The one thing Daredevil fears most

Ahead of March 24's Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 release, discover the revelation of what frightens Matt Murdock in A Cold Day in Hell by Charles Soule

Daredevil has always found a quiet joy in being The Man Without Fear, but a feeling greater than joy has overtaken his mission in the limited series Daredevil: A Cold Day in Hell. It’s Father Time’s strongest soldier: Exhaustion.

The tiredness is not exclusive to the physical toll. Even stronger than that is the taxation from the mental and spiritual. One of Daredevil’s core philosophies is tapping into the natural, beast side of him—having become the devil— to put the fear into those who would willingly be even worse beasts. Through these rageful methods, Matthew Murdock seeks to atone for his sins by halting injustice.

But he’ll never be able to stop atoning due to the violence he commits on this dangerous masked path. It creates the strongest spiritual dilemma in Matt Murdock’s life, and it’s no wonder that he’s grown in his faith with God after putting the life behind. Despite some doubts, Matt feels his strongest connection to God’s plan after leaving his masked life in the shadows. And as a result, he also thrives in his connection with humanity.

Elektra waltzes back into an elder Daredevil's life

Hence why when Elektra Natchios—now immortalized through mysterious means—reappears and offers him a chance to join her and stay forever young, he refuses. Because that would mean being a beast until the end of time. And if that’s the case, he’s more than satisfied being an old man.

While (this alternate universe’s) Elektra sees beauty in Matt’s madness—the art in the vicious ways he dismantles and beats down criminals—she doesn’t see Matt for what he truly is underneath. The reason he truly started the mission: Blind Justice. Which Matt delivers according to his own philosophy—and the one most underneath all of his layers—when he saves the villainous Bullseye from the crippled anti-hero Frank Castle’s rampage. If Matt decided to drink Elektra’s Kool-Aid, he would have eventually lost this human side of himself. 

Issue 3's variant cover, by All-Star artist Steve McNiven

And the thing that scares the blind “Man Without Fear” above all, is losing his ability to deliver blind justice without compassion and the hope of forgiveness.