"I feel as if someone was watching us..."
Doom: No! It's impossible! You can't keep coming — not against the force of my nerve-shattering energy blasts!
The Thing: Mister, maybe I'm just too dumb to collapse — too ugly to die! I will let you figger out the reasons! As fer me... I finally got my paws on ya — and nothing's gonna save you now!
A Blind Man Shall Lead Them is a story arc of the Fantastic Four, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
The team has lost their powers after they were caught in the blast of a bomb set up by the Frightful Four, and tried to keep it secret for the time being. Reed initially tried to use mechanical devices to replicate their powers, but it was of no use: Dr. Doom, who had been hypnotized in the second annual, got over it and is back with a vengeance!
A Blind Man Shall Lead Them provides examples of:
- All Your Base Are Belong to Us: Dr. Doom invades the Fantastic Four headquarters and take control of all of Richards' weapons and instruments.
- Animated Adaptation: Fantastic Four: The Animated Series adapted the story for its second season premiere episode. It's a largely faithful retelling (Daredevil's constant quipping included), but still with some notable changes. The bomb was instead set up by Doom himself, as the Frightful Four wouldn't debut until the following episode. Also, rather than have Reed make the choice for him, Ben turns himself back into the Thing (as the others had been incapacitated by Doom and were about to die).
- Badass in Distress: The FF survived the atomic explosion inside of Sue's forcefield, but they were knocked unconscious by it. Fortunately, a US military ship found them floating in the sea.
- Blatant Lies: Reed is amazed by Daredevil's abilities, despite his lack of obvious superpowers. Daredevil replies that it's because of the four-leaf clover he always has. Of course, he won't reveal his secrets just like that!
- Bond Villain Stupidity: Powerless, the Fantastic Four have no chances against Dr. Doom, even if he has not captured them yet. Having control of their headquarters, he could easily track and kill each of them, one by one, as if they were flies... but it was a glorious situation, and he chose to make it last longer.
- Brought Down to Normal: Happens to all the team, and not just the Thing.
- "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: And after so much dramatic time toying with those useless mechanical devices... all that Reed needed to restore the FF powers was the ray they used against the Skrulls a pair of months before. Ben and Daredevil complain about this, so he replies that the ray had to "recharge".
- Determinator: Ben Grimm is the Thing again. Because of Doom. He will make him pay... and none of his weapons will help him!
- Diplomatic Impunity: Doom may have seized a building in American soil, tried to kill US citizens, and even blow up an atomic devise as part of his attack, but the Fantastic Four must still watch out not to go too harsh on him. He's a head of state and has diplomatic immunity!
- Early-Installment Weirdness: This Daredevil is a fun guy that makes lots of quips and jokes during the fight. The character had just been created, and this was his initial characterization. It hardly has any similarity to the tragic hero that he would become from Frank Miller's run onwards.
- Happy Ending Override: At the end of Fantastic Four Annual #2 Doom was hypnotized to think that he had willed Richards out of existence. Thinking that he had finally triumphed, he would not attack the team ever again. Of course, such a thing would not last for long.
- No One Could Survive That!: The Frightful Four left the Fantastic Four at the Ground Zero of the atomic bomb, and escaped. Mission accomplished. How could they possibly survive?
- Ungrateful Bastard: A local magician notices by accident that Dr. Doom is hypnotized, and undoes the spell. Now Doom knows that Richards fooled him! He must pay for it! And as for the magician that helped Doom realize it... he gave him a brutal slap, and told him to be grateful that he's not sentenced to death.
- Who Dares?: WHAT??!! Daredevil dares to attack Doom... physically??
Daredevil: Why not? I even walk in the rain without my booties sometimes! That's why they call me "daredevil"!
