Warning: Contains spoilers for Daredevil #21!

As Daredevil faces one of his most frightening villains yet in Marvel Comics, he thankfully has one less established superpower that is already proving to be pivotal to his survival and saving Hell’s Kitchen. Most people that know Daredevil are familiar with the story of him losing his sight and gaining enhanced senses, but Matt Murdock has another special ability that is now coming in handy during his latest adventure.

Daredevil #21, written by Saladin Ahmed with art by José Luis Soares and Carlos Nieto, deals with the fallout of Matt Murdock being infested with a mysterious fungus from a new villain terrorizing the city. Though the infection is having some effect on him, Daredevil’s body has the unique ability to fight off the harmful toxins.

While others succumb to the horrific infestation working its way through them, Marvel’s Man Without Fear is attuned to his body and quickly figures out how to deal with the surprise infection. However, he won’t be able to fight the fungus forever.

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Daredevil #21; Written By Saladin Ahmed; Art By Carlos Nieto And José Luis Soares; Ink By Oren Junior; Color By Jesus Aburtov And Erick Arciniega; Lettering By VC’s Clayton Cowles

The fungus-fueled villain just proved that Matt Murdock is able to withstand an infestation that a normal human could not, but it’s really a testament to his resilience and experience rather than a product of the radioactive accident that gave the hero his powers. As the fungus spores move through his skin, Daredevil is able to fight off the toxins because of his history of encountering other outlandish plots against Hell’s Kitchen. Although he’s able to persevere and fend off the toxins enough to fight the bad guys and save others, Matt is still at risk as the arc progresses.

Still, it’s quite a feat that Daredevil can withstand the toxic attack, and proves that the hero has one of the most interesting and creative power-sets in Marvel Comics. Daredevil #21 proves that Matt’s will is elevated beyond a human level, and though he’s a street-level hero, decades of fighting otherworldly villains on Earth-616 has made him even more formidable. It’s already been established that Matt could resist some fear-based toxins, which has been commonly attributed to his status as the Man Without Fear, but it seems that he and his extraordinary senses can handle whatever is thrown at them.

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The Disgusting Fungal Foe Alters Matt’s Senses

Daredevil may be able to work through the pain and discomfort of the fungus infestation because of his powers and determination, but he won’t be able to keep it up for long as he battles one of his worst enemies yet. Seemingly inspired by the monsters of The Last of Us franchise, the mysterious villain behind the fungal fight is specifically designed to create a living hell for Daredevil and his enhanced senses. Matt can feel the spores spreading through his body bit by bit, the putrid smells are overwhelming, and he can even taste the horror with his senses.

Whoever the villain behind this attack ends up being, they may prove to be one of the most fearsome foes that Daredevil has ever faced, especially since they seem to be explicitly created to be Matt’s worst nightmare. If Matt didn’t have the surprising ability to fight off toxins, he may have already been totally down for the count, becoming another one of the fungus’ victims. However, as Daredevil continues to push through his intense suffering with fierce resilience, he’ll have to hope that his body can keep fighting long enough to finally bring the citywide terror to an end.

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While having the explicit ability to fend off powerful and harmful toxins isn’t one of his main powers, it makes sense that Daredevil would become less susceptible to similar attacks with his history. Daredevil’s own stories have seriously tested him, and Matt’s been part of some otherworldly universe-shattering event stories that also may help him approach the fungal villain with more ease and experience. After over 60 years of adventures, Daredevil’s storied past is helping him deal with his latest adversary, proving that Matt is one of Marvel’s most strong-willed heroes when it comes to protecting his city.

Daredevil’s enhanced senses may not be able to stave off the infestation on their own, but luckily for Matt, his years of crime-fighting experience have prepared him for the worst.

The growing fungus infestation is certainly one of the most frightening villain attacks, and as the infection slowly spreads through Matt Murdock’s body, the story could become more brutal than ever. However, since Matt has been able to keep the expanding fungus slow and steady enough to fight for Hell’s Kitchen and against the mysterious perpetrator behind it, he’s also been able to unlock heightened senses through the mycorrhizal network. Daredevil’s enhanced senses may not be able to stave off the infestation on their own, but luckily for Matt, his years of crime-fighting experience have prepared him for the worst.

Daredevil #21 is available now from Marvel Comics!