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Daredevil: End of Days is a 2012 series by Marvel Comics, written by Brian Michael Bendis and David W. Mack with art by Klaus Janson, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Alex Maleev. It serves as a possible 'final story' to the character of Daredevil.

After Daredevil is murdered by Bullseye, Ben Urich tries to figure out the meaning of his old friend's last words: "Mapone". In doing so he encounters many of the various people who interacted with Daredevil over the years.


Daredevil: End of Days contains examples of:

  • Alas, Poor Yorick: The Owl, after using his connections to get Daredevil's mask and keep it as a trophy, does this to a statue wearing Daredevil's mask, and let's say it's not as heartfelt as otherwise expected of this trope.
    The Owl: Alas, Horatio! I knew him well! He was a fellow of infinite jest! Where is your mocking now? Your laughter at death? Your condescending attitude? Your $#%&ing billy club?
  • Anti-Hero: Addressed by Urich. When his son Timmy is all 'yay Daredevil kills guys!', Urich flat-out tells him this is not what heroes do. See Strawman Has a Point.
  • Arch-Enemy: All of Daredevil's show up, and four of them (Fisk, Bullseye, the Owl, and Killgrave) wind up gruesomely murdered. Your heart bleeds for them.
  • Arc Words: "Mapone". It's a name.
  • Anyone Can Die: It opens with Daredevil being murdered and continues on from there.
  • Asshole Victim: Fisk (Daredevil beats him to death), Bullseye (commits suicide), the Owl, and Killgrave (Punisher kills both of them).
  • Bad Future: Not the darkest future of the Marvel Universe, with Spider-Man, the Punisher, and Nick Fury, among a few others, still around, but certainly not the brightest future, either. As if Bullseye finally triumphing over Daredevil and murdering him wasn’t bleak enough, it was also revealed that Daredevil crossed the Moral Event Horizon in the eyes of Hell’s Kitchen when he killed Kingpin. And it’s not just Daredevil, Black Widow and the Fantastic Four are said to have died quite some time ago, the Avengers are nowhere to be found, groups of SHIELD Helicarriers patrol New York, Stark Tower is now an automated museum, the Falcon (Sam Wilson) is now the U.S President, which sounds good until you remember that the VP is named Osborn, and certain heroes have their legacies and names shilled, with things like Hulk Burgers, Hammer Insurance, and a kind of whiskey with Hawkeye’s name on it.
  • Babies Ever After: Elektra, Milla, and Mary (formerly Typhoid) all have red-haired children. It's left ambiguous as to which of them are Matt's; Mary herself doesn't know as she had them when she was Typhoid Mary.
    • There is also a blink-and-you-miss-it frame which shows a photograph of a conspicuoisly red-headed, teenage boy on Maya Lopez' (Echo's) desk, signed "To Mom".
    • The ending confirms that Matt has a daughter with the Black Widow.
  • Back from the Dead: Echo (Maya Lopez), who was dead in the Marvel universe, shows up, having been resurrected by The Hand.
  • Bad Future: The series doesn't have the darkest future of the Marvel Universe, with Spider-Man, the Punisher, and Nick Fury, among a few others, still around, but certainly not the brightest future, either. As if Bullseye finally triumphing over Daredevil and murdering him wasn’t bleak enough, it was also revealed that Daredevil crossed the line in the eyes of Hell’s Kitchen when he killed Kingpin. And it’s not just Daredevil, Black Widow and the Fantastic Four are said to have died quite some time ago, the Avengers are nowhere to be found, groups of SHIELD Helicarriers patrol New York, Stark Tower is now an automated museum, the Falcon (Sam Wilson) is now the U.S President, which sounds good until you remember that the VP is named Osborn, and certain heroes have their legacies and names shilled, with things like Hulk Burgers, Hammer Insurance, and a kind of whiskey with Hawkeye’s name on it.
  • Berserk Button: Daredevil goads Bullseye into killing him by uttering the word 'mapone' in his dying breath. Ben Urich spends the rest of the series trying to learn what exactly that word means. It was the name of his daughter.
  • Bittersweet Ending: Our hero(or heroes) is dead, but the legacy of Daredevil lives on.
  • Book Ends: The series is one to Bendis and Mack's first Daredevil story in the early 2000s, Wake Up. In the back matter of the series hardcover, Mack notes this was an unexpected side effect. They were even able to use the same real-life kid as the model for Timmy, all grown up in the time that's passed between Wake Up and this. Possible Fridge Brilliance there in-story: Some of the dialogue suggests Timmy is not biologically Ben's son and that he lives with Ben because years before Matt Murdock brought Timmy there. Take another look at the ending to Wake Up: Urich adopted Timmy, and Matt kept an eye on the kid.
  • Break Them by Talking: During their final confrontation, right as Bullseye is about to finish off Daredevil, Daredevil speaks one word, "Mapone". While it's not initially clear why, Daredevil speaking this one word is what drives Bullseye over the edge, culminating in his suicide.
  • Call-Back: Many events from Daredevil's adventures prior to the point of divergence are referenced in ways both clear and subtle, such as his various relationships or how he left Timmy in Ben Urich's care. The latter ends up being particularly important. There is also the way Bullseye dies by shooting himself in the forehead, which is potentially a reference to when Daredevil gave him that scar in the first place and told him it was for when he had the guts to end his own life himself. Or it could be just a cool visual.
  • Continuity Porn: Almost every major Daredevil character shows up or is referenced. To Bendis' credit, it doesn't get clogged up.
  • Covers Always Lie: Most of the covers follow a similar motif; various Daredevil characters in a state of death/corpses at a crime scene. With the exception of Daredevil, the Kingpin, and Bullseye, none of these characters have actually died within the story.
  • Crapsack World: It takes Hell's Kitchen's usual portrayal and paints it across the Marvel Universe of the near future. SHIELD Helicarriers patrol New York in groups. The Fantastic Four are said to be dead. Other heroes or their names are shilled (Hammer Insurance; Hulk Burgers, and Hawkeye's name on a kind of whisky). The Avengers are nowhere to be seen; Stark Tower's become an automated museum. Nick Fury still kicks around underground for some reason. The president of the United States is none other than The Falcon—and his VP is someone named Osborn.
  • Cryptic Background Reference: Among other things, events such as the "Baxter Building Murders" and "Xavier's Rebellion" are mentioned in passing.
  • Curb Stomp Cushion: A new Daredevil and the Punisher firebombing away a horde of Hand ninjas does not mean you won't get hit with an errant arrow, Ben.
  • Cut Lex Luthor a Check: The Owl, who manages to bribe his way into making Mutant Growth Hormone legal and becomes a successful businessman.
  • Darker and Edgier: If at all possible for a Daredevil/Bendis book.
  • The Determinator: Murdock, as usual. His justification for beating the shit out of Fisk in broad daylight and eventually killing him?: "I tried everything else."
  • Deadly Distant Finale: It starts off with the title character's death, and only kills more people as it goes.
  • Downer Beginning: It starts with the title character's death, and only kills more people as it goes.
  • The Dreaded:
    • Toyed with. At the end of issue #2, an NYPD cop mentions "they found Bullseye" and it's built up as incoming terror. In the next issue, turns out they found him dead as a doornail.
    • Unsurprisingly, Frank Castle. The NYPD lay it out: do not approach the Vigilante Man in front of you!
  • Driven to Suicide: Bullseye, but not before scaring the shit out of a prostitute for good measure.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: Frank Castle might be an insane vigilante made even nuttier by his time in Ryker's, but even he's displeased about what happened to Daredevil. Issues 6 and 7 see him making up for lost body count.
  • Evil, Inc.: The Church Of the Hand Incorporated.
  • Eye Scream: Echo mentions through a flashback how Matt once lost an eye in battle. She is also quick to point out the irony of this happening to a man who had no use of his eyes to begin with.
  • Fallen Hero: Implied to be Murdock's status after killing Fisk in public in the back-story to issue #1. Urich even notes no heroes show up at his funeral, possibly because of this.
  • Famous Last Words:
    • "Mapone." Daredevil
    • "I'M FUCKING MAGIC"! Bullseye
  • The Government: Somewhat par for the course as Marvel Universe governments go, strongly implied to be anti-superhuman or noninterventionist. Run by President Sam Wilson and a VP named Osborn.
  • The Hedonist: Killgrave. His secretary is wearing...underwear. And totally enamored of him.
  • The Hero Dies: It starts out this way.
  • Heroic Wannabe: Urich's son Tim seems a little too into Daredevil. Proves to be foreshadowing.
  • Humans Are Bastards: Urich notes that after all Matt has done for the city, its people just stood by and watch him get killed. Later on, nearly everyone refuses to tell him what they saw, something Urich notes as being common in similar incidents.
  • Killed Offscreen: The Owl is killed by Frank Castle and all we hear of it is a brief radio broadcast. He also puts a bullet between Purple Man's eyes, although we only see the aftermath of it, not the actual killing.
  • Legacy Character: Shortly after Daredevil's death, there's a new Daredevil on the streets. It's revealed to be Timmy, Ben Urich's adopted son.
  • More Dakka: Frank Castle's always-elegant solution to a horde of Hand ninjas scrambling over the rooftops of Hell's Kitchen.
  • Mythology Gag: The mystery Daredevil saves Urich from a fall the exact same way as Spider-Man appeared on the cover of Amazing Fantasy #15. Turns out to be a misdirection as to the impostor DD's identity.
  • Nothing Is Scarier: The leader of the Church of the Hand will sit down with you and answer any questions you may have about the Church or its benefits—and his eyes will glow and he'll rip your mind apart with a nice smile and calm voice.
  • Posthumous Character: Daredevil, who only shows up in flashbacks after being killed in the opening scene.
  • Reincarnation: The Church of the Hand believes that Stick has been reincarnated. It's later revealed that this is Daredevil's daughter "Mapone".
  • Religion of Evil: The Church of the Hand, in issue #7.
  • Retired Monster: The Owl, who has effectively gone legit after pushing to make Mutant Growth Hormone legal. Frank Castle could care less whether or not the Owl is reformed, and he kills him offscreen.
  • The Reveal: "Mapone" is the daughter of Daredevil and Black Widow, and the apparent reincarnation of Daredevil's mentor Stick. It's implied that she will train Timmy at the end.
  • Rogues Gallery: nearly all of DD's greatest foes show up in one form or another (so does Turk). Fisk, Bullseye, Elektra, the Purple Man, the Owl, the Gladiator, Frank Castle. On the low end of the list, there's Bushwacker and Bullet. Urich even has a list of names he's ticking off as he visits them.
  • Scarily Competent Tracker: Murdock disappeared after his fight with/murder of Fisk, only to reappear years later fighting Bullseye. It's implied one of them found the other. The rest is history.
  • Shrouded in Myth: In addition to the main plot, there's also The Hand and whatever they're getting down on lately. Somewhat usual for them.
  • Smug Snake: Fisk, Bullseye, Elektra, Nick Fury, the Owl, even J. Jonah Jameson.
  • Shout-Out: Given the similarities to Citizen Kane, at one point Urich asks if 'Mapone' is Murdock's sled. The final shot of the "Mapone" envelope burning also mirrors the ending of Kane.
  • Trigger Phrase: "Mapone" apparently functions as this for Bullseye; he later kills himself and writes it on his mirror before he dies.
  • The Unreveal:
    • Though we discover what "Mapone" means by the end, what that word meant to Bullseye - and why he reacted the way he did - are never explained. Maybe he knew it meant a new Daredevil would rise up and he wouldn't be able to stop it.
    • Similarly, how exactly Frank Castle managed to escape despite being bolted to a chair by his arms and neck and surrounded by guards in full body armor, and how exactly Ben's visiting triggered his escape, is neither shown nor explained.
  • The Unseen: Peter Parker, somehow still alive when people like the Black Widow and the Fantastic Four are dead, leaves Urich a voicemail, but that's about it for his inclusion here. He later shows up in the last issue.
  • "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: The entire series functions as this.
  • Whole-Plot Reference: To Citizen Kane.


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