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Is Muse the main villain in Daredevil: Born Again?

Posted on by angelo
Is Muse the main villain in Daredevil: Born Again?

D23 attendees were treated to exclusive images from Daredevil: Born Againwhich offered a taste of the new challenges facing Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox). Perhaps the biggest surprise in the trailer is the reveal that Daredevil and the Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) will apparently be working together against a common threat. What could bring these two archenemies together? It could have something to do with a new villain hinted at in the trailer, the artistically-minded serial killer Muse.

Who is Muse, and why does this superhuman killer have the ability to make even bitter rivals like Daredevil and Kingpin work together? Here’s what you need to know about this twisted Marvel villain.

Who is Muse?

Muse is one of the more recent additions to Daredevil’s rogues gallery. The character was created by Charles Soule and Ron Garney and debuted in Daredevil #11 in 2016.

Muse is a villain who would not be out of place in the television series Hannibal. He is a prolific serial killer who considers murder to be the highest form of artistic expression. In his first appearance, Muse paints a mural using the blood of a hundred missing people. He then composes a piece by arranging the corpses of six Inhumans in various poses.

What makes Muse so dangerous to Daredevil is that her body acts as a sort of sensory black hole, picking up stimuli and effectively scrambling Matt Murdock’s radar sense. Combined with superhuman strength and speed and a real talent for murder, Muse is one of Daredevil’s deadliest foes.

Illustration by Dan Panosian. (Photo credit: Marvel)
Illustration by Dan Panosian. (Photo credit: Marvel)

Muse quickly makes an enemy of Daredevil and his new sidekick, Blindspot. This rivalry intensifies when Muse gouges out Blindspot’s eyes. When Daredevil finally brings his new foe to justice, Muse breaks his fingers, willingly depriving himself of the opportunity to create more works of art.

However, Muse’s hands are healed and he soon manages to escape and begin wreaking blood again on New York City. Muse becomes obsessed with the city’s vigilantes, leaving twisted monuments to men like the Punisher even as newly elected Mayor Wilson Fisk begins to crack down on vigilante activities.

This sparks a rematch between Muse and Blindspot, with the latter harnessing the power of The Beast (the demonic entity worshipped by the ninja cult The Hand) to defeat his hated foe. Lamenting the fact that her story has been overshadowed by Blindspot’s, Muse commits suicide by walking into a fire.

That final showdown took place in 2018’s Daredevil #600, and Muse has remained dead ever since. But since this is the Marvel Universe, it’s only a matter of time before this accomplished killer comes back to life and begins creating his sadistic art form again.

Muse in Daredevil: Born Again

Daredevil: Born Again footage released at D23 confirms that Muse will appear in the new Disney+ series, though we don’t yet know who will play the villain. Muse appears in a single shot in the teaser, wearing a costume nearly identical to her comic book counterpart’s — a white mask and jumpsuit with bloody, red tears running down her face.

This is a clear sign that Born Again, while sharing the name of an iconic 1986 Daredevil storyline by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, is also taking inspiration from more contemporary Daredevil comics. The Born Again comic tells the story of Wilson Fisk discovering Daredevil’s secret identity and using that knowledge to systematically destroy Matt Murdock’s life. The series, while it builds on the ongoing rivalry between Murdock and Fisk, seems to be taking a different direction (and let’s not forget that Fisk has already known Daredevil’s identity for some time in the MCU).

In fact, Born Again seems to be trying to bring Daredevil and Fisk together. One scene shows the two men meeting in a diner. Matt threatens Fisk with retaliation if he steps out of line, to which Fisk replies, “Is this coming from Matt Murdock… or your darker half?” It’s clear that a new threat in New York is big enough to force these two bitter enemies to work together.

Illustration by Dan Mora. (Photo credit: Marvel)
Illustration by Dan Mora. (Photo credit: Marvel)

Could Muse be that threat? As for Daredevil’s corner of the MCU, that world seems to be headed toward a Soule-inspired status quo and Chip Zdarsky’s Daredevil Comics. Based on the post-credits scene in EchoWe know Fisk is gunning for mayor. He may well have already been elected, thanks to his vast resources and raw charisma that have won over jaded New Yorkers.

If Born Again follows the comics’ lead, Fisk will campaign on a platform of ending lawless vigilante groups in New York City. Muse, as in the comics, stands in direct opposition to this anti-vigilante crusade. Muse is a violent killer himself, and he uses his work to sing the praises of men like Frank Castle.

Muse may well be the common enemy that unites Daredevil and Mayor Fisk in the new series. Daredevil wants to get rid of a ruthless killer, while Fisk wants to eliminate a humiliating threat to his mayoral reign. Daredevil will have no choice but to forge an alliance with Fisk, even if it means working with a man who fights to make heroes like him disappear.

Muse could very well be the common enemy that unites Daredevil and Mayor Fisk in the new series.

We also know that Born Again will feature other vigilante characters like the Punisher and White Tiger, played by Jon Bernthal. They’ll likely be caught in the middle of Fisk’s anti-vigilante crusade. Men like Frank Castle are exactly why the public is so afraid of the rogue killers roaming the streets. We’ll undoubtedly see Fisk’s anti-vigilante task force targeting both the Punisher and White Tiger. At the same time, we’ll likely see Muse work to glorify both men through their twisted artwork.

Ultimately, Born Again may be as much about Daredevil’s bitter rivalry with Fisk as it is about the comics. But for now, Muse is proving to be the most pressing threat to Matt Murdock’s world. Between his powers and his bloodlust, Muse may be the most difficult opponent Daredevil has faced yet. It’s a good thing he has a friend in Mayor Fisk.

To learn more about D23, visit the new trailer for Agatha All Along and see everything that was announced at D23.

Jesse is a mild-mannered writer who works for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by follow @jschedeen on Twitter.