DAREDEVIL #165

"ARMS OF THE OCTOPUS"
Script/Co-Plotters/Pencils: Roger McKenzie & Frank Miller | Inks: Klaus Janson
Lettering: Joe Rosen | Coloring: Bob Sharen
Editor: Denny O’Neil | Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The Plot: Having gotten wind of the impending theft of a shipment of adamantium, Daredevil visits Josie’s Bar & Grill to shake down some informants. Learning that the unbreakable metal is due to be delivered to Glenn Industries, DD pays a visit to their offices, where he bursts into a board meeting and informs Heather Glenn that something is going on within the company behind her back.

The next night, Matt Murdock learns that Heather never showed up for a date. He heads for the wharf, where the adamantium is in the process of being stolen, and is clobbered by Doctor Octopus.

Later, at Glenn Industries, Doc Ock brags to his prisoner, Heather, that he plans to use the adamantium to construct a set of new, unbreakable arms. But Daredevil arrives and attacks, defeating Ock.

Sub-Plots & Continuity Notes: It's revealed that since her father’s death, Heather has had tenuous control over his company. We also learn how he died: enthralled by the Purple Man, he was jailed for embezzlement. Later he killed himself after Daredevil failed to prove his innocence.

PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #44

"THE VENGEANCE GAMBIT"
Writer/Co-Plotter: Marv Wolfman | Layouts/Co-Plotter: Steve Leialoha
Finished Art: Al Gordon | Letterer: Michael Higgins | Colorist: Ben Sean
Editor: Dennis O'Neil | Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The Plot: As he swings through the city on a cold winter's night, Spider-Man spots a funeral procession. He snaps some pictures and moves on, as the procession arrives at a church. The attendees are all gangsters looking to take over New York's underworld, and have gathered to pay their respects to one of their own, Big Louie. The funeral is presided over by Malachai Toomes, who announces that his uncle has the firmest grasp on the underworld, but he will allow the assembled gangsters to serve him if they will each procure for him a valuable item of his choosing.

The next day, a mobster named Harry Dolenz attempts to steal a jade statue at a Chinese New Year's parade in Chinatown, but is gunned down by men working for his rival, Black Alfred. Peter Parker, covering the parade for the Daily Globe, inadvertently winds up with the killing captured on film. When he realizes this the next day, Peter vows to solve the murder. Later, Black Alfred murders another of his rivals, Mancini, at an elevated train track, while at the same time, Spider-Man shakes down some hoods elsewhere in the city and learns that Dolenz's body was taken to the Taylor Building. The wall-crawler pulls records on the building, learning that it is owned by Malachai Toomes, and that Toomes is the nephew of one of his oldest enemies.

CAPTAIN AMERICA #247

"BY THE DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT!"
Writer/Co-Plotters/Penciler: Roger Stern • John Byrne
Inker: Josef Rubinstein | Letterer: Jim Novak | Colorist: George Roussos
Editor: Jim Salicrup | Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The Plot: Plagued by the recent revelation that several of his own memories are in conflict with each other, Captain America travels to SHIELD headquarters for answers. Dum Dum Dugan takes Cap to Ft. Dix, where Cap finds his old footlocker from World War II. His journal is inside, and reading it, Cap realizes that he had a false set of memories implanted on top of his true life history, to trigger in the event of enemy interrogation. The journal allows Cap's true memories to fall into place, supplanting the false ones.

Meanwhile, Nick Fury has paid a visit to his incarcerated enemy, Baron Wolfgang von Strucker -- leader of HYRDA -- to inform the baron that he is being deported. But Strucker uses this opportunity to escape, kidnapping Fury in the process. Strucker goes straight to Captain America and attacks him, but with aid from Fury and Dum Dum, Cap defeats the Baron, who promptly explodes, revealing that he was a robot all along.

IRON MAN #136

"THE BEGINNING OF THE ENDOTHERM"
Plot: Peter John Palmer | Script: David Michelinie
Layouts: Alan Weiss | Finishes: Bob Wiacek
Letters: John Costanza | Colors: Ben Sean | Editor: Jim Salicrup
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The Plot: Tony Stark arrives in London to investigate an incident of theft and sabotage at the British division of Stark Enterprises. He soon meets a villain named Endotherm, who uses heat and cold based technology, and who easily bests him (as Iron Man) in battle.

The next night, Endotherm returns to challenge Iron Man a second time, now with the intention of killing him. But Iron man has prepared a defense against Endotherm's power, and emerges the victor. Upon unmasking his foe, Iron Man learns that Endotherm was actually the security chief at S.I. U.K., who had a psychotic break and decided the only way to keep his pension was by killing Tony Stark.