Ever since writer Chip Zdarsky took over writing Daredevil it became clear that he was a fan of everything that came before him when it came to the Man Without Fear. Having just relaunched the series with a fresh new #1 it didn’t take long for the series to reach a major milestone issue either. Having arrived at what is technically Daredevil #650, Zdarsky has decided to pay homage to everything that came before him in a big way, and he did it by seemingly making a major change to everything about Daredevil’s history. Spoilers for Daredevil #2/650 follow!
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At the end of last month’s Daredevil #1 came an odd an nearly unexplainable twist, Robert “Goldy” Goldman, a former classmate and colleague of Matt’s, began to glow gold and proclaim himself to be Matt’s Guardian Angel. He also distracted the Man Without Fear just before a bomb exploded on a train, seemingly killing off Kirsten McDuffie, city district attorney who has been Matt’s latest flame. Issue #2 begins to reveal more of the puzzle pieces about Goldy and his powers, and they go back deep into Daredevil lore.
Goldy spends the issue convincing Daredevil that his abilities have been with him since he was a kid and he describes them as voices from God in heaven that have guided him with one purpose, making Matt Murdock the best hero he can be. He goes on to reveal that ever since he met Matt in law school he’s known what he had to do, and he apparently had a major hand in almost every huge Daredevil storyline of the past forty years
“Matt, I did so much. Little things that led to big things,” he tells him. “That led to the city’s savior, Daredevil.” As Matt confronts him for allowing the explosion on the subway to happen Goldy confesses to a lot things, reveling that he was the reason for many things that have happened in his life including having his identity outed during the Brian Michael Bendis/Alex Maleev run and having Typhoid Mary sent after him by Kingpin.
Goldy is quick to note that he didn’t orchestrate everything in Daredevil’s life, pinpointing other key moments throughout the life of the man without fear that happened because of Matt’s ego and hubris, events like fighting in a prison riot with Wilson Fisk and even fighting against Fisk as the mayor of New York City. He concludes by saying that “something’s changed,” and that he needs be more active in making things happen for Matt. In the end Goldy leaps from a building and isn’t seen by Matt again, but it causes Matt to remember something his mother told him:
“God gives us pain, it’s true. They’re tests. Of your faith. Of your character. But the pain is also a gift. Because when the clouds finally part God’s light feels that much warmer.” In that moment Matt sees an improbable thing, Kirsten is alive and they share a moment before Matt prepares to leave for his mission with Elektra. Elsewhere, Goldy turns himself into police, taking responsibility for the bombing. What caused Kirsten to come back to life, whether it was a test from above, Goldy’s powers, or something else, remains to be seen.
Here’s where things get interesting. If you go back to last month’s Daredevil #1, the groundwork for this issue was already there. Much of the issue is structured as an interview with Matt. Though it’s unclear who he is talking to, it’s clearly at a point months in the future since he’s sporting a lengthy beard. That interview houses a key piece of information, that Goldy is a member of his assembled team to fight The Hand. This almost certainly means that Goldy won’t be staying behind bars for long, who knows what else he will influence about Matt Murdock’s life moving foward?
