Marvel 1976.06 - Daredevil #134

Daredevil #134

Title: There's trouble in New York City!

Writer: Marv Wolfman

Artist: Bob Brown

Villain: Jester, Chameleon

Guests: Torpedo

Regulars: Foggy Nelson, Heather Glenn, Bert Rose

There's a television broadcast about Daredevil shooting three policemen with a machine gun. The news is getting more and more unreliable. This is all the result of the Jester manipulating the news. We only see him briefly in this issue. We know he's up to no good, but what are his aims?

Has Marv Wolfman forgotten something? In Daredevil #132 Matt Murdock left his girlfriend Heather alone in a restaurant so he could fight Bullseye. We didn't see her last issue, so I was expecting the matter to be resolved this month. Nothing. He's a good writer, but sometimes he gets careless with his storylines.

Matt takes Heather for a romantic horse and carriage ride in Central Park. At the same time, the Chameleon is carrying out a robbery on the corner of 57th Street and 5th Avenue. It's uncommon for a Marvel writer to specify an address so precisely, but Marv Wolfman wants to let us know that it's happening close to Central Park. We've seen the Chameleon fight other heroes, especially Spider-Man, but this is the first time he's appeared in a Daredevil comic.

The Chameleon attacks the limousine of Mr. Smythe, a rich man who's going out to buy diamonds. Under the cover of a smoke screen he knocks out Mr. Smythe and takes his place. He buys some very expensive items from a jewellery store and asks for them to be charged to Mr. Smythe's account. As they leave the store, the driver notices the real Mr. Smythe tied up in the limousine, so the Chameleon makes a run for it.

Brock Jones aka the Torpedo sees the commotion from his window. He changes into his costume to chase the Chameleon. Matt recognises the sound of the Torpedo's jets, so he has to run out on Heather again. This time he gives her a nerve pinch to knock her out. He carries her home, lays her on the couch and leaves as Daredevil. That must have taken a while. I'm surprised the Torpedo wasn't finished already.

To Daredevil it looks like the Torpedo is attacking an innocent bystander. He begins to fight the Torpedo while the Chameleon slips away. Daredevil listens to the Torpedo long enough to realise what's happening. The Chameleon disguises himself as a policeman, but Daredevil recognises him by his heartbeat. Daredevil attacks him, and the crowd thinks he's gone bad after seeing him shoot policemen on television. He changes his disguise several times, but Daredevil always recognises him. Eventually he disguises himself as the Torpedo. Daredevil pretends to be fooled so he can get close. Then he knocks him out and hands him over to the police. Or at least, he wants to. The police want to arrest him, so he leaves the unconscious Chameleon with the Torpedo.

The Chameleon should have learnt his lesson by now. His disguises can't fool Daredevil.