10 Things Everyone Always Forgets About Daredevil
7. His Rogues Gallery
Daredevil’s list of villains has not always been the crème de la crème of the criminal underworld. They have ranged from the ridiculous to the life-destroying. In fact, being a street-level hero based in New York City, the Man Without Fear often goes toe to toe with the villains of other heroes, especially those on Spider-Man’s impressively deep rogues gallery. In Daredevil #2, it was Spider-Man mainstay Electro who was the first foe Matt ever faced in costume.
The Guardian Devil’s initial batch of foes are among the most often mocked in comics - including the high-rise thief The Stilt-Man, the Matador, and the Leap-Frog - and defeating them gave Matt an early boost of confidence. However, his foes began to become more serious as he found himself in conflict with local crime lord The Owl. Elsewhere, Russian spy The Purple Man and artist and chemist Mr. Fear both had powers that didn’t work on Matt, but their control of the crowds of bystanders always made dealing with them particularly dangerous.
Early in his career, the Devil of Hell's Kitchen battled Namor the Sub-Mariner. Even though he had no hope of beating the Atlantean, Matt refused to give up. This impressed Namor, who stopped the fight. Beginning in Daredevil #37, Matt underwent the Marvel superhero rite of passage when he battled (and lost to) Doctor Doom.