A battle between Wolverine and Daredevil ended up breaking away from one of the worst aspects of the ‘hero vs. hero’ dynamic. Debates over who will win in fights between particular heroes are about as old as comics themselves, and if there’s one thing Marvel loves, it’s pitting its biggest heroes together in fights that bring these fights to life.
Unfortunately, these kinds of fights often feel unfulfilling as creative teams will shy away from portraying a true winner. Instead, heroes clearly outmatched will get a special advantage so that both fighters get a chance to shine instead of the fight logically playing out. But that wasn’t the case when the Man without Fear went up against an X-Men legend.
Not only did Daredevil and Wolverine battle one another, Matt outright admits mid-battle that he can’t beat Logan. It was a refreshing change after decades of fights where the publisher shied away from officially declaring which heroes can beat other heroes. While the results may displease fans of Daredevil, his battle with Wolverine made for an incredibly satisfying read.
Daredevil Admits It: He Can’t Beat Wolverine
Matt’s Spoke a Truth Few Heroes Ever Own Up To
In Daredevil #7 by Saladin Ahmed, Aaron Kuder, Jesus Aburtov, and Clayton Cowles, Matt confronts Logan in the Bar with No Name. Wolverine has just knocked out the bar’s patrons and is eager to fight again. But thanks to a recent vision he had, the Man without Fear realizes that Wolverine is possessed by one of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Matt’s battle with the Seven Deadly Sins begins in Daredevil #1 (2023)!
Wolverine attacks first and Daredevil tries to get him to calm down. But with Wolverine under the influence of Lust (as in, bloodlust), Matt realizes Logan is beyond all logic and is forced to try and knock some sense into him. As they exchange blows, Daredevil analyzes Logan and how lucky he is to have survived previous encounters with Wolverine.
…Daredevil is fading fast and Wolverine’s already in the process of recovering from his injuries.
The fight spills out of the bar and into the street. Matt is already starting to wear down, but Wolverine is fighting with renewed vigor, spurred on by the sin possessing him. Daredevil manages to get the fight moved to a less-crowded place, but Daredevil is fading fast and Wolverine’s already in the process of recovering from his injuries.
That’s when Matt finally admits that in a direct confrontation with the mutant, Daredevil just can’t beat Wolverine. Between Wolverine’s strength and viciousness and his ability to heal, Matt’s powers just can’t compare. The only advantage Matt has is being able to exorcise demons, which he does, driving Lust out of Wolverine’s body and bringing their fight to a close.
Marvel Fights Often Give the Advantage to the Underdog
Even When Certain Characters Are Clearly Outmatched
Everyone loves seeing heroes battle one another. Sure, heroes are supposed to be fighting villains, but come on, it’s a spectacle seeing the Avengers or the X-Men test their mettle against other Marvel Universe heroes. Over the years, Marvel has given readers plenty of fights. But strangely enough, these battles don’t always play out as logically as one would think.
Case in point, Marvel once featured a battle between Hulk and Captain America. Now, logically, one would imagine the Jade Giant would wreck Captain America if they went face-to-face. But in this battle, Captain America, with no other weapons other than his fists and shield, manages to deliver blow after blow to Hulk until the behemoth was knocked out cold.
This fight occurred in Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America #4!
And that’s just one example. In other cases, a hero may get a sudden boost in power or a stronger character may find themselves weakened temporarily to put the battle on a more even keel. Rather than letting these fights play out as they logically would, the conditions of the battle are changed to give the underdogs a better chance.
…in an odd way, it makes these kinds of stories predictable or unsatisfying.
To be fair, it is more interesting to see David win rather than Goliath. But in an odd way, it makes these kinds of stories predictable or unsatisfying. Seeing Cap save the day might be inspiring, but taking on Bruce Banner’s powerful alter-ego and winning? That just does a disservice to Captain America, the Hulk, and the readers.
Daredevil vs. Wolverine Was a Satisfying Change of Pace
For Once, Marvel Comics Accepted a Hero’s Limits
Granted, one could argue that Daredevil was the winner of this fight since he exorcised Lust from Wolverine. But that was less of a victory and more of an act of divine intervention. Matt clearly acknowledged that there was nothing he could do when going toe-to-toe with Logan. Daredevil wasn’t strong enough and his powers pale in comparison to Wolverine’s.
The conditions of this battle were much more ‘real’ and it made for a far more captivating battle than the usual fights between Marvel heroes. Instead of Logan getting toned down, he’s more unhinged than ever and champing at the bit to tear up Matt. Instead of a special power, Daredevil has only his fists and faith to use here.
Heroes fighting other heroes can be a tricky thing to pull off. Creators generally want to respect both parties and make something fun for readers. But more often than not, these kinds of fights are skewed and don’t give fans a satisfying battle and the story suffers for it. This issue, however, had both a compelling fight and story.
Heroes fighting other heroes can be a tricky thing to pull off.
Instead of tweaking the scenario so that Daredevil could easily handle Wolverine, this story had Matt under fire as he desperately tried to figure out a way to survive. It’s a neat way of bucking the usual ‘hero vs. hero’ storytelling conventions. Hopefully, future Marvel hero battles will learn a thing or two from this incredible Wolverine and Daredevil fight.
