WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Daredevil #7, by Chip Zdarsky, Lalit Kumar Sharma, Jay Leisten, Java Tartaglia and VC's Clayton Cowles, on sale now.
Daredevil readers will likely find it hard to believe Kingpin is sticking to his latest decision as Mayor Wilson Fisk. Following the "death" of Daredevil, Fisk felt the game was over and it was time to do some good by retiring from a life of crime.
But with his criminal empire dissolved, he needs something to pass the time when he's not making the city "a better place." Well, he's up to his old shenanigans, though this time the business route he wants to pursue is a bit cleaner compared to the past. It's not drugs, guns or trafficking -- the usual things you'd affiliate with the Kingpin. No, this time Fisk wants to focus on the marijuana industry.
It's a left-field decision, but as we see Fisk on vacation, shooting ducks in the marshland with the seedy Governor Kettle, we learn he's looking to ensure he has legal sources of income for the future. Fisk reveals he knows Kettle and his political allies have been seeking land and farmhouses so that when marijuana is legalized across the country, they'll be the ones to own the lion's share of business in America.
Now, as opposed to the real world, it appears marijuana's not legal anywhere on Earth-616. So, Fisk details a plan that doesn't involve cocaine or heroin, because he honestly believes this will be better for the lower class, too. Fisk wants Kettle and his influential buddies to slow national legalization, which is due with an upcoming presidential election, and instead focus on getting the bill passed only for New York.
Fisk has land and property he can sell to Kettle's crew, and they can become partners, a cannabis conglomerate so to speak, to ensure they get in on the ground floor. That way, no fake companies will have to be set up and they can garner revenue for the government to make themselves look good.
Fisk thinks this will also alleviate crime and that, once it's federal law, their state organization will lead to profiteering and monopolization of the system. Fisk might have gone clean, but when he did he admitted he'd still be into shady policies and things that leaned towards white-collar crime. He wasn't about gangs anymore, but he would still collect his cut from the various empires in the underground, all so they'd have some breathing room to operate. In short, Fisk is now a true politician, working the system to his benefit.
Kettle admires his vision and promises a meeting with the Stromwyns, who most likely will be able to push this deal forward and change Fisk's business future big time. As we know, though, this could tick off those selling marijuana illegally, as well as folks who'd be shut out of the business once it goes legal, as not everyone would be making money -- not unless Fisk allows it. Then there's retroactive legislation or compensation for folks who served time, who are currently serving time and who were fined as such, because it's tough to see them paying for something that is soon to be legal for rich people to make millions off greener pastures.
Theorists even believe this could bring Matt Murdock into play because, after retiring from crimefighting, he wants to use his lawyer career for something better. This is the perfect opportunity, and it may even shift the dynamic between the lifelong enemies from a physical rivalry to one that's all about the courtroom, law, policies and paperwork. In other words, Fisk's empire might be poised to reach new heights, but Murdock has the mental tenacity and overall intelligence to bring it crumbling to the ground once cracks are left exposed for him to exploit.
Daredevil #9 goes on sale Aug. 7.