Given everything we’ve seen in the first three posts on the early days of Daredevil—his persistent doubts about his value, worsened by his excessive feelings of responsibility, leading him to question continuing as Daredevil at all—we would not be surprised that Matt Murdock is often sad and morose, if not depressed. We can add to this intense feeling of loneliness and isolation, not only romantic—after realizing the danger he would put a love interest, he spouts overwrought lines like, “Where Daredevil walks, he must walk alone! Thus do I accept my lonely fate!” (Daredevil #5, December 1964)—as well as more basic feelings of not having anyone to confide in about his secret life (especially when, in the early days, no one else knew about it).

Not only does all of this hit Matt harder than most superheroes, due to his passionate nature, but his periods of deep sadness are also contrasted with periods of exuberant joy. As we noted in the last post, Daredevil is the rare superhero who truly enjoys being a superhero. In an early issue, after he returns to New York City from an overseas adventure, he swings around the city, saying:

How I’ve longed for this marvelous moment—to be back in action again—free as a falcon, with the world at my feet! This is where I belong! This is my food, my drink, my life! This is why Daredevil was born! (Daredevil #15, April 1966)

The particular elation expressed here may reflect the fact that Matt has to practice extraordinary restraint in his “civilian” life, hiding his enhanced senses as well as his athleticism, so his time as Daredevil allows him a unique freedom and release.2 We see scenes like this several times in the first couple decades of his book: In one, many years later, he thinks to himself while running through the city, “What a gorgeous morning! Wind in my face… summer sun at my back… all the endless city sounds like a brass band below me… You’re beautiful, New York. I love you” (Daredevil #178, January 1982).

However, many of his most enthusiastic expressions of happiness come very quickly after intense periods of sadness. For example, after Matt fakes his death to thwart the blackmailer Starr Saxon, who then falls to his death—as we saw in the last post—we would expect Matt to be relieved, but he’s positively ecstatic. In the next issue, onlookers........

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