Marvel Unveils Daredevil's Next Major Villains, And They're Brutal

Matt Murdock will finally face off against several street-level Marvel villains who have a long overdue battle with Daredevil. Daredevil's connection to Hell's Kitchen gives his stories a specific geographic focus within the Marvel Universe. Matt Murdock may occasionally confront cosmic threats and supervillains alongside the wider superhero community, but his core mission centers on protecting the neighborhood where he grew up and built his legal career. While Spider-Man fights the Sinister Six in Manhattan, Daredevil fights organized crime, corruption, and gang warfare at street level in Hell's Kitchen and its surroundings.

Hell's Kitchen also determines the enemies who cross Daredevil's path more than once. Wilson Fisk is Matt Murdock's archnemesis since the Kingpin's control over the city's criminal infrastructure makes him both a physical threat to Daredevil and a political and social force capable of corrupting the community Matt wants to protect. The Hand brings a very different danger, as they often turn Matt's neighborhood into a battleground, while Bullseye, Typhoid Mary, the Purple Man, and Muse all exploit different vulnerabilities within Hell's Kitchen or within Matt himself.

Although it's usually up to Spider-Man to fight entire groups of superpowered New York villains simultaneously, it's now Daredevil's turn to show off his combat and tactical skills in a large-scale battle.

Daredevil Fights Multiple Street-Level Marvel Villains In His Next Arc

Daredevil #6; Written By Stephanie Phillips; Art By Flaviano Armentaro & Rico Renzi

After challenging the odds and surviving his encounter with Omen, Matt Murdock is ready to move on to his next trial in the upcoming Daredevil arc, "Of Moles and Owls." Starting in Stephanie Phillips, Flaviano, and Rico Renzi's Daredevil #6, the Devil of Hell's Kitchen will wage war against several mob bosses, including Owlman, Tombstone, Hammerhead, Silvermane, and the Tracksuit Mafia. As teased by Flaviano's connecting cover for Daredevil #6 and #7, Matt will also receive help from Elektra Natchios, who also returns as Daredevil.

Flaviano's artwork suggests that all street-level villains are taking over New York City at the same time, with Leland Owlsley a.k.a. Owlman leading the pack. It also features a giant version of Silvio Manfredi a.k.a. Silvermane, who may or may not return with a major upgrade to his tech-enhanced body. The solicitation for Daredevil #6 confirms the antagonists of "Of Moles and Owls" "threaten to tear each other and the entire city apart," and the one for Daredevil #7 confirms that Elektra comes into the picture once the confict has already started.

Daredevil Rarely Fights Many Marvel Villains He Should Be Bumping Into On A Daily Basis

Matt Murdock's War Against Criminals Like Tombstone And Hammerhead Is Long Overdue

Hammerhead, Tombstone, Silvermane, and the Tracksuit Mafia all fit naturally into the kind of organized crime that Matt Murdock spends his career fighting, yet they tend to remain associated almost exclusively with Spider-Man. While Daredevil has fought them a few times before, Hammerhead's traditional mob empire could place him directly against Matt's efforts to dismantle criminal organizations in Hell's Kitchen, and Tombstone's physical durability makes him an ideal Daredevil hand-to-hand opponent. Silvermane could bring his ties to the Maggia and his increasingly advanced technology. The Tracksuit Mafia offers a different angle, with its decentralized criminal activity and connection to the Hawkeye side of New York's underworld.

Wilson Fisk has become so deeply intertwined with Daredevil's lore that their conflict can sometimes feel cyclical, and Bullseye serves as Matt's most persistent psychological nemesis. After so many confrontations with the same two enemies, a war against criminals like Hammerhead and Tombstone gives Daredevil a fresh criminal rivalry with different stakes. After "Of Moles and Owls" ends, Daredevil could continue to borrow more freely from Spider-Man's enormous rogues' gallery. Matt and Peter live in the same city, share many neighborhoods and supporting characters, and often confront the same criminal empires, after all.

Which Marvel villain would you like to see Daredevil fight?

Daredevil #6 is available September 2 from Marvel Comics