How Frank Miller Returned to Daredevil for Born Again

The mid-1980s marked a golden age for Marvel, a period of both creative peaks and significant financial success. Having navigated the financial struggles of the late '70s, Marvel was poised to reshape the comic book industry with the groundbreaking 1984 release of Secret Wars. The impact of Secret Wars, both on the Marvel universe and the industry as a whole, was monumental, sending beloved heroes and villains on dramatically new paths.

This era also witnessed the creation of other iconic stories, including Frank Miller's Born Again Daredevil arc, Jean Grey's return in X-Factor, and Walt Simonson's epic Surtur Saga in Thor. This article explores these pivotal narratives and other significant events from this era, continuing our exploration of essential Marvel comics.

More Essential Marvel

• 1961-1963 - The Birth of a Universe
• 1964-1965 - The Sentinels Are Born and Cap Dethaws
• 1966-1969 - How Galactus Changed Marvel Forever
• 1970-1973 - The Night Gwen Stacy Died
• 1974-1976 - The Punisher Begins His War on Crime
• 1977-1979 - Star Wars Saves Marvel From Bankruptcy
• 1980-1982 - Did the Dark Phoenix Saga Usher in the Greatest Decade for Marvel?

Frank Miller's Born Again and Walt Simonson's Surtur Saga

Among the era's most acclaimed storylines are Frank Miller's Born Again, marking his triumphant return to Daredevil (with David Mazzuchelli on art), and Walt Simonson's Surtur Saga in Thor.

Born Again (Daredevil #227-233) is a strong contender for the definitive Daredevil story. A tragically addicted Karen Page sells Daredevil's secret identity, leading Kingpin to systematically destroy Matt Murdock's life. Reduced to rock bottom, Matt is ultimately rescued by his mother, Maggie. Matt's arduous journey back as Daredevil, alongside Kingpin's descent into fanaticism, creates a masterful narrative. The story's impact is evident in Netflix's Daredevil season 3 and the upcoming Disney+ series, Daredevil: Born Again.

Simultaneously, Walt Simonson, beginning his run on Thor in 1983 (#337), introduced Beta Ray Bill, an alien worthy of wielding Mjolnir. Simonson revitalized Thor, imbuing it with a strong mythic fantasy feel. His masterpiece, the year-long Surtur Saga (#340-353), features the fire demon Surtur's quest for Ragnarok, pitting Thor, Loki, and Odin against him. Elements of this saga found their way into Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok.

Secret Wars: A Turning Point for Comics

In a previous installment (Part 4), we explored how 1973's Avengers/Defenders War foreshadowed the event crossover trend. Secret Wars (1984), a 12-part miniseries written by Jim Shooter (then Editor-in-Chief), with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton, solidified this trend. Born from a marketing collaboration with Mattel, the story features the Beyonder teleporting dozens of heroes and villains to Battleworld for a contest of good versus evil.

While Secret Wars is a mixed bag—criticized for uneven character portrayals and a lack of dramatic depth—its impact is undeniable. Its success spawned Secret Wars II, and alongside DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths, it established the event comic as a dominant publishing model for decades.

Spider-Man: The Symbiote Suit and Other Defining Moments

After the foundational work of Stan Lee and Gerry Conway, Amazing Spider-Man found its next iconic writer in Roger Stern. Taking over with #224, Stern revitalized the title, introducing the Hobgoblin in #238, a formidable new foe. Stern's original Hobgoblin saga, unfortunately cut short due to editorial interference, was later completed in the 1997 miniseries Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives.

Amazing #252 saw the debut of Spider-Man's black symbiote costume, later revealed to originate from Battleworld in Secret Wars #8. This iconic costume and the ensuing symbiote saga have been widely adapted across various media. Another significant Spider-Man story from this period is The Death of Jean DeWolff (Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110), a dark and impactful tale featuring Spider-Man's hunt for the Sin-Eater.

Mutant Milestones: Jean Grey's Return and the Rise of Apocalypse

The mid-1980s also brought significant developments for the X-Men. Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4 revealed Magneto as the father of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, a retconned backstory but one that remains iconic. X-Men #171 featured Rogue's heroic turn, and X-Men #200 saw Magneto's trial and subsequent leadership of Xavier's School.

Jean Grey's resurrection, spanning Avengers #263 and Fantastic Four #286, led to the formation of X-Factor. X-Factor #5-6 introduced Apocalypse, an ancient mutant enhanced by Celestial technology, who would become a major X-Men antagonist, appearing in various adaptations, including X-Men: Apocalypse.