In the fantastic Netflix series, Marvel’s Daredevil, the titular character has had – and is bound to have – numerous romantic relationships. In the first season alone, the lawyer-by-day and hero-by-night, Matt Murdock, dated the benevolent Night Nurse for a short period of time and has been flirting with his secretary, Karen Page, since they met. With the second season coming on March 18th, we know that Matt will run into at least one more of his comic book lovers, Elektra Natchios. With all of the ladies coming to the series, it reminded us at The Source not to get too attached. Matt may be an excellent boyfriend, at least sometimes, but he really isn’t the kind of guy any girl should date. “But why?” you might ask. Well, we are prepared to spell it out for you in this, our list of 6 Reasons Not to Date Daredevil.
The 6 Reasons Not to Date Daredevil Quick Reference Guide
1. He’s just not that into you.
2. His friends aren’t afraid to interfere.
3. You’re not a super-spy.
4. If you break up, your rebound might not fill the hole in your heart.
5. Your dad might die.
6. You will more than likely die.
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He’s just not that into you.
Now, I want to make one thing abundantly clear. It’s not that Daredevil wouldn’t be into you; he probably would be. No matter what, Matt will always try his hardest to be a good boyfriend. Unfortunately for you though, Matt is just not as into you as he is into justice. In his mind, ‘Justice > Women.’ If you don’t believe me, just take a look at what Matt’s most famous girlfriend, Karen Page, had to go through. In Daredevil #86, Karen is driven mad by the fact that her love, Matt, could be killed at any moment as Daredevil.
After admitting her fears to Matt later on, Karen – in this same issue – left New York, returning to L.A. to escape this predicament. By dating Daredevil or any hero for that matter, you will inevitably find yourself pondering this same query, haunted by the risk your lover takes every day. Despite the positive intentions your hero may have, you will always come in second, the runner-up to justice.
2. His friends aren’t afraid to interfere.
You have to give Foggy Nelson some credit; he may not be perfect, but he is an excellent wingman and friend, almost as good as Goose from Top Gun. With that being said, if you are going to date Daredevil, you might not want to get on his bad side. Just look at what happened to Heather Glenn, a very odd partner for Matt considering her excessive partying and drinking. When Foggy and Black Widow thought the relationship was toxic, they took matters into their own hands in Daredevil #151.
To break up the attracted opposites, the unlikely duo of Foggy and Widow strategically placed break-up notes for both Matt and Heather. Knowing Matt would probably investigate, they purposely added the “Please don’t call me,” line at the end of his note, severing all communications and ending the relationship for good. So what you should learn from this is that if you still want to date Daredevil, you better make a good impression on Foggy and the hard to impress Black Widow. Which reminds me, it’s time for reason number three.
3. You’re not a super-spy.
Go ahead and buy all the suits, Aston Martins, guns, gadgets, and leather you can find, but it’s hard to beat the beautiful, butt-kicking Black Widow. At one point the two were so close that Natasha left the Avengers in Daredevil #101 just to be with him, her partner in heroism and love. Just take a look at this panel from #101 below and try to tell me they aren’t adorable together!
Not only are they one of the cutest couples in comics, but they complement and challenge each other positively, unlike Matt’s relationship with Heather. Natasha and Matt can talk about the real world and their non-heroic lives while sparring with each other, making each other train to become better crime-fighters. In fact, their relationship is so strong that in Daredevil: End of Days – a mini-series concerning future events in the Marvel Universe – Matt and Natasha have a child together, a young girl just as blind as her fearless father. If the inevitable future of ‘Mattasha’ (Yes, I gave them a celebrity couple nickname) does not have you rethinking your relationship goals, don’t worry; we have three more reasons to go.
4. If you break up, your rebound might not fill the hole in your heart.
Obviously, the worst part about dating Daredevil will always be the inescapable break-up. As readers, we’ve seen it time and time again; women come and go in Matt Murdock’s life, disappearing for hundreds of issues at a time. One girlfriend in particular comes to mind when discussing post-break-ups with Daredevil, specifically in reference to rebounds. In the second Daredevil series, Echo, a deaf woman with the ability to copy movements through her enhanced sense of sight, starts dating blind Matt Murdock. Later on, after avenging her father’s death, she leaves Matt and becomes a member of the New Avengers; however, it does not last. She ends up quitting being a superhero altogether until Moon Knight gets her back in the game. Unfortunately, in doing so, Moon Knight accidentally gets Echo killed while going up against Count Nefaria, as seen in the panel from Moon Knight #9 below.
In Echo’s case, the hole in her heart, left by Daredevil, was filled with a blast from Count Nefaria’s eyes. The rebound has never been easy for any of Matt’s girlfriends: Karen Page ended up doing pornographic films in Los Angeles, Milla Donovan ends up in a mental institution, Heather Glenn ends up committing suicide after trying to be with Tony Stark, and Echo is, as we have seen, killed while teaming up with Moon Knight. If you STILL… think you want to date Daredevil, then let’s keep moving on.
5. Your dad might die.
Yeah! Believe it or not, this is a risk you take when dating Daredevil. The lethal Elektra Natchios took this risk back in her college days when dating the young, pre-Daredevil Matt Murdock. In Daredevil #168, a flashback reveals how Matt played a role in her father’s death. After Elektra and her father are taken hostage, Matt attempts to rescue them; however, in this heroic act, Matt mistakenly sends one of the men flying out a window. When the Police outside see the man falling, they fear the worst and fire blindly at the shadowy figure in another window, Elektra’s father.
Daredevil may be one of the greatest heroes ever created, who is able to save the day more often than not, but we all make mistakes. In this case, Daredevil made a grave mistake and hurt one of the women he loves most. Could any of you live with a man who failed to save your father? Time might heal most wounds, but can it heal them all? Can it heal the death of your own father?
6. You will more than likely die.
Lastly and perhaps most importantly, love nor time can save you from your unavoidable death while dating Daredevil. Of all of Daredevil’s major girlfriends over the years, only two have lived to tell the tale: Black Widow and Milla Donovan…who I mentioned went to a mental institution earlier. Everyone else has died, mostly at the hands of Daredevil’s enemy, Bullseye.
First up, we have Elektra Natchios who was stabbed by Bullseye with her own sai in Daredevil #181.
Next, we have Karen Page who was also killed by Bullseye in 1999’s Daredevil #5 when she jumped in front of Daredevil’s own billy club, saving his life.
Sadly though, not all of Matt’s girlfriends have died at the hands of his greatest adversary, Bullseye. Glorianna O’Breen, who dated Foggy Nelson as well, was usually a damsel in distress in the comics and saved frequently by Daredevil. During the Krueller Saga, Glorianna was thrown out a window by Victor Krueller.
Lastly, we find ourselves observing the story of Heather Glenn once again. As a reminder, she was the girlfriend who had her relationship broken off by some notes left by Foggy Nelson and Black Widow. Later on, she developed severe alcoholism and without Matt, she decided to take her own life in Daredevil #220.
Conclusion
If I have failed to convince you why you shouldn’t date Daredevil, then you must really have a deep love for him or a death wish. I’d make an appointment with Doctor Strange before pursuing the relationship, just to make sure you haven’t been placed under any enchantments or spells. If that works out, then… well… maybe you should just check into the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane, or better yet, you should go ask a telepath like Professor X to make sure you aren’t completely crazy. You might be, but crazy or not, don’t forget to check out the second season of Marvel’s Daredevil, premiering exclusively through Netflix on March 18th.
