DAREDEVIL #167

"THE MAULER!"
Writer : David Michelinie| Penciler: Frank Miller | Inker: Klaus Janson
Letterer: Joe Rosen | Colorist: Glynis Wein
Editor: Denny O’Neil | Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The Plot: Matt Murdock and Heather Glenn are at an exclusive country club soiree hosted by defense contractor Edwin Cord when the party is crashed by an armored figure called the Mauler, who has come for Cord. Matt changes to Daredevil and defends the CEO, but the Mauler escapes.

Later, DD confronts Cord at his estate and learns that the Mauler is a disgruntled former employee named Aaron Soames, who stole the armor when he was fired. The following night, Daredevil stakes out Cord’s Long Island factory, expecting the Mauler to strike again while Cord works late. Sure enough, Soames shows up and attacks once more. Soames reveals to DD that his pension was lost as a result of a computer glitch and Cord refused to fix it, leading him on the path to retribution.

Somes finally confronts Cord and Daredevil is surprised to see that all he wants is to destroy Cord’s ID and credit cards so that he won’t exist either. But Cord security arrives and blasts Soames, klling him. Daredevil knocks Cord unconscious and departs in disgust. He attends Soames’ funeral some time later.

MOON KNIGHT #1

“THE MACABRE MOON KNIGHT!”
Writer: Doug Moench | Artist: Bill Sienkiewicz | Inkers: Bill S. & Frank Springer
Letterer: Tom Orzechowski | Colorist: Bob Sharen | Editor: Denny O’Neil
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The Plot: The diabolical mercenary Bushman raids an archeological site in Egypt along with his second-in-command, Marc Spector. The lead archeologist is killed by Bushman, but Spector lets his daughter, Marlene, escape. Bushman exiles Spector into the desert as punishment and he apparently dies beneath a statue of Khonshu, the Egyptian God of Vengeance. But he awakens later that night as Marlene looks on, and adopts Khonshu’s visage to hunt Bushman. Bushman is beaten, but escapes.

In the following years, Spector amasses a fortune and assumes the identity of Steven Grant and then Jake Lockley, as well as that of Moon Knight. Then, in the present day, Bushman arrives in New York to work his way into organized crime. Moon Knight tracks him down with the intent to kill him, but Marlene convinces him to spare the villain and leave him for the police.

Continuity Notes: Issue 1 retroactively introduces the Egyptian backstory and the concept of Khonshu to Moon Knight. Going forward, these elements will be revisited and developed by Moench and succeeding writers.

PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #48

"DOUBLE DEFEAT!"
Writer: Roger Stern | Penciler: Marie Severin | Inker: Bruce Patterson
Letterer: Rick Parker | Colorist: Ben Sean | Editor: Denny O'Neil
Funeral Arranger: Jim Shooter

The Plot: Spider-Man manages to smash his way out of Belladonna's trap, but finds that she is not on the other side of the glass porthole as he had believed -- it was only a video screen with which he was speaking. The Prowler attempts to kill Spider-Man, but Belladonna's monitor explodes, wounding the villain. Spider-Man turns the Prowler over to the police and heads home. Soon after, the Prowler escapes from Bellevue Hospital and sets out to find Belladonna.

The next day, Peter Parker heads to a property manager's office and learns that the loft where Belladonna's trap was set is leased to Desiree Vaughn-Pope. Spider-Man heads to Desiree's apartment but finds her sister Narda in residence instead. After he explains to Narda that he believes her sister to be Belladonna, Narda tells the web-slinger that Desiree is on her way to Roderick Kingsley's office for a meeting. Worried that Belladonna will strike again, Spider-Man departs immediately.

However as soon as he has left, Narda reveals that she is actually Belladonna, and calls Kingsley to tell him Spider-Man has joined forces with her and is en route to kill him. She then orders her men to meet her at their hideout for a new assignment. Spider-Man soon drops into Kingsley's loft, and the forewarned designer guns him down. Meanwhile, Narda heads for her hideout, but is trailed by the Prowler. She attempts to pay him off, but he prepares to kill her anyway before escaping with her money. Spider-Man arrives and saves her, having used a dummy in a fake costume to trick Kingsley, then takes out her men when they arrive moments later. Narda and the Prowler are arrested and Spider-Man departs, considering that perhaps he's actually won for a change.

CAPTAIN AMERICA #251

"THE MERCENARY AND THE MADMAN"
Beginning: An all-new excursion into the life and times of America's Living Legend, as chronicled by:
Writer: Roger Stern | Penciler: John Byrne | Inker: Josef Rubinstein
Letterer: Jim Novak | Colorist: Bob Sharen | Flag-Waver: Jim Salicrup
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The Plot: After spending a little time reflecting on his life, Cap returns to his apartment to work on some storyboards. Meanwhile, Mr. Hyde is broken out of prison by Batroc the Leaper. Hyde convinces Batroc to work with him on a scheme to make millions of dollars, and the next day the duo, along with Batroc's men, hijack a Roxxon Oil super tanker. Hyde threatens to ram the tanker into Manhattan unless Roxxon can raise a billion dollars' ransom, plus deliver Captain America to him.

Cap travels out to the tanker but springs a trap on the villains; however Hyde is too much for him to handle and he is captured. Tied to the tanker's bow, Cap has a front row seat as Hyde sets course for Manhattan at ramming speed.

Continuity Notes: At the story's outset, Cap recalls getting his memories in order in issue #247, then spends the first few pages of the issue recapping his life in the present day, since the Avengers thawed him out of suspended animation in AVENGERS #3. Among his recollections are his battles with the Red Skull, his partnership with the Falcon, and his love of SHIELD's deceased Agent 13, Sharon Carter.

IRON MAN #140

"THE USE OF DEADLY FORCE!"
Writer-Co-Plotters-Artist: David Michelinie & Bob Layton
Letterer: John Costanza | Colorists: Ben Sean & Bob Sharen | Editor: Jim Salicrup
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The Plot: Tony has taken Bethany, Rhodey, Ling, and Dr. Ehrmann down to his private island in the Bahamas to facilitate Ling's recovery from her recent beating. As the group relaxes and frolics, nearby a cruise ship is hijacked by an armored villain his lackies, the latest in a string of similar takeovers.

The next day, while Tony and Rhodey go SCUBA diving, Tony's yacht is taken by those same hijackers, their leader revealed as the Force. Bethany manages to throw Tony's briefcase into the sea, but Force's men hurl a pair of concussion grenades along with it. Rhodey is knocked out shielding Tony from the grenades, allowing Tony to change into Iron Man unobserved.

Iron Man leaves Rhodey on a life raft, then goes after his yacht. But his flight is intercepted by the Force's men, aboard flying jet-skis. Iron Man defeats the goons, but the yacht has vanished.

Back in the U.S.A., the citizens of a small town called Allentown, Iowa all drop dead at the same time.