Stan
Lee’s fun loving, blind superhero Daredevil (Matt Murdock) went from sensitive,
romantic action hero to promiscuous, violent crimefighter. Every time Daredevil
got a new writer, Matt also got a new love interest. Here’s a run-through of
his history with the ladies.
When Marvel Comics launched the Daredevil series in
1964, the concept seemed to be “superhero action spiced with romantic drama.” A
love interest for the handsome redhead Matt Murdock was set up in the very
first issue with the introduction of his secretary Karen Page. The blind lawyer
Matt was immediately smitten with Karen, thinking that “her voice is like
music” and “I KNOW she’s lovely.”
Matt’s attraction to Karen was reciprocated in the
very next issue where she thought to herself: “Poor Matt Murdock. He’s so
handsome… so intelligent… so doggone WONDERFUL! I’d marry him in a minute, even
though he’s blind… if only he’d ask me!”
By issue #3, Matt had trouble believing that Karen
might really be into him, but after getting kidnapped by the criminal Owl and
getting rescued by Daredevil, Karen was sure that she was falling in love with
Matt who reminded her of Daredevil.
Obstacles to true love
Matt realized in Daredevil #4 that his law firm partner
Franklin Nelson, nicknamed Foggy, also had feelings for Karen. “Now that I know
how FOGGY feels about her, I must never reveal my OWN feelings!” he thought.
“It… just wouldn’t be right!”
And so, a love triangle was set up that got played out
during the many next issues of Daredevil with Matt and Karen secretly yearning
for each other while Foggy yearned for Karen. By issue #14, Foggy had realized
that it was Matt that Karen was interested in, thinking, “the way she’s LOOKING
at him! If only she’d look at ME like that.”
When Daredevil’s superhero colleague Spider-Man
mistakenly assumed that Foggy was Daredevil in issue #17, Foggy decided to use
this to his advantage in trying to win the attention of Karen. In Daredevil
#18, he even dressed up as Daredevil, pretending to be him, but in issue #19,
Karen learned that Foggy was not Daredevil and felt relief. Overhearing their
conversation, Matt was relieved to hear that Karen thought Matt was “the most
wonderful man I’ve ever known,” so he decided to concentrate his attention on
her.
But of course, things got complicated once again when
in issue #22 Karen began to suspect that Matt was Daredevil. In order to
prevent his secret from getting revealed, Matt invented a fake twin-brother
Mike in issue #25, pretending to be Mike himself and saying that Mike was
Daredevil. The gullible Karen now had two suitors once more: Matt and his
brother Mike, never suspecting they were one and the same person.
Kept apart by Daredevil
Foggy found himself another love interest, but although
Karen was deceived by Matt, she never really did feel attracted to his Mike
persona. Her love for Matt stayed true and he discarded his Mike act in
Daredevil #41, pretending that Mike had gotten killed in action and that
someone else then picked up the Daredevil identity.
Things still did not end happily for Matt and Karen,
though. In Daredevil #43, they had a falling out because Karen felt that Matt
let his blindness keep them apart. Matt assumed this was for the best in order
to keep his Daredevil identity a secret. But, of course, even though she was
gone, he longed for her in subsequent issues and finally, in issue #48, she
came back and they kissed for the very first time.
Still, Matt’s Daredevil identity continued to keep
them apart until issue #57 where he decided to simply reveal to Karen that he
was Daredevil. Then they planned a life together – Matt would retire his
Daredevil identity and she would marry him. But of course, Matt changed his
mind about retiring his Daredevil identity and so Karen left him once again in
the very next issue because it was either Daredevil or her – she just would not
accept that her boyfriend was also Daredevil.
By then, Roy Thomas was writing the series, and in
issue #63 Karen quit her job as Matt’s secretary and left on a plane for Los
Angeles, hoping in vain that Matt would change his mind and come running after
her at the last minute which of course his Daredevil activities prevented him
from doing.
Exit Karen, enter Natasha
In Daredevil #64 in 1970, Karen Page refused to take
Matt’s phone call, and in the next issue, she had started an acting career in
Los Angeles. When Daredevil looked her up, she told him that she went to L. A.
to find herself and sort things out and that until she had succeeded, they’d
better go their separate ways. She refused to go back to New York with
Daredevil in issue #67, instead feeling the lure of becoming a famous Hollywood
actress.
When Karen Page went to New York on a press tour in
Daredevil #77, fate – and new writer Gerry Conway – continued to keep her and
Matt apart, even though Karen had regrets about leaving Matt in issue #79.
Daredevil was rescued from drowning by the
superheroine Black Widow in Daredevil #81 from 1971 and they teamed up against
the supervillain the Owl while Karen Page comforted her broken heart in the
arms of her agent Phil and in the very next issue it was implied that they had
slept together and Phil was now in love with Karen.
Meanwhile, Daredevil and the Black Widow got deeply
involved in each other’s lives and by Daredevil #84 they were kissing in their
civilian identities as Matt Murdock and Natasha Romanoff, but when Karen ran
into Matt in Daredevil #85, they kissed in front of both Phil and a teary-eyed Natasha
with whom they had just been smooching. Embarrassing.
But then, in the very next issue Matt and Karen
realized they had both moved on from each other and Karen let go of Matt who
was lucky that Natasha welcomed him back in her arms.
Breaking up with the Black Widow
Matt and Natasha were quick to move in together - they
did so in Daredevil #87 in 1972 – and in San Francisco of all places. By issue
#92, the series was retitled Daredevil and the Black Widow and then writer
Steve Gerber took over with issue #99 from 1973 in which the Black Widow’s
ex-boyfriend Hawkeye of the Avengers turned up and wanted her back. Of course,
this resulted in Daredevil and Hawkeye fighting over the lady until the Widow
pointed out that it was her decision who she wanted to be with. In a crossover
with Avengers #110, she decided to join the Avengers but returned to Daredevil
in #101.
Then, in Daredevil #108 in 1974, Matt Murdock felt
strongly attracted to guest-star Moon Dragon, but she did not reciprocate his
attraction and then he returned to New York where his friend Foggy had been
shot and was in the hospital. Natasha assumed he wouldn’t be coming back to
her. “It’s OVER between us. I KNOW it is,” she said.
In New York, Matt met Foggy’s sister Candace Nelson
who made a play for him in Daredevil #109, but nothing serious developed
between them. Meanwhile, the Black Widow kept pining for Matt and in Daredevil
#116 they were kissing again. Their reunion was short-lived, though, as in the
very next issue Natasha decided against moving to New York with Matt and they
kissed each other goodbye.
Unfortunately, new writer Tony Isabella brought the
Black Widow back as a love interest for Daredevil in issue #120, but his run as
writer was brief and then the series’ editor Len Wein wrote the Widow out yet
again in issue #124 in 1975. He used the excuse that the Black Widow wanted to
be her own woman and not stand in Daredevil’s shadow.
Girls throw themselves at Matt
It didn’t take new writer Marv Wolfman long to
introduce a new girlfriend for Matt Murdock. Heather Glenn’s ex-boyfriend used
to live in the apartment now inhabited by Matt, and in Daredevil #126 in 1975
she just barged in using a spare key and started kissing on Matt, saying: “I
kinda think you’re CUTE.” Matt obviously liked Heather throwing herself at him,
deciding against changing the locks to keep her out of his apartment.
The very next issue, Heather was back and kissing on
Matt again, saying: “I know you probably think I’m PUSHY - but mom always said,
“if you like someone – GO FOR BROKE, KID!””
In Daredevil #128 Heather tagged along with Matt to a
meeting with Foggy Nelson after which she and Matt seemed to be a couple. In
Daredevil #130, Foggy’s sister Candy Nelson also threw herself at Matt, kissing
him in front of Heather, but Matt stuck with Heather. When he and Foggy became Attorneys-at-Law
partners again in Daredevil #131, it appeared that Heather was now their
secretary – taking on the job previously held by Karen Page.
By Daredevil #134, Matt realized that Heather’s “craziness”
was just what he needed to loosen up and that she wasn’t just a distraction
after the break-up with the Black Widow, but that he really cared for her.
After rescuing his ex-girlfriend Karen Page in Daredevil #138 and Ghost Rider
#20 and realizing nothing had changed about the reasons for their break-up,
Matt and Heather’s romance heated-up and then, of course, obstacles to their
love appeared. Heather’s father Maxwell Glenn’s company Glenn Industries was
involved with some shady business that Daredevil took a personal interest in investigating
just as new writer Jim Shooter took over.
Three women to choose from
Jim Shooter had Maxwell Glenn confess his guilt in
Daredevil #147 in 1977, but Maxwell was really under the influence of the
villain Killgrave, the Purple Man, but neither Matt nor Daredevil could prove
his innocence, so Maxwell still went to jail. Heather then left Matt in
Daredevil #148 because her life was falling apart, and he didn’t seem to care.
When Matt tried to patch things up between them in the very next issue, the
rift between them only grew larger and things only got worse in Daredevil #150
and 151 when Maxwell committed suicide in his cell and Heather walked in on
Matt wearing his Daredevil costume without the mask.
Heather was heartbroken to learn that Matt was
Daredevil who had arrested her father and that her father was now dead. She
blamed Matt for the death of her father and screamed at Matt that she hated him
and told him to leave which he did.
Enter new writer Roger McKenzie and Heather Glenn was
back with Daredevil in issue #154 and the very next issue the Black Widow was
also back in his life. In Daredevil #157 the Widow kissed Daredevil in front of
her fellow Champion Hercules with whom she had been romantically involved, but
Daredevil was more interested in patching things up with Heather. The two women
met in that very issue, both thinking they had a date with Matt, and it was
revealed that his wheelchair bound secretary Becky also had the hots for him,
but she didn’t stand a chance against the other two. Matt decided to go with
Heather and in Daredevil #165, the Widow left New York.
Breaking up with Heather
Enter new writer Frank Miller and a never-before heard-of
girlfriend from Matt Murdock’s past showed up in Daredevil #168 from 1981. She
was Greek and her name was Elektra Natchios and Matt had fallen for her while
studying pre-law at Colombia University. After her father was killed, she left
Matt and returned to Europe. And just like Matt had become the costumed
Daredevil, she had now become the costumed Elektra. But there was a catch: She
was now a psycho bounty-hunting, ninja killer bitch and found herself at odds
with Daredevil, going so far as shoving him out a window when he tried to
rekindle their romance in Daredevil #175.
And why should Elektra want to reciprocate Daredevil’s
interest? He already had a girlfriend, Heather Glenn and in Daredevil #171 he
made love to Heather in a public park. So, Elektra accepted an offer from
Daredevil’s enemy the Kingpin to become his assassin and then she battled
Daredevil in issue #179 before getting killed off by a rival hitman in
Daredevil #181. Daredevil was in denial about her death and went so far as to
dig up her dead body in issue #182 to make sure she was dead because “I LOVED
her.” And then he asked Heather to marry him in the very next issue.
However, Matt and Heather’s relationship remained
troubled and strained and by Daredevil #189 Heather had started drinking. Now
just a friend, the Black Widow was back for a visit with Matt and she conspired
with Matt’s best friend Foggy Nelson to put an end to the misery and break up
Matt and Heather by forging goodbye-notes for the both of them.
Adult relationships
Enter new writer Denny O’ Neil and in Daredevil #197 from
1983 Daredevil met the Japanese girl Yuriko. He slept with her the very next
issue even though she had a boyfriend she was reunited with in Daredevil #199.
Later she would become a major foe of the superhero Wolverine by the name of Lady
Deathstrike.
Then, in Daredevil #205, Daredevil met the Irish
photographer Glorianna O’ Breen who became a house guest of Matt Murdock
without knowing he was Daredevil. By issue #216 Matt and Glorianne were dating.
Meanwhile, Matt’s ex-girlfriend Heather’s drinking
problem had escalated, and she turned to Matt in her loneliness in Daredevil
#220, but he turned her down. Then she committed suicide and Matt blamed
himself but decided to just go on living at the end of the next issue.
In Daredevil #226 Glorianna started dating Matt’s
recently divorced friend Foggy Nelson instead of Matt because Matt’s secret
Daredevil identity made him seem unreliable to her.
Then, in 1986, writer Frank Miller returned for a
story-arc that set Matt’s love life back on track with his original love, Karen
Page. Following her last appearance in Daredevil #138, Karen had now become a
drug addicted porn star who sold out Daredevil’s secret identity for a fix in
Daredevil #227. She had second thoughts, though, and began a journey back to
New York that culminated in Daredevil #231 where she had a very emotional
reunion with Matt. He had been through hell because she sold him out, but he
forgave her for everything and helped her go cold turkey in the very next issue.
In Daredevil #233, they rose from the ashes of their wrecked lives to build a
new life together at last.
Cheating on Karen
With Daredevil #236 in
1986, writer Ann Nocenti began a lengthy run on the series. To keep things
interesting between Matt and Karen, she had Karen having to come to terms with
her boyfriend having a violent side, beating up villains and coming home hurt
afterwards. The storyline ran from Daredevil #242 to 244.
Then Ann Nocenti
decided to shake up the status quo by introducing the schizophrenic Typhoid
Mary in Daredevil #254 in 1988. Typhoid Mary was hired by Daredevil’s archenemy
the Kingpin to destroy Daredevil. She approached the job by introducing her
other personality called simply Mary into the life of Matt Murdock and seducing
him. When battling Typhoid Mary as Daredevil, Matt never suspected that her and
Mary were one and the same person. When Karen realized in Daredevil #263 that
Matt had been two-timing her with Mary, she ran off.
His life once again in
ruins, Matt embarked on a journey that literally took him to Hell and back in
atonement for his sin of infidelity. It wasn’t until Daredevil #284 that he
returned to New York, regressing into an amnesiac state of denial about what
had happened and adopting his father’s name, Jack. In the next issue he hooked
up with the homeless woman Nyla Skin until he regained his memory and broke up
with her in Daredevil #289.
New writer D. G.
Chichester came onboard with Daredevil #292 in 1991 and got to wrap up Ann
Nocenti’s storyline. Matt learned in issue #294 what had become of Karen Page.
She was now making a stand against pornography and was mad at Matt for what
happened with Mary, but she gradually warmed up to him, meeting with him again
in issue #297.
Daredevil set out to
take down the Kingpin’s mistress, Typhoid Mary, that very same issue. He did so
by seducing her instead of battling her. After he slept with her, she reverted
to her Mary personality and Matt reported her to the Department of Social Services
who took her in for a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation.
Marrying a blind woman
Matt Murdock and Karen Page got back together and
remained in a solid relationship until the series ended with Daredevil #380 in
1998. When the series was relaunched as Daredevil vol. 2 by writer Kevin Smith
that same year, it was decided that Daredevil should be single, and Karen Page
was killed off in issue #5.
This made Matt available to fall in love with writer
David Mack’s Elektra and Typhoid Mary rip-off Echo in the next story arc
beginning with Daredevil vol. 2 #9. Echo fell for Matt Murdock in her civilian
identity as Maya Lopez while fighting Daredevil as Echo orchestrated by the
Kingpin. When she realized in issue #15 that Matt Murdock and Daredevil were
one and the same, she turned on the Kingpin and left town.
Writer Brian Michael Bendis settled in for a lengthy
run beginning with Daredevil vol. 2 #26 in 2001. It wasn’t until Daredevil vol.
2 #41 in 2003 that he introduced his idea of a perfect woman for Matt, though.
She was a blind woman named Milla Donovan whom Daredevil rescued from being run
over by a truck. Having heard the then public rumor that Daredevil was in fact
the blind lawyer Matt Murdock, Milla showed up at his office the very next
issue to thank him. Although initially denying that he was Daredevil, Matt
couldn’t fool Milla in issue #43. Feeling mutual attraction, they started
dating in subsequent issues and were in bed together by Daredevil vol. 2 #48.
Cheating on Milla
Having found happiness with Milla Donovan, Daredevil
turned down Echo upon her return in Daredevil vol. 2 #52 and then it was
revealed in issue #57 that he had married Milla. However, when Matt’s friend
Foggy told Milla of Karen Page in Daredevil vol. 2 #59 she feared that Matt
only married her because he had a nervous breakdown following Karen’s death.
Milla then left Matt in issue #60 and filed for an annulment of their marriage
the very next issue which he agreed to in issue #64.
Milla returned to Matt in Daredevil vol. 2 #76. She
had not filed the divorce papers and by the very next issue they were back in
bed together. Milla admitted she had been jealous of Karen Page’s ghost and now
she missed Matt. He said he hadn’t seen anyone else because “I’m married.”
Enter new writer Ed Brubaker with Daredevil vol. 2 #82
in 2006. Daredevil’s relationship with Milla Donovan was recapped in Daredevil
vol. 2 #94 before she got driven psychotic and was left in an institution to be
cared for by professionals in Daredevil vol. 2 #105. Thinking he ruined her
life and forbidden to visit his wife because his visits upset her, Matt comforted
himself by sleeping with private investigator Dakota North in Daredevil vol. 2
#111 in 2008. Afterwards he had some regrets about it and then Milla Donovan’s
parents showed up in issue #114, wanting custody of their daughter and to file
the divorce papers Matt had signed in issue #64 but which Milla hadn’t filed.
They had pictures of Matt and Dakota in bed together taken by a private
investigator if Matt decided to take the case to court. Matt didn’t want to let
go of Milla, so Dakota left him in issue #117.
Goodbye to Daredevil’s promiscuous ways
In Daredevil #500 from 2009, Matt finally let go of
Milla and then he was free to pursue new love interests when the series was
relaunched as Daredevil vol. 3 in 2011. New writer Mark Waid introduced his
idea of a fitting love interest for Matt Murdock in the very first issue. Her
name was Kirsten McDuffie and she was the assistant district attorney of New
York. That didn’t stop him from making out with his friend Spider-Man’s love
interest the Black Cat as Daredevil in issue #8, though. That was so not cool.
Goodbye, Daredevil. Goodbye. Matt Murdock. Who knows who you’re sleeping with
now? Who even cares?
When writers Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack wrote
their idea of the final days of Daredevil in the 2012 mini-series Daredevil:
End of Days, they summed it up perfectly: Matt Murdock died a single man who
left behind five children with four different women.
He was not the kind of man you’d want to fall in love
with and marry after all. If loving him didn’t get you dead, he cheated on you.
Sad but true.
