Frank Millers impact on the world of Daredevil is immeasurable, but arguably his greatest contribution was the introduction of Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of crime, as Matt Murdocks chief adversary and antagonist. The Gang War arc marked the very first time Daredevil and Kingpin locked horns. The storyline established a number of themes and dynamics that would go on to play key roles in future Daredevil/Kingpin confrontations, such as the cat and mouse game the two characters would endlessly play. Gang War depicts a reluctant Kingpin enjoying the fruits of his retirement. But, as any mob boss can tell you, every time Fisk thinks hes out, somebody pulls him back in. In this instance, a number of rival gangs make a play to obtain Fisks secret files. At one point, Murdock dons a disguise and tries out for Kingpins gang to get the files for himself, only to be discovered and beaten senseless (and dumped into a sewer pipe) by the rotund crime boss. During one of the gang battles, Kingpins wife, Vanessa, is presumed dead. By the end of the storyline, Kingpin just hands his files over to Daredevil, and tells him to do what he wants with them that hell just regroup and come back stronger and meaner than ever before. And thus, a rivalry that has endured for more than 30 years, is born. Meanwhile, Millers decision to cast Kingpin as Daredevils nemesis was a stroke a genius. It only makes sense for a superhero that spends his civilian life as an attorney defending the integrity of the law to be paired off with a villain who works the legal system and corrupts it to his benefit.
Mark is a professional writer living in Brooklyn and is the founder of the Chasing Amazing Blog, which documents his quest to collect every issue of Amazing Spider-Man, and the Superior Spider-Talk podcast. He also pens the "Gimmick or Good?" column at Comics Should Be Good blog.
