Daredevil’s arrest could have major implications for the Marvel Universe, as his nemesis hopes to use it in his rivalry with all superheroes.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Daredevil #22 by Chip Zdarsky, Francesco Mobili, Victor Olazaba, Mattia Iacono and VC’s Clayton Cowles, available now.
“Outlawed” has placed Marvel’s young heroes in a situation that sounds a lot like Civil War. The government is cracking down on teenage vigilantes, hoping to regulate them. This storyline is still in progress, so readers will have to wait and see how these restrictions affect the young heroes long-term. But in Daredevil #22, Wilson Fisk capitalizes on the controversy seen in “Outlawed” and hints at his plan to legally outlaw adult superheroes.
Daredevil’s arrest sends shockwaves throughout The Big Apple. There’s no telling just how extensive the consequences of this scandal will be. But it’s quickly apparent that if Fisk has his way, the arrest’s ramifications will be dire for the superhero community. Fisk, the mayor of New York, capitalizes on a crowded press conference to spin this controversy in his favor. He openly states that, in his eyes, superheroes are no different from their dangerous villains. Fisk lumps them all together as a group of people who refuse to accept responsibility for their wrongdoing. Ironically, the mayor recently fought alongside Daredevil and other heroes to protect Hell’s Kitchen. But he makes it perfectly clear that he plans to use his authority to legally target the superhero community.
Daredevil’s arrest and prosecution are riddled with opportunities for Fisk’s platform. As District Attorney Hochberg points out, masked vigilantes have the right to protect their secret identities in court cases. In other words, their names and faces remain concealed to the public. At the press conference, Fisk firmly states that he intends to counteract this policy. Likewise, the police can’t the hero’s fingerprints, a typical aspect of any criminal investigation, because they would give his identity away. Fisk’s intentions may be nefarious, but he can use these obstacles to the prosecution as legitimate grievances in his looming quest to legally prohibit superheroes. Based on his remarks in this issue, Fisk plans to follow in the footsteps of the “Outlawed” storyline.