In my last post on Matt Murdock, also known as Daredevil, we saw a pattern regarding his feelings of self-worth: He minimizes the positive contributions he makes as a superhero, focusing too much on the negatives such as putting his loved ones at risk and causing incidental harm to others, only to be reminded of his true value the next time he saves a life.1
For instance, after he and the villain he’s fighting at the time almost destroy a family’s home, Daredevil swears to quit, saying, “I once believed I became a swinging superhero to help people. Instead, I’m destroying them. … For the first time in years, I can see things clearly. I wasn’t helping anybody but number one!” Yet soon afterward he’s back in action, acknowledging that “I’ve got special abilities, and because of that, I’ve got responsibilities—not only to myself, but to everyone” (Daredevil #128, December 1975).
The sheer frequency of these episodes suggests that it is Matt Murdock’s sense of responsibility that pushes him to continue being Daredevil despite his recurring doubts about the value of doing so. As he said in yet another period of uncertainty about his chosen path in life:
when I’m finally disgusted with being Daredevil, I remember why I am what I am. I remember all the people I’ve helped. And I know why I do what must be done. Sometimes you’ve got to do a job you hate because there’s no other choice. (Daredevil #143, March 1977)
Although it is definitely not good that he resents being Daredevil enough to say he “hates” it, this statement emphasizes the importance of responsibility to him, motivating him to continue his heroic life despite the numerous costs to him and his loved ones.
Sometimes Matt suggests that the accident that blinded him while enhancing his other senses—after he pushed an elderly man out of the way of a truck carrying radioactive waste that splashed onto his face—also vested him with the responsibility to use them to help others. Standing in front of a picture of his early love Karen Page on a movie poster and mourning their breakup, Matt thought to himself,........