Monday, November 2, 2020

Marvel Immersion Project: Daredevil #178-183

My Recent Reads

Daredevil #178
Originally Published January 1, 1982
Writer and Artist: Frank Miller
  • Elektra is hired by Kingpin as his new assassin.
Hogarth in top left frame via Marvel Database

  • My first encounter with Jeryn Hogarth.  In this story, he is simultaneously the financial backer of the Heroes for Hire, on board for a crossover story, and the defense lawyer for corrupt politician Randolph Cherryh.  In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jeryn "Jeri" Hogarth is a female character.

Daredevil #179
February 1, 1982
Frank Miller
  • When Ben Urich and Daredevil fail to heed warnings to back off of the Cherryh/Kingpin link story, Elektra attacks them both.  The issue ends with Elektra appearing to have killed Ben.
Vanessa Fisk via Wikipedia

  • A much bedraggled woman appears outside of Kingpin's home.  She looks an awful lot like Kingpin's presumed dead wife Vanessa, but she's sent away.

Daredevil #180
March 1, 1982
Frank Miller
  • Ben Urich survived.
  • Daredevil rescues Vanessa from the King of the Sewers.
  • Cherryh wins the mayoral election, The Daily Bugle having retracted its story about his ties with Kingpin.
  • However, when DD returns Vanessa to Kingpin, he demands that Kingpin make Cherryh step down. 
  • Humiliated, Kingpin accepts the terms but then assigns Elektra to kill Foggy Nelson in retaliation.

Daredevil #181
April 1, 1982
Frank Miller
  • Bullseye escapes from prison and is intent on revenge against Daredevil.
  • More significantly, he sorts out DD's secret identity (though he later doubts his accurate discovery).
  • Bullseye goes after Elektra, seeing her as an underhanded way of getting to DD.
  • Bullseye kills Elektra.
  • Also featured, though only as a peripheral character for the moment: Punisher.

Daredevil #182
May 1, 1982
Frank Miller
  • Unwilling to believe that Elektra is truly dead, Daredevil digs up her body.
  • She's really dead.
  • Punisher escapes from prison.

Daredevil #183
June 1, 1982
Frank Miller
  • An anti-drug story, one initially blocked and then heavily edited due to the CCA code.
  • Mary Elizabeth O'Koren, a 12-year-old girl having a bad PCP trip, jumps out of her school window and dies.
  • Coincidentally, Matt Murdock/Daredevil is on hand for the incident.  He tries but fails to rescue her.
  • Independent of one another, DD, Punisher and William, the girl's brother, all go after Hogman, the dealer who sold her the drugs.
  • Daredevil and Punisher battle.  Punisher wins but doesn't want to kill DD, shooting him with a tranquilizer instead.
  • Matt Murdock proposes to Heather Glenn!

8 comments:

  1. Still Elecktra worked for the Crimelord kingpin so I suppose her death was on the cards but at least she paralysed bullseye

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  2. I have to wonder if, on his own, Miller would have left Elektra dead.

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  3. Replies
    1. There's also Elektra Lives Again.
      Elektra Assassin was first, but it's been so long since I read those, I don't remember how those two work as far as her return from death.

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  4. Replies
    1. Me, too.

      I wish I knew more about art and could offer more articulate commentary on comic books along those lines. The evolution of the artwork is fascinating to observe even if I don't always have the vocabulary to describe it.

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