WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Daredevil Annual #1 by Chip Zdarsky, Manuel Garcia, Le Beau Underwood, Chris Mooneyham, Rachelle Rosenberg and VC's Clayton Cowles, available now.
Daredevil's life has been going through a series of major changes recently, most notably with the hero facing a trial for his accidental killing of a criminal. But the biggest change might be the way reality was just shifted around his "brother" Mike Murdock, who has gone from an assumed identity to a living, breathing being.
In Daredevil Annual #1, Mike Murdock just ensured he has a true life in the Marvel Universe, but he did so at the cost of setting the criminal kingpin known as the Hood after him, setting up Daredevil to go into battle with the villain.
MIKE MURDOCK VS. DAREDEVIL
Michael Murdock began life as a secondary identity developed by Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil. Mike proved to be a useful tool for Daredevil over the years, with Matt using the alias to go undercover as a crook more than once. However, while working with the Inhuman Reader to try and bring down Wilson Fisk, Mike was accidentally manifested in the real world by Reader's abilities. Matt initially intended for Reader to erase this fragment, but Matt eventually decided that he wanted to give Mike the chance to live. Mike quickly ended up separated from his brother and began working for the Hood, at the recommendation of Wilson Fisk, the former Kingpin and current Mayor of New York.
Formerly a member of Norman Osborn's Cabal and the kingpin of his own superpowered gang, the Hood has been quietly reasserting his power in the New York criminal underworld, partly by recovering the Asgardian Nord Stones that previously empowered him. Using their time together as a means to get close to Hood, the two quickly seem to become friends. But it's all a trick, leading to Mike finding out where the Hood hides the Nord Stone and even the combination to the safe. Mike is able to get ahold of books detailing the use of objects like the Nord Stone, allowing Mike to access the reality-bending attributes of the Asgardian artifact and ensure his existence.
This changes reality so that Mike always actually existed as a living, breathing brother to Matt Murdock. But it also doesn't change the fact that Mike worked with the Hood and openly betrayed him. When Daredevil approaches him later, he reveals that the Hood is looking for Mike and is on the warpath, seeking revenge for his theft. Daredevil's own personal issues with his upcoming manslaughter trial will keep him from being able to fully protect his brother, but it's unlikely that a good man like Daredevil will be able to turn his back on his newly established brother.
This means Matt might soon fight himself dealing with a former Avengers-level threat in pursuit of saving a brother who intends to help take over the criminal side of New York City. While Mike has his new ally Butch -- who's apparently the son of Wilson Fisk -- there's a chance that Mike still also has access to the Nord Stone. Although the artifact appears exhausted of any energy after he affects reality, it's still a potentially valuable tool. While it wouldn't be surprising if the reality-bending effects of his choice drained it of power, it would just make the Hood even more furious with his former partner. The beginnings of a new gang war in New York might be brewing, and Mike's choices put Daredevil directly into the sights of the Hood.