Just a little over four decades ago, two Marvel Comics icons met for the very first time and began one of the most notable rivalries in comic history. I am, of course, speaking of the bad blood that exists between Daredevil and the Punisher. Whether you’ve read one of their many confrontations in the comics or you’re more familiar with the times they’ve squared off in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you know that Frank Castle and Matt Murdock don’t always see eye to eye. One has a strict code they abide by, while the other dispenses lethal justice.
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Granted, Daredevil and Punisher are more often than not on the same side. But Castle’s tendency to end criminals’ lives clashes with Murdock’s faith in the system. It’s hard for them to team up, but not impossible. But their ideological differences often have them butting heads. One does have to wonder, though, what it was like the first time these two met. Was there ever any chance that they could have been friends instead of rivals, or did that ship sail at the beginning? A look back at their first meeting reveals quite a bit about Daredevil and Punisher’s rivalry.
How a Drug Case United Punisher and Daredevil
On this day 44 years ago, Marvel Comics published Daredevil #183 by Roger McKenzie, Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, and Joe Rosen. It’s a story that begins with the tragic death of Mary O’Koren, a girl who has overdosed on PCP. Her death infuriates her brother, Billy, who swears to avenge Mary. Knowing that Billy is going to try to take revenge on the drug pushers who supplied Mary with the drugs, Daredevil seeks them out first. He happens upon a trio of drug dealers and their supplier, Flapper, only for the dealers to try to attack Matt.
Thankfully, Daredevil isn’t the only one after the dealers. One of them is suddenly knifed in the back and falls over dead thanks to the Punisher, who enters the fray armed with a gun. Frank attacks the remaining drug dealers, but Daredevil does his best to save them from Punisher. Amid all the chaos, a gunshot from above takes out Flapper. Daredevil leaves to investigate, only to discover Billy, armed with a gun, though he protests his innocence. Matt takes on Billy’s case, but he’s concerned about the Punisher and asks his pal, Ben Urich, for information on the vigilante.
The Punisher and Daredevil have one last confrontation in this issue, which occurs when Matt is re-examining the crime scene. He spots Punisher beating up a drug user for information and puts an end to Castle’s interrogation. The two discuss their unique approaches to crime-fighting, and surprisingly, Punisher actually offers to work with Daredevil, saying that they could eliminate crime in New York together. But Matt flat-out refuses to work with Punisher, who shoots Daredevil with a tranquilizer dart. Punisher leaves the user he was interrogating for dead, but Matt manages to perform CPR and save his life.
Daredevil and Punisher’s First Meeting Defined Their Dynamic for Years
I don’t think it surprises anyone that these two were rivals from the get-go. Though they both believe in justice, Frank and Matt are just too different for them to ever get along. I will say, I am slightly floored at Punisher offering to be partners with Daredevil, but I feel like it weirdly fits. If there’s one thing that’s consistent with the Punisher, it’s that he’s always trying to convince the more morally firm heroes that there’s only one true way to handle criminals. But Daredevil is just as consistent, never giving in to Frank’s way of doing things.
Punisher and Daredevil have met countless times since this issue, and plenty has changed for both heroes, from their outfits to their supporting characters. But what’s never, and frankly, can’t change for them is their inability to see the other side. There’s something so incredibly interesting about Frank and Matt both being broken men who remade themselves in the wake of their tragedies, ending up as two sides of the same coin. Both vigilantes, but one who believes in a system greater than himself, and one who believes that change can only come from personal actions.
It’s always interesting to look back at firsts like this. This issue defined what readers have come to know about Daredevil and Punisher’s feud. And while other comics have put their own spin on things, like Garth Ennis’ infamous ‘Daredevil shooting Punisher’ test, Daredevil #183 was the foundation for all future stories involving the two vigilantes. It established that they are both committed to cleaning up the streets and that, no matter what, they refuse to see any other way of doing things. Any Punisher or Daredevil fan owes it to themselves to check out the icons’ first meeting.
What do you think about Daredevil and Punisher’s first meeting? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
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