Daredevil #18

Marvel ⋅ 1966
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Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of Gladiator, a jilted costume designer turned criminal

Issue Details

Publisher

Marvel

Artist

John Romita Sr.

Writer

Stan Lee

Published

July 1966

Synopsis

THERE SHALL COME A GLADIATOR! The story starts off with Foggy Nelson entering a costume shop. He is surrounded by realistic life size wax statues of Thor, Captain America, Daredevil, Doctor Doom, and Doctor Strange. The woman he proposed to, Karen, thinks that Foggy is actually Daredevil. She has yet to say she will marry him so he has devised a plan of impersonating Daredevil to impress her. The shop owner, who creeps the living daylights out of Foggy, measures him up and tells him to come back after dark to pick up the costume. As Foggy leaves, the mysterious shop owner let's it be known that he hates superheroes and plans on using Foggy as his guinea pig in his attempt to show them up. Meanwhile, Matt is at home trying to figure out a way of handling Foggy. He does not want his friend getting hurt if daredevil's enemies find out that Foggy is walking around claiming to be Daredevil. Foggy picks up his suit and is talked into paying the shop owner extra money to set up a villain fight. This way Karen can see him as Daredevil defeating a villain. Daredevil has been keeping tabs on Foggy and follows him to Karen's. As Foggy is headed to meet his 'villain', the shop owner is finishing up one more costume. He puts the costume on and declares himself to be Gladiator. Gladiator meets up with Foggy at the pier and knocks him out with one blow. He starts after Karen when the real Daredevil intervenes. Gladiator believes that Foggy is still the one he is fighting. The fight goes into the ocean and under the water. Daredevil goes limp, pretending to be dead, and leaps on Gladiator once he is back on land. Daredevil finishes him off pretty easily and proceeds to leave the area as the cops arrive on scene. Foggy then awakens, confused and disoriented. The cops think he is Daredevil and take Gladiator into custody.

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