- "I've made mistakes in the years since I was a boy. I tried to learn from them, but it isn't always enough."
"Get out of my house."
"I'll leave. But first, I'd... I'd like to have a conversation with you. Off the record, of course." - ―Wilson Fisk and Ben Urich[src]
The Assassination of Ben Urich was a successful attempt by Wilson Fisk to kill Ben Urich
Background
Ben Urich had began researching into Wilson Fisk's family history and had learned that his father was a failed councilman named Bill Fisk.[6] Urich was met by the Masked Man who asked him about heroin that he had taken from the man who had murdered Elena Cardenas. He revealed that after the Russians had been wiped out, Fisk had taken over distribution of the heroin; he planned to disrupt that business. When Urich said he was working on something that could help, the masked man told him to keep his head down. Urich revealed a woman was the head of the Chinese drug trade and they were using blind workers to deliver the heroin.
When he arrived at his home having finished work, Urich found Karen Page waiting for him who demanded to know why he had not yet published the story about Fisk murdering his father. Urich told her that he was still considering it. Page insisted that it needed to be out there because she believed Wilson Fisk might know about their talk with Marlene Vistain. Urich allowed Page into his home and, after pouring them both a drink, Urich revealed he had been in contact with a mobster who might have more reliable information on Bill Fisk's relationship to Don Rigoletto, to whom he owed money to. When Urich asked why Page thought they might know about their investigation, she told him it was just a feeling; he tried to convince her to put it online herself but she believed no one would believe her. Urich promised to write up the story and give it to his editor Mitchell Ellison.
Urich went to work the next morning and was informed by Caldwell that Ellison's son had a cello performance at the school he was currently attending, so Ellison had not had time to read Urich's article exposing Fisk. When Ellison did arrive, he read Urich's story and refused to run it stating there was no evidence to support the story. Urich lost his temper and claimed Ellison was a sell-out, Ellison suspended Urich but he still begged him to read the story again as Fisk was still killing and could be stopped; Ellison argued that Fisk was trying to save the city. Urich asked how much Wilson Fisk was paying him to stop Urich from writing about crime; with this Ellison fired Urich on the spot. After the visit his wife in Metro-General Hospital, Urich called Page to explain the situation. Page tried to comfort Urich over the firing but Urich remained calm, explaining that the New York Bulletin was not the same newspaper he had joined decades earlier and that he was likely better off without them. Urich went on to tell her he planned on writing a blog revealing Wilson Fisk's entire plan as he truly believed that this story needed to be told so Fisk could finally be stopped and locked away in jail.[7]
Assassination
Ben Urich speaks to Wilson Fisk
Ben Urich returned to his apartment and, after pouring himself a drink, began working on the blog that would expose Wilson Fisk. Little did he know that Fisk himself was in his home. Fisk revealed his presence and asked if he could speak with him. Despite Urich's orders for him to leave, Fisk apologized to Urich for underestimating him as a journalist but then revealed that he had someone at the Bulletin under his pay and started to mock Urich.
Wilson Fisk mocks Ben Urich
Fisk asked if Urich was alone when questioning Wilson's mother Marlene Vistain, in which he replied that he was, not wanting to have harm upon Karen Page. Fisk then asked if Urich was responsible for James Wesley's death. When Urich appeared confused by this question, Fisk responded that he never really believed Urich had killed Wesley, as he was a man of integrity. Urich revealed that he was not intimidated as he had been in this situation before. Fisk answered that he was not there to threaten him, but to kill him for getting Vistain involved.
Ben Urich is killed by Wilson Fisk's actions
Outraged, Fisk leaped up and brutally attacked Urich with his bare hands. Urich managed to fight back, but his defense proved short-lived when the journalist was knocked down to the ground as Fisk strangled him. Fisk left the room with a broken picture of Urich with his wife Doris next to Ben's lifeless body.[7]
Aftermath
- "Mrs. Urich, I... I think it's my fault what happened to Ben. I pushed him into a story that he didn't want..."
"Ben Urich never got pushed into doing anything he didn't want to do. He was a reporter. That's what he lived for. And he passed doing what he loved what he had to do." - ―Karen Page and Doris Urich[src]
Matt Murdock, Karen Page, Mitchell Ellison and Urich's widow Doris attended Urich's funeral. Doris met Page, who told her that she believed that she was the one who caused Ben's death. Doris reassured her that Ben's decisions were his own and that even dead, he was taking care of her.[8]
References
- ↑ Daredevil Season One takes place before Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 2015)
- ↑ Karen Page states in Into the Ring that since the Battle of New York, "The last two years have transformed the business (Union Allied Construction)," referring, now that it is the beginning of 2015.
- ↑ Reconstruction of New York City began on November 2012.
- ↑ Union Allied plans for Spring 2015. The panels are before the events of Daredevil Season One.
- ↑ WHiH World News post on January 23, 2015.
- ↑ Daredevil: 1.11: The Path of the Righteous
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Daredevil: 1.12: The Ones We Leave Behind
- ↑ Daredevil: 1.13: Daredevil
