Alternative versions of Daredevil

Alternate versions of Daredevil
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance Daredevil #1 (April 1964)
Created by Stan Lee
Bill Everett

In addition to his mainstream incarnation, Daredevil has had been depicted in other fictional universes.

1602

In Neil Gaiman's Marvel 1602, set in Earth-311, Matthew Murdoch (known as The Bard) is introduced as a blind balladeer. Secretly he is an adventurer for hire, who charges excessive prices to anyone who has the money, for any job. Matthew, as a child, was a fearless boy who would explore anywhere. One day he discovered a dark cave that glowed inside from a green substance. As a boy Matthew thought nothing of tasting it, and so he did to know what it was. He soon walked back the way he came. His mother later found him with a fever and discovered that her son is completely blind. Though he lost his sight, the rest of Matthew’s senses became enhanced with superhuman sharpness. Matthew traveled as a blind beggar and poet, singing songs of heroes, and appearing weak and helpless. His true nature would be revealed when he was either on a job for a client or attacked.

The Queen of England’s head spymaster, Nicholas Fury, had hired him to hunt down and protect Donal, the Templar keeper of Thor’s staff. On the way to meet Donal he encountered a woman named Natasha (aka the Black Widow), whom he referred to as the most dangerous woman in Europe. His analysis of Natasha proved to be very accurate when she betrayed him by smashing a bottle over his head and pushing Matthew off a bridge into a canyon below. Murdoch survived, and appeared again in a dark cave just in time to save Donal from being attacked by Natasha’s men. Matthew attempts to rescue Donal from her by taking him as far away as he could. But Natasha had the cave entrance surrounded with a garrison of men, sent by Count Otto von Doom of Latveria to capture the old man’s treasure, Donal, and Matthew Murdoch. Doom imprisons them in one of his castle’s cells and works to uncover the secrets of the golden bauble that Donal gave to him to distract him from the true treasure: the staff. Donal is also in contact with Doctor Strange, the former Queen’s court magician and physician, who informs them that a group of heroes are on their way to the castle.

When the imprisoned Captain of the Fantastic Four rails against his stone prison, it shakes the castle from its foundations and frees Murdoch and Donal. Murdoch uses his abilities to carry the old man and leap from wall to wall to the courtyard many feet below. When Doom’s men corner them, after Donal demands to find his staff, the old man uses it to transform himself into the Thunder God, Thor. Thor uses his immortal powers to stop Doom’s men and assist Carlos Javier’s witchbreed in their attack on Doom’s castle, finally allowing Doom to use Thor’s electricity to explode the golden sphere that Donal had given him, scarring Doom and bringing him to the brink of death. While Donal-as Thor-joins the group aboard their ship, headed to the New World to fix the tear in their universe, Murdoch uses his own means to leave Latveria.

Murdoch later appears to King James, in the dark, threatening to cut his throat if he ever attacked the late Queen’s spymaster, Fury. He then disappears through the window, promising to return again if James is untrue to his word, and with a final warning not to touch his home land of Ireland.

2099

Age of Apocalypse

In the Age of Apocalypse timeline, Keeper Murdock serves Mikhail Rasputin, one of Apocalypse's Four Horsemen. Exposure to toxic waste during his time in one of Apocalypse's labor camps for humans caused Murdock's blindness and powers, though he believed his powers were granted by an implant given to him by Rasputin. When he accidentally touched the incapacitated Empath, he realized the error of his ways, he then put Empath out of his misery by beating him to death with his Billy Club. Renouncing Mikhail, Murdock ripped off his visor and realized that his enhanced senses were not the result of his cybernetic augmentation. Murdock broke down upon realizing how many years Mikhail had been manipulating him.

Ten years later, Murdock is seen working for Weapon Omega, Apocalypse's replacement. He serves as the keeper of New Apocalypse city, using his sense to monitor humans who try to enter the city. He's seen hunting for Harper Simmons and fights with Prophet hand to hand but was defeated with a poison gas that allowed Prophet escape with the X-Terminators.

Amalgam

In Amalgam Comics, Slade Murdock was a blind mercenary in New Gotham City acting under the name of "Dare the Terminator", because of the dares she took, and that few dared to challenge her. A combination of Daredevil and Deathstroke the Terminator, except for being a female, while her DC and Marvel counterparts are both male.

House of M

In the House of M crossover, Matt Murdock/Daredevil is romantically involved with She-Hulk. The origins and the extent of his powers are never explained, but is very much similar to his mainstream counterpart. It is also unknown if he gained the fighting skills from his radioactive senses, or if they were gained when Layla Miller "awakened" him.

Earth X

In the Earth X series, there are at least three different alternative "Daredevils". First, in an interesting visual pun, Kurt Wagner eventually goes back in time to become the red-skinned demon Belasco. But ultimately, when he becomes a hero again, he goes to Hell's Kitchen (the original Daredevil's old stomping grounds), to become the neighborhood protector.

Secondly, in the afterlife, Matthew Murdock is shown as part of the Avenging Host.

Thirdly (and most prominently) an invulnerable stunt man, thought by the Thing to be Deadpool, goes by the name of Daredevil, as well as donning a costume that looks somewhere between that of Daredevil and Evel Knievel. This version craves his own death. Ben Grimm repeatedly tries to guess at Daredevil's identity, guessing Deadpool at first and then a string of other obscure Marvel characters, but Daredevil denies being any one of them. Eventually Machine Man confronts Daredevil and reveals that he was never any previously known Marvel character - he is an original character from the Earth X universe.

End of Days

Daredevil: End of Days is a 2013 8-issue comic book that chronicled Daredevil's final days.[1] During his final battle with Bullseye, Daredevil whispers a single word to him “Mapone” before being killed by a blow to the head by his own Billy-club. Several years before his death, Daredevil had confronted the Kingpin when he returned to Hell’s Kitchen after making a deal with the government and seeing no other options to stop Fisk killed him during their final battle in front of many people on the streets.[2]After killing Fisk, Daredevil disappeared many years until his final battle with Bullseye and he had either alienated or had been shunned by his friends and fellow superheroes. Matt would also begin training Tim Urich, the adopted son of longtime friend Ben Urich, to become the new Daredevil.[3] After finishing Tim’s training and becoming aware of Bullseye’s return to Hell’s Kitchen, Daredevil returned to prevent any more of his past enemies to affect his successor. His actions during his final battle drove Bullseye mad with curiosity over the word “Mapone” leading him to commit suicide.[4]

It is revealed that Matt had also fathered a daughter named Mapone Romanova with the Black Widow and three of them where together for several years until Natasha’s death in which he and Mapone seemingly became estranged.[5] Matt was also apparently the father of four other children with several of his past lovers. Elektra Natchios has a son also named Matthew, Milla Donovan has a son named Franklin, and Mary Walker is the mother of two twin boys.[6] It remains unconfirmed however, if Matt really is the father of these children or if he was even aware of their existence.

Exiles

The Daredevil from Earth-181 is an assassin working for his reality's Kingpin.[7]

Howard the Human

In this Secret Wars Battleworld, Mouse Murdock assists Howard the Human by telling him the murdered informant Howard was investigating was playing possum for Wilson Fisk (who's a gorilla). Fisk sends monkey ninjas after them but Murdock defeats them all and then gives him the location on the possum's whereabouts.

Secret Wars: Secret Love

Matt is married to Karen in this reality, but is put under a spell by Mephisto before the evening of the final Inferno into thinking about Typhoid Mary and is attacked by Mephisto who was disguised as her. Karen saves Matt by cutting off Mephisto's head and they share a final kiss as the world starts falling apart.

Marvel Mangaverse

The Marvel Mangaverse features a version of Daredevil called the Devil Hunter. His costume is patterned after an oni, or Japanese demon.

Marvel Zombies universe

Daredevil appears in the limited series Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness. While still un-zombified, he is seen fighting the villain Thunderball. Ash, misunderstanding, unexpectedly helps Thunderball win the fight.

Daredevil also appears in Marvel Zombies: Dead Days. He shows up on the scene in order to save a terrified Nova from the zombified Spider-Man, saying that they have to kill Spider-Man immediately. Ironically, he becomes a zombie when Spider-Man bites him on the back because Nova is too scared to assist him.

In the limited Marvel Zombies series, Daredevil is among those who chase and eventually eat Magneto, but not before Magneto hurls an I-beam completely through his torso. It is assumed he is eventually destroyed after several zombies gain the Power Cosmic and incinerate all the other zombies.

MC2

Main article: Darkdevil

In the alternative timeline published under the MC2 imprint, Daredevil is murdered by the Kingpin while saving the life of Kaine. Kaine attempts to revive Daredevil by sorcery, but inadvertently bonds both Daredevil's soul and the demon Zarathos to Reilly Tyne, who becomes the superhero Darkdevil.

Mutant X

The alternative universe version of Daredevil in the Mutant X series wears a similar costume to the character of the same name published by Lev Gleason Publications during the 1940s as an homage.

Old Man Logan

In the storyline Old Man Logan, in an alternative future, fifty years after the superheroes lost a great battle, two young men dressed as Daredevil and the Punisher are found chained together on a pole by a new Kingpin, who has killed Magneto in the past, after an attempted mission to free the town from him. The man dressed as Daredevil asks for the whereabouts of Spider-Man's granddaughter, who is also the daughter of the Avenger Hawkeye. The new Kingpin states that he's still thinking of what to do with her and that Daredevil and the Punisher got off easy. They were then eaten by raptors.

Noir

In the Marvel Noir imprint, Matt Murdock was blinded by his father's assassin who brutally slammed his head into a brick wall, leaving him blind. Though he did wish to become a lawyer, his impoverished lifestyle denied it, leaving him to be a performer instead, under the name Daredevil. Later he took to the streets as a vigilante, killing criminals to avenge those they killed.

Runaways

In a Runaways alternative future, Daredevil is a member of Heroine's team of Avengers.

Ruins

In the two issue Warren Ellis limited series Ruins, a newspaper headline reveals that Matthew Murdock was fatally injured when an atom truck crashed spilling a radioactive substance in his face. Thus he never became Daredevil.

Spider-Ham

The funny animal comic book Spider-Ham from the Marvel children's-comics imprint Star Comics included versions of Daredevil named "Deerdevil" and "Deviled Ham".

Spider-Gwen

In Edge of Spider-Verse #2, the Matt Murdock of the "Spider-Gwen" universe is introduced as a villain, who in that world is a lieutenant of the Kingpin.[8] In the Spider-Gwen ongoing series, he is shown to also be Kingpin's lawyer, and appears to still have his powers, using them to brutally murder a crow and torture the Vulture.[9] He also killed Felicia Hardy's father and has been wanting to recruit Spider-Woman to join their cause.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage Studios)

The story of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the original comics is that they were four newborn pet turtles owned by a young boy who were splashed by a mutagenic compound and dropped in the sewers when their owner was involved in an accident involving a truck carrying said compound. The circumstances of their creation was intentionally designed to resemble Daredevil's origin, with the scenes even being drawn similarly. The creators of the comic later confirmed that the boy was intended to be a young Matt Murdock, explaining Daredevil's own abilities as the result of exposure to the mutagen.[10]

Ultimate Marvel

See also: Ultimate Daredevil and Elektra for information on the two starring miniseries.

The Ultimate Marvel version of Daredevil (Matt Murdock) has appeared in two different limited series, Ultimate Daredevil and Elektra written by Greg Rucka, and Ultimate Elektra, a team to take down the Kingpin. It is revealed in Ultimate Spider-Man #109 that his father Jack was a boxer killed by the Kingpin (a.k.a. Wilson Fisk) when Jack wouldn't throw a match. Later, after the Kingpin burns down Murdock's law offices, a crazed Daredevil breaks into Fisk's apartments and threatens to murder the comatose Vanessa Fisk, but is convinced not to by Spider-Man. During Magneto's flooding of New York during Ultimatum, in which millions of people are killed, Daredevil's corpse is found by Spider-Man and the Hulk.[11]

A new exclusive iteration of Daredevil (Ray Connor) appears in Ultimate Comics: Avengers. He is discovered and trained by Stick after experiencing an accident similar to the one that gave his predecessor powers. On a somewhat related note, Conner is a fan of Spider-Man. Sometime after being publicly known as the new Daredevil, he and Stick are attacked by Vampire X's vampires.[12] Daredevil turns into a vampire and bites Captain America.[13] Just when Daredevil was about to kill Blade, Captain America teleports the Triskelion to the desert of Iran, leaving Ray's fate unknown.[14]

What If

In What If Everyone Knew Daredevil Was Blind?, Electro realized Daredevil's secret when he assisted Spider-Man in a fight, Electro noticing that Daredevil wasn't bothered when he triggered a particularly intense flash of light. Although Matt tried to continue as normal, when the Owl attacked Daredevil with weapons designed specifically to exploit Matt's heightened senses, Matt decides to undergo a risky operation to restore his sight. When exposure to another dose of radioactive waste deprived Matt of his enhanced senses while leaving him with his sight, after defeating the Owl's attempt to stage a mock trial, Matt decided to retire from his costumed career and run for district attorney.

In What If Karen Page had Lived?, when Karen survives Bullseye's attempt to kill her as part of Mysterio's last scheme, the fear of losing her drove Matt to beat the Kingpin to death for his role in the scheme. Despite his friends' defense, Matt was sentenced to forty-four years in prison for Fisk's murder, but was left alone in prison due to the other prisoners' fear, and was often consulted by Nick Fury on legal matters. He was eventually released after fifteen years for good behavior.

References

  1. ↑ Richard George (2007-02-24). "NYCC 07: Daredevil Is Going to Die". IGN. Retrieved 2007-03-17.
  2. ↑ Daredevil: End of Days #1
  3. ↑ Daredevil: End of Days #4
  4. ↑ Daredevil: End of Days #8
  5. ↑ Daredevil: End of Days #2
  6. ↑ Daredevil: End of Days #3
  7. ↑ Exiles #12
  8. ↑ Edge of Spider-Verse #2
  9. ↑ Spider-Gwen #2
  10. ↑ "How 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Went From In-Joke to Blockbuster". Rolling Stone. August 14, 2014.
  11. ↑ Ultimate Spider-Man #131 (Apr. 2009)
  12. ↑ Ultimate Comics Avengers 3 #1 (Sept. 2010)
  13. ↑ Ultimate Comics Avengers 3 #2 (Nov. 2010)
  14. ↑ Ultimate Comics Avengers 3 #6 (March 2011)

External links

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