Daredevil Explains Why He’s Back In The Black Suit (& The Reason is Morbid)

Daredevil is officially stepping back into one of his most controversial looks for one heartbreaking reason.

In an early preview from the upcoming Daredevil #20, the titular hero is seen going about his daily life while pining for his beloved Elektra and ruminating on Wilson Fisk's apparently newfound faith. While this isn't anything worth bringing out the Devil of Hell's Kitchen for, the recent disappearance of one of his neighbor's children absolutely is. That being said, Matt can't simply slip back on his tattered red duds still stained with the stench of Bullseye's death, especially not when his black armor also offers the exact kind of gritty, aggressive change he wants to make as Daredevil.

Daredevil #20

• Written by SALADIN AHMED
• Art by JOSÉ LUIS SOARES
• Inks by OREN JUNIOR
• Colors by JESUS ABURTOV
• Letters by VC's CLAYTON COWLES
• Design by JAY BOWEN
• Main cover art by JOHN ROMITA JR., SCOTT HANNA & RICHARD ISANOVE
• Variant covers by PHILIP TAN & RACHELLE ROSENBERG, TODD NAUCK & RACHELLE ROSENBERG, and RYAN MEINERDING

Daredevil's black armor first appeared during writer D.G. Chichester and artist Scott McDaniel's run on the title in their "Fall from Grace" storyline. At the time, Matt Murdock was reeling from all manner of personal and professional upsets, not the least of which included faking his own death. With his red costume almost completely destroyed and the Man Without Fear looking for an extra edge against the increasingly capable competition he was facing at the time, Daredevil took on a black, armored costume that made him more resilient and intimidating than ever before.

In 2023, this specific era of Daredevil's history was revisited in Daredevil: Black Armor, a limited series written by Chichester featuring art by Netho Diaz. The throwback series saw the titular hero face off against all manner of terrifying foes ranging from Wolverine's longtime nemesis Sabretooth to the overtly unhinged Hobgoblin. While the series allowed fans to return to one of the most iconic chapters in Daredevil's history, it also further emphasized exactly why that part of his life has been and will continue to be so important for the character himself.

Throughout the latest Daredevil run, Matt Murdock has gone from a priest with barely any memories of his former self to taking on his own literal demons as just one of the Daredevils of Hell's Kitchen. After returning from the pits of Hell itself, Matt's sins took forms of their own and began possessing the people closest to him. Among these were Wolverine, Elektra, and even Foggy Nelson, whose life Daredevil saved at the inevitable expense of that of his worst enemy, Bullseye, who was effectively sacrificed by the living manifestation of Matt Murdock's Wrath.

Daredevil #20 is available April 9 from Marvel Comics.

Source: Marvel Comics