Matt Murdock performs an actual exorcism in Daredevil #1

Daredevil #1 interior art — (Image credit: Marvel Comics)

It's a new era and a new life for Matt Murdock in September 13's Daredevil #1 from writer Saladin Ahmed, artist Aaron Kuder, colorist Jesus Aburtov, and letterer Clayton Cowles.

Picking up from the end of writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Marco Checchetto's long run, the new era of Daredevil gives Matt a new status quo that involves facing down literal devils - and which also gives him the power to deal with demonic infestation head on.

Spoilers ahead for Daredevil #1

As revealed at the end of the previous volume of Daredevil, Matt Murdock is now a Catholic Priest with little if any memory of his former life as the protector of Hell's Kitchen - though his heightened senses and physical training remain.

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In his new life, Matt helps run an orphanage which is secretly bankrolled by Elektra, who is still the full-time Daredevil of Hell's Kitchen. Elektra watches over Matt, but vows not to intervene in his new life, letting him retire to a life of relative peace, even though his vows are often tempted by the violence that surrounds him in Hell's Kitchen.

Things change when Elektra becomes possessed by a demon that looks like a bizarre, hollow version of an elderly Matt Murdock, who creepily swallows Elektra up in his beard.

Hunting down Matt, the possessed Elektra attempts to corrupt him, leading to a tense chase and struggle, which culminates in Matt Murdock literally performing an exorcism on Elektra to banish the demon inside her.

Unfortunately, the devil gets his due anyway, and Matt's memories as Daredevil comes flooding back, leading him to eventually don his classic Daredevil suit and take to the rooftops, where he once again meets Elektra.

Though Matt at first says that he's going to leave behind his life as a priest, Elektra sways him not to - so it's looking like Matt is going to be both Daredevil and a Catholic Priest for the foreseeable future. But will he have to perform any more exorcisms?

We may get an answer with October 18's Daredevil #2.

Read about the best Daredevil stories of all time.

I've been Newsarama's resident Marvel Comics expert and general comic book historian since 2011, and now I'm the Entertainment Writer at GamesRadar+. I've also been the on-site reporter at most major comic conventions such as Comic-Con International: San Diego, New York Comic Con, and C2E2. Outside of comic journalism, I am the artist of many weird pictures, and the guitarist of many heavy riffs. (They/Them)