Marvel 1975.12 - Daredevil #128

Daredevil #128

Title: Death stalks the Stairway to the Stars

Writer: Marv Wolfman

Artist: Bob Brown

Villain: Death Stalker, Starron the Sky-Walker

Regulars: Foggy Nelson, Heather

The comic starts with Matt Murdock swearing never to be Daredevil again. We've heard Spider-Man speak similar words before. Matt is disgusted with himself because of the way he wrecked a family's home last issue. How long will Matt keep to his promise? We'll see.

There's a welcome distraction. Foggy Nelson rings him to tell him he's meeting his rival Blake Tower, and he wants Matt to accompany him. There's also an unwelcome distraction. As Matt is heading out to meet Foggy, Heather arrives. Her banter gets on his nerves, so he snaps at her. She realises he has problems, so she reigns herself in and accompanies him in the taxi to see Foggy.

There are two characters in action at the same time. Someone in a space suit breaks into the space exhibition in Flushing Meadow Park and climbs up a space rocket with suction shoes. The other is Death-Stalker, a villain we last saw in Daredevil #115. He's in a museum collecting mirrors. 

This comic has a series of weaknesses, and this is the first. On arriving at Foggy's house Matt mentions two things that Heather said in the taxi. The trouble is, we're never told what these two things are. There were no panels drawn of the taxi ride, and we're not clued in later in the comic. That's bad story-telling.

Foggy tells Matt that Blake Tower has cancelled the meeting without giving a reason. He says Death-Stalker has been reported stealing from museums. He also mentions an intrusion at the Flushing Meadows science park, which he assumes is also Death-Stalker. Matt heads off and changes into his Daredevil costume at the first chance. He probably had it in his case when he went to meet Foggy. There's no hesitation, nothing at all. He's forgotten that he wanted to give up being Daredevil a few pages ago. This sudden turnaround is poorly written. The closest he gets is when he says that he has to do things the police can't.

Meanwhile, the silent figure in Flushing Meadows, who identifies himself in his thoughts as Starron, begins his journey home. He's been trapped on Earth for 600 years. He was born on Earth, but he doesn't consider it his home. He creates star-steps which he intends to use to walk to his own planet.

Death Stalker is also in the Flushing Meadows space centre, using the equipment in the centre to build a ray gun with the stolen mirrors. Daredevil arrives, and they begin to fight. They jump onto Starron's star-steps, taking them for granted as they fight one another. Daredevil smashes Death Stalker's gun and pushes him into Starron, who repels him with an electric blast. Death Stalker teleports away to save himself. Daredevil turns to face Starron, but he's already walked too high.

Climbing into space, Starron says he knows that Daredevil is blind. He also says that he may return to fight Daredevil to the death.

So who is Starron? We don't find out. In the next issue he's gone. Marv Wolfman simply forgets him. He's introduced a new, enigmatic character, and then he abandons him without explanation. What's Marv thinking? This is just awful. And the idea of walking on star-steps? How long would it take to walk (not fly) to another planet? Even if he's a fast walker, he'd need at least four billion years to reach a planet 50 light years away. Marv didn't think it through.

Also, the way Daredevil and Death Stalker unquestioningly use the star-steps as platforms for their fight is totally unrealistic.

After writing two brilliant comics in a row, Marv Wolfman has produced a piece of trash. Everything about this comic is bad.