Frank Miller's Return to Daredevil in Born Again

In the mid-1980s, Marvel was riding high on a wave of success, both creatively and financially. Having weathered the financial storms of the late '70s, thanks in part to the lucrative Star Wars licensing deal, Marvel was poised to revolutionize the comic book industry with the launch of Secret Wars in 1984. This event not only reshaped the Marvel Universe but also set a new standard for the industry, leading to a plethora of new directions for Marvel's iconic heroes and villains.

This period also saw the release of other landmark stories, such as Frank Miller's Born Again arc in Daredevil, the return of Jean Grey in X-Factor, and Walt Simonson's Surtur Saga in Thor, among others. In this article, we'll delve into these pivotal narratives and other significant stories from the same era. Join us for Part 8 of our exploration of Marvel's essential issues!

More Essential Marvel

1961-1963 - The Birth of a Universe
1964-1965 - The Sentinels Are Born and Cap Dethaws
1966-1969 - How Galactus Changed Marvel Forever
1970-1973 - The Night Gwen Stacy Died
1974-1976 - The Punisher Begins His War on Crime
1977-1979 - Star Wars Saves Marvel From Bankruptcy
1980-1982 - Did the Dark Phoenix Saga Usher in the Greatest Decade for Marvel?
Frank Miller's Born Again and Walt Simonson's Surtur Saga

For some of the most celebrated storylines of this era, look no further than Born Again, Frank Miller's return to writing Daredevil, this time with David Mazzuchelli on art. Spanning Daredevil #227-233, this arc is often hailed as the definitive Daredevil story. It follows Karen Page, who, in a desperate state of addiction, sells Daredevil's secret identity for heroin. The information eventually reaches the Kingpin, who uses it to systematically dismantle Matt Murdock's life, leaving him homeless, jobless, and isolated. Matt hits rock bottom before being rescued by his mother, a nun named Maggie.

Matt's gradual resurgence as Daredevil and the Kingpin's descent into fanaticism create a compelling narrative. This story was loosely adapted in Season 3 of Netflix's Daredevil and will inspire the upcoming Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again.

Walt Simonson's tenure on Thor, starting with issue #337 in 1983, introduced Beta Ray Bill, an alien worthy of wielding Mjolnir. Simonson's work revitalized Thor's mythic fantasy roots, culminating in the year-long Surtur Saga from #340-353. This epic tale sees the fire demon Surtur, ruler of Muspelheim, attempting to bring about Ragnarok with the Twilight Sword. He sends Malekith the Accursed to battle Thor, buying time to forge the sword. The saga concludes with an epic confrontation involving Thor, Loki, and Odin against Surtur. Elements of this story were later incorporated into the films Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok.

Secret Wars Changes Comics Forever

In Part 4 of this series, we discussed how the 1973 Avengers/Defenders War foreshadowed the event crossovers that would become a staple of Marvel and DC's publishing strategy. This shift fully materialized in 1984 with Secret Wars, a 12-issue miniseries written by then Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter, with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton. Conceived as a marketing tie-in with Mattel, the story revolves around the Beyonder, a cosmic entity who transports a group of Marvel heroes and villains to Battleworld to determine the supremacy of good or evil. The series is known for its large-scale battles and the introduction of plot threads that would influence ongoing series, though it faced criticism for some characters acting out of character, including an unexpected romance between Magneto and the Wasp.

While Secret Wars is a mixed bag in terms of storytelling, its impact on the comic book industry cannot be overstated. Its success led to a sequel, Secret Wars II, and alongside DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths, it established the event story model as a dominant format in comic publishing.

Spider-Man’s Symbiote Suit and Other Iconic Spidey Stories

Following the foundational runs by Stan Lee and Gerry Conway, Amazing Spider-Man found its next iconic writer in Roger Stern. Starting with issue #224, Stern's two-year run revitalized the series, introducing the Hobgoblin in #238, who quickly became one of Spider-Man's most formidable adversaries. Stern's original Hobgoblin saga was cut short due to editorial interference, leaving the villain's identity unrevealed until Stern's return in the 1997 miniseries Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives.

Just as Stern left, Amazing Spider-Man #252 introduced Spider-Man's black symbiote costume, which debuted on Battleworld in Secret Wars #8. This costume sparked a long-running subplot that eventually led to the introduction of one of Spider-Man's most popular villains. The symbiote saga has been adapted numerous times, including in Spider-Man 3, Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Spectacular Spider-Man, and Insomniac's Spider-Man 2. Another significant story from this period is The Death of Jean DeWolff in Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110, a dark tale where Spider-Man hunts the Sin-Eater, who killed his ally Jean DeWolff, leading to a conflict with Daredevil.

Jean Grey Returns, the Rise of Apocalypse, and Other Mutant Landmarks

The mid-1980s were also a transformative time for Marvel's mutants. Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4 confirmed Magneto as the father of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, a revelation that remained canon for decades. X-Men #171 saw Rogue join the X-Men after leaving the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, cementing her status as a beloved heroine. X-Men #200 featured Magneto's trial and subsequent leadership of Xavier's School, marking his shift to heroism.

The most significant mutant developments were the resurrection of Jean Grey and the introduction of Apocalypse. Jean Grey returned in a two-part story across Avengers #263 and Fantastic Four #286, leading to the formation of X-Factor with the original X-Men. X-Factor #5-6 introduced Apocalypse, an ancient Egyptian mutant enhanced by Celestial technology, who became a major antagonist for the X-Men and a staple in various adaptations, including the 2016 film X-Men: Apocalypse.