History ComicBook / BornAgain

A live-action adaptation of ''Born Again'' --intended as a sequel to the 2003 ''Film/{{Daredevil}}'' film-- was in development at one point but never made, while a later pitch for a (separate) film adapting the story was rejected by Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox in 2012. However, elements of the story were adapted into the third season of ''Series/{{Daredevil|2015}}'', released in 2018. In 2022, it was announced that a revival of the 2015 series would be titled ''Series/DaredevilBornAgain'', and is scheduled to premiere in early 2025.

* WealthyEverAfter: Inverted when Mattis ruined by the Kingpin after he learns his enemy's SecretIdentity. The Kingpin is eventually defeated and disgraced but feels he at least made Matt miserable by impoverishing him while he plans to strike at him again. However, when you see the final panel of Matt and Karen being happy in their situation, you know the Kingpin has truly lost.

** Comicbook/CaptainAmerica. Nearly every character -- even the crazed Nuke -- practically salutes in his presence -- except Matt, who's more annoyed that Cap is interfering in his private war against Fisk.

1986 was a big year for Creator/FrankMiller. In between the [[ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns other]] [[ComicBook/BatmanYearOne stuff]], he also happened to write this: an instant classic and swan-song to his hugely influential 1979-83 stint on the character. The story goes like this: Karen Page, the love of Matt Murdock's life, now a [[BrokenPedestal washed-up and coked-out adult film star]], sells his secret identity for a fix. Said information, as good as gold, makes its way to no less than the Kingpin of Crime, Wilson Fisk. Who proceeds to "test" the information -- by [[ForTheEvulz completely ruining Murdock's life.]]

Murdock loses his house, job, friends, and even sanity. But as Murdock, exhausted and enraged, fights the Kingpin -- and survives, however destitute -- Fisk notices something. [[TheDeterminator Murdock]] won't quit. Kingpin finally has found the man he cannot break.

The story is considered one of the best of the era and one of the three eminent [[DeconstructedTrope superhero deconstructions]] -- among them ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'' and ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' -- though less famous than they are (and notably the only one to be set in its publisher's main continuity rather than a standalone miniseries). This is somewhat ironic in itself, given that of the three, ''Born Again'' probably remains closest to the traditional superhero story, without going into SociopathicHero territory. More than the other two, Murdock is portrayed as a fundamentally decent guy with genuine heroic impulses while still very much a human being, and the central story is an old-fashioned battle between the hero and the villain. Notable for featuring perhaps the first time a superhero comic issue in which the hero is not once in his costume.

A live-action adaptation of ''Born Again'' --intended as a sequel to the 2003 ''Film/{{Daredevil}}'' film-- was in development at one point but never made, while a later pitch for a (separate) film adapting the story was rejected by Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox in 2012. However, the third season of ''Series/Daredevil2015'', released in 2018, would ultimately borrow several elements from the story. In 2022, however, it was announced that a revival of the 2015 series would be titled ''Series/DaredevilBornAgain'' and is scheduled to premiere in early 2024.

* AllForNothing: NYPD officer Nick Manolis testified that he witnessed Matt Murdock bribe a witness in order to get Kingpin to pay for the best treatment money can buy for his terminally ill (but not hopelessly so) son. His son dies anyway and Manolis decides to come clean to Ben Urich.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Kingpin sets out to destroy Matt Murdock's life and succeeds. He just didn't count on him becoming more ruthless as he has nothing left to lose.

* BigBad: Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. The Kingpin, who is determined to destroy Matt Murdock's life and pulls every string he has to do it.
* BigDamnHeroes: Between a bloodthirsty psychopath in a Daredevil costume and a murderous drug dealer coming for them pretty much ''at the same time,'' it looks like Karen and Foggy are screwed. Enter a reinvigorated Matt Murdock who manages to lay out both threats without breaking a sweat.
* BittersweetEnding: Matt's been disbarred and still hasn't reconciled with Foggy, but he's recovered from the trauma inflicted on him throughout the story and is shown to be happy together with Karen. On the flip side, the Kingpin manages to escape legal consequences for his actions, but the Daily Bugle's exposé ruins his attempts at creating a legitimate public image for himself and undermines control of his criminal empire.
* BlessedWithSuck: During Murdock's rehabilitation in the Catholic mission, he relives the ''terrifyingly painful'' early days of acclimating to his new senses. Though he is able to hear and smell far-away objects with uncanny precision, he soon picks up unpleasant essences and suffers from deafeningly loud noises, being overwhelmed to the point he can barely sleep.

* BoringButPractical: Kingpin's plan to dismantle Matt Murdock's life. He bribes a cop to testify that Murdock manipulated a witness, resulting in getting him disbarred. All his utilities are cut off as his paying his bills got "lost" in bureaucracy. His financial assets are frozen pending an IRS investigation. It only begins to go wrong for the Kingpin when he himself finds it ''too'' boring.

* ChristmasEpisode: The story just happens to be taking place around the end of December. Perennial loser Turk dresses up as Santa to swindle New Yorkers and a delirious Murdock tries to stop him. [[NeverBringAKnifeToAGunFight It ends poorly.]]

* {{Determinator}}: Murdock loses everything, including his right to practice law, becomes a paranoid wreck, and is badly beaten and left to die by the Kingpin -- and he just keeps coming back.

** NYPD Lieutenant Nick Manolis, who framed Murdock initially, needed money to pay for an operation to save his son. He tries to set it right, but that doesn't turn out well for him.

* EasilyForgiven: Murdock's life is ruined as a direct result of Karen Page selling his secret identity. When they reunite, he notices her decrepit state and embraces her, never whispering a single reproach at her for it. By the end of the story, it's implied that the two will resume their relationship.

* EvilIsPetty: After being told that Matt Murdock is secretly Daredevil, whose actions have barely impacted the profit of his previous crimes, and even though he is unsure of this information, [[Characters/MarvelComicsTheKingpin The Kingpin]] dives headfirst into this, going above and beyond to ruin Murdock's life to confirm it, and sacrificing his calmness and methodical approach (the factors that made him such an intimidating and effective villain in the first place) for his vendetta against Daredevil.

* OrgyOfEvidence: This phenomenon is what finally convinces Daredevil that the recent misfortunes he has suffered are being caused by ComicBook/TheKingpin rather than simply a string of bad luck. Most of his difficulties were subtly engineered problems concerning his taxes, his career, and his friends -- his entire apartment building blowing up is a little more suspicious.

* PsychoForHire: The Kingpin hires ''two'' psychopaths at once to draw out Daredevil and hopefully kill him: Nuke, a SuperSoldier driven insane from years of harsh experiments and being pumped full of drugs, and a killer in a Daredevil costume. Nuke is to drop into Manhattan and just start firing his [[{{BFG}} huge gun]] [[ICallItVera Betsy]], and the other one is supposed to kill Matt Murdock's friends while dressed as Daredevil, [[FrameUp framing him for the crime]].

** Early in the story Kingpin fights the temptation to land a finishing blow on Murdock as his manipulations tear down his life from afar. Finally, he can't resist and has a bomb set up in Murdock's house. This gives him the first and only clue he needs that Kingpin is behind everything.

** Comicbook/CaptainAmerica. Nearly every character -- even the crazed Nuke -- practically salutes in his presence -- except Murdock, who's more annoyed that Cap is interfering in his private war against Fisk.

* VillainousBreakdown: Fisk undergoes a subtle one over the course of the story after he learns that Murdock is still alive. It's very clear that he's becoming quite unhinged, culminating in Fisk sending the [[PsychoForHire Nuke]] to Hell's Kitchen and making him shoot up the place to draw Matt out.
* WealthyEverAfter: Inverted when Matt Murdock is ruined by the Kingpin after he learns his enemy's SecretIdentity. The Kingpin is eventually defeated and disgraced but feels he at least made Murdock miserable by impoverishing him while he plans to strike at him again. However, when you see the final panel of Matt and Karen being happy in their situation, you know the Kingpin has truly lost.

** In issue #2, "What if Daredevil killed Kingpin?", when Matt confronts the Kingpin, he blows him away with a pistol. The end result drives Matt mad with regret and causes a GangWar to erupt that ends with Karen Page, Matt Murdock, and the Ned Leeds Hobgoblin dead. However, Richard Fisk abandons his identity as the Rose and becomes the new Daredevil in his stead.
** In issue #48, "What if Daredevil saved Nuke?", Daredevil is able to get Nuke to a hospital instead of dropping Nuke's dead body on Ben Ulrich's desk. He's forced to put him into hiding when some of Kingpin's goons try to finish the job, forcing Kingpin to release Bullseye to get him back. Nuke kills Bullseye before he ultimately dies, but his actions seem to be the ultimate finish for the Kingpin.

* RousingSpeech: Played with. After Ben Urich is intimidated into silence by the Kingpin's goons, J. Jonah Jameson (of Franchise/SpiderMan fame, displaying HiddenDepths) gives an incredible speech explaining how important it is that the Bugle expose the Kingpin for what he is despite the potential consequences. Urich is unmoved at first. He later decides to pursue the story, but the speech isn't portrayed as an important factor in his decision.

* BittersweetEnding: Matt's been disbarred and still hasn't reconciled with Foggy, but he's recovered from the trauma inflicted on him throughout the story and is shown to be happy together with Karen. On the flip side, the Kingpin manages to escape legal consequences for his actions, but the Daily Bugle's expos&eacute ruins his attempts at creating a legitimate public image for himself and undermines control of his criminal empire.

* CaptainPatriotic: A dark version in Nuke, but ComicBook/CaptainAmerica plays it (mostly) straight in his guest appearance, even ''apologizing'' to the [=MPs=] sent to stop him, knowing they're just following orders. One of his most iconic quotes comes when he goes to confront a general about Nuke:

* GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke: A genetically engineered character named ''Nuke'' is a major antagonist in the third act of the book. His actions alone lead to the deaths of hundreds of innocents in Hell's Kitchen.

* PsychoSerum: Nuke is addicted to his "red pills", which increase his adrenaline levels at the cost of making him even more deranged than he already is.
* ''ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'': Nick Manolis, after a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown, still tries to confess to framing Matt Murdock and is murdered by one of the Kingpin's minions.

* SociopathicSoldier: Nuke. Genetically modified super soldier -- who is also completely insane and needs a steady intake of drugs just to function.

%%[[caption-width-right:350:]]

* JammedSeatbelt: The Kingpin tries to kill Matt Murdock this way, justified in that the buckle is chemically treated to be unopenable.

The story is considered one of the best of the era and one of the three eminent [[DeconstructedTrope superhero deconstructions]] -- among them ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'' and ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' -- though less famous than they are (and notably the only one to be set in its publisher's main continuity rather than a standalone miniseries). Which is somewhat ironic in itself, given that of the three ''Born Again'' probably remains closest to the traditional superhero story, without going into SociopathicHero territory. More than the other two, Murdock is portrayed as a fundamentally decent guy with genuine heroic impulses, while still very much a human being, and the central story is an old fashioned battle between the hero and the villain. Notable for featuring perhaps the first time a superhero comic issue in which the hero is not once in his costume.

* AllForNothing: NYPD officer Nick Manolis testified that he witnessed Matt Murdock bribe a witness in order to [[spoiler:get Kingpin to pay for the best treatment money can buy for his terminally ill (but not hopelessly so) son. His son dies anyway and Manolis decides to come clean to Ben Urich.]]
* AxCrazy: Nuke is the end result of a military project designed to create a super soldier. The procedure twisted his mind and reduced him to a delusional maniac who will unhesitatingly kill anyone whom he perceives to be a threat to him or his home country.
* BattleaxeNurse: Lois, Kingpin's enforcer who dresses as a nurse and is built like a truck.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Matt's been disbarred and still hasn't reconciled with Foggy, but he's recovered from the trauma inflicted on him throughout the story and is shown to be happy together with Karen. On the flip side, the Kingpin manages to escape legal consequences for his actions, but the Daily Bugle's expos&eacute ruins his attempts at creating a legitimate public image for himself and undermines control of his criminal empire.]]

* BoringButPractical: Kingpin's plan to dismantle Matt Murdock's life. He bribes a cop to testify Murdock manipulated a witness, resulting in getting him disbarred. All his utilities are cut off as him paying his bills got "lost" in bureaucracy. His financial assets are frozen pending an IRS investigation. It only begins to go wrong for the Kingpin when he himself finds it ''too'' boring.

* ChristmasEpisode: Organic: the story just happens to be taking place around the end of December. Perennial Loser Turk dresses up as Santa to swindle New Yorkers and a delirious Murdock tries to stop him. [[NeverBringAKnifeToAGunFight It ends poorly.]]

* CutLexLuthorACheck: {{Deconstruction}}. Fisk is trying to expand into legitimate businesses and be a VillainWithGoodPublicity, but his vendetta against Daredevil is costing him money and putting that ambition in jeopardy. The first crony to try and point that out to him is "bought out" and later has both his legs broken off-panel; the second is murdered by Fisk then and there. Fisk is ''trying'' to turn his criminal genius to more acceptable enterprises, but his obsession with Daredevil and his violent instincts keep overriding his sense.
* DelusionsOfEloquence: Felix, one of Fisk's henchmen who spies on Matt Murdock in the field.

* DespairEventHorizon: Ben Urich crosses this briefly when one of Kingpin's enforcers breaks his fingers and tortures the man he was about to interview in front of him.
* {{Determinator}}: Murdock loses everything, including his right to practice law, becomes a paranoid wreck and is badly beaten and left to die by the Kingpin -- and he just keeps coming back.

** NYPD Lieutenant Nick Manolis, who framed Murdock initially, needed money to [[spoiler:pay for an operation to save his son. He tries to set it right, but that didn't turn out well for him]].

* EasilyForgiven: Murdock's life is ruined as a direct result of Karen Page selling his secret identity. When they reunite, he notices her decrepit state and embraces her, never whispering a single reproach at her for it. By the end of the story, [[spoiler:it's implied that the two will resume their relationship]].

* EvilIsPetty: Kingpin is told that Matt Murdock is secretly a superhero, whose actions have barely impacted the profit of his previous crimes. Even though the criminal is unsure of this information, he goes above and beyond to ruin Murdock's life to confirm it.
* {{Frameup}}: The gist of the Kingpin's initial plan -- he gets Matt Murdock disbarred from his law practice due to bogus testimony from a cop in his pocket, among other things. Later on, Kingpin attempts to frame Daredevil by killing his friends with a lunatic dressed in his costume. Unfortunately for Kingpin, Daredevil was onto him from the beginning, takes out the lunatic no problem and gets a new costume out of the deal.

* GoodShepherd: A female version in Sister Maggie, who takes care of Murdock after he's injured.

* HesBack: When Nuke attacks on Fisk's orders, Matt Murdock, having regained his spiritual center, finally redons his Daredevil costume after so long to confront the lunatic.
* ManipulativeBastard: Most of the conflict originates from Kingpin's ability to influence numerous prominent figures, including higher-ups in the police, army and the IRS, by means of bribes, threats or even simple lies. One of the most blatant examples is his manipulation of the mentally unstable Nuke, to whom he pretends to be a loyal patriot struggling against a traitor named Daredevil.

* NeckSnap: The Kingpin does the one handed version on a complaining associate.
* NeverFoundTheBody: As soon as Fisk hears this about Murdock, he realizes Murdock's not dead.
-->'''Fisk:''' There is no corpse. ''There is no corpse.''

* OrgyOfEvidence: this phenomenon was what finally convinced Matt Murdock that the recent misfortunes he had suffered was being caused by the Kingpin rather than simply being a string of bad luck. Matt returns home deeply troubled by the way his life is unravelling around him and doesn't know if it's paranoid to think that maybe someone is out to get him. Then his home blows up.
-->'''Matt (pulling his Daredevil costume from out of the rubble of his demolished building):''' It was a nice piece of work, Kingpin. You shouldn't have signed it.

* PietaPlagiarism: The splash page where Maggie the nun is holding a badly injured Matt has them in a pietà pose. Unlike some other examples in superhero comics, the comparison to Jesus and Mary is well justified here, since Matt's "rebirth" has parallels to Jesus's resurrection, and we find out [[spoiler:Maggie actually is his mother]].
* PsychoForHire: Kingpin hires two in his steadily more desperate attempts to kill off Matt; Nuke and the CostumeCopycat of Daredevil. Neither of them end up doing the job, and end up exposing him to legal scrutiny.

** Nuke is a genetically modified soldier ala Captain America. Unfortunately, his super serum causes insanity.

* ThouShaltNotKill: Daredevil normally adheres to the "no killing" code of most superheroes. In this story, when Nuke's pilot is shooting up New York in a military helicopter, [[spoiler:Matt picks up a rocket launcher, mutters, "Forgive me," and blows him apart.]]

** In issue #2, "What if Daredevil killed Kingpin?", when Matt confronts the Kingpin, he blows him away with a pistol. The end result drives Matt mad with regret and causes a GangWar to erupt that ends with Karen Page, Matt Murdock and the Ned Leeds Hobgoblin dead. However, Richard Fisk abandons his identity of the Rose and becomes the new Daredevil in his stead.
** In issue #48, "What if Daredevil saved Nuke?", Daredevil is able to get Nuke to a hospital instead of dropping Nuke's dead body on Ben Ulrich's desk. He's forced to put him into hiding when some of Kingpin's goons try to finish the job, forcing Kingpin to release Bullseye to get him back. Nuke kills Bullseye before he ultimately dies, but his actions seem to be the ultimate finish towards the Kingpin.

-> ''"'''Six hours '''. Spent '''sweating ''' and '''straining''', seeking the '''limits''' of his own inhuman strength. Seeking the place '''past''' the thought. There is no '''corpse'''. What is it '''about''' Murdock? He was a '''minor''' concern - - a promising '''talent''' to be '''observed''' and '''catalogued''' and even '''flattered'''- - and perhaps one day to be turned to the Kingpin’s way - - but he is '''more''' than this. Now he is much more than this. He always was. And I - - have '''shown''' him… that a man without '''hope'''…is a [[MythologyGag man without fear]]. ''"

* TheBusCameBack: This story marked the return of Karen Page after a seven-year absence, her previous appearance being in issue #138.

* AllForNothing: NYPD officer Nick Manolis testified that he witnessed Matt Murdock bribe a witness in order to [[spoiler:get Kingpin to pay for the best treatment money can buy for his terminally ill son. His son dies anyway and Manolis decides to come clean to Ben Urich.]]

A live-action adaptation of ''Born Again'' --intended as a sequel to the 2003 ''Film/{{Daredevil}}'' film-- was in development at one point but never made, while a later pitch for a (separate) film adapting the story was rejected by Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox in 2012. However, the third season of ''Series/Daredevil2015'', released in 2018, would ultimately borrow several elements from the story. In 2022, however, it was announced that a revival of the 2015 series would be titled ''Series/DaredevilBornAgain''.

%%* EmphasizeEverything: It's Frank Miller. Even at his best he falls for this.

-->'''Fisk:''' There is no corpse. ''There is no corpse.''"