Daredevil #13

Feb 1966 · Marvel · 0.12 USD

📊 ~39,056 copies sold its debut month

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“The Secret of Ka-Zar's Origin!”

★ 1st appearance — Butch Pharris

About this Issue

Daredevil #13 is a genuine triple-threat key of the Silver Age: it delivers the full origin of Ka-Zar (Kevin Plunder), revealing his real name for the first time and establishing that he and the Plunderer are estranged brothers, the sons of British nobleman Lord Robert Plunder. The issue also contains the debut appearance of the mysterious ore called anti-metal — a substance capable of dissolving any other metal — which was later retroactively canonized as Antarctic Vibranium, making this the first appearance of any form of Vibranium in the Marvel Universe, predating the better-known Wakandan variety introduced in Fantastic Four #53 by several months. As the middle chapter of a three-part arc, it marked a turning point for the Daredevil title itself, which was shifting from stand-alone stories toward sustained, cliffhanger-driven multi-part narratives. The cover image of Daredevil — penciled by Jack Kirby — has since become one of the most reproduced images of the character, appearing on a vast range of licensed merchandise across decades.

In "The Secret of Ka-Zar's Origin!", Daredevil teams up with Ka-Zar to stop the Plunderer, a villain with a twisted past and a mysterious family legacy tied to a powerful necklace. Written by Stan Lee and brought to life by Jack Kirby’s dynamic pencils and John Romita’s sharp inks, this 1966 adventure dives into forgotten origins and hidden vaults, all while greed ignites a clash among heroes, villains, and even a butler. The cover by Jack Kirby and John Romita captures the tension perfectly—this is classic Marvel, raw and full of secrets.

writer Stan Lee · artist Jack Kirby · artist, inker John Romita · letterer Sam Rosen · cover Jack Kirby, John Romita

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (VG) $28

CGC 9.8 · 1 in census $5,279*

CGC 9.6 · 18 in census $1,698

CGC 9.4 · 27 in census $599

CGC 9.2 · 49 in census $335

CGC 9.0 · 57 in census $228

CGC 8.5 · 76 in census $227

Show all 22 grades ▾

CGC 8.0 · 61 in census $163

CGC 7.5 · 53 in census $149

CGC 7.0 · 52 in census $114

CGC 6.5 · 50 in census $100

CGC 6.0 · 26 in census $83*

CGC 5.5 · 25 in census $70

CGC 5.0 · 21 in census $52

CGC 4.5 · 20 in census $52

CGC 4.0 · 16 in census $52*

CGC 3.5 · 12 in census $44*

CGC 3.0 · 11 in census $35*

CGC 2.5 · 4 in census $30*

CGC 2.0 · 1 in census $23*

CGC 1.5 none in existence

CGC 1.0 none in existence

CGC 0.5 · 1 in census $20*

* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade

Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

More listings for this title

VERY FINE $10 GD $21.99 GD $24 VG $24.99 VG $29 VG $34 FN $36 VG $39.99

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History

The issue was written by Stan Lee, with Jack Kirby providing breakdowns and layouts and John Romita Sr. supplying finished pencils and inks — a transitional creative moment, as Romita had recently replaced the departing Wally Wood on the book. Wood had made his own mark on Daredevil from issues #5–8 (1964–65), but creative and compensation tensions under the Marvel Method ultimately led to his exit; Romita then took over starting around issue #12 and brought a somewhat brighter visual style to the title. The issue was on sale December 2, 1965, carrying a February 1966 cover date, and Sam Rosen handled the lettering with Stan Lee serving as both writer and editor-in-chief.

Trivia · 8 facts

Origin of Ka-Zar revealed: this issue establishes for the first time that Ka-Zar's real name is Kevin Plunder, son of British nobleman and explorer Lord Robert Plunder.
First appearance of Anti-Metal (later retroactively identified as Antarctic Vibranium): Lord Plunder's discovery of a meteorite-derived ore that dissolves all other metals is introduced here; the 'Vibranium' name would not be applied to this substance until Savage Tales #1 (January 1971).
Origin of the Plunderer (Parnival Plunder) revealed: Daredevil #12 introduced the character, but this issue discloses his backstory — he is Ka-Zar's younger brother who believed Kevin had died and turned to piracy and villainy.
First appearances of supporting antagonist Weylin Feepers (the Plunderer's treacherous butler) and Slagg (in his role as Slagg) are noted in this issue.
First (flashback) appearance of Lord Robert Plunder, father of both Ka-Zar and the Plunderer, whose Antarctic expedition and discovery of anti-metal drives the entire arc's plot.
Creative team: script by Stan Lee; breakdowns by Jack Kirby; finished pencils and inks by John Romita Sr.; lettering by Sam Rosen. The cover was penciled by Kirby and inked by Mike Esposito and John Romita.
The story is the second chapter of a three-part arc ('The Secret of Ka-Zar's Origin!') that began in Daredevil #12 and continued through Daredevil #14.
The issue has been reprinted numerous times internationally and domestically, including in Ka-Zar (Marvel, 1970) #2, Marvel Masterworks: Daredevil Vol. 2 (2001), Essential Daredevil Vol. 1 (2002), the Daredevil Epic Collection: The Man Without Fear (2016), the Daredevil Omnibus Vol. 1 (2017), and Mighty Marvel Masterworks: Daredevil Vol. 2 (2021), as well as in Swedish, German, Mexican, Danish, Italian, French, and British editions in the late 1960s and 1970s.