As a youth, Matt Murdock saves an old man from a speeding truck. But the truck is carrying radioactive waste, and some splashes into his eyes. Murdock is blinded, but discovers the radioactive isotopes have mutated and heightened his other senses. After training with martial arts master, Stick, Murdock must use his new powers when the woman he loves, Elektra, and her father are kidnapped by terrorists. When Elektra leaves Murdock in anguish over her father's death, he focuses on using his abilities to fight crime, both as a lawyer and as Daredevil, the Man without Fear.

Using his exceptional acrobatic and fighting skills, as well as his heightened senses, Daredevil battles both common criminals and supervillains. His archnemisis is the Kingpin. Perhaps because of a common focus on the underworld, the Punisher also crosses paths with Daredevil periodically.