Marvel's Daredevil Has Surprising New Status Ahead of New Series

Marvel's Daredevil has a surprising new status quo before his new series begins in September. Acclaimed writer Chip Zdarsky's epic "Red Fist Saga" concluded in Daredevil (vol. 7) #14, which examines the aftermath and new status quo for the major Daredevil characters involved in the story – including where Matt Murdock ends up after a literal battle through hell. 

WARNING: SPOILERS FOLLOW! 

Stick, Foggy Nelson, and other souls were taken to a realm of Hell by The Hand ninja clan's demon god The Beast, and Matt Murdock made the ultimate sacrifice to free them. By manipulating Elektra into fatally stabbing him, Matt took his soul into the Beast's realm and used some supernatural power to defeat the entity and free his friends. 

Daredevil #14 reveals that Foggy is using his "Nelson North" legal practice to help people, working with Luke Cage. Elektra is keeping the streets of Hell's Kitchen safe as Daredevil (and occasionally in her civilian guise) while trying to keep Kingpin's son Butch Fisk's criminal syndicate curtailed. 

Matt Murdock's New Identity

The twist in the issue comes when Elektra notices a priest heading into a local church – a red-haired blind priest. When Elektra follows, she finds that Matt Murdock has indeed been "reborn," after his "death," but with seemingly no memory at all of his previous life and identity. A scene of conversation between the two lovers reveals that Matt is "content" in this new guise as a man of god – clearly a manifestation of desires from his psyche that he never acted upon in his old life. Elektra chooses not to disturb Matt in his new life, leaving him behind, juggling a deep sensation of Deja Vu. 

This teaser of Matt Murdock's new identity does not reveal what kind of name the hero is using now, or how he rationalizes the memories of his past leading up to this point. What the epilogue does reveal is that Matt is not completely a "new" person: Upon leaving the church for the day, he overhears a local man being shaken down for money owed to a gangster. A drumbeat in Matt's head overwhelms him, as his heightened sense kick into gear. Matt finds a small pipe in a pile of nearby trash and heads into the dark alleyway to dispense justice. 

Daredevil has always hinged on the concept of Matt Murdock being a spiritual man who serves the rationales of the law while dispensing justice outside the law as Daredevil. Having Matt be a literal 'man of god' with a violent vigilante as Hyde to his Jeykll is definitely a new take on Daredevil worth exploring. 

Daredevil #14 is now on sale at Marvel Comics.