Daredevil might not have godlike powers or a billion-dollar arsenal. However, he’s proved time and again that he can hold his own against enemies who should, by all logic, be way out of his league.
Armed with little more than enhanced senses and sheer determination, Matt Murdock has taken on some of the most dangerous villains in the Marvel Universe, many of whom have given the Avengers a run for their money. So, let’s take a look at five times Daredevil punched way above his weight class and came out on top.
5. Daredevil Took Down Ultron
Most people wouldn’t bet on a street-level hero like Daredevil lasting five seconds against Ultron. However, during the Acts of Vengeance storyline, Marvel shook things up by throwing heroes into battles they had no business winning.
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Daredevil? He got Ultron. The fight wasn’t just a random encounter. It was orchestrated by none other than Doctor Doom. Moreover, in true Daredevil fashion, Matt didn’t back down, even when he realized just how outmatched he was. Against all odds, he found Ultron’s weak spot, driving his billy club into the robot’s neck and then following up with a final strike that sent its head flying.
4. He Took on the Hulk And (Sort of) Won
Let’s be honest: No one beats the Hulk in a fistfight, least of all a guy whose primary power is “heightened senses.” But Daredevil doesn’t fight because he thinks he can win, he fights to save his city. When Matt Murdock encountered Bruce Banner in New York, he saw a man on the verge of losing control.
Using his legal skills as much as his physical ones, he managed to talk Banner down and coax him into transforming back from the Hulk. Unfortunately, Banner soon lost control again, and Hulk rampaged through the city. Daredevil, knowing full well he was no match for the Green Goliath, still jumped into the fray. He was thrown around like a ragdoll. However, he got up. And that, in itself, is a kind of victory.
3. Daredevil Outsmarted Absorbing Man
Carl “Crusher” Creel, aka Absorbing Man, is a villain who usually battles Thor and the Avengers. His power allows him to take on the properties of any material he touches. Against someone like Daredevil, who relies on physical combat, that’s a nightmare matchup.
Moreover, Matt Murdock isn’t just a fighter; he’s one of the smartest strategists in Marvel’s street-level roster. Instead of trading blows, he tricked Creel into absorbing the properties of a diamond. Now, diamonds are incredibly hard. However, they’re also brittle. With one well-placed strike, Daredevil shattered Absorbing Man into pieces.
2. He Literally Threw Silver Surfer Out Of Window
Most people would take one look at the Silver Surfer and immediately back down. After all, this is a guy who rides the cosmic waves alongside Galactus. But when the Surfer showed up at Matt Murdock’s office chasing an alien fugitive, Daredevil didn’t care who he was.
However, what he did care about was his staff’s safety. So when the Surfer almost harmed one of Matt’s employees, Daredevil did what any good boss would do: He threw him out the window. Okay, sure, Silver Surfer wasn’t actually hurt. But the fact remains. Matt was willing to stand up to a cosmic being without hesitation.
1. Daredevil Outsmarted Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom is one of Marvel’s greatest villains, a genius sorcerer, an expert in technology, and the ruler of Latveria. Even the Avengers have struggled to take him down. So when Doom decided to swap bodies with Daredevil, things looked grim for the Man Without Fear.
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Trapped in Doom’s body and thrown into a Latverian prison, Daredevil had every reason to panic. But instead of giving up, he adapted. Additionally, he tricked Doom’s own guards, reversed the body swap, and escaped, completely unraveling Doom’s plan in the process.
