Superhero Origins: Daredevil

Superhero Origins: Daredevil This blind superhero dishes out courtroom justice by day, and street justice by night! Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we will explore the comic book origins of Matt Murdock, otherwise known as Daredevil. As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginings and different versions to a character’s past. We have chosen to primarily follow the storyline of that unfolded in 1964’s Daredevil #1. In that debut issue, fans were introduced to Matt Murdock, a boy living in Hell’s Kitchen with his widowed father; a boxer nicknamed “the battling Murdock.” Encouraged to study hard and make something of his life, Matt yearned to become exactly like his dad, whom he idolized. Trying to live up to his father’s expectations, he became a bookworm and top student in his class that refused to play games with the other kids. Taunted in return, he was given the sarcastic nickname “Daredevil.” Filled with rage, Matt began to secretly train himself with his father’s boxing equipment. Soon after, his aging father began to experience a career decline, prompting a fear that he wouldn’t be able to send Matt to college. Because of this, he got involved with a crooked manager named “The Fixer”, who promised to make him a star once again. Meanwhile, Matt’s own life took an unexpected twist when returning home from the library. Spotting an old blind man heading into the street, he jumped in to save him from getting crushed by a radioactive waste truck. Unfortunately, a cylinder fell out and splashed Matt in the face. Blinded, Matt soon found that his other four other senses had taken on superhuman qualities. He likewise developed a new “radar” sense what allowed him to see outlines and shapes. Continuing to study in brail, he was soon accepted to study law in college, and bunking up with newfound friend and roommate Franklin “Foggy” Nelson. One day, Matt got tickets to “see” his father compete in the ring. Despite being told to throw the match, his father decided to ignore his employer, as he didn’t want to lose the match in front of his so, prompting the Fixer to have him rubbed out. Pre-occupied with avenging his father’s death, Matt opened a law firm with Nelson, having promised to never take up violence. To get around this, he decided to create a second identity unbound by the pledge. Wishing that the kids from his old neighborhood could see what he had become, Matt decided to adopt their Daredevil taunt as his new identity. Wearing his yellow outfit under his suit, complete with an adjustable cane, Daredevil sought out his father’s manager for answers, having suspected that “The Fixer” wasn’t just a clever name. Using his sensitive hearing to monitoring his heart beat as a lie detector; he uncovered the truth, bringing the criminal and his thugs to justice through a confession overheard by the police. As lawyer Matt Murdock, he then refused to defend the criminals in court, thus finally avenging his father. Over the years, Daredevil has continued to battle a wide range of criminals and super villains, while adopting a more appropriate red-colored costume. Some of the most prominent of his enemies have been The Kingpin, the crazed assassin Bullseye, and the deadly ninja clan called “The Hand.” He has likewise became involved with the female bounty hunter named Elektra, and found himself an elderly mentor named Stick. Interestingly, these many story elements subsequently inspired the creation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, with their distinct universes becoming considered by many fans as one and the same. Daredevil continues to appear in various forms of media, and has even received his own blockbuster live action film starring Ben Affleck. Despite its age, fans continue to enjoy the many thrilling adventures of “The man without fear”, and his many adventures that cause him to regularly cross paths with other Marvel superheroes.