Daredevil had always been one of Marvel’s most ethically conflicted heroes. He’s both a practicing lawyer and an illegal vigilante, a man who craves violence and seeks to put a stop to it. Matt has always preached the importance of the law, but he also takes it into his own hands every day, striving to enforce justice where he believes the system fails. These contradicting beliefs constantly force Matt to grapple with the reality of his actions and question how he can be both above the law and a defender of it. They make for an endlessly entertaining character, but for the most part, they are the focus of Matt’s internal struggles, not addressing the real-world implications of such a scenario.
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In the real world, should Daredevil’s identity ever become public, all the repercussions of his association with both sides of the law would come crashing down on him like an angry tsunami. Not just Matt, but all of his friends and associates as well. Comic books love to sidestep this issue, highlighting why secret identities are so important, but that all changed when Daredevil’s secret identity was revealed to the world in Daredevil (2011) #36. Twelve years ago today, Matt bore his soul to the jury of his peers, and the most expected result of all time happened.
The Disbarment of Nelson and Murdock
Naturally, those who fight for the law in the courts are expected to uphold it. Proven criminal or illegal activities can easily lead to a lawyer being disbarred in their practicing state. Basically, this means that they are no longer allowed to practice law in that state. This doesn’t exclude them from finding new work in another state, though the majority of states would think twice about letting someone who’s already been disbarred take their exam. This was the exact situation that Matt and Foggy found themselves in when his identity was revealed to the world yet again.
Unlike previous identity reveals, where Matt denied and managed to convince the public that it wasn’t true, Matt told the world himself while under oath. During the legendary Mark Waid’s run on the title, Daredevil had come into conflict with the sinister Sons of the Serpent. This group is a longstanding hate group, having evolved through numerous iterations, all of which aimed to foster dissent and division among people. This particular incarnation of the organization controlled the New York justice system. They would control who received judgment and the verdict for a mix of bigotry and profit.
Unfortunately for Daredevil, not only did the Sons of the Serpent control the courts he so believed in, but they also uncovered his secret identity. A high-ranking member, Ogilvy, threatened to reveal Matt’s identity unless he testified in favor of Ogilvy’s son in a murder charge. With his only choices being compromising his integrity or his identity becoming public, he chose the latter himself. Without their leverage, Matt easily stomped the Sons of the Serpent, but lost his career in the process. While the New York Supreme Court commended Daredevil for his heroics, they had to uphold the law themselves. In light of their conflict of interests, Matt and Foggy were formally disbarred in New York.
Without Fear, But Embracing Consequences
Matt and Foggy willingly accepted the consequences of Matt’s double life after it became public. They both knew that it would forever stain their lives, but they had no other choice if it meant doing the right thing. This, obviously, is the most realistic expectation for Daredevil’s identity reveal, but it’s also a story that readers had been waiting years for. This outcome had always been the threatened reality of Matt’s identity being revealed, and after decades, readers finally had a chance to see a story they likely never expected would exist. Matt and Foggy faced serious, life-changing consequences for their actions, which are very rare in comic books.
Still, this story offered these long-running heroes the chance to show that their spirits could not be bought. It gave them the chance to tackle what had always been thought of as their ultimate end and power through it. There was even a light at the end of the tunnel, as Matt had a secret weapon. Sure, he’d been disbarred in New York, but he’d previously operated in Sans Fransico and could still practice there. Matt and Foggy picked up their lives and moved across the continent, but they maintained their integrity, all while facing one of the biggest status quo changes they’d seen in decades. Daredevil faced his consequences, but it was far from his end.
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Image Courtesy of Toei Animation
