As a comic book fan, I have been spoiled. The Avengers movie franchise and all the individual films leading up to Endgame entertained us with plenty of action and super-charged superheroes. Iron Man, Spiderman, Thor, Hulk, and Captain America all possess extraordinary powers that elevate them above the average superhero. Every superhero has a weakness. These headlining characters just seem to have less disadvantages than others. Recently, I took up reading about a Marvel superhero with an obvious weakness—blindness! Yes, I am talking about Matt Murdock, Daredevil.
As a child, Murdock saved a blind man from being run over by a speeding truck. Although successful in saving the man’s life, Murdock was doused with radioactive chemicals that spilled from the vehicle. The effects were painful and long-term. He lost the ability to see, but those chemicals enhanced Murdock’s other senses.
Until recently, Daredevil never appealed to me as an intriguing character or satisfying superhero. I always thought of him as a second-rate hero—he did not seem to possess those “cool” or “unique-enough” powers to captivate my attention. Batman and the Green Arrow lack superpowers, yet they appealed me. The reason those characters interested me is because of their overcoming of suffering and loss. Only after reading Daredevil comics did I discover I was missing out. My previous attitude is best captured by Venerable Fulton Sheen’s words, “There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate The Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be.” My perceptions of Daredevil as that periphery, odd, and “weak” character prevented me from learning how truly awesome Matt Murdock is as a character in Marvel Comics.
Along with his enhanced abilities and knowledge of the law as a defense attorney, Matt Murdock is the premier hero when it comes to learning about the Catholic faith. Daredevil’s strong faith, role as an advocate for the wrongly accused, and understanding of the value of human life makes him a great comic book role model to learn about Truth.
Fighting for Justice
In the day, Matt Murdock fights injustice as a defense attorney. He takes on former criminals, average joes, and those without any other choice and advocates for them in the court. Daredevil: Dark Nights #6-8 details Murdock’s taking on a client named Nestor Canosa—an ordinary working man who witnessed a murder. He became a key witness for the case against the murderer (a brother of a big-time drug lord). The “Man without Fear” saved his client from being kidnapped and brought justice by securing a life sentence for the bad guy.
Murdock’s enhanced senses help combat injustice both as an attorney and as a vigilante. Throughout the comics he is shown to hear the heartbeats of individuals near and far—a lot of the times a heightened heart-rate is a tell that a suspect is lying. Murdock even suspected something was amiss with Spiderman in Daredevil #22 (when Dr. Octavius’s mind is inside Peter Parker’s body as the Superior Spiderman).
Importance of Integrity
Murdock’s extensive knowledge of the law, red costume, and specialized billy clubs are the immediate things associated when you think of the hero Daredevil. While seeing his acrobatic fighting style play out through the pages of a comic or Netflix’s Daredevil series is entertaining, there is so much more depth to Daredevil. A major recent storyline is Murdock’s best friend Foggy Nelson being diagnosed with cancer (Daredevil #22). Daredevil’s strong devotion to his friend in need combined with his desire to prevent killings in the field of action demonstrate his integrity. Foggy Nelson testifies to Murdock’s character by saying, “You’re not perfect. Sometimes, you can be a real jerk. Not on purpose. Just sometimes. But no matter what, you are a man of integrity. That is your defining characteristic” (Daredevil #36). The Catholic Church is currently going through a crisis of integrity—leaders not leading with honor and respect for the rest of the Church. Daredevil is only a fictional character, but he reminds us of the importance of good character. Consistency of character will always trump a “superpower” or enhanced ability.
Love for Your Neighbor
The third reason I dare you to learn from Daredevil is his strong love of neighbor. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 22:39, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Daredevil: Dark Nights 1—8 show explicit examples this command. From the beginning of that volume, Murdock is beaten by thieves and left to die in the middle of a blizzard. Seeing “The Man without Fear” being carried to a local hospital made Daredevil more real to me. Despite his enhanced abilities and training regimen, Murdock is still an ordinary human like us. That rawness and humility appealed to me.
Daredevil’s love for his fellow neighbor is further demonstrated in the Dark Nights volume as he learns of a little girl needing a heart transplant. Disregarding his own injuries, Murdock searches for a helicopter transferring a donor heart, fends off bad guys trying to rob the hospital, and even brings any injured to the care of doctors.
Daredevil’s story began with the selfless act of saving a blind man’s life. “The accident that blinded me gave more than it took,” Murdock declared in (Daredevil #2). According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church number 1505, “By his passion and death on the cross Christ has given a new meaning to suffering: it can henceforth configure us to him and unite us with his redemptive Passion.” Marvel’s Daredevil treats suffering, not as something to be avoided at all cost, but rather to grow and learn. Matt Murdock is a perfect comic book character for any nerdy Catholic to view as a role model. We are each called, as Daredevil, to fight injustice, possess strong character, and love your neighbor as yourself. Fear not! Broaden your fantasy horizons and read (or reread!) Daredevil now.
Matt Chicoine
Matthew Chicoine is a free-lance writer, a life-long Catholic, and an avid truth seeker. He earned an M.A. in theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2014 and enjoys binge reading Tolkien, Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, Fulton Sheen and comic books. Visit his blog at https://thesimplecatholic.