Marvel 1975.10 - Daredevil #126

Daredevil #126

Title: Flight of the Torpedo!

Writer: Marv Wolfman

Artist: Bob Brown

Villain: Torpedo

Regulars: Foggy Nelson, Heather

Sometimes you read a comic, and you think it's a normal action comic like any other. I'm not saying that as a criticism. I like comics with a lot of action. But then, at the end of the comic something happens that makes you say Wow. That's what Marv Wolfman has achieved in this issue. He's one of my favourite Marvel writers, definitely in my top 10, but maybe he should be in my top five. Let me think it over.

Daredevil is swinging through New York City, showing off as usual. He stops to listen to Foggy Nelson giving a campaign speech. He's shouted down by a heckler who says that his fiancée Deborah Harris was a convicted criminal. Evidently it's someone who doesn't understand that criminals can reform, but the heckling is enough to disrupt Foggy's speech.

Brock Jones is a former star quarterback who's now the vice-president of an insurance company. He's sad that everyone has forgotten him, and he wishes he could be a hero. On the way home he sees a child walking into the path of a car. He instinctively rushes to save the child, but Daredevil swings down and saves the child first, telling the man to leave heroics to the professionals. Those are words that Stan Lee would never have put into Daredevil's mouth.

A flying man in a blue costume breaks into the Washington Reserve Bank. He steals something from safe deposit box 136 and leaves. The news report says that the police are puzzled. There were valuable jewels in the box that the thief left behind.

Matt Murdock is trying to sleep, but he's woken by loud noises outside. While he's getting dressed, a pretty girl called Heather enters his apartment. She says that her ex-boyfriend Franky used to live in the apartment, and she came to visit him using the spare key he'd given her. She leaves, but she forgets to give back the spare key.

The noise in the street is the police trying to catch the flying man in blue. Daredevil catches up with him and the two fight. He says his name is the Torpedo, but Daredevil reminds him that there's already a villain with that name. Or maybe Daredevil forgot that he died in Daredevil #59, six years ago. Besides, the (new) Torpedo says that he isn't a criminal. Daredevil isn't convinced.

The fight is taking place outside Brock Jones' apartment. Brock still wants to be a good citizen and help, so he rushes downstairs. The Torpedo hits a wall, and the building collapses on both of them. Daredevil is knocked unconscious, while the Torpedo is still awake but close to death. Brock arrives and pulls the Torpedo out of the rubble. The Torpedo whispers something to Brock about an important mission. The Torpedo dies, and Brock vows to complete the mission. He puts on the Torpedo's costume.

Daredevil wakes up as the police arrive. He points at the man wearing the Torpedo's costume and says that he's a murderer, not realising that it's the Torpedo who's dead.

Wow!