Daredevil Beats Up Cap...and Everybody Else!
It's been a while, but this July 4th I'm returning to one of my favorite traditions: blogging about FIGHTS!...specifically, of course, fights between the Scarlet Swashbuckler and ol' Winghead. This year, let's turn our attention to Daredevil volume 1 #155, in which Matt encounters a whole crowd of exciting guest-stars...and punches ALL of them.
Our story starts two issues earlier, in #153, when Mr. Hyde fast-pitches DD at a wall and knocks him unconscious.
Hyde: "You may be good at whipping a sniveling coward like Cobra-- but I have you now-- and you'll not escape me again!"
Matt: "Blast! Hyde recovered sooner than I'd hoped! Got to go limp-- roll with the-- unghh!"
Caption: "The dull crunch of bone against granite..."
Daredevil vol. 1 #153 by Roger McKenzie, Gene Colan, Mary Titus, Tony Dezuniga, and Denise Wohl
At least, that's the official diagnosis. However, here is a full plot synopsis of the two issues in question:
Anyway, whatever mysterious event might have possibly caused it, poor Matt goes into #155 with a teensy little nagging headache.
Matt: "Oh, man! Am I glad that's over! My head feels like it's going to split wide open! I don't think I could've faced another..."
Becky Blake (off-panel): "Mr. Murdock? I hope I'm not too late, but..."
Matt: "(Oh, no!) P-please...I'm sorry...but could you just go away?"
Daredevil vol. 1 #155 by Roger McKenzie, Frank Robbins, Frank Springer, Bob Sharen, and Denise Wohl
This headache is...well...a pain. It stops Matt from shaving, breaks his concentration when he's swinging around as Daredevil, almost getting him killed, and worst of all, it nearly causes him to chase away The Becky Blake, who stops by the office in this issue to apply for the vacant assistant position. (Fortunately for all of us, The Becky Blake can't be chased away that easily.)
After a long, grouchy, miserable day at the office, Matt and his headache finally get some good news: Natasha Romanov is in town! Matt is sort of on the outs with his current girlfriend, Heather Glenn, since he was kind of indirectly responsible for her father's arrest and subsequent death, and hey, he hasn't seen Natasha since they broke up 30 issues ago. He instantly-- and I mean instantly-- ditches Becky (his new employee, who he was taking out to celebrate her new job) and Foggy (who is in the middle of announcing his engagement):
Foggy: "I didn't have a chance to tell you earlier, but we've decided to go ahead and tie the kn-- Matt?"
Matt: "That's great, Foggy. It really is. But I can't talk now..."
Becky: "Matt?"
I could blame it on the concussion, but let's be honest, this is just normal Matt Murdock behavior.
But where, I hear you ask, are the fights? Where is Steve Rogers and his perpetually punchable face? I promise, this post is not just about Matt being a mess. As it happens, at this very moment, Natasha is hanging out with a few of her Avengers buddies...when suddenly, the Avengers Mansion intruder alarm starts blaring. The lights go out. And somebody starts throwing kicks.
Hank: "Hey! Watch the merchandise! This blue, furry bod may not look like much-- but I call it home... unghh"
Steve: "Look out! The Beast's down! But whoever that is, lurking in the shadows-- will answer to Captain America! (No! He grabbed me almost as if he knew...sensed somehow...that I was about to leap! But that's just not possible--! Nnnh)"
Natasha: "You!"
That's right, it's Matt, whose little headache has taken an extreme turn for the worse. But though he may be concussed and delusional, you have to admit, he pulls this off with style, making this just about the shortest 4th of July FIGHT(TM) so far. (He spinning plates the shield! How great is that?). With one mighty, balletic heave at the nearest wall, Cap is down for the count. With Natasha's friends out of the way, Matt turns to his real target, and the only person in the room who presents a real challenge: the Black Widow herself. After a thrilling fight (a topic for another post!), Matt finally comes to his senses...and then falls into a coma.
Matt: "Y-you're going to pay, Widow! I swear you'll p-pay...for all... all...the...pain! N-no--! I-- I can't...bear it...any longer... I-- Dear god! What have I done? Forgive me... Natasha...please...forgive--!"
Natasha: "M-Matt--? Matt!"
When he comes to, Cap generously agrees to help Natasha rush him to the hospital. Beast and Herc are less enthusiastic, but this is not the first time that Matt has randomly attacked Steve for no apparent reason, after all, so maybe he's getting used to it. After an intense boxing match with Death (another topic for another post!), Matt comes out of the coma feeling much better. The concussion is identified as the cause of his random violence, and his life returns to its normal state of chaos. But I have to say... if it somehow gives him the power to singlehandedly take out Captain America, Hercules, and Beast, maybe Matt should consider getting concussed more often.
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