Daredevil’s Twin Brother is Finally Back in Marvel Comics

Warning: spoilers for Daredevil #23 ahead!

Daredevil is about to go on trial, and his twin “brother” Mike Murdock is part of his legal team! In Daredevil #23 by writer Chip Zdarsky (Sex Criminals), artist Marco Checchetto (Savage Sword of Conan) and colorist Marcio Menyz (Fantastic Four), Matt Murdock, in his Daredevil alias, is on trial for murder. Foggy Nelson puts together a legal team to represent Daredevil in court; among its members are Kirsten McDuffie, a former lover of Matt’s as well as his twin brother Mike. And if anyone knows Mike’s history, especially recently, this is not a good thing.

Mike Murdock was originally an alias Matt developed to explain his actions as Daredevil, first “appearing” in Daredevil vol. 1 #25. In the original story, Mike was not only Matt’s long-lost brother, but also Daredevil. This led to some hilarious scenarios as Matt tried to reconcile his life as both Daredevil and Mike Murdock. The persona was retired soon after, but most recently Mike has been brought to life and given actual existence, but only as a shell of a human.

In Daredevil Annual #1, Mike, through the Norn Stone, becomes a real person, complete with memories of growing up alongside Matt. Also willed into existence was Mike’s childhood friend Butch, who is then revealed to be Wilson Fisk’s son. Furthermore, Mike has used this connection to work his way up through Fisk’s organization.

The issue opens with Daredevil meeting with Foggy and Kirsten, but the meeting leaves him feeling unsure. Making his way through the city, he has a heart to heart talk with his former lover Elektra, who tips him off to a meeting Fisk is having with the heads of the underworld later that night. Wanting to send a message to Fisk and his associates, Daredevil decides to crash the meeting.

He does just that, bursting into the meeting mere minutes after Fisk appoints his successor. Accompanied by Spider-Man, Daredevil warns Fisk and company that even in jail, he will still be watching them. After another heart to heart talk, this time with Spider-Man, Daredevil returns to Foggy’s office to meet with his legal team. Instantly he senses something is off, and as he enters, he sees his twin brother Mike, now posing as Matt!

How will this impact Daredevil? Thanks to the Norn Stone, Mike is now a full-fledged person, complete with a lifetime of memories of Matt. This means he could potentially know a lot about Daredevil, information that could potentially jeopardize his trial and his life. And he is associated with Fisk, a perpetual thorn in Daredevil’s side. We know from Marvel’s December 2020 solicitations that Daredevil will be going to prison, so the inclusion of Mike in the story could be what sends Daredevil there. Alternately, Mike could have a change of heart and eventually help his “brother,” but regardless of how it plays out, Mike will have a huge impact on Daredevil’s life.

About The Author

Shaun Corley
(1377 Articles Published)

Shaun Corley is a pop culture enthusiast living in the Pacific Northwest. After stints in both customer service and academia, he’s turned his attention to writing about comic books–his lifelong passion. He is a graduate of Radford University, with a degree in English. When not reading comics, he enjoys spending time with his fiance and their dog.

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