50 years ago, in Marvel's Daredevil #92 (October 1972)...
...this symbolic cover showed Daredevil, the Black Widow, and the Black Panther (Nope, I'm not kidding!) against a one-shot martial-arts assassin!
A Kingpin-like villain imprisons the Black Widow and figures out Matt Murdock is Daredevil!
He sends the aforementioned assassin to kill Murdock...
Note something a little...off..about 'ol Hornhead?
Figure out what's going on?
Clue: Daredevil doesn't use his billy club...his primary weapon!
The Blue Talon, unlike most Marvel baddies, never returned!
Pity, since he had a unique weapon, and probably a kool backstory!
Trivia: When the story was reprinted in France, a painted cover by Jean Frisano left out the Black Widow...
...which made sense, since she was a captive at the time, and didn't participate in the battle!
And this 1972 French reprint's cover features the Blue Talon's original face...
...before Art Director John Romita Sr modified the original art by Gene Colan and Tom Palmer as seen at the top of this post!
And this 1972 French reprint's cover features the Blue Talon's original face...
Note: We don't usually show classic non-powered costumed superheroes/heroines on this blog.
But most are trained martial artists, usually in a variety of fighting disciplines and techniques including Western (boxing/wrestling/savate/etc) and Asian!
(Both Captain America and The Batman have fought Asian-trained martial artist heroes to a draw!)
So should we include "classic" superheroes along with the martial artists?
Let us know!
So should we include "classic" superheroes along with the martial artists?
Let us know!
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(which reprints the complete story we excerpted...but in black and white)
