Villain: Hogman

Guest Appearance: Punisher, Heather Glenn, Foggy Nelson, Becky Blake, Markie, Billy O'Koren, Coach Donahue

Featured Thugs: Smitty

Cameo: Spindle

Death: Markie

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As Hogman brags to his associates that he's got a shyster lawyer named Murdock who's going to get him off the hook for Flapper's murder, he has no idea he's being seen through the gunsight of the Punisher's rifle. But Daredevil is there to take on the Punisher, knocking him away from his vantage point, though the Punisher manages to make a clean getaway from DD.

At Glenn Industries, Heather is being pushed by the CEO Mr. Spindle to sign several documents, one of which involves an unknown business concern called Atreus Plastics. She asks Spindle what it is and he gives her an obfuscating answer. At the trial of Peter "Hogman" Grunter, Matt tells the jury in his opening statement that he will absolve his client, Hogman, in the slaying of his partner Flapper by way of implicating the real killer, who he terms as "a man who masquerades as a solid, respectable citizen." Coach Donahue hears this and his eyes perk up. Later that evening, Matt's phone rings, and it's a vulnerable Heather trying to instigate a conversation about their relationship and presumably her concerns about her father's company, but Matt insensitively brushes her off when his other line rings. While Heather fumes, Matt talks on the other line to the one he knew he flushed out earlier at the trial with his statement: Coach Donahue. He figured that it was the coach who was spreading the drugs through the school system, and his impulse figured correctly. The coach arranges a meeting with him at the gymnasium. When Matt clicks back to the other line, Heather is gone.

At the school gym, Matt arrives to hear the frothing, guttural sound of a rabid animal. It's Coach Donahue, high on angel dust himself and attacking Matt Murdock with a crazed vengeance. Matt figures that the coach wouldn't have been a user- that somebody else must have pumped him full of the stuff. Across town, Hogman is being visited in the shadows of a dirty tenement by Markie, who is begging for a heroin fix. Hogman tells him he hasn't been able to get a fix for days as punishment for fingering him to the cops as Flapper's killer. He then loads him with a mortal dose of smack, killing him instantly.

When the final jury verdict is read in court, Hogman is found not guilty. Bill O'Koren is shocked and confused that the man he thought killed his sister is getting off, and as Matt is reassuring him that justice is still working, Hogman comes up to him and tells him that he's "guilty as sin" and thanks him for getting him off. As he slips a huge wad of cash into Matt's pocket as a "thank you" for a job well done, Billy can't believe what he's seeing and races off. Daredevil meets up with Hogman later, though, and grabs hold of him, and threatens him. Hogman tells him there's no way the bleeding heart Daredevil would beat up an old man with a pacemaker...and then it all starts to make sense! Matt couldn't tell Hogman was lying because the pacemaker controlled the rhythm of his heart.

DD's next impulse is to chase after Billy, to make sure he's not going to do any stupid in revenge, but before he can reach him, the boy has stolen his father's gun. He makes it down to the school courtyard, where Billy holds a gun up to Hogman with his trembling hands. Hogman's pal Smitty is sizing up Billy in his sights when the Punisher comes from around the corner and shoots Smitty down dead. Hogman grabs Billy and the gun and threatens to kill him, but the Punisher grazes Hogman in his shoulder and knee. Before he can finish Hogman off, the Punisher is overtaken by Daredevil. Punisher shoots at him to chase him away, missing each time. Daredevil stops in his tracks and tells Punisher that he knows he won't kill one of the "good guys", but he also tells him he's going to arrest him and make sure he goes to jail. The Punisher calls his bluff and tries to walk away, but DD pulls a gun on him and shoots him in the leg, bringing him down.

In the meantime, Billy grabs a gun and holds it up to Hogman's forehead, and DD has to talk him out of giving the criminal justice system another chance at doing the right thing. At a second trial, Hogman is put away.

At Glenn Industries, Heather finds out that her company's dealings with Atreus Plastics involves the development of high-grade explosives.

--synopsis by Gormuu

--panel images provided by Avengers Assemble

--letter pages provided by Aussie Stu

Issues Reprinted
Daredevil #183-191, What If #28, 35,
and Elektra from Bizarre Adventures #28

Click on cover image to learn more about each issue.