Marvel Setting Up Major Daredevil & Punisher Showdown

Marvel is setting up a major Daredevil and Punisher showdown that’s about to go down in Marvel Comics! Both the Daredevil and Punisher comic series have been doing some major re-inventions of the characters (respectively): Frank Castle The Punisher has become ‘The Fist of the Beast’ aka Tha Hand’s avatar of death; meanwhile, Elektra has become Daredevil, while Matt Murdock surrendered himself to prison after accidentally killing a robber, only to escape prison after his views on vigilantism and incarceration shifted dramatically while a prisoner. 

Well, with a former Hand assassin now acting as Daredevil and Matt Murdock leading prison escapes, it’s not that surprising that Punisher would have a problem with both those people! 

Daredevil #6 (SPOILERS) follows the aftermath of Matt Murdock’s prison break, as he and a bunch of Marvel criminals end up hiding out on Daredevil’s island hideaway. Meanwhile, Elektra is in France, looking into the Hand’s plot to kill world leaders and enslave them as russerected zombies. Unfortunately for Elektra, Iron Man is there and mistakes here investigation for a classic Elektra assassination attempt, and a fight ensues. Elektra handles Tony Stark well enough, but the zombie president of France still jumps to his own demise (again). That’s when France’s zombie-president hits Elektra with a dire warning: 

“It’s too late, daughter of The Hand… Traitor to the beast… We have them all… And soon, we’ll have you on the fields of Yusuhara… One of you will die, and the prophecies will be—” 

The issue ends with Daredevil, Elektra and the escaped convicts all preparing for a drastic mission: heading to Japan to face Punisher and The Hand. However, Punisher knows that his enemies are coming, and is seen sharpening his sword in accordance. His final degeree in the issue is: 

“Thos muderers need to be punished.” 

Marvel has done ‘Daredevil vs. Punisher’ stories going all the way back to the 1970s – but never quite like this. The roles of each character (Punisher, Daredevil (Murdock) and Elektra) have been significantly shifted. In the past, Daredvil was the ninja-style vigilante while Punisher was clearly an anti-hero who so the world in cut-and-dry notions of good and evil, and understood the need to sometimes blend the two. Meanwhile, Daredevil and Elektra existed in a world where they often debate the neature of vigilantism should be, with Frank Castle being the antethesis of everything Daredevil wants to be. Now Punisher has taken up higher rank in the organization Daredevil and Elektra have been tangled in for years; a three-way fight between them suddenly seems more novel than it has in years – and more evenly matched. 

Daredevil comics are sold monthly at Marvel Comics.