The Cobra and Mister Hyde sucked during their first team-up era and sucked in their solo adventures. Now that they reunite to fight Daredevil one last time, will they still suck?
Daredevil #142 (1976)
by Marv Wolfman & William Robert Brown
cover by John Buscema
They’re hailed on the cover as “Hornhead’s deadliest duo”. Which I guess is technically correct, as I can’t think of another duo of villains from his rogues gallery at this point.
Most people assume Bullseye is a Frank Miller character; I also often forget that he debuts in the Marv Wolman run.
Considering the story opens with him shooting Daredevil out of a giant crossbow (!!!), that should tell you everything about why people forget he existed before Miller.
I don’t recall a whole lot about the Wolfman run. Considering that he uses the opportunity to force a cameo by Nova, I’m not so sure he was that interested in Daredevil.
Meanwhile, Calvin Zabo is left out of prison on the promise that he won’t turn himself into Mister Hyde ever again.
Literally on the same page:
The Cobra escapes because they put the one guy whose superpower is squeezing through any opening in a regular jail with regular bars.
Sounds legit.
This entire retrospective up to this point has existed to prove this single panel wrong.
No wonder the Marvel Universe will eventually develop multiple super-prisons dedicated to keep their supervillains in check: they regular jails SUCK AT THIS.
Admittedly the super-prisons suck as well, but at least those escapes are more entertaining.
The duo manages to pull off the robbery they were planning…
…and also defeat Daredevil, something that wasn’t even part of the plan.
I’m not entirely sure how Hyde managed to grab Daredevil, the left panel doesn’t neatly flow into the right one.
Hyde doesn’t kill Daredevil (because I guess the plot says so?) and the duo escapes into the sewers.
They don’t know this messes with his super-senses, but perhaps they were hoping Daredevil would be too busy fighting that giant rat.
But the real reason Daredevil doesn’t follow is that he’s got a date.
Hopefully with someone who doesn’t have a sense of smell as keen as his, considering where he’s been.
That’s just what happens when you’re part of Daredevil’s cast, Foggy.
Although I’d have that jaw checked out if I were you.
Mister Hyde is ONCE AGAIN out to get a formula that will get him stronger.
Not entirely sure how exactly he managed to add a “special emerald” to a serum.
Given the cover is set on a jungle, you might have expected Daredevil would end up in the Savage Land. He’s been there before.
Instead, he runs into Mister Hyde on the roof that an eccentric rich guy has turned into his personal jungle.
Complete with a lion.
So to recap: this is a story where a scientist who regularly turns into a monster steals an emerald to turn himself into a bigger monster, in order to steal rare books from a rich guy who has a jungle and a lion on top of a New York City building.
Today, you might see a plot like that on Squirrel Girl or Deadpool.
In the 70s, that was mainstream comics.
I don’t know what this says about comics, but it does say a lot about 70s drug use.
Okay so Hyde is now stronger and allegedly more savage (he looks the same to me, but whatever).
What new abilities does the Cobra bring?
Well that sucked.
However the Cobra has at his disposal a gas that once knocked out FREAKING THOR, so he’s the one to deliver the finishing blow!!!
And our cliffhanger is having Daredevil tied up to be eaten by the lion.
If you think that’s random… the rich guy owning a jungle and a lion in New York is based on a real guy. Well, at the very least he has the same name.
And while the real William Rotsler didn’t own a jungle and a lion (as far as I can tell)… he WAS among other things a science fiction writer, so the idea that Hyde wanted to steal his book collection does make me think the character was deliberately based on him.
Rotsler was a FASCINATING person.
He won four Hugo Awards and one Inkpot Award as an artist, was nominated for a Nebula Award, he was the director of pornographic movies, the creator of a pornographic magazine, and he was the one to come up with Star Trek’s Uhura first name.
So yeah, I actually CAN believe that guy built himself a personal jungle.
Daredevil #143 (1976)
by Marv Wolfman & William Robert Brown
cover by Dave Cockrum
Sorry, I got a little distracted. William Rotsler’s biography is far more interesting than what’s going on in this comic.
I could buy Cobra and Hyde not killing Daredevil themselves because they wanted to watch him suffer while he’s being eaten by a lion… but not if they don’t even watch!!!
I am still not buying Mister Hyde needing the Cobra for anything.
Seriously, this stopped being funny a couple of appearances ago.
At this point it’s just sad.
Ever wanted to read a story where Daredevil hangs a lion?
If so, what is wrong with you!?
I still can’t wrap my head around Wolfman deciding to base this guy on a real person.
And if you thought this storyline couldn’t POSSIBLY get any weirder… Mister Hyde stole A MAGIC BOOK.
After dealing with his own subplots, Daredevil eventually finds the villains and he’s defeated AGAIN. This is a very weird period of their evolution… they’re good enough to consistently defeat the hero, but still ineffective enough to never be more than a nuisance.
In fact, Daredevil EASILY defeats them in the very last page.
Historical significance: 0/10
The Matt Murdock subplots have SOME relevance, but the main plot is easily forgettable.
Silver Age-ness: 10/10
This would be kind of tame for DC. For Marvel, this is peak 70s insanity.
Does it stand the test of time?
If you are NOT on drugs: 0/10
If you are on drugs: 10/10
Daredevil #153 (1978)
by Roger McKenzie & Gene Colan
What is it with Mister Hyde and covers where the hero is dropping out of a window?
Yet another key aspect of Daredevil’s mythos that people assume was created by Frank Miller: this issue is the first appearance of reporter Ben Urich.
Daredevil ends up fighting Cobra and Hyde because they’re after his girlfriend Heather.
I am shocked that the Cobra is completely useless in the fight and Mister Hyde turns out to be the bigger threat.
While this is not the first time Mister Hyde throws the hero out of a window on the cover, THIS time it actually happens in the story.
Daredevil BARELY survives the fall, grabbing on several parts of the building to slow down his descent.
Mister Hyde has a different approach.
Your regular reminder that Mister Hyde debuted being able to go toe-to-toe against THOR, so even falling face first into the ground is a minor inconvenience.
And so we end with the cliffhanger of Cobra and Hyde having kidnapped Daredevil, AGAIN.
Daredevil #154 (1978)
by Roger McKenzie & Gene Colan
And that was the setup for a team-up of Daredevil’s greatest villains.
Well, more like Purple Man and whoever he could get his hands on.
I should note that at this point Purple Man knows Daredevil’s identity.
I have absolutely no clue why he’s wearing that thing, though.
Well to be fair, Gladiator is not a BAD villain… he’s just years from receiving good stories.
Jester continues to suck even more than Cobra.
It’s tradition in these fights to have the hero use the villains’ abilities against them.
The fact that most of these suck makes it way easier.
If you are wondering where we are in the eternal fluctuation of just how strong Mister Hyde is: Daredevil is clearly overpowering him.
In addition to Ben Urich, this run also introduced Paladin… a mercenary who pops up all over the place in the Marvel Universe. He’s in that weird category of being ALMOST a superhero.
He’s never managed to find himself a sweet spot, but I like having characters like this around.
Working together they make short work of the villains, and Daredevil takes away Purple Man’s biggest advantage by shooting the hostage.
Purple Man is presumed dead at the end of this.
Historical significance: 8/10
Entirely because of Ben Urich and to a much lesser extent Paladin.
Silver Age-ness: N/A
Does it stand the test of time? N/A
I skipped way too much to give this a honest score, since the Cobra and Mister Hyde are ultimately little more than a footnote.
These are not bad stories, but they’re only memorable because of the great Colan artwork.
Those were the last stories from the 70s in the retrospective, and the last ones to feature the Cobra and Mister Hyde as a team.
We will next look at how they will handle the split on the pages of Spider-Man, which will conclude the retrospective.
I *thought* Rotsler’s name was familiar.
They aren’t giant rats. They’re Rodents of Unusual Size (R.O.U.S.).
I presume Rotsler & Wolfman were friends, since Rotsler wrote two Marvel novels, both of which were co-edited by Len Wein & Marv Wolfman… An Iron Man book “And Call My Killer… Modok!” which was decent enough by the low standards of ’70s Marvel novels, and a Doctor Strange book “Nightmare!”, which wasn’t.
Both featured slightly more sexual references than you’d expect for authorised Marvel tie-ins.