Hi, welcome back. From last issue we had a rifle grenade explode near the vicinity of Daredevil and Ka-Zar. Ka-Zar was running away from a situation that was becoming increasingly complicated: Centered around a medal made of an unknown but precious substance part of which was in Ka-Zar's possession. Who's after this medal? A lot of factions: Ka-Zar's brother the Plunderer, a mysterious agent and Captain Plunder's pirate crew. As Ka-Zar made a break for it, Daredevil followed him to convince him that running away from the problem was not the solution. Then the explosion.
We'll come back to that in a moment but first let's look at the creator credits for this issue.
Jack Kirby, who did the layouts for last issue, has left. John Romita remains and is now the sole penciller. And look at that: Frankie Ray on inks. Frankie Ray is the pseudonym of the legendary inker Frank Giacoia. I'm expecting the Romita-Giacoia art on this issue to be superb. The ever-reliable Stan Lee closes out his three-parter while Rosen and Simek do their usual drill. It's Simek doing the lettering for this issue, Rosen did the last one.
On to the story . . .
Ka-Zar and Daredevil are knocked down by the grenade blast with the former rendered unconscious. While the pair lie motionless on the ground, the one who fired the rifle - an agent belonging to the same organization as Feepers - grabs hold of the medallion piece in Ka-Zar's possession and makes a run for it.
Using the surrounding trees and his billy club, Matt goes in pursuit.
The agent leads Daredevil back to Lord Plunder's castle where Matt finds out that Feepers' cover is blown.
Just as it's about to get worse for Feepers his fellow agent arrives on the scene.
Caught with a gun pointed on his back the Plunderer displays his prowess.
Through this unexpected series of events the Plunderer now has the complete medallion.
To recap, the medallion is a key that unlocks a hoard of material of the same substance that it is made of - a substance that can disintegrate non-organic matter. Lord Parnival explains it best.
Okay, this we haven't seen yet: Daredevil vs. The Plunderer.
The first part of the battle has the Plunderer borrowing a move from the Masked Matador.
Grabbing a halberd, the Plunderer presses the advantage but the medallion is working against him.
Last issue, when Ka-Zar and Daredevil left the castle, Lord Plunder dispatched the constables to locate and detain them. Looks like these constables have found the unconscious Ka-Zar.
I can hardly blame Lord Plunder from unleashing the police against Daredevil as well - it's the obvious next move.
For the second time in his career DD is running away from law enforcement - I'm sure it's a hard thing to swallow for Matt Murdock, attorney-at-law; even though he does practice law in another country. The first time this happened was when DD got framed by the Organizer and the Ani-Men.
Daredevil tries for the window.
Looking at Duke Kruger's castle back in issue No. 9 and now Lord Plunder's castle, I'm half convinced that Marvel doesn't have any castles that don't incorporate high-tech gadgetry.
Matt relies on his hypersenses and acrobatic skill.
He falls down in the surely disgusting moat water. But an escape is an escape.
As the ruckus in the castle wraps up, there is a distinct lack of brotherly love among the Plunders.
With the complete key in his possession, Lord Parnival wastes no time.
'Plunder Stone', I wonder if that name will stick? I don't read about any Plunder Stone in current Marvel continuity.
The mind that created that ultra-high tech ship from issue no. 12 now goes to work on the Plunder Stone.
And voila! The Plunderer as a masked adventurer.
True to form, and unique among heroes, Daredevil thinks like a lawyer.
In what could be the communique of the month. Matt informs both Foggy and Karen that he's alive and that they have a case waiting for them in the U.K.!
And that also means that the nerve-wracking love triangle is back in play.
We've always known that Karen was always inclined towards Matt, but just in case we forgot.
In a whimsical and wild turn, the Plunderer orders his pirates to shave, get a bath, put on skin tight costumes, and now we have this:
This panel clues us in on some important details.
Plunder reserved the ultimate weapon only for himself. A wise thing considering he treats his men like trash. Matt is right. The material of the guns being held by the ex-pirates is the antidote to the Plunder Stone's poison - Matt must find out how to recreate it. Alternatively, he can just do it the old-fashioned way: defeat the Plunderer and take all his dangerous toys away.
Foolishly, the Plunderer leaves just one guardsman - that's like giving DD a present.
Daredevil is quickly adding infiltration into his set of skills. Back in issue No. 11 he took the guise of Frog-Man to get under the Organizers' radar. Now he has successfully infiltrated the Plunderer's crew.
Upon arrival in London, Karen and Foggy don't see Matt but Matt takes care to give them all they need to assist on Ka-Zar's legal woes. I'm thinking Ka-Zar will be paying his fees in extinct animal hides, solid chunks of gold, or, my personal favorite, Ju-Ju berries.
Meanwhile, the Plunderer goes power mad and stages a direct attack on a missile base.
Even tanks cannot stop him.
Beautiful. Stan Lee makes fun of himself in the panel below.
At a critical time, Daredevil reveals himself.
As the skirmish starts DD manages to knock away the Vibra-Ray gun.
As the fight gets underway, and Matt finds himself against a roomful of assailants with long firearms, I am reminded of his first fight in Fogwell's gym. At the time, seven assailants, no guns. Daredevil has come a long way.
Even more impressive, the mind of Matt Murdock has evidently figured out the mystery of the Plunderer's guns - and during the melee too!
Though we admire our hero. We all know that DD is a spotty fighter right? So let's all have a small celebration on the occassion of Daredevil's defeat of every stooge in the Plunderer's command. Hooray!
And the antidote to the Plunder Stone? It's so simple it's hilarious.
No wonder we never hear of the Plunder Stone these days, all that's needed to defeat it is a Glock.
Whew! Let's take a break and look in on a U.K. courtroom.
Of course Foggy can't represent Ka-Zar directly - he only has a license to practice in the U.S..
Okay, what's with the chains?
Seems a bit extreme for the British court system. My guess is that Ka-Zar broke all the lesser restraints and refused to wear the prison uniform. Yup, looks like that's what happened here. Did I just say 'a bit extreme for the British court system'? The magistrate agrees.
Before he could be freed though, Ka-Zar goes amok.
And has to be put down.
The interrupted fight between between Daredevil and the Plunderer, which began in the latter's castle, is taken up again and resolved.
Daredevil is referring to the fact that he could not best Ka-Zar in a hand-to-hand fight. The record between Ka-Zar and DD is 0-2 in favor of the jungle man. The Plunderer approximates his brother but not enough to withstand DD. Soon enough the entire base erupts to put down the invaders.
In the end, it was hubris that defeats Lord Parnival.
Hubris and plastic. I mean, c'mon Plunderer, you're weakness is plastic?! Hahaha!
Ka-Zar's trial is resolved in his favor.
As the issue closes, the love triangle is back and so is Nelson and Murdock.
And Stan Lee dodges a bullet by simply saying that Matt is somehow able to explain the whole thing.