Daredevil goes to visit Robert and Shanna O'Hara at 3:00 in the morning to tell them that he has met the leader of Black Spectre: The Mandrill. He explains to them that the Mandrill intends to overthrow the government and replace it with one of his own making. When Daredevil sympathizes with the Mandrill for being ridiculed and prejudiced all his life, he assures them that he will stop Mandrill due to his methods and the murders her perpetuated in the past.
Leaving to get some rest, Daredevil is attacked by Black Spectre's newest agent, the Silver Samurai. Daredevil is too tired to put up a good fight and tries to escape, however the Silver Samurai is not so easily shaken off, and Daredevil is eventually rescued by Shanna and her two pets Biri and Ina. The two heroes and giant cats pummel the Silver Samurai, who despite being outnumbered, manages to fight off the heroes and make his escape, vowing to resume his attack later.
The next day, Shanna, Robert, and Daredevil travel to the Metropolitan General Hospital to compare notes with Foggy Nelson. There Shanna tells them all the story of her first encounter with Nekra and the Mandrill, her subsequent adventures in Africa, and the murder of her father which has taken her to America to try and bring his killer to justice.
Just then Black Spectre soldiers and the Silver Samurai smash through the window and attack, knocking out Biri and Ina. During the struggle the Samurai grabs Shanna and makes his escape. When Daredevil attempts to stop him, he is easily defeated in combat by Nekra and the villains make their escape with Shanna as their prisoner. Taken to the Mandrill, the apish foe vows to learn how Shanna has manage to resist his mutant powers that allow him to control women by operating on her brain.
Daredevil meanwhile revives and resumes his civilian identity of Matt Murdock to return to the scene so as not to compromise his identity. There he finds Candace Nelson who agrees to go with him for coffee. There he learns that she was a former journalism student at Empire State University, and that she is in some sort of trouble. While she won't tell him what it is, she promises that if she can think of anyway for Matt to help her, she will get in touch with him.
House later, Matt changes back into Daredevil and begins his hunt for Black Spectre again. He locates their blimp hovering over the Empire State Building and goes to investigate. There he finds the Silver Samurai and Black Spectre troops attempting to detonate the broadcasting tower, although Daredevil attempts to stop them at first, he finds that he is outmatched due to the fact that they are armed with ray pistols.
Detecting the rope ladder up to the blimp and deciding stopping the Mandrill directly will be more effective, the Man Without Fear abandons the battle to climb up into his enemies ship in the hopes of saving both Shanna and the Black Widow.
Notes[edit]
- This issue contains a letters page, Let's Level With Daredevil. One of the letters is from Ralph Macchio
Appearances[edit]
- Daredevil (Matt Murdock)
- Black Spectre
Release Date[edit]
April 2, 1974
Cover Date[edit]
July 1974