The Marvel Method Archive

Creating Daredevil (part 3)

J David Spurlock 4 August 2016 50 years ago, in 1965, Wallace Wood famously created Daredevil's red devil suit. But what many don't realize — though Stan himself alluded to it in the comics — is that Wood took it totally upon himself to redesign the character with no request, input, direction or pre-approval from Stan/Marvel. Here, from FB's Comic Book Historian group, Cinderella Man author Mike DeLisa and Wood's assistant, Steven Ray Austin, shed further light on Wood's surprise, maverick departure: Mike DeLisa: "The red costume was devised by Wood because he was smart enough to realize that yellow was traditionally associated with cowardice -- something a 'daredevil' wouldn't have." And straight from Wood himself to Steven Ray Austin: "It was definitely NOT a company decision, but a creative decision by Woody to redesign the Daredevil costume. He told me so!" Wood liked Golden Age superheroes and, remembering the great GA battle between the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner, pitched to Stan, a battle between Daredevil & the Sub-Mariner. Stan approved and promoted the coming story, in advance, both in house ads for DD 6 and on the letters page of DD 6, where he acknowledged that he (Stan) did NOT plot it. At some later point, the idea comes up that, while Marvel's other top characters, Captain America & the Torch had been revived, Subby had only been revived as a villain; that if Wood liked Subby, perhaps then, the exceedingly popular comics creator could work into his busy schedule a 10-pg bi-monthly Sub-Mariner feature to be launched in Tales to Astonish — and like Daredevil, also to be plotted by Wood! But while starting to draw the story, Wood — on his own, with no request from Marvel — decides to redesign DD to his red devil suit. As he doesn't want to debate it with Stan, he just goes forward with it, like he did with his earlier update in DD 5. The finished story pencil art went to Stan for final dialoguing prior to lettering then returned to Wood for inking. It is at that point — after the whole book was penciled — or possibly, not until it was inked — that Stan was surprised to find out Wood had redesigned DD and drawn the whole issue with him in the new costume! Stan recognized: 1) Wood would likely quit if Stan rejected the update; 2) It would threaten the publishing schedule to change them all back; 3) Wood's new design was a great improvement! So, whether Stan was miffed about such a major unapproved change or not, he accepted it — with one caveat, Wood would need to update Kirby's art for FF 39 which had just been turned in, featuring the yellow DD. NOTE: some of WOOD's plot ideas for the Sub-Mariner in TTA survive! He had great stories planned but, due to Marvel's "method" of not paying artists for their plots, Wood left before implementing plans for Wood to take over X-Men (over Kirby layouts), and the launching of the Sub-Mariner in TTA. He took his latest creations, The THUNDER Agents to Tower where they were happy to pay Wood to write as well as draw and edit. Gethin Lewis: Very sad that it seems that Stan's ego killed what would have been some epic stories for Marvel...it's not hard to see that Wood, Ditko, and Kirby left over this and other bad decisions (cheating plotters/artists out of pay and credit) by the Powers That Be at Marvel at the time. J David Spurlock 4 August 2016

“Beyond creating the red costume, the gadgets & the villains; via his plotting, Wallace Wood created the true ESSENCE of Daredevil: his tenacity and perseverance to fight against all odds — which Frank Miller, Netflix, and others have continued all these years. Stan Lee & Roy Thomas called, Wood's DD #7 a ‘defining moment of the Marvel Universe.’ It is absolutely THE defining moment for the Hell’s Kitchen vigilante attorney character.” — J. David Spurlock [In the prior issue's letters page, Stan Lee confirmed that he/Stan did NOT plot the pivotal DD #7 story — though he did edit and polish the dialogue as usual. Wood likewise confirmed he/Wood was the one who was plotting Daredevil through his/Wood's historic, brilliant, year-long overhaul of the character starting with Wood's taking over the publication, just after issue #4, in 1964.] J David Spurlock 4 August 2016

“On Daredevil #5, Stan Lee gave Wood the biggest new-artist cover credit EVER.

Then, on AVENGERS #20, Wood got the ONLY cover credit ever, for INKING!

Where is his credit now? A blind man can see that Wood deserves prominent, ongoing credit for developing Daredevil. There are none so blind, as those who refuse to credit!” — Lou Mougin, Jan 1, 2016 Writer, Avengers, Inhumans, League of Champions, Amazing Heroes Patrick Ford: My assumption has always been that Lee used those cover credits to try and appease Wood. Unfortunately for Lee, Wood preferred to be paid and credited for the writing he was doing which Lee took payment and credit for. It served Lee, not Wood, to define Wood as a penciler and inker.

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