Marvel: 4 Important Spider-Man/Daredevil Team-Ups
With all the speculation about Daredevil’s (Charlie Cox) potential appearance in Marvel’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, and whether that was his arm in the trailer (it wasn’t), you may be wondering about how these two are connected in the comics. In fact, Matt and Peter have quite a long history together, crossing paths time and again over the years. Here are a few of their notable team-ups.
When do Spider-Man and Daredevil first meet?
Peter Parker and Matt Murdock first meet in 1964’s Amazing Spider-Man #16, by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Spidey is swinging around town when he sees a group of criminals getting ready to kill a bystander who witnessed their criminal activity. That bystander, unbeknownst to Peter, is Matt Murdock. Spidey swoops in and saves the day, though Matt would have done just fine on his own.
Later, they’re at the circus, along with Karen Page and Foggy Nelson — because who doesn’t want to follow up a day of crime-fighting with acrobats and cotton candy? The evil ringmaster hypnotizes the audience so he can rob them. Matt, unaffected by the hypnosis, saves the day.
Feels like the first time
In Daredevil #9 by Charles Soule and Goran Sudžuka , Peter and Matt’s memories of each other have been completely erased. It’s pretty poignant because their relationship had grown into both a strong partnership and a real friendship over the years. And now they’re essentially starting over.
It’s interesting to see that, when forced to determine whether they’ll choose to rebuild a similar sense of trust, they ultimately do it. Particularly since, right before this issue, it was Matt’s decision to erase his identity from the minds of the entire public.
What happens when Spider-Man is blinded?
In Spectacular Spider-Man #27-30, by Bill Mantlo and Frank Miller, Peter suddenly finds himself blinded. In that moment, who does he turn to? Matt.
Peter’s need to depend so much on Matt is an important moment in their friendship. And the story gives readers more of a glimpse into what life is like for Matt. It also reminds us of just how impressive Daredevil is. And it gives Matt an opportunity to step into a different kind of leadership role. Though Peter quickly regains his sight, it’s a standout moment in their friendship.
Daredevil/Spider-Man series
Back in 2001, these two teamed up together for their own miniseries by Paul Jenkins, Phil Winslade, and Alex Ross. It works well because they have a lot in common, but also a lot of differences. They’re both vigilantes who lose their parents and fight crime in New York City. But whereas Matt’s personality tends to be darker, Peter is more of an upbeat jokester (though he has his serious moments, as well).
In this series, Matt and Peter find themselves forced to protect Kingpin from an even worse enemy. It’s something neither of them is happy about, but they work together to do what needs to be done.
Spider-Man: No Way Home will arrive in theaters on Dec. 17.
