Kingpin Is a Menace, But Daredevil's Most Dangerous Villain Has Nothing to Do With Fisk

Every superhero has their fair share of enemies, and Daredevil is no exception. Muse is perhaps one of the most disturbing super-villians that Matt Murdock has faced. In the first full length trailer for the upcoming Disney+ series, Daredevil: Born Again, eagle-eyed viewers got a glimpse of Muse, indicating that the Man Without Fear is in for an intense battle in the MCU with one of his contemporary comic-book enemies.

Daredevil has gone up against many foes over the course of decades, with some proving more difficult to defeat than others. The most famous (or infamous) one in Murdock's rouges gallery is Kingpin himself, Wilson Fisk.

But where Fisk tends to use his money, influence, and muscle (both hired and his own) to take on Daredevil, Muse has proven to be a much more haunting and dangerous adversary.

Who is Muse, and How Does He Stir Up Trouble for Daredevil?

Muse Has All the Hallmarks of a True Morally-Depraved Supervillain

Introduced in Daredevil #11 by Charles Soule, Ron Garney, Matt Milla, and Clayton Cowles, Muse makes his first appearance in a rooftop confrontation with Daredevil in a blood-stained outfit with a matching mask that gives the impression of gouged out eye sockets. Prior to the confrontation, Daredevil's protégé, Blindspot, received a personally addressed invitation. When Blindspot reaches the destination, he comes across a scene worse than anything he could have imagined. A mural is painted across the entirety of a warehouse wall - except instead of paint, the art is done with nothing but human blood.

The media dubs the unknown painter "Vincent Van Gore" due to the graphic nature of his work. Matt Murdock spends his days as a district attorney and his nights as Daredevil trying to track down any lead he can on the identity of the artist. During the manhunt, another art installation appears in the Bronx: a grotesque exhibit of dead Inhumans used as props. Daredevil's search for the serial killer intensifies, eventually leading to the rooftop confrontation, where "Vincent Van Gore" reveals his chosen name: Muse. Muse expresses no remorse for his actions and considers them a true form of artistic inspiration brought to life.

Muse finally admits to Blindspot that he is aware of just how wrong his crimes are and has known since his first murder. However, Muse's desire to create his twisted art outweighs any moral dilemmas. Eventually, Muse had no feelings whatsoever when it came to his atrocities. This sociopathic mindset and impulsivity propelled Muse to physically blind Blindspot, claiming his actions were yet another one of his thought-provoking pieces of art.

Muse's Abilities Solidify Him as One of Daredevil's Toughest Enemies

Muse's Superpowers Make Him Deadlier than a Standard Killer

Matt Murdock was struck blind as a child when radioactive isotopes seeped into his eyes after an accident. Murdock quickly learned that the nature of the chemicals enhanced his other senses to a level beyond any regular human ability. Matt uses his sharply honed senses of hearing, smell and touch to "see" the world around him. Daredevil frequently employs a type of radar that allows him to pinpoint everything around him, from people to buildings and everything in between. But Daredevil's famous radar is rendered useless upon engaging with Muse.

Muse's body can turn into a type of vortex and draw in anything around him, making it impossible for Daredevil to pinpoint his location. Through the remainder of the Dark Art arc, Daredevil comes to accept that Muse is nothing more than a void to his enhanced senses: a frustrating conclusion when Daredevil and the Inhuman cop assisting him try to track down Muse's location to save Blindspot.

Beyond the unique ability to use his body as a vortex, Muse possesses superhuman speed and agility. His speed allows him to take his victims by surprise, oftentimes throwing a knife before anyone can even see him doing so. Though not necessarily an ability, Muse also knows how to effectively create distractions. He often uses what appears to be a grenade, only for those expecting an attack to be met with fireworks or blinding lights. By doing so, Muse is able to escape Daredevil and the police unseen, making him even more dangerous than the infamous Kingpin.

Daredevil #11 is available now from Marvel Comics.