Summary

  • Daredevil: Black Armor #1 highlights the significant impact of Battlin' Jack Murdock on his son's Matt Murdock's superhero journey.
  • In the series, Matt assumes the identity of Jack Batlin, with the name based on his late father's boxing persona, while this new identity serves to help him to stay connected to the city's underbelly.
  • Jack Murdock serves as an underappreciated mentor figure, similar to Uncle Ben, influencing Daredevil's actions past and present.

Warning: Spoilers for Daredevil: Black Armor #1!

Out of all the mentor characters in the Marvel Universe, Daredevil might have the most underrated: Battlin' Jack Murdock, who died before young Matt began his superhero run, after the boxer refused to take a dive for some gangsters for his fight, resulting in him being murdered soon after. Still, Jack's impact remains significant on Matt to this day.

Daredevil: Black Armor #1 – by D.G. Chichester, Netho Diaz, JP Mayer, Andrew Dalhouse, and VC's Clayton Cowles – reminded readers just how important Battlin' Jack was to Matt Murdock. Set in the era of Daredevil's retro time in his 90s black armor, it is revealed that during this period, Matt Murdock changes his identity to one inspired by his father.

Daredevil: Black Armor #1, Daredevil is inspired by Battlin Jack Murdock

This isn't the first time Jack Murdock has inspired Matt Murdock posthumously, but it goes to show that whether it be in the past or the present, Battlin' Jack Murdock makes for quite the prolific mentor, potentially on the same level as Spider-Man's Uncle Ben.

Daredevil Assumes The Identity Of "Jack Batlin"

s from Daredevil: Black Armor #1

Taking place during the time when Matt Murdock faked his death, Daredevil: Black Armor reveals that in this era, he takes on the identity of Jack Batlin. Obviously, he adopts this name based on his late father's boxing persona of Battlin' Jack Murdock, which he embraced before his untimely death. It is also worth noting that this new persona for Matt, is a con man and self-professed social engineer. In removing himself from the identity of lawyer Matt Murdock, he portrays a character who leans closer to those on the opposite side of the law, in order to "keep [him] connected to the city's shadow side."

It is interesting that Matt would choose to pay homage to his father with an alias for a less-than-reputable false identity. In a way, it is perhaps by naming this identity after Battlin' Jack that Matt is able to keep himself tethered to the strong moral sense instilled in him by his father. Another recent Daredevil story emphasized Jack Murdoch's influence on his son, in a much more direct way. When Matt dies at the end of Chip Zdarsky's Daredevil run, he receives a heavenly vision of his father. The two have an uplifting conversation, mentally preparing Daredevil to descend downwards into Hell as the Hand of God.

Jack Murdock Is An Underappreciated "Uncle Ben"-Figure

s from Daredevil Black Armor #1, Daredevil going into hiding with a false identity

In the same way that Uncle Ben is vital to defining who Spider-Man is as a hero and as a character, Jack Murdock serves the same purpose for Daredevil. He may not be praised or attributed the same sort of value from Marvel fans, but his recent appearances highlight just how impactful Jack remains to Matt. In both the past and present, Matt's actions as Daredevil are largely inspired by Battlin' Jack Murdock. In both instances of these aforementioned comics, Jack escorts Matt into a new life, so to speak. Unlike Uncle Ben, Jack Murdock has never risen back from the dead, and yet continues to be an important part of Daredevil's life.

Daredevil: Black Armor #1 is available now from Marvel.