"I've spent much of my life alone. And for many years, I pretended that this was the source of my strength. I told myself I had free will. And in that time, I achieved a great deal. But I was not fulfilled. I was longing for a connection that I could imagine but I could not achieve. Searching and not finding."
Wilson Grant Fisk is a powerful businessman and crime lord with an interest in controlling New York City. Decades after murderinghis abusive father when he was a child, Fisk formed alliances with other criminal enterprises, used the aftermath of the Battle of New York to gain power in the city, and attempted to rebuild Hell's Kitchen by destroying and gentrifying it. His criminal activities brought him into conflict with Daredevil, as well as some of his partners who betrayed him, and he was arrested after his actions were leaked to the FBI. Within Ryker's Island, Fisk began building up a following and came to run the prison. Seeking to destroy the crime competition in New York by the time he got free, Fisk assisted with Punisher's escape, as he desired to eliminate all competing criminal empires as Kingpin, putting him in conflict with Nelson and Murdock who had sought to send him to prison.
Desiring his freedom, Fisk then set about a plan to exploit the FBI by exposing criminals in New York City in order to then be placed in the Presidential Hotel, where Fisk could continue with all of his criminal activities while focusing most of his efforts on exposing Matt Murdock as Daredevil. From his new position of strength, Fisk had then began to blackmail and to manipulate several FBI agents, including Benjamin Poindexter, to aid him with framing Daredevil as a terrorist, while he also ensured that his name was cleared within the eyes of the law so that Vanessa Marianna could return to him. However, all Fisk's schemes were finally thwarted by the posthumous testimony from Ray Nadeem, while Poindexter learned all about Fisk's manipulation of him. Daredevil and Poindexter defeated Fisk, resulting in his return to prison.
Having survived Thanos' Snap and no longer imprisoned, Fisk had manipulated Ronin to murder the Tracksuit Mafia's current leadership, including William Lopez, thereby taking over the organization. Following the Blip, Fisk strived to maintain his control over New York, although his plans were impeded by Hawkeye and Kate Bishop, which resulted in Eleanor Bishop then dissolving their partnership, and Maya Lopez discovering Fisk's role in her father's death. In an attempt to kill Eleanor, Fisk was wounded by Kate before being shot in the left eye by Maya.
Somehow, Fisk eventually recovered from the gunshot and tried to reconnect with Maya, offering her to come back to him and take over his empire, but Maya declined all of his offers. Fisk was displeased with Maya's insolence and planned to kill her family at the Choctaw powwow, starting with Bonnie and Chula Battiest. However, Maya awakened her powers and made Fisk relive his childhood trauma, trying to get him to let go of the pain inside of him. Distraught by the experience, Fisk left Maya and in a bid of trying to stabilize his operations, he expressed an interest in a political race to run for mayor of New York.
Wilson Fisk was born in New York City to a caring mother and an ambitious but cruel father. Fisk remained fairly immature, never staying up past midnight, catching the subway on his own or going anywhere outside New York.[10] From that young age, Fisk was taught an abusive form of respect, where his own father demanded his respect but abused his mother for stepping out of line in his view, which deeply traumatized him.[11] Fisk constantly had this strong view of his father, always seeing him as the prime figurehead of their family, in spite of his mother still trying to maintain their financial situation and his father's dealings with Don Rigoletto in an attempt to make ends meet.[3] Fisk tried reading a Bible and read about the Parable of the Good Samaritan, which stuck with him for years as he imagined himself as the Samaritan.[12]
"Come here, come here, come here. It's people like this who want to keep you done, keep you afraid. You have to show them you're not afraid, you gotta show them you're a man. Kick him. Don't give that look that your mother gives, you do what I tell you, kick him! Kick him!"
When Fisk was young, his father Bill Fisk had run for the New York City Council, believing it would make him and his family rich having seen this happen for other people around them in New York City. Wilson, at the age of twelve, was tasked with helping out his father with putting signs together to promote his campaign while his mother dealt with the finance. One day while making signs, Fisk's father allowed him to take a drink of whiskey to prove he was a man, but when Fisk choked he was mocked by his father who laughed in his face.
Despite the work that their family put in, the campaign was soon a complete failure, with Bill Fisk losing out to his rival and coming out feeling both angry and humiliated as well as looking for someone to take out this anger upon. Wilson had soon became ridiculed by his neighbor Bernie Walker, who began kicking down all of the signs for Fisk's campaign before hitting Fisk in the jaw for fighting back and attempting to defend his father's work during his political campaign. The upset Fisk quickly returned to his home where his mother cared for his cut lip and gave him food to make him feel better.
When his father found out about this assault, he then took the young Wilson to confront Walker in person. Fisk watched closely as his own father cornered and confronted the overconfident Walker until he became angry. Bill Fisk then assaulted Walker and managed to beat him to the ground by hitting him repeatedly with a baseball bat. Fisk was then ordered by his father to kick the defenseless Walker repeatedly, telling him that he had to prove that he was a man and willing to fight back. Fisk did as he was instructed and assaulted Walker repeatedly, as his father ordered him to continue kicking Walker.[3]
Having lost his campaign, Bill Fisk's drinking habit got more out of hand as the pressure of owing money to local mobsters, including Don Rigoletto, got to him, and he began beating his wife, blaming her for everything that was wrong with his life. During these beatings, he would order Wilson to sit and stare at a blank wall and listen to his own mother scream in fear and pain as she was beaten repeatedly. The young Wilson remained fearful of his father, but hearing his mother's pain caused him to despise his father.
During one of these beatings, Wilson decided to put an end to his beloved mother's suffering. He grabbed a nearby hammer and repeatedly hit his father over the head with it, killing him and crushing his skull with hit after hit. His mother comforted Fisk and promised to protect him, deciding to then cut up the body. They began dumping it in the river every night for the next week, knowing that most people who knew them would blame Rigoletto for his disappearance. As a gift, Fisk was given his father's cufflinks, which he kept and wore for years afterward to remind himself of his father's true nature.[3]
Living Abroad[]
"When I was twelve years old, my mother, she sent me to stay with relatives. Had a farm, middle of nowhere. Those were good years."
In the wake of Fisk murdering his father, his mother sent him to live on a farm with relatives.[13] Fisk later moved to Asia where he would spend most of his time abroad, something reflected in his behavior and clothing. Fisk would also collect tea from China that he would present to his guests, respecting the traditions of Asia.[3]
"The bad news, is your father had to work a little and can't pick you up. The good news, is that means I can take you to have some ice cream. Ice cream."
Many years later, Fisk returned to New York City and became a powerful criminal businessman, developing a plan to pull Hell's Kitchen apart and rebuild it.[14] By 2007, Fisk partnered himself with William Lopez and helped him with his criminal activities within the Tracksuit Mafia. During this time, Fisk also grew closer to Lopez's daughter, Maya, who studied karate at the Brooklyn Karate Academy where the Tracksuits conducted business, prompting her to begin calling him "Uncle" affectionately.
During Maya's karate class, Lopez asked Fisk to take his daughter home as he had to work. Agreeing, Fisk greeted Maya with a laugh as he playfully pinched her cheek.[4][8] Once the class was over, Fisk sat down with the young Maya and told her that, since her father had to work, he would take her out for ice cream, with Fisk signing the words ice cream to help her understand, for which Maya thanked him.[15]
In 2008, Fisk drove to Maya Lopez's school to pick her up and saw her trying to buy some ice cream from a nearby vendor. The vendor did not know that she was deaf and tried to communicate with her in a disrespectful way, which prompted Lopez to leave and get in the car. Fisk was enraged by the way the vendor was acting with Lopez, so he told her to wait in the car, saying that there was something he needed to do first. Fisk then left the car and followed the vendor down the street, before violently dragging him to a nearby alley.
Fisk threw the vendor against a wall and before he could stand up, threw him against a dumpster. The vendor tried to plead with Fisk, but he did not allow him a word and proceeded to brutally beat him, smashing his face into a bloody pulp. Fisk then called one of his subordinate and requested a new jacket, as he did not want Lopez to see him covered in blood. However, he then found out that Lopez was watching the scene unfold and tried to calm her down, telling her not to be afraid.
Fisk surprised at Lopez's actions
To his surprise, Lopez was not afraid at all upon seeing her adoptive uncle's true brutality, and even kicked the vendor twice with her prosthetic leg, while he was still down, in retribution for how he treated her. Fisk was impressed with Lopez's courage and ruthlessness, smiling that she was similar to him. He then took her hand and the two of them walked back back towards the limo together.[16]
"I liked Derek. But your husband made a mess of things and you're going to clean it up." "I understand. But I'm not going to do this forever." "Forever, no. You don't have to. You do it until it's done."
Fisk was approached by Derek Bishop, who was in tough financial situation, so he took a loan from Fisk, although his situation hardly got any better. In 2012, Derek was among the victims of the Battle of New York, while all his debts to Fisk remained, so he came into contact with Eleanor Bishop, Derek's wife.[7] Fisk met with Eleanor in a private place, where he offered his condolences for the loss to her and her daughter for Derek's death, commenting that he thought Derek was a good man. Fisk acknowledged that Eleanor liked to get straight down to business, which he respected.
Fisk questioned if Eleanor found the situation unsettling, before noting that her late husband had made a mess of his debt to him, as he told her that she would now have to clean this up. Eleanor accepted this offer, but made sure to insist that she did not want to work for Fisk's organization forever. In response, Fisk promised that it would not be forever, but that it would be until her debt was done, which could take years.[15]
Rebuilding of Hell's Kitchen[]
"What about the girl? Should I make the appropriate arrangements for her, along with the others?" "No. Everything she knows is already in the papers. Her lawyers, Nelson and Murdock." "Ambulance chasers. They're clean." "Start a file. They may be of use."
In the aftermath of the Battle of New York, Fisk lost a lot of his connection and money, which put him in a desperate situation to gather up his power again and to maintain his dignity.[17] Eventually, Fisk saw an opportunity to proceed with his plans to rebuild Hell's Kitchen, as it had been damaged during the Chitauri Invasion. He founded the Union Allied Construction that would oversee a large part of the government contracts while using the company as the façade for the illicit activities and money laundering operations.[18] He also hired James Wesley as his personal assistant who helped him with carrying out his criminal plans. Over the years of working together, the two developed a strong friendship, with Fisk eventually treated him like his own son.[19]
By 2015, he had taken control over Don Rigoletto's criminal activities and had recruited Leland Owlsley, the Russian Mafia, Nobu Yoshioka as well as Madame Gao into his organization.[18] Fisk began making connections all across New York City, as he built a relationship with the Stokes Crime Family in Harlem, who ran the gun running businesses across the city.[20] He also developed a rivalry with various criminal organizations across the city, including the Kitchen Irish, although some members, such as George, chose to side with Fisk.[21] In order to maintain his desired privacy, Fisk instructed all of his employees to only refer to him as their employer, and never to speak his name out loud.
Fisk's operations were under the risk of being jeopardized when Karen Page accidentally discovered the evidence of the criminal schemes, happening within the Union Allied. When Page tried to share the information with Daniel Fisher, Fisk and Wesley hired Rance who killed Fisher and framed Page, leaving her with the bloody knife that he had used and with no idea of what had happened. Once Page was locked at the 15th Precinct Police Station, Fisk ordered Christian Blake and Carl Hoffman to keep her in custody, and had Wesley to coerce Clyde Farnum into assassinating Page in her cell, but Farnum failed in his attempt.
When Nelson and Murdock got Page out of the custody, Fisk and Wesley sent Rance to finish her and retrieve the incriminating files she saved. However, Rance was stopped by the masked man who was disrupting Fisk's operations for a while. The vigilante provided the New York Bulletin with the evidence and Ben Urich wrote an article about the corruption within the Union Allied. In order to resolve the situation, Fisk ordered Wesley to cover all tracks by eliminating anyone who could point at him, including Farnum and Rance, as well as liquidating Union Allied. Fisk decided to spare Page, since everything she knew was already revealed and had Wesley to keep tabs on Nelson and Murdock, taking interest in their small law firm.[18]
"People always ask me how we can charge so much for what amounts of just variations of white. I tell them it's not about the artist's name or the skill required, not even about the art itself. All that matters is: how does it make you feel?" "It makes me feel alone."
Fisk visited Scene Contempo Gallery as he stared at a white painting, one which resembled the white wall that his father would force him to stare at as a child. While he had silently stared into the painting, Fisk was approached by Vanessa Marianna, one of the gallery's art dealers and the pair discussed the painting and what the meaning behind it was. When Marianna asked him how the painting made him feel, Fisk simply told her it made him feel alone.[22] Fisk then agreed to purchase the painting and hung it in his Penthouse bedroom.
Fisk continued to think of Marianna and built up the courage to ask her out on a date. While outside the gallery in his limo, Fisk was briefly updated by James Wesley about their plans to buy out Veles Taxi, with Wesley noting that Anatoly Ranskahov seemed more open to the idea than his brother. They then briefly discussed the Man in the mask, who had been causing them issues, and Fisk promised to find a way to kill him. As he prepared to step outside, Fisk ordered Wesley to stay with the car so he could deal with this alone as it was a more personal matter.
Fisk returned alone to the Scene Contempo Gallery and soon found Vanessa Marianna, who was still working. They discussed what Fisk had done with the painting she had sold him, with Fisk explaining that it was up in his Penthouse bedroom so that it would be the last thing he saw every night and the first thing he saw in the morning. Fisk built up the courage to ask her to join him for dinner. Marianna told him that she was working all night but implored him to continue trying to convince her. Despite his shyness, Marianna happily agreed to join him for the dinner, provided that it was Italian food. She and Fisk then properly introduced themselves to each other.[13]
"Time and distance, they afford a certain clarity. I realized that this city was a part of me, that it was in my blood. And I would do anything to make it a better place for people like you." "To a better place."
While enjoying their dinner together, the pair discussed their past. At one point, Vanessa Marianna mentioned Fisk's cufflinks, which he would often touch while speaking; Fisk told her that they had previously belonged to his father's and he wore them to remember him. When Marianna noted that she had never known of this restaurant, this led to a discussion about the future of New York City's development, with Fisk explaining his own youth in the city before his mother had sent him away. Fisk went on to claim that the city was a part of him, and he now wanted to make it a better place.
As the dinner wore on, the pair enjoyed each other's company more and more as Fisk recommended the Zuppa Inglese for Marianna to enjoy, which she accepted. However, as Fisk was being asked what sort of person he was to which he claimed to be just a man, they were suddenly interrupted when Anatoly Ranskahov charged into the restaurant, saying that he and his brother had accepted Fisk's offer to take over Russian Mafia. Desperate for Marianna not to learn of all his own criminal undertakings, Fisk then told her to leave with him and ordered James Wesley to put Ranskahov into the car.
Fisk walked Marianna back home and apologized for the interruption. Fisk asked if he would ever see her again. Marianna told Fisk that she usually does not date her customers, but she made an exception for him, not because of his money but because she felt that there was something different about him, which she now regretted. Fisk tried to apologize for the failure of the evening and asked if she had enjoyed her time with him; she told him that she did not know how she felt and went inside her apartment, leaving Fisk standing there heartbroken and alone before walking away in silence.[13]
Furious to have been embarrassed, Fisk traveled to James Wesley's location and called him to ensure that he could ambush his target correctly. Fisk proceeded to drag Anatoly Ranskahov from the car and throw him into the mud. Fisk continued to brutally beat Ranskahov in revenge for the embarrassment with Vanessa Marianna, eventually putting his head between the car door and hitting it repeatedly in a psychotic rage until Ranskahov's head was completely crushed and decapitated.
As Fisk stepped away from the corpse of his victim, Wesley handed him a handkerchief which he used to wipe the blood from his face. Looking down Fisk noticed that his suit had been damaged in the fight when Ranskahov had tried to fight back with a knife, so he told Wesley to contact Melvin Potter at his workshop for a new one. As Wesley questioned what to do with Ranskahov's corpse, Fisk told him to send it to Vladimir Ranskahov. When Wesley mentioned that this killing would start a war with the Russian Mafia who would seek their revenge, Fisk told him that he was now counting on that.[13]
War with the Russian Mafia[]
Fisk and Wesley meet with all their partners
"The Ranskahovs are no longer a part of our organization. "Since when? "Since I removed Anatoly's head with my car door."
While his car was being cleaned of all Anatoly Ranskahov's blood and brains, Fisk and James Wesley had a meeting with the remaining members of his organization, with Fisk apologizing for being absent for so long. Fisk explained to the group that the Russian Mafia was no longer a part of their organization since he had just removed his head with his own car door, and as a direct response to this, Vladimir Ranskahov would be seeking revenge. The group all showed horror and anger at the news, demanding to know why they were not consulted on the matter before this action was taken.
With everyone furious at Fisk, Madame Gao asked what this meant in the movement of her Steel Serpent heroin without the Ranskahovs; however, Fisk told her to continue dealing with the Veles Taxi operation until he could completely take over their distribution from them, promising that he would split the profits between them all. Despite Leland Owlsley strongly questioning the arrangement, the group begrudgingly accepted the proposal. Nobu Yoshioka told Fisk on his way not to forget the promises he had made to him and all his known superiors in the Hand whom he represented.
As the group left, with Owlsley complaining that with the Russian Mafia's rebellion and the masked man running around, he felt the need to get his stun gun back out from storage before driving away out of the garage with Yoshioka following closely behind him. Left alone, Fisk then approached Gao and offered her his arm as he walked her back to her car. Gao, however, believed he still wanted something from her, to which Fisk then insisted that he only wanted to put this situation behind them all as quickly as possible. She only smiled at this as they walked back to her car arm in arm.[14]
"I've done things that I'm not proud of, Vanessa. I've hurt people, and I'm going to hurt more. It's impossible to avoid for what I'm trying to do. But I take no pleasure in it, in cruelty. But this city isn't a caterpillar. It doesn't spin a cocoon and wake up a butterfly. A city crumbles and fades. It needs to die before it can be reborn."
Fisk invited Vanessa Marianna for a second dinner to make up for the disastrous first; beforehand, Fisk spoke to James Wesley about their recent events involving Piotr who attempted to rat out Fisk to the New York City Police Department an encounter with the Man in the Mask, but had been murdered by Christian Blake and Carl Hoffman who were busy ensuring that the rest of the NYPD did not learn of the connection between Russian Mafia and Fisk. As Fisk had prepared to leave, Wesley recommended a wine for Fisk to order inside the restaurant for his date with Marianna.
While Fisk sat alone and overlooked New York City, he waited, hoping that Marianna would give him a second chance. Eventually, Marianna did show up and was brought to Fisk by Marcel, although she still admitted that she had considered not coming at all, although she was impressed that Fisk had hired the entire restaurant to ensure they were not disturbed. Fisk assured her that, however, she wished the evening to go would be the way it would happen. He admitted that although he was a shy man who did not like being questioned or being in public; he would always be honest with Marianna.
The pair sat down for dinner and spoke about their own lives, with Marianna telling Fisk of a prince she had once been seduced by as she worked at the Scene Contempo Gallery, which clearly made Fisk uncomfortable to discuss. They briefly talked about why a man like Fisk felt alone, which Fisk blamed on the nature of his own business, which he claimed was rebuilding Hell's Kitchen. Fisk asked Marianna what was the model of the gun in her purse, asking her if she felt she would have needed it, with Marianna claiming that by not confessing what he really did he was then insulting her intelligence.
Marianna made it clear she knew he was involved in some criminal activities, so to win back her trust in him Fisk told her that he planned to change the city for the better with force, believing that it would not happen on its own. Fisk confessed to having hurt people and even admitted that he would hurt more soon, although he insisted that he took no pleasure in being cruel like his father had been. Fisk told her that the city needed to die, so it could finally be reborn into something better. Marianna then gave Fisk her gun, knowing that she was safe next to him as Fisk put the gun into his jacket.
Fisk and Marianna watch as the city burns
During their dinner, Fisk's men detonated bombs in the warehouses of the Russians, killing most of them in the multiple blasts to ensure that Vladimir Ranskahov would fail in his attempt to destroy Fisk's organization to avenge Anatoly Ranskahov. As the city burned and the police sirens could be heard, Fisk and Marianna watched the fires from the window. To reassure her, Fisk told Marianna about the boy who had been kidnapped and rescued by the man in the mask, telling her that the kidnappers were now burning in the flames. On the way out, Fisk tipped Marcel and thanked him for the evening.[14]
"That's what makes you dangerous. It's not the mask. It's not the skills. It's your ideology. The lone man who thinks he can make a difference. I'm glad we could talk. I respect your conviction even if it runs counter with my own."
After his date, Fisk joined James Wesley into their limousine; Wesley had received a call informing him that, although the Russian Mafia's strongholds had been destroyed, Vladimir Ranskahov had escaped with the help of the man in the black mask. Fisk became nervous, knowing that Madame Gao would be disappointed that the situation had not yet been resolved, as he had promised it would. Fisk was later informed by Christian Blake that the man in the mask had seemingly taken Sullivan hostage into an Abandoned Warehouse with Ranskahov.
Fisk ordered Blake to take down the man but was told this was more complicated since Ben Urich, who was now also on the scene, could expose the schemes. Fisk had ordered Urich to be shot in front of the cities' media. Fisk was given a police radio and used it to contact the man in black after Blake and Carl Hoffman had ensured that all other officers had changed channels. The man took the radio and the pair began speaking; Fisk told him they had a lot in common but the man simply insisted that they were nothing alike, and vowed that one day he would bring both him and his entire criminal empire to justice.
Fisk told the man that his part in their drama would end that night, as the man would be blamed for these Bombings of Hell's Kitchen. Fisk offered him the chance to kill Ranskahov and go free, noting all of the crimes Ranskahov was guilty of. Fisk had then claimed he respected the man's convictions, but he would ensure that their city would turn on him; Fisk then ordered his men to shoot Urich and release footage of that man attacking police officers. Fisk had then told the man they would not speak again and hung up. He later learned that Ranskahov had been killed in the firefight, and the masked man escaped.[23]
Difficult Choices[]
Experiencing Sleepless Nights[]
Fisk wakes up from yet another nightmare
"You asked that the docks and your transit path be clear of police interference. Did you observe any police?" "No." "Of course not, because I'm a man of honor!"
Throughout his sleep inside his Penthouse, Fisk often found himself being haunted by nightmares of the night of his father's murder. Once awake and sitting on his bed in a cold sweat, Fisk would stare at the Rabbit in a Snowstorm he had bought from Vanessa Marianna at the Scene Contempo Gallery. Ignoring the visions, Fisk instead chose to focus on his work while also continuing to adhere with his own strict daily routine.
Fisk looks at his own reflection in the mirror
Once he had gotten out of bed, Fisk would then immediately begin his daily routine, starting by making himself the same breakfast which he made every morning, eating it alone while overlooking his view of the New York City skyline. Once he had eaten, Fisk then began putting on a similar black suit with his father's cufflinks. Often as he would look in the mirror, he would see his reflection as his younger self, covered in his dead father's blood and wielding the hammer Fisk killed him with. Staring at this vision in his reflection, Fisk chose to ignore the horrific image and instead shut off the light before leaving his Penthouse to return to his work.
Arriving at the Pier 81 Warehouse, both Fisk and James Wesley had a private meeting with Nobu Yoshioka, who had become furious that his transportation of Black Sky had been ruined by an encounter with the man in the black mask and his ally. Yoshioka insulted Fisk's own organization as he felt Fisk had not come through with his promises; Fisk, however, insisted that although the Black Sky was dead, Fisk had, in fact, fulfilled his part of their arrangement by keeping the police away. When Yoshioka suggested that they should renegotiate the terms of their arrangement, Fisk apologized for any offense.
Yoshioka instead threatened Fisk before storming out of the pier. Wesley told Fisk that he believed Yoshioka needed to be taught respect as he did not like the way that he had spoken to Fisk. Fearing Yoshioka's influence over the Hand with whom he did not wish to go to war with, Fisk instead told Wesley to leave the situation alone. Wesley argued that the Hand did not contribute enough for their organization in the same criminal way that Leland Owlsley and also Madame Gao did, but Fisk insisted that they were a necessary evil for their organization to continue with their plans.[3]
"Being informed knowing facts as they are not how we wish to perceive them, can tip the balance between life and death. Unlike you, your partner was inconsistent in his attention to detail." "Well, that masked asshole beat him senseless and broke his arm. It wasn't his fault." "Yes, I forgave him for that. What I find indefensible is we were not alerted that the addresses we provided had been compromised."
While inside his Penthouse, Fisk spoke to Vanessa Marianna about her life as well as his many trips to Asia when he was interrupted by a call from James Wesley. Apologizing to Marianna, Fisk answered Wesley who explained that Christian Blake had just awoken in the hospital after Fisk's sniper shot him. Fisk suggested they use Carl Hoffman to assassinate him as they agreed that Blake would seek revenge, therefore Fisk knew he had to kill Blake before he exposed his entire operation.
Fisk had a meeting with Hoffman in which he tried to convince him to kill his friend and partner. Although Hoffman was initially unwilling to betray his friend of 35 years, Fisk was able to change his mind by pointing out Blake's flaws, claiming Blake had been responsible for the man in the mask gaining information from Vladimir Ranskahov. Fisk began giving subtle threats when Hoffman asked how long it would be until he was also in Fisk's firing line; finally, Fisk allowed Hoffman to choose his own payment for the assassination. Hoffman chose a price and agreed to murder his own close friend for Fisk.
Fisk took Leland Owlsley to Melvin Potter's Workshop to be fitted with a kevlar suit in the wake of his own encounter with the masked man, as Fisk told him that he would keep Owsley safe with an armed guard to ensure it did not happen again. Owlsley stated that if the masked man dropped him off a roof then a lot of money would fall with him; Fisk asked if that was a threat but Owlsley insisted he was just stating the obvious. Once he had finished measuring Owsley for his newest suit, Melvin Potter asked if Fisk needed him for anything else, which Fisk assured him that he did not before defending Potter when Owlsley had rudely accused him of being half an idiot.
They were interrupted when James Wesley arrived in the workshop and informed them that while Blake had been successfully assassinated by Hoffman, the incident had now become even more complicated as the man in the mask had gotten into the hospital and got information from Blake before his death. Although Owlsley was mortified by the failure, Wesley assured Fisk that Hoffman had been able to convince the New York City Police Department that the masked man had assaulted him and then murdered Blake, although Owlsley made it clear he was already losing faith in Fisk.[3]
The next day, Fisk was once again awoken in the night by nightmares of his past, causing him to get up and stare long and hard at his new painting. As usual, Fisk began his morning routine by making his own breakfast and putting on his suit, only to be interrupted by James Wesley calling him on the phone. Answering, Fisk was informed that Madame Gao was currently on her way to his Penthouse to discuss recent events, so Fisk requested that Wesley arrive first.
Upon her arrival, Fisk poured her tea which he had bought during his last trip to China while Wesley stood by and translated for them both. Although Gao said she approved of the tea, it was not the reason she was there. She began speaking English and told Fisk that she was aware that he did not need Wesley to translate anymore as Fisk was able to speak Chinese fluently due to all his time in Asia, much to the annoyance of Wesley. Gao questioned if Nobu Yoshioka had guessed that Fisk also spoke Japanese, but Fisk believed Yoshioka had not figured it out, much to the amusement of Gao who claimed that Fisk had been playing the fool to make them underestimate him.
Fisk and Gao began speaking to each other in Chinese and asked Wesley to wait outside as there was no need for him any longer. They discussed how neither Yoshioka nor Leland Owlsley were happy with Fisk's handling of the recent events and although Fisk attempted to assure her that things were now under control, Gao did not accept this, thinking back to how Fisk handled the situation involving the deaths of both Anatoly and Vladimir Ranskahov and how that had so negatively affected the organization moving onward, something that Fisk had struggled to defend as a poor emotional decision.
Fisk furiously flipping his table over in rage
Gao went on and then called Fisk sloppy and emotional since he had first met Vanessa Marianna, pointing out that she had been able to locate his Penthouse, something he had tried to keep secret, due to his recent lack of preparation. Ignoring Fisk's attempts to defend all of his actions, Gao got to her feet and said if he did not restore his business to order, she would cut him out of their organization and deal with Yoshioka and Owlsley directly. After she left his home, Fisk threw the dining room table over in a furious burst of anger and then aggressively ordered Wesley to immediately leave his home.[3]
Vanessa Marianna's Return[]
Fisk overlooks New York for several hours
"There are people out there that want to expose me, they don't understand what I'm trying to do for this city. They want to drag my name through the streets. They want to destroy everything that I'm trying to accomplish."
Fisk remained in the same spot in his Penthouse and looked out over the New York City skyline for hours. When James Wesley returned, Fisk ordered him to leave, claiming that if he needed him he would have asked, which Wesley disagreed with. Wesley, however, revealed he had brought Vanessa Marianna with him and left them alone. Fisk, still emotional, asked Marianna to leave; she instead commented on how Wesley was worried about him, but Fisk insisted he should not be, leading to Marianna asking him to tell her the truth.
Fisk confessed that he was afraid of how Marianna would look at him if he was to tell her the truth about him, but she invited him to speak regardless. Fisk then revealed the story of how he had murdered his own father and he and his mother had covered it up by cutting up his body and dumping it in the river, blaming it on Don Rigoletto. He told her his plans for New York City and how so many people were trying to bring him down and destroy everything he was trying to achieve for the city he loved. Marianna then coldly questioned if Fisk would let them defeat him, but Fisk vowed that he would not.[3]
"I cannot keep living in the shadows, afraid of the light, none of us can, none of us should be forced to. We must do this together, we must resist those who would have us live in fear. My name is Wilson Fisk, and together, we can make this city a better place."
Despite the revelation about his past, Vanessa Marianna still spent the night with Fisk in his Penthouse. As usual, Fisk awoke from a nightmare in a cold sweat, but rather than stare at the painting which gave him comfort, Fisk instead moved over to Marianna and embraced her. In the morning Fisk and Marianna enjoyed breakfast together, another change in Fisk's usual morning routine which he happily welcomed.
Due to Marianna's recommendation, Fisk had agreed to hold a press conference for WHiH World News in order to reveal his work to the people of New York City in order to gain support for everything that he was attempting to accomplish for the city. As Fisk went to get his usual black suits to wear, Marianna helped him pick out a new suit, and even made him choose different cufflinks rather than his usual choice of wearing his father's. Marianna continued to help him enter a new stage in his life as he looked at himself in the mirror, approving of the changes which Marianna was now making to his life.
Wilson Fisk makes his first public statement
Fisk then made his public statement to the people of Hell's Kitchen outside the New York State Supreme Court Building with Marianna as well as James Wesley standing close by. Fisk made it clear that he did not usually like speaking in public before he condemned the so-called vigilante justice of the masked man. Fisk used the recent attack on Leland Owlsley as an example of how this Masked Man was tormenting the good people of New York, calling Owlsley a close friend and a pillar within the financial community who had just been brutally attacked by the man in the mask for seemingly no reason.
Fisk gains the support of the city's people
Fisk told the people that he had attempted to do his work from the shadows in order to not endanger the lives of his friends, claiming the mask was trying to destroy the work he was doing to save his city, pointing to the Bombing of Hell's Kitchen which was being blamed on the man in the black mask. Fisk vowed that he would be stepping out of the shadows, unafraid of those trying to stop him. Fisk asked the people of Hell's Kitchen to stand together before announcing his name to the media. The speech came with support as the viewers cheered for Fisk, believing every word that he had said.[3]
"I don't recall guaranteeing a specific block. You'll need to be patient or choose another." "I am bound by certain requirements. Even I have those I must answer to. After the setback at the docks, I can afford no further disruptions. Do what you must, but do it quickly."
Fisk and James Wesley discussed Fisk's new attention by the media, noting how the new donations were coming in as his approval rating continued to rise. Wesley informed Fisk that Randolph Cherryh wished to have a meeting with Fisk, to which he suggested that they reject whatever restaurant Cherryh suggested first. They discussed the hunt for Carl Hoffman, who since murdering Christian Blake had now suddenly disappeared.
They were interrupted by the arrival of Nobu Yoshioka, who stormed in and tried to break the hand of Francis, Fisk's own security guard. Although Wesley began translating for Yoshioka, he threatened that if he continued to misquote him, Yoshioka would cut out his tongue. Yoshioka revealed he was furious that Fisk had not delivered the city block that he had been promised; Fisk tried to offer another as the original was proving difficult to clear but Yoshioka insisted on getting the one he and the Hand wanted. Fisk then asked Yoshioka to assist him with finding the man in the black mask and then killing him.[27]
Fisk arrived into the Scene Contempo Gallery to meet with Vanessa Marianna, followed closely by his personal security team. Once Fisk arrived there, he was introduced to Matt Murdock who was looking to purchase some art for his apartment. When Fisk was asked his advice on what Murdock should purchase, he had simply told him to buy whatever Marianna recommended for him to buy as the group laughed together.
Fisk tells Murdock his vision for New York
Despite them all sharing the laugh together, Murdock, however, then reminded Fisk that they should not be seen to be talking together as they were both currently on opposing sides of a law case. Fisk then explained to Marianna about how he had just recently bought all of the apartment properties from Armand Tully which was where Elena Cardenas was living, before he had then began to explain his plans on improving New York City but Marianna stopped him, noting that Murdock was a customer of the gallery who was just looking to buy some artworks and was not a donor for his political campaign.
Fisk watches as Murdock leaves
While Fisk apologized for talking about his campaign too much, both Fisk and Murdock then expressed their mutual desire to watch Hell's Kitchen reach its fullest potential, claiming this to mean a great deal to him personally. Despite seemingly agreeing with Fisk's statements, Murdock then decided to leave the art gallery, saying that he needed to consider the cost of all these artworks before purchasing them. As Murdock thanked Marianna all of her help, Fisk then watched him as he left the gallery, suspicious if Murdock had another motive in going inside their art gallery, and speaking with Marianna and himself.
Seeking to speed up all his plans and appease Nobu Yoshioka, Fisk then ordered the assassination of Cardenas, one of the tenants from the building which the Hand desired, as Fisk's men provided Junkie Jake with some Steel Serpent, in exchange for him fatally stabbing Cardenas multiple times, making it appear to be a robbery that had gone wrong, resulting with Cardenas' death. In the wake of this, Fisk was approached by WHiH World News about her death and claimed that he was mourning her murder, and even called it a tragedy, while using Cardenas' death to strengthen his own political standing.[27]
"Thank you, Nobu was becoming an issue, I appreciate you removing him from concern." "You, you wanted me to do this?!" "In a perfect world you would have taken each other out, but this isn't a perfect world, is it? Not yet."
Having baited him with the sudden death of Elena Cardenas, Fisk later arrived inside the warehouse where Nobu Yoshioka had fought the masked man until Yoshioka's unexpected fiery death. With the masked man alive, but terribly wounded from attacks from Yoshioka's Kyoketsu-Shoge, Fisk confronted him with James Wesley and Francis by his side, thanking him for killing Yoshioka for him and admitted to organizing Cardenas' death to create the trap.
The man in the black mask claimed he would kill Fisk, while Fisk was unafraid and dared him to try, resulting in them fighting. Fisk was able to easily overpower the wounded man and beat him mercilessly, taking advantage of the wounds that Yoshioka had already inflicted upon the man with his Kyoketsu-shoge. At one point, the Masked Man desperately tried to cut him with one of Yoshioka's weapons, but Fisk was saved by Melvin Potter's armored suit, so Fisk responded by choking the man before slamming his body through a table, finally ending the fight in Fisk's favor as Fisk calmed himself.
With the man in the mask lying wounded on the ground and struggling to get back onto his feet, Fisk wiped the blood of his own face, while watching the man moan and crawl away. Telling the man that he was disappointed in the poor fight, Fisk then decided to end things once and for all and calmly ordered James Wesley to shoot him, but the Masked Man was able to disarm Wesley, leaping from a window, and escaped. Fisk told Francis to tell his men to execute the man as soon as they saw him. When Wesley asked what to do about Yoshioka's body, Fisk told him to do nothing and let him burn.[27]
Fisk had yet another meeting with Madame Gao, this time within the open air, looking out over the New York City skyline. Gao commented on the absence of James Wesley, who was now no longer needed to translate as they both spoke to each other in Chinese. Gao told Fisk her metaphorical tale of the snake that died after mistaking an elephant for its prey, explaining that the snake was killed by its own ambitions. Fisk had asked Gao if he was the over-ambitious snake or the unkillable elephant within the metaphor which made her smile.
When Gao expressed her disappointment at Nobu Yoshioka's death, Fisk claimed he did not expect Nobu to go against the man in the black mask himself. Gao warned Fisk that the Hand were preparing for retaliation after Yoshioka's death, and she asked him if his ambition would turn to her, but Fisk assured her that she had his respect so he would not harm her. She told him his mind was distracted by his heart. She spoke in English to tell him to chose if he was the savior or oppressor of the city, before allowing Fisk to now consider her words and make a decision before someone took advantage of his weaknesses.[32]
Reassuring Leland Owlsley[]
Fisk prepares to attend his next fundraiser
"Change is inevitable for me this city and certain relationships." "All right. All right, I'll go speak with her." "I appreciate your support in the matter." "Sure, why not? We're all in this together, right? What's left of us."
While preparing for a fundraiser, Fisk spoke to Leland Owlsley and informed him of Nobu Yoshioka's violent death by being burned alive during his fight against the man in the black mask, much to the horror and disgust of Owlsley. Ignoring his dismay, Fisk then ordered Owlsley to speak to Madame Gao and assure her that everything was perfectly operational with their organization in the wake of Yoshioka's recent violent death.
Owlsley claimed that saying all this would mean lying to Gao's face which Fisk did not deny. Fisk then told James Wesley to bring the car around to then go to the benefit and also prepare to collect Vanessa Marianna. When Owlsley made a comment about Fisk's relationship with Marianna and how things had gotten out of hand ever since he met her, Fisk spoke to him about what it means to be in love with somebody, comparing the love he currently had for Marianna to the love that Owlsley must have at least once had for Lee Owlsley's own mother, which made Owlsley visibly uncomfortable.
Owlsley responded by telling him that Gao was right in thinking that Fisk had indeed changed, to which Fisk responded by claiming that change was inevitable for him and for New York City to continue to move forward. Owlsley agreed to speak to Gao in an attempt to keep the organization running. When Fisk thanked Owlsley for supporting him with this matter, Owlsley commented that everyone who was still alive was in this together, making reference to Anatoly and Vladimir Ranskahov's recent murders as well as Yoshioka's. As Owlsley left, Fisk looked out of his Penthouse window at New York.[32]
"I question the man who wouldn't step forward when his city, his heart, is in such a time of need. With your help, we can ensure that everyone that was affected by the recent attacks, and all who call Hell's Kitchen their home, will see a brighter day."
Fisk attended his fundraiser at the Van Lunt Building and gave his speech to all the attendants in which he noted that he had already been questioned as to why he had come out of the shadows and put forward the question of who would not want to stand up and make New York City a better place to live in, which was greatly supported as they clapped for Fisk. Once he had completed his speech, Fisk began walking through the room greeting some of the people and thanking others for all of their personal donations to his campaign.
Fisk and James Wesley then spoke to Leland Owlsley who assured him that the business with Madame Gao was taken care of which Fisk personally thanked him for. Owlsley then offered them a drink of champagne which Vanessa Marianna gratefully accepted while Fisk instead focused on networking at the event. Fisk was taken away to speak to Randolph Cherryh in private about the zoning plans he had pitched, leaving Marianna alone with Wesley and Owlsley as they went on to discuss Cornelius van Lunt while a bored Marianna sipped at her champagne while Owlsley continued talking.
While he was speaking to Cherryh, Fisk suddenly noticed that many of the attendants began to collapse after drinking the champagne, including Marianna. Already too late to stop her from drinking the champagne, Fisk ran to Marianna's aid and caught her just as she collapsed into his arms and had even begun foaming at the mouth. Horrified at what he was witnessing, Fisk desperately begged her to stay with him and ordered Wesley to call for an ambulance and take her to Metro-General Hospital in order to save her life while Owlsley quietly dropped his own full glass of the champagne.[32]
"You need to find who did this, you need to... I want to look in their eyes when I salt the earth with their blood." "Understood." "I told her the safest place she could ever be was by my side."
Fisk stormed into Metro-General Hospital carrying Vanessa Marianna in his arms, seeking medical assistance from all the doctors. As the group around Fisk explained what just happened to Murray, James Wesley reassured Fisk that Rosenberg had been contacted and was on his way in a private jet while Fisk looked down at his beloved and silently begged her to make it through this ordeal. As Marianna was being taken into surgery, Fisk demanded to be allowed to stay beside her but was sent away by Schwab.
Fisk waited in silence for news outside the hospital doors, awaiting news on his beloved's condition, while Rosenberg and Murray treated her and tried desperately to save her life. As Fisk sat in the same spot without saying a word and ignored everything around him while awaiting news on Marianna's recovery, Wesley and Leland Owlsley watched over him and discussed Fisk's mental state under times of such incredible emotional stress. As they were speaking, Wesley was informed by Francis that three of the others who had also been poisoned had passed away from the attack.
Fisk continued to wait in silence until Wesley brought him a cup of coffee, which he refused. They discussed who could be responsible for the attack; Wesley told him that Leland Owlsley believed the Hand was responsible and they noted that Madame Gao could also be involved. Fisk ordered Wesley to bring him the person responsible so he could look into their eyes as he killed them; he then explained he wanted her sent away for her own protection as he felt responsible for her current condition. He then proceeded to awkwardly thank Wesley personally for his help in the matter.
Doctor Rosenberg quietly stepped out of surgery while Fisk was still speaking to Wesley and informed him that Marianna had survived her operation and was currently recovering from her bed, although he did warn Fisk that there may be complications to her recovery after such intense surgery. Fisk shook Rosenberg's hand and thanked him for his work before stepping into Marianna's bedroom to await the end of her sleep so that he would be the first person whom she saw. Fisk sat beside Marianna's bed, ignoring all phone calls and kissed Marianna on the lips as she peacefully slept in her bed.
When Fisk left the room, he spoke to James Wesley, who instantly turned off his phone and asked about her condition; Fisk told him that Marianna was recovering, despite Doctor Rosenberg having expressed the possibility of further complications. Fisk asked Wesley to call his mother back and ask what she wanted as he had missed her earlier call. Leland Owlsley stormed through security and also asked how Marianna was doing, but Fisk completely ignored him and went back into the room.
Sitting by her bedside, Fisk spoke to the sleeping Vanessa Marianna about his family and religion; he told her about how his father was not a religious man although his mother had wanted to be. Fisk told Marianna about how he had read the bible as a child and tried to find truth and sentiment but found it to be false in his mind, therefore he could not pray for her recovery but could make her a promise which only a possible God could keep him from keeping. Fisk leaned in close to his lover and swore to her that he would make the people who tried to kill her suffer for what they had done.
Taking a moment to step out of Marianna's room to request a cup of black coffee from his bodyguards, although he refused to be brought any food, Fisk asked to know what had happened to Wesley. He was informed by Francis that Wesley had departed for unknown reasons, having promised Francis that he would return eventually and had asked for no assistance from the other men. Returning to Marianna's room, Fisk attempted to call his friend on the phone, however, he received no answer. After waiting a few minutes Fisk tried again, but once again heard no answer from Wesley.[6]
The next morning, Vanessa Marianna awoke; Fisk went to collect the doctor but when he saw her confused and in distress, he decided to tell her the truth. Fisk told her what had happened and apologized for getting her hurt as he had believed whoever had organized the attack was targeting him and not her. When he told her that he was sending her away for her safety, she refused, stating that she intended to remain by his side, Fisk had then vowed to find whoever was responsible for the attack and make them suffer, which Marianna fully and happily supported.
The couple was interrupted when Francis asked for Fisk's attention. Although Fisk made it clear that he wished to stay beside his lover's bedside, Marianna ordered him to leave to deal with the situation as she simply told him she would not be leaving her bed any time soon. Stepping outside Marianna's hospital room, Fisk was then informed by Francis that James Wesley had been located. Fisk asked where his friend was but was mortified to learn that Wesley had been found dead inside of an empty warehouse, with nobody understanding why he had been in there or who had killed him and for what reason.
Fisk went to his location and found Wesley had been killed by being shot multiple times in the chest. When Francis revealed that Wesley had not informed him of why he was leaving, Fisk lost his temper and beat Francis mercilessly until Leland Owlsley convinced him to stop. Once he calmed down, the heartbroken Fisk had sat beside the body of his closest friend. He kissed Wesley's forehead and vowed to get revenge, although Owlsley had attempted to keep his mind focused on the endgame before starting a war. Fisk took Wesley's phone and discovered the last call he made was actually to Fisk's mother.
Believing she could get into danger, Fisk immediately had his mother moved from her nursing home to Italy. As he had her driven off, Fisk desperately tried to explain to her the reasons for having her moved but she was upset as she greatly enjoyed living there, did not speak Italian and did not know what she would watch on the television. His mother would often become highly confused by the situation due to her dementia, repeating that it was a beautiful day multiple times, as Fisk continued to hold onto her hand to keep her calm. Fisk asked her about what she had spoken to Wesley about the night before but she had still struggled to recall and repeated herself once again.[33]
"I wrote a lot of stories in my days pushing ink, you know how many times people have threatened me, getting me to keep my mouth shut?" "But that's my mother that you brought into this, Mr. Urich! My mother! So I am not here to threaten you! I'm here to kill you!"
Fisk met with Leland Owlsley to discuss what he had learned about who was responsible for the recent attacks; Owlsley claimed that he had been unable to find anything to blame on Nobu Yoshioka's men. Fisk ordered Francis to double the offer for information and keep doubling it until someone talked. He then received a call on James Wesley's phone from his contact at the New York Bulletin in which he learned that Ben Urich had had a meeting with his mother and had likely gained valuable information about his past. With this information, Fisk left the meeting immediately.
Fisk chose to personally confront Urich in his own apartment. When Urich arrived, having been fired from the New York Bulletin, he sat at his computer to write a blog exposing Fisk. Fisk spoke calmly to him, revealing his presence; Urich demanded that he leave but instead Fisk insisted he stay until he had spoken his peace. Fisk apologized to Urich for not taking him seriously before revealing he did indeed have someone at the Bulletin. Fisk mocked Urich's attempts to reveal the story online as he believed that the internet was filled with nothing but videos of cats and unimportant celebrity news.
Fisk asked Urich if he had been alone when questioning his mother; Urich remained confident, stating he was not easily intimidated. Fisk asked if Urich was responsible for Wesley's death which Urich denied, which did not surprise him. Fisk, however, told him that as he had gone after his mother, he was not here to threaten Urich but was there to kill him. Fisk then launched from his seat and attacked Urich, wrapping his massive hands around his throat. Although Urich did attempt to fight back, before long, Fisk had choked the life out of him and left Urich's body lying in his trashed apartment.[33]
"You've been distracted, emotional, erratic. We just wanted to nudge you back on track. But obviously that went south so we will be parting ways, and I'll be taking half your assets with me." "You think that I would let you walk away?! After what you've done?!"
Back in his Penthouse, Fisk cared for Vanessa Marianna, who was still recovering from her assassination attempt. When she asked what he was doing, he told her he was reviewing the funds to have her moved out of the country so he could move the funds back, allowing her to stay with him. Although Fisk had a good understanding of financial paperwork, he became confused at some irregularities, so he called for a meeting with Leland Owlsley to discuss them.
Fisk and Owlsley discussed the final stages of Fisk's plans, with Owlsley stating they would need a replacement for Madame Gao's heroin business as it had been destroyed by the man in the mask. Fisk asked about the irregularities he had discovered but Owlsley insisted that it was normal; however, when Owlsley tried to hand the papers back, Fisk noted that his hands were shaking and he was sweating. Seeing no other alternative, Owlsley confessed to trying to kill Marianna in an attempt to get Fisk's mind back on the job but denied any involvement with James Wesley's death.
Owlsley then told him that their partnership was over and Fisk was to hand over half his assets to him. When Fisk questioned why, Owlsley informed him that he had Carl Hoffman, who was willing to go to the police if anything happened to Owlsley. He explained that he had more than enough money overseas for him and his son to never be seen again. Furious, Fisk refused the offer and attacked Owlsley, who defended himself with his stun gun, but Fisk was so angry, he barely felt it. Fisk disarmed Owlsley and threw him down an elevator shaft, killing him before ordering Francis to find and kill Hoffman.[12]
"Even the best of men can be deceived by their true nature." "What the hell does that mean?" "It means that I'm not the Samaritan. That I'm not the priest or the Levite. That I am the ill intent... who set upon the traveler on a road that he should nat have been on."
In the wake of Leland Owlsley's murder, Fisk then scrambled to take control of the situation as quickly as possible. He later received a call informing him that Carl Hoffman had been located in an old church where Owlsley had been hiding him before his death. Knowing that Hoffman could destroy his entire organization if he was able to go to the New York City Police Department, Fisk ordered the closest team led by Corbin to then assassinate Hoffman immediately.
Fisk proposes to Marianna as he is arrested
The team, however, failed with their task and Hoffman was eventually rescued by the masked man. Hoffman then went onto the police and exposed Fisk's entire criminal operation and illegal actions with the help of Nelson and Murdock who he employed as his lawyers, directly leading to the arrests of Turk Barrett, Corbin and his fellow corrupt NYPD officers, M. Caldwell, who had been Fisk's contact at New York Bulletin, with Parish Landman, and Randolph Cherryh also then being arrested, as Cherryh still insisted on WHiH World News that they had done anything wrong.
Knowing that following all the sudden developments, there was now nothing he could possibly do to stop him being arrested for all of his crimes, Fisk proposed to Vanessa Marianna just as the FBI broke into his Penthouse to arrest him on racketeering charges stemming from Fisk's skimming off the inflated Union Allied pension funds. While the FBI charged into the building, Fisk put the ring on Marianna's finger and then told her that she was his heart and everything, while he was being dragged away, leaving Marianna alone. Fisk was taken outside and put inside the back of an armored van as the paparazzi had surrounded him.
Inside the van, Fisk began reciting a parable from the Bible to the FBI agents inside, specifically the story of The Good Samaritan, in which a man is beaten and left in the dirt, only to be ignored and left to die by a priest and another religious man. Then a Samaritan came and helped the man, caring for his wounds while also then giving him his money. Fisk explained he had always believed he was the Samaritan in the story, but he had learned he was neither the Samaritan or the priest, but he represented the men of ill-intent who had attacked the traveler who had been on a road he should not have been on.
As Fisk finished his tale, the armored van was stopped in the middle of the road and a firefight broke out outside, while Fisk did not say another word and instead just simply sat calmly and waited for his escape plan to finally come into action. When Fisk's men succeeded in eliminating all of the police officers and FBI agents outside, the attackers banged on the door and demanded the guards to open it. One of the guards watching Fisk threatened to shoot him if they got inside, however, he was then shot by the other, who had been working for Fisk and entire time and then freed him from his handcuffs.
Once the armored van's doors had been opened, the now free Fisk calmly walked to the other van with his armed guards before ordering his men to kill anyone who attempted to follow them, whether they follow on the ground or in the air, uncaring of the lives that would be lost as long as he got his own freedom. As they all continued making their hasty escape, before long Fisk's crew arrived at his warehouse where Fisk was then moved inside the Atreus Plastics van to avoid the detection from the FBI who were currently desperately searching for him throughout all New York City for their escaped prisoner.
Once on the move, Fisk then called Vanessa Marianna, who was still waiting for his arrival with Francis guarding her as they still stood by Fisk's helicopter pad to leave New York. Fisk told Marianna to leave on the helicopter if he was not beside her in twenty minutes, fearing that he could still be found and recaptured, although she insisted that she would not go anywhere without him while they then continued to express their deep love for one another as Fisk continued his journey to her while thinking of them finally escaping from the city to begin a new peaceful life together away from all the crime and chaos.[12]
However, before they could get to Vanessa Marianna and Fisk could finally get away before he then was recaptured by the New York City Police Department, the van was attacked and caused to crash. Fisk fell out of the van, bleeding from his head injury while dazed and confused by the crash, but before he could get back onto his feet, Fisk was then confronted by Daredevil, who told him not everyone deserves a happy ending, which confused Fisk until he soon realized this was, in fact, the masked man wearing a upgraded uniform.
While Daredevil fought all Fisk's guards who began shooting at him, Fisk then desperately attempted to escape from the scene on foot only to be cornered by his enemy. With nowhere to go, Fisk roared at Daredevil, screaming as he told him how all of had wanted was to make New York City something better than it was, believing that his work to make it into something beautiful before Daredevil had then stopped his plans. Enraged by being confronted by his enemy, Fisk furiously vowed he was going to kill him in revenge for everything he had done, but Daredevil repeated what Fisk had said to him before following Nobu Yoshioka's death and told Fisk to take his shot.
The pair engaged in a fierce and aggressive fight, where Daredevil's speed and agility were equally matched against Fisk's brute strength and determination, with Daredevil flipping over Fisk and kicking him repeatedly while Fisk simply charged into him and threw him across the street. Although his new armor gave Daredevil extra protection, Fisk was still able to nearly beat him to death by lifting him in the air and slamming him down hard before beating him with a metal stick, all the while ranting about how New York City did not deserve heroes but deserved people like his father and to drown within its filth.
Refusing to give up, Daredevil then managed to disarm Fisk, telling him that the city was not Fisk's to control and was in fact a city under his protection, before using his own batons to then beat him down into submission, knocking Fisk to the floor following repeated strikes to his head and chest. Despite being barely able to sit up following the beating, Fisk had still continued to mock Daredevil's attempts to make any difference with the city on his own while wearing his new costume, which Fisk had called silly, claiming that one man could not make a difference with all of the crime and corruption in the city.
Daredevil just ignored the taunts and threw down his pair of batons, which Fisk then mockingly smirked at. However, with a final furiously hard punch to the face, Daredevil knocked out Fisk and he fell to the ground, finally defeated following his own desperate escape attempt. The still unconscious Fisk was then arrested and finally taken back into custody by the New York City Police Department again as soon as Brett Mahoney had arrived onto the scene and finding him, with Mahoney personally handcuffing Fisk and letting Daredevil escape the scene for him finally bringing Fisk back to justice.[12] The New York Bulletin nicknamed Fisk Kingpin in a news article after his arrest.[34]
"You may have made a name for yourself on the outside, but I run the big box. I just wanna make that clear, in case you got any ideas about stepping up." "I have no intentions of doing that." "Cut the shit, fat-man. I know guys like you my whole life, killed most of 'em, you ain't never seen a throne you didn't want to sit in."
Wilson Fisk was taken to Ryker's Island inside an armored van with a team of SWAT officers keeping a close watch over him to ensure he could not escape a second time. When he arrived, with his face still covered with bruises and cuts from his battle against Daredevil, he was ordered by the guards to remove his clothes and personal items for storage, including his coat and his cufflinks.[5]
Fisk sits alone inside his empty prison cell
Fisk was then given a white uniform to wear. A guard rudely hit Fisk over the head with his baton as he explained that the uniform which was for newcomers. Once he had his uniform and fresh towels, Fisk was walked down the corridors as the other inmates mocked him, and was led into his prison cell. Fisk could do nothing but sit quietly on his bed, stare at the blank white wall in front of him and begin planning for his eventual return to the city, when he would regain his power and get his cruel revenge on those who took away his life and destroyed his plans for New York City's better future.[12]
Fisk later had a meeting with Benjamin Donovan who had warned him that the case was not looking good for him due to the long list of crimes the US Attorney was charging him with, including corruption and bribing. Fisk then asked Donovan about Vanessa Marianna, being assured that she was safe, although Fisk insisted that she could still not be allowed to visit him. Donovan warned him that although Marianna had been sent more than enough money, the government had seized a vast majority of his assets, and advised him to keep his head down and not cause trouble.
One day, while sitting in his cell and reading quietly by himself, Fisk was visited by Dutton who proceeded to have Fisk's cell door opened by his men so he could mock Fisk's current situation since his arrest. Fisk made it clear that he was aware of who Dutton was due to his reputation as a drug dealer in New York. Fisk was then told by Dutton that although Fisk may have made a name for himself on the outside, Dutton was the Kingpin of the prison and did not wish for Fisk to even attempt to change this, threatening his life if he tried it before walking away with a grin on his face.
Later, in the café, Fisk sat alone and watched Dutton from across the room. He was visited by Stewart Finney, who claimed that he wished to meet Fisk as he felt they could help each other, as they were both formerly rich men who were not common criminals and thugs. Finney explained that Dutton ran around eighty percent of the contraband running throughout the prison. Fisk asked about the men Finney had previously sat with, Miguel Valdez and his brother. Finley then explained that they were the violent brothers who had been sent to Ryker's for hideous crimes and also had a sick mother.[5]
"If I'm correct, Dutton didn't do business with the Cartel. On the 22nd, Dutton's lieutenant mentioned a deal with the Aryans to move product in the Dogs' territory. A hostile takeover. Does Dutton have connections with the Irish?" "Some heroin deal gone south. That was a while back."
Fisk called for a meeting with Benjamin Donovan where instead of being updated on his current legal case, Fisk ordered him to assist with Stewart Finney's case and pay the rent on Andrea Valdez's home. Despite Donovan's objections as he had previously advised Fisk not to get involved with any criminal activity within the prison, Fisk had furiously ordered him to get it done and ensure that all the transactions were untraceable.
Fisk's plan worked as Finney, Miguel Valdez and his brother became loyal to him as they worked on a plan to assassinate Dutton and take over the prison. Despite Finney assuring Fisk that there was currently no way to get in Dutton's cell block, he did hand him the latest copy of the New York Bulletin which featured an article on the Punisher's trial and then conviction for the murders of various criminals which had included the Kitchen Irish, the Mexican Cartel and the Dogs of Hell. Fisk and Finney had then searched for any possible connection between all of these gangs and Dutton's own criminal career.
Fisk recruited the assistance of Roy Olsky to ensure during the trial the Punisher pleaded guilty and was sent to Ryker's Island. Fisk had another meeting with Donovan to move all of his remaining funds to bribe the guards into joining his side, although Donovan warned that any other money he would need would for these criminal dealings be have to be taken from Vanessa Marianna's protection, Fisk, however, assured Donovan that he would not need any more money after this was completed. Donovan then asked if he wanted to know what the Punisher would be doing but Fisk still did not answer him.[5]
"If, for some reason, my involvement diminishes your passion for answers for revenge well, that's your choice. But the war you waged on New York City it got you nowhere. I'm offering you something no one else could. If you don't want my help, fine. By all means, enjoy prison."
While exercising in the outdoor gym alone, Fisk was visited by the newly arrived Frank Castle.[35] Fisk explained how he had followed Castle's case in the New York Bulletin before he tried to comment on how he felt the deaths of Castle's family was a tragedy but was ordered to stop as Castle insisted he was not allowed to mention his family as Castle claimed that he did not believe Fisk really had any sympathy for him and insisted Fisk get to the point.
Fisk moved on and discussed Nelson and Murdock who had handled Castle's case in the courtroom and had tried to claim that Castle was suffering from PTSD from his experiences. Fisk offered to help him to find some closure instead, claiming he had found a sense of empathy while inside Ryker's Island for those who had been wronged by the law. Fisk informed Castle that Dutton had some kind of connection to the massacre at the Central Park, explaining that despite the fact that he was not part of either the Kitchen Irish or the Mexican Cartel, he had undoubtedly had a hand in all of their activities.
Fisk explained how Dutton was in another cell block within Ryker's which he now essentially owned and was constantly surrounded by guards and inmates alike, which Castle insisted he did not care about. Seeing his rage build, Fisk then offered Castle a chance to kill Dutton to avenge his wife and twochildren; when Castle questioned why Fisk did not kill Dutton himself, Fisk claimed that he desired to be unnoticed while in the prison so that he could do his time and then return to New York City. Castle at first refused to help, knowing that Fisk would personally benefit if Dutton was to be killed.
As tensions rose, Miguel Valdez and his brother stepped out onto the gym floor to back Fisk up, but Castle was unintimidated. As Castle still refused to be a mobster's personal assassin, Fisk argued that he should consider all of the enemies he had within the prison already and Fisk was giving him the perfect opportunity to confront the man implicated in his family's deaths. With this in mind, Castle then finally agreed to help and Stewart Finney stepped forward and gave Castle a shiv and they explained that Roy Olsky would assist him in getting into Dutton's cell block to confront and kill him.[5]
Betraying Frank Castle[]
Fisk betraying Castle and leaves him to die
"Everyone warned me prison would be an inhumane environment. It is. But I find it refreshing. The perfect microcosm of the animal world. When an animal wants something, when it needs something, other things... need to be stepped on." "You want me on the outside so I step on every piece of shit I see. That way, nobody gets strong, and the city's yours for the taking."
Fisk ensured his plan went as planned, and Frank Castle successfully assassinated Dutton by stabbing him with the shiv Fisk had provided, while learning that the Blacksmith was responsible for the Massacre at Central Park. When Castle returned, Fisk ordered Roy Olsky to lock the door, trapping Castle as Olsky unlocked the other cell doors, allowing all Dutton's loyal men to find his body. As he watched this unfold from the higher level, Fisk tauntingly thanked Castle before then leaving him to die by being beaten to death by all the other violent inmates who were still loyal to Dutton.
Castle survived the assassination attempt and killed every attacking inmate. Having witnessed this, Fisk made a new plan for Castle using his talents for violence to Fisk's own advantage. Fisk visited Castle while he was locked inside solitary confinement with his arms and legs in chains, and even ordered the guards to wait outside. Castle confronted Fisk over trying to have him killed, which Fisk confessed would have been easier but noted that considering the state Dutton was found in then he had likely given Castle all of the information on his own wife and twochildren's deaths as he had wanted.
Fisk was asked as to why he had left Castle alive and he explained that he had changed his former plans for Castle due to the changing circumstances, admitting he was wrong. Fisk told Castle that he had a gift for violence which he now wanted to exploit, noting he had not believed the stories of the Kitchen Irish and Dogs of Hell massacres he had committed. Fisk explained that he intended to use Castle's violent nature, but Castle, insulted, attacked by headbutting Fisk, but Fisk soon overpowered him due to Castle's chains and Fisk then furiously beat him into submission before stepping away.
Once they had both calmed down in the wake of the clash, Fisk gave the order to some of the prison guards standing by that all of Castle's hand and ankle cuffs should be removed before he offered Castle the chance to escape from Ryker's Island and use all his skills to kill the crime rings in New York City so Fisk would no longer have any rivals when he finally got free. Castle agreed, promising that one day he would target Fisk himself, with Fisk calmly replying that he was counting on it. Fisk had then allowed Castle to steal a guard uniform and walk free to then continue his violent crusade once again.
With the Punisher gone to continue his crusade in New York City, Fisk then went to Dutton's bedside and ate his steak dinner beside him while Dutton struggled to breathe on life support. Fisk explained to Dutton that his wounds were indeed fatal and he would soon suffocate on his own blood. Fisk promised that Dutton would not suffer alone, as he felt Dutton had been right previously, that in prison there was only room for the one Kingpin to take charge. Dutton died shortly after this exchange and Fisk took command of the prison, doubling the cut of the guards and gaining even more influence than Dutton had ever had as Kingpin of the entire prison.[5]
"But I have something to say to you, when I finally get out of this cage, I will dismantle the lives of the two amateurs who put me in here! You Mr. Murdock, and Franklin Percy Nelson!" "No, I put you here, not Nelson." "The two of you took the laurels, you'll both take the blame!"
Once Matt Murdock arrived at Ryker's Island to question Fisk, being brought in by Benjamin Donovan, where Murdock explained that he knew that Fisk was behind Frank Castle's escape, which Fisk initially denied as he claimed to have no interest in the Punisher's activities. Fisk continued to deny any involvement, leading to Murdock threatening to use the law to keep Vanessa Marianna out of the United States of America and ensure that Fisk never saw her again.
This threw Fisk into a rage and caused him to rip off his handcuffs and brutally slam Murdock's head against the table multiple times. Murdock attempted to fight back; however, he was not a match for the vastly stronger Fisk, although he did punch him, leading to Fisk remembering that Murdock's father was a boxer. Fisk admitted to taking control of the facility and allowing Castle to escape before telling Murdock that once he is free, he will dismantle his life, as well as Foggy Nelson's, and that Castle's actions should be the least of his current worries. Murdock left Fisk shortly after.
While eating a perfectly cooked steak and drinking wine in his prison cell later that night while two other prisoners stood guard outside, Fisk took a sip of wine and was hurt by the cut on his lip from the earlier punch. While re-examining the cut Murdock left on his lip, Fisk seemingly remembered the same damage being inflicted upon him by Daredevil when he was arrested. The suspicious Fisk told Miguel Valdez that he would like to re-examine Murdock's files while he began planning on how he would destroy Nelson and Murdock and get revenge for his current situation in Ryker's Island.[36]
Manipulating the FBI[]
Liberation Plans[]
"Fisk's had you marked for more than a year." "What do you mean, had me marked?" "Why do you think your sister-in-law lost health coverage?"
During his imprisonment in Ryker's Island, Fisk started to devise a plan on how to get out of the prison and get back at the top of New York City's criminal underworld. Through Donovan and Partners, Fisk came into contact with Felix Manning, a fixer who aided Fisk in setting numerous shell corporations to cover his money transactions, as well as ensured Vanessa Marianna's safety outside the United States of America.[37] Fisk took interest in Ray Nadeem, an FBI agent with unstable FICO score, which made him a potential recruitment target. In 2016, Fisk manipulated Nadeem's financial situation to make him vulnerable to his schemes.
Fisk then started to target other FBI agents from New York Crime Division, including Tammy Hattley. Fisk had his men assassinate Hattley's child and threatened her that her daughter Allison would meet similar fate unless she would agree to work for him.[2] Fisk also ordered Manning to manipulate Foggy Nelson's family through Red Lion National Bank to get a potential leverage on Nelson, in case he would pose a threat in the future.[38] Furthermore, Fisk purchased the Presidential Hotel, which was used by the FBI for house imprisonment for white-collar criminals awaiting their trial, through his shell company Vancorp.[39]
"I have made many mistakes. But I accept the debt which I'm paying because of them. But what I will not accept is that the woman that I love should have to pay for them, too. I would do anything to protect her. Anything." "I'm sorry, what is it you're saying?" "I want to make a deal."
As his long imprisonment within Ryker's Island continued, Fisk was told that his mother died and that she had left him a box of memories, including the hammer Fisk used to kill his father.[10] Since then, Fisk carried the hammer with him to remind himself where he came from.[16] Fisk also attempted to distract himself by imagining he was inside of his own Penthouse, where he could make his traditional omelette in the morning. However, Fisk could still hear the other inmates over his classical music as he made himself breakfast, although Fisk could still furiously yell out to all of the other inmates to be quiet.
Fisk was rejoined by Benjamin Donovan and Nicholas Lee who came with news that his appeal was still continuing as they had planned, although Fisk suspected that they actually had more to tell him than just this. Reluctantly, Donovan and Lee then informed Fisk that there had been some more setbacks with bringing Vanessa Marianna back to New York City so they could be reunited as the FBI now wanted to charge Marianna as an accessory to Fisk's crimes, so she would be arrested as soon as she returned. Disappointed by this update, Fisk demanded Donovan and Lee go as he considered what to do.[40] Fisk later found out that Rostam Kazemi had a change of heart and was intending to buy the Presidential Hotel back, so Fisk hired a gang to prevent Kazemi from doing so.[39]
As usual, Fisk was then called into his meeting with the FBI as they still attempted to get new information out of him about the criminal gangs who operated within New York. This day, Fisk had been greeted by Ray Nadeem who was clearly unimpressed by getting assigned to meet with Fisk since he had been refusing to help them for some time. Fisk, however, asked Nadeem if he was in love with anyone and what he would do to protect them, which Nadeem had briefly mistook for Fisk threatening his family, although Fisk calmly assured him that this was not the case, commenting on all of the mistakes he had made.
Fisk claimed that he was accepting the dept he was paying due to his many mistakes, but told Nadeem that he refused to accept that Marianna would have to pay for all those mistakes as well by being forced to never return to the United States of America and for them to never see each other again. As Fisk said he would do anything to protect Marianna, Nadeem then questioned exactly what he meant, as Fisk asked to make a deal with the FBI.[40] Fisk gave the FBI key intel on the Albanian Syndicate, resulting in the arrest of the Mother Teresa and other mobsters which Nadeem took credit for.[39]
In order to get out of Ryker's Island, Fisk had used his influence over the prison to convince Riggle to allow Jasper Evans to make an attempt on his life, believing this would allow Fisk to convince the FBI that prison was too dangerous.[41] As part of this plan, Fisk put himself in a vulnerable position as he went to Ryker's gym.
As was pre-planned, Fisk allowed Evans to come close to him, under the guise that Evans was assisting with Fisk's exercise, before Evans drew a shiv and plunged it into Fisk's stomach, causing non-fatal wounds while also screaming that Fisk was now the snitch so that everyone else in the prison could hear him. However, Fisk responded to this attack with pure rage and, despite this being pre-planned, Fisk threw Evans away from him and considered killing him in retaliation, trapping him underneath the barbell he was using and kicking him in the head, before almost striking the terrified Evans with a weight.
With Evans trapped and defenseless, he cried out in utter terror and begged for his life while Fisk stood over him, furiously holding up the weight over his head and considering crushing Evans' skull with it. However, Fisk then eventually recalled the plan and chose not to kill Evans, instead of dropping that weight down just inches from Evans' head and going to sit back down. Fisk then took a seat while all the prison guards arrived, taking control of the situation.[39] As a reward for his own involvement with the scheme, Fisk had Riggle write up his false paperwork that Evans was sent to their solitary confinement, when in reality he was freed from Ryker's and returned home.[41]
"I have suddenly become a target within these walls here. Do you understand? I'm helping you to help Vanessa. I can't do either of those things if I'm dead."
Following the stabbing, Fisk was rejoined by Ray Nadeem who first checked on Fisk's condition following the incident, noting that he had spoken to all the doctors at Ryker's Island who had just told him that the wound was not fatal. When Fisk commented that he found their new situation quite profound, Nadeem demanded that he not start with his mind games, although Fisk claimed that he found the situation to be extremely serious, noting that he had never before feared being attacked.
Fisk commented that everyone in Ryker's knew that he was talking to the FBI and was, therefore, a snitch; however, Nadeem made it clear that the FBI still expected Fisk to continue cooperating with them to bring down more organizations like the Albanian Syndicate, noting that if he did not, then the FBI would not clear Vanessa Marianna of all criminal charges. Manipulating the situation to his own ends, Fisk reminded Nadeem that he had become a target within Ryker's and if he remained there he would likely be killed and then would be unable to help the FBI anymore, demanding a renegotiation of the deal.[39]
"You can build a prison of stone and steel, but you merely present the prisoner with a challenge. Any truly determined man will find a way out, but love. Love is the perfect prison. Inescapable. So you see, Agent Nadeem, I am always in prison, wherever I go. And if these things help me protect Vanessa, then they are nothing to me. I will do whatever I must."
With the FBI believing that Fisk would remain in serious danger if he was allowed to stay in Ryker's Island, a deal was renegotiated as Benjamin Donovan had managed to convince the FBI to allow Fisk to be taken out of Ryker's and instead moved into the Presidential Hotel as they could still keep Fisk under constant guard by the FBI as long as he was being kept there. As he was being prepared to be moved, Ray Nadeem complained about all Donovan's many demands before Fisk was lead out of the facility.
While they drove down the streets of New York City, Fisk listened to Nadeem as he explained the rules of his imprisonment at the hotel. However, rather than acknowledging what Nadeem was saying, Fisk began talking about his own life and how he had spent much of that alone, believing that this was the source of his strength and how he achieved so much. Fisk noted that despite all his successes, he felt unfulfilled until he met Vanessa Marianna, telling Nadeem that he felt like he would explode just from the sense of almost overwhelming amount of freedom and power that his love for Marianna brought.
Fisk being caught up in a sudden explosion
As he continued talking about his love for Marianna, Fisk said that he discovered the great lie behind love, in that the freedom it seemingly gave him was, in fact, the opposite. Fisk told Nadeem that while their literal prison presented a challenge for a prisoner to escape, love was the truly inescapable prison. Concluding his long metaphor, Fisk told Nadeem that due to his own love for Marianna he was always in his prison. But regardless of this, if he could do anything more to protect Marianna, then he would do that, as nothing would be a challenge for him as long as it had ensured that Marianna could remain safe.
However, just as Fisk concluded his metaphor about love, a sudden explosion then destroyed the car in front of them, before the second fireball rolled their own vehicle onto its back, knocking both Fisk and Nadeem unconscious. Fisk soon awoke, still handcuffed to his seat and found that Nadeem was still out cold, as Fisk then desperately attempted to free himself while calling out to Nadeem. Before long, bullets began striking the car's bulletproof windows as the Albanian Syndicate attempted to kill Fisk, who then used brute force to rip his handcuffs free, despite having nowhere he could escape to.
Fisk finds himself now completely trapped
From inside the bulletproof vehicle, Fisk watched the surviving FBI agents fight against the Albanians, who still had them completely surrounded and managed to take them all down one by one, as one agent ordered Fisk to stay in the car before getting shot in the head. The Albanians then all surrounded Fisk's car, and began firing at the windows, aiming to kill Fisk in revenge for having both Vic Jusufi and the Mother Teresa arrested, as another Albanian sawed through the car door while Fisk prepared himself for a final and likely fatal fight with seemingly no hope of surviving this attack on his life.
However, just before the Albanians could get inside Fisk's car, a shot rang out and took out an Albanian as Benjamin Poindexter stepped out and used pinpoint accuracy to shoot and kill the Albanians. Fisk continued to watch while Poindexter proved to be an extraordinary marksman, ricocheting bullets before brutally executing two men who surrendered to him and even throwing his magazine cartridge into another man's throat. With all this going on, Fisk finally managed to get out of his car, as Poindexter held his gun to Fisk and told him not to move, while Fisk had calmly raised up his hands.[39]
Now seemingly safe from harm, Fisk and all of the surviving agents were rescued by more squad cars as they drove at full speed through New York City until they reached the Presidential Hotel, as they then pulled Fisk straight inside while Fisk asked to make a phone call as Nadeem and Poindexter ensured that the area was safe for them to proceed. As he was moved, Fisk overheard Arinori complaining that five agents had been killed in that attack because of Fisk. Fisk saw that Donovan and Nicholas Lee were there as he then demanded they go and ensure that Marianna was safe.
Fisk then got inside the elevator with Nadeem and Poindexter as he was moved upstairs to the Penthouse where he would be continuing his sentence, finding that it was filled up with security cameras and a team of agents outside to ensure that Fisk could not leave. Nadeem explained the situation and promised that he would be safe there, Fisk complained that he had almost been killed that night, to which Nadeem responded by furiously grabbing Fisk's collar and reminding him that several good FBI agents had been killed while protecting him, demanding that Fisk's intel had better be worthwhile.[37]
Vanessa Marianna's Disappearance[]
Fisk taking his shower following his ordeal
"Felix hid her in Spain?" "It was her decision. We strongly advised against Europe, given the extradition risk, but Ms. Marianna enjoys the art and she can be very insistent." "Yes, she can. But it's too easy for the Albanians to get at her there."
Once safe inside of the Presidential Hotel, Fisk was able to take his shower as he reflected on what had happened during their ambush on the FBI's Convoy, recalling how his life had been saved by Benjamin Poindexter and his incredible shooting abilities. However, before Fisk could even finish his shower, he was interrupted by the arrival of Arinori, who informed Fisk that both of his lawyers from Donovan and Partners had just arrived, as Arinori threw Fisk a towel and had ordered him to then get dry and dressed.
Heading downstairs, Fisk found Benjamin Donovan waiting to speak to him with Nicholas Lee, as Fisk immediately questioned if they had been able to locate Vanessa Marianna. Although Donovan requested that the cameras be shut off so that he and Lee could speak to their client in peace, Fisk told them not to worry about all that and instead just finally tell him whether or not the Albanian Syndicate had indeed targeted Marianna. However, to Fisk's utter horror, Donovan had then regretfully informed him that they did not know if Marianna was safe as she had gone missing, as Fisk began worrying for her safety.
While he waited for an update on Marianna's situation, Fisk sat alone in his Penthouse and stared at the blank wall in front of him, being reminded of Rabbit in a Snowstorm. Eventually, however, Fisk had noticed that the FBI had turned off all their cameras in the room as Donovan and Lee arrived to finally give Fisk the update he had been waiting for, informing him that they had gotten into contact with Felix Manning who promised that Marianna was safe, explaining that her bodyguards would relocate her every seventy-two hours and they did not use any mobile phones to ensure they were not tracked.
Getting to the point, Fisk questioned where Marianna was now, while Lee explained that she was in a safe house in Barcelona, which had greatly annoyed Fisk since he believed Europe was too dangerous to hide Marianna due to the risk of extradition; however, Donovan had explained that it was Marianna's decision as she enjoyed the art and could be quite insistent. Briefly reminded of Marianna's nature which he found so attractive, Fisk calmed down before then demanding to Donovan and Lee get back into contact with Manning in order to get Marianna moved into somewhere safer and even closer to him.[37]
New Allies, Old Enemies[]
Fisk acknowledging his own condolences
"I owe those fallen agents a debt that I can never repay. But I also owe you. I've known extraordinary people. But I've never seen a talent like yours. May I ask you where you acquired such a skill?"
That evening, Fisk had been served his plain dinner by J. Lim, who had called him an asshole, while Fisk remained under the close watch of Benjamin Poindexter, who would barely look at Fisk as he was stood guard. Instead of eating, Fisk simply addressed Poindexter directly, commenting on how Poindexter had saved his life from the Albanian Syndicate's men the night before, to which Poindexter claimed that was a mistake. Fisk expressed his condolences for the lives of the FBI agents who died protecting him, acknowledging his own condolences would likely bring a little comfort to all of their families.
As Fisk continued talking, Poindexter simply ignored him, while Fisk had commented on how brave the men who died were, with Poindexter only speaking up to remind him that he only had five more minutes to finish eating that meal. Fisk then commented on how he owed all those fallen FBI agents a debt that he could never repay, but noted that he had also owed Poindexter a great deal, commenting on how Poindexter was incredibly skilled with a firearm, but Poindexter chose to ignore Fisk's questions about his talents as he instead took Fisk's food away from him and then left the room with all his food.
That evening, Fisk was rejoined by Benjamin Donovan who claimed that he had just been attacked by a masked man who Donovan had suspected was actually the Daredevil, as Donovan told Fisk how the masked man had taken out six FBI agents and, despite not wearing his red suit, he had little doubt that this was the same man. Having heard this, Fisk stepped over to his Penthouse's window and looked out over New York City, commenting that the Devil of New York had finally returned and was seemingly aiming to bring down his criminal empire once again, much to Fisk's considerable frustration.[37]
That morning, as Fisk knew it would be, Lim and Poindexter charged in Fisk's bedroom to do a room search, with the two agents surprised to find that Fisk was already prepared and facing the wall as was instructed by the time that the entered the room. While Lim began the search, Poindexter had explained the current situation to Fisk and demanded that Fisk would co-operate with the situation, which Fisk calmly accepted while Lim proceeded to throw Fisk's bed onto the floor during his search, while Poindexter had then searched Fisk's entire body for any potential weapons that he might have.
Eventually, Lim's search of the room and Poindexter's search of Fisk himself was concluded while Fisk and Poindexter had then directly faced each other at the end of their search, both clearly sizing each other up, with Poindexter calmly confirming that the room was now indeed all clear. Fisk then watched while Poindexter and Lim left his room, watching while Poindexter momentarily paused while stepping out of the Penthouse, locking eyes with Fisk who was stood on his balcony and kept a closer eye on the agent, as Fisk still considered what benefits Poindexter could hold for him in the near future.[41]
"Do you remember the last time that we spoke? You said that, for the cost of postage, you could prevent my reunion with the only person who gives my life meaning. The only person that I love, and I would have let bygones be bygones. But you didn't just threaten me, you threatened Vanessa. And that is something that I cannot forgive."
Fisk was soon contacted by all his allies at Ryker's Island that Matt Murdock had arrived to ask his questions about Fisk's time there, as Fisk proceeded with arrangements to have Murdock killed. Watching from a secret room at the Presidential Hotel, Fisk watched while Murdock proved to have the skills of Daredevil as he subdued the guards before Fisk called him up, commenting that Murdock had pretended to be Foggy Nelson to get into the prison before asking the wrong questions.
Fisk is given his already half eaten lunch
As Murdock tried to talk his way out of that situation, Fisk reminded him of how he threatened Vanessa Marianna the last time they had spoken, before Fisk left Murdock to fight his way towards freedom, ensuring that even if Murdock had made it back to his taxi, that taxi would still be driven into a river where Murdock would drown. That same day, Fisk had his daily food delivered, finding that Benjamin Poindexter and J. Lim had chosen to take a bite out of his burger before it was delivered, which Fisk ignored as he continued to eat the burger with his spork regardless of Poindexter and Lim's prank.
While he was eating his meal, Fisk was joined by Tammy Hattley as well as Winn who had come to talk to Fisk about the Ambush on the FBI Convoy on Poindexter's involvement with it. As Hattley and Winn questioned Fisk about what happened, he was asked about the men he saw who surrendered before Poindexter executed, with Fisk telling Hattley and Winn that those men had tried to kill Poindexter before he killed them in self defense, which Hattley and Winn simply accepted. Once he was alone, Fisk looked up at one of the cameras, assuming that Poindexter would be watching what he had said.
Following this interview, Fisk sat alone in the Penthouse and read the New York Bulletin until he saw all the cameras in the room being shut off. Poindexter then burst into the room and questioned what Fisk's game was. Fisk claimed that he was not offering Poindexter favors, but sympathy, noting that while Fisk himself could handle the insults and mockery that the papers like the Bulletin could throw at him, he believed that an agent like Poindexter would struggle with what the press would say, to which Poindexter then noted that despite all his confidence, Fisk still did not actually know anything about him.
Fisk, however, simply showed Poindexter the Bulletin's report about the ambush, which suggested that the FBI had botched the transfer, knowing that this would add to Poindexter's paranoia about being used as a scapegoat for the FBI's failure. Fisk made this point clear, noting that the FBI were now investigating Poindexter for just simply doing his job, complimenting Poindexter on his outstanding work in saving his life as well as Ray Nadeem's life during that ambush, as he claimed that the FBI were now trying to demean Poindexter's act of courage, before the confused Poindexter then walked away.[41]
"There is a criminal I've employed. A facilitator. On my behalf, he has laundered and hid money, bribed law enforcement and court officials, orchestrated perjured testimony, manufactured some evidence."
Fisk was later informed by Benjamin Donovan that despite his best efforts, Matt Murdock had seemingly survived his taxi being driven into a river since his body had not been recovered, much to Fisk's great frustration. Considerably annoyed, Fisk told Donovan to go and remind Felix Manning that he did not tolerate loose ends; however, Donovan still attempted to reassure Fisk that Murdock's corpse was likely just swept away in the water, noting that even if he had gotten free of the taxi, there was no way that any blind man could have then swum back onto the shoreline following such a brutal crash.
Unconvinced, Fisk then showed Donovan their footage of Murdock fighting his way through Ryker's Island with the same amount of skill as Daredevil. Clearly confused by all the footage there, Donovan attempted to reassure Fisk that Donovan and Partners had already researched Murdock and had found through his medical records that he had lost his sight at the age of nine. Fisk, however, then noted that a man capable of this could have survived and recalled how Murdock threatened to stop Vanessa Marianna from reuniting with Fisk, while Fisk had stepped up to the nervous Donovan while saying this.
They were then interrupted by the arrival of both Ray Nadeem as well as Benjamin Poindexter, as they prepared to finalize Fisk's deal with them. Fisk sat quietly while Donovan demanded everything that had been agreed upon, including Fisk's personal items, which Nadeem had agreed to supply as they had previously agreed if Fisk continued supplying valuable information about the Albanian Syndicate as well as others. Fisk then spoke up, and acknowledged the sacrifices the FBI had made, before claiming that Murdock was a criminal working for him, hoping that the FBI would soon arrest or kill Murdock.[42]
"I'm New York's scapegoat. Downstairs, there are protesters chanting prayers to drive me out into the wilderness. The attention that it brings is an impediment for my plan. Fortunately, the public is easily distracted. Which makes the solution for my problem quite simple. The city needs a new villain. And I think I might've found him."
Wanting to understand Benjamin Poindexter better, Fisk then had both Benjamin Donovan and Felix Manning pull together every file they could find on Poindexter's youth, therapy, military records, and past employment, as Donovan personally delivered it to Fisk. As he looked over all the paperwork and therapy recordings, Donovan confirmed that this was everything that Manning had been able to pull together. Fisk noted that this would take some time, as Donovan took a seat with an audiobook while Fisk got to work reading everything there was about Poindexter.
Fisk first learned that the young Poindexter had lost his parents and was sent to Lyndhurst Home for Boys where he developed his keen skill at accuracy through playing baseball, able to hit the same mark perfectly every time. During that game, Poindexter's coach, Bradley, had eventually made the decision that he would take Poindexter off the pitch to allow Kanon his chance the play, a decision which had greatly upset an already emotional Poindexter. Out of frustration, Poindexter threw his baseball at Bradley's head, cracking his skull and killing him, resulting in Poindexter going into therapy.
Fisk learning of Poindexter's mental state
Reading through the notes written by Doctor Eileen Mercer, Fisk had learned that Poindexter struggled to cope with the deaths of his own parents, and rarely acknowledged the death of Bradley, as Mercer diagnosed Poindexter with Borderline Personality Disorder while he was treated at the Riviera Psychiatric Institute. Fisk had learned that Poindexter grew up strongly relying on Mercer to guide him through life, and had broken down when Mercer had been diagnosed with a terminal illness, with Poindexter being recommended to find himself a job with a strong structure so he could continue getting better.
Fisk saw that in his search for a structured life, Poindexter had briefly enlisted into their United States Army before managing to get himself his job at the Brooklyn Suicide Prevention Center where he had been provided with the script and a strong structure for his life. It was here that Fisk also learned that Poindexter had met and gained his strong attachment with Julie Barnes, who had also worked in there and had provided Poindexter with the support that he craved. Fisk discovered that even after leaving the job and working at the FBI, Poindexter had continued to be obsessed with Barnes and often followed her.
Several hours of research later, once Fisk knew everything he could about Poindexter's youth and how to manipulate his emotions for his own means, Donovan asked Fisk what all of this work was actually about without getting into the specifics. Getting to his feet, Fisk told Donovan how he had just become New York City's scapegoat for everything that they saw as corrupt in their city. Fisk claimed that the public could be easily distracted and therefore all he had to do was create a new villain for the public to despise instead of him, believing that he could manipulate Poindexter into becoming that villain.[42]
"You were taught to hide beneath many fictions. You fashioned yourself into something the world would tolerate. A soldier doing his patriotic duty, a sniper in the FBI, the watchful companion of a nice young woman." "You destroyed what we had." "If it were honest and true, no one could've destroyed it."
As had been agreed with the FBI, following his information leading to the arrest of the Albanian Syndicate, Fisk was supplied with all his former possessions, including furniture and artworks which were all brought into his Penthouse prison in the Presidential Hotel. Pleased to have regained much of the luxury he had missed, Fisk chose to wear a white suit, putting on the cufflinks Vanessa Marianna had once chosen for him. Fisk then stepped out onto his balcony and overlooked the room, delighting in seeing everything that was returned.
Fisk then sat down at his table as Benjamin Poindexter came in with his dinner, with Poindexter furious as he had discovered that Fisk had pulled some strings to get Julie Barnes her job at the hotel, knowing that Poindexter would encounter her and have this strong emotional reaction to seeing her once again. Poindexter, however, claimed that Barnes meant nothing to him. While Poindexter kept talking and then accused Fisk of having him followed by Felix Manning, Fisk remained silent until Poindexter finally snapped and threw Fisk's food over the floor, demanding that Fisk finally say something about all this.
Remaining calm, Fisk told Poindexter how, as a boy, he murdered his own father with a hammer, acknowledging that at this time he was still highly immature and had not had a chance to grow up and then experience the world outside of New York City, but had still killed his own father. Fisk noted that this feeling of being a child, standing over a father figure who he had murdered, was something that Poindexter would be able to relate with, commenting that Poindexter had been trained to hide these feelings during his time with the military and the FBI, to make himself into someone the world would tolerate.
Fisk says that society will reject Poindexter
When Poindexter furiously accused Fisk of destroying what he and Barnes had, Fisk claimed that it was not an honest relationship and that was what had destroyed it, leading to Poindexter claiming that he should have let Fisk die during the Ambush on the FBI Convoy. Fisk then stepped up to Poindexter and claimed that Barnes would have never fully understood him, and neither would a society that always punished people like him, before making the comparison between Poindexter's life and his own, which clearly angered Poindexter as he proceeded to storm out of the Penthouse, leaving Fisk alone.[10]
"She accepted me, without shame. And that is what I want for you. Someone to accept you, without any shame. I do. And I've sent you a gift, an opportunity to become your true self. And if you accept this unlike everyone in your life, I will never abandon you. The decision is yours."
Fisk arranged to have Benjamin Poindexter investigated by the FBI in the wake of the ambush, knowing that losing that structure would be getting to Poindexter. Just before Poindexter would have killed himself, Fisk called him at his Apartment, telling him about how his mother died while Fisk was in Ryker's Island, at which point Fisk had learned that she kept the hammer that Fisk used to kill his father, proving that his mother was proud that he had taken this action.
Fisk looks at all of his returned possessions
Telling Poindexter that he accepted him for who he was, Fisk then had Felix Manning deliver Daredevil's Suit to Poindexter with orders to go out to the New York Bulletin and kill Jasper Evans while he was still wearing it, promising that if he accepted this mission, then Fisk would never abandon Poindexter.[10] As Poindexter then went out to complete his mission for Fisk and ensure that Evans was unable to give evidence against Fisk to Karen Page and Mitchell Ellison, Fisk remained in his Penthouse and looked over all the artworks that had been supplied to him, as Fisk questioned Nicholas Lee over why his beloved Rabbit in a Snowstorm still had not been returned to him.
Fisk learning that his plan was successful
Once Lee had left, Wellers had all of their cameras turned back on, before hearing that there was an incident breaking out which he went to investigate. Fisk then calmly walked back into his room and went to the secret room hidden by his wardrobes and headed downstairs, where he found Shelby waiting. Fisk watched the live feed of Wellers and Doyle complaining about having to guard Fisk, before he told Shelby to put on the news, as Fisk watched reports by WHiH World News and WJBP-TV confirming that Poindexter had completed his mission, resulting in Daredevil being blamed for all the deaths.[43]
"Have a little faith in me, Special Agent Nadeem. I'm a better man than Jiggy. This... All of this... This was my price, which I was plain about at the start of our relationship. And you have paid it." "I need to know. Right now. You let Jasper Evans out of prison to pay him back for shanking you?" "Your desperation diminishes you, Special Agent."
While in his basement, Fisk was told by Felix Manning that Melvin Potter's attempt to betray Daredevil had failed and Potter had been arrested, while Fisk had then decided not to assassinate either Potter or Betsy Beatty, calling Potter irrelevant as Fisk asked about Benjamin Poindexter, as Manning informed him that he was laying low as they had agreed, although Manning had still noted that he was concerned about Poindexter's mental state following their Attack on the New York Bulletin Building, as Fisk then acknowledged he had already demanded a lot from Poindexter and told Manning to keep an eye on him.
The meeting was interrupted as Ray Nadeem made his way inside of the Penthouse in order to speak with Fisk, forcing Fisk to return upstairs and get into bed, so that Nadeem would still have no idea about his secret basement lair. Once Nadeem found Fisk in bed, Fisk noted that Nadeem should be with his wife, who he correctly named as Seema Nadeem, which greatly angered Nadeem who threatened Fisk if he spoke her name again. Getting to business, Fisk had asked what he could help Nadeem with, to which Nadeem then compared Fisk to Jack Kem, a gangster Nadeem had known growing up.
Fisk asked Nadeem to have a little more faith in him, promising that he was a better man than Kem, noting that the luxury he was being afforded at the Presidential Hotel was the price he requested which the FBI had now paid. Nadeem demanded to know if Fisk let Jasper Evans go free from Ryker's Island in exchange for stabbing him, to which Fisk claimed that Nadeem had become desperate, choosing not to answer Nadeem's question as he wished him a good night and returned to his book, while the now highly concerned Nadeem then slowly walked out of Fisk's bedroom to consider what to do.[43]
Upon learning that Poindexter was beginning to rebuild his mental state through his friendship with Julie Barnes, Fisk made the decision to break Poindexter, as he arranged to have Barnes assassinated with the assistance of Manning. Watching from a screen inside of his basement, Fisk watched as Manning's men shot Barnes in the head and removed her body, as Manning then took Barnes' phone which they later used to send Poindexter several abusive and heartbreaking messages, knowing that he would not cope with this well and would be easier to manipulate for Fisk's next plans as a result.[44]
"Tell me, so at what point did you learn about Mr. Murdock's secret life? ...Ah, yes, thank you, thank you, Ms. Page." "Okay, you want secrets? I can tell you a secret, Wilson. It's okay that I call you that? I feel we know each other well enough by now." "As you wish, Karen." "Great. James Wesley. What was it like for you when he disappeared?"
In the evening, Fisk got a surprise visit from Karen Page, while Fisk greeted her and acknowledged that he was not expecting to find her in there. Looking around the room, Page compared Fisk's time in the Presidential Hotel to his imprisonment in Ryker's Island, with Fisk noting that all of the luxuries must be offensive to Page who wanted to see him suffer following all the times that Fisk had tried to have Page killed, as Fisk had then noted that he was still paying the price for those crimes against Page.
As the tense standoff continued, Fisk offered to make Page a cup of tea, which she turned down as that was not what she was there for, before Fisk requested that Page take a seat with him at his table, acknowledging that Page had come there to get words from him at least. Having briefly sat in an awkward silence, Fisk was the first one to speak up as he noted that Page was not really writing an article about his mother for the New York Bulletin as she claimed, to which Page noted that she could while Fisk questioned what the benefit of this would be, asking if it would just be done to upset him.
Fisk then noted that he did not enjoy intrusions into his private life, to which Page questioned why he had invited her inside his Penthouse if this was the case. Fisk then answered this by noting how Page had previously worked for Ben Urich, commenting that Urich's death was his final lesson, noting that Page clearly had not understood this last lesson. Page questioned if this was a threat, but Fisk only claimed that this was an observation which he had made. Page told Fisk that she went there to talk about what his mother had told Urich before Urich's death, commenting that she was also in that room with Urich.
Page began talking in more detail about how she and Urich had then pushed Fisk's mother into talking to them, clearly hoping to get an emotional reaction out of Fisk, but Fisk did his best to remain calm as he asked what Page's point was. Page went on to tell Fisk how his mother recalled a lot about Fisk's childhood, making a mocking comment by calling Fisk by Willie, as Fisk noted that her readers of the Bulletin would likely be as entertained by this small gossip pieces as she was, but Page mockingly claimed that they would only pass things like that around the office to get their own laughs.
Attempting to regain control of the conversation, Fisk asked how the office was following the attack done by Benjamin Poindexter, with Page questioning if Fisk had known about this attack before it had even happened. Page, however, remained calm and explained that the Bulletin intended to write a story about Fisk's father and how he had brutally murdered him with a hammer when he was still just a child. With Fisk struggling to cope with what Page was saying to him, so continued digging and questioned if there was any part of him that was not already broken, while Fisk began to regain composure.
Taking a breath, Fisk told Page that he had let her in his Penthouse because he actually had some questions of his own which he wanted to ask her. While Page listened, Fisk then asked her about her time working at Nelson and Murdock as a secretary, although Page still insisted that she was their office manager, with Fisk noting that she knew all about Matt Murdock's work, which she had confirmed. Fisk, however, then directly asked when Page became aware of Murdock's secret life and, although Page did not verbally answer, Fisk still saw in Page's eyes that this was indeed the case.
Page, however, was not broken by this mistake as she instead asked Fisk if they could talk even more about secrets, calling him by his first name. Page then said James Wesley's name, which confused Fisk as Page asked what it had been like for him when Wesley disappeared, mockingly reminding him of the fear and stress he had experienced when Wesley was no longer answering his phone. As Page went on, Fisk's emotions got the better of him while she questioned if he had been angry with Wesley for disappearing on him, before Page made a comment that Wesley had died quickly, which horrified Fisk.
While Fisk could barely hold himself together, Page told him that he should not be worrying about Murdock and informed him that she was the one who had killed Wesley when she shot him multiple times in the chest, noting that she wanted to shoot him several more times but had run out of bullets. Filled with murderous rage, Fisk got to his feet and roared, but before he could attack, Wellers and J. Lim charged into the room and took Page out in handcuffs, as Foggy Nelson had just arrived there and claimed that Page was planning to assassinate Fisk, which resulted with her being removed before Fisk could kill her, as Fisk was then taken back upstairs for his own protection.[44]
"We will take care of the problem... Dex, rage cannot stay inside. It needs to go somewhere or it becomes a poison. It will kill you from within. I find that when this rage cannot stay buried in me for one more second that a primal scream is the only satisfying release."
Mortified over what Karen Page told him, Fisk then contacted Felix Manning and asked him to bring Benjamin Poindexter for a meeting, having Manning's assassins just outside in case Poindexter did not co-operate as Fisk hoped. Once he arrived, Poindexter expressed his shock at seeing Fisk's secret basement. Poindexter then informed Fisk that Ray Nadeem knew about everything as he and Daredevil had just attempted to break into his Apartment looking for proof of his crimes, so they could expose both Poindexter and Fisk.
Fisk remained calm and promised Poindexter that they would take care of this problem for him. Seeing that he was clearly distressed by everything that happened, including Julie Barnes' disappearance, Fisk got to his feet and then stepped over to Poindexter and made a comment that rage, such as the kind he was holding onto, could not just stay inside as it would become a poison that would kill him. Fisk told Poindexter to unleash out a primal scream to release that rage, which Poindexter did. Fisk then hugged Poindexter and told Manning to send his assassins away, deciding not to kill Poindexter.[44]
In order to keep Ray Nadeem from exposing everything about their recent actions, Fisk ordered Tammy Hattley to murderWinn and then threaten to pin the blame on Nadeem, forcing him to submit to Fisk's leadership. With Nadeem now forced him serving him, Fisk used him and the other agents now under his control to gather together all New York City's biggest crime bosses, so that Fisk could put forward his own dominance over them and then become New York's true Kingpin of Crime.
With everything now in place, Fisk was joined in his secret room by Hattley and Nadeem, as Fisk asked where Shelby was, while Hattley promised that she was on her way before she went to remove Fisk's Ankle Monitor. However, Fisk, in the show of strength, demanded that Nadeem remove it for him. Fisk then followed Hattley, Nadeem and the other FBI agents as they left the Presidential Hotel through a backdoor to get to their cars and make their way towards the crime boss meeting, while Fisk took great pleasure in seeing the horror on Nadeem's face as he realized how much power Fisk had gained.
Knowing that Nadeem had contact with Daredevil, Fisk had him call him up and inform him that Fisk had just left the hotel, in the hopes that he would turn up at the Red Fish Blue Restaurant and try and capture him, at which point, Fisk and his own team of corrupt agents would be able to ambush and finally kill him. Fisk calmly watched as Nadeem made the call before he left the car to check out the area, as Fisk then spoke with Benjamin Poindexter and told him to be ready, noting that Daredevil would know this would be a trap but would still likely come regardless, so Poindexter would have to be ready.
Kingpin presents himself to the mob bosses
Once he had been assured by the FBI that the area was secure, Fisk stepped into the Restaurant and greeted all five of the crime bosses, who had been complaining about the situation which they were still highly confused by. Upon seeing Fisk there, Everett Starr questioned what was going on, to which Fisk had told him that this would be an opportunity for everyone there. Fisk then took a seat with the crime bosses and informed them that he was offering them protection from any FBI investigations and prosecutions, although John Hammer was unconvinced and believed that it was actually a sting operation.
Kingpin offering his deal to the mob bosses
With Sophia Carter also unconvinced by Fisk's offer and calling out to any recording devices that she denied any knowledge about the situation, the only one who showed interest was Rosalie Carbone, who had then asked how much Fisk was demanding for all of this. When Fisk demanded twenty percent of all of their earnings in exchange for his protection, Starr then furiously scoffed, explaining how he believed that Fisk was actually looking to get a confession from them so he could get one more month in the Presidential Hotel in return for sending them back into prison.
Starr continued showing great disrespect to Fisk, commenting on his white suit and the con he made to get into the hotel, before telling him that he would not be contributing to his demands. However, just as Starr said this, Poindexter threw his Billy Club at his head, which fractured Starr's skull as he dropped down dead at the table, blood pouring out of his wound. As Poindexter, now dressed in Daredevil's Suit, stood by Fisk, the crime bosses, including Latimer Zyl all looked on his horror while Fisk raised the price to twenty-five percent, which Carbone and the others agreed to, much to Fisk's pleasure.
As the meeting continued, however, it quickly became apparent that Daredevil had still failed to make an appearance, as Poindexter went in search of the Restaurant and found nothing, which caused Fisk considerable anger as he barely managed to remain seated without launching into a murderous rage. Poindexter then stepped over to Nadeem and questioned if he was actually the one who had warned Daredevil, but Nadeem insisted that they had all heard him on the phone and therefore he had no chance to warn Daredevil. Giving up, Fisk decided to return to the hotel and make a new plan.[2]
Once they left the Restaurant, Fisk was informed by Wellers that they had located Karen Page who was hiding out in Clinton Church. Fisk sat with Poindexter in the car and Fisk told him how he rarely allowed people to know him personally, but James Wesley was one of those people who became a friend, a surrogate son to him before Page had then murdered him. Poindexter asked Fisk if there was something he wanted him to do, to which Fisk had immediately asked Poindexter to murder Page, as Poindexter then smiled and told Fisk to consider it done, before stepping out of the car to complete his mission.[19]
"You've been manipulated, poisoned into believing the news media's fake story that I am evil, that I am a criminal. Quite the opposite is true. Because I challenge the system, because I've told the truth and tried to make this city a better place, the people in power decided to tear me down with false allegations."
Despite all Benjamin Poindexter's best efforts, Karen Page had still managed to survive the attempt on her life due to the intervention of the Daredevil who had come to her rescue and eventually defeated Poindexter,[19] leading to a long hunt for her only for the New York City Police Department to take Page to custody and then let her go free. Fisk's lawyers meanwhile completed their role in exonerating him in the eyes of the law.
Stepping out in front of their New York City general public, Fisk was greeted by their abuse as many demanded that Fisk be taken back to Ryker's Island as they accused him of being a criminal and a cop killer. Fisk, however, had remained calm and watched while Benjamin Donovan stepped forward and addressed the public, informing them that the Court of Appeals had overturned the conviction against Fisk, officially making him a free man once again; however, this news only resulting in more furious booing from those general public who were completely disgusted by the new result which was in Fisk's favor.
Kingpin gives a public speech to the people
Fisk then personally stepped in front of the podium before the angry eyes of the public and reporters from WHiH World News and others as he acknowledged that they might find this news to be difficult to accept, but claimed that they had all been lied to and manipulated, accusing news like the New York Bulletin of planting fake stories that he was a criminal. Fisk went on to claim that he was merely a good man who had stood up against that system and corruption in their city and was then punished for it, which began to result in the public seemingly reconsidering their view on his case as they went silent.
Fisk finalizing his speech to all of the people
Fisk went on to claim that organizations like the Bulletin attempted to tear him down with their false allegations, while also sending out the Daredevil to frame him, using the recent Attack on the Bulletin as well as the Duel at Clinton Church as examples to prove Daredevil was indeed a criminal who was only now showing his own true colors as a killer following the murders of Jasper Evans and Paul Lantom. Fisk concluded his speech by asking the public to believe him, in that the Daredevil was, in fact, their true public enemy number one, which was met with stunned silence from the audience watching him.[38]
"The painting was given to me by the woman that I love. When I am with it, I am with her." "She must be an amazing woman." "Yes, she's given me much in the short time I have had with her. She brought focus to my life. Love, if you will. This painting is bound up in that love. It's part of me. It's part of us."
Once his speech was finished, Fisk returned to his Penthouse where he had Tammy Hattley remove his Ankle Monitor while she had explained that the FBI would continue offering Fisk protection as he would officially continue to be a valuable asset to them with all of the information that he would not actually be providing, with Benjamin Donovan also noting that the FBI was terrified of what the public's reaction would be if he was killed in the near future, as Fisk had then calmly dismissed Hattley.
Fisk discusses how to get his painting back
Fisk then looked over his Penthouse, which was being covered with his artworks before asking where Vanessa Marianna was, to which Donovan explained that she was currently in the sky and had almost reached New York City. Looking at the last blank wall where he had intended to hang his beloved Rabbit in a Snowstorm, Fisk noted that the only thing left to do was to get it back, although Nicholas Lee had noted that they had recently doubled their original offer to buy it back but were still having no luck, to which Fisk told them that he would go there in person and make a more compelling offer himself.
Fisk went to the Residence of Esther Falb, the current owner of the Rabbit in a Snowstorm, as Falb opened the door and explained that she knew exactly who Fisk was and demanded that he remove his shoes before coming into her home, which took Fisk off guard. Once inside, Fisk first took a moment to look at his beloved Rabbit in the Snowstorm, commenting on how beautiful and peaceful it was, while Falb noted that the painting had been through quite a lot, noting that it was finally back home and questioned if Fisk had just come there to offer her more money for it as they sat opposite each other.
Fisk said that he understood that Falb became aware of the painting when he was sent to Ryker's Island and the painting was taken away from him by the government, as Falb admitted it was true. Fisk then explained to Falb how he had bought the painting from Marianna at the Scene Contempo Gallery and told her that he felt connected to Marianna whenever he looked at it, as Falb then commented on how power Fisk and Marianna's love clearly was. Falb explained her own relationship with that concept of love and told Fisk that the painting was not Marianna's to give away, which had surprised Fisk.
Although Fisk still tried to argue that Marianna was unaware of the painting's true origins, Falb was just offended as she explained how during World War II, she personally witnessed the Gestapo coming to her family and demanding everything that they had, including that painting, which had resulted with the Gestapo killing her father. Falb asked Fisk if he knew what it was like to see his father die in front of him, but before he could answer Falb continued her story of how she was marched across Poland and suffered along the way, telling Fisk that the painting was her only connection to that lost family.
Falb then called Fisk a wolf and claimed that it was men just like him who had killed her family and took away her ability to love, which had horrified Fisk. When Falb told Fisk that she would not allow him to take anything more from her, Fisk acknowledged that she had been through a terrible amount of suffering and had told her that he knew Marianna would want Falb to keep the painting. Getting onto his feet, Fisk was asked if this was meant to mean anything to Falb, to which Fisk claimed that while it did not, it still meant a lot to him. Fisk took one final look at Rabbit in a Snowstorm before walking away.
Disappointed about that result, Fisk was being driven back towards the Presidential Hotel where he was informed by Wellers about their current situation with Karen Page, with that she had just been taken into custody by Brett Mahoney, which Ray Nadeem had just allowed, which would result in Page being allowed to walk free. Fisk took this news with considerable anger as he asked Wellers to give him his jacket, before wrapping it around Wellers' head and furiously beating him until Wellers was dead, as Fisk told the driver to pull over and dump Wellers' corpse into the street while Fisk relaxed.[38]
"I don't have your eye but I hung them where I guessed you might like them. We can move them all or buy other ones, whatever you like. I had thought that you might want to curate a collection and display it throughout the hotel."
Believing that Ray Nadeem had betrayed him, Fisk sent his team of assassins over into Nadeem's own house with the intention of killing his entire family out of revenge, only for Daredevil to arrive and help Nadeem and his family to escape.[38] However, Fisk's concerns with Nadeem were put back when he learned that Vanessa Marianna was almost in New York City, as Fisk immediately went out to greet her helicopter once it arrived, although Johnson tried to give Fisk an update about Nadeem's escape.
Fisk had then watched with sheer joy as Marianna stepped out of her helicopter and he was able to lay eyes on her for the first time in two years, ever since the FBI had taken him away to Ryker's Island and Marianna had then consequently been forced to make her escape away to Europe to ensure that she was not also arrested. As they had stepped over to each other, Fisk and Marianna had held the hands of each other as Marianna flashed a beautiful smiled at him and greeted him, which filled Fisk's heart with sheer joy. Softly resting their heads together, they took in the happiness of a long dreamed reunion.
Escorted by the FBI, Fisk then took Marianna back to the Presidential Hotel, while Fisk opened the door for his love and explained how the hotel had three restaurants, a spa and all of the staff that Marianna could ever need. While Marianna clearly delighted in this, Fisk noted that everything he had listed was all theirs, admitting that he had just bought the Hotel for Marianna to enjoy, noting that their Penthouse had the best view of New York City, commenting that it was their city to enjoy now that they were finally back together, to which Marianna noted that it was clear everything that Fisk had ever wanted.
As Fisk and Marianna had arrived on their floor, they found Benjamin Poindexter was waiting for them, although Fisk simply dismissed him despite Poindexter claiming to have something important to say. Fisk then showed Marianna the Penthouse, which had been decorated with candles and artwork ahead of her arrival, with the dinner table laid and waiting for her. As Marianna walked around in silence, Fisk offered to get her a drink, which Marianna turned down while Fisk commented that he had tried to decorate with his artwork as best he could, acknowledging that Marianna had better taste than he did.
As Fisk suggested that Marianna could curate her own collection to be displayed in the hotel, Marianna smiled and thanked him for being so generous to her, while Fisk insisted that he had only wanted her to feel welcome once she had arrived. Fisk then offered Marianna some food, however, she explained that she was not hungry but was just tired from her long trip back from Europe, as Fisk said that he should have realized that all of this could be overwhelming for her. Marianna then went upstairs to take her bath before going to sleep, leaving the disappointed Fisk stood alone inside his Penthouse once more.[45]
"This matter will be handled, but not by you." "I can handle Agent Nadeem." "Do nothing. It is clear that I have put too great a burden on your shoulders."
The next morning, Fisk sat in his Penthouse and looked at the empty wall where Rabbit in a Snowstorm was meant to be hung, until Fisk was then greeted by the arrival of Benjamin Poindexter, who came with his breakfast. When Poindexter then asked if he could get him anything else, Fisk simply ignored him, until Poindexter gave his apologies for his failure at killing Karen Page which Fisk had asked him to do, as he instead blamed Ray Nadeem's interference with Brett Mahoney for Page managing to get away from him with her life.
Fisk simply remained silent while Poindexter vowed that because of everything that Fisk had done for him, he would track down and kill Page, to which Fisk finally spoke up and told Poindexter that he would have another agent take charge of assassinating Page for him. While Poindexter attempted to defend himself and insisted that he could still handle Nadeem, Fisk commented that he simply wanted Poindexter to do nothing, commenting that he now believed that he had simply put too much of a burden onto Poindexter's shoulders, which led to this failure, much to Poindexter's disappointment.[45]
"What's unclear to me is how you failed to kill him!" "Daredevil interfered. The men responsible have all been eliminated however, the ultimate responsibility does rest with me. If you would like my resignation, I understand." "You protected her two years. You kept Vanessa safe."
Later that same morning, Fisk made his traditional breakfast omelet as he waited for Vanessa Marianna to get up, as Marianna claimed that a long flight usually made her exhausted. Marianna thanked Fisk for making her favorite breakfast as she sat opposite him, with Fisk desperate to make Marianna's breakfast perfect as he questioned if she wanted anything more. Despite everything, Fisk suspected that something was wrong, as he had asked her to tell him what it was so that he could try to make it right.
Marianna explained to Fisk that while she had been away, she had always been surrounded by his bodyguards, which lead to the life where she was always fine and the day was always nice, but nothing more. Marianna commented on one day she had in Bilbao where she was surrounded by hundreds of people and yet felt incredibly alone, as Fisk acknowledged that they had both been lonely since being apart. Marianna told Fisk that despite their reunion, she still felt a certain level of distance, as Fisk asked what he could do to change this for Marianna, still desperate to make her comfortable.
However, they were interrupted by Felix Manning's arrival as he first apologized and asked for a private word, as Fisk then apologized to Marianna before leaving. Once inside of his basement, Fisk warned Manning never to discuss their business in front of Marianna, before Manning explained that Ray Nadeem had still not been located, but suspected that he would be taken to the Supreme Court Building due to an increase in their security, which could mean that Nadeem could intend to testify against Fisk. Enraged by this update, Fisk demanded to know just how Manning had still failed to kill Nadeem.
Clearly nervous, Manning explained that Daredevil had prevented them from killing Nadeem, commenting that he had executed those men responsible but offered his resignation if Fisk still blamed him personally for this failure. Considering this for a moment, Fisk then calmed back down and had commented on how Manning had been able to keep Marianna safe in Europe for two years while Fisk had been in Ryker's Island, commenting that he would provide Manning with whatever he needed to ensure that Nadeem was killed and that Fisk would not be indicted by Nadeem's legal testimony.
Under Fisk's orders, Manning sent out his assassins to attempt to kill Nadeem as he and Matt Murdock made their way across New York City towards the Court Building, resulting in a furious chase across the streets which Nadeem barely survived. However, while Nadeem and Murdock made it to the building, Fisk had already threatened the jury, resulting in them choosing not to indict Fisk. Once this had been done, Fisk watched Blake Tower speaking on WHiH World News as he announced the news, while Fisk saw his success over Nadeem's attempt to return him to prison with considerable satisfaction.[45]
"Vanessa, it's one thing to know my work, but it's another to dirty your hands with it." "My hands were never clean. If you truly want me share your life with me. Fully."
With the threat of Ray Nadeem indicting him done with, Fisk had then returned into his Penthouse where he found Vanessa Marianna sitting alone, finding her beside Rabbit in a Snowstorm, while the surprised Fisk questioned how it got there. Marianna then explained that the painting had been a gift from Benjamin Poindexter who had claimed that he managed to convince Esther Falb to part with it, as Fisk noted how he had intended for the painting to remain with Falb.
Marianna then told Fisk that Poindexter had asked to be thought of as their new James Wesley, as she questioned if this was accurate, which Fisk immediately denied, only claiming that Poindexter could be useful to them. As they were talking, Fisk noticed a drop of blood on the frame of the painting, which was likely Falb's, before Marianna questioned if Poindexter was dangerous, to which Fisk insisted that it was nothing for her to be concerned about. Fisk promised that he would handle Poindexter, while Marianna demanded to know exactly how, despite Fisk attempting to insist that it was not important.
Marianna told Fisk that this was still important for her and insisted they finally start speaking plainly to each other. Marianna admitted that when she met him at the Scene Contempo Gallery, she was fascinated by his strength and brutality, making her want to observe him while she began to fall in love with him. However, Marianna then insisted that if he continued hiding things, she would still be as lonely in New York City as she was in Europe, noting how Fisk stopped his people talking in front of her and she wanted to be a part of his real world, although Fisk warned her about dirtying her own hands.
Marianna insisted that her hands were never clean and asked Fisk to share his life with her, as Fisk took Marianna's hand and asked her to follow him. Entering his basement, Fisk found Felix Manning as well as Shelby, who were both surprised to see that he had just allowed Marianna to come inside, with Fisk confirmed that he was keeping a watch on everybody he felt he needed to. With Fisk's permission to speak freely, Manning then gave Fisk and Marianna his new update on Nadeem, who had been found in his house, commenting that Nadeem's testimony remained sealed and inadmissible.
Manning still suggested keeping Nadeem alive due to the public nature of his testimony, with Fisk suggesting that they force Nadeem to stand trial for the murder of Winn to turn the FBI against him and discrediting him in the press. Marianna, however, questioned how much Nadeem knew and how determined he was to hurt his business, before she suggested that instead they had Nadeem killed, telling Fisk to recruit Poindexter to assassinate Nadeem, which Fisk agreed to, resulting in Nadeem's corpse later being found in his own swimming pool, having been shot in the head by Poindexter.[45]
Wedding Preparations[]
Fisk picking out clothing for his wedding
"A terrifying thought occurred to me, that perhaps my feelings were a trick. The self-deception of a vain man. That the only reason why I love you is because of the way I see my reflection in your eyes. That thought, it fills me with dread. The fear that that I don't deserve you and that I am broken."
With Fisk's crimes now seemingly exonerated in the eyes of media, the people of New York City came to believe that Daredevil had set him up, Fisk set his focus on marrying Vanessa Marianna. While Fisk looked through his suits to find the perfect outfit to wear for their wedding, he also listened to the news as they discussed his conviction being overturned, questioning Karen Page and Blake Tower's recent attacks against him which were seemingly proven wrong.
Fisk choosing a flower to wear for his suit
While Fisk chose which flower to wear on his suit, he found himself still haunted by the image of his younger self, covered in his father's blood. Marianna then came to visit Fisk, showing off her wedding dress while Fisk questioned if he really looked as nervous as he was, to which Marianna simply smiled and admitted that he did, calling it charming. Sitting Marianna down beside him, Fisk admitted that he never believed he could feel such love until he met her at the Scene Contempo Gallery, also claiming that he did not believe he was even capable of feeling such a love for another person like her.
Fisk told Marianna that he cared for her and her happiness more than anything else in his life. However, Fisk then also confessed that this concept had given him a terrible thought that perhaps his feelings were actually just a trick, and his vanity getting the best of him as his love for Marianna could just be due to how he saw his own reflection in her eyes. Fisk confessed that this thought filled him with dread, as he feared that he was unworthy of Marianna's love and was actually just a broken man, incapable of feeling that true love that he had so desperately wanted to feel for Marianna ever since meeting her.
Fisk facing his reflection on the mirror
Despite Fisk's confessions about his own fears for his love for her, Marianna still claimed that everyone in the world was already broken, and the trick was instead to find the person whose broken pieces fit with your own, claiming that their own broken pieces just fit together perfectly. Helping him chose an outfit, Marianna handed Fisk a rose to wear on his suit as he smelled it softly, as Fisk turned around and faced his reflection in the mirror, with Marianna sat behind him while they prepared to finally marry one another as they had planned for so long, ever since they had been separated two years earlier.[46]
"I should have never let Dex get that close to you." "Be angry later. Be smart now. Listen to me. We need to run." "You didn't make a mistake marrying me." "I know that. But now, be smart. For both of us."
Fisk had invited several key figures in New York City's crime world to his wedding at Presidential Hotel, including some more high ranking criminal bosses from his previous meetings, including John Hammer and Latimer Zyl, who had arrived along with Rosalie Carbone, with both Hammer and Zyl still complaining about Fisk being so bold as to summon them all there at such short notice. Fisk and Vanessa Marianna then begun the wedding ceremony, with Fisk becoming momentarily lost in Marianna's eyes before continuing the ceremony.
Having said "I do," Fisk and Marianna then finally wed one another, getting a round of applause from those in attendance. Heading into the dance hall, Fisk and Marianna stepped out to greet their guests, as Carbone first congratulated Marianna on a beautiful gown and ceremony before also speaking with Fisk, with Carbone noting her amusement at Fisk having her sat next to the prosecutor who had attempted to send her to prison. Carbone noted that she had been satisfied when she made the prosecutor hold her purse, noting that she knew this was due to the tax that she was paying to Fisk.
Fisk and Marianna were both then called up to have their first dance together as a married couple, while almost every single guest took out their phones to record their dance. As Fisk happily danced with the woman he loved in his arms, they soon noticed that something seemed to be wrong, since everybody in the room began watching a video that had been sent to all the phones at the same time. While Fisk tried to ignore this, he eventually grabbed a phone and realized the video was of Ray Nadeem, confessing his crimes and the crimes of the FBI moments before his death, exposing Fisk to the world.
As confusion mounted, Tammy Hattley informed Fisk that something was wrong and several agents were down. At that moment, Fisk and Marianna looked in horror as Benjamin Poindexter, dressed back in the Daredevil Suit, got on the stage and gave his toast to the couple, having just discovered that Fisk had Julie Barnes killed. Poindexter then threw the microphone directly at Marianna's head, only for it to be blocked by the arrival of Daredevil. Fisk and Marianna were then dragged away to safety, as Daredevil and Poindexter furiously fought each other, both intended to attack Fisk for their own reasons.[46]
Once they made it back into their Penthouse, Fisk expressed his fury at Benjamin Poindexter being able to attack them and ruin their wedding, while Vanessa Marianna commented on the threat that Ray Nadeem posed to them which was why she had ordered his death. Fisk vowed to discredit Nadeem and get revenge on Poindexter, only for Marianna to tell him to hold back his anger so that they could escape, knowing Poindexter still posed a serious threat.
Fisk commented to Marianna that she had not made a mistake with marrying him, which she accepted but still pushed him to escape with her before Poindexter could come after them. Just as Fisk made it upstairs to the bedroom where he planned on escaping through the basement door, he found himself face to face with Daredevil. Seeing his enemy again, Fisk told Marianna to run, as Daredevil commented that everything Fisk had rebuilt was now done with. Filled with rage, both Kingpin and Daredevil roared at one another before Daredevil charged at Kingpin, knocking him straight through a wall.
Fisk soon gained control of the fight as he furiously threw Daredevil through a wall and began beating down on him with all his might until Daredevil was able to get back onto his feet and, with a few well-placed strikes, knocked Fisk down the stairs. However, Fisk became distracted from his fight with Daredevil as he saw that Poindexter had entered the Penthouse and was making his way to Marianna, as he intended to kill her in revenge for Julie Barnes' death. Daredevil, however, was the one to get to Poindexter first, kicking him away and getting Marianna to safety as he and Poindexter began to fight.
Before Poindexter could throw items at Marianna to try and kill her, Fisk had charged towards him and then began furiously beating him against a brick wall, although Poindexter's quick reflexes allowed him to dodge the punches as Fisk accidentally punched the brick wall, causing him considerable pain. While Poindexter landed some strikes against Fisk and hit him with a steel bowl, he had proved no match against Fisk's rage as he threw Poindexter up the stairs, beating him against the walls before launching him back as Poindexter had then smashed straight through the glass and landed on the table below.
While Poindexter was briefly taken out of the fight, Fisk was attacked by Daredevil, only for Fisk's rage to allow him then take Daredevil's punches as he punched him back and, with all his rage built up, lifted Daredevil straight into the air and smashed him straight through the kitchen table before continuing to beat him down. This was soon broken up as Poindexter attempted to kill them both by breaking a chandelier over their heads, only for Daredevil to kick Fisk back and roll away himself before it could land on them, while Poindexter had continued throwing knives at Fisk, hitting his protective jacket.
Kingpin rips shards of glass out of his body
This clash was once again taken away by Daredevil, who blocked everything that Poindexter threw at him before fighting him one on one, while Fisk wrapped Marianna in his coat and attempted to use the distraction to take her away to safety. However, Poindexter soon managed to subdue Daredevil while throwing him through a window before picking up some shards of broken glass and throwing them at Fisk who, now without his protective jacket, was impaled by the shards, causing him considerable pain. While Fisk ripped the shards out of his skin, Daredevil had continued battling against Poindexter.
Despite Daredevil soon regaining the upper hand over Poindexter as he had beat him down, Poindexter had spotted an opportunity to kill Marianna, as he grabbed a steel bowl and threw it with considerable force at her head, only for Daredevil to leap up at the last moment and block it from hitting Marianna. Fisk, enraged by Poindexter's continued attempts to murder his wife, charged at him and lifted him up off the ground before slamming Poindexter's back straight into a brick wall in the corner at full force. This resulted in Poindexter's spine being crushed, leaving him paralyzed on the floor.
Now with Poindexter out of their fight, Fisk turned his attention back to Daredevil and, despite being wounded by Poindexter's last attack, Fisk continued attempting to beat Daredevil to death. However, it soon became apparent that, no matter how much strength and rage Fisk still had, Daredevil remained the superior fighter and still had more energy than Fisk, as Daredevil managed to land several strong hits against Fisk, beating him down until Fisk then managed to land a head butt that knocked Daredevil back for a brief moment, while Fisk then locked eyes with Marianna who had continued watching.
Distracted by looking at his beloved wife, Fisk lowered his arms and allowed Daredevil to continue beating him, as Fisk was beaten down onto his knees and repeatedly struck in the face, as Fisk's blood had stained Rabbit in a Snowstorm as Fisk was finally beaten down into submission. As Marianna screamed in horror, Daredevil considered snapping Fisk's neck, only to stop himself and roar in rage, while Fisk still told Daredevil that he would continue hunting Karen Page as well as Foggy Nelson and he would expose Daredevil's true identity to the world and demanding that Daredevil kill him once and for all.
Knowing that his death would destroy Daredevil's soul forever, Fisk noted that no prison like Ryker's Island would be able to hold him in and continued to demand that Daredevil kill him. Daredevil, however, refused to allow Fisk to destroy who he was, furiously vowing that Fisk would spend the rest of his life in his cage, being kept far away from Marianna and knowing that New York City had rejected him and that Daredevil had beaten him. Daredevil had then lifted up his mask, revealing Matt Murdock underneath, while demanding that Fisk keep his secret and never attempt to assassinate Page or Nelson.
Daredevil had then threatened that if he did not agree, then he would prove that Marianna ordered the death of Ray Nadeem. Looking at Marianna, Fisk confessed that he had failed her and admitted that this had been the happiest day of his life, as she told him that all she ever wanted was him. With that, Fisk agreed to Daredevil's terms in order to keep Marianna safe. Having shaken hands, Fisk watched as Daredevil left before Brett Mahoney and his team arrived to arrest Fisk and Marianna, taking the paralyzed Poindexter into custody as Mahoney acknowledged Poindexter was not the real Daredevil.
Having finally been defeated, Fisk was taken outside in handcuffs by Mahoney, along with several FBI agents who had also been exposed by Nadeem's video, including Tammy Hattley. While Fisk was being moved to Mahoney's police car to be taken back to prison, he asked Mahoney to have one final chance to say goodbye to Marianna, who was being put into a separate police car; however, Mahoney refused as he noted how Fisk had not done the same for all the men who he murdered. As Marianna was taken away from him, Fisk roared out in frustration before being taken into police custody once again.[46]
Rebuilding an Empire[]
Re-Establishing Power[]
"Well, that's the guy I've been worried about this whole time. Kingpin."
In 2018, Fisk survived the Snap. By 2021, he was freed from prison, still retaining some of his criminal power and influence. With the intention of getting all of his lost power back,[47] Fisk reassumed his alliance with the Tracksuit Mafia, with William Lopez as his second-in-command.[48] During this time, Fisk returned to wearing his father's cufflinks rather than the ones his wife had chosen for him. As a means to expand his reach and generate additional revenue, Fisk founded Sloan Limited to serve as a front for money laundering[7] and Fisk Shipping, a railway cargo shipping company with facilities in multiple states.[8][49] He also built relationships with other leaders of the criminal underworld in New York City.[11]
Fisk's plans to maintain his empire were interrupted when Ronin started hunting down criminals across the globe, making Fisk his target.[50] Seeking to take advantage of his situation, Fisk tipped off Ronin about Lopez's business at the Fat Man Auto Repair through an informant so as to ensure that Ronin would find Lopez. Fisk informed Kazi Kazimierczak about his plans, and despite his loyalty to Lopez, he was not present at the location when the attack was supposed to occur. As a result, Ronin massacred multiple Tracksuit Mafia members, including Lopez. With Lopez gone, Fisk took over his activities and started taking care of Maya.[48] Fisk was approached by Henry Lopez, who wanted to leave their business after his brother's death. In response, Fisk threatened to kill Henry if he tried to walk away and appointed him to manage the Fisk Shipping facility in Tamaha, Oklahoma.[16]
In 2021, Fisk was informed that Maya Lopez was being arrested by the New York City Police Department, so he went to pick her up personally as the officers, recognizing him, chose not to stand in his way. With the help of an interpreter, Fisk told Lopez that her reckless behavior concerned him, adding that he mourned her father as well and that he understood her rage. Lopez doubted that he understood what she felt, so Fisk told her that his father was killed as well when he was twelve years old, omitting the fact that he had been the one to kill him. Fisk added that the pain he felt at the moment his father died was something he had never felt again since, and asked Lopez to let him help her channel her rage in a constructive way.
Fisk sent Lopez to assist his men in attacking a rival criminal enterprise that were planning to move on his territory, in which they succeeded even despite Daredevil's interference. Fisk commended on Lopez's performance, noting that none of his men could hold their own against the vigilante the same way as she did. Fisk asked her if she found his exercise useful to her and Lopez replied positively to Fisk's satisfaction. He stated that Lopez lacked a purpose and a place to call her own, but now that she was with Fisk, he would make sure she had everything she needed.
Fisk started teaching Lopez, while falsely assuring her that he dedicated all of his resources to finding Ronin and bringing him to justice. Lopez made Fisk promise that when he found Ronin, she would be the one to kill him to avenge her father, which Fisk agreed with.[8] Fisk assigned Lopez to multiple missions, and during one of their Sunday evening dinners, Fisk raised a toast for Lopez stating that she had completed her final lesson, telling Lopez that she was ready to put her skills to a practical use. He then dismissed the ASL interpreter while signifying to one of his men to assassinate her in the hallway and get rid of the body. Lopez then became one of Fisk's most trusted subordinates and murdered many people on his behalf.[16] Fisk also gave Lopez her father's position as commander of the Tracksuit Mafia, with Kazi Kazimierczak appointed as her second-in-command.[48]
In December 2024, Fisk learned that Armand Duquesne III had become aware that Eleanor Bishop was working for him and had threatened to expose them both, leading to Fisk deciding to have him murdered,[50] so he would not be able to disclose the sensible information.[51] Fisk ordered Bishop to do it, covering their tracks by altering the data to make Jack Duquesne listed as the CEO of Sloan Limited. When Clint Barton appeared in the city and targeted Fisk's business, Fisk became concerned that an Avenger had taken an interest in his operations, so he put a bounty on Barton's head and had Bishop hire Yelena Belova to assassinate him.
Fisk was invited to attend a meeting with Bishop, as Bishop reminded Fisk of their good relationship and how she had always done as she was told, to which Fisk noted that this was expected while she still held a debt to him, which Derek Bishop had left behind after his death in the Battle of New York. While Bishop insisted she had paid off this debt, Fisk noted she had made herself wealthy as well, noting he helped provide this.
As Bishop reminded Fisk that she had killed Armand, and caused her fiancé to take the blame, she explained that her daughter had returned to New York City, and was getting too close to learn the truth, which Bishop refused to allow. Fisk stated that there cannot be lines drawn in his business, to which Bishop told him that she would instead leave the business entirely, as Fisk demanded her not to be rash.
Ignoring Fisk's warnings, Bishop explained that she had kept copies of all their dealings as her own insurance policy against him, believing that this would protect her from Fisk's fury. In the spirit of the holidays, Fisk gave Bishop a minute to rethink the decision that she was making, but Bishop declared that she did not need a minute, and proceeded to walk out of the meeting, leaving Fisk enraged.[7]
"An Avenger has taken an outsized interest in our operations, and the Bishop woman, she thinks that she can quit her job, as if she works for Goldman Sachs. And Maya... My Maya... She's turned on us."
While Fisk was making plans with Kazi Kazimierczak, they were then joined by Maya Lopez, as Fisk got to his feet and noted that he had seen Lopez at the end of several tough fights, but there was something more going on, with Fisk inviting Lopez to tell him about her fights with Ronin, all while Kazimierczak translated. As Lopez said nothing, Fisk reminded her that he had taught her to keep a low profile.
In response, Lopez apologized to Fisk, admitting that she had gotten carried away, with Kazimierczak continuing to translate for Fisk. When Lopez noted that Fisk knew what her father had meant to her, Fisk then insisted that he meant a lot to all of them, continuing to maintain the lie that he was not involved in his death. Lopez then told Fisk that she had come to her senses, promising that she would focus on the job.
Surprised, Fisk noted that this was quite the change of heart, to which Lopez noted that no matter what she did, she could not bring her father back, and that finding whoever killed him, would not change anything, with Fisk still not reacting to the references to her father's killer. Instead, Fisk had told Lopez that her father would have wanted her to move on, suggesting he wished her father could see the woman she became.
Lopez had then asked Fisk if she could have a couple of days off from her work in order to clear her head, which Fisk had agreed with, noting that it seemed reasonable in the circumstances. Once Lopez went to leave, Fisk stopped her, before telling her in sign language that he loved her, which Lopez said back to him. With that, Lopez left, although Fisk still remained skeptical about her true intentions, as he had considered what to do.
Fisk complaining about the complications
Fisk began to complain to Kazimierczak about Ronin seemingly returning to New York City, while he also had to deal with Hawkeye taking an interest in his operations. As Fisk became increasingly angry about all of these complications which had arisen, he had then raged about Eleanor Bishop quitting her position within his organization, seemingly not taking their operation's work as seriously as they had needed her to do.
Fisk suggests that he takes his power back
Fisk had then concluded that Lopez had also seemingly turned against him and their Tracksuit Mafia, which Kazimierczak agreed with, as they both believed that Lopez had most likely uncovered the truth about her father's death. Fisk asked Kazimierczak what he thought they should do about it, wanted to test his loyalty. Fisk stepped up to Kazimierczak and noted that people needed to be reminded that he owned the city.[7]
Remaining enraged by Eleanor Bishop's decision to leave his organisation, Fisk sent the Tracksuit Mafia to Rockefeller Center to assassinate her, with Kazi Kazimierczak leading all their attacks. However, the Tracksuits were confronted by Hawkeye and Kate Bishop, allowing Eleanor to escape. Despite this, Fisk caught up to Eleanor's car and furiously killed her driver, before he ripped the car door away.
As Fisk told Eleanor that he would not allow her to leave, and attempted to pull her out of the car, he was confronted by Kate, who aimed her Bow and Arrow at Fisk, demanding he leave her mother alone. Unimpressed, Fisk questioned what she would do with the weapon, to which Kate then responded by shooting an arrow into Fisk's chest. However, Fisk's hidden body armor allowed him to survive the shot, as he snapped the arrow.
Shocked by this, Kate took a grappling arrow at shot at Fisk again, only for him to grab it in mid air, and then furiously pull Kate towards him, before punching her in the air, knocking her back down onto the ground. As Fisk removed his jacket and prepared to kill Kate, he was suddenly and unexpectedly struck by Eleanor's car, as she had moved into the driver's seat and driven at him, causing Fisk to crash through a shop window.
Fisk soon recovered from the impact and got back onto his feet, ready to kill Eleanor, who was injured from the impact. However, Kate had once again stood between Fisk and his revenge, as she attempted to punch him, only for Fisk to grapple with his bow, insisting that Kate was in over her head. Fisk managed to throw Kate to the ground and moved towards Eleanor, as Kate fired an electrified shield arrow, blocking Fisk's path.
This enraged Fisk even more, as Kate attempted to attack him again, only for Fisk to punch her hard in the stomach, knocking her across the room. Fisk attacked Kate as she attempted to crawl away, grabbing hold of her Quiver and throwing her across the room, before breaking her arrows in half, telling her to mind her business. Despite these warnings, Kate again attempted to get Fisk into an armlock, only for him to throw her aside.
In spite of everything, Kate still refused to give up, as she slid under Fisk's legs and confronted him again, only for Fisk to push her backwards once more, with Fisk telling her that she was beginning to annoy him. However, as Fisk had taken a step towards her, walking over all of the broken trick arrows, Kate had then revealed that she had managed to steal one of his cufflinks, which she flicked down at the broken arrows.
Once the cufflink had struck the broken arrow heads, it caused a chain reaction, as multiple arrows exploded at once, causing a massive fireball, fireworks and shockwaves. All of these blasts happened directly under Fisk's feet, causing him to get thrown backwards and hitting his head against a pillar, knocking him unconscious. Once Kate was sure Fisk was unconscious and unable to fight, she went to check on her mother.[7]
Eventually, the New York City Police Department arrived at the scene and arrested Eleanor Bishop for her part in all of Fisk's schemes, but Fisk had managed to get out of the scene before the officers could find him. Still wounded following his battle against Kate Bishop, Fisk painfully made his way through the streets of New York City, until his path was blocked by a car.
As the car pulled up in front of him, Fisk had then realized that the driver was Maya Lopez, as he breathed a sigh of relief, only for Lopez to reveal a gun. Fisk soon realized that Lopez had indeed learned that Fisk had been responsible for her father's death at the hands of Ronin. Fisk then told Lopez that they were family, and that families did not always see eye to eye. Lopez responded by shooting him, causing Fisk to fall down.[7]
Fisk recovering from his gunshot wound
Lopez had assumed that Fisk was killed by the gun and fled the scene, unaware that he survived the shot and was put under hospital care, with only his left eye blinded. However, rumors spread that he had been killed, with a bounty being put on Lopez's head, while Fisk had remained in the hospital receiving medical treatment, his damaged eye being protected with an eyepatch while it healed.[8]
Five months later, Fisk finally recovered enough and was able to leave the hospital. He was informed that the Black Knife Cartel found Maya Lopez in Tamaha and was about to kill her in retribution for destroying one of their arms shipment in New York. He called Zane and ordered him and his men to stand down, just as he was about to execute both Lopez and her uncle. Fisk then decided to see Lopez personally and took his private jet to Oklahoma, awaiting her return at the Battiest Residence.[52] As Fisk approached her, Lopez immediately tried to distance herself, before Fisk's men surrounded and subdued her.
While she struggled, Fisk came closer and applied Translator Contact Lens to her eyes, which he commissioned so they could converse freely. Shocked that Fisk was not dead, she asked why he was there, to which Fisk replied that he simply wanted to have a Sunday family dinner like they used to. Lopez snarked that it was Tuesday but she entered the house with Fisk regardless. As they went to the dining room, Fisk told Lopez that he was not angry with her, while taking off his eyepatch and showing Lopez the damage from the gunshot. Fisk said that Lopez only did what she thought she had to do, which impressed him, and remarked that there must be a part of her that was happy to see Fisk alive.
Lopez disagreed with that, saying that she wanted him dead, but Fisk argued that the expression of relief on her face said otherwise. He expressed his disappointment that Lopez was so quick to assume the worst and turn against Fisk, as she used to see him as a hero, but she said that was no longer the case. Fisk replied that despite everything, he still cared about her and did not want to see her getting hurt. Fisk presented Lopez with wine he had brought, and she told him that she would open it. Fisk explored the house and looked at the picture of Lopez and her family, and once she returned, Lopez nonchalantly said that she poured the wine down the drain, which did not upset Fisk too much.
As the two sat down with cookies from Lopez's favorite bakery, Fisk accidentally dropped some kitchenware and seeing Lopez alerted at him holding a knife, Fisk simply handed it to Lopez. Fisk insisted that he knew everything about Lopez and they cannot trust anyone but each other. Lopez then inquired why Fisk actually came to her, so he proposed her to come back to New York City with him, adding that he is willing to hand over the control of his criminal empire to her in exchange. Seeing Lopez conflicted, Fisk said that he would be waiting at the Choctaw Casino until tomorrow, asking Lopez to consider his offer, before leaving.[16]
On the next night, while Fisk was at the Choctaw Casino, Maya Lopez arrived and held him at the gunpoint, as Fisk anticipated her trying to kill him again. Fisk took a seat in the chair and told Lopez that he had always loved her like a daughter, but Lopez replied that all her childhood was only a fantasy that made her view him as a hero, instead of a monster. Fisk argued that at every point, Lopez knew what she was a part of and never questioned why she had to kill all those people. Lopez did not budge and claimed that Fisk isolated her from a normal life but never truly cared about her, implying that he gave her Translator Contact Lens only because he never cared enough to learn ASL.
In response, Fisk lashed out at her that he was always there for her but admitted that he had failed Lopez, the same way his own father failed him. Fisk then showed Lopez a hammer that he kept as a memorabilia of what he had to do to become the man he was now. He told Lopez that his father only felt strong when he was abusing his mother, so Fisk had to become stronger and stop him. Lopez was shocked to find out that Fisk killed his own father, to which Fisk responded that he had to do it to become free and move forward with his life. Fisk then handed the hammer over to Lopez, encouraging her to kill him and free herself like he did, while also freeing Fisk himself.
Lopez hesitated for a few moments, before refusing to go along with Fisk's suggestion and put the hammer away. Fisk remarked that both of them have come the full circle now, adding that he expects her to return with him tomorrow. The next morning, Fisk boarded his private jet and waited for Lopez, however, he was informed by his subordinates that Lopez left Tamaha and they were unable to tail her, which greatly enraged him.[16]
Fisk later came to a postal office, where he saw Chula Battiest dropping several envelops, so he helped her pick them up. Battiest noted that Fisk was not a local, asking if he came for the powwow, to which he elusively agreed to. Fisk noted that he did not expect to see so many people in town, to which Battiest replied that guests come all over for the Choctaw powwows. Fisk then took notice of Battiest's necklace, which said "I love you" in ASL, and when Battiest asked if Fisk could sign, he said that he was trying for his niece. Battiest said that she learned ASL for her late daughter and Fisk mentioned that he also lost a person he loved which hurt him quite a lot. Battiest told him that she kept it up for her granddaughter, but when Fisk asked about her, he confirmed that they were both talking about Lopez all along.[11]
"I'm a part of them, and they're a part of me. I'm their legacy... not yours." "Good, now I know how much it will hurt you when I kill the rest of your family. Just like I killed your father!"
Fisk then ordered his men to capture Chula Battiest and Bonnie, while the Black Knife Cartel infiltrated the Choctaw Nation Powwow and waited until for further orders. Maya Lopez confronted Fisk with a gun in her hand, but Fisk revealed that he had Battiest and Bonnie as his hostages, while his men surrounded Lopez.
With Bonnie acting as an interpreter, Fisk expressed his disappointment in Lopez, who betrayed him after he offered her everything, but Lopez argued that Fisk was the one who betrayed her. She insisted that Battiest and Bonnie were her true family and they had nothing to do with this, to which Fisk replied that now he knew how much it would hurt her when he killed them just like he killed Lopez's father.
Fisk forced to relive his childhood trauma
Fisk then ordered his men to attack Lopez, however, she was able to summon the powers of her ancestors and pass them over to Battiest and Bonnie. To Fisk's shock, the three of them were able to fight back against his men. Fisk then attempted to charge at Lopez himself, but she was able to stop him by touching his heart with her powers. She then tapped into his mind and sent Fisk into the memories of his childhood, where he found himself at his old house. Fisk was able to hear his father abusing his mother through the cracked wall, which made him succumb to his trauma.
As Fisk was on the verge of a breakdown, Lopez appeared in front of him and told Fisk that he must let go of the pain and anger inside of him. She pleaded with him, saying that he was still her uncle no matter what and he must shut out the voice of his father, but Fisk screamed that he was not the person Lopez wanted him to be. He then reached for the hammer, to which Lopez asked him to hand it over, but Fisk was unable to let go of the pain completely. As Lopez stopped the ritual, a distraught Fisk grabbed her hands and demanded her to tell him what did she did to him. The experience proved to be too much for Fisk, so he abandoned his plans to punish Lopez and ordered his men to retreat.[11]
Returning to New York City, Fisk boarded his private jet and contacted his associates, claiming that the situation must be stabilized before it spiraled out of their control. While talking over the phone, Fisk saw NY1 reporting on the upcoming race for the New York mayor and watched Pat Kiernan and Errol Louis talk about an ideal candidate who would take care of the city's legitimate issues. As they mentioned that there was still a window of opportunity for a surprise candidate to emerge, Fisk expressed his interest.[11]
Personality[]
"The people need to be reminded that the city belongs to me."
Despite being one of New York City's most powerful crime lords, Fisk has a very shy and introverted demeanor. He did not like crowds and was uncomfortable around other people, until Vanessa Marianna's involvement. Fisk almost had an compulsive mindset, being a creature of habit and hating when things in his life changed, or went against how they were planned. He preferred to operate out of the spotlight and was loathe to interact personally with his fellow conspirators unless forced to.
However, in spite of his social anxiety and his awkward nature, he is nonetheless capable of being extremely persuasive and charismatic when he needs to be. He has a keen understanding of psychology and social dynamics, which allows him to almost effortlessly manipulate people around him and exploit their psychological and emotional weaknesses. He also has a natural talent for leadership, as his take-charge attitude, the sheer force of personality, and raw physical presence enable him to take control of chaotic situations. As evidenced from the speeches he gave at his press conferences, he knows how to play a crowd as well, feigning emotion and passion in order to rally support from the masses.
He is a polite, articulate, and well-spoken man of courtesy and manners. He expected courtesy from his subordinates as well, as he would attack and sometimes even kill those who did not show respect to him or those he cares about. Fisk is a man of deep sophistication, enjoying the high-class life despite his poor origins. He enjoyed fine suits, fine dining, and classic literature and music. He considered himself a man of honor and always kept his word. While he can be a brutal, cold, calculating machine, he honestly believed what he was doing for Hell's Kitchen was righteous.
However, if Fisk was provoked, he had an unstoppable, almost animal-like rage. His aggression was immense, and nothing could get in his way if those he cared about or his plan for the city were in danger. This was largely due to his abusive father, who taught him to keep hitting someone even when they were bloodied and beaten. Fisk's broken childhood had a lasting effect on him, still causing him nightmares even into his later years. He even hallucinated his reflection in the mirror having the image of his younger self covered in blood after murdering his father. His trauma was so deep that Echo's powers could not completely heal him, but it still served to temporarily strip him of his anger and abandon Tamaha without his former goddaughter.
There are only five people that Fisk has ever cared for in his life. Fisk's mother was the only person that showed him love and respect growing up, and thus Fisk would kill to protect her, killing both Ben Urich and his own father for her. Vanessa Marianna became the love of his life; Wilson once brutally beat Anatoly Ranskahov to death and removed his head with a car door for simply interrupting their date. When Leland Owlsley had been involved in poisoning Marianna, he threw him down an elevator shaft to his death. James Wesley was the only man Fisk ever called a friend; he was emotionally distraught upon learning the death of Wesley, even kissing the forehead of his dead friend, and ordered the assassination of Karen Page when he found out she was the one who had killed him. Fisk also cared about Maya Lopez and treated her as family, but his relationship with Maya was damaged when she found out that Fisk was involved in her father's murder. Finally, Fisk had a deep respect and almost fear of Madame Gao, and her opinion of him, though this changed after he found out that she was responsible for the attempt on Marianna's life.
Marianna's effect on him made him more vulnerable and less able to run his organization because his focus was primarily on her. He ignored both Gao's and Owlsley's warnings to cut ties to her and as such, Owlsley betrayed him by dealing with Gao and was part of the plot to poison Marianna. Fisk was shocked at his friend's betrayal and it took time for him to come to his senses and kill Owlsley. When his criminal organization was brought down and his plans for the city ruined, he finally snapped and no longer cared about the city, saying it deserved to be destroyed and it deserved people like his father. His belief was shown when he related himself to the antagonist of the Good Samaritan story, as he first thought himself to be the hero of it.
After being imprisoned, Fisk became even more cynical, ruthless, violent, and sociopathic. Having given up on his ambitions to change the city for the better, he became concerned solely with attaining money and power, getting revenge upon the people who had wronged him, and being reunited with Marianna. He also became more impulsive and prone to homicidal outbursts, as he beat Wellers to death in a fit of rage after Benjamin Poindexter failed to kill Page. While he originally showed some reluctance and remorse about killing civilians like Elena Cardenas, this changed after his release from prison, as he displayed a willingness to order the murders of innocent people without a second thought if it would even slightly further his plans. This was evidenced when he had Poindexter go on a killing spree at the New York Bulletin in order to cause a panic, and when he had Julie Barnes murdered to secure Poindexter's loyalty even though it was not necessary.
Despite losing most of his moral compass, Fisk still does have some level of compassion and loyalty in regards to Marianna. When Felix Manning failed a task, Fisk not only spared him but allowed him to still work for him in gratitude for keeping Marianna safe. He also kept his word not to expose Daredevil or go after Foggy Nelson or Page when Daredevil threatened to expose Marianna to the police as being the one who had ordered the hit on Ray Nadeem. And, despite orchestrating the death of Maya Lopez's father, he loved her as if she was his own daughter.
Fisk became more hegemonic after his second imprisonment, as his obsession with controlling New York City worsened to the point of justifying that the city is rightfully his. He also became more paranoid and aggressive, as he sought to eliminate Eleanor Bishop after she resigned as a partner, which made Fisk conclude that Bishop would rat him out despite not really having any intention, he also fought savagely against her daughter Kate. After his return to New York City and recovering from Echo's powers, he devised a Machiavellian plan to run for mayor.
Abilities[]
"The problem is, he's always five steps ahead of me. I don't know if I can beat him."
Genius-Level Intellect: As a criminal mastermind, Fisk is a highly intelligent man. He is usually several steps ahead of his enemies, including Daredevil and even the FBI. Fisk is also articulate and a compelling public speaker, as seen during his press conference at New York City Hall, when he was interviewed about Elena Cardenas' death, and during the fundraiser at the Van Lunt Building. He is also very observant, as he correctly guessed that Vanessa was carrying a concealed pistol on their second date, he noticed Leland Owlsley's hand shaking and head sweating as signs of deception, and he realized that Matt Murdock was Daredevil based on the injuries he received from the both of them. Owlsley also thought that he would never have to state the obvious with him.
"Do you know what happens when you make a plan? Fisk has already thought of it, and he's made it part of his plan."
Fisk is an excellent manipulator and a cunning strategist. He has managed to cause a fair deal of the criminal activity of Hell's Kitchen for years without revealing his identity to the public. He also taught Maya Lopez to keep a low profile. Even when he revealed himself, he fooled the public into supporting him and viewing Daredevil as a terrorist. After he killed Anatoly Ranskahov, he had Wesley pay Turk Barrett to tell his brother Vladimir that he and the man in the mask conspired to kill the former, causing him to predictably respond emotionally and gather his forces to be taken out all at once. He exploited the masked man's emotional weakness for women, children and the elderly to lure him out by having Elena Cardenas killed. Whilst in Ryker's Island, Fisk was able to maneuver himself from being a first-time inmate to being almost in control of the whole prison within a mere matter of months by eliminating his competition. Hence, Fisk was even able to persuade Frank Castle (an accomplished strategist himself) to kill Dutton for him, despite the fact that the Punisher usually went out of his way to avoid making deals with criminals. From behind bars, Fisk was able to manage a deeply convoluted and long-term conspiracy; he purchased the Presidential Hotel through Vancorp with the foreknowledge that he would be held there by the FBI once he orchestrated an attempt on his own life in prison. He also staged the death of Tammy Hattley's son to look like a hit-and-run accident with the implication that a similar fate could befall her surviving daughter if she did not begin working for him, he had purveyors stop delivering to Nelson's Meats and then, through Red Lion National Bank, offered them a fraudulent loan to save the business, in the process involving them in a criminal enterprise. Fisk even canceled the health insurance of Ray Nadeem's sister-in-law, forcing him to go into debt to pay for her treatment and ensuring he would be desperate enough to earn a promotion, and a raise, that he would be willing to accept virtually anything Fisk told him, to reap the benefits of a cooperation that, on its face, was simply too good to be true. Hence, Fisk acquired the service of many FBI agents to do his bidding, including Benjamin Poindexter; upon their first meeting, Fisk was able to sense that he was not entirely mentally fit, and began to slowly manipulate him into working for him as an assassin. He ordered his federal agents to apprehend rival crime bosses so he may present a business proposition: 25% of all their profits, in exchange for protection from federal authorities. Other than Everett Starr, Fisk successfully extorted Rosalie Carbone, Sophia Carter, John Hammer, and Latimer Zyl. Years later, he was covertly running the Tracksuit Mafia after he manipulated Ronin into killing their commander, William Lopez. Clint Barton mentioned that Fisk was willing to do anything to expand his criminal enterprise's operation, and wanted to avoid crossing paths with him. In order to appeal to Maya Lopez, Fisk called for a replacement suit to hide his bloody clothes as to not scare Lopez; however, she saw his suit and did not care, allowing Fisk to realize her potential.
"So if you can do that, if you can get me out, why not just do it yourself?" "Because I play the long game, Mr. Castle. You see, when I'm finally let out of this cage... it won't be to wage war. It will be to win one."
Master Businessman: Fisk at first only controlled the crime of the Hell's Kitchen, but has come to hire half of the underworld from New York City, be it criminal organizations like the Hand, Tracksuit Mafia, Black Knife Cartel and Maggia, individual criminals like Turk Barrett or even law enforcement officers like part of New York City Police Department and the FBI, all to keep himself safe. He came to found his own shell companies, like Union Allied Construction, Confederated Global Investments, Vancorp, Sloan Limited and Red Lion National Bank for his illegal activity. Following the Battle of New York, Fisk founded Union Allied because he saw the financial opportunities and benefits of spearheading the reconstruction of Hell's Kitchen, essentially capitalizing on the Incident, and he also used the company as a front for his money laundering operations. He also noticed irregularities with his accounts when he confronted Owlsley. When seeing Lopez again in 2025, Fisk had commissioned a Translator Contact Lens to communicate with her in hopes she would think he was making an effort of learning sign language. However, she just saw it as lazy.
"You took on Kingpin all by yourself. Not many people walk away from somethin' like that."
Fisk, despite having no formal combat training, is a very formidable opponent due to his size and weight, with his immense brute strength allowing Fisk to lift a grown man into the air with a single arm, to beat men to death with only a few hits, to bench press an extreme amount of weight on a prison barbell, to punch through brick, and to toss Daredevil around a small alley. Hence, Fisk was able to fight the highly trained Daredevil almost to a draw their second duel. Fisk also used his great strength to knock down and overpower Frank Castle, though it should be noted that the latter was limited at the time by having his hands and legs cuffed together, as well as him still not having yet fully recovered from the numerous wounds from a prisonfight. When Fisk's police van was attacked by the Albanian Syndicate, he was able to shatter the chain of his FBI handcuffs by pulling on it with his full strength. Fisk was able to hold his own against both Daredevil and Benjamin Poindexter at once for a prolonged period of time, and even though both of them were more skilled combatants, he eventually overpowered Poindexter and broke his back. In 2024 during a fight with Kate Bishop, he easily overpowered her, even after he was hit by a limousine, knocking her around a toy store and was only defeated by her trick arrowheads.
"He does not need you to form my words. Do you, Wilson?"
Multilingualism: Fisk is fluent in his native English, as well as Mandarin, Japanese, and also knows some American Sign Language. Hence, he could converse with Madame Gao and understand Nobu Yoshioka, as they both preferred to speak in their native languages, as well as communicate with the deaf Maya Lopez a little bit, although he mostly required interpreters and eventually the use of a Translator Contact Lens.
Equipment[]
Weapons[]
"The hammer, the instrument of my father's death, I thought that she had thrown it away, but she was proud of what I had done, of who I was."
Hammer: Upon witnessing his father brutally beating his mother, Fisk chose to grab a hammer and struck his father across the head. Fisk then proceeded to beat his father in the head with the hammer until he was dead, which had then forced Fisk's mother to cover up the bloody murder.
"What kind of gun is that you have in your purse?" "It's a .22." "Did you think that you would need that tonight?"
Jimenez Arms JA32: During his second date with Vanessa Marianna, Fisk commented on the gun she had brought with her, as she handed it over to Fisk, who had then placed inside his jacket pocket.
Metal Rebar: Fisk had used this piece of metal rebar as his blunt melee weapon during his second fight against Daredevil, though he was eventually disarmed of it.
Billy Club: Fisk temporarily used Daredevil's own billy club against him during their second fight, brutally beating him while Daredevil was on the ground, though Daredevil's armour protected him from the blows and he was eventually able to take it back from Fisk.
Other Equipment[]
"That's why I still wear these. To remind myself that I'm not cruel for the sake of cruelty! That I'm not my father! That I'm not a monster!"
Body Armor: Fisk wore a protective suit designed by Melvin Potter which was made of a durable material that was able to withstand being cut and stabbed as shown in his first fight against Daredevil and Anatoly Ranskahov. As it gave Fisk protection, the armor was also light and flexible as clothing, allowing it to be worn underneath to fool any opponent. His armor allowed him to survive being shot in the chest with an arrow by Kate Bishop.
"I hung it in my bedroom. It's the last thing I see every night." "That's either very romantic or very sad."
When he visited the Scene Contempo Gallery, Fisk had been convinced to buy the all-white painting by Vanessa Marianna. Hanging the painting above his bed, Fisk found it reminded him of the day when he had murdered his own father, having starred at the blank wall before the murder took place, giving him a feeling of being alone. When Fisk was arrested and sent into Ryker's Island, the painting was returned into Esther Falb, whose family originally owned it, although Fisk was determined to get it back. Once he was freed, Benjamin Donovan had failed to negotiate for the painting, and Fisk finally agreed to allow Falb to keep it. However, the painting was recovered by Benjamin Poindexter, who killed Falb to get it, although it was later ruined when Daredevil was brutally beating down Fisk, causing much of Fisk's blood to stain the canvas.
Ankle Monitor: Following his release from Ryker's Island, Fisk was fitted with an Ankle Monitor by the FBI, so they could keep track of his location while he was being held at the Presidential Hotel. However, as Fisk took control of various FBI agents, he was able to manipulate them into removing the Monitor whenever he wanted to leave the hotel.
Cane: In 2024, Fisk carried a diamond-topped cane. He used it to brush off an arrow shot into his body armor by Kate Bishop.
Translator Contact Lens: Fisk had translating lens and earpiece technology created for him so that he could communicate witb Maya Lopez.
Fisk Residence: During his childhood, Fisk lived in a small apartment in Hell's Kitchen with his parents. Once, when Bill Fisk attacked Marlene, Fisk killed his father, smashing Bill's skull with the hammer. Together with Marlene, Fisk dumped Bill's body in the river, while most people assumed that Bill had left the city due to his debts to Don Rigoletto.
Fisk acquired an expensive penthouse in New York City where he lived, once the penthouse was finally ready. Fisk used to arrange the meeting with his associates, such as Madame Gao and Leland Owlsley, to discuss the recent events and next moves. Later, Vanessa Marianna began to live together with Fisk at his penthouse. Eventually, as Fisk's illicit activity was exposed, the FBI stormed his apartment and had taken Fisk into custody. By 2021, Fisk acquired a penthouse residence once more, where he spent a lot of time with Maya Lopez.
Pier 81 Warehouse: Fisk used an abandoned warehouse building in docks to meet with his associates, like Nobu Yoshioka or Carl Hoffman. The building also was used to lure Daredevil into the trap, as he was attacked by Yoshioka. As Yoshioka was defeated, Fisk attacked Daredevil himself and ordered James Wesley to execute him. However, Daredevil managed to escape, leaping into the river.
Scene Contempo Gallery: Fisk would frequently visit this gallery in New York City to study the Rabbit in a Snowstorm, his favorite painting in the gallery. There, he met and fell in love with Vanessa Marianna, an art dealer who worked at the gallery and sold him the Rabbit in a Snowstorm painting. After making his purchase, Fisk would return to the gallery to pay a visit to Marianna to discuss the painting before Fisk properly introduced himself to Marianna and invited her to dinner, which she accepted. Later, when he made himself known to the public, Fisk visited the gallery once again to see Marianna, who was selling to Matt Murdock. Fisk and Murdock spoke about their loyalty to Hell's Kitchen and Armand Tully's tenancy case before Murdock made his leave.
Brasserie: Fisk and Vanessa Marianna went on their first date together at this newly opened restaurant in New York City. There, the pair would enjoy wine before Fisk reminisced his time living in Asia had helped changed his perceptive on New York to make it a safer and better place for people like Marianna. Later on in the date, Fisk ordered dessert for he and Marianna to share. Marianna asked what kind of man Fisk was before Anatoly Ranskahov hastily barged into the restaurant, ruining Fisk's date. He ushered Marianna out of the restaurant as he ordered James Wesley to escort Ranskahov out as well.
"I didn't want to be interrupted again. We can go somewhere else if you like." "And if I just want to walk out that door by myself?" "Then I would dine alone. It wouldn't be the first time."
Fisk, wanting to make things right, went to this empty restaurant to have his second date with Vanessa Marianna, who eventually arrived after Fisk waited. He told Marianna that he wanted to be alone to not be interrupted again like their last date before declaring that he will be honest about himself and his actions to her. Fisk and Marianna began their second date with Marcel as their waiter, serving them wine and dinner. Fisk and Marianna talked about the latter's former lover and James Wesley before Fisk talked about his interests in wanting to rebuild New York City perfectly in his image. Marianna then pointed out Fisk's cufflinks, causing Fisk to briefly mention his late father before addressing the secret handgun Marianna had brought to the restaurant in her purse. Marianna stated that she brought the gun because she knew how dangerous Fisk was. Fisk confessed that his business venture causes people to be hurt and is unafraid to use whatever means necessary to refine New York City. Convinced, Marianna handed the gun over to Fisk before the pair resumed their dinner. Later, an explosion occurred in the distance outside of the restaurant, and Fisk told Marianna that the explosion caused the destruction of the Russian Mafia, to which Marianna approved. The pair left the restaurant together before the streets would close as Fisk paid Marcel for his services.
Van Lunt Building: Fisk organized a fundraiser at the building, owned by Cornelius van Lunt, where he was thanking the guests for their donations. However, several guests were poisoned, including Vanessa Marianna, much to Fisk's ultimate horror. Taking Marianna, he rushed to the Metro-General Hospital to request medical treatment for her.
Metro-General Hospital: When Vanessa Marianna was poisoned at the Van Lunt Building, Fisk carried her to the closest hospital nearby for her treatment. He stayed at the hospital while Marianna underwent treatment, having lamented to James Wesley about his doubts on Marianna's survival before telling Wesley to find the people responsible before learning from Doctor Rosenberg that Marianna's treatment was successful. Fisk remained at the hospital for Marianna to wake up and told Wesley to check on his mother in the meantime. While in Marianna's ward, he told her that he never learned how to pray and can only promise her that he will deal with the people that hurt her. Fisk later noticed Wesley had left the hospital and tried to call him, but could not get a response. He then waited for his men to find Wesley until Marianna woke up, and Fisk told her that she needed to be moved away from him, but Marianna insisted on staying with him. Fisk was then informed by Francis that Wesley had been found dead and left the hospital to see.
"Three restaurants, the best spa in the city a full staff waiting to fulfill our every need. It's all ours."
Still imprisoned in Ryker's Island, Fisk managed to purchase the Presidential Hotel through the Vancorp, laundering money at Red Lion National Bank. As part of Fisk's schemes, he bribed Jasper Evans to attack him and forced the FBI to release him from the prison and relocate him in the secured facility. Despite the Albanian Syndicate's attack on the convoy, Fisk was brought to the Presidential Hotel where his sentence was supervised by the FBI. In fact, Fisk owned the whole hotel and secretly ordered to reconstruct his suite. Eventually, as Fisk's leads were useful, the FBI allowed Fisk to move within the hotel and returned him his confiscated property. Once the charges against Fisk were dropped, Fisk organized a wedding with Vanessa Marianna in the hotel and invited a lot of guests. However, the wedding was disrupted by Benjamin Poindexter and Daredevil, and Fisk was arrested by NYPD once again.
Red Fish Blue Restaurant: Having the FBI to apprehend several criminal bosses, Fisk ordered to bring them to the Red Fish Blue Restaurant. The agents completed the mission and stayed to watch for detainees. Fisk then arrived at the restaurant where he offered the bosses cooperation. Everett Starr declined the offer, resulting in his death by Benjamin Poindexter's hands. Rosalie Carbone, Latimer Zyl, John Hammer, and Sophia Carter then accepted the offer and Fisk left the restaurant.
Following Fisk's arrest, he was brought to the Ryker's Island to serve his sentence. Despite Benjamin Donovan's best efforts, United States Department of Justice refused to drop the charges against Fisk, and he recommended Fisk to serve his sentence as quietly as possible. However, Fisk was encountered by Dutton, who had already managed to control half of the prison, much to Fisk's displeasure. Using the rest of his money, Fisk bribed several prisoners and guards, and even brought Frank Castle into Ryker's. Castle successfully murdered Dutton, which had allowed Fisk to take control over the prison. However, Fisk was annoyed by his scenery and cut the deal with the FBI, eventually forcing them to release him from Ryker's and relocate Fisk to the Presidential Hotel.
In the comics, Wilson Fisk is a former member of Don Rigoletto's crime family. Following murdering his boss, Fisk built his criminal empire within New York City and had encounters with Daredevil, Spider-Man and the Punisher.
Fisk is partial to Italian food, such as Zuppa Inglese.[13] He also enjoys Chinese tea[3] and his wine of choice is Lafite.[16]
The rights for Kingpin are shared between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment; Marvel is able to use him in live-action shows while Sony is allowed to use him in live-action movies and animated projects, such as the 2018 Sony Pictures Animation film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This may be due to the fact that Kingpin originally appeared as an enemy of Spider-Man (whose rights are owned by Sony), yet he is usually depicted as the arch-enemy of Daredevil (whose rights are owned by Marvel Studios).
Vincent D'Onofrio commented that the main difference between Fisk's portrayal in Daredevil and Hawkeye was his "physical strength." He also described him as "bigger [...] more like [he was in] the comics." Regardless of this, D'Onofrio said Marvel Studios was trying their best to keep the events of Daredevil canonical to the Marvel Cinematic Universe[54] and that the writers, directors and producers of Hawkeye saw Kingpin's role as a continuation of his character from the Netflix series.[55][56]
Hawkeye Costume Designer Michael Crow revealed that it was intended to move Kingpin away from his "polished look" in Daredevil as Vincent D'Onofrio wanted him to look "a little more down and out and grittier than he had previously been [in Daredevil],"[57] as "[Kingpin] has lost the power that he had [once] in Daredevil."[58]
↑Translates from Chinese to: "I discovered it because you have become sloppy. And emotional. Just as the Russians became, in their final moments."
↑Translates from Chinese to: "Recent events have been trying, I admit. But I promise..."
↑Translates from Chinese to: "I am not here to pluck flowers from a thicket. This is a courtesy, because you have shown me respect. Restore your house to order, or I will begin dealing with Nobu and Leland directly. Gratitude for the tea."
↑Translates from Chinese to: "Yet Nobu's clan prepares his for what is to come. They are distracted, but their memories and their knives are forever sharp."
↑Translates from Chinese to: "Is that why you wanted to meet? To warn me of what I already know?"
↑Translates from Chinese to: "I only sought to pose a question. How long before your ambition turns to me?"
↑Translates from Chinese to: "You always possessed what the others did not. My respect."
