Episode Details

Welcome, my friends, to the dawning of a new Golden Age for Marvel Comics! Researching this episode was also a trip down memory lane for for Dan, because this was the summer when he first pulled a comic book off the spinner rack.  Let's take a look back at the wonder that was 1981 in comics!

Announcement:

This Week in Marvel Unlimited – Hiatus while we rethink the format.  Siena has tired of current Marvel comics offerings...

The Year in Comics 

Notable and Newsworthy

Industry Trends

Eagle Awards or lack thereof

Passings

• Wally Wood
  • https://www.fantagraphics.com/products/the-life-and-legend-of-wallace-wood-volume-1  
  • https://www.amazon.com/Wallys-World-Brilliant-Tragic-Worlds/dp/188759180X  
• Fredric Wertham
  • https://www.amazon.com/Seal-Approval-History-Studies-Popular/dp/087805975X

The Year in Marvel

Events & Happenings

New Titles

New Characters

Series Ending

Who's in the Bullpen

• ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Ann Nocenti

The Year in Daredevil 

Appearances: Daredevil #168-177, Defenders #91, Amazing Spider-Man #218-219, Marvel Team-Up #107, Marvel Two-in-One #78, Marvel Team-Up Annual #4, Rom #23 and Moon Knight #13 

Writing credits: Frank Miller (168-177) 

Pencilers:  Frank Miller (168-177)

Inks: Klaus Janson (168-1977) 

• The year begins with a bang as we are introduced to a previous love interest of Murdock’s, Elektra Natchois. This fantastic story is this week’s spotlight.  
• Next Daredevil saves Bullseye who has a brain tumor and needs surgery. 
• After that, We meet Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin. Who is negotiating giving up information on his former colleagues as an East Coast crime boss to the US government. His wife, Vanessa, goes to New York to hire Nelson and Murdock but is captured by the mob. She ultimately “dies” during a botched exchange that nearly kills Fisk. Angry, Kingpin reasserts control of the East Coast mob scene and hires a now healthy Bullseye as an assassin. Daredevil comes calling and takes Bullseye down but leaves the Kingpin in power to rebuild his organization. 
• It’s during the previous story arch that - on the cover of issue 171, June 1981 – the cover notes Daredevil is back to a monthly title. 
• Next, A lady killer is roaming the streets, and he looks exactly like Melvin Potter. Daredevil tracks down the man responsible for crippling Becky and clears the Gladiator. Important background information is given this issue on Rebecca Blake. She had been assaulted years ago by Michael Reese and lost the use of her legs. She had not reported the assault, but does so this issue at the urging of Matt Murdock. 
• Kingpin secretly hires the Hand to take out Matt Murdock, but Elektra and Gladiator get in the way; When the Hand blows up his law office at the storefront, Daredevil loses his radar sense. 
• Daredevil is without his radar sense and teamed-up with Elektra against the Hand and their master assassin, Kirigi. While Matt is off fighting ninja, Foggy is defending the Gladiator in court. 
• Daredevil and Elektra hunt down Matt's old teacher Stick to try to get Murdock’s radar sense back; meanwhile Turk steals the Mauler uniform to try and take down Daredevil. Elektra has a final confrontation with Kirigi. (Kear-ah-gee) 
• The year ends with Stick successfully helping Murdock get his radar sense back