The Man Without Super-Senses

 

At first glance, you'd think the question that this 1978 cover of What If poses was dealt with on that very cover, asked and answered:

We could also presume that the world wouldn't necessarily care one way or the other about Daredevil's sight or lack thereof--it's really a matter of anyone going up against him knowing that he's sightless, and coming to the conclusion that some other form of perception is at work that makes him such an effective fighter. A well-laid trap sprung later by an enemy, and that's that.

But how did such a secret ever get out, and when? We find the answer in Daredevil's second issue, just as the nascent crime-fighter is getting out of the gate in his red and yellow togs, and facing Electro in the Fantastic Four's deserted Baxter Building headquarters. This time, however, Spider-Man's unexpected entrance into the fray prevents Electro from taking Daredevil by surprise--and when Electro is consequently forced to defend himself from the charging DD, he takes note of something he otherwise would not have picked up on.

The conclusion that Electro jumps to is very selective on writer Don Glut's part, considering that Electro doesn't make the same observation when Spider-Man would later dodge a hurled electric bolt in similar fashion and, like Daredevil, is also unaffected by its blinding brightness. Regardless, a little quick thinking on DD's part, where he could mention, say, special eye slit lenses which shield him from such attacks, is all that would be needed to head off Electro's train of thought. (Artist Alan Kupperberg even has DD pointing to his mask as if to accommodate Glut heading in that direction, though for the sake of the story Electro isn't deterred from making his point.)

And so we return to the world now knowing of Daredevil's condition--and with the exception of the news media capitalizing on such a surprising development, it appears the man on the street is hardly fazed.

The Owl, on the other hand, is another matter.

The Owl gets his shot at Daredevil fairly early in the story, yet fails. The key takeaway from the scene, however, is that Nelson and Murdock's secretary, Karen Page, is able to deduce DD's real identity, and is thus better positioned to convince Murdock to later undergo specialist Dr. Van Eyck's eye surgery in Europe that he originally declined.

Once the surgery is performed in Lichtenbad, however, Murdock and Karen discover that Van Eyck is one of the prisoners of the principality's despised ruler, Duke Klaus Kruger. Soon enough, DD and Kruger cross paths, an encounter that brings Kruger's despotic rule to an end--but the madman intends for the world to follow him into oblivion, and DD, in an effort to save Van Eyck from sacrificing himself, exposes himself to radiation that may well result in the end of his crime-fighting career.

Weeks then pass without Daredevil appearing in the public eye--but more villainy from the Owl is afoot when Murdock is kidnapped at gunpoint and taken to the Owl's aerie where he discovers another captive, Judge Lewis--the jurist who sentenced the Owl to prison and is now part of a farce of a trial conducted by the Owl to determine his guilt in the matter (though no one present doubts the "proceedings" are little more than a formality).

But, good grief--if Electro can put two and two together, the Owl and especially his hoods (who surprised Murdock and were with him every step of the way) must be the most dense people on the planet to swallow the story of the island's surprise arrival.

As for Daredevil, he's finding that he's doing better than expected against his opposition, even without his enhanced senses to fall back on. It's curious that the Owl himself doesn't enter the fray--but even the giant robot he unleashes doesn't turn the tide against DD, who eventually wraps up this affair and saves Lewis, though eventually at the cost of the Owl's life when the robot later crashes and explodes.

Which brings us to this story's concluding developments, and an unusually uplifting ending for a What If issue, as Daredevil makes a dramatic announcement which ends up throwing the spotlight instead on Murdock, for whom the moment becomes a turning point as he sets his sights on a different but equally rewarding crime-fighting career (though quite a shift for a former defense attorney).

All's well that ends well, as they say. :)

But just look who can't help being all ominous and stirring up trouble:

What if you leave well enough alone, bub?