Of all the characters in the Marvel Universe, one of the superheroes with the most tragic, tortured love lives is Daredevil. Matt Murdock has had a plethora of love interests across his 55-year history, either in his civilian alter ego or as the Man Without Fear. However, all of them are ultimately doomed with their lives either tragically cut short by Daredevil's greatest enemies or breaking things off due to the demands of Matt's superhero double life.
One of the most fan-favorite recent love interests for Daredevil is attorney-at-law Kirsten McDuffie. The district attorney had a flirtatious relationship with Matt for years that blossomed into a serious romantic relationship. Now, we're taking a look back at how the couple met and started dating before breaking down why they abruptly broke up.
Who is Kirsten McDuffie?
Created by Mark Waid and Paolo Rivera in 2011's Daredevil #1, Kirsten McDuffie was the assistant district attorney of Manhattan who was determined to expose Matt Murdock as Daredevil upon his return to New York City after the events of Shadowland. The romantic tension between the two was apparent from the start, but Kirsten had no visible interest in dating a man who was lying to her so openly about not being a superhero.
Kirsten's roommate Dina is later revealed to be in a romantic relationship with Matt's best friend and law firm partner Foggy Nelson, and Kirsten uses the connection as a means to get even closer to Matt while continuing to pressure him in admitting to his superhero identity. Eventually, Kirsten agrees to go on a date with Matt at the fair where he reveals details about his past to her, with Kirsten deciding to continue to see him despite Foggy's warnings.
KIRSTEN AND MATT MURDOCK
As Matt begins to act strangely, the careful life he's built for himself since his previous nervous breakdown starts to cause cracks in his psyche. Foggy has Kirsten meet him alone at a bar where he confesses Matt's true identity of Daredevil to her in a desperate effort to protect her from the grim fates of Matt's previous love interests. After that, a pressured Murdock publicly admits in court that he is, in fact, Daredevil after years of public speculation.
With Matt now completely open and honest with her about his double life, Kirsten decides the two need a fresh start and relocate to San Francisco; a city Matt had previously lived in with Black Widow and to be closer to her ,who offers Matt a book deal about his life as a superhero. While there, Kirsten continues to remain supportive, especially when Matt opens up to her about his severe depression.
WHY MATT AND KIRSTEN BROKE UP
By the start of Charles Soule's run on Daredevil, Matt Murdock had relocated back to Hell's Kitchen to work out of the district attorney's office instead of his own private law firm. More interestingly, Matt's secret identity as Daredevil was mysteriously restored while Matt himself was a single man once again, with Kirsten nowhere in sight. Daredevil resumed his double life as a crimefighter in the courtroom and the rooftops of Manhattan while training a new hero named Blindspot in his own superhero career.
Eventually, the truth behind Matt's new status quo was revealed as a consequence of having publicly declared himself to be Daredevil. The couple was now openly targeted by Matt's greatest enemies in the streets of San Francisco, which madeMatt increasingly uneasy about the danger he had put Kirsten in, especially as they were now threatened in their own home. Enlisting the aid of the Purple Man's children, Matt amplifies their mind-controlling abilities with a special machine that erases everyone's identity of him as Daredevil, with only Foggy aware of Matt's double life now. To further protect Kirsten from future threats, Matt broke up with her and left San Francisco for good, and she hasn't been seen since.