"Daredevil Annual" Volume 1 #7 was published in 1991. It's hard to believe that this issue is over thirty years old. The inside pages don't contain the glossy print that we see in today's comics, but rather the newspaper print format. After retelling Daredevil's origin story briefly, the issue blends together four stories in which Gregory Wright wrote three of them and Eric Fein took on the other one. "The Von Strucker Gambit" Part 1 also offered a quick prologue setting up the action that ends up continuing in "Punisher Annual" #4. Many artists contributed their stylistic qualities to the stories, whether it was taking on the role of penciler, colorist or inker.
Baron Von Strucker came back from the great beyond to oversee experiments at Hydra Genetics Laboratory #5 in the Bronx in order to create an army of super soldiers. However, Guillotine, Sathan and Romulus have all escaped from the lab, and even though they were all once human, they are too powerful for a police force to handle. Strucker sends out Takimoto, Striklan and Dakini to bring them back safely. These soldiers all seem to have their own agenda, though.
We meet Ben Urich, a reporter who wants to help Daredevil erase the corruption in the city. This includes Richard Furman, who happens to have many properties that have been burning down lately. Another one is Detective Hobbes, who seems to be protecting Furman. The Kingpin, who has had his own run-ins with Urich, decides that he will taunt the good reporter. Although he is married, Urich starts seeing his first love, Emily Blake, around town. Wilson Fisk had arranged these sightings knowing that Urich feels that he failed to save her when she needed help. However, there is a real possibility that even though the lady that Urich found was wearing a fake scar, it still may have been her.
Stricklan appears in another story in this issue, but this time a "c" was added to his name, along with blonde hair. What led him to join Hydra was his inability to stay in the Marines and the police force, where he was let go due to his use of unnecessary brutality. Von Strucker took him on as a Bounty Hunter. Stricklan liked to be referred to as Crippler.
Then, we have the very young gang of kids who called themselves the Fatboys. Their friend Darla always tried to keep them from getting hurt, especially when Eightball pulled out a gun. He got involved with a serious game when he stopped an armed criminal from raping a woman. While he ended up getting shot, further damage was avoided when Darla yelled out for the help of Daredevil. The man without fear may not be liked by everyone but he does have a knack for being there when needed!
