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Daredevil (1964 series) #195

on-sale: Feb 22, 1983
Denny O'Neil | Klaus Janson

Daredevil (1964 series) #195 cover

Story Name:

Betrayal


Synopsis

Daredevil (1964 series) #195 synopsis by Anthony Silvestro
Rating: 4 stars

A helicopter containing an armed death squad descends upon a cruise ship. The gunmen state they’re only looking for one man, Bruno Ponchatrane, a murderer who was released on a technicality. Bruno has just been tucked away by a disguised Matt Murdock when Matt changes to Daredevil and tackles the gunmen. He notes they’re the same group who recently killed two other mobsters who had walked free and now they’re after Bruno. Daredevil incapacitates the men on the boat and jumps aboard the helicopter when it tries to get away. Daredevil’s scuffle with the remaining gunman causes the helicopter to crash into the Brookyln Bridge before plummeting into the ocean, as Daredevil leaps to safety. Matt feels conflicted about saving Bruno, considering he murdered a little girl but was gotten off by Foggy because the arresting officer made a mistake.

Back at their office, Foggy agrees that he doesn’t like the guy, but felt they couldn’t ethically refuse him, as it’s their job to defend him. That evening, Heather Glenn is approached at a party by a man named Tarkington Brown, who introduces himself as working for the mayor’s office. Heather and Brown end up talking the night away, with a drunk Heather telling him about her former relationship problems with Matt. She then drunkenly lets slip that Matt is Daredevil and Brown rushes her home before heading to another secret address! Here he meets with several cops, revealing that they are the death squad that’s been killing mobsters and he is their leader! Brown tells them that their new target is Matt Murdock!

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The following morning, Heather suddenly remembers what she told Brown and rushes over to see Matt at his office. She tells him that she told Brown his secret and Matt angrily throws her out before looking up everything he can on Tarkington Brown. Later, Heather stops in on Brown just after a meeting with his doctor, who reveals that Brown is dying. Heather tries to pretend that she was just trying to impress Brown when she said that Matt is Daredevil, but Brown isn’t buying it. Brown reveals that his death squad is currently waiting to ambush Matt at his apartment, and that as soon as that’s done, he’ll kill Heather too for knowing too much! Meanwhile, Daredevil stealthily takes out the sniper stationed across the street from his apartment, confirming his suspicions that Brown controls the death squad.

Daredevil heads into his apartment through his skylight, his senses and radar telling him exactly where the other members of the squad are waiting for him. He stealthily takes out the remaining members of the squad, until there’s one man left, the one with a gas weapon. Daredevil swipes the gas mask from one of the other gunmen and takes out the remaining guy, before getting the now gas mask-less one out of the building. Daredevil then makes his way to Brown and stops him just as he’s going to kill Heather. He confronts Brown about why he’s doing all of this, and Brown reveals that he only has a few months to live. He feels that the criminals of the city are winning the war against the honest people and this death squad is his contribution to society, to eliminate as many of them as possible with the time he has left. Daredevil then decides to make a deal, to keep each other’s secrets until Brown dies, provided he doesn’t try anything else like this in his remaining months.

The following day, Matt arrives at his office and Foggy tells him that the death squad has been identified and apprehended. There’s bad news too though. Bruno, the guy Foggy got off on a technicality, killed another little girl that morning. Matt can only hang his head in sorrow…

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Characters
Good (or All)
DAREDEVIL
FOGGYNELSON
Plus: Becky Blake (Rebecca Blake), Heather Glenn.

Enemies
Tarkington Brown.

> Daredevil (1964 series) comic book info and issue index



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Main/1st Story Full Credits

Klaus Janson
Klaus Janson
Glynis Wein
Klaus Janson (Cover Penciler)
Klaus Janson (Cover Inker)
Klaus Janson (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Joe Rosen.



Review / Commentaries


Daredevil (1964 series) #195 Review by (August 20, 2025)

Review: A very grim and somber issue as Daredevil faces off against a vigilante death squad! In this dark issue, a dying man who works for the mayor named Tarkington Brown (what a name) sends a death squad composed of dirty cops after criminals as his way of contributing to society with the time he has left. He then sends his squad after Daredevil when Heather drunkenly tells him that Daredevil is Matt Murdock. Thanks Heather, you’re the best. The issue ends with a real gut punch as it’s revealed that Bruno, a murderer who Daredevil saved from the squad at the beginning of the issue, killed another little girl. So Matt stops the death squad but at the expense of letting a murderer live to kill again. This broaches questions about what the right thing really was, and whether Brown may have been at least partially justified. As usual, Matt is left with no good options or easy answers, and continues the trend that even when he wins, he still loses. This kind of moral dilemma is pretty prevalent in a lot of superhero media, but Daredevil manages to give a darker spin on it as usual. Overall, a grim issue with one heck of a hard-hitting ending, making this feel the most Miller-like of the post-Miller issues so far.

Comments: First appearance of Tarkington Brown.





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