Matt Murdock has spent years trying to bring Wilson Fisk down the right way. Whether it’s through the courts or by donning the Daredevil suit. Through evidence, Matt has tried to stop Fisk’s rise to power by working with a flawed legal system. But the person who may have finally thrown a wrench into Fisk’s plans is Bullseye, a psychopathic hitman Matt can barely stand to be around since he murdered his friend Foggy Nelson.
Wanting revenge against the Fisks for everything they’ve put him through, Bullseye launches an attack after Wilson’s charity boxing match. He throws a glass sculpture at the couple which Fisk shatters with his belt. Unfortunately, one shard of shattered glass lodged itself into Vanessa’s head and she later dies from her injury.
Targeting Vanessa is going to have major consequences for New York City as Wilson has lost the only person that kept his more violent urges in check. But Bullseye could have also laid the foundation for Wilson’s downfall.
Wilson’s Descent from Mayor to Mad King
The reason Wilson was elected mayor of New York City was due to the image of stability he sold to New Yorkers. After years of chaos from the Blip (where billions of people were literally erased from existence) and the destruction that naturally follows vigilantes, many people were done. They wanted order, efficiency and Wilson promised them he would be different from regular politicians.
He would cut through the red tape to deliver results as soon as possible. He would put an end to the unauthorized activities of superheroes like Daredevil and the trouble they can cause. But by the end of season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again, Fisk’s anti-vigilante agenda began to alienate New Yorkers after he declared martial law. His Anti-Vigilante Task Force (AVTF) has kidnapped and detained both vigilantes and innocent people to eliminate any opposition to his regime.
For traditional politicians, Fisk’s abuse of power makes him a liability. In fact, right before Vanessa dies in the episode “Gloves Off,” the Governor makes it clear that she’ll continue to support him only if Vanessa can keep him in line. She gave Wilson a measure of credibility that he couldn’t gain through his wealth or via manipulative tactics.
Now that Vanessa is dead, Fisk is going to double down on his anti-vigilante agenda with zero patience for appeasing government officials. Without his wife acting as a calming influence over his aggressive instincts, heads are going to roll.
The Governor’s in a Tricky Position
If the Governor does decide that Fisk has gone too far, she can have him impeached from office. She can do this by invoking Article 13 of the New York State Constitution and NYC Charter § 9. The process would involve bringing up charges against Fisk, such as corruption and misconduct.
However, this kind of power is only reserved for extreme situations. Since Fisk would have to go through a potential “trial” phase, he can argue that protecting the city from a vigilante and a dangerous criminal doesn’t justify impeachment. Also, any evidence that would strengthen the Governor’s case would be hard to come by as Fisk’s goons have been killing witnesses and destroying that can incriminate Fisk.
Another problem the Governor will encounter is that Fisk has protection from Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, an intelligence operative and Director of the CIA.
In episode 1 of season 2, Attorney General Steverud and Lieutenant Governor Juan Gomez threaten to crack down on how Fisk uses his power. That is until CIA representative Mr. Charles arrives from Washington DC. A call from de Fontaine makes it clear to Steverud that Fisk has free reign of the city.
We’re not sure why Val is so interested in keeping Fisk in power, though the CIA is interested in using Red Hook as a free port for smuggling weapons. With higher ups from the federal government supporting Fisk, impeachment isn’t impossible but it won’t be the easiest option for removing him from power.
How Did Bullseye Help Daredevil?
By being responsible for Vanessa’s death, Bullseye removed the one thing that was holding Fisk back. As the Kingpin descends into madness, he’s going to care less about maintaining a civilized image. His brutal, violent nature will come into focus as he seeks his revenge.
While this isn’t a good thing for New York City, which is already under an 8:00 p.m. curfew and residents are abducted by the AVTF. But these things will cause New Yorkers to turn against Fisk, putting pressure on government officials to intervene. If Fisk’s grief and rage makes him impossible to control, Valentina may decide to cut her losses and leave him at the city’s mercy. We’ll see what happens now that Born Again is down to its last four episodes of season 2.
Daredevil initially dismissed Bullseye’s suggestion that killing Vanessa was somehow a good deed. Her death was a murder, which Matt is against. The idea that killing someone is justified because it can “balance the scales” on a karmic, almost cosmic goes against Matt’s beliefs.
But what if Vanessa dying is just what the city needs? What if it does balance the scales by giving Matt the edge he needs? The Governor will only tolerate an unhinged Fisk for so long.
Matt Murdock wanted Fisk out of City Hall, but he’s not going to like that it took the death of Vanessa (and possibly many other people) to get it done.
Always be careful what you wish for.
Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again is streaming now on Disney+, with new episodes dropping every Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
