SPOILER SPORT: WHO WAS THAT DAREDEVIL-MASKED MAN?

[MattBrady]

So - Daredevil #87 hit this week, and at least one mystery is solved, that is, who’s been running around as Daredevil while Matt Murdock has been in jail.

So who is it?

Well, safe to say, when an article is called “Spoiler Sport” – there are going to be a few

SPOILERS AHEAD

Seriously – spoilers ho.

Stop reading unless you want to know what happened in the issue – and seriously – we talk about the fake DD thing, and the major revelation at the end of the issue as well.

You can leave now, we’ll wait.

Okay – they’re all gone…so we can talk freely.

With issue #87, Iron Fist was revealed to be Daredevil.

Picture writer Ed Brubaker giving one big sigh of relief.

“Yes, I'm relieved, but at the same time, it was always the plan to reveal it this issue, and it was never meant to be as big a deal as it ended up being,” Brubaker said. “It was just one part of a much larger story, one that the next arc follows up on. This whole ‘who's the other DD’ mystery that cropped up the last few weeks and ran around the Internet was unplanned, and I thought it was really amusing to watch, though a little nerve-wracking at the same time. I'm just glad it wasn't the only secret we were sitting on.”

As holding on to revelations such as this has become something of a job in and of itself, given the number of people both inside and outside comic book publishers that are looking to reveal insider information for their own self-gratifying reasons, Brubaker said he was surprised that the identity of the imposter Daredevil lasted as long as it did.

“Clearly too many knew. I remember hearing that an artist on some Civil War tie-in book - I think it was Cable and Deadpool was at Heroes Con telling fans that it was Iron Fist under the mask, and I was like, why does this guy even know that? And if he knows, why doesn't he know it's a secret? So, yeah, I wish that more folks could've steered a bit more clear of it than they did, but I also appreciate that being included in stuff is part of the game, and I know no one was doing anything on purpose. I also really appreciate the great lengths Marvel went to to keep readers as confused as possible with each leak. There were so many rumors and theories floating around the net the last few weeks, that I think even people who knew were starting to be confused. And I thank David Gabriel and Jim McCann for that.”

It was Gabriel and McCann (Marvel’s VP Sales, Publishing and Asst. Manager of Sales Communication, respectively) who mobilized when it was realized that the “blacked out” portions of the script in the Director’s Cut edition of Civil War #1 weren’t “blacked out” enough. As a result, Marvel inadvertently published a comic with the revelation in it. Quick action was needed, and at certain hotspots where the Director’s Cut reveal was being discussed, confusion was sown – reports of “variant” editions of the issue were reported, with the reveal being Hawkeye, or other characters.

“You know, I wasn’t thrilled when that happened, but I didn't flip out about it,” Brubaker said. “It was brought to my attention early, and I asked what the deal was, and they told me, and then they guys at Marvel went above and beyond the call, and scrambled around to confuse it as well as they could. There was nothing malicious about that, it was just a flub. And honestly, all the attention that generated online was astounding. We had more buzz for this new issue than I could have ever hoped for. I'm already hearing about stores selling out around town here, so hopefully that's a national phenomenon.”

Being at the center of the mystery, the identity was never in question for Brubaker, obviously, but at the same time, he felt that it was pretty obvious. “C'mon -- Heroes for Hire... Hello? Plus, he was at Foggy's funeral with Luke and Jessica. Every clue was right there for people, same with the other big secret revealed this issue, there were clues laid right there on the page, plain as day.”

And no, there’s been no switcheroo a la Monarch in DC’s Armageddon 2001 a few years back (reportedly, too many people figured out who the villain was, so his identity was changed, resulting in a fizzle of an ending) – Iron Fist was always meant to be the guy who was under the mask.

“It was always Iron Fist,” Brubaker said. “It was in the pitch. Like I said, I'm an Iron Fist fan. I'm probably one of twelve people who thinks Essential Iron Fist really is essential.”

Something that, looking back, suggested that it was Iron Fist under the mask was the utter lack of appearances elsewhere in the Marvel Universe for the past several months, something which Brubaker and the Daredevil editorial team orchestrated.

“And thank god that worked out. Though the only place they were going to use him, I think was Civil War, and they just used DD instead. So that was easy. It's not all that difficult to have people stay away from using Iron Fist, anyway. Though it's going to be harder soon, if I have anything to say about it. This is just the first step in Danny Rand's rise to power!”

And just to be clear, Danny Rand’s business, that is, “Heroes for Hire,” played a major role in why he was doing what he was doing. That is, he wasn’t posing as Daredevil out of the goodness of his heart. “He was hired, but he only took the gig because he thought it was Foggy hiring him through another lawyer. But also, he's a friend of Matt's, and he felt for him, so he was pitching in, as well. So, it was a bit of both. But it wasn't his idea, someone hired him. We don't know exactly who yet, though, just who their intermediary was.”



That intermediary was one Alton Lennox, a mystery man who has now become the center of Matt Murdock’s investigation into who’s been toying with him for the past months to years of his life. With issue #87 though, Murdock has taken a more active role in his destiny, escaping from Rykers (with the help of the Punisher) confronting this “other” Daredevil, and…well, finding a bigger mystery.

“Matt’s still being led around, but now he's like a puppet climbing up the strings to see who's hand that is. It's going to be a hell of a wild ride to get there, too.”

And as for Senator Engel and the FBI Director who’ve been manipulating things for a while now, and were responsible for putting Murdock in Rykers with a swath of notorious criminals (Rykers’ Warden Cole publicly blamed the FBI for the riot and resultant deaths at the prison)…?

“The Senator's not involved, he's just bringing down the hammer on the Director for all the terrible PR this riot at Rykers generated,” Brubaker explained. “The FBI Director is the only one being left out to dry, and his story isn't over yet. But he just got a little too smug and sure of his position, I think. He's taking it out on Matt, who he does have the legal right to go after, but he pushed it over the line, by putting him in Rykers, and now he's going to pay the price for that miscalculation - because there are other people with their hands in here, who we haven't seen yet. Like Alton Lennox, or maybe the person he works for.”

As for Murdock, issue #87 left off with him headed to Monaco – the last known location of Alton Lennox…or should he be called “Alton Lennox?” Is this Lennox fellow even a real person?

“Matt doesn't know it for sure, but he is,” Brubaker said. “Lennox is just the next link in the chain,
and Matt's only lead. But it's not going to be easy to find him, or find his answers. Hell, it better not be, right? I'm hoping for Matt to put on a Daredevil costume and jump around and hit people to get the answers, obviously.”

As far as the mystery of who Lennox (and whoever’s behind him) is, Brubaker said the answer isn’t as obvious as Iron Fist being the fake Daredevil, but there are clues.

“Lennox is no one we've yet to meet, but there are clues. There are always clues. I don't think there's been one single stray line of dialog or narration in this book so far that doesn't do something. Even Dakota had a line at the end of the second issue about Foggy's stabbing that a few people are now remembering.”

Oh – and for the long-time Daredevil fans…yeah, Brubaker wears his “I’m a nerd for DD” short proudly, as was evidenced by Matt Murdock using the false id/passport of “Mike Murdock” to flee the country. “Mike Murdock” – Matt’s sighted twin brother was a guise Matt hastily adopted back in issue #25 (1967) after Spider-Man accidentally revealed DD’s identity to Foggy Nelson and Karen Page.

“Ha! Yeah, Mike Murdock,” Brubaker chuckled. “Obviously, I can't have Matt in disguise as his
own twin brother and get away with it, but to get out of the country, with dyed hair and fake contacts that look like he can see? Sure. I'm a Gene Colan fanboy, plain and simple, and Gene made the joke that Mike Murdock was something great. So, yeah, that was a little nod to the old time fans. I had Matt in prison for five straight issues; they deserved a nod, at the least.”

As if the revelation of the fake DD’s identity and the return of “Mike Murdock” wasn’t enough, the last page of the issue held the biggest shocker of all: Foggy Nelson, alive, and being placed in protective custody.

Yeah.

Brubaker (not to mention Marvel Editor in Chief Joe Quesada) took a load of heat for what many fans saw as the capricious decision to kill Foggy earlier in the storyline. But, the writer said, it was worth it. “It was really hard to keep the readers in the dark on that one, and play the bad guy, but I think it really helped them see through Matt's eyes, as it were, to understand why he went over the edge.”



Heck, nearly everyone was so sold on the idea that Foggy was dead, that when the solicitation for issue #88 hit, with a story entitled, “The Secret Life of Foggy Nelson,” no one put it all together, and the most common train of thought for many DD fans was that the issue would reveal hidden, shameful secrets of Foggy’s. In other words, Brubaker killed Foggy, and then was digging him up to kill him again.

“Oh, come on - the clues were all right there, though. Matt's last narrative in #82 was, ‘His heart is still beating,’ and Dakota said he was stable in the ambulance. Danny even tells Matt this issue that he saw Lennox talking to a Fed at some point.

“So now we've got Matt out there, not realizing Foggy's still alive, looking for revenge on his killers. Pretty good set-up, huh?”

And it all starts to spill over next month in #88, when Brubaker is joined by fill-in artist David Aja.

“David Aja is this fantastic artist from Spain, who's stepping in to help out with this issue, so we can get ahead on the schedule, and he's been doing a great job. So great, that Warren Simons and I picked him to be the artist for the book that Matt Fraction and I are doing this November, The Immortal Iron Fist. Which is a bit of a follow-up to Danny Rand's appearances in DD, as well as me finally getting my hands on one of my other favorite Marvel characters and getting a chance to really explore his history, and the history of the Iron Fist idea. I think we're really going to shock some people with this stuff. And David is going to knock it out of the park. I just got his first cover and it's dynamite.”

[GNR4Life]

Immortal Iron Fist!!!!!!

[Bevbos]

Whoa, is The Immortal Iron Fist going to be an ongoing? I could totally dig on that.

[pez dispenser]

Damn, I wish more comic books were half as good as DD has been for the last few years.
And the scary thing is, it's just getting better.

[shady878]

I cant wait to read this when it comes out on TPB!

[Bird Flu Man]

I'm one of the guys who's vocal about his feelings when he doesn't like what Marvel is doing. I think putting Bendis on two Avengers titles was stupid and I stay far, far away from anything written by Hudlin.

But I must give credit where credit it due. Brubaker is a phenomenal writer. His stories are extremely well-planned, fresh, and exciting while respectful of the past (though I'm still not sold on his depiction of Black Tarantula). For once I'm glad that Marvel has put one man on so many titles.

[Rednax310]

So in Civil War 3, when the "Secret Avengers" are sitting in the cafe going over their new IDs, that was Danny as DD?

[gwangung]

Given the genre and real world happenings, that Foggy twist is damn logical, and utterly blindsiding. Wow.

[SpyGuy]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

“David Aja is this fantastic artist from Spain, who's stepping in to help out with this issue, so we can get ahead on the schedule, and he's been doing a great job. So great, that Warren Simons and I picked him to be the artist for the book that Matt Fraction and I are doing this November, The Immortal Iron Fist. Which is a bit of a follow-up to Danny Rand's appearances in DD, as well as me finally getting my hands on one of my other favorite Marvel characters and getting a chance to really explore his history, and the history of the Iron Fist idea. I think we're really going to shock some people with this stuff. And David is going to knock it out of the park. I just got his first cover and it's dynamite.”

THE IMMORTAL IRON FIST? I'm so there. Details please.

[justice~!]

"Clearly too many knew. I remember hearing that an artist on some Civil War tie-in book - I think it was Cable and Deadpool was at Heroes Con telling fans that it was Iron Fist under the mask, and I was like, why does this guy even know that? And if he knows, why doesn't he know it's a secret?"

I would assume the artist knew since he was told to draw the tie-in that hinted *very* strongly at it being Iron Fist? Don't these guys talk at all? =)

http://forums.comicbookresources.com...d.php?t=135068
(look for "Do I really need spoiler tags at this point?")

[BubbaKanoosh]

I'm so glad its iron fist..
And even more glad it isnt Hawkeye...

Iron Fist is like a walking tekken/street figher/mortal combat character.













FINISH HIM!!!!

[MattBrady]

Originally Posted by Rednax310

So in Civil War 3, when the "Secret Avengers" are sitting in the cafe going over their new IDs, that was Danny as DD?

apparently with a wig, as was mentioned at a panel at SDCC, as they were all in disguise.

Matt

[juliop83]

Thank you ED for turning me on to DD. My 1st DD book was his 1st DD book . And since that day I've been buying nothing but DD books. And Iron Fist does need his proper recognition. I hope he's in the new Heroes for Hire.

[Ragnarokker]

Iron Fist and Daredevil on a road trip to fight a bunch of ninjas? ... I guess that's pretty cool.

[Rednax310]

How long was Bendis on DD for? Is his run collected in Trades? I might start getting Daredevil, but I'd like to play a little catch up first.

[NeoGundamX]

I loved that issue. I flipped through it at the comic book store so I am going to wait for it in trade paperback. I love how Bendis made a Luke Cage a wonderful character again, so I hope Brubaker can do the same thing for Iron Fist. I guess I am Iron Fist fan #13 because I have always been a fan. Bring back the real Heroes for Hire, even if just for a mini series.

[K_Mang67]

Am I the only one feeling ripped-off?

Iron Fist?!! Come on, who give a %&$#!?! We were all led to believe that it was Clint "Hawkeye" Barton. What a let down.

Originally Posted by MattBrady

And no, there’s been no switcheroo a la Monarch in DC’s Armageddon 2001 a few years back (reportedly, too many people figured out who the villain was, so his identity was changed, resulting in a fizzle of an ending) – Iron Fist was always meant to be the guy who was under the mask.

It's a little convenient that this little nugget was mentioned here. This happens to be exactly what I think Marvel just did. Everyone figured out that it was Hawkeye, so they switched it to Iron Fist.

On a much brighter note, Nice touch with Foggy!

[sean phillips]

Ed, get off the internet and write me some more Criminal!

Sean

[K'un Lun Kid]

An Iron Fist project?

In the hands of a talented writer?

I haven't been this excited to see IF in a book since he popped up for three issues of Priest's run of Black Panther.

After the inexcusable hackery that was the Mullaney/Lau (mini)series, and seeing him surprisingly marginalized during the Luke Cage/Jessica Jones wedding, I'm honestly jazzed about this.

And, yeah, I'm one of the other 11 people that think that "Essential Iron Fist" is absolutely "essential."

[BubbaKanoosh]

Originally Posted by K_Mang67

Am I the only one feeling ripped-off?

Iron Fist?!! Come on, who give a %&$#!?! We were all led to believe that it was Clint "Hawkeye" Barton. What a let down.

!

No we werent.

Fanboys made up that rumour.

Hawkeye and DD have no relation to each other at all. There would be no reason for him to do so, that would be logical except pleasing fanboys.

[GNR4Life]

Originally Posted by K_Mang67

Am I the only one feeling ripped-off?

Iron Fist?!! Come on, who give a %&$#!?! We were all led to believe that it was Clint "Hawkeye" Barton. What a let down.



It's a little convenient that this little nugget was mentioned here. This happens to be exactly what I think Marvel just did. Everyone figured out that it was Hawkeye, so they switched it to Iron Fist.

On a much brighter note, Nice touch with Foggy!

Bru even said in that interview it was Iron FIst from the beginning.Makes sense since it's one of his fav characters.

[I am MODOK]

I would like to point out that I called the Foggy thing from the start!

[Mr Wesley]

I wonder if maybe Bru leaked that "Immortal Iron Fist" bit accidently on purpose? That's the kind of thing I would expect to be announced at WW Chicago.

[protege]

Originally Posted by Rednax310

So in Civil War 3, when the "Secret Avengers" are sitting in the cafe going over their new IDs, that was Danny as DD?

I thought so too, but now i'm thniking it's DD as "Mike Murdock". Still not much of a disguise, if you ask me...

[protonik]

Guess I will be buying the trade and picking up the next issue of DD.