Over the years, however, Foggy was further developed into a more complex, three-dimensional character. By the time of the excellent back-to-back runs by Brian Michael Bendis and then Ed Brubaker in the 2000s, Foggy is much closer to the compelling figure that Henson plays in the TV show. Which makes it all the more tragic when Foggy dies at the end of Daredevil #82 (2006), written by Brubaker and penciled by Michael Lark.
Not only has Matt’s identity as Daredevil been leaked to the public, but Matt has also been sentenced to prison, leaving Foggy to both keep the law firm running and get his best friend out of prison before a bad guy can exact revenge. Unfortunately, he’s too late, as a thug shivs Foggy in the stomach after he visits Matt in prison. Stuck in his cell and powerless to help, Matt has to listen to his friend bleed out.
Or so he thought. Turns out, Foggy was just injured and placed into witness protection as he recovered. Then, there was a whole lot of stuff involving gangsters and ninjas and Wilson Fisk’s wife Vanessa, but eventually Matt learned that Foggy lives and the two were back to running Nelson & Murdock together. For a while.
The Second and Third Deaths of Franklin Nelson
Over the years, Matt and Foggy have various reunions and fallings out, with the former continuing to live as recklessly as possible and the former just trying to move on with his life. So when 2013’s Daredevil #22, written by Mark Waid and penciled by Chris Samnee, ends with Matt bringing a giant, stinky pizza to Foggy by way of apology, we expect the conversation to be little more than the latest bump in their tumultuous friendship. However, after accepting the apology, Foggy reveals that they have little time to rebuild their law practice because he has cancer.
Foggy battled cancer bravely, and Matt tried to help. But Matt couldn’t shake the feeling that his friendship made Foggy a target. 2014’s Daredevil #5 by Waid and Samnee seems to prove the point, as a dangerous new version of the villain Leap Frog attacks Matt while he’s visiting a weakened Foggy. Matt defeats the baddie (obviously—it’s Leap Frog), but the suit explodes, seemingly killing Foggy.
To Waid and Samnee’s credit, the issue doesn’t really let the audience think that Foggy’s really dead. With the help of Ant-Man‘s Pym particles, Matt used the explosion to fake Foggy’s death so he can continue his cancer battle in peace… which isn’t much, because this is a Marvel comic.
