- "Head towards 48th. Stay in the lights. Flag down the first officer you see. Now!"
- ―Masked Man[src]
The Rescue of Kidnapped Women was an attempt by the Masked Man to liberate a group of young women from Turk Barrett and the Russian Mafia.
Background[]
- "I'm not seeking penance for what I've done, Father. I'm asking forgiveness... for what I'm about to do."
- ―Matt Murdock to Paul Lantom[src]
In the aftermath of the 2012 Chitauri Invasion, various criminal groups in New York City mobilized under Wilson Fisk's leadership, who, by 2015, took over the city reconstruction through the Union Allied Construction. Using the company as a criminal facade, Fisk allowed criminal groups to carry out with their activities, such as the heroin trafficking and human trafficking. Matt Murdock, who had made a decision to put a stop to the crime in New York, found out about the Russian Mafia cargo with kidnapped women being prepared to ship out of the city, took it upon himself to rescue them.[4]
Rescue[]
Turk Barrett threatens all of his female prisoners
- "Scream all you want. Come on, let me hear you scream. Scream loud. Nobody gives a shit down here."
- ―Turk Barrett[src]
Turk Barrett and Russian Mafia members were given the job of transporting a group of young women in a cargo holder to be used as prostitutes overseas. When the women would not stop screaming due to the traumatic ordeal, Barrett held a gun at their heads and threatened them; he then promised that if they stopped screaming, he would be kind enough to give them a bucket to use as a toilet. In order to stop their screams, Barrett stunned one of the girls with a taser before ordering his men to put them in the cargo hold to begin their journey across the sea.
The masked man observes Turk Barrett's men
Witnessing this terrible act, the masked man snuck up behind gangsters and attacked, knocking down many of the guards and avoiding Barrett as he attempted to shoot him before subduing him by throwing a steel beam at his head which knocked Barrett to the ground. With all the gangsters now defeated, including one who was just sitting and watching the fight who the Masked Man threw a steel beam at and knocked into the river. The Masked Man then liberated the hostages, telling them to head towards the city and inform the NYPD about the incident. As the women ran away to freedom, the Masked Man dodged out of the way of Barrett's gunshot before beating him senseless and leaving him to be found and arrested by the police.[4]
Aftermath[]
- "He would like to know why you're short on the cargo totals."
"There was a problem on the docks. Barrett and our men were attacked. Some moodak in a black mask." - ―James Wesley and Vladimir Ranskahov[src]
With their mission failed, Turk Barrett contacted Vladimir and Anatoly Ranskahov, and informed them of what he had witnessed. On the meeting, the Ranskahov brothers told Madame Gao, Nobu Yoshioka, Leland Owlsley, and James Wesley that their shipment was intercepted by the masked man.[4]