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Enter: The Leap-Frog! — Synopsis
Release Date: December 8, 1966
Cover Date: February, 1967
Matt Murdock steps off a plane after a brief adventure in England—only to walk straight into chaos. A man in civilian clothes, a handkerchief mask, and spring loaded shoes is bounding across the runway, disrupting all takeoffs. Police shout warnings, calling him a “human frog,” while Matt’s radar sense measures the height and force of the stranger’s leaps. The man proudly announces himself as the Leap-Frog, insisting he means no harm and is merely “testing his new power.” But Matt can tell he’s dangerous.
When Leap-Frog grabs Matt in a chokehold to stall the police, Matt is forced to play the helpless blind man. He can’t risk revealing Daredevil’s skills in front of a crowd. An elderly woman even threatens the villain with her umbrella—“picking on a poor, helpless young man,” as the document notes. Leap-Frog eventually releases Matt and escapes, convinced his test run was a triumph. Matt lets him go; he has a more immediate problem—explaining his mysterious absence to Foggy and Karen.
Nelson & Murdock: Suspicion and Fear
Back at the office, Foggy and Karen have opened a letter addressed to Matt—supposedly from Spider-Man—claiming he knows Matt is Daredevil. Foggy scoffs at the idea; Matt is “totally blind,” after all. Karen is shaken. Daredevil was seen in England, but Matt has vanished, and she fears he may be gone forever.
Matt arrives just in time to hear Karen’s voice trembling on the verge of tears. He enters with a flimsy cover story: he’d been resting at the seashore and sent them a note that never arrived. He even invents a false flashback of impersonating Daredevil in the arena before the real Daredevil appeared—“a false flashback begins,” the document says. Karen doesn’t buy it. She reveals Spider-Man’s letter, and Matt realizes he needs a bigger lie.
The Birth of Mike Murdock
Cornered, Matt invents a twin brother—Mike Murdock, a secretive, wild adventurer who demanded his existence remain hidden. Foggy is incredulous; they were college roommates, and Matt never mentioned a brother. Matt argues that believing in Mike is still more reasonable than believing Daredevil is a blind man. Foggy insists on meeting Mike.
Once alone, Matt admits he has no idea how to maintain this lie. He dons the Daredevil suit, feeling more himself in crimson than in business attire. Daredevil, he realizes, may be his truer identity.
Leap-Frog’s First Crime Spree
Meanwhile, Leap-Frog—an inventor of novelty items for toy companies—prepares for a criminal career. He unveils his full costume, complete with a battery pack powering his super-springs. “He intends to make the Leap-Frog become the most famous name in the annals of crime,” the document states.
That night, he bounces through New York and robs a jewelry store. Daredevil, three blocks away, hears the alarm and intervenes. Leap-Frog’s speed and ricocheting movement make him nearly untouchable, and he escapes through a window, taunting the hero.
Mike Murdock Makes His Debut
The next morning, Foggy and Karen arrive at the office to find a flamboyant stranger in sunglasses and loud clothes—Matt’s new persona, Mike Murdock. He gushes about rock ’n’ roll, flirts with Karen, and irritates Foggy instantly. When a radio report announces Leap-Frog has robbed a bank, “Mike” dramatically exits, claiming he’s off to his “theme song.”
Karen is charmed; Foggy is repulsed. Both now believe Mike is Daredevil.
Daredevil vs. Leap-Frog:
Daredevil tracks Leap-Frog and ambushes him. The villain fights back, even clubbing Daredevil with stolen loot. Daredevil recovers, snares him with his Billy Club cable, and drags him down. After a brutal exchange—Leap-Frog feigning surrender, kicking Daredevil, and trying to escape—Daredevil knocks him out and sends him flying into a pool before delivering him to the police.
Aftermath:
Foggy and Matt receive a letter from Leap-Frog requesting legal defense. Foggy wants nothing to do with supervillains, but Matt insists on taking the case. The issue ends with the promise of a trial—and more complications for Matt’s new “brother.”
Notes
• This issue features the first appearance of Matt Murdock's second secret identity, that of his twin brother Mike.
• This issue features the first appearance of recurring super-villain Leap-Frog. He is seen in and out of uniform, but his civilian identity as "Vincent Patilio" is not given in the story.
• Two pages of the story are almost entirely devoted to demonstrating the various uses of Daredevil's Billy Club.
• The story continues in Daredevil #26 (March, 1967), with the trial and attempted escape of the Leap-Frog.
Credits:
• Editor / Writer: Stan Lee
• Penciler: Gene Colan
• Inker: Frank Giacoia
• Letterer: Artie Simek
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Purchased on eBay from: “jun-3588”
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