Essay, Research Paper: The Masked Marvel's Last Toehold

The concept of the toehold is one of the dominant themes in Richard Selzer's "The
Masked Marvel's Last Toehold." The surgeon plays a primary part in breaking this
toehold. Elihu Koontz is an old man of seventy-five with ailing health. His foot has
become gangrenous and his leg must be amputated in order to stop the infection from
spreading. In his younger years, Koontz was a famed wrestler, and now his leg is taken
away from him. He is completely engrossed in this missing leg. The surgeon realizes this
as he stops in his doorway and pauses a moment to observe Koontz without being seen.
He watches as "...[Koontz] gazes down at the place in his bed where his leg used to be,
and where now there is the collapsed leg of his pajamas." The doctor entertains the idea
that Koontz might blame him for taking away his leg, for in an acutely literal sense, he has
broken The Masked Marvel's last toehold with the removal of this leg. However, the
agony doesn't end here. Two years later, Elihu Koontz is back in the hospital to have his
remaining leg amputated for the same reason by the same surgeon. Koontz is not
experiencing his misery alone. The doctor, having seen The Masked Marvel fight, is
sharing it with him. As the doctor is prepping for surgery, he says aloud, "It's not fair."
Nevertheless, there's nothing he can do but "...step forward to break The Masked
Marvel's last toehold." The surgeon has taken the place of The Angel, for he now has
The Masked Marvel in his own toehold. In the surgical room, "...Elihu Koontz beats
feebly at the side of the operating table." He's still trying to escape, to make an amazing
comeback similar to the fight in Toronto. Yet the doctor, however unwillingly, must
break his tenuous grip over his former glory. By taking away Koontz's mobility, he's
taking a part of his soul. The Masked Marvel's career revolved around his physical ability,
and the doctor removes what's left of that ability, and his spirit, along with his leg.