Daredevilhas had many relationships since his inception in Marvel Comics.Women who become involved romantically with Matt Murdock are often put in great dangerdue to his vigilante alter-ego’s life. Though some of Daredevil’s girlfriends are heroes themselves, others are everyday women who do not have the benefit of their own powers or defenses to protect themselves.
Matt often falls deeply in love with these women and tries his best to keep them from harm. While there are some, like Black Widow, who manage to navigate theirrelationships with Daredeviland maintain a degree of safety,others find themselves caught in the crossfire of his battles, as there are times when it is impossible for even Daredevil to save someone, especially people he loves.
Karen Page
Matt’s First Girlfriend Made A Deadly Sacrifice
Karen Page has a very storied and complicated history since her introduction in 1964 inDaredevil#1, by Stan Lee and Bill Everett.As Matt Murdock’s first-ever love interest in the comics,Karen certainly was an influential part of Daredevil’s life, as she was the one who ultimately sold Matt’s secret identity in exchange for drugs in the classic Frank Miller arc,Daredevil: Born Again.
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Karen’s final demise came at the hands of one of Daredevil’s classic and recurring villains, Bullseye, in Kevin Smith’s 1999Guardian Devilseries. Specifically, inDaredevil(vol. 2) #5 – written by Smith with art by Joe Quesada, Jimmy Palmiotti, Richard Isanove, and Dave Lanphear –Karen jumps in front of Daredevil to save himfrom his own club that Bullseye threw. As the club strikes her chest, Karen dies in Matt’s arms.
Heather Glenn
Heather’s Own Demons Led To Her Tragic Fate
First introduced in 1975 inDaredevil# 126 – written by Marv Wolfman, with art by William Robert Brown, Klaus Janson, Michele Wolfman, and Irv Watanabe –Heather Glenn was a well-to-do Manhattan socialitewho happened upon Matt Murdock in a chance encounter. If the name Heather Glenn sounds familiar, it’s because she is Murdock’s current girlfriend in the Disney+ series,Daredevil: Born Again.
If Heather’s live-action trajectory follows her comic history in any way, then Matt Murdock is only in for more loss and heartache this season. Heather and Matt’s relationship in the comics was a tumultuous one, marked by many difficult breakups and reconciliations. However, matters were complicated by Heather’s alcoholism and inability to cope with a final breakup, leading to her regrettably taking her own life.
Elektra Natchios
One of Daredevil’s Most Iconic Lovers, Elektra And Bullseye Came To Deadly Blows
Elektra is perhaps the character most closely tied to Daredevil, particularly when it comes to romance. Created by Frank Miller and introduced in 1981 inDaredevil#168, Elektra was the daughter of the Greek ambassador to the United States.She and Matt met in college, soon starting up a dangerous and passionate relationship. After her father’s accidental death,Elektra left Mattand the U.S. behind.
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Elektra returned years later as a trained and extremely skilled assassin, trained by the ninja organization known as The Hand. WhileMatt and Elektra were reunited, with Elektra finding out Matt was in fact Daredevil,Matt could never accept her willingness to kill.Due to her skills, Elektra was hired by Daredevil’s longtime enemy, Wilson Fisk/Kingpin. In taking the job, Elektra earned the ire of Bullseye, who impaled Elektra with her own sai in order to become Kingpin’s favorite assassin again.
Glorianna O’Breen
Glorianna Was A Short-Lived Character In Marvel Comics
Introduced in 1983 inDaredevil#205 – written by Denny O’Neil, with art by William Johnson, Danny Bulanadi, George Roussos, and Joe Rosen –Glorianna O’Breen is an Irish photographer for the Daily Bugle. Due to her profession that demanded close proximity to dangerous situations to get coverage for the news, Glorianna was fearless in the face of crime and chaos. Out of Matt’s many love interests over the years, Glorianna was one who was never fully fleshed out in terms of characterization, acting mostly as a female figure for Daredevil to save.
Given Matt Murdock’s secret identity,he would often disappear or not respond to Glorianna’s calls, eventually frustrating Glorianna to the point where she broke off their relationship. She began to date Matt’s best friend, Foggy Nelson, which was a source of tension for Matt. Glorianna met her end at the hands of one of Kingpin’s associates, Viktor Krueller.
Maya Lopez
Lopez Was Manipulated By Kingpin
For fans of the Disney+ side of the MCU, Maya Lopez is a familiar name.Known by her moniker, Echo, she first appeared inHawkeyein 2021 before branching off into her own solo series,Echo, in 2024. Though briefly mentioned inDaredevil: Born Again, the character has yet to appear. In Marvel Comics, Lopez was first introduced in 1999 inDaredevil(vol. 2) #9 – written by David Mack, with art by Joe Quesada, Jimmy Palmiotti, Richard Isanove, and Richard Starkings.
Lopez’s father was one of Kingpin’s associates who he turned on and murdered, leaving Lopez as the sole survivor. Kingpin took Lopez in, providing financially for her. Using his influence over her,Kingpin eventually sent Lopez out to kill Daredevil.However, the interaction with Daredevil led to not only the truth about Kingpin but a budding relationship. Lopez was ultimately murdered by Count Nefaria, but is later resurrected.
Kirsten McDuffie
Kirsten Is A Capable And Intelligent Attorney
Kirsten McDuffie is another character recently brought into the live-action MCU inDaredevil: Born Again. Originally created by Mark Waid and Paolo Rivera in 2011 inDaredevil(vol. 3) #1,McDuffie is introduced as a very competent assistant district attorneywith excellent deduction skills, as she discovers Matt is Daredevil quite early on. Though McDuffie did not work with Nelson & Murdock, she frequently lent her services at the legal firm, where she began to grow closer to Murdock and eventually started dating.
When Daredevil’s identity is exposed – as it so often is – Kirsten stays by Matt’s side through the whole ordeal, even moving to San Francisco with him and Foggy after Matt is disbarred in New York and Foggy is recovering from cancer. The knowledge of Matt’s secret identity is eventually reversed, taking Kirsten’s memory of Matt as Daredevil. When Matt realized Kirsten did not remember who Daredevil really was, he ended their relationship.
Milla Donovan
Milla Became Matt Murdock’s Wife
Milla Donovan is the only one of Matt’s many love interests who he actually married. Created by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev in 2003 inDaredevil(vol. 2) #41, Donovan is a blind citizen of Hell’s Kitchen who was saved by Daredevil during one of his many patrols. While Matt’s identity as Daredevil was public at this point, Donovan tracked Matt down, andhe willingly admitted his identity to her.
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Donovan was willing to accept Matt’s life as Daredevil, and the two began a serious relationship, despite the danger Matt’s secret identity put her in. However, Daredevil’s life took a serious turn for the worse during Bendis’ run, putting severe mental strain on Milla. She was found to be mentally unstable and placed in a care facility, with custody granted to her parents instead of Matt, as Matt was seen to be the cause of her mental decline.
Natasha Romanoff
The famous Black Widow was one of Matt’s earliest love interests, dating back to 1971.The two first met inDaredevil#81 – written by Gerry Conway, with art by Gene Colan and Bill Everett – after Natasha saved Matt from drowning. The two grew to know more about each other just in time for Natasha to need a lawyer to defend her in court after she was falsely accused of murder by her Soviet enemies.
After her trial, Matt and Natasha began a romantic relationship that was in stark difference to the cultural norms of the 1970s, as the two were unmarried, yet moved in together. The couple spent a while living together in San Francisco before their relationship eventually ended. However, Matt and Natasha remained close over the years, and even teetered on the verge of another love affair in Bendis’Daredevilin 2004.
Felicia Hardy
Black Cat And Daredevil’s Fling Sent Spider-Man Into A Spiral
This one couldtechnicallybe classified as a fling as opposed to a relationship, butthe circumstances of Felicia Hardy (Black Cat) and Daredevil’s tryst is a humorous one. When she finds herself in legal trouble, Felicia tracks Matt down inDaredevil#8 – by Mark Waid, Kano, Javier Rodriguez, and Joe Caramagna. At the time, Daredevil and Spider-Man were working together, creating an awkward experience for Peter Parker, who has a long, complicated romantic history with Felicia.
During the course of the three heroes searching for clues to clear Felicia’s name, Felicia and Daredevil constantly flirt, much to Spider-Man’s chagrin. At one point, Spider-Man catches the two embracing in a passionate kiss and wonders aloud if seeing that single act is the beginning of his villain origin story. Though Matt and Felicia go further than just kissing, they do not pursue a full-fledged relationship.
Elektra Returned From Death Thanks To Matt’s Devotion
Elektra may have died as a result of her relationship with Matt, but she resurrected in a series of complicated events after Bullseye murdered her. The Hand – the ninja organization Elektra worked for – did not want to lose an assassin as valuable as Elektra, even after her death. The members attempted to revive her but were unsuccessful, as Matt intervened before they could do anything more with her body.
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Matt’s former teacher/mentor, Stick, was a member of The Hand’s rival organization, The Chaste. Over his years with The Chaste, Stick taught many students besides Matt, one of them being a man named Stone. Stone helped Matt stop The Hand from reviving Elektra from evil and was able to resurrect her on his own after Matt’s strong love for Elektra managed to cleanse the darkness from her soul. Since then, Elektra has frequently teamed up with Matt, andis even currently serving asDaredevilherself.
