Daredevil #25 (637)
Daredevil #25 (cover-dated December 2020, on-sale December 2, 2020) marks a watershed moment in the character's 57-year history: it is the first full appearance of Elektra Natchios as Daredevil, donning her own redesigned version of Matt Murdock's red costume while he begins a two-year prison sentence for manslaughter. The issue reframes Elektra — a character whose entire identity had been built around lethal self-interest — as a reluctant hero deliberately choosing to operate within Matt's non-lethal moral framework, a transformation earned gradually across Chip Zdarsky's entire run. It also set in motion the dual-Daredevil dynamic that would define not only the remainder of Zdarsky's first volume but his subsequent 2022 series as well, making this the pivot point of one of the most critically discussed Daredevil runs since Frank Miller's.
In "The Red Fist Part 1," Elektra makes a bold move, infiltrating a prison with a dangerous mission: freeing Matt Murdock. But when he refuses to escape, she must prove her worth—not just to him, but to the city she now vows to protect. With a striking new look and a renewed purpose, she steps into the shadows as Hell's Kitchen’s new guardian, while Matt faces the consequences of his choices. Written by Chip Zdarsky and illustrated with intensity by Marco Checchetto—whose dynamic pencils and inks define the issue’s gritty tone, with colors by Marcio Menyz and letters by VC's Clayton Cowles—this standout chapter marks a pivotal shift in the series, all anchored by a cover by Checchetto that captures the moment’s tension.
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The issue was written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Marco Checchetto, the same core creative team that had launched the 2019 Daredevil series from issue #1. Zdarsky announced the series in November 2018, and it began publication in February 2019 as a standalone ongoing that ran to issue #36 in November 2021. Issue #25 served as both an anniversary milestone and the opener of the 'Doing Time' story arc, and Zdarsky himself described it publicly as 'the beginning of a massive new chapter in Daredevil's history' while noting with some irony that Marvel had chosen not to relaunch with a new #1 despite the scale of the status-quo change. The book sold out on its day of release, prompting Marvel to announce a second printing almost immediately, with the second-print run featuring a 1:25 retailer incentive variant cover by Marco Checchetto.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First full appearance of Elektra Natchios as Daredevil — she dons her own version of the red Daredevil costume and assumes the protector-of-Hell's-Kitchen role in Matt Murdock's absence.
- On the same day (December 2, 2020), Elektra in the Daredevil costume also appeared in a single panel of King in Black #1 (by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman), sparking collector debate over whether that constitutes a same-day cameo; the consensus among fans and press settled on Daredevil #25 as the definitive first full appearance.
- Written by Chip Zdarsky with interior art and cover by Marco Checchetto; cover-dated December 2020, on-sale December 2, 2020.
- Matt Murdock is shown beginning his two-year prison sentence (accepted in issue #24) for the accidental manslaughter of Leo Carraro, a plot thread running since Daredevil (2019) #1.
- Elektra visits Murdock in prison to reveal that she and Stick have discovered an ancient text outlining how to defeat the Hand by forming a new group called 'the Fist,' requiring both a king and a queen — with the caveat that only one can ultimately survive.
- The issue opens the 'Doing Time' story arc and kicked off a sustained dual-Daredevil status quo that carried through the rest of Zdarsky's first volume and directly into his 2022 Daredevil relaunch, which was retitled Daredevil & Elektra for collected editions.
- Issue #25 was collected in the hardcover Daredevil: To Heaven Through Hell Vol. 3 (collecting issues #21–30 and Daredevil Annual (2020) #1), while the subsequent 'Doing Time' trade paperback arc begins with issue #26.
- Daredevil (2019) ran from February 2019 through November 2021, concluding at issue #36 and leading directly into the Devil's Reign crossover event, also by Zdarsky and Checchetto.
Cast · 8 characters
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Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Elektra breaks into prison, trying to release Matt. He refuses to leave and asks her to prove she is worthy of his trust. Later, she dons a new costume and becomes Hell's Kitchen's new protector while Matt is incarcerated.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).