Daredevil‘s been a thorn in the Kingpin‘s overdeveloped side for some time. But it’s about to step up a notch when Matt Murdock‘s ex-girlfriend, Karen Page, sells his secret identity in exchange for heroin. With her acting career dead and buried, Karen has been making more adult films and turned to heroin to get herself through it.
In the six months since the Kingpin (Wilson Fisk) obtained the envelope containing Daredevil’s true identity, he’s been chipping away at the life of blind attorney Matt Murdock. When the most powerful crime-lord in America knows his enemy’s biggest secret, could it spell the end for Daredevil?
Minor Crossover: While ‘Born Again’ is a stand-alone story, Matt Murdock’s appearance in Amazing Spider-Man links directly to the events in Daredevil but is entirely optional, making this a minor crossover; stick to the seven issues of Daredevil and you’ve got a flawless classic on your hands.
Must Reads: Essential chapters are in bold in the Core List, while in the Full Reading Order, issues marked with a ✔ are the essential stories.
Anthology Issues: When an issue contains multiple stories, the relevant story is denoted with square brackets. For example, [2/5] refers to the second story of the five stories in that issue, so you don’t need to read the other four.
Spoilers: The issue descriptions and fallout section contain spoilers, so be warned!
Want to keep it simple? Here’s the chronological reading order without story descriptions, or spoilers; issues in bold are ‘must-read’ chapters:
- Daredevil #227-230
- Amazing Spider-Man #277 [1/2]
- Daredevil #231-233
| Must Read | Title, Issue Number & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Daredevil #227 Lawyer Matt Murdock‘s accounts have been frozen, he’s lost his job and his girlfriend Glorianna O’Breen breaks up with him and a reputable cop’s claim that Murdock paid off a juror, which results in his being disbarred. Ben Urich offers his help, but Matt refuses. As Daredevil, Matt learns Lt Nick Manolis has been bribed so he can pay his son’s medical bills. He then finds out his best friend, Foggy Nelson, is hooking up with Glori. Over the following weeks, Daredevil becomes more violent in his efforts to find out who’s destroying his life. Then the Kingpin blows up his home, leaving only DD’s red pyjamas in the rubble. In Mexico, Karen Page‘s dealer is murdered when the Kingpin demands the death of everyone who handled the envelope… 1st appearance: James Wesley |
| ✔ | Daredevil #228 One of the Kingpin’s lackeys monitors Matt’s descent into paranoia, even beating up a cop and taking his nightstick on his way to Fisk Tower. Matt confronts Wilson Fisk and is completely overpowered. Fisk’s men take the unconscious Murdock and try to fake a struggle in a taxi that ends up in the water off the end of a pier. Matt wakes next to the body of the taxi driver, smashes the windscreen and escapes to the surface. Kingpin is enraged when the cab is discovered and Matt’s corpse is missing. At the Daily Bugle, Ben Urich demands J Jonah Jameson let him run a story that proves Matt’s innocence. In Mexico, the Kingpin’s men pursue Karen Page… |
| ✔ | Daredevil #229 Matt Murdock wakes in a grimy alley and confronts Turk Barrett and Grotto for stealing a charity worker’s Santa costume. Turk stabs Matt in the stomach and he’s later found unconscious at Fogwell’s Gym by a nun. When Lt Nick Manolis’ son dies, he tries to tell Ben Urich how he sold out to the Kingpin. But the butch Nurse Lois breaks Urich’s fingers and breaks every bone in Manolis’ body right in front of him. In Mexico, Karen Page makes a dirty deal with smuggler Paulo Scorsese to take her back to New York… 1st appearance: Nurse Lois Franklin, Sister Maggie/Margaret Murdock |
| Must Read | Title, Issue Number & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Daredevil #230 Ben Urich is in shock and can’t even write a puff piece. Manolis regains consciousness and calls Ben, only for Nurse Lois to murders him and let Ben listen over the phone. Arriving in New York, Karen Page meets up with Foggy Nelson, but he doesn’t know where Matt is and explains his life has been ruined. Matt Murdock recovers at a mission while recalling his origin and recognises the scent of the nun, Sister Maggie, as his mother. She denies it, but he knows she’s lying. To draw Murdock to the surface, the Kingpin hires Melvin Potter to make a Daredevil costume. |
| Amazing Spider-Man #277 [1/2] (tie-in) Peter Parker is still reeling from Flash Thompson being revealed as the man beneath the Hobgoblin‘s mask. He receives a phone call from a weary Matt Murdock and goes to the Sister Maggie’s mission where Matt warns him that the Kingpin has learned that he’s Daredevil. For all he knows, the Kingpin knows Peter is Spider-Man. At Fisk Tower, Spidey traps Wilson Fisk in his office and warns him to leave Matt Murdock alone. The Kingpin knows Spider-Man won’t attack him, but that doesn’t stop the web-slingers sticking Fisk to his chair… | |
| ✔ | Daredevil #231 While the Kingpin becomes increasingly obsessed with the missing Matt Maurdock, Matt is training at Fogwell’s Gym. Nurse Lois decides to kill Ben Urich’s wife. Ben and his bodyguard save Doris Urich at their apartment. Matt Murdock arrives, beats and cuffs Lois and is gone before Ben can see him. Paulo Scorsese tracks Karen Page to Foggy Nelson’s apartment at the same time the Kingpin has arranged for a psycho in a Daredevil costume to kill Foggy. As events converge, Matt Murdock returns to defeat the imposter and save Karen. She even passes up a handy hit of heroin to fall back into his arms… |
| Must Read | Title, Issue Number & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Daredevil #232 Ben Urich hires Glori O’Breen to take photos while he interviews Nurse Lois in her cell, only the accompanying officer and guard are on the Kingpin’s payroll. Nurse Lois and Ben’s bodyguard are shot dead and Ben beats the crooked Officer Blanders to death with the handle of his own gun. The Kingpin calls upon a favour from a general he’s had in his pocket for desperate times. He asks that the rogue super-soldier Nuke be dropped into Hell’s Kitchen to destroy the last thing Matt Murdock loves; his city. Nuke opens fire on Hell’s Kitchen with a missile launcher, destroying Matt’s new apartment before spraying bullets into innocent bystanders. Once he’s checked Karen is alive, he dons the red spandex again for the first time in months… 1st appearance: Nuke/Frank Simpson |
| ✔ | Daredevil #233 Daredevil’s fight with Nuke goes from a Hell’s Kitchen rooftop and into the streets as he comes under fire from the accompanying chopper. DD knocks Nuke down with the butt of his own rifle, then opens fire on the chopper, blowing it up and killing the pilot. The Avengers arrive and take Nuke. Captain America learns Nuke is part of a modern Super Soldier Program. Nuke breaks free of the facility only to be shot at by his own people. Daredevil takes Nuke’s broken body to the offices of the Daily Bugle, giving Ben Urich the story he needs to implicate the Kingpin. Over the following weeks, the Kingpin struggles to keep his empire strong as he comes under fire, loses the respect of people in the business community and the fear he’d worked so hard to sow to keep control of the crime in New York. Matt Murdock happily settles into his renewed life with Karen Page… 1st appearance: Project: Homegrown |
| Must Read | Issues & Fallout | Event / Crossover |
| Amazing Spider-Man #278 (1986) The Scourge of the Underworld (actually a second Scourge) tries to kill Flash Thompson; the real Hobgoblin (or possibly his brainwashed patsy) reacts to the news of the attempt on Flash’s life | SCOURGE OF THE UNDERWORLD | |
| ✔ | Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #118 (1986) The Foreigner confronts the Kingpin as he continues to deal with the fallout of Nuke’s attack on Hell’s Kitchen and the damage to his reputation. | |
| Amazing Spider-Man #281 (1986) Flash Thompson ends up escaping prison to avoid being murdered by the Hobgoblin and Jack O’Lantern. | ||
| Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #130 (1987) Spider-Man soon crosses paths with the Kingpin again, despite Daredevil’s warnings. | ||
| ✔ | Marvel Graphic Novel #24: Daredevil – Love & War (1986) Daredevil next crosses paths with the Kingpin; Vanessa Fisk is revealed to be alive, though seriously unwell; Daredevil helps Vanessa Fisk leave the country. | |
| ✔ | Amazing Spider-Man #287-288 (1987) Daredevil defends the Kingpin when Spider-Man tries to kill him; Flash Thompson and Betty Brant learn the Hobgoblin’s ‘true’ identity. | |
| Spider-Man Versus Wolverine #1 (1987) Ned Leeds is murdered while on a job for the Daily Bugle. Amazing Spider-Man #289 (1987) Ned Leeds is revealed to have been the Hobgoblin all along, clearing Flash Thompson’s name. | THE HOBGOBLIN REVEALED | |
| ✔ | Web of Spider-Man #30 (1987) Richard Fisk (The Rose, son of the Kingpin) reveals how he hacked into his father’s files while the Kingpin was so focused on Daredevil. | THE HOBGOBLIN REVEALED |
| ✔ | Captain America #333 (1987) Nuke is considered as a candidate to replace Steve Rogers as Captain America. | |
| ✔ | Daredevil #267 (1989) Sister Maggie comes back into Matt Murdock’s life. | |
| ✔ | What If? #2 (1989) On Earth-8982, Matt Murdock, is driven mad by the damage done to his life by the Kingpin; Daredevil tries to convince the Punisher to kill him before attempting to take the life of the Kingpin’s son, Richard Fisk, as revenge. | |
| ✔ | Wolverine #18 (1989) Nuke is revealed to be the inspiration for President Felix Guillermo Caridad of Terra Verde who’s been trying to turn Hammer Cody into a super-soldier. | DISSOLUTION & REBIRTH |
| ✔ | Daredevil #297-300 (1991-1992) Daredevil and Hydra end the Kingpin’s criminal career; Matt Murdock gets his law license back. | THE FALL OF THE KINGPIN |
| ✔ | Marvel Comics Presents #98 (1992) Melvin Potter briefly dons his Gladiator costume again, this time to act as a hero; Melvin marries Betsy Beatty. | |
| ✔ | Daredevil #348 (1996) Foggy Nelson learns Matt Murdock is Daredevil. | |
| ✔ | Daredevil #353 (1996) Matt Murdock fully regains his right to practice law. | |
| Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives! #1-3 (1997) Roderick Kingsley is revealed to have been the Hobgoblin since the beginning. |
| Must Read | Issues & Fallout | Event / Crossover |
| Daredevil #½ (1998) Daredevil recalls Nuke’s attack on Hell’s Kitchen being one of the many defining moments in his life. | GUARDIAN DEVIL | |
| ✔ | Daredevil #4-5 (1999) Sister Maggie finally admits to being Matt Murdock’s mother; Sister Maggie is present when Bullseye kills Karen Page. Daredevil #8 (1999) Sister Maggie attends Karen Page’s funeral and asks Matt if she can play a bigger role in his life. | GUARDIAN DEVIL |
| ✔ | New X-Men #145 (2003) Project Homegrown – the organisation that created Nuke – is revealed to be Weapon VII of the Weapon Plus Program. | |
| Daredevil #70 (2005) Melvin Potter is manipulated by Alexander Bont into donning the Gladiator costume again and trying to kill Daredevil. | ||
| ✔ | Wolverine: Origins #1-3 (2006) Nuke is revealed to be alive when the US Government sends Nuke to hunt down Wolverine; Nuke’s origin is revealed; Wolverine is revealed to have kidnapped young Frank Simpson, recruiting him into Project: Homegrown (Weapon VII of the Weapon Plus Program) to become Nuke. | ORIGINS & ENDINGS |
| ✔ | Daredevil: Battlin’ Jack Murdock #1 (2007) The story behind Maggie Murdock leaving the Murdock household begins to unfold. | |
| ✔ | Wolverine: Origins #18 (2007) Nuke’s origins are expanded. | |
| Secret Invasion: Front Line #5 (2009) Doris Urich is revealed to have died of cancer. | SECRET INVASION | |
| ✔ | Thunderbolts #133 (2009) First appearance of the new Scourge. | DARK REIGN |
| ✔ | Thunderbolts #136 (2009) Nuke is revealed to be the new Scourge. | DARK REIGN GOD OF FEAR, GOD OF WAR |
| ✔ | Thunderbolts #143 (2010) Scourge (Nuke) is shot in the face by Paladin, leaving him comatose. | SIEGE |
| ✔ | Captain America #11-15 (2013-2014) Captain America battles Nuke again; Cap comes to terms with being the basis for the creation of Nuke. | |
| ✔ | Daredevil #6-7 (2014) It’s revealed that Maggie Murdock left her family because she was dealing with postnatal depression. | ORIGINAL SIN |
| Kingpin #1-5 (2017) The Kingpin starts rebuilding his criminal empire; the collected edition is titled ‘Kingpin: Born Against’. | RUNNING WITH THE DEVIL | |
| ✔ | Weapon X #12-14 (2018) President Emilio Duarte of Santo Marco uses the technology from Nuke to create a Nuke Platoon; Nuke kills Duarte. | MARVEL LEGACY |
| ✔ | Free Comic Book Day: The Avengers #1 (2018) Captain America #1-3 (2018) Ezekiel Stane creates an army of Nuke Clones for the Power Elite, intended to carry out terrorist attacks on American soil; the clones are defeated by Captain America, the Black Panther, Sharon Carter and the Winter Soldier. | WINTER IN AMERICA |
| Collected Edition Title | Collects… |
| Daredevil: Born Again Daredevil: Born Again – Gallery Edition Daredevil: Born Again – Marvel Premiere Collection Daredevil: Born Again – Premiere Edition Daredevil: Born Again – Slipcase Edition David Mazzucchelli’s Daredevil: Born Again – Artisan Edition (IDW Publishing) | Daredevil #227-233 |
| Daredevil by Frank Miller Companion Omnibus | Daredevil #219, 226-233 Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #1-5 Marvel Graphic Novel #24: Daredevil – Love and War Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #27-28 |
| Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man vol.26 | Amazing Spider-Man #271-278 Marvel Fanfare #27 Marvel Graphic Novel #22: The Amazing Spider-Man – Hooky Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #111 |
Reading Order © Omniverse Comics Guide 2025
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