Issue 33 – Kingpin

SHOW NOTES:

• Introduction

  • Shout out to Considered & Conceited

• Background (10:12)

  • Created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. in The Amazing Spider-Man #50 (July 1967)

  • Grew up as obese child who was bullied for his weight until he started working out and took over a gang

  • Rose through the ranks to become a powerful crime lord, but had a front as a legitimate businessman which only gave him more power and access

  • Met a woman named Vanessa, they had a son named Richard who left the family when he found out what his father really did

  • Walked away from crime for a while to appease Vanessa, but came back after Vanessa’s apparent assassination by rival gangsters

  • Although he started off battling Spider-Man, his greatest nemesis is Daredevil

  • Hires Elektra and then Bullseye to go after Daredevil, and discovers he is really Matt Murdock – uses his power to attack Matt personally & professionally, but goes too far when Nuke kills dozens of people in Hell’s Kitchen and gets arrested

  • Unwittingly partners with HYDRA, who then steal his assets and he’s left alone

  • Turns over information on Murdock to the FBI in exchange for freedom, but they’re arrested together

  • Civil War: Tries to roll on Captain America to Iron Man, but betrays Tony as well – later puts out a hit on Peter Parker, but the bullet hits Aunt May, and Peter beats him up in prison

  • Vanessa dies, but her last wish is to have Matt Murdock represent Fisk – Matt gets all charges cleared against Fisk, but he has to leave the country

  • Shadowland – Kingpin helps Iron Fist & Luke Cage against a demon-possessed Matt, but uses Lady Bullseye to recapture Shadowland after Matt is defeated

  • Defeated by Superior Spider-Man and flees for San Francisco, where Matt was working and publicly operating as Daredevil – clashed once again with Matt

  • Moves back to NYC and advances himself as a write-in candidate for mayor – wins the election and goes after costumed vigilantes, especially Daredevil

• Issues (16:47)

  • Obese childhood had impact on him as an adult

  • Ruthless pragmatism leaves him alone (24:30)

  • Obsession with Daredevil can leave him blindsided (31:20)

• Treatment (37:11)

  • In-universe

  • Out of universe (41:04)

• Skit (47:56)

• Ending

References:

• Typhoid Mary episode – Doc – 14:42

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