As the Man Without Fear,Daredevilpatrols the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, taking on some of the grittiest villains in Marvel lore. Matt Murdock specializes in taking down gangsters and ninjas, but every so often, he faces someone with way more punch. From world-class assassins to powerhouse supervillains to deadly androids, Daredevil has several villains who are far, far stronger than the average human.
Here are the 15 strongest Daredevil villains in Marvel continuity, ranked from peak human condition to staggering superhuman strength. Since Matt has faced most Marvel villains at least once,we’re only counting recurring DD enemieswho have reliably tangled with the Man Without Fear across his comic career or starred in his most iconic stories. We’re measuring by pure physical strength, with no consideration of popularity, which means our #1 is likely to come as a surprise to Daredevil fans…
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15The Ani-Men/The Unholy Three (Including Ape-Man, Bird-Man & Cat-Man)
Marvel’s Animal-Themed Henchmen Have Battled Daredevil Many Times
The Ani-Men are the definition of Z-list villains - a group of criminals who wear animal-themed costumes and tend to work as hired muscle for Daredevil’s more cerebral foes, including the Organizer and Death-Stalker. Many different criminals have worn the masks of the Ani-Men (also known as the Unholy Three, when Ape-Man, Bird-Man and Cat-Man broke off on their own.) However,the Ani-Men only recruit proven criminals with significant physical prowess, including high levels of agility and strength.
14Ikari
Daredevil’s Opposite Is Still Mostly Mystery
A mysterious villain,Ikari is the result of a series of experiments to recreate Daredevil’s powersand has a major personal grudge against Matt Murdock. Debuting inDaredevil #25by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee, Ikari was beloved by theDaredevilfanbase, but hasn’t really been seen outside that run, meaning the mysteries of his past and motives haven’t been solved. Like Daredevil,Ikari is a peak-level athlete and fighter.
13Bullseye, aka Lester
Daredevil’s Assassin Nemesis Is One of the World’s Deadliest Assassins
A psychotic assassin who never misses, Bullseye has plagued Daredevil since 1975, killing several of Matt Murdock’s love interests.Bullseye is one of the deadliest assassins in the world, often working as Kingpin’s enforcer, and has Olympic-level fitness and strength. Bullseye sometimes seeks out enhancements - likestrengthening his bones with adamantiumor being cloned to become a one-man army - but these tend to be short-term, and he’s otherwise depicted as a normal human.
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12The Owl, aka Leland Owlsley
Kingpin’s Biggest Rival for New York’s Underworld Is a Superhuman Killer
A New York gangster constantly vying with the Kingpin, the Owl is a vicious information broker who gained powers via an experimental serum. The serum adjusted Owl’s body to allow him to glide while also enhancing his strength and durability. Sadly for the Owl, his superstrength doesn’t surpass the bounds of human capability - just what his own muscles could naturally accomplish.The Owl possesses a healing factor and claw-like nails, and often wields bladed ‘tiger claws’ in battle, as well as trialing various gadgets to try and get an edge over Matt Murdock.
The Owl’s hair and claws have led fans to compare him to Wolverine, but he’s actually a full decade older than the X-Men hero.
11Ox, aka Raymond Bloch
The Enforcers' Muscle Has a Particular Grudge Against Daredevil
Ox is most commonly seen asa member of the Enforcers- a trio of non-superpowered henchmen who work in New York’s underworld, made up of Ox, Fancy Dan and Montana. While Daredevil has clashed with the Enforcers multiple times,he’s also fought Ox solo and as a member of the Fellowship of Fear, alongside the Eel and Mr. Fear. Ox is far from Matt Murdock’s brightest enemy, but he has immense strength and is an expert grappler.
10Kingpin, aka Wilson Fisk
The Ruler of New York Crime Is One of Earth’s Strongest Humans
Daredevil’s nemesis Wilson Fisk is constantly underestimated as a fighter, with many opponents misreading his staggering sumo-like muscle as fat.Kingpin is among the strongest men on Earth, constantly training by hiring (and often killing) the greatest fighters on the planet. Kingpin exists right on the line between human and superhuman strength, able to kill the average person with one hand.
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9Gladiator, aka Melvin Potter
Daredevil’s Most Tragic Enemy Is Friend by Day, Enemy by Night
The last non-superpowered individual on this list, the Gladiator is Melvin Potter - a mild-mannered costume designer who possesses a murderous alter ego known as the Gladiator. Like Kingpin,the Gladiator operates at peak human strength, however the murderous persona holds absolutelynothingback in battle, willing to die if it means winning the gladiatorial competition that only exists in his mind. Daredevil has tried to help Melvin Potter many times, only for the deadly fighter to be driven back to violence by figures including Kingpin and Mr. Fear.
8Muse
Daredevil’s Art-Obsessed Serial Killer Possesses Surprising Strength
The star villain of Daredevil’s newBorn Againseries on Disney+, Muse debuted inDaredevil Volume 5 #11by Charles Soule & Ron Garney.Muse has low-level superhuman powers which make him all but invisible to Matt’s senses, and possesses some degree of enhanced strength, though the level hasn’t been officially quantified yet.Muse uses this strengthto rend human bodies apart, using them as materials in his twisted ‘art.’
7Bullet, aka Buck Cashman
Daredevil Has an Understanding with This Superhuman Mercenary
Bullet is a little-known villain much loved by Daredevil fans, partly becausehe doesn’t fit the usual ‘supervillain’ mold. A former top-level government agent, Buck Cashman later struck out as a mercenary, using his superhuman strength and durability to take out targets with a minimum of collateral damage. Bullet has little desire to harm innocents, and can often be reasoned with, though not when his son’s safety is on the line. He first appeared inDaredevil #250during the legendary Ann Nocenti & John Romita Jr. run.
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6Bruiser, Real Name Unknown
This Villain Is Out to Prove Himself by Taking on Superhumans
Bruiser is another unique supervillain - a fighter who is working his way up a list of superheroes and supervillains, hoping to earn a reputation as an unbeatable fighter.Bruiser makes money from his reputation by selling advertising space on his costumeto criminal organizations who want to be linked with his takedowns.
While little is known about the origin of Bruiser’s powers, he possesses the superhuman ability tomove his center of mass to any point of his body, meaning that when he throws a punch, it lands with his full body weight. While Bruiser can wield superhuman strength by using his powers, he lacks superhuman levels of durability, meaning he’s often at risk of injuring himself.
