Daredevil (1964 series) #223

In the Chelsea section of New York, Glorianna O’Breen is walking down a street when her camera is suddenly snatched by a run-by thief! Matt quickly finds her as she reveals that it was the camera her father gifted her before he died, making it irreplaceable. Matt promises to ask some of his contacts about her camera as he heads off to his office. Meanwhile, the Beyonder floats in space pondering his new sense of purpose. He decides he wants to try things in a human way to experience true fulfillment and teleports himself to the law offices of Nelson and Murdock. He asks Matt and Foggy to be his legal representation in his goal of legally acquiring ownership of the planet, through legitimate means. The Beyonder claims he just wants to try and succeed but Matt doesn’t feel right about it all and promptly exits. Foggy decides to ponder it and the Beyonder transports one million dollars there as a retainer!

Meanwhile, the Beyonder splits his consciousness in order to follow Matt and observe him in an astral form, and quickly discovers that Matt is blind. That night, Matt goes out as Daredevil to try and track down the man who stole Glori’s camera. His search leads him to a pawn shop, where he stops an attempt on the owner’s life. The pawn shop owner then tells Daredevil that the man he’s looking for his named Skeeter Frizzel and he may be hiding out at an extermination plant. On the way out, Daredevil runs into the Beyonder, who reveals he knows who Matt is and that Foggy has accepted his offer, while offering Matt a different kind of payment. Later, Daredevil tracks down Skeeter at the plant, all while pondering the Beyonder’s request. He feels it’s crazy but thinks that maybe he should accept, in order to try and steer the Beyonder in the right direction. Sensing that Matt is ready to accept his offer, the Beyonder immediately enacts his payment, suddenly restoring Matt’s sight! The suddenness disorients Daredevil and he falls into a vat of insecticide, allowing Skeeter to escape.

The following morning, the Beyonder visits Foggy in the library while he’s researching the best way to go about his request, admitting it may take years. Meanwhile, Matt revels in his newly restored sight, trying to take in as many sights as he can. He then heads to Glorianna’s apartment and reveals the miracle to her, happily taking in her beauty for the first time. They embrace and he excitedly looks at her photographs. She admits that they’re only a fraction of the true beauty of the world, as she tries to capture just that bit for herself. She takes him out to experience that beauty and they spend the whole day seeing as many sights as they can, from parks to museums to the sunset. Their last stop is the top of the Empire State Building, where Glori can show Matt the full scope of the city and he sheds tears at the sheer beauty he’d forgotten about.

Matt then suddenly becomes solemn and excuses himself, saying he has to see a client. He soon stands on another rooftop and calls out to the Beyonder, telling him how wonderful his gift is. Too wonderful. Matt realized that he missed his sight so much that he feels he may do anything to keep it. Not wanting that to even potentially compromise his sense of justice, he officially quits and asks the Beyonder to take away his eyesight once more! The Beyonder accepts his resignation but offers to let him keep his sight as a gift. Matt is resolute in his decision though and the Beyonder takes back his retainer, blinding Matt once more. Back at Nelson and Murdock, Foggy independently also decides to give up on the Beyonder’s case. Later, Daredevil finally tracks down Skeeter and gets Glori’s camera back from him, saying that now he finally knows what Glori meant when she said that she tries to capture just a bit of the true beauty of the world.