The announcement of the MCU’s upcoming Daredevil: Born Again as a continuation of the 2015 series effectively brought The Defenders and the adjacent series and their protagonists — including Daredevil — to the MCU. This is great news for the fans, but it also means that the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen is bound to meet the Avengers or face some Avenger-level threats on his home turf. Well, as people re-watch the original series in preparation for the upcoming release, we’d like to mention six Avenger-level threats Daredevil fought in the comics.
Daredevil Fought Ultron
The Act of Vengeance crossover was based around the idea of taking some of Marvel’s heroes and having them fight some of its greatest villains but in a complete mismatch. The list of villains included Doctor Doom, Red Skull, Kingpin, Ultron, and others. However, instead of pitting Doctor Doom against the Fantastic Four, Red Skull against Captain America, and Kingpin against Daredevil or Spider-Man, Act of Vengeance offered a What If…?-type of storytelling in which Daredevil faced Ultron: an Avengers-level threat.
The story leading to the Daredevil vs. Ultron fight was set up gradually in Daredevil comics, with Doctor Doom gathering and merging various Ultrons from different universes into a single Ultron. This new Ultron was sent after Daredevil in Acts of Vengeance, and in a surprise attack, Daredevil manages to drive his billy club into Ultron’s neck, damaging it, before hitting him in the neck again, which sends Ultron’s head flying. Admittedly, Daredevil had some help from the Inhumans, but he did land the first and final blow, which decommissioned this mega-Ultron.
He Fought the Hulk
Though the mere idea of Matt Murdock fighting Hulk might sound ridiculous, it did happen in the comics. The fight took place in Daredevil #163, published in 1980, where Matt Murdock confronts the Hulk and coaxes him into turning back into Bruce Banner. Sometime later, Hulk breaks out again, and Daredevil confronts the Jade Giant not once but twice and has his spandex-packed-tushy handed back to him, to the point of collapsing from the beating he received. While he didn’t traditionally win the first time, he did manage to subdue the Green Monster, and that also counts.
Daredevil vs. Absorbing Man
Absorbing Man often fights against Thor and the Avengers. When this Avengers-level threat decided to lay low in Hell’s Kitchen, Daredevil wasn’t having it. While Creel’s abilities to absorb any materials’ properties made him a nightmare matchup for someone like Daredevil (who fights using fists and batons), Matt used his intelligence to outmaneuver the villain.
He ended up luring Creel into a trap and tricking him into absorbing the properties of a diamond. Despite popular belief, diamonds are hard but also very brittle, and when hit with a hammer (or, in Daredevil’s case, the butt-end of a gun), they shatter into small pieces — which is exactly what happened to the Absorbing Man in Daredevil #360.
He Tossed Silver Surfer Out the Window
Silver Surfer can be considered a cosmic-level threat, but that didn’t stop Matt Murdock from tossing him out the window after the latter endangered Matt’s office staff in Daredevil Vol 3. #30 Namely, an Achian by the name of Ru’ach came to Earth, sought Matt Murdock, and pleaded to take him to the Avengers for protection.
Silver Surfer caught up to Ru’ach but was tossed out of the building when he almost hit one of Matt’s staff members. After realizing that Silver Surfer isn’t the bad guy in the situation and that Ru’ach lied, the two teams catch up to the intergalactic liar. Daredevil didn’t win this fight in a traditional sense; sure, he did land a few punches, but he proved that he had the courage to challenge someone on the level of Galactus’ former herald.
He Fought Dr. Doom
Daredevil #37 opens up with Daredevil being beaten senseless by Doctor Doom, one of the most formidable villains in the Marvel universe. After tossing Daredevil into his own personal prison, Doom manages to swap bodies with DD, intending to use his newfound identity to infiltrate and undermine his enemies, including the Fantastic Four.
Despite being in Doom’s body back in the Kingdom of Latveria, Daredevil manages to reverse the body swap and thwart Doom’s plans, proving victorious over one of Marvel’s most intelligent bad guys. This encounter highlights Daredevil’s ability to adapt and overcome, even when going against a supervillain who regularly challenges the Avengers.
Daredevil Resisted Mephisto
Daredevil #278, the intro into the Heart of Darkness story arc, has Mephisto and Blackheart discussing the finer points of evil, with the former challenging the latter to make Daredevil and Inhumans commit evil acts. The arc sees Daredevil and company being dragged to Hell, where Daredevil goes to make a compelling case for humanity as he endures his companions being tortured and killed in front of him.
He wins a moral fight with Mephisto by proving that humans win by not fighting evil with evil but by turning the other cheek. This enrages Mephisto, and we would see the end of Daredevil were it not for Silver Surfer, who distracted the Prince of Lies enough for Daredevil and Inhumans to escape.
Final Thoughts
Though he’s just a really strong human with plenty of training and enhanced senses, Daredevil’s encounters with formidable foes underscore his bravery, strategic approach to battle, and unwavering commitment to protecting Hell’s Kitchen — even in the face of danger that typically challenges the Avengers.