Daredevil's Brother Is To Blame For Matt Murdock's Hero Origin

Summary Matt Murdock's life-altering accident was caused by his twin brother, Mike, who used a Norn Stone to change their shared history.

Mike Murdock's manipulation of reality made him a part of Matt's childhood, influencing the pivotal moment of Matt getting hit by a truck.

The car accident that blinded Matt and gave him his powers was originally a random event, but with Mike's interference, became a deliberate act affecting Matt's superhero destiny.

One of the biggest events in Daredevil's life was the accident that gave him his superpowers. Matt's life was completely changed when he one day pushed a stranger out of the way of an oncoming truck. This resulted in an accident that not only blinded Matt, but gave him the powers he'd need to be Daredevil, but Marvel revealed that Matt's own brother was the reason this happened.

Matt's twin brother Mike Murdock began as a fictional persona created by Matt to keep his identity a secret. Later on, MIke was actually brought to life by Reader. In 2020's Daredevil Annual #1 by Chip Zdarsky and Manuel Garcia, Mike is desperate to stay alive and become a real person, so he uses a Norn Stone to force himself to be a part of reality. Whereas before, Mike Murdock simply appeared one day, now, he has created an entire history for himself that becomes integrated into Matt's history. He has always been a part of Matt's life now, which majorly changes the most important moment of Matt's life.

In Daredevil's original origin story, Matt Murdock was hit by a truck while out walking one day. Where he was going was never important. What was important, was that a random man was about to be hit by a truck and Matt reacted. However, Mike's alterations to history completely changed this.

Related Daredevil Writer Reveals His Brutal Original Pitch for Matt Murdock's Final Fate Daredevil fought the Avengers, the Stromwyns, and Hell itself to save the world. Writer Chip Zdarsky shares the pitch that started the whole story.

Mike Murdock Was Responsible For Matt Getting Hit

Daredevil Annual #1 (2019) by Chip Zdarsky, Manuel Garcia, Le Beau Underwood, Chris Mooneyham, Clayton Cowles, and Rachelle Rosenberg

When Matt Murdock was a young child he saw a racing truck about to hit a random citizen. Acting on pure instinct, Matt dived in front of the truck, knocking the civilian out of the way. While this saved the civilian's life, the accident caused some radioactive waste to splash off the truck, blinding a young Matt Murdock for life. This radioactive waste also gave Matt Murdock the powers to be Daredevil by giving him increased senses. It was a major moment for Matt Murdock and was his first step in becoming a superhero, but with the addition of Mike Murdock to his history, this event was changed in one major way.

Because of Mike Murdock using the Norn Stone to give himself a history in reality, this naturally made Mike a part of Matt's childhood. After all, if they're twin brothers, then obviously they grew up together. This becomes a major detail in that, on the day Matt was hit by that truck, Mike had paid him to take his place at summer school. Therefore, if Mike hadn't wanted to skip summer school, then Matt wouldn't have been in the path of that truck and wouldn't have gotten hit. The boys' father Jack even tells Mike that he shouldn't blame himself, which cements the fact that Mike had at least some part in Matt getting hit by that truck.

The Car Accident Was One Of The Most Important Moments Of Matt's Life

It's likely that Matt Murdock would always find a way to be a hero. In Marvel's new Ultimate Universe, Matt wasn't in the accident, and therefore he became a priest to try and help people through faith. Even if he hadn't been hit by that car, he would have done something to help people. Originally, this accident was a complete fluke, with no real reason given as to why Matt was there. The change in history of Mike being responsible for it was a massive shift in Matt's history, and made Mike directly responsible for Matt becoming Daredevil, but unfortunately, this fascinating change was never really explored, as Mike was killed shortly after this reveal.

Daredevil Annual #1 is available now from Marvel Comics!