Marvel Gives Daredevil a New Costume
Marvel has given Daredevil a new costume – and it's one that comes with a heavenly purpose! (Daredevil #12 SPOILERS FOLLOW!)
In part 12 of Daredevil writer Chip Zdarsky's "The Red Fist Saga" Matt Murdock and his wife Elektra have defeated their enemies The Hand and the Stormwyn Family, in the war between The Hand (and their new war chief Frank Castle), and The FIst (Daredevil and Elektra's group). However, the cost of winning the war was high: Matt lost his best friend Foggy Nelson and mentor Stick to The Hand (and their demonic lord, The Beast) – not mention numerous world leaders, all of whom now have their souls trapped in The Beast's realm of hell. In order to rescue those lost souls, Matt has prepared himself for the ultimate sacrificial journey – into hell itself.
Most of Daredevil #12 sees Matt making his way to the site of "The Siege Infernal," a portal that takes any soul that dies in its vicinity straight to The Beast's realm of Hell. Even though Elektra puts up a literal fight to stop her husband, Matt ultimately does get what he wants, impaling himself on Elektra's sai.
Matt's vision of the afterlife is revealed to be a boxing ring where he finds his dad, Jack Murdock's, soul waiting. Jack gives Matt his Daredevil cowl and instructs his son to get up and 'fight for someone' if he must fight at all. As Matt heads into The Beast's realm, he decides to manifest himself a new costume for the battle to come.
What Is Daredevil's New White Costume?
Obviously, whenever a Marvel Comic decides to take things into a spiritual realm and/or vision, you have to take everything you see with a grain of metaphoric salt. However, this manifestation of a white costume is important to where Matt is as a character in this "Red Fist Saga" storyline. Matt Murdock has been reflecting on his own sins, and the presence of the devil (The Beast) in his life, lamenting how it has affected those around him. He sees his sacrifice and journey into Hell as God's will, and him as a noble servant. So, if he is going to face one of the worst devils there is, and end the hand, then doing it in the image of God is truly important to Matt. After all, what is Daredevil without his faith?
You can read new issues of Daredevil at Marvel Comics.
