In 1964, Marvel premiered one of its enduring and exciting super heroes, Daredevil. Whether in his secret identity as blind lawyer Matt Murdock or using his enhanced radar senses, DD stood out from the crowd as an unrelenting crusader for justice.

To celebrate 75 years of Marvel, 50 years of the Man Without Fear and the upcoming debut of “Marvel’s Daredevil” on Netflix in 2015, we look back on the hero of Hell’s Kitchen’s remarkable history!

While the super hero Civil War raged across the Marvel Universe in 2007, Daredevil solved the mystery of the latest mastermind attempting to ruin his life, as well as reunited with his best friend and estranged wife.

While in Paris in DAREDEVIL #91, our hero fought both Tombstone and Eloganto to get to save Lily Lucca’s life and uncover the details on the murder of his friend, Foggy Nelson. In DAREDEVIL #92, Matt discovered a sick and dying Vanessa Fisk, wife of the Kingpin, behind the plot to wreck his life. Now revealed, she told Daredevil how to reclaim everything he’d lost. Back in New York City in DAREDEVIL #93, DD found Foggy alive and well, reunited with his wife Milla, and learned the horrible price for a new lease on life: free the Kingpin from prison.

In INCREDIBLE HULK #100, Matt and his team of attorneys defended Bruce Banner after another Hulk rampage. When Murdock ordered stimulants to counteract the drugs fed to his client to keep him sedated, Hulk emerged once more. When Banner’s trial finally arrived, Matt argued for acquittal due to mental incompetence. Later, Daredevil found himself swept up in the Civil War’s final battle, as seen through the eyes of reporter Ben Urich in CIVIL WAR: FRONT LINE #10 and #11.

Milla reflected on her tempestuous road as Daredevil’s wife in DAREDEVIL #94, while Matt took on the thankless task of defending Gladiator, who stood accused of murdering inmates on Ryker’s Island in DAREDEVIL #95. The Gladiator busted out of prison in DAREDEVIL #96, while Milla began to see a psychiatrist and Lily Lucca landed in New York to seek help from Matt.

Gladiator’s killing spree in DAREDEVIL #97 drew the attention of the Man Without Fear, but when the criminal interrupted a date night between Matt and Milla, DD knew that someone else pulled his ex-client’s strings. Freeing himself from a tussle with police in DAREDEVIL #98, he raced to prevent Milla’s death at the Gladiator’s hands.

With the criminal incarcerated once more in DAREDEVIL #99, Matt’s investigations turned up the real culprit behind it all: Mr. Fear and the Enforcers. Meanwhile, in a fit of rage over her husband seeing Lily, Milla accidentally shot and killed an innocent man. Under the influence fear gas from Mr. Fear, Daredevil stumbled through the city fighting his past and present demons in DAREDEVIL #100, a situation that paled in comparison with the revelation of his wife’s murder charge.

Putting his battle with Fear on hold in DAREDEVIL #101, Matt visited Milla in the hospital and tried to focus on her plight.

Read more DAREDEVIL (1998) on Marvel Unlimited

It's time to face facts, true believers – the 90's were awesome. The pouches were plentiful, the costumes were impractical, and Marvel Universe dentists made a fortune correcting damages caused by perpetually gritted teeth. Thanks to the power of nostalgia, though, what would once be considered extremely embarrassing can now be called extremely awesome!

With that in mind, we've pulled a Marvel comic from the not-so-modern era and broken it down, one choice fact at a time! This week we're singling out AVENGERS #401 by Mark Waid and Mike Deodato. Here's "Sins of the Father" by the numbers!

19 segments on Gambit's chest-plate
 

9 visible circles on Scarlet Witch's thigh-high boots
 

6 Avengers on a way crowded elevator
 

5 super awkward Quinjet passengers
 

4 glowing hands between Scarlet Witch and Magneto/Joseph
 

3 charging Avengers
 

1 tight close-up on Scarlet Witch's 2 eyes and 5 strands of hair
 

1 in charge Scarlet Witch
 

Thor just can’t get enough of Earth.

The Asgardian super hero returns once more for Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” May 1, and it sounds like this time Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will need him more than ever.

Chris Hemsworth, who has played the Mighty Avengers since Marvel’s “Thor” in 2011, wields the hammer for a fourth time in the film. According to the actor, “Avengers: Age of Ultron” continues to raise the stakes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe without going too big to lose sight of its grounded conflicts, all courtesy of writer/director Joss Whedon.

“Coming off of ‘Thor: The Dark World’ and ‘Marvel’s The Avengers,’ I couldn't wait to read this,” recalls Hemsworth. “I just loved how it upped it in a way that wasn't just bigger and flashier. Everything had been amplified, but in an intelligent way. All the stories are relevant to what's going on in the world, as far as the exponential growth of technology and artificial intelligence, and then [you add] the questions of good versus bad and the AI world.

“He's [also] managed to bring all of the Avengers back in and give them a relevant reason to be there, [with a] justified conflict. I mean, it's a tricky balance. I'm glad I'm not the one writing the thing and having to pull that off.”

Thor’s relationship with his brother Loki, the villain of “Marvel’s The Avengers,” proved one of the driving forces of that film. Now, Thor continues to bring a different perspective to the central conflict.

“We pick up with Thor having stayed on Earth from ‘Thor: The Dark World,’ establishes Hemsworth. “He's part of the team. This is his home for the moment. The initial attack from Ultron is personal because it's at all the Avengers, and Thor then begins to see a bigger sort of picture here about what this threat could be potentially. And it begins to tie in to all of our films. It’s hard to say too much without talking about what I can’t talk about.

“It would be easy to fall into [a model of], ‘They're all just there because we're all contracted and [we] look cool if we’re standing in the same room.’ I kept saying to Joss, ‘Okay, what do I bring to the table, besides Thor being one of his foot soldiers and the muscle and the fight scenes? What is his knowledge he can bring to it? What information can I bring?’ So [Thor] calls upon some of his guardian knowledge and is able to go into another realm to pull out some information that's hugely useful [and] certainly benefits where they are at that point.”

Given that the Avengers face a larger threat than ever before, either as a team or individuals, that knowledge Thor can access may give them the ability to stop the menace of Ultron before it gets too large to handle.

“I think he openly admits he doesn’t think we can win this one,” admits Hemsworth. “The threat is so great that all of them are scratching their heads wondering if this it. It's just an onslaught, and it doesn't stop.  It's a floodgate, and it could also set in motion is an even bigger threat. I think that's what Thor’s stuck on, or where his attention certainly is. An even bigger picture of Thor being from Asgard where he can just say, ‘Hang on, there's a whole universe here which is signaling something else.’”

Thor’s time on Earth has also given him a new layer, one that Hemsworth happily embraced.

“He’s loosened up a bit,” Hemsworth says of his character. “This time there's more humor in Thor, because he's been on Earth, [and he’s] a little more accessible now. He's off Asgard now, so he doesn't have to be as regal and kingly as he is in that world, which is nice. I enjoy that more. Here you can have a gag with the guys and he can throw away lines and be in a party scene with them in civilian clothes.

“I walked on set [for] a party scene, and I was in a nice coat and jeans, and the guys just kept joking, ‘When did Thor go shopping? Did he buy this online or did Jane do it, or did he actually go shopping?’ The question’s raised because he's not dressed in his own guardian attire. He's more human in the film, definitely.”

In the time since the Avengers’ first adventure, the team has bonded considerably since their conflict-ridden early days—but that doesn’t mean some of our heroes won’t still butt heads.

“We're not as conflicted [as a team] as we were before,” promises Hemsworth. “[But Thor] has a pretty solid battle with Iron Man in this one, which is cool. It's a lengthy fight scene of destruction.”

Another source of friction comes from some of the new characters introduced in “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. Adding the super powered twins helped to keep them from falling into too much of a familiar rhythm, in Hemsworth’s eyes.

“It shakes things up,” he elaborates. “In the individual films, you get comfortable. You get into a rhythm or a routine, and you think you know it until there's a challenge and you think, ‘Oh, yeah, that's right, there is another option here.’ We keep changing it and mixing it up. This new cast breaks the familiar rhythm that we may have and makes it a bit more unpredictable. We're lucky, to actually want to come back and work with these guys and hang out again and pick up where we left off is a pretty special thing.”

In one sequence, the Scarlet Witch unlocks a number of the Avengers’ worst fears, plunging them into a nightmare world—something that will help open Thor’s eyes to the larger threat.

“I think [the Avengers] will begin to have their fears held up in front of them,” promises Hemsworth. “For Thor, I think it's a corruption of power. Trying to have the understanding that we're in this endless battle here and wondering when this is going to end, and how does it end. That's where he really starts to kind of move through the story. Once that dream occurs, he can see what's coming. It’s a ticking clock.”

Stay tuned to Marvel.com for more on “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” and in the meantime follow @Avengers on Twitter and like the Avengers on Facebook to keep up with the latest updates!

“That’s my secret Captain… I’m always angry.” Earth’s mightiest heroes will be assembling again in the eagerly anticipated sequel, ‘Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron,’ to defeat the villainous Ultron, who is set on eradicating mankind. Can our heroes save the world from this terrible fate? You’ll have to see the movie to find out, but don’t worry because Hot Toys is here to give fans a little taste of what’s to come.

Hot Toys is proud to bring you the Avengers big gun in two rare exclusives! Presenting the new Avengers: Age of Ultron 1/6^th scale Hulk Collectible Figure, this movie-accurate collectible is crafted based on the image of Hulk in the upcoming sequel featuring a newly developed screaming head sculpt with rolling eyeballs and a specially painted muscular body for extreme detail.

If that wasn’t enough for all you smashers, Hot Toys is thrilled to officially bring you the 1/6^th scale Hulk Deluxe Collectible Set! This figure is also movie-accurate and specially crafted based on the image of Hulk in the new blockbuster film. Only the deluxe set will feature two newly developed angry and screaming Hulk head sculpts with rolling eyeballs, the specially painted muscular body and an interchangeable “Hulk Smash” pose upper body for when you’re ready to go into battle!

Don’t miss the chance to add these two Green Goliath exclusives to your Avengers collection today by clicking here for more information and check out more smashing action in the gallery below!

Marvel.com: So we’re premiering “Superhero.” What is the song about?

Bill Gould: “Superhero” actually just started from the sound of the song, where it has these pounding drums and it has like this throbbing kind of pulse, and we just called it the “Superhero” song. Because, a lot of the ways we write we visualize things. 

Actually this is kind of interesting because we’re probably a unique band in a way. While we write music we’re talking about chord changes and different things like that. What we do is we describe scenes together, and we can visualize the scene and the music kind of comes. We kind of make movie scenes for movies that don’t exist. “Superhero” was one of those where it was definitely a superhero comic, I mean that was just the vibe of the song, and when Mike came to me writing words about it, we were already calling it “Superhero.” So it’s kind of like in the DNA; it’s a comic strip.

Marvel.com: So you were actually a fan of the comics when you were growing up? You were what--a Silver Surfer fan?

Bill Gould: I was. To put things into perspective, I ceased being a comic collector in 1976 but up till then, I was really into it for about three years. Like obsessively into it. I had Silver Surfer #1, Conan #1 and #2, I had some really cool stuff.

Nova was a big one. That was my big hope for the future. I was hoping it would go another thousand [issues] into the series. Yeah, I was really into it. [When] I turned 15 years old, [I found out that] my next door neighbor really admired my comic collection. There was this scooter [he owned that] I really wanted to get, because I didn’t need a license to drive it, and I traded my entire collection for this scooter and I really regret it now.

Marvel.com: I can imagine.

Bill Gould: But he still has those comics and he still rubs it in my face when I talk to him.

Marvel.com: As well he should. You deserve that one. Nova’s an awesome character to get hooked on. We often hear Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Hulk, etc. So when you say Nova and Silver Surfer that’s super cool. Was it space and the cosmic thing that really got you?

Bill Gould: You know, I thought that both of those were interesting stories. They took a little bit of a departure, a psychological departure from you know, the classic super hero type thing. You know, I loved everything with Kirby art.

Marvel.com: Yeah, man. He’s the King!

Bill Gould: He really defined the characters, and the art came together in a really cool way.

Marvel.com: Yeah he had such huge ideas and the way he put it on the page--no one’s ever going to do that again.

Bill Gould: Yeah, it’s funny when you can be a 14-year-old kid and you can appreciate art like that. He really was a unique kind of individual and he can be appreciated. You know at that age, folks take you to an art museum and you want to get the hell out of there. But there was something about [his art]; my friends and I would actually talk about that stuff, and I had some friends that had some original Kirby art from a comic convention and that was like having a Mona Lisa in your house.

Marvel.com: It’s still like having a Mona Lisa in your house. That’s amazing!

Bill Gould: I can’t even imagine what it’s like now. To think about that back then, and how dear that stuff was... I think the first Silver Surfer at the time, which to me was valuable, was like 30 bucks or something like that.

That’s a lot of lawns to mow, you know? To think about if you held onto that now, it’s kind of crazy, but there were kids that were collecting whole series. I had a friend who had the whole AVENGERS series from #1 to #200 or something, and that’s like giving kids the entrepreneurial spirit. Cause you go to these conventions and you can start haggling and stuff like that. You knew what the "bluebook" value was, and the whole experience of it was super interesting--and then you read the comics too.

Marvel.com: Did you get a chance to see Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie that came out last year?

Bill Gould: I didn’t, no, no.

Marvel.com: Ah, that’s too bad, because in the movie we introduced the Nova Corps, which Rich Rider, Nova, was a part of in the comics. The Nova Corps are a big part of the movie.

Bill Gould: Really!? I didn’t know that actually. Cool, I would actually see it for that reason.

Marvel.com: And with the Nova aspects, you’re going to love it. You don’t have Rich Rider like in the comics, but the Corps and the aesthetic are there. I can’t wait for you to see it.

Bill Gould: That’s cool. I’m actually really interested now. It’s funny because I hadn’t really thought of the Nova character until I heard I had this interview, and I was thinking back in my mind like, "what was I into?" and I started remembering. Actually Nova now kind of has a cult following doesn’t it?

Marvel.com: Oh man, you have no idea! There are so many fans that are super into Nova. We have a new character starring as Nova. He’s been a big part of the "Ultimate Spider-Man" cartoon. Kids love Nova. He’s in the "Disney Infinity 2.0" video game. Can you imagine?

Bill Gould: Oh really? See I’m out of the loop. That’s cool, I was always hoping that would happen. That’s cool, that’s really cool!

Marvel.com: Yeah, totally! Do you think that anything about the comics you read at that time influenced your work?

Bill Gould: Absolutely, absolutely. If you think about the Faith No More music, it is rock music for sure. It’s got a lot of different things about it, but one thing it always has in sound is this giant sound stage, this space. This large feeling, at least that’s what we try to get out of it, where the bottom is very deep and the tops are very high and the scale definitely goes back to comics. [Speaking] for myself, when you get your imagination going you start thinking of concepts like that, you carry that with you, for sure.

Marvel.com: That’s super cool. When was the last full Faith No More tour? Six years ago?

Bill Gould: Well, you know what we do now, we tour for a couple years. It didn’t feel like it because we keep the tours at moderate length. Back in the day we used to tour, for like six months at a time. One tour was almost 18 months. It was just go-go-go-go, and we almost got burnt out, so we try to keep it down to three weeks now, on a tour. So we do a lot of little tours and we’re kind of on a small tour now, and we’re just going to keep doing that. But yeah, we hadn’t done it in a couple of years.

Marvel.com: Do you think anything has changed for you guys in the last couple years, especially now that you have a new record coming out?

Bill Gould: Well, we’ve kind of been in a bubble. We have new music, we have the new record coming out, but I don’t think we really realized people still kind of wanted to hear new material from us. I mean, we kind of suspected maybe they would, but it seems like, we’re much more popular now than we were 18 years ago when we made our last record and that kind of took us by surprise. But it’s a great thing. It means that at least the stuff back then stood the test of time. Have you actually heard the record?

Marvel.com: Oh yeah.

Bill Gould: Our new record?

Marvel.com: Yeah, yeah I got a stream of it from the PR folks at Speakeasy. I think I was giddy for two days straight, because it’s not often you get new Faith No More music and you’re like the only person around who can listen to it.

Bill Gould: Haha that’s cool. Great. A lot of people haven’t heard it yet, that’s why I was just curious.

Marvel.com: Yeah man, I was super excited. I've listened to "Sol Invictus" a few dozen times. I love it. How long ago did you guys start planning the new record?

Bill Gould: You know, it’s a really weird thing. It’s probably two years ago, two and a half that we actually started working on it. It was a little bit like getting your foot dipped in the water and then continuing to keep going. 

We didn’t even tell anybody that we were doing it. I mean, we didn’t tell anybody for about a year. Because we were recording in our rehearsal space, so there were not even any studios that knew we were recording. Nobody did. No engineers, nothing, it was just between ourselves. This was actually very empowering, because there wasn’t any pressure to do anything. We didn’t have to deal with anyone gossiping, or anything like that. We just kind of showed up and just played. So we kept it for about a year and a half, and then it got to the point where it was starting to come together and we told people.

Marvel.com: How do you guys feel about the record now? I’m sure you’ve been listening to it and have been mastering it over and over again, but can you step back from it and look at it in a bigger landscape?

Bill Gould: I can try to. Just bear in mind, I think this was mastered about 10 days ago. I’m still recovering from the process. 

That was like a week of mixing and matching, it was like zero sleep and then we hopped on a plane and went to Australia. But I would say, what I really hope we accomplish with this is, where it sounds like us but it doesn’t sound like we used to. It sounds like we are in 2015 and it doesn’t sound old, but at the same time also it doesn’t sound like some propelled record, it sounds like it’s actually an album. That when you hear it, you feel something that’s kind of classic. So that’s kind of what we’re shooting for.

Marvel.com: Yeah, there’s definite heart to it. So you produced it and engineered it. For the Marvel fans, who may be more familiar with the roles that the comic book industry has--writers, artists, editors and such--what’s the process like with doing the production and the engineering on a record?

Bill Gould: Well the first thing you have to do is write the music. You have to write the material first. So the big thing and the good thing about us is we never trusted producers ever. So we always kind of arranged our music before we even had a producer. Even back when we were recording, when we had a label and all that stuff. 95 percent of the arrangements were all ourselves, and then we recorded, so that we didn’t waste time in the studio. We started that early on in our recording career so it wasn’t any different this time.

The most important thing that the band could do was to have their arrangements before they started recording and know what they’re going to do. So we covered that angle of it and then there comes a point where you have to mic everything up. You know that can be really cool; there’s a lot more access to good equipment than there was 20 years ago but there are also challenges. The rehearsal room is not the easiest place to mic something up. You capture that, you get everything there where it’s recorded, and then you have to massage things, so they all fit into place.

And really what’s most important is, you try to step away from it and not put too much junk on it. I would actually compare it to cooking. Cooking something, you want to have the natural flavors of the food come out and that’s kind of how we do this when we’re recording. What happens then is you mix everything together and you take it to a mastering guy. Which a lot of times what he does is, he hears things that you didn’t hear because you’re involved in this process so you tend to miss things. You look at everything under a microscope and sometimes you can’t take a step back and look at the big picture. It’s great to have another guy who can [hear] things, and can see what he would fix and the really small adjustments to make everything sound great.

Marvel.com: I love the idea that you said it’s like cooking. In my head, there are a lot of similarities to comic book editing. The editors in comics, they’re putting the pieces together as well--the writer is over here, the artist is over there, the inker, the letterer, etc. are all in different places and inputting. There are all these different people, and the editor has to bring it all together, but probably not put too much of their own vision or spin on it.

Bill Gould: I’m not familiar with the process of comics with the editors and how that works, but what I can say is there is no right way or wrong way to do anything. Some guys I know can be artists and writers and editors. Some guys, sometimes you get a better product if you have a couple different people who have all different perspectives all coming and putting something together, one artist and a different writer. There are a lot of different ways to do it and as long as the end result is good, then it’s all good.

“Superhero” will be available as a limited edition 7-inch single on March 17. Faith No More's forthcoming album, "Sol Invictus" releases May 19, from Reclamation Recordings/Ipecac Recordings. Visit fnm.com for tour dates and much more info.

Super-size your Marvel Super Hero adventures with the electrifying Avengers Titan Heroes Iron Man and Hawkeye Deluxe Electronic Action Figure Set – EE Exclusive! Each figure is inspired by Marvel’s ongoing Avengers story, pitting the world’s greatest assembly of Super Heroes against tougher threats than ever before. Each Avenger is ready to unleash the light of justice on the darker corners of the Marvel universe. These gargantuan plastic action figures are jointed and stand 12-inches tall.

Truly a superior Iron Man, Tony Stark is back in a new blue and white suit of armor! The cool exec with a heart of steel upgrades his wardrobe so he looks snazzy in Silicon Valley or anywhere Stark Enterprises expands! Tony’s look is modeled after his classic wardrobe, with a hint of the flavor appearing in Marvel Now! Superior Iron Man’s pages. This 12-inch figure comes with a spectacular light-up blaster you’ll only find at Entertainment Earth.

Clint Barton went out and found himself some thick red frames, with glass so dark they won’t even know his name -- but you will! Hawkeye’s new outfit is inspired by the massively multiplayer online game Marvel Heroes 2015 and the hit TV series Avengers Assemble, combining to bring you one of the best archers in the business! Loki, Doctor Doom, Ultron and other bad guys won’t stand a chance against his funky fine bow with a special kind of light.

This set features two individually packaged action figures, including:
-One Beam Blaster Iron Man with Electronic Light-Up Blaster
-One Lightning Bow Hawkeye with Electronic Light-Up Bow
(subject to change)

This Marvel-ous exclusive is only available at Entertainment Earth and is currently scheduled for arrival in April 2015.

In 1964, Marvel premiered one of its enduring and exciting super heroes, Daredevil. Whether in his secret identity as blind lawyer Matt Murdock or using his enhanced radar senses, DD stood out from the crowd as an unrelenting crusader for justice.

To celebrate 75 years of Marvel, 50 years of the Man Without Fear and the upcoming debut of “Marvel’s Daredevil” on Netflix in 2015, we look back on the hero of Hell’s Kitchen’s remarkable history!

With his wife accused of murder and a most-feared foe on the loose, Daredevil swung into 2008 looking for peace among chaos, but uncovering only more darkness.

DAREDEVIL #102 opened with Mr. Fear still on the loose and spreading terror throughout New York and Matt Murdock’s life. While searching for Fear’s associates, the Enforcers, DD ran afoul of the Wrecker and Foggy Nelson managed to get Matt’s increasingly disturbed wife Milla released on house arrest.

Checking in on Milla and observing her steady recovery from fear gas, Matt resumed the search for Mr. Fear and the Enforcers in DAREDEVIL #103, which led him to torture Ox for his employer’s whereabouts in DAREDEVIL #104. At that same time, Milla, still deranged, beat a woman to a pulp and ended up under arrest again. Matt took all his frustration and anger out on Mr. Fear in DAREDEVIL #105, and reluctantly placed his wife under serious psychiatric care.

Upon learning of Milla’s permanent brain damage from Fear’s gas, Matt sank into brooding self-pity and violent outbursts in DAREDEVIL #106, a status which began to worry his friends, including Dakota North. In attempt to pull the attorney up out of despair, in DAREDEVIL #107 Dakota asked him to defend Big Ben Donovan, a death row inmate, from a trumped up murder charge. Unfortunately for Matt, Big Ben claimed guilt in the matter in DAREDEVIL #108, which drew fire from all sides, legal and illegal—and led the prisoner to hang himself in his cell.

Big Ben survived his suicide attempt, as seen in DAREDEVIL #109, and when DD investigated further, his quest brought him to mob boss Eric Slaughter’s door. Meanwhile, Dakota North, helping Matt’s search, caught a bullet in the streets for her trouble. With his friend recovering, the Man Without Fear tackled the federal agents who framed Big Ben in DAREDEVIL #110 and with some political string-pulling, finally cleared his name.

Daredevil aided Spider-Man in fighting Fracture in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #565, then loaned him one of his costumes in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #566 so the wall-crawler could pursue the man who stole his real outfit.

The Hand operative called Lady Bullseye arrived in New York City in DAREDEVIL #111 and began killing immediately. Matt and Dakota entered into a passionate arrangement, one that our hero felt extreme guilt and depression over. Afterward, Matt learned of Daredevil’s latest accusation of murder in the newspapers, but escaped arrest by Dakota providing his alibi in DAREDEVIL #112. While Lady Bullseye turned her attention to two targets, Tarantula and Iron Fist, Matt met an old man in his kitchen, Master Izo, who asked the hero for help in bringing down the Hand.

Daredevil’s year ended as he took up arms with his fellow super heroes against the alien Skrulls in SECRET INVASION #7, leading to their overall defeat in SECRET INVASION #8.

Read more DAREDEVIL (1998) on Marvel Unlimited

Stretching back before she became Spider-Woman, and encompassing her years in the red and yellow costume, Jessica Drew has been a spy, a super hero, a private investigator, a S.H.I.E.L.D. operative, a HYDRA asset, an agent of S.W.O.R.D., and even an Avenger.

Now, in “Marvel: Avengers Alliance,” for the first time ever, Spider-Woman becomes one of the Worthy.

With Chapter 8 coming soon to the hit game, Jessica Drew will lift an Asgardian hammer into the sky and call down a power like none she’s ever known. To kick off a week celebrating the Women of Marvel Games here at Marvel.com, we reveal what lies ahead for Spider-Woman in “Avengers Alliance,” plus get some more tasty teases from Producer Justin Woods!

Marvel.com: Who is up for Worthy status this time around in Chapter 8?

Justin Woods: Kuurth, Breaker of Stone. But who is possessed by Kuurth, Breaker of Stone? That was the luxury of Juggernaut in the comics, [but it’s] a very unlikely choice for Kuurth, Breaker of Stone in our case. It is Spider-Woman.

Marvel.com: Wow! Very unlikely. Now, what’s the logic there?

Justin Woods: I can’t really recall the journey that it took us to get there. We selected her nearly two years ago when we set out to write the story, but what I recall of it was we determined a list of characters that we really wanted to be our Worthy, and focused on trying to fit them to the best and most appropriate of the spirits to be possessed by. Other than Sin, like I said in previous interviews, all the other Worthy are different to who [they] are in the comics.

Marvel.com: So even though the Juggernaut was available, you didn’t want to go back to him.

Justin Woods: That’s right. And even though Hulk was available for Nul, you know we did Luke Cage. And that will continue to go further out. Everybody’s really wondering who the Breaker of Oceans is going to be, Nerkkod. Because everybody’s like, “You don’t have Attuma in the game.” And we’re kind of like, “Yeah…” We’re holding that one close to our chest. We do have someone picked out, and their costume looks absolutely stunning, but yeah. We’ve actually designed all but the very last of the Worthy, so I’ve seen all the costumes except for one at this point. They’re all very unique and very cool, but they do all tie in to the looks from the comics from each of the characters they are based on.

Marvel.com: Now typically with these costumes, it really helps level up the character. She-Hulk and Luke Cage really got buffed up by this. What kind of additional abilities is Spider-Woman getting from her Worthy incarnation?

Justin Woods: We just wanted to go completely across the board with her, and look at everything she was doing, and see how we could revamp her and make her more useful and more interesting. There [are] a lot of little things we’ve put together to make what the new Spider-Woman is. But I think that she will definitely be a viable PvP option in her Kuurth outfit for certain.

Marvel.com: Very cool. And as far as villains for this chapter, are we seeing anybody new pop up?

Woods: There are a couple new villains, but in this case, I want to leave them to be a surprise because I think that the chapters are really held together by their story, and that narrative is very interesting and surprising when a certain villain pops in. But the story focuses in Chapter 8 on how Serpent is using the Worthy to really generate fear across the populace, and that’s going to be something that continues to be the theme into Chapter 9 a little bit as the story takes some twists and turns. But we really wanted to help the player ground themselves a little, like why is the Worthy such a threat? Why is [The Serpent] such a big deal? And it’s because the Worthy are willing to go after innocents to do things that are horrible to create and instill fear in the entire populous of the world, which is where the name Fear Itself comes from. Fear is how the Serpent gets his strength.

Join “Marvel: Avengers Alliance” today and play Chapter 8, coming soon!

The highly anticipated release of HOWARD THE DUCK #1 is just over a week away. Can’t wait till then? Marvel is keeping the celebration going all the way into April with special WHAT THE DUCK?! Variant Covers to some of your favorite Marvel titles. Today, Marvel is pleased to present six new variant covers from some of the hottest artist in the industry – each with a unique spin on that magnificent mallard!

• ANT-MAN #4 - WTD Variant Cover by Dave Rapoza
• DAREDEVIL #15 - WTD Variant Cover by Marguerite Sauvage
• DEADPOOL #45 a.k.a. DEADPOOL #250 - WTD Variant Cover by Sanford Greene
• HULK#14 – WTD Variant by Rafael Albuquerque
• LEGENDARY STAR-LORD #11 - WTD Variant Cover by James Stokoe
• SPIDER-GWEN #3 – WTD Variant Cover by Sergio Aragones

Look for these additional WHAT THE DUCK?! Variants to grace the covers of these exciting Marvel comics throughout the month of April:

• ALL-NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA #6
• ALL-NEW HAWKEYE #2
• ALL-NEW X-MEN #41
• AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #17
• GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #26
• INHUMAN #14
• LEGENDARY STAR-LORD #11
• MS. MARVEL #14
• ROCKET RACCOON #10
• S.H.I.E.L.D. #5
• SILK #3
• SPIDER-GWEN #3
• SUPERIOR IRON MAN #7
• THOR #7
• UNCANNY AVENGERS #4
• UNCANNY INHUMANS #0

No fan can afford to miss out on these exciting variant covers featuring that fabulous fowl! Run, don’t walk to your comic shops this April to get your hands on these can’t miss WHAT THE DUCK?! Variant Covers!

In the Marvel Universe we know, the X-Men managed to bring the despotic rule of Cameron Hodge to an end on the island of Genosha, and while the nation would see much future hardship, it would also experience periods of being a haven for mutants.

Things went another way in one of the Warzones! that will be a part of Secret Wars, as writer Marc Guggenheim and artist Carmine Di Giandomenico seek to explore in X-TINCTION AGENDA, beginning this June.

“We begin with the end of the original X-Tinction Agenda,” explains Guggenheim on following up the classic X-Men event. “The existing Genoshan government has been overthrown, Cameron Hodge’s decapitated head has had a building drop on top of it, and Havok and Wolfsbane—who’s now a mutate—have elected to remain in Genosha to help rebuild the country. We then pick up a number of years later and things have gotten very, very bad.  

“A virus is decimating the mutant and mutate population. The X-Men have a cure in the form of Triage, but won’t violate the quarantine that Genosha is under, not wanting to risk extinction should the virus spread beyond the shores of Genosha. Havok and Wolfsbane take it upon themselves to go and get Triage and bring him back to Genosha to cure the populace, by force if necessary. Thus, we have the makings of the dynamics of the original X-Tinction Agenda, which kicked off with Storm and other mutants being kidnapped and brought back to Genosha. But this time, the X-Men are facing their former comrades and friends instead of the evil Genoshan Magistrates.

X-TINCTION AGENDA will be a showcase of X-Men characters of every era, from the saga this story follows up on to more modern creations.

“Rictor and Boom-Boom—who I’m renaming ‘Bombshell’—were very prominent in the original X-Tinction Agenda, so I wanted to make sure they had pivotal roles to play here,” says Guggenheim. “Mystique, Karma, and Wicked combine to form the current version of Genosha’s ‘Press Gang.’ They’re accompanied by a new character, ‘Bulletproof,’ who is a Genoshan mutate and, if all goes according to plan, will be the breakout character of this series. I couldn’t restrain myself from including Ink, from my run on YOUNG X-MEN. Another new and fun character is 1407, a H.E.R.B.I.E. model who’s been retrofitted to work for the X-Men.

“On the X-Men side, there’s Wolverine, because it wouldn’t be X-Tinction Agenda without Logan. But there’s a twist: In this version of reality, Hank McCoy brought the X-Men from GIANT-SIZE X-MEN #1 from the past into the present, not the 1960's X-Men, so the Wolverine I’m playing with is very different from the more refined samurai Logan we’ve come to know.”

At the center of the story, though, Alex Summers and Rahne Sinclair, two characters who spent much of the 1990’s bound by circumstance in the pages of X-FACTOR, whose relationship has taken a decidedly different turn here.

“Turns out, running a country is hard work,” Guggenheim notes. “Running a country and fighting a viral outbreak that can kill most of the population is really hard work. And Alex and Rahne have found comfort in each other’s arms. Alex, for his part, has benefited from spending time out from under his brother Scott’s shadow. Although we see that he’s still got his fraternal issues, he’s really become his own man. And Rahne has also come into her own. I’m trying to write her with a bit more strength and determination than we’re used to seeing from her, because these past 10 years on Genosha have been a crucible which have forged her into a stronger, tougher person.”

Giving the themes and character development of X-TINCTION AGENDA visual life will be Carmine Di Giandomenico, who has past mutant experience with projects varying from the gritty MAGNETO: TESTAMENT to his most recent work on ALL-NEW X-FACTOR.

“Carmine’s amazing,” praises Guggenheim. “A series of this type requires a lot of design work to be done. There are new characters, reinvented characters, locations, etc. Carmine brings such freshness to the design work while still paying the right amount of homage to what’s come before. And he has a style that evokes the spirit of the 1990’s while still being thoroughly modern.”

While Guggenheim promises X-TINCTION AGENDA delves into real world issues like viral outbreaks and hunger, it’s also “a friggin’ X-Men comic,” packing plenty of action and paying tribute to a classic event that has a special place in the writer’s heart.

“I was an intern at Marvel when [the original X-Tinction Agenda] was getting produced,” he shares. “In fact, I still have my copy of the Jim Lee/Brad Vancata promotional poster. So, yeah, I was a pretty big fan of the original event. The idea of all the X-books at the time crossing over in one huge storyline was incredibly exciting. This had never been attempted before and the whole thing just felt insanely epic.

“When Marvel approached me about revisiting X-Tinction Agenda, I worked up several pitches and the approaches varied from reinvention to sequel to re-imagining. Ultimately, we settled on the straight-up sequel idea, which was my favorite. I didn’t want to tread over old ground—there’s no way I could match Chris Claremont and Louise Simonson, anyway—and I wanted to pay homage to what had come before without simply repeating it. I think that’s the formula for any good sequel, a good mix of the familiar and the new. This series follows the original X-Tinction Agenda’s shape of X-Men being abducted back to Genosha and the rescue mission that ensues, but the justifications for the kidnapping and all the particulars are all entirely new. Plus, we’ve got a few surprises up our sleeves.”

Follow the latest updates on Secret Wars daily on Marvel.com and via our social channels!

After helping take down a corrupted S.H.I.E.L.D., Captain America now finds himself helping to keep the world safe with his fellow Avengers…and the Earth needs them now more than ever before.

With the rise of a new villain in Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” May 1, Chris Evans leads the team once more as the Fighting Avenger. The malevolent artificial intelligence Ultron has designs for humanity—namely, wiping it off the face of the Earth—and in the absence of S.H.I.E.L.D., only the Avengers can step in to stop him.

In “Marvel’s The Avengers,” the team fell under the jurisdiction of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury. Now, without Fury in the picture, Cap finds himself with even more responsibility as the team’s leader.

“The team doesn’t have anyone to report to now,” Evans points out. “There’s no more S.H.I.E.L.D., so we’re all kind of depending upon one another. But that gives him an opportunity to take more of a leadership role, since there’s no one else giving him orders, he doesn’t have to question the chain of command or anyone’s motives, but it does mean he needs to rely on his team a lot more. It’s added a little bit more tension to the actual dynamic of the Avengers.”

According to Evans, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes come together once more “out of necessity” as their latest adventure picks up.

“Once S.H.I.E.L.D. fell, [that] affected everybody,” the actor elaborates. “There is something that affects all of us that requires us to come back together and fight as a unit. Cap’s just more than willing to take a leadership role. He’s been in wars.  He understands the dynamic of a team. He’s not doing it out of arrogance or ego, he’s doing it out of necessity and functionality.”

While some fans might expect friction between some of the Avengers over who should lead the team, Evans sees it as more about each character understanding their role within the whole.

“Certain people are moving on into different things,” explains Evans. “So for someone like Tony, maybe he may not want to be anything but the front man. But there are people like Thor, [who’s] a soldier. I mean he’s just a soldier in another world, so there’s an understanding between those two men, Captain America [and] Thor. Same with Hawkeye. These guys have all been in battle, so I think for the most part, there aren’t as many conflicting egos in terms of who’s leading this crew. It’s more personal conflicts and more personal questions about who they are as people and what they’re looking for and what makes sense, and what’s right and wrong.”

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” marks the fourth time Evans has picked up the shield as Captain America, and after so many times in Cap’s suit the actor has developed a deeper understanding of the character.

“You know, the first movie, you’re terrified,” recalls Evans. “The second [time] you’re just intimidated because there are so many great people [in ‘Marvel’s The Avengers’]. But by ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ is when you really start hitting your stride and feeling like you’re making some core progress with the character, and you get a little more comfortable speaking up when you have opinions. The Russo [brothers, directors of ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’] are so great and I love that movie, and it all just kind of worked out in terms of the evolution of my personal connection with character.”

Given his strong connection to, and opinion of, the character of Captain America, Evans did have one thing he told “Avengers: Age of Ultron” writer/director Joss Whedon he wanted to see more of in this film.

“In terms of the character, Joss got it right with the first [Avengers],” exudes Evans. “He’s loved comic books, so it’s not like you’re talking to someone who might not have a handle of what audiences want, [or] who this character is at his core. The only thing I talked to him about was [Cap’s] ability consistency. With the second Captain America we really pushed the envelope in terms of what this guy is capable of, which I was excited to see because [in] the first Captain America he’s just strong. In Avengers it was still, in my opinion, a little bit punch, punch, kick, kick. We have to see this guy do stuff that [makes you realize] he deserves a spot on this squad. In ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ he’s pin balling off of jets and doing unbelievable things. I don’t want to take a step back, so his fight style needs to advance a little bit.

“I'm trying to incorporate a lot more reflexes. I’d love to get some scene where you kind of understand it’s not just speed and ability. It’s the fact that he can move. Even if his hands were bound you couldn’t get a finger on him.  He can still react incredibly fast so we’re trying to incorporate that, but by the same token we’re also trying to show what this foe can do. It’s just a matter of maintaining the speed and strength and agility and all that stuff.”

Cap will need all of those abilities to face off against Ultron, perhaps the most physically-challenging foe he’s fought so far—but it’s not just Ultron’s strength that makes him so terrifying, according to Evans.

“It’s not just about the power of the villain or his shiny lights or his ability,” the actor elucidates. “It’s the mentality of the villain. It’s Joss. He’s a very clever writer, so there’s an ideology behind Ultron that makes him more unique than just a bad guy. He doesn’t want to just kill the Avengers. He doesn’t want to just destroy the world. He has these monologues and these beautiful speeches that kind of embody a certain mentality about what’s wrong with humanity. It represents something deeper than just, ‘I'm evil and I don’t like the good guys.’ That’s what makes you care a little bit more about the story than just ‘I'm an evil bad guy.’

“Look at what [Tom] Hiddleston did with Loki [in ‘Marvel’s The Avengers’]. He made a real character. He made a real conflict and Loki could have a movie that has nothing to do with super heroes. It would just be a really interesting character study, like this guy needs a therapist. But it’s deep and that’s what makes you [care]. I think that’s what we’re going to have with Ultron.”

In addition to Ultron, the film will introduce even more new faces with the additions of Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Quicksilver), and Paul Bettany (Vision).

“It’s got to be tough coming in [and] being the new kid in the playground,” relates Evans. “But everyone’s so talented and professional. I don’t know what you want to call it but it just feels right, when we're sitting there having a scene with Paul, Aaron, [and] Lizzy, and it’s like, ‘You guys weren’t in the first Avengers?’ It just feels right. It feels normal and they’re so cool and so good. Every couple of days Joss will show clips of what these abilities are going to look like and how Lizzy’s gonna see things. They’re going to do so many cool things. I’ve never been a part of a movie where everyone just gets along so well so consistently, and even when you add new people the dynamic doesn’t shift at all.”

The Avengers sequel will also help to further Steve Rogers’ emotional arc that began with Marvel’s “Captain America: The First Avenger.”

“This is a guy that wanted the family, the wife and kids and stability and normalcy. He wants to serve his country, but what he really wanted was a normal life, and then he went into the ice and things changed. So it’s a matter of where is home? He’s always been a little lost, and even in Cap 2 it’s very much about [him asking], ‘What do I want? What am I supposed to be doing? What completes me?’”

Stay tuned to Marvel.com for more on “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” and in the meantime follow @Avengers on Twitter and like the Avengers on Facebook to keep up with the latest updates!

You’ve seen the 1/6th scale Hulk collectible figure. You’ve even seen the 1/6th scale Hulk Deluxe Set. But finally, the time has come to add the other half of the iconic battle. This is the Iron Man suit you all have been waiting for. Presenting the spectacular 1/6th scale Hulkbuster collectible figure!

Ever since the first official appearance of the massive anti-Hulk armor in the first ‘Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron’ trailer, fans worldwide have been filled with excitement; and now you can recreate the showdown right in your own home. The movie-accurate collectible figure is specially crafted based on the image of the Hulkbuster in the upcoming sequel. This colossal collectible stands approximately 55 cm (21 inches) tall, featuring a Mark XLIII bust inside with LED light-up eyes and chest arc-reactor. The metallic red, gold and silver armor includes weathering effects and over 16 LED light-up areas located in the eyes, chest, repulsor palms, back and legs.

Prepare to make room for this impressive piece of machinery in your ‘Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron’ collection and don’t forget to pick up the Hulk collectible figure to bring the iconic battle to life! Stay tuned to Hot Toys for more information on ordering.

In 1964, Marvel premiered one of its enduring and exciting super heroes, Daredevil. Whether in his secret identity as blind lawyer Matt Murdock or using his enhanced radar senses, DD stood out from the crowd as an unrelenting crusader for justice.

To prepare the upcoming debut of “Marvel’s Daredevil” on Netflix on April 10, 2015, we present a series of features exploring the writers, artists and more who have brought the Man Without Fear to life over his 50-plus year history!

Flush with this success of unique characters like the Fantastic Four, Hulk, Spider-Man, Thor, Iron Man, the X-Men, and the Avengers, Marvel’s then-Editor-in-Chief Stan Lee set about to create a new concept in 1964 to further excite his readership. Returning to the idea of a streetwise crusader, ala Spider-Man, Lee combined that with the handicap of blindness to fashion a new hero: Daredevil, the Man Without Fear.

Wasting no time in getting the ball rolling and the action flowing, Lee peppered the cover of DAREDEVIL #1 with everything a potential reader would need to know about the hero: inspiration, costume, abilities, supporting cast; cracking the comic open, the Marvel fan then discovered lush Bill Everett art and a whole new take on the super heroics.

“Read the first issue,” suggests writer Brian Michael Bendis. “It reads like any great piece of pulp. If you didn’t have all of the other Marvel comics around it and you read it on its own, that’s what you would have received it as: not a super hero comic—a pulp comic.”

Attorney Matt Murdock, the son of a famous boxer, made his way in the world despite his blindness, forming a law firm with friend Foggy Nelson and secretary Karen Page. A love triangle formed almost immediately, along with a grittier feel for the streets that Murdock prowled as the costumed Daredevil.

“The one thing that most people don’t think about when they think about the early days of Marvel Comics is that along with the flash of genius of making the heroes have real problems the other flash of genius was having each book be a sub genre,” Bendis notes. “The Fantastic Four was a family drama, Spider-Man was the definition of a [Young Adult] novel, and Daredevil was a modern take on the pulp. When [artist] Alex [Maleev] and I dug our heels into the book [decades later] that was the first thing we did: think about what pulp fiction would be like today.”

Artist Bill Everett, one of the architects of the Golden Age of comics, aided Lee in fleshing out Daredevil’s world and lending a realistic tone to its look and feel. At first, the Man Without Fear faced off against more common, street-level criminals and borrowed an adversary from fellow hero Spider-Man—Electro in DAREDEVIL #2—but with his third issue, man with the incredible radar-sense gained a foe who’d haunt him for years to come, the Owl. The conniving crime lord soon stood along other super villains, such as the Purple Man, the Matador, and Mr. Fear, populating Daredevil’s corner of New York City with challenges to Murdock’s already-hectic life, as well as his notion of courage and commitment.

“They were hitting hard on the note ‘Man Without Fear’,” explains current DAREDEVIL writer Mark Waid of Lee and Everett’s first two years on the book. “Every issue, you'd see Daredevil do something crazy that, if he could see, he’d know better than to attempt—and that's a tradition we make sure to keep alive.”

When not in costume, Matt Murdock suffered under Lee’s penchant for the dramatic, moving from situation to situation in his personal life which echoed Spider-Man’s own travails in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, yet with a more mature flair. The blind lawyer’s desire to tell Karen exactly how he felt about her conflicted with his belief that she would never consent to a romance with a blind man, nor could he tell her of his extra-curricular activities as Daredevil. It made for gripping pathos, all beautifully rendered by Everett’s immediate successors, artists Joe Orlando and Vince Colletta.

The legendary Wally Wood joined Lee on DAREDEVIL #5, and for two issues maintained the book’s status quo. But with the arrival of DAREDEVIL #7 in 1965, everything changed. Matt Murdock handed in his original yellow-and-black costume for a sleek all-over crimson suit, designed by Wood and accentuating the “devil” aspect of his codename. Beyond that, he faced off against an opponent the likes of which he’d never been confronted with before.

“Of course Wally Wood’s stunning redesign of the Daredevil outfit is a master class in less-is-far-far-more,” says artist-writer Karl Kesel. “But the real high point to these early issues, for me, is DAREDEVIL #7: Daredevil vs. the Sub-Mariner. Never before and very few times since has a main-title hero gone up against a foe so clearly out of his league—20,000 leagues in this case, you might say—that there was no possible way he could win.

“The question isn’t how is Daredevil going to win? You know he can’t. So that means—what? It’s a story where you don’t know how it’s going to end. How many comics can you say that about? In fighting this impossible fight, Daredevil achieves nobility he never could have by winning, and for the first time truly earns the name ‘Man Without Fear.’ While it would still be a while before Stan found the book’s distinctive voice, this issue shows why Daredevil deserved a place in the Marvel pantheon. And it remains a personal touchstone of mine to this day.”

More new villains appeared in and around the sprawling metropolis to challenge Daredevil’s mastery of his senses, such as the Stilt-Man in DAREDEVIL #8 and the Ani-Men of DAREDEVIL #10. The soap operatic elements reached something of a fever pitch when Lee nudged Karen Page to strongly suggest Matt look into an operation to restore his eyesight, but the attorney rightfully shied away from such a momentous decision, concerned over losing his special skill-set as Daredevil. In DAREDEVIL #11, Matt took the first of many leaves of absence from the firm of Nelson & Murdock, hoping to take a break from the hopelessly tangled triangle between himself, Karen, and Foggy.

Artist John Romita made his mark on the series with DAREDEVIL #12, aiding Lee in a far-flung tale of the hero’s travels abroad and a dangerous run-in with the infamous jungle lord Ka-Zar and his wicked brother the Plunderer. The storyline continued through DAREDEVIL #14, after which Matt returned to New York and his friends, but also new trouble with the Ox, in DAREDEVIL #15, Spider-Man in DAREDEVIL #16, and the impressive Gladiator in DAREDEVIL #18.

Romita’s tenure, though short, solidified the book’s cast and wove a visual thread through it that linked it to the wider, ever-growing Marvel Universe. By the end of 1966, the future of DAREDEVIL looked bright as fertile ground for fascinating villains and multi-layered plots, as well as an arena for future artists and writers to make their mark.

Look for more editions of Daredevil Spotlight coming soon to Marvel.com, and watch “Marvel’s Daredevil” on Netflix coming April 10!