Greetings Body Politic! As part of Daredevil week, this feature is going to give you a glimpse of a universe (which we’ll dive into more thoroughly in an upcoming multi-part article) called the MDCU or the Marvel Detective Comics Universe. In this universe the characters of the Marvel and DC universe coexist, and have always coexisted. As it’s Daredevil week let’s take a look at how Matt Murdock’s life might be different in this universe.
Early Days
The origins in the MDCU always stay the same, so Matt Murdock would have been blinded by a radioactive isotope while his remaining senses were heightened. Daredevil would train in secret to hone his fighting skills under the tutelage of Stick. He would also gain the guidance of his father’s boxing colleague Ted Grant, better known as Wildcat.
In college, Daredevil would meet and fall in love with Elektra. He would also become good friends with Harvey Dent. Both of these relationships would come back to haunt Daredevil later in his career.
Starting Out
The man without fear’s early days would be filled with colorful villains like The Owl, The Scarecrow (Jonathan Crane), The Purple Man, and The Trickster. An early team-up with the Flash pits the duo against Mirror Master and Stiltman. Daredevil easily defeats Mirror Master because he can’t be fooled by his visual tricks, and the Flash easily defeats Stilt-Man, because he’s Stilt-Man.
Matt Murdock, Foggy Nelson, and Harvey Dent start the law offices of Dent, Nelson and Murdock. Dent gets top billing when he wins the coin flip but doesn’t stay long because he is elected District Attorney. Harvey works with Daredevil for a while, until he is scarred by acid from Boss Maroni and becomes Two-Face, one of Daredevil’s worst enemies.
Elektra Returns
Elektra Natchios returns to Daredevil’s life working for the League of Assassins. Daredevil stops her from killing Ben Urich. When the league of assassin’s learns of Elektra’s failure they send Deathstroke to kill her. Daredevil is not able to stop Deathstroke from killing Elektra with her own sai. Daredevil confronts Rha’s Al Ghul and he attempts to resurrect Elektra in the Lazarus Pit. In the confusion of the battle between Daredevil and the league, it is unclear whether Elektra makes it out alive.
A Tale of Two Kings
An ongoing rivalry in Daredevil’s life would be the battle for Kingpin between Wilson Fisk and Harvey Dent. Harvey Dent does not particularly want to be a kingpin he just doesn’t like the idea of one man having so much power. He thinks there should be two people in charge. This war would bring chaos and destruction to Hell’s Kitchen, as each side brings their own armies of supervillains and assassins to fight. The Kingpin employs Bane, Deadshot, and Nuke to stop Harvey who brings together Bullseye, the Scarecrow, and Mr.Hyde. Having to choose the lesser of two evils Daredevil sides with the Kingpin. Wilson Fisk is a man of order and reason, even if he is evil. Together they capture Two-face and send him to Arkham Asylum, thereby ending the war.
Shadowland
In Shadowland, Daredevil becomes the leader of the Hand, and tries to use them as a force for justice. It starts out well enough as Daredevil and the hand take out many members of the league of assassins, and keep them in the Shadowland prison. Eventually Daredevil becomes more and more brutal, which attracts the attention of many other heroes. Batman, Spider-Man, Green Arrow, Elektra, Wildcat, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Nightwing, and others try to reason with Daredevil, but it’s too late. Daredevil has been possessed by the beast, the demonic entity worshipped by the Hand. The heroes team up with Rha’s Al Ghul to defeat Daredevil and the hand. In a brief moment of clarity, Daredevil kills himself to defeat the beast which has possessed him. With the threat of Shadowland over, the heroes go their separate ways mourning the loss of Daredevil. Elektra takes Matt’s body to the Lazarus Pit, just as he had done for her years before.
Out West
After being revived in the Lazarus Pit with a clean soul, Daredevil continues his crime fighting career in a much happier more swashbuckling way. The world knows Matt Murdock is Daredevil and he doesn’t care. The New York bar association however, frowns upon super hero lawyers and moves to disbar him. Matt heads out to Coast City with his new girlfriend, prosecutor Kate Spencer, also known as Manhunter. Together with Foggy Nelson they open a law office in Coast City. At times Matt has to keep Kate from taking her brand of justice too far. Together they face villains like the Owl and Hector Hammond.
While living in Coast City, Daredevil befriends Hal Jordan, and is even recruited to join the Green Lantern Corps since he is a man without fear. Daredevil declines the Lanterns invitation, but he does wield a yellow power ring during the Blackest night event. Daredevil continues fighting crime in Coast City up until the Secret Crisis, after which he is returned to his dark and brooding self in Hell’s Kitchen.
