DAREDEVIL #202-207: Savages Part One

Denny O’Neil’s Daredevil run was dominated by an ongoing story about a savage named Micah Synn.

He’s clearly an analog for Tarzan: British explorers get lost in the wild, and their decedents are discovered generations later as “white savages.”  A group of geologists find them and bring them to New York, where Foggy is asked to be their lawyer.

Synn’s wives ridicule and beat up on the handicapped, Synn himself betrays brutish, animal behavior at high society dinner parties…But the really interesting this about this story arc is how he becomes Daredevil’s enemy.

Foggy Nelson’s wife, a social climber, finds herself attracted to the savage and begins a close orbit.  Synn, who is accustomed to taking what he wants, takes her.  So, he’s becoming a threat to the Matt Murdock side of the persona.

Meanwhile, an assassin is hired to take Synn out, Daredevil protects him, but Synn gets the notice of Kingpin.  Wilson Fist goes about “civilizing” Synn by teaching him that it’s wrong to take another man’s wife….

Even Kingpin has a moral code.

After spending half a year on this storyline, Marvel produces two fill-in issues (#208 and 209) that are some of the best Daredevil comics ever.  And then, back to the Micah storyline.

Also, issue #202 was an “Assistant Editors Month” issue.  On the cover Foggy Nelson got the cornerbox and there was a cheeky reference to the time Marvel changed its name in the 1960s to get in on the whole Andy Warhol thing.  Then there’s a backup story about Dirk McGirk, who was a character in Marvel’s “Crazy” magazine (the rough equivalent of Mad Magazine).

He meets Daredevil in the end.  And also, Turk appears and gets punched around.

Also, the credits get an adjustment.

Also in these issues comes Christmas, and DD gets a street thug a gift…

Creators: Denny O’Neil and William Johnson
Grade: C+

For the complete history of the MU, year by year, go here.
And see my Ratings of Runs on comics here.

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