Daredevil |
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Portrayed by Joel Kinnaman |
Statistics |
Full Name |
Matthew Murdock |
Age |
27 |
Height |
6'0" |
Build |
Athletic |
Eyes |
Milky Blue |
Hair |
Sandy Blonde |
Factions |
N/A |
Occupation |
Lawyer - Nelson & Murdock |
Alignment |
Hero |
Claim to Fame
The Man Without Fear
Reputation
As a lawyer, Matt is well respected as an eloquent and graceful, yet tough as nails case attorney. As his alter-ego, Daredevil is party myth part horror story for those who frequent the neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen.
Biography
Matthew Michael Murdock was born at Roosevelt Hospital in Hell’s Kitchen, New York. He never built a relationship with his mother, Maggie, as she left the family when the boy was very young. She was dead, they told him, which was far easier to understand than a teenage mother abandoning her child. Matt threw his full adoration towards “Battlin’” Jack Murdock, his father and local boxer in the Manhattan circuit. Jack, like any loving father, wanted the son to have a better life than the father, and taught Matthew to value his education as a way to get out of the neighborhood. Matt succeeded in school through determination and intelligence, but was the object of hazing and teasing by the neighborhood boys. They’d mock his non-violence, calling him Daredevil. The idea that he was somehow a coward because he valued books over brawn burned away at Matt. After the teasing turned physical, Matt began training to defend himself and used the equipment hat his father kept in the house.
Though Jack would later come to regret the decision, the deterioration of boxing as an American sport meant there was less and less money and longer and longer between fights. He decided to begin taking small jobs for Roscoe Sweeney, a gangster who used crooked fight promotion and extortion of local businesses and people as his way to climb the ladder of organized crime.
Matt remained oblivious, but had his own new problems to deal with. As he strolled down the street, he witnessed a blind man, cane in hand, crossing the road. Clearly the blind man did not realize that the light the other way was green. The driver of the oncoming truck, whose cargo was radioactive waste, did not see the man in time and was clearly about to run him over. Acting lightning quick, Matt leaped into the road with no care for his own safety. He pushed the blind man clear to the other side of the road, and Matt himself was free of the pathway of the oncoming truck. But the driver, in his own attempt to miss the boy, turned hard and put the truck on its side. Radioactive waste was sprayed all over the street corner and hit Matthew directly in the face, blinding him almost immediately.
When he awoke in the hospital, Matt found that though his sight was gone, his other senses were enhanced to superhuman levels. He could hear the whispers and heart beats of people all over the hospital, he smell the perfume of a woman on the street, he could feel every groove in the apparently smooth metal bars that lined his hospital bed, and it would be months before he could eat anything with more taste than rice. At first, the change caused Matt to fall into depression, but as he became more and more accustomed to his newfound powers, he came to love them and see the accident as a blessing.
Not long afterwards, Matt was approached and befriended by a mysterious sensei named “Stick.” Stick, blind himself, took Matt under his wing and expanded the young man’s self-training. Matt learned how to use his senses and soon became extremely adept at martial arts and meditation. Despite the long hours of training, Matt kept up with his school work and attended Columbia University as a Pre-Law student. He breezed through school, taking extra classes during j-term and summer in order to graduate Columbia in two and a half years. He immediately was admitted to Columbia’s law school and began his studies, interning in the summers for Rowson, Rowson, and Reece. On a rare night out, Matt and his best friend Foggy Nelson attended one of his father’s fights on the elder Murdock’s comeback tour. Unbeknownst to Matt, Jack was ordered by Sweeney to take a dive. Seeing his son as he came out of the tunnel, Jack knew he could not do such a thing with Matt in attendance. Instead, old Battlin’ Murdock had one more fight left in him, and beat the living tar out of his opponent in what many boxing aficionados would call his greatest fight.
But Sweeney got the payback for the thousands of dollars he lost that night. His personal muscle, Slade, was dispatched to murder the elder Murdock, and did so effectively and painfully.
Distraught, Matt fashioned a costume from the robes of his father and went on a one man retribution mission to disable Sweeney’s organization and Sweeney, himself. The investigation was easy, and the violence was severe and relentless. Sweeney and Slade barely survived, but they did, and made a quick trip to Riker’s.
Matt’s sorrow gave way to anger and he decided he would use his abilities and intelligence to fight for justice, both by day and night. He called himself “Daredevil” as a mockery of those who used to mock him, and fashioned a new costume to better strike fear into those who deserved his punishment. Now, it’s no longer enough for Matt to try and better himself through education and flee the neighborhood. No, instead Matt graduated law school and opened up a law firm directly in Hell’s Kitchen. He’s not going anywhere. He’s not going to flee the Kitchen, he’s going to change it.
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Character Details
As a lawyer, Matt is well respected as an eloquent and graceful, yet tough as nails case attorney. As his alter-ego, Daredevil is party myth part horror story for those who frequent the neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen.
Acrobat |
Through his training regimen, undertaken since he was a boy, and with the benefit of his spatial balance through his powers, Matt is an adept acrobat. He flings his body through the air with ease and without fear, well practiced and superpowered to a near Olympic level. |
Attorney |
Matt owns half the law firm called Nelson and Murdock. Their specialty is in trial defense, and Matt in particular is known for how picky he is regarding the cases he takes. Early speculation from his colleagues was that he was interested in climbing the ranks and representing the rich, but his track record looks like a children’s dot connecting book. From outward appearances he doesn’t seem to have any particular demographic, criminal element, or type. The one consistency is he always seems to win. |
Detective |
Daredevil has shown to be quite adept at piecing together clues and using all of his superpowered senses to connect the dots in difficult criminal investigations. |
Intellect |
Hard work and innate intelligence has benefited Matt with a clearly gifted intellect. He was able to graduate from Columbia with a 3.8 GPA in 2.5 years and completed law school before passing the bar in two states (NY and NJ) |
Interrogation |
In addition to the tells people give when they’re lying, Matt has become good in his methods of interrogation as Daredevil. He uses his questioning skills as a lawyer and the fear he instills as the demon of Hell’s Kitchen to illicit the truth from the thugs who prowl the night. |
Lie Detection |
As a product of his superpowers, Matt is able to listen to the changes of breathing, the quickening and slowing of pulse rates, and the tremors in the voice to accurately decipher whether someone is lying. |
Martial Artist |
As a young man Matt studied under the guidance of a sensei named Stick. Also blind, Stick taught Matt how to take advantage of his powers and minimize his blindness. In time Matt became an Olympic level martial artist, much to the chagrin of The Hand; Stick’s group of enemies. |
Radar Sense |
Matt has developed a sort of radar system that helps him overcome his blindness, especially in combat situations. Using his other senses, his body can ‘map’ out his surroundings, and gives him information that he’d not normally have access to by just relying on his sight. In combat, you may often see Daredevil sending out small bits of sound or use his sense of touch to feel what the eye may not be able to see. |
Sense of Hearing |
Matt’s hearing superpower is so acute he is able to hear the breath and heartbeats, protecting him from surprise attacks. He’s able to hear bodily functions at a distance of 20 feet and can hear whispering clearly. Though perhaps his strongest sense, Matt is very susceptible to sensory overload which manifests itself as pain. |
Sense of Smell |
Matt’s olfactory powers are immense. From 20 yards he can pick a person out by their body odor, by their perfume, or by what they cooked in their kitchen for breakfast. This helps him identify people, as he seems to be able to decipher precisely what someone smells like and can distinguish between smells easily. |
Sense of Taste |
Daredevil’s sense of taste is so powerful, he can taste each ingredient in food and can often place manufacturers of processed foods. But it’s not just fun for dinner parties; Matt can also distinguish tastes of different poisons to help investigate crimes. |
Sense of Touch |
Murdock’s sense of touch powers allow him to read the newspaper with ease by feeling along the ink-lines of the paper. This is particularly helpful in cases when people have written notes on pads they’ve shorn off, or clues have been erased in some way. Matt can also feel the heat emanating from people or the light reflecting from someone’s eyes. |
Weaponry/Marksmanship |
Through his training with Stick, Matt became extremely proficient at using weaponry along with his martial arts. Although he is adept at all sorts of weapons, he prefers bo staffs and other stick style weaponry. He favors these because of their non-lethal effects. |
Access |
Matt’s position as a lawyer gives him access to all sorts of documentation and evidence collected by the State. He is privy to information about crime and crime scenes that most others are not. |
Catholic |
Matt’s Catholicism is an advantage to him in many ways, but two main ways in particular. First, his faith is something he can rely on when things get difficult for him as they have throughout almost his entire life. Second, he’s met a good section of the neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen simply by attending his local church. The part of the city was dominated by Irish Catholics since the turn of the prior century and Matt is active in both the church and the community. |
Law Contacts |
Matt has a myriad of contacts he can go to with legal questions or to maneuver himself in a case. Being involved in both Gotham and New York means twice as many contacts he can call upon when times get tough. |
Superhero Contacts |
Daredevil has been active over the past few years and has come to be friendly with a handful of superheroes in the city. Though he often works alone, he is not above incorporating teamwork to solve a case. |
Moral Code |
Matt attempts to live by a strict moral code. He does his best not to kill, and only deems such a thing just in severe situations. Therefore, he puts himself at a dire disadvantage against foes who don’t also follow the same code. |
Secret Identity |
Matt keeps his identity as Daredevil a secret from the public in order to protect the ones he cares about and keep some sort of private life. If his identity were to come out, Murdock could lose his licensure and would become even more of a target than he already is. Not to mention, people like Foggy and Karen would be put at great risk. |
Target |
Both Daredevil and Matt are targets in their respective spheres. Daredevil has many enemies who would love to do him harm or even kill him. Murdock has also been a target because of his refusal to represent some high profile defendants linked to organized crime in New York. |
Tortured Past |
Matt has a mother he thinks is dead and a father he knows was murdered. In adolescence he lost his sight due to an accident where he was trying to do ‘the right thing.’ Each day he goes to work he witnesses people he feels have been wrongly accused by the government, some facing death, and it is his job to ensure they go free. Worse, he spends all day with lawyers, judges, and Foggy (just kidding, Foggy). And then at night he takes to the sky as Daredevil, throwing his body into awful situations where he risks his life for some slippery term like Justice. His life pretty much sucks, man. |
Blindness |
Matt is blind. He cannot see and is flawed by all that entails. |
Sense Disruption/Overload |
Daredevil is extremely vulnerable to being over-stimulated by noise, sensation, odors, and tastes. Though he’s gone through more than ten years of training, his concentration can be overcome by the concerted efforts of villains. |
Susceptibility |
Murdock is susceptible to everything a normal human would be. He does not have super strength or constitution, and throws himself into harm’s way as if he does. If he’s cut, he bleeds. If he’s shot, provided it’s a bad enough wound, he will die just lie anyone else. |
Relationships
Image |
Name |
Relation |
Notes |
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Elektra Natchios |
Old Flame |
Matt loved her once. She died. She came back … |
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Lara Croft |
Client |
What began as a professional relationship escalated quickly. Matt realizes the danger both to her and himself, but that hasn't stopped him. |
Notes
This section is optional.
Character Gallery
Logs
You killed my father, prepare to die
November 28, 2014: Echo comes after Daredevil.
(log: 20141128-you-killed-my-father-prepare-to-die | tags: daredevil echo | posted: 27 Nov 2014 21:16)
Mask Fan
November 13, 2014: Tokyo Nightmare and Daredevil stop some bad guys and meet a latecomer named Nyx.
(log: 20141113-mask-fan | tags: daredevil nyx sho | posted: 13 Nov 2014 14:23)
Everyone Dies Sometime
October 18, 2014: Matt and Elektra meet. It's awkward. Again.
(log: 20141014-everyone-dies-sometime | tags: daredevil elektra nyc | posted: 19 Oct 2014 03:17)
Apprehending Maxwell
October 04, 2014: Two SHIELD operatives are sent on a mission to apprehend one of their own, an agent who is engaging in illegal drug activity. Of course, does anything ever go to plan? Nope.
(log: 20141004-apprehending-maxwell | tags: antoine_triplett daredevil fitz lucky midnighter shield the-smooth the_cavalry | posted: 05 Oct 2014 01:56)
Burning Human '14: Part 2
August 30, 2014: The Burning Human Festival has gone mostly peacefully. That ends tonight.
(log: 20140830-burning-human-14:part-2 | tags: burning_human colossus daredevil hulk iceman loki lunair metal shift skaar the-smooth | posted: 01 Sep 2014 03:25)
Touching Base
August 17, 2014: Lara and Matt reconnect and catch up on what's been going on in their lives. Plans are made.
(log: 20140817-touching-base | tags: daredevil lara_croft | posted: 18 Aug 2014 18:57)
Drive-by at Eastham Square
August 05, 2014 A friendly neighborhood street party is interrupted by drive by shooters. Fortunately, a handful of brave individuals are there to stop the bad guys and minimize the damage.
(log: 20140805-drive-by-at-eastham-square | tags: daredevil kathman-npc shift the-smooth | posted: 06 Aug 2014 05:38)
Winston's Got His Back
August 2, 2014 Matt and Lara catch up after the Axe.
(log: 20140802-winston-s-got-his-back | tags: daredevil lara_croft | posted: 03 Aug 2014 03:38)
The Axe, Finale
August 2, 2014 The Kingpin of crime feels the noose of the law being brought around his neck, but still has one last trick up his sleeve.
(log: 20140802-the-axe-finale | tags: daredevil lara_croft paul_manning shift witchblade | posted: 02 Aug 2014 23:18)
Return of the Gladiator
July 30, 2014 NYPD SWAT responds to an anonymous tip about a meeting between organized crime lieutenants.
(log: 20140730-return-of-the-gladiator | tags: daredevil paul_manning | posted: 30 Jul 2014 18:07)
The Axe, Part 11
July 27, 2014 The interrogation for Giles Gunroe nets some interesting results.
(log: 20140727-the-axe-part-11 | tags: daredevil lara_croft paul_manning witchblade | posted: 27 Jul 2014 21:51)
Skate Park Hyjinks
July 26 2014: A group of friends and strangers interrupt an mysterious deal involving the Silver Syndicate crime organization
(log: 20140726-skate-park-hyjinks | tags: cypher daredevil iceman lunair magma shift | posted: 27 Jul 2014 12:59)
Paperwork and Promises
July 21, 2014: Lara asks Matt to review her paperwork from SHIELD for any issues, and they discuss their relationship.
(log: 20140721-paperwork-and-promises | tags: daredevil lara_croft | posted: 22 Jul 2014 04:00)
The Axe, part 10
July 18, 2014: While Tombraider, Witchblade and Sentinel follow their leads to a mansion on the Upper West Side, Daredevil and Shift have both been tracking Charlie, the mutant prostitute.
(log: 20140718-the-axe-part-10 | tags: daredevil lara_croft sentinel shift witchblade | posted: 21 Jul 2014 01:18)
The Axe, Part 9
July 15, 2014 Aspect leaves the mortal meat coil and rides the wave of high technology in an attempt to track down information about the dealer Daredevil is searching for and information about Rhys Bale.
(log: 20140716-the-axe-part-9 | tags: aspect daredevil | posted: 16 Jul 2014 14:00)
The Axe, Part 8
July 16, 2014 Kwabena Odame pays a visit to Sexy Rexy down in Mutant Town
(log: 20140715-the-axe-part-8 | tags: daredevil shift | posted: 16 Jul 2014 05:04)
The Axe, Part 7
July 15, 2014 Matt and Lara get some interesting news on the wherabouts of the Axe of Perun
(log: 20140715-the-axe-part-7 | tags: daredevil lara_croft | posted: 15 Jul 2014 21:22)
The Axe, Part 6
July 15th, 2014 Kwabena Odame witnesses something odd that unknowingly has large ramifications on the Rhys Bale case.
(log: 20140715-the-axe-part-6 | tags: daredevil shift | posted: 15 Jul 2014 17:12)
The Axe, Part 5
July 14, 2014 Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson visit Lara Croft with updates on the Rhys Bale case.
(log: 20140714-the-axe-part-5 | tags: daredevil lara_croft | posted: 14 Jul 2014 20:25)
Mick's Bar in the Kitchen
July 14, 2014 Things get steamy between business associates.
(log: 20140714-mick-s-bar-in-the-kitchen | tags: daredevil lara_croft | posted: 15 Jul 2014 03:14)
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