Thing Behind Prison Bars

With the Thing behind bars, Matt Murdock has only a few days to gather up a defense to try and free his friend. Deciding to check on Alex Stone's background as Daredevil, Matt learns that Stone participates in a car theft ring. However, in trying to apprehend Stone, Daredevil is overpowered and tossed into the river inside a car but manages to break free.

Returning to the jail in his civilian identity, Matt tells Ben what "Daredevil" learned for him. Ben believing a more direct approach is required to find Stone, breaks out of prison, with young Eugene Everett in tow. Ben returns to the car theft ring and threatens one of the thieves into revealing the location of Alex Stone. The directions lead him to a manhole cover, which turns out to be a secret lair with high-tech robots.

With Daredevil joining, Ben tries to fight off these robots but both he and Daredevil are knocked out and captured. When Daredevil revives, he finds himself a prisoner of the Mad Thinker, who orchestrated the whole scheme to get revenge against the Thing for his last defeat at the hands of the Fantastic Four. He then makes Daredevil an ultimatum: Serve the Mad Thinker, or the Thing will be destroyed.

Recurring Characters

Thing, Daredevil, Foggy Nelson, Eugene Everett, Mad Thinker, Alex Stone

Continuity Notes

• "Jameson plastered my puss all over the blamed front page!" - Ben is referring to Daily Bugle owner J. Jonah Jameson who has had a thing against super-heroes, particularly Spider-Man, since Amazing Spider-Man #1.

• The Mad Thinker is wearing the hypnotic goggles he wore to turn the Thing against the Fantastic Four back in Fantastic Four #68.

• The Mad Thinker recalls his last defeat at the hands of the Fantastic Four because he did not foresee the interference of the Reed Richards of Counter-Earth. That happened in Fantastic Four #183.