Daredevil in the '70s was a man with a very interesting social life. He really lived a soap opera of unrequited love, broken engagements, returning loves, hellos, and long, painful goodbyes that carried on for several issues. He was following the Marvel personal-life-is-hell-for-heroes blueprint and doing it rather well.
Daredevil was on the edge of cancellation several times during the latter part of the '70s, which was why the editor took a chance on a young artist who had some promise, Frank Miller. The book wouldn't really take off until after Miller took over as both writer and penciler.
Daredevil #86, 1972: "Once Upon a Time -- The Ox!"
Black Widow's trial is over, and Matt and his actress girlfriend Karen are to be married, or are they? Suddenly, Daredevil's old foe the Ox shows up, dying of radiation poisoning, and looking for revenge. Karen and Matt break up, Black Widow ends up with Daredevil, the Ox dies. Soap opera with superheroes thrown in.
Much of Marvel was always very soap opera-like, personal drama that keeps the readers coming back, with fights thrown in a couple times an issue. The facts show that Daredevil at this time was no exception, with Matt and Natasha's on and off again romance, the trial for murder she and Matt went through, and the breakups and many heartbreaks Daredevil goes through in the title.
Daredevil Annual #4, 1976; "The Name of the Game Is... Death!"
Daredevil is back in NY, just in time to help Black Panther save the kidnapped son of a millionaire and fight Namor over that millionaire's planned ocean energy plant. And some personal life drama with a beautiful woman as Matt Murdock arrives at the airport.
Black Panther, Namor, and Daredevil in one issue! Namor is in town to stop a millionaire from destroying his ocean home, and Panther to deny that millionaire the vibranium he needs to build the plant that will ruin Namor's ocean. As with Many Sub-Mariner stories, his temper causes problems that could be explained away in one panel. Daredevil takes the painful brunt of that misunderstanding.
Daredevil #124, 1975: "In the Coils of the Copperhead!"
Daredevil battles the '30s pulp hero, Copperhead, come to life and killing petty criminals, while Foggy's re-election campaign for District Attorney is hitting snags and Natasha leaves Matt for the final time.
Black Widow, after being Daredevil's partner, leaves in the first three pages of the book. She wants to be her own person, not someone who's seen as the 'partner' an appendage of Daredevil. It's a sad scene, and really the most impactful of the whole book, despite the fights and murders of the Copperhead in the later pages.
Daredevil #81, 1971: "And Death Is a Woman Called Widow"
Daredevil follows the Owl's crashing helicopter into the river, semi-conscious and drowning. Karen faints, assuming Matt is dead, but Natasha pulls him out. The Owl tries to break into the US treasury but is stopped by Black Widow, Daredevil, and his own arrogance. Karen turns to her manager for comfort.
Karen thinks Matt is dead, Natasha thinks Daredevil stiffed her after she saved him - he was barely unconscious actually - and Karen seems to be hooking up with her manager at one point. Daredevil is an afternoon soap opera with fights thrown in to liven things up a bit.
Daredevil #139, 1976 - "A Night in the Life"
A mad bomber is loose in NY, demanding his addict wife be found and helped or he'll take out more buildings around the city. Daredevil searches for the wife and for a runaway boy with hemophilia. The wife finds the boy, who has cut himself and tries to help but is hampered by her addiction.
Daredevil is on a desperate search through the underworld to locate the mad bomber's wife and a runaway boy with a potentially deadly disease. And this was supposed to be a quiet night for Matt Murdock. The reader is treated to Marvel's 1976 version of the NY drug underworld, which is much cleaner than they might suppose.
Daredevil #80, 1971: "In the Eyes...of the Owl!"
Daredevil battles the Owl high above the city in the Owl's helicopter, while Karen's at her agent's office watching the fight being broadcast on TV. She's transfixed with horror at the fight and realizes how much she still loves Matt. The fight ends with a fiery helicopter crash
The fact is that Daredevil/Matt Murdock had one very interesting personal life in the '70s and '80s and this issue is no exception. In the first few pages, we see Matt trying to come to grips with Karen leaving him, and later her reaction to Matt being hurt during the fight with the Owl's men. A reconciliation seems to be on the horizon.
Daredevil #158, 1979:
Matt is kidnapped by the Unholy Three and taken to his literal grave to await the coming of Death-Stalker. Death-Stalker wants to kill Daredevil for the mutilation of his face and body in an accident caused when Daredevil destroyed his time ray.
In one of the more gruesome deaths, Death-Staker is killed phasing through a tombstone to reach DD and became solid at the wrong time. This is where Frank Miller's epic run in Daredevil begins as he takes over as penciler with this issue. Miller would take over as writer, and start to change comics in the '80s.
Daredevil #131, 1976: "Watch Out For Bullseye: He Never Misses!"
A new Villain announces his presence in New York by threatening and then killing a businessman, leaving a painted 'bullseye' over the body. Matt Murdock takes on the case of the residents living in a slum tenement, and his girlfriend reveals the building is owned by her father's company.
One of the most consequential Daredevil villains has his first appearance in this issue, the assassin for hire, Bullseye. On his first appearance, he tries to make his rep by taking out Daredevil in front of a circus crowd in Madison Square Garden.
Daredevil #132, 1976: "Bullseye Rules Supreme!"
Bullseye fights Daredevil in the middle of an actual circus and escapes by causing a riot in the spectators. Heather takes Matt to dinner to talk about her slumlord father, but Matt hears Bullseyes and runs after him. Daredevil captures Bullseye as he threatens the life of another millionaire, ending his first costumed crime spree.
This two-issue story introduces Bullseye and captures him as well. Bullseye will come back many times, at one point working for the Kingpin as his go-to assassin. Bullseye will prove consequential to Matt, as he will be the man who kills the love of Matt's life, Elektra.
Daredevil #146, 1977: "Duel"
Bullseye is back in New York. Matt follows Bullseye, who is in street clothes, into a gun store and prevents him from holding it up. Back on the street, Matt is hit in the back of the head by Bullseye, losing his radar 'vision'. Bullseye takes hostages at a TV station and Daredevil is forced to fight him, truly blind this time.
Bullseye returns and demands to make up for the hit to his rep that losing to Daredevil caused. He decides to so live on local TV, which hurts his reputation, even more, when Daredevil beats him again. Bullseye's own showmanship and ego keep putting him in dumb situations and he makes the worst of them every time.