Since making his comic debut in April 1964, Daredevil has established himself as one of Marvel's greatest street-level heroes. With a relatable motivation, a cool name and costume, and a fascinating sub-plot of being blind, Daredevil amassed a cult following as he fought crime in New York City. That cult following grew even more significant when Netflix's Daredevil series launched to critical acclaim.
As any street vigilante in Marvel Comics would, Daredevil has spent a good portion of his near sixty-year history cultivating a long list of dangerous enemies. From mob bosses to highly trained assassins, Daredevil has a very dangerous rogues gallery.
10 Owl Was Daredevil's First Original Villain
As Daredevil's first original foe, Leland Owlsley made his comic debut in Daredevil #3, by Stan Lee and Joe Orlando. Starting as a low-level villain with underwhelming abilities and a humorous look, Owl has evolved into a dangerous crime boss and grown into one of Daredevil's most physically intimidating villains. Owl has an excellent set of abilities for taking Daredevil on in a fight with a range of powers like flight, super-strength, and enhanced hearing. In Daredevil/Spider-Man #4, Owl gathered a team of villains in an attempt to take down and replace Wilson Fisk as Kingpin of the criminal underworld, which would have made him even more dangerous.
9 Purple Man Can Influence Anyone
Though he's known as the arch-enemy of private eye Jessica Jones, Purple Man, aka Zebediah Kilgrave, started his career as a recurring villain for Daredevil. First appearing in Daredevil #4, once again by Lee and Orlando, Purple Man was Daredevil's second original villain and, unlike Owl, was immediately viewed as one of the more capable villains in the Marvel universe.
With an incredible ability to mentally compel anyone to do what he says, Purple Man can easily manipulate anyone unless they have tremendous willpower. With an altered appearance to look more human, Purple Man made his live-action debut in Season 1 of Netflix's Jessica Jones series.
8 Mister Fear Is A Title Used By Many Villains
With a set of abilities very similar to that of DC's Scarecrow, Mister Fear, created by Stan Lee and Wally Wood, is another powerful Daredevil villain who, with the help of his fear gas, can render even the bravest souls alive paralyzed by fear. First appearing in Daredevil #6, the Mister Fear persona is not exclusive to one person, as four separate people have used the title, all using a similar fear gas pellet-firing pistol. Recently, During the King In Black event, the third Mister Fear, Larry Cranston, was recruited to Wilson Fisk's Thunderbolts.
7 Nuke Is A Government Created Terror Weapon
Created by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli and first appearing in Daredevil #232, an issue that served as the ending of an iconic Daredevil storyline, Nuke is a gun-for-hire and US Army veteran. In his first encounter with Daredevil, after being hired by Wilson Fisk, Nuke unleashes a drug-fueled rampage on Hell's Kitchen, decimating the neighborhood and forcing the presence of Daredevil and the Avengers.
After a thorough investigation, Captain America discovers that Nuke is a super-soldier serum-enhanced weapon created by corrupt officials in the US Military. With an incredible healing factor, superhuman strength, and an artificial second heart, Nuke is one of the most unstoppable soldiers in Marvel.
6 The Hand Is A Clan Of Ninjas
Originally a Japanese nationalist group made up of mighty Samurai; the Hand was eventually hijacked and turned into a demon-worshipping clan involved in numerous criminal enterprises worldwide. First appearing in Daredevil #174, written and drawn by Frank Miller, the Hand was hired by Kingpin to kill Daredevil but was stopped after interference from Elektra and Gladiator, two other Daredevil foes. On top of their massive army of ninjas, the Hand has many powerful warriors with abilities based on high-level hand-to-hand fighting and magical skills. Though they have an established reputation as a Daredevil villain, the Hand have fought numerous Marvel heroes like Wolverine, Elektra, and Iron Fist.
5 Punisher & Daredevil Have Been Through A Lot
Since his first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #129, written by Gerry Conway with art by Ross Andru, Punisher, aka Frank Castle, has become one of Marvel's most iconic and easily identifiable characters. With a history in the US Marine Corps, Punisher is a violent vigilante with a self-appointed mission to destroy organized crime wherever he finds it by any means necessary. Noted for his over-the-top tactics, Punisher uses military-grade weapons and explosives to kill his greatest enemies.
With an extensive history as both enemies and temporary allies, Daredevil and Punisher have a complex relationship. Trading victories over the years, Punisher has become one of the most unpredictable characters in Daredevil comics.
4 Typhoid Mary Is A Pyrokinetic
One of the more complex characters in Daredevil's rogues gallery, Typhoid Mary lives with Dissociative Identity Disorder. After being abused by her father, Mary Walker developed a second, protective personality known as "Typhoid." As Typhoid, Mary developed powers of mind control, telepathy, and pyrokinesis. First appearing in Daredevil #254 by Ann Nocenti and John Romita Jr., Typhoid Mary arrives in New York City and begins to rob Kingpin's operations. Offering a deal to settle, Kingpin offers Typhoid a million dollars to make Daredevil fall in love with her, only to crush his heart shortly after. Later on, Murdock tricked Typhoid into reverting to her Mary persona, allowing him to bring her to a doctor.
3 Elektra Is One Of Marvel's Most Beloved Characters
Since making her debut in Daredevil #168, Elektra has rapidly climbed the ladder to become one of Marvel's most popular anti-heroes. Created by Frank Miller and initially making her name as a Daredevil villain, Elektra first appeared as a ruthless assassin for the Hand. Before her days with the hand, Elektra Natchios was a love interest of Matt Murdock. She was also the first person to make Murdock realize his love for thrilling moments.
In Daredevil #178, after being hired by Kingpin as his number one assassin, Elektra comes back into conflict with Matt after she's sent to kill his friend and ally, Ben Urich. In the current Marvel continuity, Elektra watches over the streets of New York City as the newest Daredevil.
2 Bullseye Never Misses
A ruthless assassin guilty of numerous murders and extortion attempts, Bullseye is a villain who first appeared in Daredevil #131, written by Marv Wolfman with art by William Robert Brown. As a young boy, Bullseye set fire to his house in an effort to kill his father. Realizing his father survived, Bullseye later tried to kill him again by setting fire to the prison that held him.
In his debut comic, hoping to draw Daredevil into a fight, Bullseye kills a random civilian, forcing Daredevil to notice his activity. Pulling Daredevil into a very public battle, civilians look on in fear as Bullseye continually displays impeccable aim with projectile weapons.
1 Kingpin Is One Of Marvel's Greatest Villains
First appearing in Amazing Spider-Man #50 by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr., Kingpin is one of the most influential villains in all of comics. Though he's taken on nearly every street-level character in Marvel comics, Kingpin is primarily a Daredevil villain as the two have engaged in brutal battles nearly a dozen times. Standing at 6'7" and weighing 450lbs, Kingpin is physically imposing and has top-tier hand-to-hand combat skills. On top of his top-flight physicality, Kingpin is the largest crime boss in Marvel comics, with hands in nearly every illicit enterprise. In Netflix's Daredevil series, Kingpin appears in all three seasons and is masterfully portrayed by actor, Vincent D'Onofrio.