WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Daredevil #28, by Chip Zdarsky, Marco Checchetto, Marcio Menyz and VC's Clayton Cowles, on sale now.
Life has been tumultuous for Wilson Fisk, the Marvel Universe's Kingpin. Despite his notoriety and years of well-documented villainy, Fisk was elected to become the Mayor of New York City to the dismay of its superhero community. And while Fisk originally sought to capitalize on the opportunity by dropping his more criminal aspirations in an attempt to go legitimate as he assumed the highly visible public office, recent events have shaken the Mayor to his core.
And in Daredevil #28, Fisk has decided to go back to do what he does best: Making life an absolute living hell for his old enemy Daredevil.
Ever since Fisk took office, the powerful supervillain has weathered numerous challenges that have threatened the city, oftentimes beyond Fisk's control to his visible frustration. A group of elite socialites, the Stromwyns, attempted to buy up parts of Manhattan, including Hell's Kitchen, hiring an army of supervillains to raze properties to drive out residents and drastically drive down real estate prices. This brazen attack drove Kingpin to temporarily team up with Daredevil to take on their mutual foes, with Fisk's old associate and lover Typhoid Mary joining him as part of his security detail in the aftermath. However, this unlikely truce ruptured in the wake of the crossover event King in Black.
As Knull and his army of symbiotes descended upon Manhattan, Fisk was barely able to escape with his life as his guards were transformed into voracious soldiers for the dark god, including Mary, who bought Fisk enough time to flee. Following Knull's eventual defeat, Fisk visits a recuperating Mary, still affected by her time bonded to one of the symbiotes. Enraged by so much occurring beyond his control in the short time since he has held the Mayorship of New York, Fisk vows to destroy an obstacle he has been able to contend with in the past: Daredevil. And when pressed by his associates which Daredevil to destroy, with another familiar face taking on the mantle of the hero of Hell's Kitchen while Matt Murdock is imprisoned, Fisk vows to destroy them both.
One of the most devastating things to ever happen to Daredevil was when the Kingpin discovered his true identity as Matt Murdock. The supervillain systematically picked apart every aspect of Matt's life in Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's landmark 1986 comic book story "Born Again," with Matt barely escaping with his life and livelihood. And while Daredevil's tampering with the Marvel Universe's memories of his true identity has earned him a respite from the Kingpin's wrath, the two figures are still mortal enemies, even with Fisk now aware of the identity of the man behind the crimson cowl that has plagued him for years.
Even in prison, Matt Murdock isn't safe from his longtime nemesis, finding his food mysteriously poisoned, presumably by Kingpin's men on the inside directly under orders from Fisk himself. And while Elektra has more than held her own defending Hell's Kitchen in Matt's absence, the Kingpin's renewed vendetta means she will be facing her biggest yet; this isn't the first time Elektra has faced the fury of those working for Fisk. Still, Wilson Fisk was in over his head as a mayor. And now determined to return to his old ways, Daredevil is right in Fisk's sights.