His world is one of eternal darkness, but oh how the darkness is filled! Images , more vivid then
any eyesight, supplied by a unique "Radar sense", as well as hyper acute senses make his world
a unique and astonishing place. By day he is a well known and respected lawyer, by night a
different kind of defender, one who is known by his enemies as a "Man without fear". Years of
training along with his amazing senses have made him a man who instills fear instead. Armed
with his multi purpose "Billy Club" he swings through the Manhattan skyline , battling evil and
injustice wherever it rears its ugly face. He is....
Splash Page: DD is sitting on the ground, having been knocked there last issue by the gentleman
who's advancing on him , ready to tear the man without fear apart gleefully. His name is...
DD: "TOMBSTONE!"
Tombstone : (In his trademarked whisper)"That's right hornhead, your old buddy Tombstone is
really glad to see you, REALLY glad."
Page 2
Tombstone swings at Daredevil, who quickly back flips out of the way.
T S: "Aww what's the matter hornhead? You don't wanna play? A few minutes ago you were
ready ta rumble.*"
*See last issue
Daredevil kicks Tombstone in the face by swinging into him on his billy club line.
Whack!
DD : "I still am Lonnie-boy, but we're going to play on MY terms, not yours." (Unngh, that felt
like I kicked a concrete wall. What's this guy made of? Maybe it wasn't so bright of me to attack
him, but I'm so knotted up with the day I've had here in Miami that I had to get my frustration
out on someone, and when I heard a heartbeat I recognized as a villain , I attacked him, not
remembering which villain.)
T S: "OOF ! Not bad fer a no-power wimp red man. When I wasn't juiced up you mighta taken
me, but now you got no chance."
Page 3
Tombstone swings at DD, while the man without fear ducks, Tombstone connects with a wall,
knocking chunks of brick out.
T S : "See that Devil? That's gonna be your head when I get my hands on it."
D D: "Oooo scare me tough guy."
The two opponents circle each other in the street, Daredevil avoiding every attack Tombstone
makes, using his greater speed and agility to his advantage over Tombstones Spider-Man league
strength.
D D: (This is no good, I'm tiring and he's not even winded yet.)
Suddenly Tombstone lunges, leaping at Daredevil to tackle him and hold him at close quarters,
where DD's speed can't be used.
T S: "Gotcha now spandex boy."
Page 4
DD says nothing, he rolls with the heavier Tombstone on top of him, completing a perfect
stomach throw, using Tombstones own momentum against him, throwing him into traffic
where...
Truck Driver : "Hey buddy get outta the...."
BLAM!
T S : "UNNNGGH!"
Tombstone is knocked to the ground by the speeding box truck, the driver jumps out as Lonnie
Lincoln stumbles to his feet.
Driver : "Stay down Mac, I'll get ya an ambulance."
Tombstone grabs the man and draws him face to face
Page 5
T S : "You little worm , I'm gonna snap yer neck like a pencil."
Driver: "ULP, Geeze mac, yer face! You need a Doctor bad, calm down !"
Then , Daredevil is there, kicking Tombstone in the back of the head with a billy club assisted
flying kick, that makes the granite skinned tough drop the terrified man.
DD : "Nah, his face is always that ugly, friend. Now I suggest you clear out of here, things are
about to get ugly. Though in Lonnie-boys case they can't get much uglier then they already are."
Tombstone groggily pulls himself to his feet, obviously hurting, but still a serious threat.
T S: "Your a funny guy hornhead. Lets see how funny you are when I rub your face into the
pavement for a couple a blocks."
D D : "Give it your best shot Tombie." ( His heart is pounding like a drum now, he's hurt. Good.
Lets hope I can finish him off before he gets me in his grip again.)
Page 6
T S : "I didn' think you had it in ya Daredevil, but you hurt me. Now ya got my respect. To bad
that ain't gonna stop me from crackin' your skull like an egg shell."
D D : "Oooo, promises , promises." (He's getting ready to lunge, his blood pressure is jumping
and his heart rate as well as his body sweat are jumping up .) "Hey Lonni, don't you ever shower?
P-YEW !"
Tombstone again leaps at Daredevil, this time DD jumps straight upwards, throwing his Billy
club line around a roof top awning on the busy street they're battling on, he retracts his cable,
pulling himself up, above the madly lunging Tombstone, who runs head first into a fire hydrant,
smashing it and causing an instant deluge among the South Beach street revelers.
T S : "Arrrggh, I'm gonna kill you ya little freak!"
He tears at the remains of the Hydrant, shedding the heavy steel and begins throwing it at DD on
the rooftop.
Page 7
D D: "What's the matter Tombie? Finally got that shower? Believe me , you needed it."
T S : "Laugh all you want freak, but you don't get down here. I'm gonna start killin' me some
pedestrians."
The cafe's are long emptied of patrons , the battle has brought the police, who finally realize who
Daredevil is, and they have stayed back, keeping the people safe, hoping DD will take out this
threat that they are not capable of handling.
D D: (Now's the time to finish this up, but how? I-wait a minute. I think I have an idea, but
first...)
DD Swings down, out of the dark sky, again kicking Tombstone in the back of the head with
everything he has, this time Tombstone falls face first into the water filled street, sliding on his
chest , into the truck that hit him earlier , careening with the right front tire head first !
KLONG!
Page 8
D D : (Now he's really hurt, he's erratic in his walk and he's almost dead on his feet.) " Give it up
Lonnie. You're on your last legs."
T S : "Maybe so smart guy, but before I drop , I'll make sure you go down first."
Turning, the angry villain grabs the truck he just slid into, gripping it by its bumper and frame ,
and heaves upwards with all his might, lifting the 8 ton truck up and heaving it towards the hero
!
T S: "Die Daredevil !"
BA-ROOM!
The truck rolls through a cafe', with DD narrowly avoiding become a permanent blotch on the
street as the big truck rolls over and over, smashing stores and property, before coming to a stop.
Page 9
T S : "You can't keep this up forever hero-man. Sooner or later you'll make a mistake, then
you're mine!"
DD : (I don't believe this , he's dead on his feet, and still coming at me. What's it going to take to
stop this guy?)
Suddenly the answer to DD's question appears, as a sparking, arcing sign dangles at the edge of
his radar sense.
T S : " Last call red man, Tombstone's closin' up the bar."
DD: "Not if Daredevil gets to the door first pasty face."
Page 10
Tombstone stumbles after DD , as Daredevil swings again upwards, to the arcing signs side.
Below Tombstone stands ankle deep in water as the shattered hydrant continues to soak him and
the surrounding street.
T S : "C'mon back down and play ya wimp. Yer actin' tough all night, but now yer runnin' again.
Wimp. Get down here so I can finish the job."
Tombstone can barely stand, he rocks on his own feet, to and fro, as DD makes his finishing
move.
DD: "Nighty night Tombie !"
DD throws his Billy Club line around the dangling sign, then swings out , using the sign to
anchor himself on. Suddenly at the periphery of his arc, the sign breaks loose, Daredevil retracts
his cable line and tightens himself into a ball, using his own momentum to shoot out like a
pebble from a slingshot, he flies away towards the building next to the one he was just anchored
to. Stretching outwards he snags the buildings cornice with an outstretched hand, all the while
his unique radar sense feeds him info on Tombstone.
Page 11
DD : "Ouch, that's gotta hurt ."
Tombstone is being electrocuted, as 440 volts is fed into him, actually making his close cut hair
stand on end more then it usually does. Then the power goes dead, as a breaker somewhere
clicks, and Tombstone falls flat on his face. Unconscious?
DD: ( I don't believe this, he's still not out.)
Slowly , Tombstone claws his way to his feet.
T S : " Gonna kill you. Gonna k-kill y-you. Gonna..."
Daredevil walks up to the barely standing villain , and throws everything he's got into one ,
powerful right handed rising punch !
Pa-KOW !
DD : "Say good night Tombstone."
Page 12
Almost instantly the Cops surround the unconscious villain, binding him with heavy chains, as
several burly Cops drag him to his feet. A few turn around, looking for Daredevil, but he's long
gone !
Later in Matt Murdoch's Hotel room
Matt (On the phone, wrapped in a towel): " Hi honey, I guess you're out somewhere. I'm having a
hell of a time down here. Enough to give a Devil fits, if you know what I mean. Okay, call me
back here if you get in soon."
Matt hangs up the phone, then practically collapses onto his bed, sleeping before his head hits
the pillow. Then the dreams begin. Matt sees himself as Daredevil , in the crowd at his fathers
last fight, while nearby he sees himself as a little boy, and also sitting next to himself as Matt
Murdoch watching the fight unfold.
Matt: (what's going on here? Dad? Why am I seeing myself as a kid here? Why's DD here also?)
DD turns to Matt.
Page 13
DD "Your here to put a mystery to rest. To finally see the truth. "
Matt: "What truth? I know what happened to Dad. I knew for years. Nothing here is going to
show me anything I don't already know."
DD: "Are you sure?"
Matt doesn't answer, he merely stretches his radar sense out towards the ring, where his father
battles a younger opponent. A man who should have no problem putting the older Murdoch
down on the canvas, but suddenly Matt "sees" something. A man in a fedora approaches Jack
Murdochs corner man. He whispers something that visibly upsets the man.
Matt: "Why am I seeing this? I was never here."
DD : "Yes you were. We all were. We just didn't remember. "
Page 14
Matt: "I don't believe you. Why should I? I KNOW I wasn't here."
DD : "Do you? Are you sure?"
Matt: "YES !"
DD : "Then why are you dreaming this? Why are you seeing things you should never be able to
know about? Is it because Nicolosi showed you something? Something so horrible you buried it
deep down inside? Something that drives you to this day without you knowing it?"
Matt: "What are you talking about? "
DD : "Back up."
Page 15
The whole scene begins to re-wind before Matt Murdochs now seeing eyes. Playing in a ghastly
backwards sequence , finally slowing and then stopping. Holding at one lost moment in time.
One moment that burns in Matt Murdochs mind. His hearing suddenly picks up everything,
clearer and sharper then ever.
Fedora: " Tell your man Murdoch he's winnin' this one. If he don't the blind brat learns to swim
with cement on his ankles."
The corner man again goes white with terror, as things resume at full speed again. And then , up
in the rafters, Matt Murdoch sees something that stops his breath in his throat. He sees a much
younger version of himself watching his fathers fight, hearing everything said, and being
frightened by what he hears, but also thinking his father can take care of everything, and so he's
really not that concerned by the threat. Then everything goes dark......
Page 16
.....And Matt Murdoch bolts upright in bed , shivering and covered in sweat !
Matt:(My God! I was there, I remember it all right now. I was watching the fight from the rafters of the old arena. Watching Dad take a pounding and then I heard that guys voice. Heard him say he wanted to kill me if Dad didn't do what they wanted. But stupidly I ignored the threat, thinking Dad was more then capable of taking care of himself. So Nicolosi was telling the truth*. He does know something about Dads death, maybe even who's responsible. I got more info out of him when Daredevil paid him a visit**, but no names. This is not good. I think Mr. Nicolosi needs another visit from his lawyer in the morning, but not now.)
* Last ish
** Ditto
Matt rubs his right shoulder, as knotted muscles kink and flex.
Matt: ( For now I need my rest. After my last few rounds with Tombstone I need my sleep. I can
hardly move at this point.)
Murdoch lies back down, and this time sleeps restfully, with no more nightmares to shatter his
sleep.
Page 17
Inside Dade County Prison, not everything is as sedate as it seems. The prisoners sleep, but
sometimes the prisoners are not the only ones with darkness in their hearts. The guards footsteps
rap on the concrete floor as he makes his rounds, passing by Biagio Nicolosi's cell. Inside the old
man is asleep, snoring fitfully. The guard continues on. Moments later another guard appears,
smaller and quieter. He stops before Nicolosi's cell. Looks surreptitiously side to side, then opens
the cell door. Once inside he opens a small bottle and quickly drinks its contents. Within seconds
his body begins to contort as he grits his teeth to remain silent against the pain. Suddenly the
small man is gone, replaced by a hulking brute. He places his hand over the older mans face,
waking him immediately.
Large man: "Keep your mouth shut Biagio. You did your part and your boss thanks you. He also
doesn't leave loose ends around."
Fear suddenly runs rampant in Nicolosi's eyes, he begins to struggle, as the larger man grips his
head in one hand and twists. The muffled pop doesn't waken anyone. Again he looks around, this
time downing another bottle of liquid. Again his proportions change, and once more the
masquerading Guard exits the cell, only to stand there a moment , until he starts screaming for
help.
Page 18
Guard : "Help! I need a medic down here, man down, help!"
Guards appear from all levels, and soon a doctor is in the cell. The pseudo Guard is long gone at
this point, as another makes a startling discovery. He hands it to the guard Captain who walks
out holding the object. First walking, then breaking into a trot for the Wardens office.
The next day Matt Murdoch arrives at the Prison and enters the reception area.
Matt: " Hello, I'm Mr Murdoch, attorney for Biagio Nicolosi. I'd like to see my client please."
The guard stares at Murdoch , suddenly realizing that Matt is blind.
Guard: "Sorry sir, I guess you didn't ummm, hear the news?"
Matt: "What news?" (Something's wrong, when I mentioned Nicolosi's name , this mans heart
almost leaped from his chest.)
Page 19
Guard: "Your client Mr Murdoch. He was murdered last night. Somebody broke into his cell and
killed him. They broke his neck."
Matt: "NO! When did this happen? Are there any suspects?"
The Warden approaches then .
Warden: "I'll take over here Saunders. "
The guard nods to his boss, then excuses himself to Matt, before leaving.
Warden: "Mr......Murdoch is it?"
Matt: "Yes."
Warden: "Mr Murdoch, last night a man broke into my jail and killed an inmate who was serving
time here. That does not look good on my otherwise spotless record."
Page 20
Matt: "Well sir, I would be more concerned with the man who lost his life, and finding his
killer."
Warden: "Oh we already know who his killer is. He left something here. I know you can't see it, but here it is just the same. He was seen in the area in recent days, so we know it was him. This is all the evidence we need to put this vigilante scum on the chair. You did know that Florida is a
Capital Punishment State, didn't you? "
But Matt Murdoch says nothing, as he stares dumbfounded and shocked, his radar sense playing
over the image in the Wardens hand again and again. An image of Daredevils glove.
Next : Framed !
Dare-ing to be different !