Of all the street-level heroes in the Marvel Universe, Daredevil is one of the strongest. This was perfectly shown when Daredevil lost access to one of his most powerful abilities and was still able to hold his own in a fight.
Daredevil, of course, was blinded at a young age by radioactive waste, but this accident also gave him hyper-senses, including smell, touch, and a form of “radar” that allows him to “see” in his own way. With this radar, Daredevil is able to tell how many people are in a room, what they’re doing, if they’re holding anything, how they’re moving, and where they’re going. These abilities make Daredevil more powerful than what would be expected from a street-level vigilante. But the thing that really shows off Daredevil’s capability is the fact that, even after losing his radar power, he is still able to do more than the average person.
Daredevil Loses His Radar Power After Being Caught In An Explosion
Readers get to see exactly how Daredevil lost his powers in Daredevil #174 by Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, Glynis Oliver, and Joe Rosen. Matt Murdock is bombed by the Hand, and, while Matt does survive, his radar sense as Daredevil is completely gone. Without this radar sense, Daredevil can’t really see inanimate objects, nor can he entirely make out who is where. By using his heightened sense of hearing, he can hear heartbeats and tell where they are, but he can’t actually “see” them as he normally would. But the most shocking part of losing his radar sense is how it really doesn’t seem to slow him down when it comes to fighting crime.
Despite no longer having his radar sense, Daredevil can still leap and run across the rooftops at night. The lack of his radar sense is subtle at first — minor things like criminals sneaking up on him or Daredevil taking hits he wouldn’t have taken before. The important thing to remember is that his radar sense is how Daredevil “sees.” That he was able to do everything without it means that his radar sense, while helpful, is not a superheroic workaround for his Matt’s blindness. He is blind, and he is capable of doing all these amazing super-heroics. His radar sense makes it easier, but it doesn’t negate Daredevil’s pure skill.
Daredevil Easily Fights Trained Ninjas Without Radar
Without his radar ability, Daredevil is still capable of fighting several thugs at once, including trained ninjas, as well as leaping around New York City’s skyline. While Daredevil does eventually regain his radar powers, the fact that he was able to function without it proves one very important thing: Daredevil doesn’t need his radar power to be a hero. It is not Marvel’s way to have a blind hero who isn’t really blind. He is still capable of doing everything he normally does, even without his biggest power, which is just one of the reasons Daredevil is such a perfect hero.
Check out Daredevil #174, available now from Marvel Comics!
