Misplaced Pages

Daredevil (Marvel Comics character): Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 03:19, 21 October 2008 edit76.190.196.145 (talk) Television← Previous edit Revision as of 20:04, 22 October 2008 edit undo67.173.11.90 (talk) TelevisionNext edit →
(24 intermediate revisions by one other user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:

{{pp-move-vandalism|small=yes}} {{pp-move-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Superherobox| <!--Misplaced Pages:WikiProject Comics--> {{Superherobox| <!--Misplaced Pages:WikiProject Comics-->
Line 20: Line 21:


==Publication history== ==Publication history==

===Volume 1: 1964 - 1998===
=== The 1960s ===
The character first appeared in Daredevil #1 (April 1964) and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett]. The first issue covered both his origins and his desire for revenge on the men who had killed his father ] "Battling Jack" Murdock.

Matthew Murdock is raised by ] in the ] neighborhood of ]. Jack instils in Matt the importance of education and non-violence with the aim of seeing his son become a better man than himself. In the course of saving a blind man from the path of an oncoming truck, Matt is blinded by a ] substance that falls from the vehicle. The radioactive exposure heightens his remaining senses beyond normal human thresholds, enabling him to detect the shape and location of objects around him.<ref name = "yrommu">''Daredevil'' #1</ref> In order to support his Son, Jack Murdock returns to boxing and when he refuses to throw a fight is killed by gangsters. Adorned in a yellow and black costume made from his father's boxing robes, renamed with the moniker of his childhood derision, and using his superhuman abilities, Matt confronts the killers and avenges his father as the superhero Daredevil. <ref name = "yrommu">''Daredevil'' #1</ref>
Daredevil's original costume was a combination of black, yellow and red, reminiscent of acrobat tights, and went through minor revisions in issues #2 through #4 by ] artist ]. Fellow acclaimed EC veteran Wally Wood penciled #5-8, introducing the modern, completely red costume in issue #7. ] great ] (]) penciled two issues over Wood layouts, and they then swapped for #11, which Wood inked over Powell's pencils. Daredevil's original costume was a combination of black, yellow and red, reminiscent of acrobat tights, and went through minor revisions in issues #2 through #4 by ] artist ]. Fellow acclaimed EC veteran Wally Wood penciled #5-8, introducing the modern, completely red costume in issue #7. ] great ] (]) penciled two issues over Wood layouts, and they then swapped for #11, which Wood inked over Powell's pencils.
] (penciler) and ] (inker).<ref name="r1" />.]] ] (penciler) and ] (inker).<ref name="r1" />.]]

Issue #12 began a brief run by Jack Kirby (layouts) and ] It was Romita's return to superhero penciling after a decade of working exclusively as a ]-comic artist for DC. Romita had felt he no longer wanted to pencil, in favor of being solely an inker.<ref>Romita, from '']'' #6 (Fall 1999) : "I had inked an '']'' job for Stan, and I told him I just wanted to ink. I felt like I was burned out as a penciller after eight years of romance work. I didn't want to pencil any more; in fact, I couldn't work at home any more — I couldn't discipline myself to do it. He said, 'Okay,' but the first chance he had he shows me this Daredevil story somebody had started and he didn't like it, and he wanted somebody else to do it." Elaborating in ''Alter Ego'' #9 (July 2001) , he added, "Stan showed me ]' splash page for a ''Daredevil''. He asked me, "What would you do with this page?" I showed him on a tracing paper what I would do, and then he asked me to do a drawing of Daredevil the way I would do it. I did a big drawing of Daredevil ... just a big, tracing-paper drawing of Daredevil swinging. And Stan loved it."</ref> Issue #12 began a brief run by Jack Kirby (layouts) and ] It was Romita's return to superhero penciling after a decade of working exclusively as a ]-comic artist for DC. Romita had felt he no longer wanted to pencil, in favor of being solely an inker.<ref>Romita, from '']'' #6 (Fall 1999) : "I had inked an '']'' job for Stan, and I told him I just wanted to ink. I felt like I was burned out as a penciller after eight years of romance work. I didn't want to pencil any more; in fact, I couldn't work at home any more — I couldn't discipline myself to do it. He said, 'Okay,' but the first chance he had he shows me this Daredevil story somebody had started and he didn't like it, and he wanted somebody else to do it." Elaborating in ''Alter Ego'' #9 (July 2001) , he added, "Stan showed me ]' splash page for a ''Daredevil''. He asked me, "What would you do with this page?" I showed him on a tracing paper what I would do, and then he asked me to do a drawing of Daredevil the way I would do it. I did a big drawing of Daredevil ... just a big, tracing-paper drawing of Daredevil swinging. And Stan loved it."</ref>


When Romita left to take over '']'', Lee gave ''Daredevil'' to the character's first signature artist, ], who began with issue #20 (Sept. 1966). Colan pencilled all but three issues through #100 (June 1973), plus the 1967 annual, followed by ten issues sprinkled from 1974-79. (He would return again, an established legend, for an eight-issue run in 1997). Among the notable plot developments during this period were Matt Murdock's panicky creation of a "twin brother", the "sighted" and devil-may-care Mike Murdock, in #25 (Feb. 1967), whom Karen Page and Foggy Nelson are led to believe is Daredevil; "Mike's" death in #41 (June 1968); and Matt revealing his Daredevil identity to Karen Page in #57 (Oct. 1969). When Romita left to take over '']'', Lee gave ''Daredevil'' to the character's first signature artist, ], who began with issue #20 (Sept. 1966). Colan pencilled all but three issues through #100 (June 1973), plus the 1967 annual, followed by ten issues sprinkled from 1974-79. (He would return again, an established legend, for an eight-issue run in 1997).


Daredevil embarks on a series of colorful adventures involving such villains as the ], ], the ], and the ]. Daredevil's early exploits were often large, ] adventures, and sub-plots involved ]s between Matt, Karen and Foggy and cases of ]. He also meets ] during this time.<ref>''Daredevil'' #16</ref>
Much like in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' — and in what was already an established hallmark of Marvel Comics storytelling — interpersonal drama was as central to the series as action and adventure. A triangle of unrequited love develops between Foggy Nelson, Karen Page and Murdock, with Nelson unable to win over Page and Matt unable to admit that Page loves anyone other than Daredevil. When the revelation of Murdock's dual identity proves too much for Page, she leaves the firm and the comic.


Much like in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' — and in what was already an established hallmark of Marvel Comics storytelling — interpersonal drama was as central to the series as action and adventure. A triangle of unrequited love develops between Foggy Nelson, Karen Page and Murdock, with Nelson unable to win over Page and Matt unable to admit that Page loves anyone other than Daredevil. Among the notable plot developments during this period were Matt Murdock's panicky creation of a "twin brother", the "sighted" and devil-may-care Mike Murdock, in #25 (Feb. 1967), whom Karen Page and Foggy Nelson are led to believe is Daredevil; "Mike's" death in #41 (June 1968); and Matt revealing his Daredevil identity to Karen Page in #57 (Oct. 1969). When the revelation of Murdock's dual identity proves too much for Page, she leaves the firm and the comic.
In the 1970s the title featured a double billing, co-starring Daredevil's girlfriend, the ]. During this time, the series' writers included ], ] and ]. Artists included ] and ].
] and ].]]


] (pencils) and ] (inks).]]
The modern definition of ''Daredevil'' began in 1979 with ]'s entrance on the title. Miller's first contributions were as an artist, where he imbued a new dynamism and a dramatically different visual style. The series' tone became that of ] with ] itself playing a more prominent role.


With issue #168, Miller additionally became the series' writer, and the comic underwent a drastic metamorphosis. The most significant change was the introduction of ] villain ] as Daredevil's new arch-nemesis. Until that point, Daredevil's enemies were primarily, though not exclusively, costumed villains. The Kingpin was a departure in that although he possessed extraordinary size, strength and fighting ability, his villainy came from his ruthless brilliance in running a criminal empire, rather than superpowers. The title still retained costumed antagonists — notably ] and ] — but found its central theme to be one more grounded in reality: ].


=== the 1970s ===
Miller also introduced ] into the Daredevil canon, bringing a greater focus on the ] aspect of Daredevil's fighting skills, and introducing the characters ] and the ]. This was a drastic change to a character once considered a swashbuckler. The focus of a ninja's control of the inner self served as a counterbalance to the emerging themes of anger and torment.

In the 1970s the title featured a double billing, co-starring Daredevil's girlfriend, the ].The narrative had Daredevil moves to ] for a time to live with the spy and super-heroine the ], and enters into a romantic relationship with her<ref>''Daredevil'' #81</ref> but she soon ends the relationship, fearing that playing "]" to Daredevil is sublimating her identity.<ref>''Daredevil'' #124</ref> Murdock returns to Hell's Kitchen. During this time, the series' writers included ], ] and ]. Artists included ] and ].
] and ].]]


Comics-artist legend ], following kidney failure and the loss of vision in one eye, returned to the character he helped define, inking Miller's cover of ''Daredevil'' #164 (May 1980). It was one of Wood's final assignments before his death in 1981. Comics-artist legend ], following kidney failure and the loss of vision in one eye, returned to the character he helped define, inking Miller's cover of ''Daredevil'' #164 (May 1980). It was one of Wood's final assignments before his death in 1981.


=== The 1980s ===
Miller's noir take on the character continued, even after he left (in 1983, after issue #191). However, successor ] did not find the commercial success of his predecessor. In late 1985, Miller returned to the series, co-writing #226 with O'Neil, then writing the acclaimed "]" storyline in #227-233 (Feb.-Aug. 1986), with artist ].


The modern definition of ''Daredevil'' began in 1979 with ]'s entrance on the title. Miller's first contributions were as an artist, where he imbued a new dynamism and a dramatically different visual style. The series' tone became that of ] with ] itself playing a more prominent role.
A ] of creators contributed in the year that followed ''Born Again'': writers ], ], ] (under the ] "John Harkness") and ], and pencilers ], ], Louis Williams, ], ], ],and Chuck Patton. ] co-creator Nocenti, who'd written #236, became the regular writer for a four-and-a-quarter year run of all but two issues from #238-291 (Jan. 1987 - April 1991). ] joined as penciller from #250-282 (Jan. 1988 - Jul. 1990), and was generally inked by ]. The team specifically addressed societal issues, with Murdock, now running a non-profit urban legal center, confronting ], ], and ] while fighting supervillains. Nocenti introduced the popular antagonist ] in issue #254.


With issue #168, Miller additionally became the series' writer, and the comic underwent a drastic metamorphosis. The most significant change was the introduction of ] villain ] as Daredevil's new arch-nemesis. Until that point, Daredevil's enemies were primarily, though not exclusively, costumed villains. The Kingpin was a departure in that although he possessed extraordinary size, strength and fighting ability, his villainy came from his ruthless brilliance in running a criminal empire, rather than superpowers. The title still retained costumed antagonists — notably ] and ] — but found its central theme to be one more grounded in reality: ].
Under writers ] and later ], the book gained a lighter tone, with Daredevil returning to the lighthearted, wisecracking hero depicted by earlier writers. Matt and ] (who now knows of Matt's dual identities) join a law firm run by Foggy's mother, Rosalind Sharpe.


Miller also introduced ] into the Daredevil canon, bringing a greater focus on the ] aspect of Daredevil's fighting skills, and introducing the characters ] and the ]. This was a drastic change to a character once considered a swashbuckler. The focus of a ninja's control of the inner self served as a counterbalance to the emerging themes of anger and torment.
===Volume 2===
{{Inappropriate tone|date=July 2008}}
]. Promotional art for ''Daredevil Visionaries: ]'' by ] and ].]]
In 1998, ''Daredevil'''s numbering was rebooted, with the title "canceled" and revived a month later as part of the ] imprint. ] drew the new series, written by filmmaker ]. Its first eight-issue story arc, "]" depicts Daredevil struggling to protect a child whom he is told could either be the ] or the ]. Murdock experiences a crisis of faith exacerbated by the discovery that Karen Page has ] (later revealed to be a hoax), and her subsequent death at ]'s hands.


After "Guardian Devil", Smith was succeeded by writer-artist ], who contributed the seven-issue "Parts of a Hole" (#9-15). This arc introduces Maya Lopez, also known as ], a ] martial artist. Mack brought ] colleague ] to Marvel for the following arc, "Wake Up" (#16-19), which follows reporter ] as he investigates the aftereffects of a fight between Daredevil and an obscure old villain called ]. Following Mack and Bendis were '']'' screenwriter ] and artists ] and David Ross for the story "Playing to the Camera". Mack continued to contribute covers.


Daredevil encounters the assassin ] for the first time, and the two battle each other.<ref>''Daredevil'' #131</ref> Eventually, Daredevil's secret identity is deduced by the reporter ].<ref>''Daredevil'' #164</ref>
Issue #26 (Dec. 2001) brought back ], working this time with artist ], for a four-year-run that became one of the series' most acclaimed. Maleev's harsh and grainy look is in contrast to Quesada's more cartoony lines, and distinctively reads like a marriage of Frank Miller's ] style and the ] art of the 1920s and '30s. Developments in this run included the introduction of Milla Donovan, the outing of Murdock's secret identity to the press, the reemergence of the Kingpin, and Daredevil's surrender to the FBI. Writer ] and artist ] became the new creative team with ''Daredevil'' #82 (Feb. 2006), no longer under the ] imprint.


Daredevil encounters the ], who has hired his old flame Elektra as an assassin, and Daredevil battles her.<ref>''Daredevil'' #168</ref> He returns to his former mentor ] for aid.<ref>''Daredevil'' #176</ref> Bullseye then murders Elektra in a fight to determine the better killer. Taking revenge, Daredevil drops Bullseye from a clothesline high above a street,<ref>''Daredevil'' #181</ref> Daredevil allies with the ] against drug pushers.<ref>''Daredevil'' #182-184</ref> Daredevil battles the ], and Elektra is briefly resurrected.<ref>''Daredevil'' #190</ref>
==Fictional character biography==
] (pencils) and ] (inks).]]
] Matthew Murdock is raised by ] and fading ] "Battling Jack" Murdock after his mother, presumably a ] named Maggie, left both Jack and Matthew in the ] neighborhood of ]. He was raised in the ] faith. Jack instills in Matt the importance of education and non-violence with the aim of seeing his son become a better man than himself. Though Jack's intentions are noble, Matt is left unprepared to handle the bullying he received at school, and is branded with the sarcastic nickname, "Daredevil". Matt vents his frustration and anger by training in secret.<ref name="man without fear">{{cite book|author=Frank Miller| authorlink =Frank Miller (comics)|coauthors =]| title =Daredevil: The Man Without Fear| publisher = ]|date=1993-4}}</ref>


Miller's noir take on the character continued, even after he left (in 1983, after issue #191). However, successor ] did not find the commercial success of his predecessor. In late 1985, Miller returned to the series, co-writing #226 with O'Neil, then writing the acclaimed "]" storyline in #227-233 (Feb.-Aug. 1986), with artist ]. Karen Page eventually returns as a heroin-addicted star of ], who sells Daredevil's secret identity for drug money. The Kingpin uses this information to destroy Murdock piece by piece: blowing up his house, ruining his reputation as a lawyer, getting him disbarred, menacing his personal life and nearly driving him insane.<ref>''Daredevil'' #227</ref> Matt suffers a nervous breakdown.<ref>''Daredevil'' #228-230</ref> Miller ends the story on a positive note, with Murdock reuniting with Karen Page as his sometime lover,<ref>''Daredevil'' #231</ref> and the mother he thought dead, now a nun, and resuming a less complicated life in Hell's Kitchen. <ref>''Daredevil'' #233</ref>
In the course of saving a blind man from the path of an oncoming truck, Matt is blinded by a ] substance that falls from the vehicle. Though the act of heroism robs him of sight, the radioactive exposure heightens his remaining senses beyond normal human thresholds, enabling him to detect the shape and location of objects around him.<ref name = "yrommu">''Daredevil'' #1</ref> A mysterious man, ], becomes his mentor, and teaches him to control his new abilities while honing his natural aptitude in ] and ]. Stick, also blind, teaches Matt how to form a mental image of the objects around him, and Matt develops a "radar sense" to make up for his sight. Still in school, Matt continues to honor his father's wishes by excelling in his studies, and ultimately enrolls in the ].<ref name="man without fear"/>


A ] of creators contributed in the year that followed ''Born Again'': writers ], ], ] (under the ] "John Harkness") and ], and pencilers ], ], Louis Williams, ], ], ],and Chuck Patton. ] co-creator Nocenti, who'd written #236, became the regular writer for a four-and-a-quarter year run of all but two issues from #238-291 (Jan. 1987 - April 1991). ] joined as penciller from #250-282 (Jan. 1988 - Jul. 1990), and was generally inked by ]. The team specifically addressed societal issues, with Murdock, now running a non-profit urban legal center, confronting ], ], and ] while fighting supervillains. Nocenti introduced the popular antagonist ] in issue #254.
Back in Hell's Kitchen, Jack struggles and becomes an enforcer for small-time crook and boxing manager, the ]. In exchange for his services, the Fixer rigs a series of matches and provides "Battling Jack" a late-life boxing renaissance, resulting in the once near-destitute fighter becoming a title contender. On the night of the title fight against "Crusher" Creel, the future ], with his son in the crowd, Jack ignores the Fixer's demands to take a dive and wins by knockout. For his disobedience, the Fixer has him murdered.<ref name = "yrommu"/><ref name="man without fear"/>


=== The 1990s ===
In college, Matt meets and falls in love with ], the daughter of a ] diplomat. When Elektra and her father are kidnapped by ], Matt dons a mask for the first time and fights to save the two. In the mayhem that follows, Elektra's father is accidentally shot and killed by a SWAT team member. Overcome with grief, Elektra breaks Murdock's heart by leaving America behind and returning to the study of martial arts.<ref name="man without fear"/>


Daredevil's secret identity becomes public knowledge {{when}}. Forced to fake his own death and change his uniform to an armored "razor costume", Murdock undergoes one of his numerous breakdowns. The change does not last, and Daredevil soon returns to his traditional red costume, while Murdock finds a way to convince the world that he is not, in fact, secretly Daredevil (courtesy of a ] ]).
Matt is devastated by the loss of his father and the judicial system's failure to convict the men responsible. Mindful of the childhood promise he made to his father not to lead a violent life, Matt dons a new identity for providing justice. Adorned in a yellow and black costume made from his father's boxing robes, renamed with the moniker of his childhood derision, and using his superhuman abilities, Matt confronts the killers and avenges his father as the superhero Daredevil.<ref name = "yrommu"/><ref name="man without fear"/>


Under writers ] and later ], the book gained a lighter tone, with Daredevil returning to the lighthearted, wisecracking hero depicted by earlier writers. Matt and ] (who now knows of Matt's dual identities) join a law firm run by Foggy's mother, Rosalind Sharpe.
''Daredevil: Yellow'' is an ] take on the origin story, using letters written to Karen Page after her death. Here Page believes she is in love with both Daredevil and Murdock, and Nelson with Karen Page, resulting in a silent rivalry between the two men. The supervillains the Owl and the Purple Man are the ]. In this story, Daredevil credits Page with coining the phrase "The Man without Fear", and she also suggest to Daredevil he wear red instead of black and yellow.


] returned to the character and his origins with the ] five issue mini-series ''Man without Fear''. With artist John Romita Jr, expanded upon the characters beginnings and provide additional detail about the life and death of "Battling Jack" Murdock and Matt's first encounters with the Kingpin, Foggy Nelson. <ref name="man without fear">{{cite book|author=Frank Miller| authorlink =Frank Miller (comics)|coauthors =]| title =Daredevil: The Man Without Fear| publisher = ]|date=1993-4}}</ref> The role of ] in the genesis of daredevil is expanded up as Murddock's doomed love affair with ], the daughter of a ] diplomat.
===Superhero===
]: Murdock and Nelson founding their firm.]]
After establishing his law firm with his best friend and college roommate ] and secretary ],<ref name = "yrommu"/> Daredevil embarks on a series of colorful adventures involving such villains as the ], ], the ], and the ]. Daredevil's early exploits were often large, ] adventures, and sub-plots involved ]s between Matt, Karen and Foggy and cases of ]. He also meets ] during this time.<ref>''Daredevil'' #16</ref>


Daredevil moves to ] for a time to live with the spy and super-heroine the ], and enters into a romantic relationship with her<ref>''Daredevil'' #81</ref> but she soon ends the relationship, fearing that playing "]" to Daredevil is sublimating her identity.<ref>''Daredevil'' #124</ref> Murdock returns to Hell's Kitchen. The two remain intimate friends and occasional lovers.


]. Promotional art for ''Daredevil Visionaries: ]'' by ] and ].]]
Daredevil encounters the assassin ] for the first time, and the two battle each other.<ref>''Daredevil'' #131</ref> Eventually, Daredevil's secret identity is deduced by the reporter ].<ref>''Daredevil'' #164</ref>
In 1998, ''Daredevil'''s numbering was rebooted, with the title "canceled" and revived a month later as part of the ] imprint. ] drew the new series, written by filmmaker ]. Its first eight-issue story arc, "]" depicts Daredevil struggling to protect a child whom he is told could either be the ] or the ]. Murdock experiences a crisis of faith exacerbated by the discovery that Karen Page has ] (later revealed to be a hoax), and her subsequent death at ]'s hands. <ref>''Daredevil'' vol. 2, #8 (June 1999)</ref>
Daredevil encounters the ], who has hired his old flame Elektra (now returned to New York as a ninja mercenary) as an assassin, and Daredevil battles her.<ref>''Daredevil'' #168</ref> He returns to his former mentor ] for aid.<ref>''Daredevil'' #176</ref> Bullseye then murders Elektra in a fight to determine the better killer. Taking revenge, Daredevil drops Bullseye from a clothesline high above a street,<ref>''Daredevil'' #181</ref> but Bullseye is later given an ] spine by ] villain Lord Darkwind. Daredevil allies with the ] against drug pushers.<ref>''Daredevil'' #182-184</ref> Daredevil battles the ], and Elektra is briefly resurrected.<ref>''Daredevil'' #190</ref> He encounters ],<ref>''Daredevil'' #219</ref> shortly before the suicide of Matt's girlfriend, Heather Glenn.<ref>''Daredevil'' #220</ref> During ], Daredevil's sight is temporarily restored by the ].<ref>''Daredevil'' #223</ref>


After "Guardian Devil", Smith was succeeded by writer-artist ], who contributed the seven-issue "Parts of a Hole" (#9-15). This arc introduces Maya Lopez, also known as ], a ] martial artist. Mack brought ] colleague ] to Marvel for the following arc, "Wake Up" (#16-19), which follows reporter ] as he investigates the aftereffects of a fight between Daredevil and an obscure old villain called ]. Following Mack and Bendis were '']'' screenwriter ] and artists ] and David Ross for the story "Playing to the Camera". Mack continued to contribute covers.
Karen Page eventually returns as a heroin-addicted star of ], who sells Daredevil's secret identity for drug money. The Kingpin uses this information to destroy Murdock piece by piece: blowing up his house, ruining his reputation as a lawyer, getting him disbarred, menacing his personal life and nearly driving him insane.<ref>''Daredevil'' #227</ref> Matt suffers a nervous breakdown.<ref>''Daredevil'' #228-230</ref> Miller ends the story on a positive note, with Murdock reuniting with Karen Page as his sometime lover,<ref>''Daredevil'' #231</ref> and the mother he thought dead, now a nun, and resuming a less complicated life in Hell's Kitchen. Daredevil then allies with ] against the deluded government super-soldier, ].<ref>''Daredevil'' #233</ref> Daredevil is also attacked by Ultron, who was acting on Dr. Doom's orders. He is almost beaten, but Ultron eventually destroys itself as a result of having all of its previous forms running at once.


]: Murdock and Nelson founding their firm.]]
After a while, Daredevil meets ].<ref>''Daredevil'' #254</ref> He battles her, and at the same time romances her as Matt Murdock.<ref>''Daredevil'' #255</ref> He is transported to Hell by ], and is forced to endure physical and psychological torture, however he manages to resist Mephisto's attempts at corruption.<ref>''Daredevil'' #278-282</ref>


The ] mini-series ''Daredevil: Yellow'' presented another take on Daredevil's origins using letters written to Karen Page after her death as a narrative deveice. Here Page believes she is in love with both Daredevil and Murdock, and Nelson with Karen Page, resulting in a silent rivalry between the two men. The supervillains the Owl and the Purple Man are the ]. In this story, Daredevil credits Page with coining the phrase "The Man without Fear", and she also suggest to Daredevil he wear red instead of black and yellow.
However, Daredevil's secret identity becomes public knowledge. Forced to fake his own death and change his uniform to an armored "razor costume", Murdock undergoes one of his numerous breakdowns. The change does not last, and Daredevil soon returns to his traditional red costume, while Murdock finds a way to convince the world that he is not, in fact, secretly Daredevil (courtesy of a ] ]).


Issue #26 (Dec. 2001) brought back ], working this time with artist ], for a four-year-run that became one of the series' most acclaimed. Maleev's harsh and grainy look is in contrast to Quesada's more cartoony lines, and distinctively reads like a marriage of Frank Miller's ] style and the ] art of the 1920s and '30s. Developments in this run included the introduction of romantic interest and future wife Milla Donovan, the outing of Murdock's secret identity to the press, the reemergence of the Kingpin, and Daredevil's surrender to the FBI.
Daredevil encounters the supervillain ], who is dying of cancer from overexposure to his primary weapon, a mist. Mysterio orchestrates events so that Daredevil is convinced he is involved in the saving of a reborn baby ], leading to a battle between Daredevil and Bullseye that ends with the death of ].<ref>''Daredevil'' vol. 2, #8 (June 1999)</ref>


The impact of his expose as Daredevil continued to be used as a plot point by both Bendis and Writer ] and artist ] who became the new creative team with ''Daredevil'' #82 (Feb. 2006), no longer under the ] imprint.
===Identity revealed and eventual Breakdown===
Ambitious mobster ] orchestrates a coup against the Kingpin, leading to violent revenge by ], the Kingpin’s wife. Silke, in exchange for protection, gives Daredevil's identity to the ], which makes it public in the ''Daily Globe''. Murdock is subsequently subjected to a short lived but intense media coverage and scrutiny. Murdock responds by vigorous denials and a ] ] against the newspaper. While the world ponders whether the respected attorney has made a mockery of the justice system with many past trials involving Daredevil, potentially making Murdock guilty of obstruction of Justice, he hires ] and ] as bodyguards. In other developments, client Hector Ayala, the superhero ], is shot and killed by police after Murdock loses a ] case in which Ayala was innocent.<ref>''Daredevil'' vol. 2, #26-37, (Dec. 2001 - Nov. 2002)</ref> During this period, Daredevil was invited to join the ] after aiding the team in stopping a riot at supervillain prison ], but refused the offer because he didn't want to affect their reputations in the public eye<ref>''New Avengers'' #3</ref>, although he did suggest his ex-girlfriend ] as an alternative member when they required someone with in-depth knowledge on the ] and Wolverine was otherwise occupied.<ref>''New Avengers'' #11</ref>


Murdock meets and romances the blind ], and battles efforts by the ] to take Fisk's place as Kingpin by marketing the drug MGH (Mutant Growth Hormone). Daredevil discovers that the Kingpin, thought dead, has recovered from the coup's attempt on his life and after a violent confrontation that sends his nemesis to the hospital, Daredevil declares himself the kingpin of Hell's Kitchen.<ref>''Daredevil'' vol. 2 #46-50 (June-Oct. 2003)</ref>

A year later, the increasingly violent and antisocial Daredevil has married Donovan and also won his case against the ''Daily Globe'', resulting in a multimillion dollar settlement he reinvests into the community. His reporter friend ] suggests he's suffered a ] brought on by unresolved feelings over the death of Karen Page. Donovan, in response, annuls the marriage.

===Iron Fist as Daredevil===
].|frame]] ].|frame]]
Imprisoned by the FBI through the machinations of the Kingpin, Murdock cannot stop the apparent murder of Foggy Nelson at Ryker's, while a mysterious new Daredevil appears in Hell's Kitchen.<ref>''Daredevil'' vol. 2, #87 (Sept. 2006)</ref> Murdock escapes with the ] during a prison riot and discovers the ersatz Daredevil to be his friend, ] Danny Rand, the superhero ]. Rand is unwittingly employed by a mysterious figure who has been manipulating Daredevil. Unbeknownst to Murdock, Nelson is in the ]. Brubaker's first story on the title saw Murdock imprisoned by the FBI through the machinations of the Kingpin, Foggy Nelson apparently murdered and a mysterious new Daredevil appears in Hell's Kitchen.<ref>''Daredevil'' vol. 2, #87 (Sept. 2006)</ref> Murdock escapes with the ] during a prison riot and discovers the ersatz Daredevil to be his friend, ] Danny Rand, the superhero ]. It is revealed that Rand has been manipulating by Kingpin's wife, Vanessa Fisk, who was behind both Nelson's attack and the substitute Daredevil. Unbeknownst to Murdock, Nelson is in the ]. At the conclusion of the arc, the characters are reunited and Murdock's secret identity is reintroduced. <ref>''Daredevil'' vol. 2, #89-93 (Nov. 2006 - March 2007)</ref>

Traveling to Europe, Murdock learns the Kingpin's wife, Vanessa Fisk, is behind both Nelson's attack and the substitute Daredevil.<ref>''Daredevil'' vol. 2, #89-93 (Nov. 2006 - March 2007)</ref> Ill and dying, she has the FBI agent in charge of the Murdock case killed, planting a fake suicide note saying he had framed Murdock. Matt reunites with Foggy and Milla in New York, and feels obliged to have the Kingpin's charges dropped. The Kingpin's U.S. citizenship is revoked, and he is forced to leave the country. While Murdock is away, Rand, filling-in as Daredevil during the events of the Superhero Registration "]", is captured and imprisoned for not registering.<ref>''] #5</ref>. Rand would later escape and join The Secret Avengers in the final battle.<ref>''] #6</ref>.


Over the next couple of arcs, Burbaker would make use of older characters such as ] and the ] and newer ones such as ],<ref>Daredevil vol. 2 #95-103 (May 2007- January 2008)</ref> and his own creation ].
===Murdock back in Hell's Kitchen===
Once again, supervillains intend to fill the void in the criminal empire left by the Kingpin. Firstly, Larry Cranston resurfaces as ], with the ] at his side, providing the criminals of Hell's Kitchen a drug that causes the user to become psychotic and completely unafraid of death. In an attempt to make Daredevil's life miserable, Cranston also gives the drug to ], Murdock's ex-wife with whom he has reconciled. Daredevil has also come into conflict with the crime empire of ].<ref>Daredevil vol. 2 #95-103 (May 2007- January 2008)</ref>


==Powers, abilities, and equipment== ==Powers, abilities, and equipment==
Line 127: Line 117:
Within ], few characters endure a love life as convoluted and tortured as Daredevil's. His girlfriends fall roughly into two groups: ordinary women who suffer great pain at his side; and super-powered, highly dangerous love interests. Either way, most end up killed, maimed or traumatized, a narrative aspect some media critics refer to as "]" syndrome. Within ], few characters endure a love life as convoluted and tortured as Daredevil's. His girlfriends fall roughly into two groups: ordinary women who suffer great pain at his side; and super-powered, highly dangerous love interests. Either way, most end up killed, maimed or traumatized, a narrative aspect some media critics refer to as "]" syndrome.


* ] — Once his law firm's secretary-receptionist, she devolved into a ]-] ]. She later turns her life around and gets a respectable job but not long after she is killed by ]. * ] — Once his law firm's secretary-receptionist, she became a]-] ]. She later turns her life around and gets a respectable job but not long after she is killed by ].
* ] — Soviet defector, costumed agent of ] * ] — Soviet defector, costumed agent of ]
*] — Daughter of wealthy businessman, dated Murdock for awhile. Blamed Murdock for her father's suicide. Later became an alcoholic and committed suicide. *] — Daughter of wealthy businessman, dated Murdock for awhile. Blamed Murdock for her father's suicide. Later became an alcoholic and committed suicide.
* ] — Daughter of a Greek diplomat and college love of Murdock who became an assassin for the ]. Murdered by Bullseye, she was later ] resurrected by the ]. Elektra was later killed by ] and revealed to be a Skrull. It is unclear how long the Skrull was impersonating her. * ] — Daughter of a Greek diplomat and college love of Murdock who became an assassin for the ]. Murdered by Bullseye, she was later ] resurrected by the ]. Elektra was later killed by ] and revealed to be a Skrull. It is unclear how long the Skrull was impersonating her.
* Glorianna O'Breen — Irish Photographer. Niece of Debbie Harris, Foggy Nelson's ex-wife. Her father was killed by the Gael, and Daredevil rescues her from being his new victim. After breaking her relationship with Matt due to his lack of commitment, she will eventually bond with Foggy, who offers her a shoulder to cry on. She later works as a photographer for the Daily Bugle, accompanying Ben Urich on diverse assignments. She was killed by Victor Krueller, a henchman of the Kingpin, while investigating the circumstances around Matt Murdock's "death" (he had faked his demise and was actually living under a new identity) * Glorianna O'Breen — Irish Photographer. Niece of Debbie Harris, Foggy Nelson's ex-wife. She was killed by Victor Krueller, a henchman of the Kingpin.
* ] — Kingpin assassin with a ] and the power of ] and ]. * ] — Kingpin assassin with a ] and the power of ] and ].
* ] — Daughter of a trusted associate of the Kingpin, later a member of the ] under the alias of ]. * ] — Daughter of a trusted associate of the Kingpin, later a member of the ] under the alias of ].
Line 194: Line 184:
* The character appeared as a guest in the various Marvel superhero ]. ] provided Daredevil's voice in the 1990s '']''<ref></ref> animated series, while ] voiced Daredevil on the '']'' animated series. * The character appeared as a guest in the various Marvel superhero ]. ] provided Daredevil's voice in the 1990s '']''<ref></ref> animated series, while ] voiced Daredevil on the '']'' animated series.


* Daredevil appeared in an episode of the television series "]", in which he and Stevie Wonder compete against Marlee Matlin and Helen Keller in a parody of "]".{{Fact|date=October 2008}} http://video.aol.ca/video-detail/celebrity-double-dare/3920670522 * Daredevil appeared in an episode of the television series "]", in which he and Stevie Wonder compete against Marlee Matlin and Helen Keller in a parody of "]".<ref>http://video.aol.ca/video-detail/celebrity-double-dare/3920670522</ref>


===Film=== ===Film===

Revision as of 20:04, 22 October 2008

Comics character
Daredevil
Promotional art for Daredevil vol. 2, #100 (Oct. 2007)
by Lee Bermejo
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceDaredevil #1 (April 1964)
Created byStan Lee
Bill Everett
In-story information
Alter egoMatthew "Matt" Michael Murdock
Team affiliationsS.H.I.E.L.D.
The Chaste
Defenders
"Marvel Knights"
Notable aliasesMichael "Mike" Murdock
AbilitiesSuperhuman senses and echolocation
Expert acrobat
Skilled Martial artist

Daredevil is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Daredevil #1 (April 1964) and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, Daredevil is notable as being among the few superheroes with a disability, being blinded as a youth in a radioactive accident that also drastically heightened his remaining senses and gave him a "radar-sense" allowing him to perceive his surroundings. His public identity is Matt Murdock, a successful attorney-at-law.

Although Daredevil had been home to the work of many legendary comic-book artists — Everett, Kirby, Wally Wood, John Romita, Sr., and Gene Colan, among others — it is Frank Miller's influential tenure on the title in the late 1970s and early 1980s that is best remembered, cementing the character as a popular and influential part of the Marvel Universe. Daredevil has also been adapted into various other media including a live-action film released in 2003, in which he was portrayed by Ben Affleck.

Publication history

The 1960s

The character first appeared in Daredevil #1 (April 1964) and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill EverettIrish-American. The first issue covered both his origins and his desire for revenge on the men who had killed his father boxer "Battling Jack" Murdock.

Matthew Murdock is raised by single father in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City. Jack instils in Matt the importance of education and non-violence with the aim of seeing his son become a better man than himself. In the course of saving a blind man from the path of an oncoming truck, Matt is blinded by a radioactive substance that falls from the vehicle. The radioactive exposure heightens his remaining senses beyond normal human thresholds, enabling him to detect the shape and location of objects around him. In order to support his Son, Jack Murdock returns to boxing and when he refuses to throw a fight is killed by gangsters. Adorned in a yellow and black costume made from his father's boxing robes, renamed with the moniker of his childhood derision, and using his superhuman abilities, Matt confronts the killers and avenges his father as the superhero Daredevil.

Daredevil's original costume was a combination of black, yellow and red, reminiscent of acrobat tights, and went through minor revisions in issues #2 through #4 by EC Comics artist Joe Orlando. Fellow acclaimed EC veteran Wally Wood penciled #5-8, introducing the modern, completely red costume in issue #7. Golden Age great Bob Powell (Sheena, Queen of the Jungle) penciled two issues over Wood layouts, and they then swapped for #11, which Wood inked over Powell's pencils.

Daredevil's first costume, from Daredevil #1 (April 1964). Splash-page art by Jack Kirby (penciler) and Bill Everett (inker)..

Issue #12 began a brief run by Jack Kirby (layouts) and John Romita, Sr. It was Romita's return to superhero penciling after a decade of working exclusively as a romance-comic artist for DC. Romita had felt he no longer wanted to pencil, in favor of being solely an inker.

When Romita left to take over The Amazing Spider-Man, Lee gave Daredevil to the character's first signature artist, Gene Colan, who began with issue #20 (Sept. 1966). Colan pencilled all but three issues through #100 (June 1973), plus the 1967 annual, followed by ten issues sprinkled from 1974-79. (He would return again, an established legend, for an eight-issue run in 1997).

Daredevil embarks on a series of colorful adventures involving such villains as the Owl, Stilt-Man, the Gladiator, and the Enforcers. Daredevil's early exploits were often large, swashbuckling adventures, and sub-plots involved romantic triangles between Matt, Karen and Foggy and cases of mistaken identity. He also meets Spider-Man during this time.

Much like in The Amazing Spider-Man — and in what was already an established hallmark of Marvel Comics storytelling — interpersonal drama was as central to the series as action and adventure. A triangle of unrequited love develops between Foggy Nelson, Karen Page and Murdock, with Nelson unable to win over Page and Matt unable to admit that Page loves anyone other than Daredevil. Among the notable plot developments during this period were Matt Murdock's panicky creation of a "twin brother", the "sighted" and devil-may-care Mike Murdock, in #25 (Feb. 1967), whom Karen Page and Foggy Nelson are led to believe is Daredevil; "Mike's" death in #41 (June 1968); and Matt revealing his Daredevil identity to Karen Page in #57 (Oct. 1969). When the revelation of Murdock's dual identity proves too much for Page, she leaves the firm and the comic.

Daredevil #47 (Dec. 1968). Cover art by Gene Colan (pencils) and George Klein (inks).


the 1970s

In the 1970s the title featured a double billing, co-starring Daredevil's girlfriend, the Black Widow.The narrative had Daredevil moves to San Francisco for a time to live with the spy and super-heroine the Black Widow, and enters into a romantic relationship with her but she soon ends the relationship, fearing that playing "sidekick" to Daredevil is sublimating her identity. Murdock returns to Hell's Kitchen. During this time, the series' writers included Gerry Conway, Steve Gerber and Chris Claremont. Artists included Bob Brown and Don Heck.

File:Dd181.png
Daredevil #181 (April 1982). Cover art by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson.

Comics-artist legend Wally Wood, following kidney failure and the loss of vision in one eye, returned to the character he helped define, inking Miller's cover of Daredevil #164 (May 1980). It was one of Wood's final assignments before his death in 1981.

The 1980s

The modern definition of Daredevil began in 1979 with Frank Miller's entrance on the title. Miller's first contributions were as an artist, where he imbued a new dynamism and a dramatically different visual style. The series' tone became that of noir with Hell's Kitchen itself playing a more prominent role.

With issue #168, Miller additionally became the series' writer, and the comic underwent a drastic metamorphosis. The most significant change was the introduction of Spider-Man villain Kingpin as Daredevil's new arch-nemesis. Until that point, Daredevil's enemies were primarily, though not exclusively, costumed villains. The Kingpin was a departure in that although he possessed extraordinary size, strength and fighting ability, his villainy came from his ruthless brilliance in running a criminal empire, rather than superpowers. The title still retained costumed antagonists — notably Bullseye and Elektra — but found its central theme to be one more grounded in reality: organized crime.

Miller also introduced ninjas into the Daredevil canon, bringing a greater focus on the martial arts aspect of Daredevil's fighting skills, and introducing the characters Stick and the Hand. This was a drastic change to a character once considered a swashbuckler. The focus of a ninja's control of the inner self served as a counterbalance to the emerging themes of anger and torment.


Daredevil encounters the assassin Bullseye for the first time, and the two battle each other. Eventually, Daredevil's secret identity is deduced by the reporter Ben Urich.

Daredevil encounters the Kingpin, who has hired his old flame Elektra as an assassin, and Daredevil battles her. He returns to his former mentor Stick for aid. Bullseye then murders Elektra in a fight to determine the better killer. Taking revenge, Daredevil drops Bullseye from a clothesline high above a street, Daredevil allies with the Punisher against drug pushers. Daredevil battles the Hand, and Elektra is briefly resurrected.

Miller's noir take on the character continued, even after he left (in 1983, after issue #191). However, successor Dennis O'Neil did not find the commercial success of his predecessor. In late 1985, Miller returned to the series, co-writing #226 with O'Neil, then writing the acclaimed "Daredevil: Born Again" storyline in #227-233 (Feb.-Aug. 1986), with artist David Mazzuchelli. Karen Page eventually returns as a heroin-addicted star of adult films, who sells Daredevil's secret identity for drug money. The Kingpin uses this information to destroy Murdock piece by piece: blowing up his house, ruining his reputation as a lawyer, getting him disbarred, menacing his personal life and nearly driving him insane. Matt suffers a nervous breakdown. Miller ends the story on a positive note, with Murdock reuniting with Karen Page as his sometime lover, and the mother he thought dead, now a nun, and resuming a less complicated life in Hell's Kitchen.

A round-robin of creators contributed in the year that followed Born Again: writers Mark Gruenwald, Danny Fingeroth, Steve Englehart (under the pseudonym "John Harkness") and Ann Nocenti, and pencilers Steve Ditko, Barry Windsor-Smith, Louis Williams, Sal Buscema, Todd McFarlane, Keith Pollard,and Chuck Patton. Longshot co-creator Nocenti, who'd written #236, became the regular writer for a four-and-a-quarter year run of all but two issues from #238-291 (Jan. 1987 - April 1991). John Romita, Jr. joined as penciller from #250-282 (Jan. 1988 - Jul. 1990), and was generally inked by Al Williamson. The team specifically addressed societal issues, with Murdock, now running a non-profit urban legal center, confronting sexism, racism, and nuclear proliferation while fighting supervillains. Nocenti introduced the popular antagonist Typhoid Mary in issue #254.

The 1990s

Daredevil's secret identity becomes public knowledge . Forced to fake his own death and change his uniform to an armored "razor costume", Murdock undergoes one of his numerous breakdowns. The change does not last, and Daredevil soon returns to his traditional red costume, while Murdock finds a way to convince the world that he is not, in fact, secretly Daredevil (courtesy of a deus ex machina doppelgänger).

Under writers Karl Kesel and later Joe Kelly, the book gained a lighter tone, with Daredevil returning to the lighthearted, wisecracking hero depicted by earlier writers. Matt and Foggy (who now knows of Matt's dual identities) join a law firm run by Foggy's mother, Rosalind Sharpe.

Frank Millar returned to the character and his origins with the 1994 five issue mini-series Man without Fear. With artist John Romita Jr, expanded upon the characters beginnings and provide additional detail about the life and death of "Battling Jack" Murdock and Matt's first encounters with the Kingpin, Foggy Nelson. The role of Stick in the genesis of daredevil is expanded up as Murddock's doomed love affair with Elektra Natchios, the daughter of a Greek diplomat.


The death of Karen Page. Promotional art for Daredevil Visionaries: Kevin Smith by Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti.

In 1998, Daredevil's numbering was rebooted, with the title "canceled" and revived a month later as part of the Marvel Knights imprint. Joe Quesada drew the new series, written by filmmaker Kevin Smith. Its first eight-issue story arc, "Guardian Devil" depicts Daredevil struggling to protect a child whom he is told could either be the Messiah or the Anti-Christ. Murdock experiences a crisis of faith exacerbated by the discovery that Karen Page has AIDS (later revealed to be a hoax), and her subsequent death at Bullseye's hands.

After "Guardian Devil", Smith was succeeded by writer-artist David Mack, who contributed the seven-issue "Parts of a Hole" (#9-15). This arc introduces Maya Lopez, also known as Echo, a deaf martial artist. Mack brought independent-comics colleague Brian Michael Bendis to Marvel for the following arc, "Wake Up" (#16-19), which follows reporter Ben Urich as he investigates the aftereffects of a fight between Daredevil and an obscure old villain called Leapfrog. Following Mack and Bendis were Back to the Future screenwriter Bob Gale and artists Phil Winslade and David Ross for the story "Playing to the Camera". Mack continued to contribute covers.

File:DDY3cover lg.jpg
Cover art for Daredevil: Yellow #3, by Tim Sale: Murdock and Nelson founding their firm.

The 2001 mini-series Daredevil: Yellow presented another take on Daredevil's origins using letters written to Karen Page after her death as a narrative deveice. Here Page believes she is in love with both Daredevil and Murdock, and Nelson with Karen Page, resulting in a silent rivalry between the two men. The supervillains the Owl and the Purple Man are the antagonists. In this story, Daredevil credits Page with coining the phrase "The Man without Fear", and she also suggest to Daredevil he wear red instead of black and yellow.

Issue #26 (Dec. 2001) brought back Brian Michael Bendis, working this time with artist Alex Maleev, for a four-year-run that became one of the series' most acclaimed. Maleev's harsh and grainy look is in contrast to Quesada's more cartoony lines, and distinctively reads like a marriage of Frank Miller's film noir style and the pulp-magazine art of the 1920s and '30s. Developments in this run included the introduction of romantic interest and future wife Milla Donovan, the outing of Murdock's secret identity to the press, the reemergence of the Kingpin, and Daredevil's surrender to the FBI.

The impact of his expose as Daredevil continued to be used as a plot point by both Bendis and Writer Ed Brubaker and artist Michael Lark who became the new creative team with Daredevil #82 (Feb. 2006), no longer under the Marvel Knights imprint.

File:Ddif.jpg
frame

Brubaker's first story on the title saw Murdock imprisoned by the FBI through the machinations of the Kingpin, Foggy Nelson apparently murdered and a mysterious new Daredevil appears in Hell's Kitchen. Murdock escapes with the Punisher during a prison riot and discovers the ersatz Daredevil to be his friend, Hero for Hire Danny Rand, the superhero Iron Fist. It is revealed that Rand has been manipulating by Kingpin's wife, Vanessa Fisk, who was behind both Nelson's attack and the substitute Daredevil. Unbeknownst to Murdock, Nelson is in the Witness Protection Program. At the conclusion of the arc, the characters are reunited and Murdock's secret identity is reintroduced.

Over the next couple of arcs, Burbaker would make use of older characters such as Mister Fear and the Enforcers and newer ones such as The Hood, and his own creation Lady Bullseye.

Powers, abilities, and equipment

Although Daredevil is blind, the exposure to chemical radiation that cost him of his sight has enhanced his four remaining senses to function with high levels of superhuman accuracy and sensitivity, giving him abilities far beyond the limits of a sighted person.

Daredevil's sense of hearing allows him to detect sounds ordinary humans can't, such as detecting the steady rhythm of a person's normal heartbeat several feet away, and sounds that normal humans can hear but at much greater distances. His hearing can detect the subtle changes in a person's respiration and heartbeat during a lie, which serves as a type of lie detector. A drawback to such enhanced hearing is his sensitivity to loud noises, which can be detrimental at times.

Daredevil's sense of touch is sensitive enough to feel the impressions of ink on paper, enabling him to read by touch. He can detect minuscule changes in pressure and temperature. This sensitivity to heat allows him to sense the temperature of other beings or objects, which he often uses to determine whether a person is alive or dead. A side effect of his sense of touch is Daredevil's ability to manipulate his muscles and internal organs.

His sense of smell is sufficiently enhanced to distinguish an individual by his or her natural scent. He can use this sense of smell to track someone over great distances or through large crowds with a high degree of success. His sense of taste is similarly enhanced, allowing him to minutely detect the every ingredient of whatever he consumes. For instance, he can detect the number of grains of salt present on a pretzel.

Although he's blind, Daredevil can "see" by means of a type of "radar sense" that allows him to sense the proximity of people and objects around him. Daredevil's radar sense is connected with his hearing, as the bouncing of sounds and vibrations off his surroundings enable him to "see" what's happening around him. It also allows him to trace the trajectory of a projective weapon sufficiently to dodge it with relative ease, if he's far enough away from it. He also uses his radar sense in much the same way during hand to hand combat, with the sounds allowing him to "see" in order to block or effectively launch an attack.

Through years of training and practice, Daredevil has developed tremendous concentration that allows him to sift through the vast amount of sensory input to any one specific stimulus to the extend that he's able to exclude all the others. Otherwise, something as simple as being able to fall asleep would be practically impossible.

Though he has no superhuman physical attributes, Daredevil has great natural strength, speed, stamina, agility, and reflexes. He has shown himself to be a surperb gymnast with abilities that are superior to that of a highly skilled Olympic level gymnast that can see, due to the heightened sense of balance his superhuman hearing affords him. Daredevil's training by Stick has made him into a formidable hand to hand combatant. He typically blends the martial arts of Ninjutsu, Jujutsu, and Judo with American style Boxing. His great natural agility to create a unique fighting style that allows him to make full use of his gymnastics capabilities.

Daredevil's signature weapon is his specially designed billy club, which he created. Disguised as a blind man's cane in civilian garb, it is a versatile, multi-purpose weapon that contains thirty feet of aircraft control cable connected to a case-hardened steel grapnel. Internal mechanisms allow the cable to be neatly wound and unwound, while a powerful spring launches the grapnel. The handle can be straightened for use when throwing. The club can also be split into two parts, one of which is a fighting baton, the other of which ends in a curved hook. Daredevil has extreme accuracy when throwing his club, and can hit multiple enemies with ricochets.

As Matt Murdock, Daredevil is also a highly skilled criminal defense attorney with an extensive knowledge of the American legal system, even going so far as to defend some of his former adversaries in court.

Characters

Love interests

File:Ddelektra.png
Daredevil and Elektra. Detail from cover of Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller Vol. 2. Cover art by Miller.

Within Marvel Comics, few characters endure a love life as convoluted and tortured as Daredevil's. His girlfriends fall roughly into two groups: ordinary women who suffer great pain at his side; and super-powered, highly dangerous love interests. Either way, most end up killed, maimed or traumatized, a narrative aspect some media critics refer to as "Women in Refrigerators" syndrome.

  • Karen Page — Once his law firm's secretary-receptionist, she became aheroin-addicted pornographic actress. She later turns her life around and gets a respectable job but not long after she is killed by Bullseye.
  • Black Widow — Soviet defector, costumed agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
  • Heather Glenn — Daughter of wealthy businessman, dated Murdock for awhile. Blamed Murdock for her father's suicide. Later became an alcoholic and committed suicide.
  • Elektra Natchios — Daughter of a Greek diplomat and college love of Murdock who became an assassin for the Kingpin. Murdered by Bullseye, she was later supernaturally resurrected by the Hand. Elektra was later killed by Echo and revealed to be a Skrull. It is unclear how long the Skrull was impersonating her.
  • Glorianna O'Breen — Irish Photographer. Niece of Debbie Harris, Foggy Nelson's ex-wife. She was killed by Victor Krueller, a henchman of the Kingpin.
  • Typhoid Mary — Kingpin assassin with a dissociative identity disorder and the power of pyrokinesis and telekinesis.
  • Echo — Daughter of a trusted associate of the Kingpin, later a member of the Avengers under the alias of Ronin.
  • Milla Donovan — Murdock's wife in mid-2000s issues. She left him when she discovered their marriage might be a symptom of his nervous breakdown, and in late 2005 attempted to reconcile. Was driven insane by Mister Fear, a villain who uses gases to instill an individual's worst fears. Milla is now catatonic.

Recurring characters

  • Luke Cage — A hero for hire with unbreakable skin who has been an occasional bodyguard for Matt Murdock.
  • Iron Fist - A master martial artist, once a Hero for Hire alongside with Luke Cage. He has occasionally helped Daredevil and at one point took on the role of Daredevil.
  • Jessica Jones — Former superhero turned private investigator, wife of Luke Cage. Acts at times as bodyguard for Matt Murdock in his civilian life.
  • Sister Maggie — His long-estranged mother who is a nun. She has rarely appeared in the comics.
  • Spider-Man — Daredevil's closest friend in the superhero community.
  • Franklin "Foggy" Nelson — Matt Murdock's best friend, college roommate, sidekick and law partner.
  • Karen Page - Receptionist in for Matt Murdock in Silver Age stories and would later become one of his notable romances.
  • Stick — An old and blind ninja master who served as Murdock's mentor following Murdock's childhood accident.
  • Turk — A street-level Kingpin flunky who frequently acts as Daredevil's unwilling informant and comic relief.
  • Ben Urich — A reporter for the Daily Bugle who discovered Daredevil's identity and eventually became his friend.
  • Dakota North — A private investigator that works for Nelson & Murdock law firm.
  • Becky Blake - A woman who was left paralyzed from the waist down after an attack by the Ladykiller. She was Murdock's secretary before vanishing for a decade and joining Murdock and Nelson as an attorney.

Enemies

File:Dd170.jpg
Daredevil #170 (May 1981), with the Kingpin. Cover art by Frank Miller & Klaus Janson.
  • Blackheart - Primarily a rival of Ghost Rider. Nevertheless the son of Mephisto first appeared in Daredevil #270 (Sept. 1989)
  • Bullet - agent of the United States Government who is assigned to perform covert activities and has the highest-level security clearance such an agent can hold. When Bullet was assigned on the behalf of Wilson Fisk to stage a terrorist act, he came into conflict with Daredevil.
  • Bullseye — Daredevil's deadliest enemy, a frequent assassin for the Kingpin. He killed the first two loves of Murdock's life: Elektra and Karen Page.
  • Bushwacker - An assassin whose right arm can be turned into a machine gun. Also an enemy of the Punisher.
  • Crusher II - A bantamweight boxer who was made into a heavyweight by a coroner named Dr. Jakkelburr who recreated the Crusher Formula after studying/treating the corpse of the original Crusher.
  • Death-Stalker - Formerly the Exterminator, Philip Wallace Sterling was exiled to a shadowy dimension after Daredevil destroyed his signature weapon, the "T-Ray". He has since returned.
  • Electro — Primarily a Spider-Man foe, he was nevertheless the first supervillain Daredevil faced (Daredevil #2, June 1964).
  • Gladiator — Former costume designer Melvin Potter. Has super strength, armor, and deadly wrist blades. Villain of Daredevil who later become Matt's friend and bodyguard.
  • Jester - A former actor who uses adapted toys, such as bludgeoning yo-yos.
  • Kingpin— Criminal mastermind and Daredevil's arch-nemesis. He has long known Daredevil's secret identity, and used this information to try to destroy Murdock's life.
  • Kirigi - A ninja assassin, resurrected by The Hand. Opponent of both the Chaste and two of Stick's former pupils, Daredevil and Elektra Natchios.
  • Leap-Frog - A frog-themed supervillain
  • Mephisto - Daredevil fought this demon on different occasions
  • Mister Fear - Villain of Daredevil who uses "fear gas" to instill fear to his victims. Somewhat similar to Scarecrow of the Batman comics.
  • Mr. Hyde - Mad scientist who developed a serum that would turn him into a rampaging monster.
  • The Owl — The first supervillain created in Daredevil, introduced in #3 (Aug. 1964).
  • The Punisher — Vigilante Frank Castle, one of Daredevil's most prolific antagonists and at times reluctant ally.
  • Purple Man — Has the ability to make people do what he wants due to his radiated skin. Daredevil's willpower and blindness have kept him outside of Purple Man's influence.
  • Stilt-Man — Armored villain who towers on gigantic, hydraulically operated "stilts" (actually telescoping leg armor).

Other versions

Main article: Alternate versions of Daredevil

Parodies

  • Personality Comics' Spoof Comics Presents #5 (Oct. 1992) parodied Daredevil, the Man Without Fear, as Daredame, Woman Without a Brassiere. In the 16-page "The Origin of Daredame", a radioactive isotope hits Pat Paddock, daughter of mud wrestler Joltin' Jackie Paddock, in the chest while she saves a man crossing the street. Her bust enlarges hugely and develops a radar sense.
  • Alan Moore, Mike Collins and Mark Farmer parodied Frank Miller's Daredevil stories in "Grit!", a short story in The Daredevils #8.
  • Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird parodied various aspects of Daredevil in their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic series.
  • The film 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back' includes a clip of the shooting of an outdoor set where Daredevil is knocked down by the security guards. Kevin Smith, writer for DD in 1999, plays the part of Silent Bob.

Other media

Television

  • Daredevil first appeared on television in his civilian identity as Spider-Man's lawyer, Matt Murdock (voiced by Frank Welker), in the Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends episode "Attack of the Arachnoid. Daredevil appears in a flashback cameo narrated by Stan Lee.
  • While Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends was still being broadcast, Marvel and ABC came to an agreement to broadcast a cartoon series based on Daredevil. Featuring Daredevil and a sidekick seeing eye dog named Lightning the Super-Dog, this series was removed from ABC's schedule before the first episode was to be broadcast.
  • Daredevil's first live-action appearance was in the 1989 TV movie The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, in which he was played by Rex Smith. While remaining fairly true to the source material of the Daredevil comic books, the biggest departure was that Daredevil's traditional red attire, complete with horns, was replaced with a black ninja-like outfit. The Kingpin was played by John Rhys Davies. This film also marks Stan Lee's first cameo in a Marvel Comic's adaptation, where he plays a juror during a dream sequence.
  • Daredevil appeared in an episode of the television series "Robot Chicken", in which he and Stevie Wonder compete against Marlee Matlin and Helen Keller in a parody of "Celebrity Double Dare".

Film

Promotional poster for the 2003 Daredevil film.
  • 20th Century Fox released a Daredevil feature film in 2003, starring Ben Affleck as the titular character. Affleck reprised his role as Matt Murdock in a deleted dream sequence of the movie's spin-off Elektra, featured on the DVD release.

Video games

  • He has the title role in a game for the Game Boy Advance based on the 2003 movie.
  • Daredevil: The Man Without Fear was a 3D title in development for the Xbox and PlayStation2, canceled in 2004.
  • Matt Murdock makes a cameo as the lawyer of Frank Castle in the 2005 Punisher video game voiced by Steven Blum. References to Daredevil are also made throughout the game, such as Kingpin's sercurity guards stating that Daredevil had never killed any of them before.
File:MUADD.JPG
Daredevil as he appears in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance.
  • Daredevil appears as an unlockable character in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance voiced by Cam Clarke. He can be unlocked by collecting five action figures of this hero through the game. A simulation disk has Daredevil protecting Elektra from Bullseye on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier. His classic, original, armored, and Marvel Knight costumes are available. Daredevil has special dialogue with Black Widow, Hank Pym, Blade and Bullseye.

Toys

  • Daredevil has appeared in the Marvel Legends toy line. In series 3, he was a chase figure and was based on the movie Ben Affleck version. He is one of the figures in the Urban Legends box set along with Spider-Man, Elektra and the Punisher. He appeared in the spin off series Face-Off (with an unmasked variant) along with the Kingpin.
  • The "Spider-Man Classics" toy line, which was a precursor to Marvel Legends, also included a Daredevil figure, clad in his traditional red costume. A very hard to find (and sometimes quite expensive) variant of DD in his original yellow and black garb was also released in the same series.
  • The Marvel Legends Showdown 1/18th scale line also featured Daredevil figures in both his red uniform and a chase version in his yellow-and-black uniform.
  • There is also a 12 inch daredevil in the marvel studios collectors line from toybiz. The figure is daredevil as he appears in the movie (Ben affleck) and the costume is actual leather.

Bibliography

File:Daredevil hc 10.jpg
Promotional art for Daredevil vol. 2, #62 (Sept. 2004), by Alex Maleev.

Main

  • Daredevil #1-380 (April 1964 - Oct. 1998)
  • Daredevil Vol. 2: #1- (Nov. 1998- ) Note: With #22, began official dual-numbering with original series, as #22 / 402, etc.
  • Daredevil Special #1 (Sept. 1967)
  • Daredevil Special #2 (Feb. 1971; reprints)
  • Daredevil Special #3 (Jan. 1972; reprints)
  • Daredevil Annual #4 (1976)
  • Daredevil Annual #4 (1989) Note: mislabeled #4, rather than #5, both on cover and in indicia
  • Daredevil Annual #6-10 (1990-1994)
  • Daredevil / Deadpool '97 Annual (1997)

One-shots and limited series


Team-ups

  • Spider-Man and Daredevil Special Edition #1 (March 1984; reprints)
  • Daredevil and the Punisher: Child's Play #1 (1988; reprints)
  • Daredevil and the Punisher (1994)
  • Spider-Man / Daredevil #1 (Oct. 2002)
  • Daredevil / Spider-Man #1-4 (Jan.-April 2001)
  • Daredevil vs. Punisher: Means and Ends #1-6 (Sept. 2005 - Jan. 2006; no cover dates; #1-2 both indicia-dated Sept. 2005) by David Lapham

Company crossovers

  • Daredevil / Batman (per indicia), also known as Daredevil and Batman (per cover) #1 (Jan. 1997)
  • Shi / Daredevil #1 (Jan. 1997)
  • Daredevil / Shi #1 (Feb. 1997)

Other

  • The Daredevils #1-11 (month n.a., 1982 - Nov. 1983) Marvel UK series, mostly reprint)
  • Daredevil vs. Vapora #1 (1993)
Free health-and-safety comic sponsored by Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association & Consumer Product Safety Commission
  • Marvels Comics: Daredevil #1 (July 2000)

Awards

  • Daredevil: The Man Without Fear: 1992 Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award — Favorite Limited Comic-Book Series
  • Daredevil: Yellow: 2001 Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award — Favorite Limited Comic-Book Series

Footnotes

  1. ^ Comics historian and former Jack Kirby assistant Mark Evanier, investigating claims of Kirby's involvement in the creation of both Iron Man and Daredevil, interviewed Kirby and Everett on the subject, years before their deaths. In his column P.O.V. Online: The Jack FAQ: "What did Jack do on the first stories of Iron Man and Daredevil?", he concluded that, "in both cases, Jack had already drawn the covers of those issues and done some amount of design work. He ... seems to have participated in the design of Daredevil's first costume. ... Everett did tell me that Jack had come up with the idea of Daredevil's billy club. ... Jack, in effect, drew the first page of that first Daredevil story. In the rush to get that seriously late book to press, there wasn't time to complete Page One, so Stan had Sol Brodsky slap together a paste-up that employed Kirby's cover drawing. ... Everett volunteered to me that Jack had "helped him" though he wouldn't — or more likely, couldn't — elaborate on that. He just plain didn't remember it well, and in later years apparently gave others who asked a wide range of answers". Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada later noted in his Newsarama column "Joe Fridays Week 4" (2005, no other date given) that when Everett turned in his first-issue pencils extremely late, Brodsky and Spider-Man artist Steve Ditko inked "a lot of backgrounds and secondary figures on the fly and cobbled the cover and the splash page together from Kirby's original concept drawing".
  2. ^ Daredevil #1
  3. Romita, from Comic Book Artist #6 (Fall 1999) : "I had inked an Avengers job for Stan, and I told him I just wanted to ink. I felt like I was burned out as a penciller after eight years of romance work. I didn't want to pencil any more; in fact, I couldn't work at home any more — I couldn't discipline myself to do it. He said, 'Okay,' but the first chance he had he shows me this Daredevil story somebody had started and he didn't like it, and he wanted somebody else to do it." Elaborating in Alter Ego #9 (July 2001) , he added, "Stan showed me Dick Ayers' splash page for a Daredevil. He asked me, "What would you do with this page?" I showed him on a tracing paper what I would do, and then he asked me to do a drawing of Daredevil the way I would do it. I did a big drawing of Daredevil ... just a big, tracing-paper drawing of Daredevil swinging. And Stan loved it."
  4. Daredevil #16
  5. Daredevil #81
  6. Daredevil #124
  7. Daredevil #131
  8. Daredevil #164
  9. Daredevil #168
  10. Daredevil #176
  11. Daredevil #181
  12. Daredevil #182-184
  13. Daredevil #190
  14. Daredevil #227
  15. Daredevil #228-230
  16. Daredevil #231
  17. Daredevil #233
  18. Frank Miller (1993-4). Daredevil: The Man Without Fear. Marvel Comics. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  19. Daredevil vol. 2, #8 (June 1999)
  20. Daredevil vol. 2, #87 (Sept. 2006)
  21. Daredevil vol. 2, #89-93 (Nov. 2006 - March 2007)
  22. Daredevil vol. 2 #95-103 (May 2007- January 2008)
  23. Vol. 2, #40-44 (Feb.-April 2003), and elsewhere
  24. DD Resource: Daredevil Parodies/Spoofs
  25. Cronin, Brian Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #147 Comic Book Resources.com
  26. The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989) (TV)
  27. And A Blind Man Shall Lead Them
  28. http://video.aol.ca/video-detail/celebrity-double-dare/3920670522
  29. IGN.com game-profile pages for Daredevil: The Man Without Fear Xbox and PS2
  30. IGN.com (May 27, 2004): "Daredevil Game Canceled", by David Adams

References

External links

Daredevil
Stan Lee and Bill Everett
Supporting
characters
Antagonists
Common antagonists
Group enemies
Other supervillains
Other versions
Publications
Storylines
Other media
Daredevil (TV series)
Categories:
Daredevil (Marvel Comics character): Difference between revisions Add topic