Foggy another nickname: Blue. Because I’m predicting it’s going to be just too sad for him that he’ll never get together with the girl of his dreams.

Also: I suspect Matt Murdock will keep Karen at arm’s length, citing his devotion to crime-fighting as a top priority that leaves him little time for romance. That, or he’ll obsessively worry that anyone he lets too close to him will inevitably be put in danger’s path. Either way, our vigilante hero will lead a lonely life. So, perhaps for all the vibrant yellow, red and black of his costume, Daredevil is also blue.

Sigh…

You know…It’s tough being a superhero. Welcome to the club, Daredevil! The charter members can tell you what you’re in for: In your secret identity, you’ll constantly risk your life and what do you get in return? Nothing! You’re just glad if you don’t see a nasty headline about yourself in the Daily Bugle, or your trusted employees aren’t making snide remarks behind your back about missing the Employee Banquet. Sometimes your costume will bunch up under your street clothes, and other times you may have to decide between taking your Biology exam, filing a legal brief, and stopping a gang of bank robbers. The weight of so many lives is balanced in the wielding of your weaponized cane, unearthly hammer, or supply of rubber cement. And when you get a tear in your costume, who’s got to take needle and thread and darn the darn thing?

Yep. It’s tough being a superhero.

But…we already knew that.