KELCO INDUSTRIALS

Membership: None known

Purpose: To create batteries and adhesives, and to profit off of environmental exploitation at any cost

Aliases: None

Affiliations: Bullet (Buck Cashman), "Kelco Robot", Kingpin (Wilson Fisk), Judge McCarr, Franklin "Foggy" Nelson

Enemies: Daredevil (Matt Murdock), David, Gunner, Ross Janson, Tyrone Janson, Glorianna O'Breen, Save the Planet (Rolands, others)

Base of Operations: New Jersey

First Appearance: Daredevil I#248 (November, 1987)

History:
(Daredevil I#248 (fb) - BTS) - Kelco was a chemical plant that made batteries and adhesives near New York City in Jersey. Grassroots organizations began suing the company as their waste management system was off and they were putting toxins into the air and water. Kelco reached out to the Kingpin for help, and he appointed Foggy Nelson to defend the company.

(Daredevil I#248) - When young Tyrone Janson was blinded from a chemical spill, Daredevil investigated Kelco, breaking in illegally and he destroyed a tear-gas dispensing robot. Matt Murdock worked hard and found several subsidiaries tied to Kelco that proved their manipulation of the law.

(Daredevil I#250 (fb) - BTS) - A group called Save the Planet sued Kelco for their environmental damages and failure to follow regulations, but Kelco's lawyers used maneuvers to keep the case in the courts for years.

(Daredevil I#250) - Foggy Nelson visited Kelco's waste disposal yard and realized that nearly every protocol had been violated. His girlfriend Glorianna O'Breen, took photos of the yard.

(Daredevil I#251) - A group of protestors, including Tyron's father Ross Janson and Gunner, hanged dummies dressed as businessmen in front of Kelco's headquarters in an attempt to discredit them, but Bullet, working for a general connected to the Kingpin, blew the place up and left a dead body, one of the activists, to be framed. Later, Bullet was arrested, but with a single phone call he was cleared of his charges. Kingpin was questioned about why Kelco didn't just settle out of court, but he said he wanted to teach Daredevil a lesson about the corruption of the law.

(Daredevil I#253 - BTS) - The case against Kelco continued in the courts.

(Daredevil I#255) - Kelco's attorneys prepared their final case in Judge McCarr's court, planning on Foggy Nelson representing them. Representing Tyrone, David questioned the boy on the stand as well as experts that tied the blinding chemical to Kelco, witnesses that stated Kelco used shady law practices, and experts that exposed some of Kelco's shell companies through which they created legal loopholes. Foggy Nelson questioned those who talked about the criminal acts of ecologists against Kelco and scientists who said there was no way to trace the chemicals directly to Kelco. Final arguments were offered, and Kingpin worried that the case was coming out in Tyrone's favor, so he ordered his employee to interfere with the jury.

(Daredevil I#256) - Despite the Kingpin's attempt to bribe one of the jurors, Kelco lost the case. The jury ruled against the company and ruled in favor of Tyrone, awarding the boy money enough to support him through his entire life.

Comments: Created by Ann Nocenti, Rick Leonardi, and Al Williamson.

Profile by Chadman.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Kelco Industrials has no known connections to:

David

(Daredevil I#251) - Attorney David worked with ex-attorney Matt Murdock on building a case against the chemical company, Kelco. Working out of a warehouse where Karen Page tended to drug addicts and the homeless, David bandied ideas with Matt about working inside the law against Kelco, who seemed to be above the law. Mr. Fasolino then arrived to shut the place down. After Bullet was arrested for a murder at Kelco, David planned to take the case forward in the courts, but Karen Page informed them that Bullet had been exonerated despite the evidence. David saw Matt despair about the law being worthless.

(Daredevil I#252) - David rushed in to the clinic to give Matt the good news that one of their big cases had been won. Matt celebrated with David, Hilda, Karen, and the others.

(Daredevil I#255 (fb) - BTS) - David continued working on the Kelco case with Matt.

(Daredevil I#255) - David shot hoops while discussing the final court strategy with Matt, and was shocked when Matt made a basket. In court, with Judge McCarr presiding, and with Foggy Nelson among the lawyers representing Kelco, David gave his opening arguments without Matt present. David questioned scientists who tied the chemical to the one that blinded Tyrone, Tyrone himself, experts that showed Kelco had shell corporations to cover their actions, and witnesses that showed Kelco used shady lawyers. In his final argument, he appealed that public safety, especially that of children, should mandate that Kelco be held responsible.

(Daredevil I#256) - David and the others got the word that the jury ruled against Kelco, and he was thrilled. Matt commended him on what a great attorney he was.

--Daredevil I#251 (Daredevil I#251-252, 255 (fb) - BTS, 255-256

Kelco robot

(Daredevil I#248) - A robot created by Kelco to defend its offices attacked Daredevil when he broke into the building. The robot dispensed tear gas at the hero, but he easily broke the robot apart.

--Daredevil I#248

Judge McCarr

(Daredevil I#255) - Judge McCarr presided in the court case of Tyrone Janson vs. Kelco, with attorneys David and Foggy Nelson among those in the room.

(Daredevil I#256) - McCarr convened court the next day, and the jury ruled against Kelco and in favor of Tyrone Janson.

--Daredevil I#255 (Daredevil I#255-256

Rolands and Save the Planet

(Daredevil I#250 (fb) - BTS) - Rolands, representing a grassroots non-profit called Save the Planet, worked to take down the adhesive company, Kelco, which was ignoring regulations and poisoning the environment. When efforts through regulatory boards didn't work, Rolands filed a direct civil suit, but the company used its lawyers to keep the case in court for years.

(Daredevil I#250) - Rolands went to a free legal hotline for help and Matt Murdock agreed to look into the case. Later, the headquarters for Save the Planet was destroyed in an explosion.

--Daredevil I#250 (Daredevil I#250 (fb) - BTS, 250

images: (without ads)
Daredevil I#248, p11, pan1 (Kelco)
Daredevil I#248, cover (robot)
Daredevil I#255, p10, pan3 (David)
Daredevil I#255, p12, pan6 (Judge McCarr)
Daredevil I#250, p6, pan3 (Rolands)

Appearances:
Daredevil I#248 (November, 1987) - Ann Nocenti (writer), Rick Leonardi (penciler), Al Williamson (inker), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Daredevil I#250-251 (January-February, 1988) - Ann Nocenti (writer), John Romita Jr (penciler), Al Williamson (inker), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Daredevil I#253 (April, 1988) - Ann Nocenti (writer), John Romita Jr (penciler), Al Williamson (inker), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Daredevil I#255 (June, 1988) - Ann Nocenti (writer), John Romita Jr (penciler), Al Williamson (inker), Ralph Macchio (editor)

First Posted: 04/21/2019
Last updated: 04/22/2019

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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