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{{Short description|Marvel Comics fictional character}}
{{pp-move-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2014}}
{{About|the first Daredevil in Marvel Comics, Matt Murdock|the second Daredevil|Elektra (character)}}
{{Infobox comics character
| character_name = Daredevil
| image = Daredevil 65.jpg
| caption = Promotional art for ''[[Daredevil (Marvel Comics series)|Daredevil]]'' vol. 2, #65<br>(September 2004).<br>Art by [[Greg Land]].
| publisher = [[Marvel Comics]]
| debut = ''[[Daredevil (Marvel Comics series)|Daredevil]]'' #1<br>(April 1964)
| creators = [[Stan Lee]] (writer)<br>[[Bill Everett]] (artist)
| alter_ego = Matthew Michael Murdock
| species =
| homeworld = [[Hell's Kitchen]], [[New York City]]
| alliances = [[Avengers (comics)|Avengers]]<br>[[The New Avengers (comics)|New Avengers]]<br>[[Defenders (comics)|Defenders]]<br>[[Marvel Knights#Team|Marvel Knights]]<br>[[Chaste (Marvel Comics)|The Chaste]]<br>[[The Hand (comics)|The Hand]]
| partners = [[Elektra (character)|Elektra]]<br>[[Black Widow (Natasha Romanova)|Black Widow]]
| aliases = Man Without Fear<br>Jack Batlin<br>Mike Murdock
| powers = * Superhuman senses, agility, and reflexes
* [[Human echolocation|Echolocative]] radar sense
* Master martial artist, hand-to-hand combatant, and stick fighter
* Expert acrobat and gymnast
* Expertise in [[criminology]], criminal law, and police procedures
* Utilizes [[club (weapon)|billy club]] with multi-purpose functions
}}
'''Daredevil''' is a [[superhero]] appearing in [[American comic book]]s published by [[Marvel Comics]]. Created by [[Literary editor|writer-editor]] [[Stan Lee]] and artist [[Bill Everett]], with some input from [[Jack Kirby]], the character first appeared in ''[[Daredevil (Marvel Comics series)|Daredevil]]'' #1 (April 1964).
Daredevil is the alias of '''Matthew Michael Murdock''', a lawyer from [[Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan|Hell's Kitchen]] who was blinded in childhood in a chemical accident that enhanced his other senses. After his father [[Jack Murdock (character)|Jack]] is killed by gangsters, Matt hones his physical abilities and superhuman senses under his mentor, the blind and mysterious [[Stick (comics)|Stick]], becoming an expert martial artist. Eventually, in ironic contrast to his [[Catholic]] upbringing and beliefs, Matt dons a devil-like costume and takes up a dual life of fighting against the criminal underworld in [[New York City]]. This puts him in conflict with many super-villains, including his arch-enemies [[Bullseye (Marvel Comics)|Bullseye]] and the [[Kingpin (character)|Kingpin]]. He also becomes a skilled and respected lawyer who forms a law firm with [[Foggy Nelson|Franklin "Foggy" Nelson]], his best friend and college roommate. He establishes a long relationship with co-worker [[Karen Page]], who experiences many hardships before her eventual murder by Bullseye. He re-encounters his on-again off-again girlfriend [[Elektra Natchios]], a fearsome ninja assassin who is murdered by Bullseye as well, but resurrected.
Writer/artist [[Frank Miller (comics)|Frank Miller]]'s influential tenure on the title in the early 1980s cemented the character as a popular and influential part of the [[Marvel Universe]]. Miller introduced elements of [[film noir]] and [[List of ninja films|ninja films]], and subsequent writers for the title have continued these themes and imagery. In particular, the series often explore political corruption, moral ambiguity, childhood trauma, disability, [[Irish Catholic]] identity, and Christian themes. ''Daredevil'' is a critically acclaimed series, and has won multiple [[Eisner Award]]s, in particular for authors [[Brian Michael Bendis]], [[Ed Brubaker]], and [[Mark Waid]].
Daredevil is a prominent example of a [[Disability|disabled]] superhero, and has served as inspiration and positive representation for [[visual impairment|blind]] people and their advocates. He has appeared in various forms of media, including films and television series. [[Ben Affleck]] portrayed the character in the film ''[[Daredevil (film)|Daredevil]]'' (2003). Subsequently, [[Charlie Cox]] portrays [[Matt Murdock (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|the character]] in the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]], starting with the television series ''[[Daredevil (TV series)|Daredevil]]'' (2015–2018) and ''[[Daredevil: Born Again]]'' (2025).
==Publication history==
{{main|Daredevil (Marvel Comics series)}}
{{further|List of Daredevil titles}}
{{further|Daredevil collected editions}}
===Creation===
Following the success of the [[Fantastic Four]] in 1961, demand for superheroes increased in the comic book market and Marvel Comics made an effort to create new characters to meet that demand. Lee sought the creative input of [[Bill Everett]], who had previously created [[Namor]], and [[Jack Kirby]], the co-creator of the [[Fantastic Four]], the [[Avengers (comic)|Avengers]], and other well-known superheroes. Kirby and Everett co-designed Daredevil's original costume.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 9.</ref> Paul Young indicates that the basic concept of the character as a heroic blind vigilante is probably inspired by the symbol and motif of [[Lady Justice#Blindfold|blind justice]].<ref>Young 2016, p. 22.</ref> Timothy D. Peters, a legal scholar, has also drawn attention to the recurring visual analogy with [[Lady Justice]], the classical figure for the legal system.<ref>Peters 2020, p. 3-6.</ref> The character was generally considered second-string in Marvel's pantheon of heroes, and had low commercial viability for the first decade and a half of his existence, prior to [[Frank Miller]]'s re-invention.<ref>Young 2016, p. 26-27.</ref>
===
[[File:Daredevil splashpage - number 1.png|thumb|upright|left|Splash page of the first issue of ''[[Daredevil (Marvel Comics series)|Daredevil]]'' (April 1964) features the hero in his original costume. Art by [[Jack Kirby]] (penciler) and [[Bill Everett]] (inker).]]
The character debuted in [[Marvel Comics]]' ''[[Daredevil (Marvel Comics series)|Daredevil]]'' #1 ([[cover date]] April 1964), created by writer-editor [[Stan Lee]] and artist [[Bill Everett]].<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 9.</ref> The original costume design was a combination of black, yellow, and red, reminiscent of acrobat tights.<ref>Young 2016, p. 23.</ref> The first issue covered both the character's origins and his desire to enact justice on the man who had killed his father, boxer [[Jack Murdock (comics)|"Battling Jack" Murdock]], who raised young Matthew Murdock in the [[Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan|Hell's Kitchen]] neighborhood of [[Manhattan]], New York City.<ref>Young 2016, p. 24.</ref> Jack instills in Matt the importance of education and nonviolence 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.<ref>Vernon and Gustafson 2020, p. 149.</ref> The radioactive exposure heightens his remaining senses beyond normal human limits, and gives him a kind of "radar" sense, enabling him to detect the shape and ___location of objects around him. To support his son, Jack Murdock returns to boxing under the Fixer, a known gangster, and the only man willing to contract the aging boxer. When he refuses to [[Match fixing|throw a fight]] because his son is in the audience, he is killed by one of the Fixer's men.<ref>Young 2016, p. 24.</ref> Having promised his father not to use violence to deal with his problems, Matt adopts a new identity who can use physical force. Adorned in a yellow and black costume made from his father's boxing robes and using his superhuman abilities, Matt confronts the killers as the superhero Daredevil, unintentionally causing the Fixer to have a fatal heart attack.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 10.</ref>
[[Wally Wood]] introduced Daredevil's standard red costume in issue #7.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 12.</ref> [[John Romita Sr.]] became the new artist in May 1966, just prior to his long tenure on ''The Amazing Spider-Man''.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 13.</ref> Daredevil embarks on a series of adventures involving such villains as the [[Owl (Marvel Comics)|Owl]] and the [[Purple Man]].<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 12-13.</ref> In issue #16 (May 1966), Daredevil meets [[Spider-Man]], who will eventually become one of Daredevil's closest friends.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 13.</ref> When Daredevil's secret identity becomes endangered, Matt adopts a third identity as his twin brother Mike Murdock, whose carefree, wisecracking personality more closely resembles the Daredevil guise than the stern, studious, and emotionally-withdrawn Matt Murdock. This third identity was dropped in issues #41–42; Daredevil fakes Mike Murdock's death and claims he had trained a replacement Daredevil.<ref>Alaniz 2014, p. 73.</ref> The series' 31-issue run by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller [[Gene Colan]] (beginning with issue #20) includes ''Daredevil'' #47, in which Murdock defends a blind [[Vietnam veteran]] against a [[frameup]]; Lee has cited it as one of his favorite stories.<ref>McLaughlin 2007, p. 185.</ref>
Matt discloses his secret identity to his girlfriend [[Karen Page]] in a story published in 1969. However, the revelation proves too much for her, and she breaks off the relationship and moves to Hollywood to become an actress.<ref>DeFalco 2022, p. 132.</ref>
===1970s===
[[Gerry Conway]] took over as writer with issue #72. He moved Daredevil to [[San Francisco]] beginning with ''Daredevil'' #86, and simultaneously brought on the [[Black Widow (Natasha Romanova)|Black Widow]] as a co-star for the series.<ref>Sanderson 2022, p. 147.</ref> The Black Widow served as Daredevil's crime-fighting ally as well as his lover from November 1971 to August 1975. Issues #92-107 were published under the title ''Daredevil and the Black Widow''. Conway introduced Black Widow as a romantic partner for Daredevil as "a way to re-energize the title".{{Sfn|Harvey|2008|p=4}} She joined the series in ''Daredevil'' #81 (1971).{{Sfn|Frankel|2017|p=57}} [[John Romita Sr.]] designed a new costume for Black Widow, but Colan was the artist for the series. Conway responded to feminist criticism by making Black Widow a more active and independent character, beginning in ''Daredevil'' #91 (1972).{{Sfn|Frankel|2017|p=62}} The series was retitled ''Daredevil and the Black Widow'' in the following issue;<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 19.</ref> her name was dropped from the title after issue #107 (1973).{{Sfn|Frankel|2017|p=63}} [[Steve Gerber]] became the writer for ''Daredevil'' with issue #97 (1972). Sales had declined, and in response he re-emphasized Daredevil as the central character.{{Sfn|Harvey|2008|p=6}} [[Tony Isabella]] became the writer for ''Daredevil'' with issue #118, and he believed that Daredevil and Black Widow should be split up.{{Sfn|Harvey|2008|p=6}} Black Widow departed from the series in issue #124, feeling overshadowed by Daredevil.{{Sfn|Frankel|2017|p=63}}
The writing and editing jobs went to [[Marv Wolfman]] with issue #125 in 1975.<ref>Young 2016, p. 28.</ref> He returned Daredevil to Hell's Kitchen.<ref name="back45">{{cite journal|last=Carson|first=Lex|date=December 2010|___location=Raleigh, North Carolina|title=Daredevil and the Black Widow: A Swinging Couple of Crimefighters|journal=[[Back Issue!]]|issue=45|pages=31–38|publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing}}</ref> Wolfman promptly introduced the lively but emotionally fragile [[Heather Glenn]] to replace the Black Widow as Daredevil's love interest.<ref>Young 2016, p. 31.</ref> Wolfman's 20-issue run included the introduction of one of Daredevil's most popular villains, [[Bullseye (comics)|Bullseye]].<ref>Sanderson 2022, p. 165.</ref>
[[Roger McKenzie (comics)|Roger McKenzie]] began writing the series in 1978.<ref>Young 2016, p. 31.</ref> McKenzie's work on Daredevil reflected his background in horror comics, and the stories and even the character himself took on a much darker tone.<ref>Young 2016, p. 40.</ref> Daredevil battles a personification of death, and a re-envisioning of his Daredevil's origin shows him using stalker tactics to drive the Fixer to his fatal heart attack.<ref>Young 2016, p. 55-56.</ref> McKenzie created chain-smoking ''[[Daily Bugle]]'' reporter [[Ben Urich]], who eventually deduces Daredevil's secret identity.<ref>Young 2016, p. 70-71.</ref> Halfway through his run, McKenzie was joined by penciller [[Frank Miller]] with issue #158 (May 1979).<ref>Sanderson 2022, p. 179.</ref>
In a story arc of this period, Daredevil reveals his identity to Glenn. Their relationship persists, but proves increasingly harmful to both of them.<ref>Young 2016, p. 34.</ref> Though the Black Widow returns for a dozen issues (#155–166) and attempts to rekindle her romance with Daredevil, he ultimately rejects her in favor of Glenn.{{Sfn|Frankel|2017|p=63}}
===1980s===
Frank Miller's initial run, first as penciler, then writer/penciler, and last a writer and layout artist begins in May 1979 and ends in February 1983. During this period, circulation doubled, to average sales of 276,812 copies per month. The series made Miller a star in the industry.<ref>Young 2016, p. 8.</ref> At the time that Miller wrote and drew the series, it was very unusual for in mainstream comics for one person to both illustrate and author a comic book.<ref>Young 2016, p. 5.</ref> In this period, Miller modeled Matt Murdock's appearance on the actor [[Robert Redford]].<ref>"The Frank Miller/Klaus Janson Interview," Peter Sanderson, reprinted in Miller and Janson 2022, p. 779.</ref> Miller took writing inspiration from [[hardboiled]] [[crime fiction]] and [[film noir]], as well as the superhero comic tradition.<ref>Young 2016, p. 17, 66.</ref> For example, he draws on techniques of suspense, dramatic irony, and ambiguous characterization adopted from [[Raymond Chandler]].<ref>Young 2016, p. 59.</ref> Miller moved away from the conventions of the commercially dominant genre of comic books, [[superhero comics]], toward the style that interested him most: [[crime comics]].<ref>Young 2016, p. 61.</ref> He cited [[Will Eisner]] and [[Jean Giraud|Moebius]], from the comics tradition, and filmmakers [[Orson Welles]], [[Fritz Lang]], and [[Alfred Hitchcock]] as inspirations.<ref>Miller and Janson 2022, p. 775, 786.</ref> Miller is also responsible for emphasizing Daredevil's [[Catholic]] beliefs and deep concern with [[penance]].<ref>Young 2016, p. 72-73.</ref>
[[File:Daredevil cover - number 184.jpeg|thumb|upright|Cover of ''[[Daredevil (Marvel Comics series)|Daredevil]]'' #184 (July 1982). Art by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson.]]
Resuming the drastic metamorphosis McKenzie began, Miller completely transforms the character and tone of the title.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 10, 25.</ref> Most prominently, dedicated and loving father Jack Murdock is reimagined as a drunkard who [[physical abuse|physically abused]] his son Matt, entirely revising Daredevil's reasons for becoming a lawyer.<ref>Young 2016, p. 50, 58.</ref> [[Spider-Man]] villain [[Kingpin (character)|Kingpin]] becomes Daredevil's new primary nemesis.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 30.</ref> Tormented by guilt, Daredevil gradually becomes something of an [[antihero]].<ref>Hale, Mike. "Review: In ‘Daredevil,’ a Superhero Is Sightless but Not Blind to Crime." New York Times, April 8, 2015. [https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/09/arts/television/review-in-daredevil-a-superhero-is-sightless-but-not-blind-to-crime.html]</ref> In issue #181 (April 1982), he attempts to murder Bullseye by throwing him off a tall building; when the villain survives as a [[quadriplegic]], he breaks into his hospital room and tries to scare him to death by playing a two-man variation on [[Russian roulette]] with a secretly unloaded gun.<ref>Young 2016, p. 170-177.</ref>
Following up a suggestion from editor [[Dennis O'Neil]] that he give Daredevil a realistic fighting style,<ref>{{cite news|author=Kraft, David Anthony|author2=Salicup, Jim|author-link=David Anthony Kraft|author-link2=Jim Salicrup|date=April 1983|title=Frank Miller's Ronin|work=[[Comics Interview]]|issue=2|pages=7–21|publisher=[[Fictioneer Books]]}}</ref> Miller drew detailed fighting scenes attentive to the physics and techniques of East Asian [[martial arts]].<ref>Young 2016, p. 62.</ref> Miller introduced [[ninja]]s into the Daredevil canon,<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 30.</ref> introducing previously unseen characters who had played a major part in his youth: [[Stick (comics)|Stick]], leader of the ninja clan, the [[Chaste (Marvel Comics)|Chaste]], who had been Murdock's [[sensei]] after he was blinded; and [[Elektra (comics)|Elektra]], an on-again off-again girlfriend and sometime member of the Hand.<ref>DeFalco 2022a, p. 190-192.</ref> Elektra was eventually killed by Bullseye, in a shocking and widely read issue that was one of the defining events of comics for the decade.<ref>DeFalco 2022a, p. 197.</ref>
[[File:6.20.19JohnRomitaJrByLuigiNovi27.jpg|thumb|left|Artist [[John Romita Jr.]], signing a copy of issue 254 of the series at [[Midtown Comics]] in Manhattan]]
Miller and artist [[David Mazzucchelli]] crafted the acclaimed "[[Born Again (comics)|Born Again]]" storyline in #226–233.<ref>Weiner 2012, p. 195.</ref> In the ''Born Again'' storyline, Karen Page returns as a heroin-addicted porn star, and sells Daredevil's secret identity for drug money.<ref>Weiner 2012, p. 195.</ref> The Kingpin acquires the information and, in an act of revenge, orchestrates a frameup that costs Murdock his attorney's license. Murdock also discovers that his lost mother, [[Maggie Murdock|Maggie]], who he thought dead, is living as a nun.<ref>Weiner 2012, p. 196-197.</ref> Miller ends the arc on a positive note, with Murdock reuniting with Karen Page.<ref>Weiner 2012, p. 196.</ref> Miller's period of authorship was enormously commercially successful; his story arcs on ''Daredevil'' were the only sales competition for [[Chris Claremont]]'s ''[[Uncanny X-Men]]'', the consistent top seller in the 1980s.<ref>Deman 2023, p. 6.</ref>
[[Ann Nocenti]] became a long-running writer on the series, penning over 50 issues from 1986 to 1991.<ref>Hagan 2019, p. 5.</ref> In this period, Murdock returns to law by co-founding with Page a nonprofit drug and legal clinic. Nocenti introduced the antagonist [[Typhoid Mary (character)|Typhoid Mary]], who became a recurring villain.<ref>DeFalco 2022a, p. 225.</ref> Typhoid Mary has [[dissociative identity disorder]]; while her "Typhoid" identity is evil, her alter ego, Mary Walker, who dates Daredevil is sweet and reserved.<ref>Vecchiolla 2018, p. 182-183.</ref> In Nocenti's storyline, Murdock becomes a [[drifter (person)|drifter]] in [[upstate New York]]; this was the first time the character had been taken outside of an urban environment.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 46.</ref> She concludes her run with a positive turn in Murdock's fortunes: He returns to Hell's Kitchen, regains his sense of self, reconciles with Foggy Nelson, and resolves to seek out Karen Page.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 47.</ref> Comics scholar Robert Hagan points out that Nocenti integrates themes from [[second-wave feminism]] into ''Daredevil'' in ways that are unusual and innovative for superhero comics of the period.<ref>Hagan 2019, p. 2.</ref> For example, she criticizes the idealization of feminine domesticity as well as attempts by women to achieve liberation by simply imitating men, in stories featuring Karen Page, Typhoid Mary, and Brandy Ash, a minor supporting character who presents feminist views.<ref>Hagan 2019, p. 10-15.</ref>
===1990s===
New writer [[D. G. Chichester]] continued from where Nocenti left off.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 47.</ref> In the early part of his run, Daredevil succeeds in toppling Kingpin from leadership of his criminal empire. This is a mirror of Miller's "Born Again", in which now it is Kingpin rather than Daredevil who is stripped of his power.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 58.</ref> Beginning with issue #305 (June 1992), [[Scott McDaniel]] became the new series penciller.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 58.</ref> In this period there were often guest appearances from other Marvel characters who were popular at the time, such as [[Ghost Rider]].<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 57.</ref>
[[Frank Miller]] returned to the character and his origins with the 1993 five-issue ''[[Daredevil: The Man Without Fear]]'' miniseries.<ref>Thomas 2012, p. 199.</ref> With artist [[John Romita Jr.]], Miller expanded his [[retcon]] of the life and death of Murdock's father, Jack Murdock, and Murdock's first encounters with the Kingpin and Foggy Nelson.<ref>Thomas 2012, p. 201.</ref> The story fleshed out the role of [[Stick (comics)|Stick]] in the genesis of Daredevil, as well as the beginning of Murdock's doomed love affair with Elektra. In this rendition, Elektra is more dominant and active as a character, and more sexually aggressive.<ref>Young 2016, p. 110.</ref> For this story, Miller and Romita cited [[Walter Mosley]] and [[Mickey Spillane]] as inspirations.<ref>Anya Martin, Interview with Frank Miller and John Romita Jr., ''Marvel Age'' #127, August 1993, p. 14.</ref> Miller initially prepared the series as a scenario for a proposed TV series.<ref>Young 2016, p. 110.</ref>
The creative team of Chichester and McDaniel returned with their "Fall From Grace" storyline in issues #319–325 (Aug. 1993 – Feb. 1994). In this period, McDaniel emulated Frank Miller's later style in the noir crime comic ''[[Sin City]]''. [[Elektra (comics)|Elektra]], who was resurrected in #190 but had not been seen since, finally returns. This was controversial at the time, because she was previously a character who had only been written by Frank Miller, and he opposed other writers re-introducing her.<ref>Young 2016, p. 16.</ref> An injured Daredevil creates a new armored costume. His secret identity becomes public knowledge, leading to him fake his own death.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 58.</ref> This new identity and costume lasts for several story arcs, until a short stint by [[J. M. DeMatteis]] returned Daredevil to his traditional red costume and Matt Murdock's identity.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 58.</ref>
In 1998, ''Daredevil''{{'}}s numbering was rebooted, with the title "canceled" with issue #380 and revived a month later as part of the [[Marvel Knights]] imprint. [[Joe Quesada]] drew the new series, written by filmmaker [[Kevin Smith]].<ref>Manning 2022, p. 272-273.</ref> Its first story arc, "[[Guardian Devil]]", depicts Daredevil struggling to protect a child whom he is told could be 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 (comics)|Bullseye]]'s hands.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 70.</ref> Black Widow also returns to the series.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 66..</ref> When Daredevil discovers that the true party responsible for the scheme is [[Mysterio]], who is dying of cancer, he leaves Mysterio to commit suicide.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 70.</ref>
Smith was succeeded by writer-artist [[David W. Mack|David Mack]], who contributed the seven-issue "Parts of a Hole" (vol. 2, #9–15). The arc introduced Maya Lopez, also known as [[Echo (Marvel Comics)|Echo]], a [[deaf]] martial artist.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 77.</ref> Critics have commended the character and the story as a complex and multifaceted portrayal of a disabled Latina and Indigenous superhero.<ref>Aldama 2017, p. 50.</ref>
===2000s===
The 2001 ''Daredevil: Yellow'' miniseries presented another take on Daredevil's origins, purporting to illustrate letters written to Karen Page after her death. The series depicts the early rivalry between Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson for Page's affection, and incorporates many events depicted in the earliest issues of ''Daredevil''. The supervillains the Owl and the [[Purple Man]] appear as antagonists. In this story, Daredevil credits Page with coining the phrase "The Man Without Fear", and she suggests to Daredevil he wear all maroon instead of dark red and yellow.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 82.</ref>
[[File:7.24.19BrianMichaelBendisByLuigiNovi2.jpg|thumb|upright|left|alt=A portrait of Brian Michael Bendis|[[Brian Michael Bendis]] wrote an long run of Daredevil stories in the 2000s.]]
David Mack brought colleague [[Brian Michael Bendis]] to Marvel to co-write the "Wake Up" arc in vol. 2, #16–19 (May 2001 – August 2001), which follows reporter [[Ben Urich]] as he investigates the aftereffects of a fight between Daredevil and the new [[Leap-Frog (comics)|Leap-Frog]], particularly on Leap-Frog's young son. After an interlude, Bendis resumed his arc in issue #26 (December 2001). In this run, Murdock meets his romantic interest and future wife [[Milla Donovan]], who is also blind.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 78.</ref> Bendis's storyline also explores the re-emergence of the Kingpin and the betrayal of him by his associates. When Kingpin attempts to return to power, Daredevil beats him to the point of incapacity and declares himself a new "kingpin" of Hell's Kitchen, forbidding all criminal activity. In the Bendis and Maleev period, Daredevil's identity is leaked, first to the FBI and subsequently to the press.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 81.</ref> He becomes desperate to hold onto his increasingly tenuous secret identity, willing to make enormous sacrifices in service of this goal. At the conclusion of Bendis's storyline, Murdock is arrested and imprisoned alongside his adversaries, with the FBI hoping that he will be killed by his enemies.<ref>Young 2016, p. 90.</ref> Bendis won an [[Eisner Awards|Eisner Award]] for Best Writer for his work on ''Daredevil'', as well as other concurrent titles, in 2002 and 2003. ''Daredevil'' by Bendis and Maleev also won the Eisner for Best Continuing Series in 2003. Bendis says he was congratulated for this achievement by Frank Miller.<ref>"Thoughts on Working with Alex Maleev," ''Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev Ultimate Collection'' Book 2, 2012.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/eisner.php|editor-first=Joel|editor-last=Hahn|title=Will Eisner Awards [1988-2007]|publisher=Comic Book Awards Almanac|access-date=November 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101102132937/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/eisner|archive-date=November 2, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> However, Miller joked with him that the award was also his; Bendis responded that he was "glad that he knew I knew that without him, nothing we did would have existed."<ref>Young 2016, p. 90.</ref>
The impact of the exposure of Murdock's identity as Daredevil continued as a plot point in storylines by the new creative team, writer [[Ed Brubaker]] and artist [[Michael Lark]], beginning with ''Daredevil'' vol. 2, #82 (Feb. 2006).<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 90.</ref> Brubaker says that, in his view, "Daredevil is one of the most experimental mainstream comics there is," and cites inspiration from [[noir fiction]].<ref>Interview with John Rhett Thomas, in ''Daredevil by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark Ultimate Collection Book 1'', 2012.</ref> Brubaker's arc begins with Murdock imprisoned. Another character masquerades as Daredevil in [[Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan|Hell's Kitchen]]. Murdock later discovers this ersatz Daredevil is his friend Danny Rand, the superhero [[Iron Fist (character)|Iron Fist]].<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 90.</ref> Brubaker introduces the new character [[Master Izo]], another blind warrior who founded the Chaste centuries ago.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 92.</ref> Brubaker won Eisner Awards for Best Writer for his work on ''Daredevil'' and other titles in 2007, 2008, and 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/eisner.php|editor-first=Joel|editor-last=Hahn|title=Will Eisner Awards [1988-2007]|publisher=Comic Book Awards Almanac|access-date=November 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101102132937/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/eisner|archive-date=November 2, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>
In 2009, new writer [[Andy Diggle]] wrote a new story line in which Daredevil assumes leadership of the ninja army the [[Hand (comics)|Hand]].<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 99.</ref>
===2010s===
In 2010, Daredevil continues to lead the Hand with the intent of transforming them into an organization that seeks justice. However, when Bullseye kills over a hundred people with a bomb, Daredevil and the Hand launch an onslaught of vengeance. In the ensuing arc, "[[Shadowland (comics)|Shadowland]]", Daredevil makes the city block that Bullseye destroyed into a fortress administered by the Hand.<ref>Cowsill 2021, p. 115.</ref> Murdock returns to his senses after a battle with Elektra and several superheroes.<ref>Burroughs 2018, p. 137.</ref> The story reveals that Murdock's erratic behavior is caused by a demonic possession.<ref>Manning and Wiacek 2022, p. 338.</ref> Purged of the demon by his allies, Murdock departs New York, and becomes the leading character of a new miniseries titled ''Daredevil: Reborn''.<ref>Burroughs 2018, p. 137.</ref> He leaves his territory in the hands of the [[Black Panther (comics)|Black Panther]] in the briefly retitled series' ''Black Panther: Man Without Fear'' #513.<ref>Burroughs 2018, p. 138.</ref>
In July 2011, ''Daredevil'' relaunched with vol. 3, written by [[Mark Waid]]. Waid focuses on the character's powers and perception of the physical world.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 104.</ref> The Waid period also emulates Stan Lee's earlier, more light-hearted tone.<ref>Manning and Wiacek 2022, p. 344.</ref> Waid won the Eisner Award for ''Daredevil'' in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/eisner.php|editor-first=Joel|editor-last=Hahn|title=Will Eisner Awards [1988-2007]|publisher=Comic Book Awards Almanac|access-date=November 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101102132937/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/eisner|archive-date=November 2, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> Daredevil also joins the [[The New Avengers (comics)|New Avengers]] in a story written by former ''Daredevil'' series writer [[Brian Michael Bendis]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://marvel.com/news/story/16071/new_avengers_devils_you_know|title=New Avengers: Devils You Know|first=Ben|last=Morse|date=June 9, 2011|publisher=Marvel Comics|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525050649/http://marvel.com/news/story/16071/new_avengers_devils_you_know|archive-date=May 25, 2013|url-status=live|access-date=April 1, 2013|df=mdy}}</ref> Waid also wrote a fourth volume of ''Daredevil'', in which Murdock moves back to San Francisco to practice law.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 107.</ref>
A new volume, written by [[Charles Soule]] with art by [[Ron Garney]], began in February 2016. In this series, Matt returns to New York, where he now works for the District Attorney.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 110.</ref> Flashbacks in a later story arc reveal how Murdock regained his secret identity: Supernatural entities alter the memory of everyone on earth except Foggy Nelson.<ref>Peters 2020, p. 9.</ref> Timothy Peters describes this plot twist as "fantastically ludicrous" but necessary in order to set up the future plot machinations that depend on the social discrepancy of a secret identity.<ref>Peters 2020, p. 9-10.</ref> Peters views the subsequent storyline as an intriguing illustration of contemporary expectations and perceptions about the legal system.<ref>Peters 2020, p. 1, 8-9.</ref> Using his restored secret identity, Murdock is able to take advantage of a subsequent court case to establish a precedent for superheroes testifying in court without the need to expose their secret identities.<ref>Peters 2020, p. 10-12.</ref> Despite interference from the Kingpin, Murdock succeeds in taking this precedent to the Supreme Court so that all superheroes will have the same rights in future cases, and afterward returns to his traditional red costume.<ref>Peters 2020, p. 9.</ref>
In April 2019, the series began a brand-new volume written by [[Chip Zdarsky]] and with art primarily by Marco Checchetto.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 121.</ref> In this story, Kingpin becomes Mayor of New York, which advantages criminals over heroes.<ref>Wiacek 2022, p. 384.</ref>
===2020s===
In the Zdarsky arc, Daredevil temporarily quits his superhero activities out of guilt after killing a thief accidentally. When a team of villains invades Hell's Kitchen, he returns to fight alongside Elektra and ordinary citizens who have collectively adopted the "Daredevil" identity.<ref>Wiacek 2022, p. 384.</ref> In the aftermath of the battle, he gives himself up to police custody. He continues to conceal his face with his mask, stating that he wants to stand trial for his crimes but will only do so on the condition that his identity is never revealed. He voluntarily confesses to the killing and is sentenced to a prison term. While Matt serves his time, Elektra takes up the Daredevil costume and protects Hell's Kitchen at his behest.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 121.</ref> In the prison, Murdock grapples with the idea that Daredevil and Matt Murdock work together to put people in prison, which he comes to see as ruining people's lives without reforming them or setting them on the right path.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/everything-that-s-happened-in-daredevil-so-far|title=Everything That's Happened in 'Daredevil' So Far|first=Blair|last=Marnell|date=June 26, 2020|publisher=Marvel.com}}</ref> Zdarsky was nominated for an [[Eisner Award]] for his writing on this series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/marvel-comics-creators-nominees-eisner-awards-2023|title=Marvel Comics and Creators Nominated for the 2023 Eisner Awards|first=Meagan|last=Damore|date=May 17, 2023|publisher=Marvel.com}}</ref> The series lead into the crossover event "[[Devil's Reign]]" with the same creative team. Following the conclusion of that series, another ''Daredevil'' series, also written by Zdarsky, was launched in July 2022.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 122.</ref>
A new volume, written by [[Saladin Ahmed]] and drawn by [[Aaron Kuder]], began in November 2023.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 124.</ref>
==Characterization==
===Fictional character biography===
Matthew Murdock is born in Hell's Kitchen, a working-class Irish-American district of New York City. Suffering from post-partum depression, his mother, [[Maggie Murdock|Maggie]], abandons the family and becomes a nun.<ref>Langley, Rebecca M. 2018, p. 125-127.</ref> His father, [[Jack Murdock (character)|Jack Murdock]], is a struggling professional boxer. Matt's father is loving but controlling and over-protective, and physically abusive on one instance.<ref>Cowsill 2021, p. 106.</ref> As a youth, Matt Murdock is struck by a truck carrying radioactive materials. The accident blinds him, but gives him enhanced senses that give him extraordinary perception of his environment.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 10.</ref> Matt is mentored by [[Stick (character)|Stick]], a mysterious sensei.<ref>Cowsill 2021, p. 107.</ref> Matt attends [[Columbia University]] and meets [[Foggy Nelson]] and [[Elektra Natchios]]. Nelson becomes Murdock's best friend, and Elektra becomes Matt's first serious girlfriend. Jack Murdock refuses to throw a fight on orders from a gangster called the Fixer, because he does not want to be humiliated in front of his son. As a result, the Fixer has Jack killed.<ref>Cowsill 2021, p. 108.</ref> Matt is driven to bring his father's killers to justice, and eventually does so.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 10.</ref> The Fixer dies of a heart attack when he is confronted by Matt. As a result of Matt taking revenge, Stick ends his training, believing that Matt is undisciplined. Matt and Foggy found a law firm, Nelson and Murdock. Matt begins a second career as a costumed vigilante.<ref>Cowsill 2021, p. 108.</ref> [[Karen Page]] eventually joins the firm, and becomes Nelson's girlfriend after college. He encounters many supervillains. He reveals his secret identity to Page, but she is anxious about the relationship and eventually leaves to pursue a career as an actress in Hollywood.<ref>DeFalco 2022, p. 132.</ref> Briefly, Murdock moves to San Francisco and lives with [[Natasha Romanova]], who is also a costumed adventurer under the name Black Widow.<ref>DeFalco 2022a, p. 147.</ref> After they break up, he returns to New York and begins a relationship with Heather Glenn.<ref>Young 2016, p. 31.</ref> However, his on-again off-again girlfriend Elektra returns, now a mysterious and fearsome ninja. Together, they find a criminal organization called the Hand.<ref>DeFalco 2022a, p. 192.</ref> However, she becomes an enforcer for a local crime boss, the Kingpin. She is eventually killed by a hitman, Bullseye.<ref>DeFalco 2022a, p. 197.</ref> Karen Page has become a drug addict, and betrays Murdock's confidence by selling his secret identity to criminals.<ref>DeFalco 2022a, p. 216.</ref> However, she returns to New York and begs forgiveness, which Murdock gives her, and she recovers from her drug addiction. She is later killed by Bullseye as well, however.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 70.</ref> He then marries [[Milla Donovan]], a woman without superpowers who is also blind.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 78.</ref> Simultaneously, his secret identity is leaked to the press, and he becomes desperate to cast doubt on the public's suspicions about his activities. For a time, he declares himself a new kingpin of his neighborhood, forbidding criminal activity.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 78.</ref> Murdock is subsequently imprisoned,<ref>Young 2016, p. 90.</ref> and later escapes.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 90.</ref> He experiences many other adventures and misfortunes. He then assumes control of the Hand, and attempts to employ them as an army against criminals and evil-doers.<ref>Burroughs 2018, p. 137.</ref> In the process of doing so, he becomes possessed by a demon, and his efforts go wildly out of control.<ref>Manning and Wiacek 2022, p. 338.</ref> He is purged of the demon by his friends and allies, and eventually returns to his previous role as an enforcer of justice.<ref>Burroughs 2018, p. 137.</ref> Eventually, it becomes an open secret that Matt Murdock is Daredevil; however, supernatural entities alter the fabric of human knowledge so that Daredevil can again become an unknown, mysterious figure.<ref>Peters 2020, p. 9.</ref> However, he accidentally kills a common thief. Overcome by guilt, Murdock tries to give up the Daredevil identity and crime-fighting activity. Elektra takes on the Daredevil identity in his stead.<ref>Cebulski 2024, p. 111.</ref> He feels compelled to return to such endeavors when a team of supervillains invades Hell's Kitchen; he fights alongside Elektra and a legion of ordinary citizens who have also adopted the "Daredevil" symbolism.<ref>Wiacek 2022, p. 384.</ref> Subsequently, Murdock and Elektra battle the Hand, and Murdock is killed. He is then resurrected as a Catholic priest.<ref>Cebulski 2024, p. 111.</ref>
===Personality and motivation===
Critics have commented that Daredevil is unusually psychologically complex, by the standards of comic-book superheroes.<ref>Young 2016, p. 47-51, 56-58.</ref>
He is highly determined and willing to make bold decisions to in order to fight crime in his city. In his public personality, as trial lawyer Matt Murdock, he also tries to defend his clients and to work within the established legal system.<ref>Young 2016, p. 99.</ref> Miller argues that Murdock has taken on two demanding careers (as lawyer and vigilante) because of a need to prove himself, compensating for his blindness. Miller believes that, like [[Batman]], Daredevil is driven by his concern for justice, but while Batman is primarily concerned with punishing criminals, Daredevil is more interested in finding redress for victims.<ref>Young 2016, p. 47.</ref> The contrast between his love of the law in his regular life and his exceptional vigilante activities often produces problems for him. He is also sometimes ruthless and deceptive, and this can put his friends and loved ones at risk. Timothy Callahan even argues that Murdock is often mentally unstable or even [[psychosis|psychotic]] "in his willingness to layer the fabric of lies in his relationships with others."<ref>Quoted in Young 2016, p. 82.</ref> One of his fundamental conflicts is between his attraction to extra-legal justice and punishment and his simultaneous fascination with objective order and legal, rational explanation.<ref>Miller and Janson 2022, p. 783.</ref>
Miller says that Murdock is drawn to violence because of anger at the world regarding his disability as well as his unresolved conflict with his father.<ref>Miller and Janson 2022, p. 782.</ref> Murdock's father, "Battlin' Jack", was a professional boxer who prohibited Matt from any athletic activity and compelled him to devote his time to study, attempting to mold an entirely different life for his son.<ref>Young 2016, p. 50.</ref> Learning of his disobedience, the father resorted to corporal punishment to control his son. These events led Murdock to become obsessed with determining the proper moral and legal rules for behavior, and to develop a highly ambivalent relationship to [[combat sports]] and thrill-seeking behavior.<ref>Young 2016, p. 50-51.</ref> Film and comic scholar Paul Young points out that the stories often depict a gap between Murdock's stated motivations and his actions, demonstrating that Murdock has inherently limited self-knowledge and sometimes deceives himself with incomplete justifications for his choices.<ref>Young 2016, p. 56-57.</ref>
Murdock is a devout [[Catholic]] and often tormented by religious and moral guilt.<ref>Langley and Busch 2018, p. 45</ref> However, he also has many romantic affairs, which frequently end badly. Miller also sees the character as driven by sensuality.<ref>Miller and Janson, p. 781.</ref> Psychologist Travis Langley and comics journalist Christine Hanefalk comment that this disposition could be described as a [[sensation seeking]] personality trait.<ref>Langley and Hanefalk 2018, p. 21-22.</ref> They note that while Murdock has had many lovers, he takes the approach of [[serial monogamy]] rather than promiscuity or sex addiction.<ref>Langley and Hanefalk 2018, p. 22</ref>
==
===Political corruption and moral ambiguity===
Like other comic books influenced by [[film noir]], Daredevil comics often depict modern urban society as highly corrupt, with no trustworthy authority. The comics frequently present a crisis of authority in which Daredevil or various antagonists, such as Kingpin, attempt to achieve a position of sovereignty in order to enforce some kind of recognized order.<ref>Spanakos 2014, p. 94-97.</ref> Comics scholars Vernon and Gustafson point out that the comic is generally "resistant to following the norms of the superhero genre" and reveals a paradoxical duality for the hero, who is uniquely vulnerable as well as empowered with extra-legal powers of enforcement.<ref>Vernon and Gustafson 2020, p. 151.</ref> They say that this demonstrates the instability of modern urban society.<ref>Vernon and Gustafson 2020, p. 152.</ref> Daredevil comics also present debates on questions about religion and the relationship between human and divine justice, as well as Christian ideals of forgiveness and generosity. In particular, Matt Murdock is a devout [[Catholic]], and some stories, such as Miller's ''Born Again'', treat themes and traditions particular to the Catholic denomination.<ref>Young 2016, p. 72-73.</ref>
===Irish Catholic identity and culture===
From his creation, Daredevil carries an [[ethnicity|ethnic]] and [[socioeconomic status|socioeconomic]] identity of a [[working class]], [[Irish American]] childhood. Kevin Michael Scott writes that "When Daredevil first appeared in 1964, there was no other comic that placed its hero so squarely in the realm of the poor and working classes."<ref>Scott 2018, p. 169.</ref> In the period of Miller's authorship, his characterization emphasized a particularly [[Irish Catholics|Irish Catholic]] identity (Miller comes from an Irish Catholic ethnic background as well).<ref>Cressler 2022, p. 113.</ref> Scholar Matthew Cressler argues that Daredevil's disability has a particular resonance for Catholic culture, because Catholic tradition and folklore presents afflictions or impairments as opportunities for holiness and potential sainthood.<ref>Cressler 2022, p. 117-118.</ref> Cressler views the ''Born Again'' story as particularly inflected with Catholic cultural tradition and in dialogue with Catholic expectations.<ref>Cressler 2022, p.118-120.</ref> He argues that the significance of [[boxing]] in Daredevil's early life and training has a particular meaning for US Catholic culture, because "boxing was a crucial site for the making of American Catholic manhood in the twentieth century," commended by clergy as a means to learn moral and spiritual discipline.<ref>Cressler 2022, p. 120.</ref> Cressler argues that ''Born Again'' also a demonstrates a [[White Americans|white]] racial identity beyond Irish Catholic ethnicity, because Daredevil concerns himself with protecting his neighborhood and loved ones from vices and dangers that the narrative associates with minor antagonists who are not white.<ref>Cressler 2022, p. 123-125.</ref> Cressler associates this with the cultural affinity of Irish Americans with the [[presidency of Ronald Reagan]] and his values and rhetoric.<ref>Cressler 2022, p. 125.</ref>
However, Paul Young draws attention to a complex and unresolved combination of social and political values in Daredevil's character and activities; while he sometimes practices violent retribution and [[law and order (politics)|law and order]] principles, he also adheres to [[social liberalism]] in his stated ideals and in his moral choices and behaviors.<ref>Young 2016, p. 75-77.</ref> While the character has a clear ethnic and racial identity, fans who are not white have said that they find themselves able to closely identify with Daredevil's characteristics. For example, John Jennings, a professor of [[Cultural Studies]] and [[Black studies]] who is himself [[African American]], writes that he particularly identified with Daredevil as a child because of Daredevil's childhood poverty, his isolation and feeling of peculiarity, his experience of [[bullying]], and his tenacity, all of which could be characteristic of the childhood experiences of [[person of color|people of color]].<ref>Aldama 2017, p. xi, xii.</ref>
===Blindness===
The comic series also often addresses the challenges of blindness and [[visual impairment]]. Comics scholar José Alaniz notes that ''Daredevil'' was the first Marvel [[Silver Age of Comic Books|Silver Age]] series about a disabled protagonist; he notes that it "proved a landmark for the depiction of disability in a notoriously [[ableism|ableist]] genre."<ref>Alaniz 2014, p. 69.</ref> Daredevil is the best-known blind superhero, and one commentator claims that he is the first.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 9.</ref> However, Christine Hanefalk points out one predecessor in American comic books: [[Doctor Mid-Nite]], created in 1941.<ref name="dc-ency">{{Citation |last=Greenberger |first=Robert |title=The DC Comics Encyclopedia |page=104 |year=2008 |editor-last=Dougall |editor-first=Alastair |contribution=Doctor Mid-Nite I & II |place=New York |publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |isbn=978-0-7566-4119-1 |oclc=213309017 |author-link=Robert Greenberger}}</ref><ref>Hanefalk 2022, p. 12-14.</ref> Nonetheless, along with [[Professor X]], Daredevil is one of the first post-World-War-II disabled superheroes.<ref>Hawkins, Kathleen. "With great power comes great disability," ''BBC News'', 24 June 2014. [https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-ouch-27883836]</ref> Other supporting characters in the series are also blind, such as [[Stick (character)|Stick]].<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 30.</ref> Writer/co-creator [[Stan Lee]] said that he was worried that blind people would be offended at how far he exaggerated the enhancement of a blind person's remaining senses, but that his fears were assuaged by letters from organizations such as the Lighthouse for the Blind, which said that blind people greatly enjoyed having Daredevil comics read to them.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Thomas|first=Roy|date=August 2011|___location=Raleigh, North Carolina|title=Stan Lee's Amazing Marvel Interview!|journal=[[Alter Ego (magazine)|Alter Ego]]|issue=104|page=10|publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing|quote=The one thing that worried me about Daredevil – I wondered if blind people would be offended, because we were exaggerating so much what a blind person can do [...]. But I was so pleased – after the books were published, we started getting letters from charities for blind people, like the Lighthouse for the Blind in New York. Letters saying, 'We've been reading these stories to the people here and they love them, and they're so pleased you have a super-hero who is sightless.'}}</ref> Alaniz points out that Daredevil is powerful "not in spite of but because of his disability/superpowers; rather than vulnerabilities to be hidden away, they form a crucial part of his identity." He views this as a stark contrast to the general assumptions about disabled people in the period in which Daredevil was first created, when they were often presented as objects of pity.<ref>Alaniz 2014, p. 71.</ref>
===Violence and trauma===
The stories also often address the long-term effects of trauma and [[adverse childhood experiences]]. The early stories first introduce Matt Murdock's complex relationship with his father, and Murdock's experience of loss and drive for justice following his father's murder.<ref>Young 2016, p. 50.</ref> Matt Murdock's abandonment by his mother, physically abusive treatment by his alcoholic father,<ref>Young 2016, p. 58.</ref> and bullying from childhood peers are all detailed by later stories in the series. Other prominent characters, such as Kingpin and Elektra, are also revealed to have experienced childhood misfortunes that affect aggressive and thrill-seeking behavior in adulthood.<ref>Langley and Hanefalk 2018, p. 18-29.</ref> In 1981, Miller declared that "violence is actually the theme of the book," insisting on the depiction of realistic injury in order to convey the hazards and moral ambiguity of a heroic lifestyle.<ref>Young 2016, p. 40-41.</ref>
==Powers and abilities==
[[File:9.17.16FrankMillerByLuigiNovi15.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Frank Miller (comics)|Frank Miller]], seen here signing a copy of issue #181 at [[Midtown Comics]], revamped the character's radar-sense to make it more believable.]]
Although the character is blind, his remaining four senses function with superhuman accuracy and sensitivity, giving him abilities far beyond the limits of a sighted person. Few characters know that the hero cannot see. Generally speaking, the stories operate with the premise that Daredevil compensates for his missing sight with his other heightened senses (in particular, [[sense of smell|olfactory]], [[hearing|auditory]], and [[somatosensory system|somatosensory]] perception).<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 5.</ref>
Daredevil's superhuman hearing functions as a [[polygraph]] to determine dishonesty by listening for changes in a person's heartbeat. However, a person with a pacemaker can avoid detection because of an artificially regular heartbeat.<ref>Young 2016, p. 79.</ref> His heightened hearing can in some circumstances cause problems for him as he runs the risk of becoming overstimulated.<ref>Young 2016, p. 83.</ref> Daredevil is also able to use his hearing to perceive spatial entities and relations, by [[Human echolocation|echolocation]]. This is an exaggerated depiction of a real ability that some blind people, such as Tom Sullivan, have cultivated.<ref>Sullivan 2018.</ref> Daredevil can use his sense of smell to orient himself in his surroundings.<ref>Young 2016, p. 80.</ref> He can also read by passing his fingers over the letters on a page.<ref>Young 2016, p. 80.</ref>
Daredevil's radioactive accident also led him to develop a "[[radar]]-sense", mentioned along with his first appearance. This seems generally synonymous with echolocation.<ref>Young 2016, p. 80.</ref> Frank Miller's interpretation of the character makes his abilities somewhat more toned down and realistic; for example, his radar sense is less like clear vision and more like a "proximity" sense Miller derived from the comments of some martial artists.<ref>Decker, Dwight R. "Frank Miller: A Talk with the Writer Artist of Daredevil," The Comics Journal no. 70, Winter 1981-1982, p. 68.</ref>
Daredevil has a superhumanly enhanced sense of balance and coordination. In most cases, he is depicted as also possessing superhuman agility, reflexes, and stamina. In all cases, Daredevil is depicted as a master of martial arts and expert acrobat and gymnast, with his superhuman attributes aiding him in his mastery of these skills.<ref>Cebulski 2024, p. 110.</ref>
Matt Murdock was initially self-taught as a [[boxing|boxer]], following his father's example. Subsequently, he was trained by [[Stick (comics)|Stick]] to become a master hand-to-hand combatant in [[martial arts]].<ref>DeFalco 2022a, p. 190-192.</ref> He practices [[mixed martial arts]], primarily combining boxing with [[ninjutsu]].<ref>Cowsill 2021, p. 105.</ref>
Daredevil's signature weapon is his specially designed [[club (weapon)|baton]], which he created. Disguised as a blind man's cane in civilian garb, it is a multi-purpose weapon and tool that contains 30 feet of aircraft-control cable connected to a case-hardened steel [[grappling hook]]. 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 be split into two parts, one of which is a fighting baton, the other of which ends in a curved hook.<ref>Cebulski 2024, p. 110.</ref>
In his civilian identity, Murdock is a skilled and respected New York attorney.<ref>Cebulski 2024, p. 110.</ref> He is a detective and interrogation expert.<ref>Miller and Janson 2022, p. 782-784.</ref>
==Supporting characters==
===Elektra===
{{Main|Elektra Natchios}}
Elektra Natchios is a pivotal character for Daredevil,<ref>Wood and Henderson 2018, p. 167.</ref> at different times being an enemy, a romantic partner, and an ally.<ref>DeFalco 2022a, p. 191.</ref> Elektra made her debut as a bounty hunter, and though her time as part of Daredevil's rogues' gallery was brief (spanning barely a year of the first Frank Miller series), her romantic past with him is an important part of the mythos.<ref>Young 2016, p. 103-116.</ref> Created by Frank Miller, the character first appeared in ''Daredevil'' #168 (Jan. 1981).<ref>DeFalco 2022a, p. 191.</ref> Her violent nature and mercenary lifestyle has served as a point of conflict between her and Daredevil, which, in 2020, culminated in her becoming the second Daredevil.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 121.</ref>
Elektra is an unusually ruthless [[antihero]] and [[femme fatale]]. Scholar Paul Young defines some of her defining initial characteristics as including her succinct speech patterns, her "athletic, eroticized body," her [[father complex]], and her lethal weapons and fighting prowess. He notes that another critic, Larry Rodman, memorably compared her to a "[[psychosis|psychotic]] [[Fitness and figure competition|swimsuit model]]".<ref>Young 2016, p. 104.</ref>
She shows few compunctions about killing her adversaries, and in some stories even kills innocent people. However, she maintains a strong affection for Matt Murdock and, later, other people she admires. She is often morally conflicted, and eventually attempts to use her skills for good.<ref>Garski and Yen 2018, p. 138-151.</ref> Miller says that Elektra's violent disposition originates from the trauma of the loss of her father, and that he meant the character to illustrate Jung's [[Electra complex]]: "She was a young woman who had her sexual interest centered on her father, and just as she was transferring this to another man, her father is killed." Miller argues that this initial anger led to corruption by other forces (the Hand and the Kingpin). In his view she is not essentially good, but rather "one of the villains who's got a weak streak in them."<ref>Miller and Janson 2022, p. 787.</ref>
Elektra returned to the series, resurrected, first in one of the arcs written by [[D.G. Chichester]].<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 58.</ref> She has continued to appear in various subsequent series as a complicated [[anti-hero]].<ref>Young 2016, 103-116.</ref> In stories of the 2020s, she even takes on the identity of Daredevil herself, initially because the original Daredevil is imprisoned.<ref>Cebulski 2024, p. 111.</ref>
===Allies===
Throughout the core ''Daredevil'' series, many characters have had an influence in Matt Murdock's life. His father, "Battlin' Jack" Murdock instills in Matt the importance of education and nonviolence with the aim of seeing his son become a better man than himself. He always encouraged Matt to study, rather than fight like him. Jack forbade his son from undertaking any kind of physical training. It is his father's murder that prompts the super-powered character to become a superhero, fighting gangsters.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 10.</ref> He was trained by an old blind ninja master named [[Stick (comics)|Stick]] following his childhood accident.<ref>DeFalco 2022a, p. 190-192.</ref>
Matt Murdock's closest friend is [[Foggy Nelson|Franklin "Foggy" Nelson]], his college roommate, [[sidekick]], and law partner. Their relationship in the early years of the series was fraught with tension due to Nelson's sense of inferiority to Murdock as a lawyer and as a target for the affections of their secretary, [[Karen Page]].<ref>Young 2016, p. 62.</ref>The pudgy and fallible Nelson has often been used by writers for lightheartedness and even comic relief.<ref>Young 2016, p. 65-66.</ref> However, in some stories Nelson is a close confidante to Murdock; when his secret identity is restored by supernatural means, only Foggy continues to be aware that Murdock and Daredevil are the same person.<ref>Peters 2020, p. 9.</ref> [[Ben Urich]], a reporter for the ''[[Daily Bugle]]'', often appears in Daredevil stories. An investigative reporter, Urich shares some of Daredevil's intellectual abilities but does not have any kind of fighting prowess. He discovers Daredevil's identity and eventually becomes his friend as well.<ref>Young 2016, p. 70-71.</ref>
[[Iron Fist (character)|Iron Fist]] would later become one of his greatest friends, and at one point took on the role of Daredevil himself.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 90.</ref> The [[Punisher]], anti-hero Frank Castle, is one of Daredevil's reluctant allies, as well as his antagonist due to their different philosophies in crime-fighting.<ref>Young 2016, p. 49-50.</ref> Daredevil is somewhat unusual among superheroes in that he does not generally work consistently with a group of teammates. However, he has worked alongside the [[Defenders (comics)|Defenders]] and the [[Avengers (comics)|Avengers]]. In 2011, Daredevil joined one version of the Avengers, led by Luke Cage, as well as one of the iterations of the Defenders.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 116-117.</ref> In a variety of stories in the comics, Daredevil works together with [[Jessica Jones]], [[Iron Fist (character)|Iron Fist]], and [[Luke Cage]], as individuals or in a group.<ref>Scarlet and Adams 2018, p. 15.</ref>
===Romantic interests===
Daredevil has a convoluted and often tortured love life. His relationships often end badly. The longest connections he has maintained with women have been with other costumed fighters: [[Black Widow (Natasha Romanova)|Black Widow]] and Elektra. The relatively high number of violent deaths for his partners has been criticized as examples of the [[women in refrigerators]] trope, according to which female characters in comic books are often disposable and serve as plot devices to motivate or complicate male heroes.<ref>Young 2016, p. 231.</ref>
Murdock had a long-term relationship with [[Karen Page]]. Initially, Murdock and Foggy Nelson constituted a love triangle with Page, with each vying for affections.<ref name="Young, p. 62">Young 2016, p. 62.</ref> Murdock revealed his secret identity to her in ''Daredevil'' #56 (September 1969).<ref>Young 2016, p. 35</ref> Page has various doubts and anxieties about her relationship.<ref>Young 2016. p. 63.</ref> However, in ''Daredevil'' #86 (January 1972), Page leaves to pursue an acting career in Hollywood.<ref name="Young, p. 62"/> He maintains an on-again off-again relationship until her tragic death. Like Elektra, Page is murdered by Bullseye; but she is never resurrected.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 70.</ref>
In the 1970s, he had a romantic relationship with Black Widow, who fought crime with him while they were in San Francisco. They [[cohabitation|cohabited]], a daring choice for the time.<ref>Young 2016, p. 27-28.</ref> She complained about Daredevil's sexist attitudes, and broke off the relationship because she did not want to feel like a [[sidekick]].<ref>Young 2016, p. 27.</ref> They remain close confidantes in ensuing stories. Some critics suggest that the series consistently presents Black Widow as the best match for Daredevil.<ref>Garski and Yen 2018, p. 148-149.</ref>
In the later 1970s, Daredevil began a relationship with heiress and party girl Heather Glenn. He revealed his identity to her in a 1977 storyline,<ref>Young 2016, p. 34-35.</ref> As Young puts it, Glenn has "a casual and flirty manner, and a voracious sexual appetite;" she is also elusive and casual regarding her relationship with Murdock. Young compares to her to one of the Sternwood sisters from Chandler's ''[[The Big Sleep]]''.<ref>Young 2016, p. 63.</ref> Glenn eventually kills herself, in ''Daredevil'' #220 (March 1985).<ref>Young 2016, p. 231-232.</ref> As initially characterized by Gerry Conway, Glenn is somewhat stereotyped because of her flighty nature. However, Young argues that the Miller period gives her a degree of verisimilitude, even arguing that she has more depth than [[Chris Claremont]]'s female heroes.<ref>Young 2016, p. 64-65.</ref> In contrast, J. Andrew Deman has argued that Miller's depiction of women is much more stereotypical than Clarement's.<ref>Deman 2023, p. 6.</ref>
In the late 1990s, he had a brief relationship with [[Echo (Marvel Comics)|Maya Lopez]], a deaf woman and skilled martial artist. While Murdock and Lopez fell in love, Lopez was manipulated by the Kingpin into believing that Daredevil had killed her father (while it was Kingpin himself who was responsible). Under the name Echo, Lopez fought Daredevil and was eventually convinced of his innocence.<ref>Aldama 2017, p. 50.</ref>
In the 2000s, Murdock marries a woman named [[Milla Donovan]]. Donovan shares Murdock's disability.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 78.</ref> Eventually, one of Daredevil's enemies drives her to insanity.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 92.</ref>
===Enemies===
{{Main|List of Daredevil enemies}}
In his early years, Daredevil fought a number of costumed supervillains, such as the [[Owl (Marvel Comics)|Owl]], the [[Purple Man]], and the Matador.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 12-13.</ref> Marv Wolfman introduced the psychopathic assassin [[Bullseye (comics)|Bullseye]] in 1976.<ref>Sanderson 2022, p. 165.</ref>
Frank Miller's run on ''Daredevil'' pared down the rogue's gallery to [[Kingpin (character)|Kingpin]], previously introduced as an antagonist of [[Spider-Man]], and Bullseye.<ref>Young 2016, p. 93.</ref> The Kingpin learned Daredevil's secret identity in the "[[Born Again (comics)|Born Again]]" storyline.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 38.</ref> In ''Daredevil'' #254, [[Ann Nocenti]] introduced [[Typhoid Mary (comics)|Typhoid Mary]], an assassin for the Kingpin with [[dissociative identity disorder]] (the diagnostic term for multiple personalities), who would become a prominent Daredevil foe.<ref>DeFalco 2022a, p. 225.</ref> Nocenti created Typhoid Mary after reflecting on experiences working in asylums for the mentally ill, about the condition of [[bipolar disorder]], and about stereotypes regarding women in comic books.<ref>Vecchiolla 2018, p. 182-183.</ref>
Subsequent writers, such as [[Jeph Loeb]], [[Brian Michael Bendis]] and [[Ed Brubaker]], have re-introduced the Daredevil's rogues gallery of the 1960s, particularly the Owl.<ref>Cowsill 2025, p. 87.</ref>
==Reception==
Daredevil has been inspirational for readers with disabilities, particularly those with [[visual impairment]]. For example, [[Tom Sullivan (singer)|Tom Sullivan]], a blind man, writes that "When I read my first Daredevil in the mid-'60s, I decided Matt Murdock represented everything I thought I could be." Further, he argues that blind people in real life sometimes experience enhanced awareness of other senses, like Daredevil and that this can help them in athletics; he credits inspiration from Daredevil with cultivating his own abilities.<ref>Sullivan 2018.</ref> José Alaniz says that the character is particularly groundbreaking for its time as a depiction of an empowered blind person, and significant for the perceptions of disabled people more generally.<ref>Alaniz 2014, p. 69.</ref>
Daredevil was also innovative in the degree of violence that could be depicted in a mainstream superhero comic book, particularly in the instance of the murder of Elektra by Bullseye in 1982.<ref>Young 2016, p. 11-12.</ref>
Daredevil was also a strong inspiration for the [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]. The concept took its ninja imagery from ''Daredevil''.<ref>Young 2016, p. 109.</ref> In the [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage Studios)|original comics]], the characters were even implied to be the pet turtles of Matt Murdock, who mutated as a result of the same accident that gave him superpowers.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/features/how-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-went-from-comics-in-joke-to-cowabunga-blockbuster-20140814|title=How 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Went From In-Joke to Blockbuster|date=August 14, 2014|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=September 17, 2020|archive-date=June 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615032110/https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/features/how-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-went-from-comics-in-joke-to-cowabunga-blockbuster-20140814|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[Joe Quesada]], an editor at Marvel, says that [[Kevin Smith]]'s authorship of the "[[Guardian Devil]]" arc of the ''Daredevil'' series in 1998-1999 "changed everything" and that this is "probably the single most important development in this particular era of comics, from the '90s to today." Quesada says this is because Smith was the first Hollywood director to write a mainstream superhero comic, and this encouraged subsequent authorship of comics by writers from film, TV, and literature.<ref>Quesada 2018.</ref>
==In other media==
{{Main|Daredevil in other media}}
[[File:Charlie Cox by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Charlie Cox portrays Daredevil in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.]]
Daredevil has appeared in various other media, particularly in television and film.
He was first adapted in the television film ''[[The Trial of the Incredible Hulk]]'' (1989), portrayed by [[Rex Smith]].<ref name="hulksmashtelevision">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/02/the-avengers-hulks-tv-history?page=2|title=The Avengers: Hulk's TV History – A look back at the Green Goliath on television|last=Goldman|first=Eric|date=May 2, 2012|publisher=[[IGN]]|page=2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025224905/http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/02/the-avengers-hulks-tv-history?page=2|archive-date=October 25, 2012|url-status=live|access-date=April 7, 2013|df=mdy}}</ref> A [[Daredevil (film)|''Daredevil'' live-action feature film]] starring [[Ben Affleck]] as the character and directed by [[Mark Steven Johnson]] was released in 2003. The film received mixed reviews from critics, and was a moderate box-office success.<ref name="Metacritic">{{cite Metacritic |id=daredevil |title=Daredevil |type=movie |access-date=May 10, 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |date=27 February 2003 |title=Marvel Proves Heroic at the Box Office |url=https://comicbookmovie.com/daredevil/marvel-proves-heroic-at-the-box-office-a150 |website=Marvel Press Release |via=ComicBookMovie.com |___location=Los Angeles |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506155729/https://comicbookmovie.com/daredevil/marvel-proves-heroic-at-the-box-office-a150 |archive-date=2021-05-06 }}</ref>
In 2015, a [[Daredevil (TV series)|''Daredevil'' television series]] set in the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]], starring [[Charlie Cox]] as [[Matt Murdock (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|the protagonist]] and created by [[Drew Goddard]], premiered on [[Netflix]] and lasted for three seasons until 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2013/11/disney-netflix-marvel-series-629696/|title=Netflix Picks Up Four Marvel Live-Action Series & A Mini Featuring Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Luke Cage For 2015 Launch|last=Lieberman|first=David|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=November 7, 2013|access-date=November 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912092144/http://deadline.com/2013/11/disney-netflix-marvel-series-629696/|archive-date=September 12, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> It was acclaimed by critics and attracted a [[cult following]] from fans.<ref name="DDS1RT">{{Cite Rotten Tomatoes|title=Marvel's Daredevil|id=daredevil|type=tv|season=1|access-date=May 7, 2022}}</ref> Executive producer [[Steven S. DeKnight]] said that it took inspiration from the [[Frank Miller]] period as well as the storylines by [[Brian Michael Bendis]] and [[Alex Maleev]], with Maleev's art in particular providing "a template for the look of the show".<ref>Langley and Busch 2018, p. 46.</ref> Then-[[Disney]] CEO [[Bob Iger]] stated that [[Marvel's Netflix television series|Marvel's Netflix series]], such as ''Daredevil'', could later be adapted as feature films if they were sufficiently popular.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2013/digital/news/why-disney-chose-to-put-marvels-new-tv-shows-on-netflix-1200805867|title=Why Disney Chose to Put Marvel's New TV Shows on Netflix|last=Graser|first=Marc|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=November 7, 2013|access-date=February 20, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215071118/http://variety.com/2013/digital/news/why-disney-chose-to-put-marvels-new-tv-shows-on-netflix-1200805867/|archive-date=February 15, 2014|url-status=live|df=mdy}}</ref> A [[Revival (television)|revival]] and continuation of the series, ''[[Daredevil: Born Again]]'', premiered on [[Disney+]] in 2025, with Cox reprising the role.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.ign.com/videos/daredevil-born-again-stars-promise-to-blow-up-the-netflix-past-interview |title= Daredevil: Born Again Stars Promise to 'Blow Up' the Netflix Past |last=Collura|first=Scott|work= IGN |date= March 1, 2025|access-date=June 25, 2025}}</ref> Cox also plays the character in the [[Crossover (fiction)|crossover]] [[miniseries]] ''[[The Defenders (miniseries)|The Defenders]]'' (2017),<ref name="Truitt">{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2015/11/20/jessica-jones-mike-colter-luke-cage/76099760/|title=''Jessica Jones'' star Mike Colter a powerhouse as Luke Cage|last=Truitt|first=Brian|work=[[USA Today]]|date=November 20, 2015|access-date=December 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110224409/http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2015/11/20/jessica-jones-mike-colter-luke-cage/76099760/|archive-date=November 10, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy}}</ref> the film ''[[Spider-Man: No Way Home]]'' (2021),<ref name="daredevilnwh">{{cite web|last=Acuna|first=Kirsten|title='Spider-Man: No Way Home' brings back a beloved character fans never thought they'd see again|url=https://www.insider.com/spider-man-no-way-home-daredevil-matt-murdock-charlie-cox-2021-12|website=Insider|access-date=17 December 2021}}</ref> and the Disney+ series ''[[She-Hulk: Attorney at Law]]'' (2022),<ref>{{cite web|last=Moreau|first=Jordan|title=Charlie Cox Explains Daredevil's Return in 'She-Hulk,' What to Expect in 'Born Again' and His Yellow Suit: 'I Got Goosebumps'|url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/she-hulk-daredevil-charlie-cox-born-again-1235406158/|website=Variety|date=October 17, 2022 |access-date=17 October 2022}}</ref> ''[[Echo (miniseries)|Echo]]'' (2024),<ref>{{cite web|last=Dick|first=Jeremy|title=Charlie Cox Hopes for Daredevil to Reunite With Alaqua Cox's Echo in the MCU|url=https://www.cbr.com/charlie-alaqua-cox-echo-daredevil-mcu-reunion/|website=CBR|date=August 18, 2024 |access-date=18 August 2024}}</ref> and ''[[Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man]]'' (2025).<ref>{{cite web|last=Erdmann|first=Kevin|title=Daredevil, Scorpion and Iron Man Arrive in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man|url=https://www.cbr.com/charlie-alaqua-cox-echo-daredevil-mcu-reunion/|website=ScreenRant|date=August 18, 2024 |access-date=12 February 2025}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[List of Daredevil titles]]
* [[1964 in comics]]
* [[Animal echolocation]]
{{Clear}}
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
===Bibliography===
{{refbegin|30em}}
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* Beaty, Bart, ed (2012). ''Critical Survey of Graphic Novels: Heroes and Superheroes''. Salem Press. {{ISBN|978-1-58765-865-5}}
** Thomas, P.L. (2012). "''Daredevil: The Man Without Fear''". In Beaty, pp. 199-203.
** Weiner, Stephen (2012). "''Daredevil: Born Again''". In Beaty, pp. 195-198.
* Burroughs, Todd Steven (2018). ''Marvel's Black Panther: A Comic Book Biography from Stan Lee to Ta-Nehisi Coates''. Diasporic Africa Press. {{ISBN|978-1-937306-64-9}}
* Cebulski, C.B., ed (2024). ''Marvel Encyclopedia: New Edition''. DK. {{ISBN|978-0-593-84611-7}}
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* Cressler, Matthew J. (2022). "Daredevil: The Man Without Fear and White Catholic Masculinities." ''CrossCurrents'', vol. 72, no. 2, June, University of North Carolina Press, p. 112-136.
* Deman, J. Andrew (2023). ''The Claremont Run: Subverting Gender in the X-Men''. University of Texas Press. {{ISBN|978-1-4773-3075-3}}
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** DeFalco, Tom. "1960s". In Gilbert, pp. 70-135.
** DeFalco, Tom (2022a). "1980s". In Gilbert, pp. 184-233.
** Manning, Matthew K. "1990s". In Gilbert, pp. 234-279.
** Manning, Matthew K. (2022a) "2000s". In Gilbert, pp. 280-333.
** Manning, Matthew K. and Stephen (Win) Wiacek. "2010s". In Gilbert, pp. 334-379.
** Sanderson, Peter. "1970s". In Gilbert, pp. 136-183.
** Wiacek, Stephen (Win). "2020s". In Gilbert, pp. 380-389.
* {{Cite book|editor-last=Ginn|editor-first=Sherry|title=Marvel's Black Widow from Spy to Superhero: Essays on an Avenger with a Very Specific Skill Set|url=https://archive.org/details/marvelsblackwido0000unse|url-access=registration|year=2017|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|isbn=978-0-7864-9819-2}}
** {{harvc|last=Frankel|first=Valerie Estelle|c='Eyes front, Ivan!' The Comic Books' Journey through Fashions and Men|in=Ginn|year=2017|pages=52–71}}
* Hagan, Robert J. (2019). "Touch Me/Don't Touch Me: Representations of Female Archetypes in Ann Nocenti's ''Daredevil''." ''The Comics Grid: Journal of Comics Scholarship'', 9:1, pp. 1-24.
* Hanefalk, Christine (2022). ''Being Matt Murdock: One Fan's Journey Into the Science of Daredevil''. Tomp Press. {{ISBN|978-91-987965-0-6}}
* {{Cite periodical|last=Harvey|first=Allan|title=Black Widow: The Gloria Steinem of the Jump-Suit Set|date=2008|magazine=[[Back Issue!]]|issue=26|publisher=[[TwoMorrows Publishing]]|pages=3–7}}
* Langley, Travis, ed. (2018). ''Daredevil Psychology: The Devil You Know''. Sterling. {{ISBN|978-1-4549-3011-2}}
** Garski, Larisa A. and Jennifer L. Yen. "Elektra: Portrait of the Assassin as a Young Woman". In Langley, pp. 138-151.
** Langley, Rebecca M. "Mother Superior, Feeling Inferior: Post-Partum Depression and the Mother He Didn't Know". In Langley (2018), pp. 125-137.
** Langley, Travis and Christine Hanefalk. "The Truth About the Dare: Who Seeks Thrills and Chills?" In Langley (2018), pp. 18-29.
** Langley, Travis and Jenna Busch. "Interview with ''Marvel's Daredevil'' Executive Producer Steven S. DeKnight: Running the Show in Hell's Kitchen". In Langley (2018), pp. 40-49.
** Scarlet, Janina and Travis Adams. "Learning to See the Hero You Are: Posttraumatic Growth After Physical Injury". In Langley (2018), pp. 9-17.
** Vecchiolla, Laura. "What Lurks in Shadow: Jung's Notion of the Devil and Evil in ''Daredevil''". In Langley (2018), pp. 175-186.
** Wood, Mara and Jeffrey Henderson. "Making Relationships Work". In Langley (2018), pp. 163-171.
* {{cite book|last=McLaughlin|first=Jeff|title=Stan Lee: Conversations|publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]]|year=2007|___location=Jackson, Mississippi|page=185|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zLmB3GprtboC&q=Stan+Lee+most+proud+of&pg=PA185|isbn=978-1578069859}}
* Miller, Frank and Klaus Janson (2022). ''Daredevil by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson Omnibus''. Marvel. {{ISBN|978-1-302-94553-4}}
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* Scott, Kevin Michael (2018). “‘It’s Just Us Here’: Daredevil and the Trauma of Big Power.” ''Working-Class Comic Book Heroes: Class Conflict and Populist Politics in Comics'', edited by Marc DiPaolo, University Press of Mississippi, pp. 169–90.
* Smith, Kevin (2018). ''Daredevil: Guardian Devil''. Marvel Comics. {{ISBN|978-1-80491-168-6}}
** Quesada, Joe (2018). Introduction to ''Guardian Devil''. In Smith (2018), no page numbers.
** Sullivan, Tom (2018). Introduction to ''Daredevil'' vol. 1 HC (2003). Afterword to Smith (2018), no page numbers.
* Spanakos, Anthony Peter (2014). "Hell's Kitchen's Prolonged Crisis and Would-be Sovereigns: Daredevil, Hobbes, and Schmitt," ''PS: Political Science and Politics''. Vol. 47, No. 1, January, pp. 94-97.
* Vernon, Matthew and Daniel Gustafson (2020). "A World on Fire: Seeing Beyond the Discrimination Paradigm in Marvel's ''Daredevil''." ''Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics'' 11:2, 144-166.
* Young, Paul (2016). ''Frank Miller's Daredevil and the Ends of Heroism''. Rutgers University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-8135-6381-7}}
{{refend}}
===Notes===
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