Marvel Team-Up #141
Blind Justice!
Detective Rollins is questioning Howard "Cool Breeze" McNeil, regarding the recent murder of a pawn shop owner. Attending the interrogation are McNeil's lawyer, as well as Matt Murdock who is representing Juan Santiago, a youth also accused of murdering the pawnshop owner. The cop threatens to go hard on him unless he confesses, but Howard doesn't confess to anything. Matt Murdock heart sinks, as his enhanced hearing confirms that McNeil isn't lying, eliminating him as a suspect. When the interrogation is over and the suspect released, Rollins asks Murdock what he thinks, and he admits that he thinks McNeil was telling the truth. Outside, Matt meets up with Daily Bugle reporter Ben Urich to fill him in on going on. He recounts how he, the Black Widow and Spider-Man attempted to find the real killer in order to clear Juan Santiago, and they found a good lead in Howard McNeil, a gang member who took issue with Santiago going straight. However, the gun they recovered in McNeil's possession didn't match that of the murder weapon. He doesn't want Juan to take the fall for a crime he didn't commit. When Urich questions Murdock regarding how far he'll go to prove Juan's innocence, Matt slips away while Urich's back is turned.
Changing into Daredevil, Murdock scales the rooftops of Manhattan, thinking about how much he dislikes Ben Urich. This is because Ben always makes Murdock constantly keep check of the balance between his vigilante activities as Daredevil and his oath to work within the law as lawyer Matt Murdock. Still, with Cool Breeze clear of any wrongdoing, this leaves the real murderer out on the loose. Daredevil also wonders where Spider-Man went during all of this and wonders if he is one of the heroes who have disappeared recently.
Meanwhile, the Black Widow is driven to Zelnick's Pawnshop, the scene of the murder. Her bodyguard, Ivan Petrovitch, questions why she would come to such a downtrodden neighborhood. The Widow reminds him that they need to uncover the murderer of Zelnick in order to save an innocent man from going to jail for the crime. Seeing the pawnshop door open, the Black Widow goes inside and finds members of a gang looting the place. She warns them that the new owner will not be happy to hear that they are robbing him. However, the new owner, Frank Arnold arrives and tells Natasha that the youths are helping him unpack inventory as part of a community service program. The Black Widow tells Arnold to think about that when a young man rots in prison for a crime he did not commit. The encounter convinces her that Frank Arnold knows who the real killer is. Meanwhile, Daredevil is at the gang's hangout, trying to beat the truth out of the group. He beats the gang members into submission until one of the gang members agrees to talk. Meanwhile, at the Kingpin's skyscraper, the crime boss gets a report from the Arranger while he is in the middle of a fight training exercise. The are making record profits with the disappearance of most of New York City's superheroes, except for the east end of the city where Daredevil is interfering with operations. This angers the Kingpin and he ends the session, asking to be fully briefed on the Daredevil situation in his office.
Meanwhile, back at the police jail, Matt Murdock meets with Juan to discuss his case. Murdock is not happy to hear that the gang framed him for murder because he was a thief and mugger who was holding out on the percentage he held out on the gang. Juan is furious that Murdock made this discovery, but refuses to apologize for the life he has led. He admits that Zelnick was his fence for the items he stole, but reaffirms that he did not murder the man. Despite his criminal past, Matt Murdock still believes Juan on that point at least. That evening, Matt fills the Black Widow on what he learned before they go out to search for the real killer. Natasha questions why Matt doesn't just put in a plea bargain and leave the lying thief to the justice system. Unfortunately, Murdock can't bring himself to do it because even a thief has rights. The Black Widow scoffs at Matt for taking the justice system to the extreme but still agrees to help him. That's when she tells Daredevil that she is convinced that Frank Arnold knows something about the murder.
At that moment in Central Park, reporters are still at the site where a massive structure abducted most of New York's heroes mere weeks before. They have just recorded the return of these heroes. A reporter gets an eyewitness account of Spider-Man, the first hero to return. As he tells a rather jaundiced version of events of the encounter, Spider-Man and Curt Connors are still nearby. Spider-Man is looking for his street clothes but discovers that during the weeks he was gone, some birds have turned it into a next. Spider-Man is still able to recover his keys and swings off to take Curt Connors back home to his family. The next day Peter Parker goes to the Daily Bugle to find out what he's missed. When Ben Urich tells him how the Santiago murder investigation is back to square one, prompting Peter to make a disappearing act of his own, much to the frustration of Urich. Upon the roof, Peter wills his new alien costume to morph from street clothes into his new black-and-white costume. He is beating himself up over the fact that he was abducted before he could confirm that Juan Santiago was to be cleared of murder charges, but he swings off to try to try and help.
Later, at the offices of Murdock and Nelson, Foggy Nelson and his secretary Becky Blake worry about how they have been losing clients since Matt has become absorbed in the Santiago case. They are interrupted by the arrival of Spider-Man comes for information. At first, they don't recognize him due to his new costume. After convincing them that he is Spider-Man, the wall-crawler discovers that Murdock isn't around to compare notes and takes off. As he web-slings across the city, Spider-Man decides to go to the gang's hangout to see what he can learn from them. Meanwhile, Daredevil and the Black Widow are heading to Zelnick's pawnshop when they are called down to the street by the Arranger. He tells them that the Kingpin has sent him to offer the two heroes a proposition. At that same moment, Spider-Man watches as the gang members load merchandise into a moving truck. He recognizes the material as the same stuff they were trying to take from Zelnick's pawnshop and decides to follow after them. He follows them all the way back to Zelnick's where he spies on them offloading equipment. The leader of the gang tells Frank Arnold that they are getting out of the business. That's when they are interrupted by some of the Kingpin's men. They explain that Zelnick was in the employ of the mob boss, and that they are aware that Arnold tried to buy into the business, but was refused. As such, they have correctly deduced that he was responsible for murdering Zelnick so he can buy the business.
Frank cracks and admits that he killed Zelnick during the blackout and begs for the Kingpin's men to spare his life. That's when Spider-Man leaps in and tries to prevent the Kingpin's men from potentially killing Arnold. That's when Daredevil arrives and tells Spider-Man to stand down, telling him that these men are under his protection. Spider-Man can't believe that Daredevil would side with the Kingpin and ignores his orders. During the confusion, Frank Arnold tries to flee but runs into the Black Widow. When he threatens to shoot her, she provides enough intimidation to make him surrender without any further incident. With Frank Arnold in custody, Daredevil explains that he made a deal with the Kingpin allowing his men to force a confession out of Arnold so he can eliminate him from the competition. Spider-Man is shocked that Daredevil would go to such lengths and questions his devotion to justice and swings away. The following morning, Matt Murdock uses the evidence gathered to have Juan cleared of all charges. Even though Santiago is a free man, Murdock points out that he was probably safer in prison as the gang will still be gunning for him. When Juan asks Murdock for help, Matt tells him that he is a lawyer, not a bodyguard.
Outside the courthouse, Matt Murdock admits to Natasha that Spider-Man's recriminations really struck home with him and once more questions how far he will go to find justice. While up on the rooftop above, Spider-Man watches the courthouse clears out. He is happy to see that Juan was cleared and Arnold is going to jail. Satisfied, the wall-crawler swings off into the morning sun, but can't help but wonder why Daredevil never commented on his new costume.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Daredevil, Black WIdow, Kingpin, Ben Urich, Arranger, Curt Connors, Becky Blake, Foggy Nelson, Ivan Petrovich, Howard McNeal, Juan Santiago
Continuity Notes
Ben Urch is aware that Matt Murdock is secretly Daredevil, having discovered his double identity in Daredevil #164.
Spider-Man was among the many heroes kidnapped by the Beyonder to participate in the first Secret Wars. His kidnapping was documented in Amazing Spider-Man #251, Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #89 and last issue. The events of the war are documented in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1-12 and Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars #1-3.
Spider-Man's return from Battleworld that is depicted here occurs concurrently with the events in Amazing Spider-Man #252.
At this point, Spider-Man is unaware how his costume works. He will later find out in Amazing Spider-Man #258 that the costume is actually a living alien symbiote that is attempting to bond with him.
Spider-Man isn't aware that Daredevil is really Matt Murdock and is blind. He doesn't learn this fact until Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110.
