Villain: Klaus Kruger, Kruger robots

First Appearance: Klaus Kruger, Dr. Van Eyck

Guest Appearance: Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, Karen Page, Dr. Van Eyck

Innovations: Lichtenbad

Gadgets & Inventions: Billy club modifications: Gas pellets, mortar shells

Letters Page: Page One • Page Two

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Karen is very happy that Matt is now going to consider getting his eyesight restored, and she sees him and Kruger off to Lichtenbad at the airport. Foggy, meanwhile, thinks to himself that Karen really loves Matt, and his jealousy begins to surface. After a long plane ride to Lichtenbad, in which the formerly garrulous Kruger has silenced himself in a cold and distant manner, the pair disembark the plane, where Kruger is the victim of an attempted assassination. His security agents stop the gunman, as does his bullet-proof vest stop the bullet from his gun. Matt is taken aback by the sense of overwhelming fear and hatred for Kruger in Lichtenbad. He is taken to meet Dr. Van Eyck, and when Matt inquires about the situation in the country, the doctor warns him not to speak of such things, as "the walls have ears."

Later, Matt decides to investigate Lichtenbad as Daredevil! He overhears some citizens planning an uprising, but their meeting is disrupted by Kruger's robot goons. While DD still is held back by his gunshot wound, he decides to monitor the action and see what happens. They are taken en masse into Kruger's castle, which is surrounded by a shark-infested moat. Daredevil stealthily follows, and his senses tell him the castle is a high-tech place with many weapons that could destroy the whole world. Finally, Daredevil and Klaus Kruger meet in his throne room. The robots attack him, and Daredevil knocks them all back before firing a gas pellet from his billy club at Kruger, who is protected by a force shield around his throne. A robot whacks DD on his bad arm, and he is dragged into the dungeon where he is held beside other political prisoners. Once left alone, Daredevil manages to escape his bonds and lead a prison break. While the citizens escape, he fends off Kruger's robots. He escapes the castle, too, and changes back into Matt Murdock to go see Dr. Van Eyck, who tells him he wants to run more tests on him.

Back in America, Foggy senses that Karen is wistfully thinking about Matt, and he flies into a rage, punching the wall in frustration.

In Lichtenbad, Dr. Van Eyck tries to warn Matt that he will be taken prisoner by Kruger, in his mad plan to collect the leaders in all fields of medecine, law, science and politics, so he can build a robot army to take over the world. The robots crash into Van Eyck's clinic to apprehend him as a traitor, and Matt dresses up as DD again to finish the fight against Kruger. By this point, the people of Lichtenbad are in open revolt, spilling out into the courtyards to fight with Kruger's robot guards. Daredevil takes care of a few robots before scaling the walls of the castle to find Kruger. While all the robots are preoccupied in battle with the citizens, Daredevil and Kruger square off in a one-on-one battle. Kruger is clad in his chain mail, with a shield and broadsword. DD manages to leap to Kruger's throne and turn on his force shield, so his sword is smashed to pieces when it hits it. DD also realizes Kruger's robot army is controlled from his throne, and he turns them all off. As they fight, Kruger realizes DD is getting the upper hand, and in his madness decides to turn on the lethal "cobalt bomb" device that will destroy the world.

Dr. Van Eyck, who has watched Daredevil battle Kruger- and deduced his real identity as Matt Murdock- realizes only he can stop the cobalt bomb. He races into the control room and turns the bomb off, but takes on an incredible amount of radiation exposure and dies. DD and Kruger have chased each other to the top of the castle, where they face off in final battle. Kruger leaps at the Man Without Fear, but jumps past him and down to his doom. Daredevil finds Dr. Van Eyck's body and realizes he sacrificed his life to save the world. He also realizes his chance at curing his blindness is gone forever.

Back at home, Karen receives a telegram from Matt saying that he didn't go through with the operation. Karen wonders why, and Foggy says it's because Matt has never been a brave man. Foggy thinks to himself how jealous he is becoming towards the man he calls his best friend.

--synopsis by Gormuu

--panel images provided by Avengers Assemble

--letter pages and house ads provided by Aussie Stu

Issues Reprinted
Daredevil #1-11

Click on cover image to learn more about each issue.