Born Again (comics)

This article is about the Marvel Comics story arc. For the Daredevil TV series, see Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again
Cover of Daredevil: Born Again
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Publication date	February – August 1986
Main character(s)	Matt Murdock Wilson Fisk Foggy Nelson Karen Page Ben Urich
Creative team
Written by	Frank Miller
Artist(s)	David Mazzucchelli
Letterer(s)	Joe Rosen
Colorist(s)	Christie "Max" Scheele
Collected editions
Trade Paperback	ISBN 0871352974
Premiere Edition (Hardcover)	ISBN 0785134808
Premiere Edition (Trade Paperback)	ISBN 0785134816
Artist's Edition	ISBN 1613772386
Artisan Edition	ISBN 1684055962
Gallery Edition	ISBN 1302953044

"Born Again" is a 1986 comic book story arc that appeared in the Marvel Comics series Daredevil. Written by Frank Miller, and drawn by David Mazzucchelli, the storyline first appeared in Daredevil #227–231. It was later reprinted in graphic novel format along with the previous issue #226, and a follow-up story arc from Daredevil #232–233, which resolves some loose ends from the original story arc. Because of this, this follow-up story arc has become generally considered part of "Born Again".

The story details Daredevil's descent into insanity and destitution at the Kingpin's hands, as well as a subsequent struggle to build a new life for himself. The storyline (amalgamated with "Guardian Devil") was loosely adapted as the 2018 third season of the Netflix Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) streaming television series Daredevil.

Plot

Karen Page, the former secretary of the Nelson & Murdock law offices in New York City and ex-girlfriend of Matt Murdock, had left years earlier to pursue an acting career. After a brief period of success, she became a heroin addict and was reduced to starring in pornographic films in Mexico. Strapped for cash, she sells the information that Matt is Daredevil for a shot of heroin. This information is sold upward to the Kingpin.

Over the next 6 months, the Kingpin uses his influence to have the IRS freeze Murdock's accounts, the bank foreclose on his apartment, and police lieutenant Nicholas Manolis testifies that he saw Murdock pay a witness to perjure himself. By coincidence, Murdock's girlfriend, Glorianna O'Breen, breaks up with him and turns to dating his law partner and best friend Foggy Nelson on the rebound.

Daredevil's initial investigations uncover that Manolis is helping frame Murdock in exchange for medical treatments for his son. Still, he is unable to find who is behind the frame-up and is unwilling to turn Manolis in to the authorities. An exceptional legal defense by Nelson saves Murdock from a prison sentence, though he is barred from practicing law. With his initial plan foiled, the Kingpin has Murdock's apartment firebombed. He also gives out the order to kill anyone else who handled the information on Daredevil's identity. Karen eludes the Kingpin's assassins and makes her way to New York to find Matt.

Now homeless, suffering from paranoia and growing increasingly aggressive, Murdock is continuously followed by the Kingpin's subordinates, providing the Kingpin with frequent updates on Murdock's mental state, as he has become obsessed with the fruits of his scheme to destroy Murdock. Driven by thoughts of revenge, Murdock confronts the Kingpin in his office and is brutally beaten by the crime lord. To avert investigation into his death, the unconscious Murdock is drenched in whiskey and strapped into a stolen taxi cab, which is then pushed into the East River. Murdock regains consciousness, breaks out of the cab, and swims to safety. Badly injured, he stumbles through Hell's Kitchen, eventually finding his way to the gym where his father trained as a boxer. There, he is found by his mother Maggie who, having not been in Matt's life for decades, has become a nun at a local Catholic church. She nurses him back to health.

Meanwhile, Daily Bugle reporter Ben Urich is investigating his confidant's plight and stands vigil with Manolis as his son is taken in for surgery. When his son dies, Manolis confesses to Urich about the frame-up and his suspicions that the Kingpin was behind it. Nurse Lois, an enforcer assigned by the Kingpin to monitor Manolis, responds by breaking Urich's fingers and beating Manolis nearly to death. The unintimidated Manolis calls Urich from his hospital bed; however, Lois breaks into his room and strangles him, laying the receiver on his bed so Urich can hear his murder. At first Urich is shocked into silence and doesn't say anything. However, later he experiences a moment of epiphany and re-launches his investigation into Matt Murdock's frame-up.

Karen arrives in New York, having hitched a ride with Paulo Scorcese, a small-time drug smuggler and gangster who supplies her with heroin in exchange for sexual favors. She contacts Foggy to ask about Murdock's whereabouts. When he realizes that Paulo has been beating her, Foggy insists on taking her into his home.

Increasingly obsessed with killing Murdock, Kingpin uses his military connections to procure America's super soldier Nuke. To draw Murdock out of hiding, he arranges for a violent mental patient to be released from an asylum, dress up as Daredevil, and kill Nelson. Nurse Lois is ordered to relocate so that she cannot be implicated, but she rebels and attempts to kill Urich. Murdock, who has been shadowing Urich since hearing of the articles he is writing on the Kingpin, knocks out Lois and leaves her for the authorities. He then overhears a phone call that tips him off to the plot to kill Nelson.

Meanwhile, Page spots Scorcese stalking Nelson's apartment building. While she tries to prevent him from killing Nelson, the two are attacked by assassins who the Kingpin has ordered to kill anyone who emerges from the building. Murdock defeats the impostor Daredevil and saves Page, who confesses to being the one who gave away his secret identity. Murdock forgives her. Now back together, they move into a derelict apartment, where Murdock helps her through heroin withdrawal while supporting them as a diner chef.

Nurse Lois offers to testify against the Kingpin in exchange for a reduced sentence, but he has her killed by a bodyguard accompanying Urich when the reporter attempts to interview her in jail. Having failed to draw Murdock out of hiding, the Kingpin orders Nuke to fly to Hell's Kitchen and make a general assault. From a helicopter, Nuke shoots dozens of civilians and destroys the diner where Murdock works. Appearing as Daredevil for the first time since his apartment was destroyed, he is left with no choice but to kill both Nuke and his pilot to avoid further civilian deaths. However, Nuke survives his attack, and the Avengers take him into custody.

Captain America, disturbed that Nuke has a U.S. flag tattooed on his face, investigates his background. When the military authorities give him evasive answers, he breaks into top-secret records and discovers Nuke is the only surviving test subject of several attempts to recreate Project: Rebirth, the project that enhanced the Captain's own body. Nuke breaks free from custody in the same base. Captain America stops him, but the Kingpin gives the order to kill Nuke. The military shoots Nuke. Having heard of Nuke's escape while stealing money from Kingpin's drug importers to rebuild the diner, Daredevil grabs Nuke from Captain America and takes him to the Daily Bugle, hoping to get him to testify about the Kingpin. He is not fast enough, and Nuke dies before he can provide any evidence.

Trying to get Nuke back from Daredevil, Captain America stumbles upon one of the hitmen sent to kill Nuke. The hitman names the Kingpin as being behind Nuke's assault on Hell's Kitchen, setting off a wave of lawsuits. Although the Kingpin is able to fight off most of the charges, his public image as an honest and respectable businessman is shattered, and his lieutenants lose confidence in him. His obsession unabated, he disregards Captain America's role and plans for revenge on Murdock instead. As for Murdock, he lives happily in Hell's Kitchen with Karen and continues to fight for justice in his neighborhood.

Background and creation

With regular writer Dennis O'Neil preparing to leave the series, long-running Daredevil editor Ralph Macchio called up Frank Miller and asked if he would be interested in returning. Miller, whose first stint as writer had brought Daredevil from the brink of cancellation to the top-sellers lists, agreed under the condition that artist David Mazzucchelli would work on the illustrations following their first collaboration in issue #226. Contrary to rumor, Mazzucchelli did not draw over layouts by Miller; the artwork on the story is entirely Mazzucchelli's. Miller praised Mazzucchelli's unique talent as a comic book artist who's able to figure out the narrative structure of every page as well as providing rough layouts with great details in the early development.

It's almost criminal how easy David makes it to write a script. He makes a three-dimensional stage of the individual panel, complete in authentic detail, nonetheless uncluttered and utterly readable. He creates actors whose dramatic range is startling, whose best and most compelling moments are wordless. He's talked of writing his own comics. Keep your eye out for them. I will.

— Miller's afterword in the 1987 collected edition.

Themes and symbolism

"Born Again" makes heavy use of Christian symbolism, primarily from Roman Catholicism, and the title invokes the Catholic teaching on Baptism. The phrase itself is spoken by Jesus in the 3rd chapter of the Gospel of John to indicate that one's old life must come to an end for new life to begin. While the story is set during the Christmas season, it follows Easter themes almost exclusively.

The splash pages of the first four chapters all show Matt Murdock lying down. In chapters 2 and 3 he is in a fetal position, followed by him assuming the pose of the crucified Jesus Christ in chapter 4. The splash page of chapter 5 shows him standing, representative of the risen Jesus. In chapter 3, his wandering through Hell's Kitchen parallels Jesus's walk to Golgotha, including the three falls represented in the Stations of the Cross, before culminating in the image of the Pietà. Sister Maggie takes the role of the Virgin Mary and the dove (traditionally used in Christian artwork to represent the Holy Spirit) is posed above her. All the chapter titles, excluding those of the story arc in #232–233, are names of Christian concepts.

Collected editions

David Mazzucchelli autographing a copy of the Artist's Edition at the Midtown Comics signing event in Manhattan on June 28, 2012.

The trade paperback (ISBN 9780871352972) was published in 1987.

Between 2009 and 2010, Marvel reprinted Born Again in hardcover (ISBN 9780785134800) and trade paperback (ISBN 9780785134817) as part of Marvel Premiere Classic. The hardcover variant edition (ISBN 9780785136552) was limited to only 1229 copies. The Daredevil issue #226 is also included in this reprint edition.

In 2012, IDW Publishing published the Artist's Edition (ISBN 9781613772386) of the story in a 200-page hardcover. Mazzucchelli personally supplied all the artworks for scanning and supervised the process of the development for approval. The 250 copies limited edition (ISBN 9781613773437) was exclusively available only for pre-ordering; this version includes a colorful slipcase, a variant design of the front cover, and Mazzucchelli's personal signature printed in an interior page. Mazzucchelli appeared at the Midtown Comics signing event on June 28, 2012. The signing was preceded by a discussion with fellow creator Chip Kidd and a Q&A session with fans in attendance. The trade paperback known as Artisan Edition (ISBN 9781684055968) was published on 2019. This version, however, is scaled down to the standard size of a graphic novel despite retaining the same content as the regular version.

The Gallery Edition (ISBN 9781302953041) was released in January 2024.

Reception

In regard to the rise of Daredevil comic popularity during Frank Miller's run in the 1980s, "Born Again" is considered one of the best storylines within the Daredevil mythos, with praise for Miller's and Mazzucchelli's artwork, storyline and religious narrative mirroring Matt Murdock's arc from fall and rise. Fans and critics see "Born Again" to be an influential period during the start of the Modern Age of Comic Books.

Sequel

The "Last Rites" story arc in Daredevil #297–300, though written and drawn by an entirely different set of creators (except for colorist Christie Scheele), is to an extent a thematic sequel to "Born Again". The plot of "Last Rites" is centered on Daredevil systematically destroying the Kingpin's reputation and worldly possessions, much as the Kingpin did to him in "Born Again". In an explicit acknowledgement of this parallel, a deranged Kingpin mutters "born again..." in the final installment. The story also sees Murdock finally unraveling the frame job from "Born Again", winning back his attorney's license.

In an ongoing subplot of "Born Again", the Kingpin hires Foggy Nelson for one of his firms. When writer Frank Miller left the series, this plot thread was temporarily abandoned, before finally being resolved in Daredevil #248–256.

In other media

• Director Mark Steven Johnson had expressed interest in directing a sequel to the 2003 Daredevil film with the "Born Again" storyline as inspiration. In June 2011, Fringe writer Brad Caleb Kane was rumored to be adapting the "Born Again" storyline for the film. In August 2012, 20th Century Fox turned down a pitch by director Joe Carnahan for a film based on "Born Again". On October 10, the Daredevil film rights reverted to Marvel Studios.
• Elements of the "Born Again" story arc are adapted into the second and third seasons of the Netflix / Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) television series, Daredevil. After engineering Frank Castle's prison escape, the imprisoned Wilson Fisk asks for files on Matt Murdock. Additionally, Benjamin "Dex" Poindexter (Wilson Bethel) replaces the unnamed asylum patient in impersonating Daredevil on Fisk's behalf. Additionally, several moments and lines from "Born Again" are used throughout Daredevil and the miniseries The Defenders.
• A new Daredevil series, subtitled Born Again, is scheduled to be released in March 2025 by Marvel Studios, as part of Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).