Daredevil #163

Title: "Blind Alley"

Writer: Roger McKenzie

Penciller: Frank Miller

Inkers: Josef Rubinstein and Klaus Janson

Colors: Glynis Wein

Editors: Jo Duffy and Dennis O'Neil

At a hundred dollar a plate fund raiser for the re-election of district attorney Blake Tower, the people are all talking about the Hulk. The Hulk has been sighted in Manhattan. Blake Tower says that force isn't the answer while a judge in attendance says that it is the only answer. J. Jonah Jameson tells Tony Stark that the Bugle was the first paper to expose Spider-Man as a menace. Stark says that printing unsubstantiated rumors as irresponsible. Someone reminds Matt Murdock that he once defended the Hulk and asks him what he thinks. The judge says that he doubts a lawyer that represented the Hulk can think. Blake tries to say that the judge didn't mean that, but the judge says that he meant every word. Heather and Rico say hello to Matt. Matt asks Heather how she is. Heather says that she has never been better. She says that Rico is into disco and that he knows all the moves. Rico says that he invented most of them. Rico goes to shake Matt's hands, but Matt hears something with his super sensitive hearing. Matt walks out of the room onto the balcony. Rico tells Ms. Heather Glenn that her ex-boyfriend just gave them the snub. Foggy Nelson excuses himself and follows Matt out.

Foggy thinks to himself that Matt has been in a funk since Heather left him. He thinks to himself that he will cheer him up. Outside, Matt hears the Hulk's heartbeat and knows that the Hulk is near. Foggy says that Matt and Heather still love one another. He says that he is his best friend and asks if he can't confide in him. Matt thinks that he wishes he could. Foggy asks if there is anything he can do. Matt says that he needs a stiff drink. Foggy heads in and Matt leaps off the balcony. He hooks a flagpole with his cane and loops around. Foggy comes back out with the drink, but Matt is gone.

Matt runs until he finds the Hulk. He thinks to himself that he had forgotten how big Hulk was. He thinks to himself that he is going to try and have to reach the man, Bruce Banner, inside the monster before it is too late. Hulk asks Little Man what he wants. Matt tells Hulk that he wants to help him. Matt tells him that he can't stay there. He says that if he found Hulk that others will find him too. He says that they will bring tanks and guns to try and kill him. He says that they don't understand and that they think Hulk is a monster. Hulk says, "I am a monster." Hulk says to leave him alone. Hulk grabs Murdock. He says that he doesn't want or need his help. Hulk tosses Matt aside and says that he doesn't need anyone's help. Hulk starts to walk away. Matt says, "Not even Banner's?" Hulk turns and glares at Matt. Hulk charges Matt and shouts that he hates Banner. He says that Banner hurt him and that he made him into a monster. Matt jumps to the side. Hulk picks up a chunk of wall and asks Matt where Banner is. Matt stands up and tells Hulk to listen to reason. He tells him that he won't find Banner this way. He says that violence isn't the answer. He says that he can help him find Banner, but that he will have to trust him. Hulk tosses aside the chunk of building. Matt tells Hulk to relax and try and think. Hulk says that he doesn't want to think and that he wants Banner. Hulk says that it is hard for him to think and that it hurts. He asks why everything hurts him. Hulk asks why Banner did this to him. Hulk changes into Banner and Banner asks why he did this to himself.

Bruce Banner wakes up at Matt Murdock's in the Upper Eastside Brownstone. He is woken by a nightmare about the Hulk. Matt enters with two cups of coffee and says that he hopes he is feeling better. Bruce recognizes Matt and says that it has been years. He asks what he is doing here. Matt asks if he doesn't remember. Bruce says that mostly he remembers the hate.

Minutes later in the kitchen, Bruce says that the pain is the worst part. He says that it hurts so much that he, well the Hulk, just wants to lash out at anyone or anything that gets in his way. Matt offers Bruce another cup of coffee. Bruce accepts and says that he misses little things like a cup of coffee in the morning... a normal life. Matt says that maybe he could get it back with help. He starts to talk about the authorities, but Bruce starts to freak out. He says that the authorities don't want to deal with him... with what he becomes when he loses control. Matt calms Bruce down. He says that he is Bruce's friend and that he just wants to help him out. He offers Bruce some money and clothes. Bruce tells Matt that he has already done more than enough. Matt tells Bruce, for both their sakes, not to argue with him.

A little while later, Bruce leaves Matt's place. He waves and thanks Matt for everything. Matt tells Bruce goodbye and good luck.

Bruce walks to the subway. He thinks about how it felt good to talk to Matt. He says that he feels good and that he will feel better once he gets out of New York. He starts to think of what would happen if the Hulk rampaged here, but then chides himself and says that nothing will happen so long as he takes it easy. He thinks that he will take the subway to the Port Authority and jump on the first Greyhound going west. He walks through the turnstiles and thinks about how one day he will find a cure to reverse the process of becoming the Hulk. He is about to board a car as he thinks he wishes he could deal with his handicap as well as Matt does. He thinks that Matt only lost his sight, but that because of the Hulk that he has lost everything... the woman he loves, his career, and even his humanity. The car opens its doors and the people shove Bruce as they cram into the car. Bruce coughs as the man next to him cigar's smoke chokes him. Hulk asks a man if he wouldn't mind turning his radio down. The man shoves him and says that he does mind. The car stops and Bruce says to let him off. The people don't move. Bruce starts to change. The Hulk asks where he is now.

Hulk leaps out of the subway car and through the street above it. Hulk says to let him out of there.

In a cab, Matt hears the people panicking from the Hulk. He leaps out of the cab and into the shadows. He changes into his Daredevil costume.

The Hulk throws a car as the people run. Daredevil asks Hulk what he wants. Hulk says that he won't leave the city until he finds Banner.

The police radio in for back up. He is told that the Avengers and the Fantastic Four are both out of town.

Hulk tells Daredevil that Banner torments him. Daredevil tells Hulk that he torments himself. He tells Hulk to calm himself down.

The cop shoots Hulk in the back of the head. Hulk knocks Daredevil over and says that he tricked him. He says that all they know how to do is hurt. He says that he can hurt too and that they, along with Banner, taught him how. He says that he is done running. The cop keeps shooting. Hulk goes at him. Daredevil kicks Hulk in the back of the head and says that he didn't mean to hurt him. He says that no one meant to hurt him... especially Banner. Hulk swings at Daredevil, but Daredevil ducks. Hulk tells Daredevil to shut up. He says that all humans are like Banner. Daredevil whaps Hulk in the face with his billy club. He tells Hulk that sooner or later he will have to face that they are just trying to help him. Hulk says that he doesn't believe him. He says that he says he wants to help him, but that all he does is try to hurt him. Hulk grabs Daredevil by the wrist and throws him through the air and into a building.

Daredevil hits the building and falls onto a nearby roof. Daredevil says that there was nothing he could do. He says that the Hulk is too strong and that he is lucky to be alive. He says that if he stopped now no one would blame him. He says that no one would know... except him. He would always know he backed down.

Hulk says that he is tired of running. Hulk says that he will stay there until he finds Banner. Hulk says that he will destroy the whole city to find Banner. Suddenly a bus comes at Hulk. Hulk kicks the bus and Daredevil smashes through the windshield from the driver's seat. Hulk starts smashing the bus and shouting that he hates machines. Hulk smashes and smashes and says that Banner tried to hurt him with machines.

Watching on the side is Heather Glenn. She says, "Matt!" Ben Urich... standing next to her wonders to himself if she just said 'Matt'. Ben Urich's greatest puzzle has just been completed. Heather asks one of the cops to do something. The cop says that if there was anything he could do that he would already be doing it.

Daredevil leaps around Hulk kicking him. He tells Hulk that destroying the city won't help him find Banner. He says that he can't find Banner. He asks Hulk if he doesn't understand and that he is Banner. Hulk hits Daredevil and shouts that Banner made him a monster. He says that he will find him... even if it takes forever. Back in the alley they started in, Daredevil struggles to get up. He tells Hulk that he can't find Banner this way. He says that he wants to help him, but that he has to trust him first. Hulk stops. Daredevil collapses on the ground. The cops come over to help Daredevil. They say that he is having trouble breathing. They say that they think his ribs are broken and that he may be in shock. One says that he never had a chance, but that he didn't have a chance. One asks if anyone saw where the Hulk went. One says that he stalked past him and that he will never forget the look on his face. He says that the Hulk looked like he had lost his only friend.

Hulk leaps screaming.

As Daredevil lies in intensive care fighting for his life, Ben Urich is writing the article talking about how Matt Murdock is Daredevil

Devil's Advocate rating: 7.5 out of 10