10 Comics Superheroes With The Best Motivations

10. Daredevil

The Man Without Fear himself, Matt Murdock takes to the streets of Hell's Kitchen to punish the guilty and protect the innocent. Lawyer by day and vigilante by night, this vigilante has featured in some of Marvel's most important stories and is synonymous with the medium's best and brightest, so it should come as no surprise to hear that his motivations are fairly complex.

Created by Stan Lee and Bill Everett, young Matthew Murdock is blinded by toxic waste after pushing an elderly man out of the way of oncoming traffic. Permanently blinded, Murdock's other senses are all heightened after the accident and he develops the ability to 'see' in a completely different way. When his father, Battlin' Jack Murdock, is murdered by the mob, Matt is sent to live at a Catholic orphanage where he falls under the tutelage of Stick, a blind ninja who's been battling a secretive ninja group known as 'The Hand' his entire life.

Taught to use his gifts for good, Murdock becomes an expert in martial arts but eventually falls out of favour with his master. Matt then decides to become a lawyer, wanting to protect the innocent from injustice through legal means, before eventually going into business with longtime friend Franklin 'Foggy' Nelson as a defence attorney.

Throughout his life, Daredevil has been ravaged by internal torment. He despises injustice no matter its form, and is also motivated in part by his Catholic faith. All the while Murdock is desperate to fight for those who cannot though legal and not-so-legal means. That - despite his flaws - makes him a hero to be admired.