The second (and, by far, the most popular) incarnation of Little Wise Guys were a group of American kids who came together to help Daredevil apprehend The Wizard, the leader of a German-American cult. The group was originally made up of Jock C. Herendeen II, Scarecrow, Pewee, and Meatball. In issue #15, Meatball died of pneumonia when the group faced off against the Steamrollers, a malicious neighborhood kid gang. One of the gang members, a bald kid named Curly, was distraught over Meatball’s death, and turned against his comrades. The next issue, Curly tried to join Little Wise Guys in hopes of repenting for his misdeeds. The Little Wise Guys were reluctant to admit him, but Curly worked hard to prove himself, and he remained a part of the group for the rest of their days. Following issue #15, Little Wise Guys became Daredevil’s sidekicks, appearing in every subsequent issue. In issue #17, they set up their base of operations at the barn next to the Herendeen mansion, and the mansion itself became their permanent home. Starting with issue #70 they became the main characters of Daredevil Comics, while Daredevil himself disappeared from the book. Jock C. Herendeen the Second was son of Fred Herendeen, a publishing magnate. He was a skilled athlete, proficient in gymnastics, fencing, and boxing. He was the only Little Wise Guy to age visibly over time, though he still looked younger than he should have been by the time Daredevil Comics ended its run. Scarecrow was a farm boy who wandered around the country with his uncle looking for work. He was generally uneducated and gullible. Joining Little Wise Guys allowed him to show his true potential, as well as pick up some decent boomerang-throwing skills. He was originally the oldest member of the group, but Jock wound up outgrowing him. Peewee/Slugger was a newsboy. He was the youngest and the smallest member of the group, although he never let that stop him from fighting criminals, even if they were faster and stronger. He eventually became pretty good at baseball, which is how he got his second nickname. Meatball was an orphan whose most distinguishing feature was his chubbiness. He didn’t want to get stuck with a stepmom who treated him like a baby, so he escaped the orphanage and luckily stumbled upon the Little Wise Guys. He dies of pneumonia in issue #15 of Daredevil Comics. Curly was a former juvenile delinquent, with plenty of street smarts. He was the second-best fighter in the group. According to a letter column, he got his name because his hair was naturally curly, but since he chose to shave his head, most people were none the wiser.
Alias Little Wise Guys (Daredevil Comics)
Real Names/Alt Names Jock, Peewee, Scarecrow, Meatball (deceased), Curly
Description The second (and, by far, the most popular) incarnation of Little Wise Guys were a group of American kids who came together to help Daredevil apprehend The Wizard, the leader of a German-American cult. The group was originally made up of Jock C. Herendeen II, Scarecrow, Pewee, and Meatball. In issue #15, Meatball died of pneumonia when the group faced off against the Steamrollers, a malicious neighborhood kid gang. One of the gang members, a bald kid named Curly, was distraught over Meatball’s death, and turned against his comrades. The next issue, Curly tried to join Little Wise Guys in hopes of repenting for his misdeeds. The Little Wise Guys were reluctant to admit him, but Curly worked hard to prove himself, and he remained a part of the group for the rest of their days. Following issue #15, Little Wise Guys became Daredevil’s sidekicks, appearing in every subsequent issue. In issue #17, they set up their base of operations at the barn next to the Herendeen mansion, and the mansion itself became their permanent home. Starting with issue #70 they became the main characters of Daredevil Comics, while Daredevil himself disappeared from the book. Jock C. Herendeen the Second was son of Fred Herendeen, a publishing magnate. He was a skilled athlete, proficient in gymnastics, fencing, and boxing. He was the only Little Wise Guy to age visibly over time, though he still looked younger than he should have been by the time Daredevil Comics ended its run. Scarecrow was a farm boy who wandered around the country with his uncle looking for work. He was generally uneducated and gullible. Joining Little Wise Guys allowed him to show his true potential, as well as pick up some decent boomerang-throwing skills. He was originally the oldest member of the group, but Jock wound up outgrowing him. Peewee/Slugger was a newsboy. He was the youngest and the smallest member of the group, although he never let that stop him from fighting criminals, even if they were faster and stronger. He eventually became pretty good at baseball, which is how he got his second nickname. Meatball was an orphan whose most distinguishing feature was his chubbiness. He didn’t want to get stuck with a stepmom who treated him like a baby, so he escaped the orphanage and luckily stumbled upon the Little Wise Guys. He dies of pneumonia in issue #15 of Daredevil Comics. Curly was a former juvenile delinquent, with plenty of street smarts. He was the second-best fighter in the group. According to a letter column, he got his name because his hair was naturally curly, but since he chose to shave his head, most people were none the wiser.
