First Appearance: The King, Zeke

Villain: The King, Kingpin

Guest Appearance: Vanessa, Elektra, Ben Urich, Foggy Nelson, Becky Blake, Elektra

Cameo: Randolph Winston Cherryh, J. Jonah Jameson (both on television)

Featured Thugs: Grotto, Turk, Zeke

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Turk and Grotto are dishing out proceeds from a recent heist when Daredevil rushes in the room, still hobbling on a cane from injuries suffered in his last fight. He easily puts away Turk and Grotto. At the Daily Bugle, Ben Urich is developing the photos he took at the Kingpin's meeting with Cherryh, and comes across the snaps he took of the strange woman he followed down into the subway. He recognizes her as Vanessa. He contacts Daredevil and together they head down into the subway system to follow this hot lead. Using his hyper-senses, Daredevil is able to gravitate towards heat sources where humans might gather, a long and deep tunnel down further into the recesses of the subway system. He tells Ben to go home and he leaps down the tunnel. Before Ben can get out of the tunnel, however, he's overcome by a mob of tunnel urchins.

As the election returns roll in, Cherryh has a lead that seems to indicate a landslide, and Foggy Nelson and his secretary Becky Blake wonder about the ramifications of the mob gaining full control of City Hall, and also about where Matt has mysteriously gone to...again!

Down in the sewers, Daredevil comes across an old woman with no legs. She tells him a monster bit them off. He gives her his cane and continues onward until he, too, is overcome by sewer urchins. Meanwhile, Cherryh rolls to an easy electoral victory. The Kingpin begins to sense he now has total control, and tells his assassin, Elektra, who stands behind him, that he will not forget her contribution to the victory.

Finally, Daredevil is face-to-face with The King, the giant of a man who holds sway over all the lost people of the sewers. DD spots Vanessa sitting passively in front of him. But the King takes both Daredevil and Ben Urich and lowers them down into a giant pool, where DD senses the smell of blood, and the giant form of an alligator swimming towards them. He manages to loosen their bonds right before the alligator comes upon them. He swings around the creature and wraps the ropes that once tied them together around the snout of the beast. Ben swims up to the surface and climbs out, with DD following immediately after. He bursts out of the water and takes on the King, who slams his giant, spiked club towards him, batting him down. Daredevil manages to grab hold of the club and smack him across the head with it, laying him low. Vanessa walks to the King, takes the ring off his hands and presents it to Daredevil, calling him "King."

Just as Cherryh is giving his acceptance speech on the television, Daredevil saunters into the Kingpin's office and tosses Vanessa's ring onto the table. The Kingpin realizes what this means- that she's still alive. The reality of all this sets in quickly and he asks Daredevil what he wants in bargain. Only three hours later, Cherryh appears on TV, reluctantly withdrawing from the office of mayor elect.

The Kingpin realizes someone must be punished for this debacle. He goes through a range of options before settling on Elektra's next target, the law partner of Matt Murdock, Foggy Nelson.

--synopsis by Gormuu

--panel images provided by Avengers Assemble

--letter pages provided by Aussie Stu

Issues Reprinted
Daredevil #168-182

Click on cover image to learn more about each issue.