Daredevil #5

Dec 1964 · Marvel · 0.12 USD

📊 ~44,868 copies sold its debut month

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“The Mysterious Masked Matador!”

★ 1st appearance — Matador

About this Issue

Daredevil #5 is the debut issue of Wally Wood on the title — his first work for Marvel — and it begins a run that would fundamentally reshape the Man Without Fear. Beyond introducing the Matador (Manuel Eloganto) as Daredevil's first Wood-created villain, the issue launches a visible redesign process: Wood replaced the single 'D' on Daredevil's belly with the now-famous interlocking double-D crest on his chest, a change explicitly announced in an editorial note on the opening splash page. The issue also deepens the Matt/Karen/Foggy love-triangle when Foggy reveals he intends to propose to Karen, directly causing Matt to resign himself to a life of solitude — a recurring emotional tension that would define the series for decades. As the hinge issue between the original Bill Everett/Joe Orlando era and the Wood era that soon produced Daredevil's all-red costume, it marks the creative turning point that gave the character his durable visual identity.

In "The Mysterious Masked Matador!", a fallen bullfighter seeks vengeance through crime, his dramatic flair matched only by his relentless cape-waving—something Daredevil is uniquely equipped to stop. Meanwhile, Foggy’s quiet plan to propose to Karen leaves Matt caught between confession and silence, pushing him toward a solitary path. Written by Stan Lee and brought to life with bold, expressive art by Wallace Wood, this 1964 classic features dynamic inks by Wood, vibrant colors by Stan Goldberg, and sharp lettering by Sam Rosen, all on a striking cover by Wood.

writer Stan Lee · artist, inker Wallace Wood · colorist Stan Goldberg · letterer Sam Rosen · cover Wally Wood

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (VG) $79

CGC 9.8 · 2 in census $12,626*

CGC 9.6 · 17 in census $4,058

CGC 9.4 · 35 in census $1,612

CGC 9.2 · 51 in census $728

CGC 9.0 · 52 in census $728

CGC 8.5 · 95 in census $478

Show all 22 grades ▾

CGC 8.0 · 107 in census $381

CGC 7.5 · 100 in census $270

CGC 7.0 · 123 in census $270

CGC 6.5 · 118 in census $221

CGC 6.0 · 132 in census $212

CGC 5.5 · 97 in census $174

CGC 5.0 · 104 in census $174

CGC 4.5 · 83 in census $133

CGC 4.0 · 99 in census $133

CGC 3.5 · 46 in census $117

CGC 3.0 · 38 in census $99

CGC 2.5 · 22 in census $66

CGC 2.0 · 5 in census $64

CGC 1.5 · 1 in census $45*

CGC 1.0 · 2 in census $38*

CGC 0.5 · 47 in census $38

* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade

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

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History

After Joe Orlando departed Marvel following issue #4, Stan Lee brought in Wally Wood — who had just left a twelve-year run at MAD Magazine under acrimonious circumstances and was working for low-paying publishers like Charlton. According to multiple sources including a Roy Thomas account in Alter Ego magazine, it was likely on Orlando's advice that Wood turned to Lee for work and was assigned Daredevil. Lee was sufficiently confident in Wood's stature that the cover itself carries a rare creator-spotlighting blurb heralding 'the brilliant artistic craftsmanship of famous illustrator Wally Wood' — an unusually lavish promotional gesture even by Lee's standards. Wood would stay on the title for six issues, during which time he also designed character turnaround model sheets for Daredevil, Matt Murdock, Karen Page, and Foggy Nelson, laying the visual groundwork that informed the series for years afterward.

Trivia · 8 facts

First appearance and origin of the Matador (Manuel Eloganto), a disgraced Spanish bullfighter turned costumed criminal — created by Stan Lee and Wally Wood.
Wally Wood's debut as penciller and inker on Daredevil, beginning a six-issue run that would prove the most visually transformative period in the Silver Age title.
Wood redesigns Daredevil's chest insignia from a single 'D' on the belly to an interlocking double-D on the chest, announced in an editorial note on the issue's opening splash page — the first step toward the iconic all-red costume introduced in issue #7.
Story title: 'The Mysterious Masked Matador!' Script by Stan Lee; art (pencils and inks) by Wally Wood; lettering by Sam Rosen; colors by Stan Goldberg. Cover date: December 1964; on-sale date: October 1, 1964.
The cover was penciled and inked solely by Wally Wood — confirmed by the Wallace Wood Estate and Kirby historian Mark Evanier, who debunked long-running rumors of Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta involvement. The original cover art was later stolen from Marvel's offices; John Romita recreated it in the 1990s for use in reprints.
Key supporting-cast subplot: Foggy Nelson reveals to Matt that he plans to propose to Karen Page, prompting Matt — secretly in love with Karen himself — to resolve to live as a loner rather than compete with his best friend.
In their first encounter the Matador defeats Daredevil, whose radar sense is overwhelmed by crowd noise in an enclosed room; Daredevil lures the Matador into a rematch using a press-conference ruse and defeats him, handing him to the NYPD.
The issue has been widely reprinted, including in Marvel Masterworks #17 (1991), Essential Daredevil Vol. 1 (2002), Marvel Famous Firsts: 75th Anniversary Masterworks Slipcase Set (2014), Daredevil Epic Collection Vol. 1 — The Man Without Fear (2016), Daredevil Omnibus Vol. 1 (2017), and Mighty Marvel Masterworks: Daredevil Vol. 1 — While the City Sleeps (2021).