There exist few villains in the greater Marvel Universe quite as eerie or as intimidating as Wilson Fisk, aka the Kingpin. Despite possessing no superhuman abilities, no reality shifting stones, nor any other power cosmic, Fisk has pushed some of Marvel's most capable heroes to the brink time and time again. With a cold and calculated brilliance, he can manipulate others like chess pieces and break even the most strong-willed heroes both mentally and physically. Audiences have seen him in both Hawkeye on Disney+ and Daredevil on Netflix, but for those unfamiliar with the stories that informed these interpretations, there a few comic books audiences can read to gain a greater understanding of who Wilson Fisk is, and what motivates this terrifying force of villainy.
Daredevil: Born Again
"Born Again" is perhaps the most influential Kingpin storyline ever written, and those familiar with it probably understand why. Told in the pages of the ongoing Daredevil title from issues 227-233 back in 1986 by writer Frank Miller and artist David Mazzucchelli, "Born Again" is the storyline that, for many, cemented Fisk's place as Daredevil's arch nemesis, informing nearly every other Kingpin storyline that followed. Here, the brilliance and ruthlessness of Kingpin's character is on full display, as Fisk single-handedly dismantles the life of Daredevil piece by piece after learning who he is under the mask. Targeting his friends, his love interests, his practice, and his home, Kingpin takes each piece off the board in the hopes of breaking not just Daredevil, but Matt Murdock himself.
The longevity and importance of this storyline makes it an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the Kingpin's motivations, and for a generation of comic book readers, this is the storyline that made both Daredevil and Kingpin important to the Marvel Universe.
Spider-Man: Family Business
While commonly associated with Daredevil, Kingpin actually began his villainous misadventures as a Spider-Man baddy. While perhaps overshadowed by more famous Daredevil storylines, there exist notable stories where everybody's favorite web-head took on New York's Kingpin of crime, with one such storyline being Amazing Spider-Man: Family Business, by Mark Waid, James Robinson, Gabriele Dell'Otto and Werther Dell'Edera.
Part of what makes this storyline as great as it is, is its accessibility. New audiences need not know of anything that came before it, as the story is wholly self-contained, with a definitive beginning, middle and end. Where "Born Again" is the gritty street-level narrative of a man slowly being broken both physically and spiritually before a biblical rebirth, Amazing Spider-Man: Family Business, is a thrilling, off-the-rails spy thriller fans never expected to see in a Spider-Man story. This arc has lots of compelling things going for it: a mysterious previously unknown family member for Spider-Man, a surprise trip around Europe with plenty of gun battles and car chases, and a Kingpin storyline that highlights just how far Fisk is willing to go to attain power through violence and manipulation. Amazing Spider-Man: Family Business is sure to be a storyline newcomers to the Kingpin won't soon forget.
Daredevil: Return of the King
Those looking to understand the vulnerabilities of Wilson Fisk need look no further than the "Return of the King" story arc, particularly within Daredevil #116 (by Ed Brubaker, David Aja, Stefano Gaudiano, Jose Villarrubia and Chris Eliopoulos). While many storylines depict a fully empowered Kingpin, issue #116 depicts a decidedly powerless Fisk, one who isn't seeking violence or empowerment but stability. There is no plan to destroy Daredevil or Spider-Man, no sinister schemes, only a broken man attempting to rebuild his life.
With a particular lens fixated on Fisk's past, this storyline grants audiences a greater understanding of what motivates this complicated character to be the man that he is. What would Fisk be if he was not Kingpin? Is such a thing possible for a man who has committed so much evil? This storyline seeks to answer these heady questions and builds a certain pathos for the character. Ninjas, betrayal, heartbreak, action, "Return of the King" is everything a new reader could want in a story, while also rewarding them with a more profound understanding of who the Kingpin of crime is, and the anger that makes him truly terrifying.
Daredevil: Love and War
Similar to "Return of the King," the original graphic novel Dardevil: Love and War is an exploration of Fisk's obsessions, a narrative that calls into question Fisk's capacity for love. For a man obsessed with power, is love really just a means of control?
Told by famous Daredevil scribe, Frank Miller, along with highly surrealist painted illustration from artist Bill Sienkiewicz, Daredevil: Love and War is a character study driven by its shifting perspectives. Through Sienkiewicz's angular, kinetic artwork, the Kingpin is a hulking mass of a man, taking up a large portion of nearly every panel he's in, almost as if to demand the attention of both other characters in the scene, and the audience reading the book. Here, Fisk hires a mentally disturbed murderer named Victor to kidnap the wife of a doctor, with the intention of having the doctor operate on his ill wife, Vanessa. Moreover, this story is an exploration of Fisk's complicated relationship with his wife, and the obsession he has with owning her, paralleled narratively with the perspective of Victor, who obsesses over the doctor's kidnapped wife. While at times disturbing, there are few narratives that explore the depths of the Kingpin's character in quite the way that Daredevil: Love and War does, and coupled with "Return of the King," new readers have all they need to understand the depths of Kingpin's character.
Bound in his expensive suits, driven by his hunger for power and control, and armed with the calculated brilliance to satisfy those cravings, Kingpin is a uniquely terrifying presence within the Marvel universe because he succeeds in a way many other villains don't. Though ambitious, Fisk has proven time and again that he can best even the determined and strong-willed of Marvel's pantheon. Audiences have seen this with Disney's Hawkeye and Netflix's Daredevil, but those wanting more of Marvel's premier gangster need look no further than the tales listed here, but be warned, like Fisk's hunger for power, you will soon be wanting more.