Cover: Gene Colan & Frank Giacoia

Daredevil #41

Jun 1968 · Marvel · 0.12 USD

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“The Death of Mike Murdock!”

★ 1st appearance — Milla Donovan

About this Issue

Daredevil #41 closes out one of the Silver Age's most convoluted identity subplots by retiring the 'Mike Murdock' alter ego that Stan Lee had introduced in issue #25 — the fictional twin brother Matt invented to deflect Foggy Nelson and Karen Page's suspicions about his secret identity. By staging Mike's apparent death inside the explosion that seemingly destroys the Exterminator, Matt Murdock collapses his unwieldy triple-identity down to two, clearing the decks for the series' next creative phase. The issue is also the narrative origin point of Death-Stalker: the same T-Ray explosion that 'kills' the Exterminator irradiates villain Philip Sterling and traps him between dimensions, a transformation that writer Steve Gerber and artist Bob Brown would pay off six years later when Sterling reemerged as Death-Stalker in issue #113. That retroactive continuity turned a fairly disposable Silver Age villain into one of Daredevil's more distinctive recurring threats, giving this issue unexpected long-term consequence.

In "The Death of Mike Murdock!", Daredevil returns from a mysterious time displacement to confront the Exterminator and the Unholy Three, forcing a brutal reckoning that marks the end of his secret identity as Mike Murdock. Written by Stan Lee and brought to life with moody precision by Gene Colan, with inks by John Tartaglione and letters by Sam Rosen, this pivotal 1968 issue sees Matt Murdock’s past literally die in the shadows. The cover, a striking collaboration by Gene Colan and Frank Giacoia, captures the moment with haunting intensity.

writer Stan Lee · artist Gene Colan · inker John Tartaglione · letterer Sam Rosen · cover Gene Colan, Frank Giacoia

ComicBooks.com Value

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Raw (VG) $9

CGC 9.8 · 7 in census $1,460

CGC 9.6 · 29 in census $385

CGC 9.4 · 66 in census $199

CGC 9.2 · 41 in census $159

CGC 9.0 · 36 in census $117

CGC 8.5 · 38 in census $87

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CGC 8.0 · 32 in census $64

CGC 7.5 · 31 in census $56

CGC 7.0 · 19 in census $47

CGC 6.5 · 29 in census $38

CGC 6.0 · 13 in census $33*

CGC 5.5 · 8 in census $26*

CGC 5.0 · 9 in census $26*

CGC 4.5 · 7 in census $21*

CGC 4.0 · 1 in census $21*

CGC 3.5 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 3.0 · 5 in census $20

CGC 2.5 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 2.0 none in existence

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More listings for this title

NM $1.99 VF $4.5 VG $13.23 FN $15 FN $18 VG $19 VG $19.95 Signed Alex Maleev $19.99

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History

The issue is the conclusion of a multi-part arc by the Lee–Colan team that began in issue #39 with the Exterminator's first appearance. Stan Lee served as both writer and editor, pencils were by Gene Colan with inks on the interior story by John Tartaglione, while the cover was inked by Frank Giacoia — a split credit that led to an erroneously reported inking credit that a fan correction later set right. The Mike Murdock subplot had been running since issue #25 (1967), and by the time #41 arrived Lee appears to have decided the triple-identity gimmick had exhausted its comic potential; the issue's solution — faking Mike's death by letting the Exterminator's T-Ray machine blow up — served the dual purpose of disposing of the persona and providing a plausible exit for Daredevil as well. The issue went on sale April 9, 1968, carrying a June 1968 cover date.

Trivia · 8 facts

Title story: 'The Death of Mike Murdock!' — written by Stan Lee, pencilled by Gene Colan, inked by John Tartaglione, lettered by Sam Rosen; cover pencilled by Colan and inked by Frank Giacoia.
Key narrative event: Matt Murdock permanently retires the Mike Murdock alter ego — the fictional twin brother he invented in Daredevil #25 (1967) to convince Foggy Nelson and Karen Page that Daredevil was not Matt.
Resolution of triple-identity subplot: Daredevil escapes 'time displacement limbo,' defeats the Exterminator and the Unholy Three, then allows Foggy to believe both Daredevil and Mike Murdock perished in the ensuing explosion.
Origin of Death-Stalker: The T-Ray explosion that apparently kills the Exterminator (Philip Sterling) actually irradiates him and traps him between dimensions — the backstory that later writers used to reintroduce him as Death-Stalker in Daredevil #113 (September 1974).
Villain roster: The Exterminator (apparent death) and the Unholy Three — Ape-Man (Monk Keefer), Bird-Man (Henry Hawk), and Cat-Man (Horgan) — all appear.
Supporting cast appearances: Foggy Nelson, Karen Page, and Debbie Harris; Debbie is restored to normal when the T-Ray machine is destroyed.
Letters page includes an early published letter from future comics writer/historian Peter Sanderson.
Collected in: Marvel Masterworks: Daredevil Vol. 4 (issues #33–41); Essential Daredevil Vol. 2 (2004, black-and-white); Daredevil Omnibus Vol. 1 (2017); Daredevil Epic Collection Vol. 2 — 'Mike Murdock Must Die!' (2018, also in recolored edition).