Dumb as Danny is, his ploy did manage to raise some doubt in the public mind, as did Matt’s defense of himself. Over the next several years, Matt’s superhero identity was something of an open secret. Matt would deny it to anyone who asked him, and he would sometimes use various forms of subterfuge to throw people off the scent, but he never pulled a Peter Parker and made a deal with the devil to wipe everyone’s memory.
Instead, the devil did it for him. Well, the devil’s kids. Well, the Purple Man’s kids. Before I explain further, I do need to provide a quick trigger warning, as this story takes the Purple Man’s abilities to their logical extreme. As seen in the Jessica Jones show and in the original Alias comics that introduced her, Killgrave will use his mind-control powers to take advantage of women. In 2014’s Daredevil #8, by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee, we learn that Killgrave has sired a host of children, all of whom have similar powers.
When the Purple Children learned about one another, they banded together to take revenge against their father. However, Killgrave defeated his offspring and held them captive, hoping to seep away their power and enhance his own. Fortunately, Daredevil came to the rescue, and the Purple Children were so grateful that they did him a favor: they used their abilities to make everyone forget that he is Matt Murdock.
Matt had to do some work to remind people who he is, but the Purple Children reversal is more or less the current status quo in Marvel Comics. In fact, that plot point led to Wilson Fisk outlawing vigilantes when he became mayor, which served as the inspiration for Born Again‘s second season.
Obviously, the Purple Children story would need some alteration for Born Again‘s third season, and not just because the concept is more unpleasant than Disney would like. Killgrave died at the end of Jessica Jones season one, and while some hallucinations allowed Tennant to appear in season two, we’d need the real guy to help wipe everyone’s memory.
Still, writers have found some clever ways to integrate comic book plot points into past seasons of Daredevil: Born Again. And if it means more David Tennant, then it will definitely be worth it. More Iron Fist is okay, too.
