Daredevil

Blinded as a boy by a radioactive substance that fell from a truck during an accident in Hell's Kitchen, Matt Murdock discovered the chemical had amplified his remaining senses to superhuman levels and granted him a radar-like spatial awareness. Trained in martial arts by the mysterious blind sensei Stick, the adult Matt became a lawyer by day and donned a red costume to fight crime as Daredevil, the Man Without Fear.

Few Marvel heroes have proven as enduringly compelling as Daredevil, who burst onto the Silver Age scene in 1964 courtesy of Stan Lee, Bill Everett, and Jack Kirby — a creative pedigree that practically guarantees legendary status. Over an astonishing six-decade run, this street-level champion of Hell's Kitchen has accumulated 1,386 catalogued appearances and a staggering 54 key issues, a collector's treasure trove that speaks to just how consistently this character has mattered to Marvel's storytelling. He keeps extraordinary company — sharing pages with Spider-Man, Captain America, and Tony Stark — and his home title has remained one of Marvel's most celebrated, alongside frequent appearances in The Amazing Spider-Man and Marvel Comics Presents. If you're serious about Marvel Comics in any era from the Silver Age forward, Daredevil isn't just worth knowing — he's essential.