- "See, he's more than my partner, right? He's my friend. I've known him since I was a kid. That's thirty, thirty-five years."
"How much... are each of those years worth to you? Hmm? In round figures?" - ―Carl Hoffman and Wilson Fisk[src]
The Assassination of Christian Blake was a hit on Christian Blake, planned by Wilson Fisk and carried out by Carl Hoffman, to ensure that Blake would not be able to reveal anything about Fisk's operations to the press.
Background[]
- "Detective Blake, he just woke up. Our contacts in the media tell us that it's gonna be tonight's lead."
"Has he said anything we need to be concerned about?"
"No, he's conscious, but his injuries were extensive. I'm hearing he can't speak yet. That changes, unlikely he's gonna be overjoyed we had him shot." - ―James Wesley and Wilson Fisk[src]
As Wilson Fisk was plotting to bring down the Russian Mafia, he provided the corrupt NYPD officers on his payroll with the addresses of their locations. However, Christian Blake was attacked by the Masked Man who heard him killing Piotr for mentioning Fisk's name and demanded him to tell him about Fisk and the Russian Mafia. Although Blake did not tell him anything useful, the Masked Man took his phone and looked through the addresses with Claire Temple's help, recognizing one of the location as Troika Restaurant. While Vladimir Ranskahov was preparing his men to wage war on Fisk, several of Madame Gao's blind couriers arrived at their locations as suicide bombers, causing a series of explosions that took down the majority of the Russian Mafia.[4]
Christian Blake gets shot on Wilson Fisk's orders
Fisk then gave Blake and other officers an order to find all surviving Russian Mafia members and finish them off, although Ranskahov ended up being rescued by the Masked Man who was investigating nearby. He cooped up at an Abandoned Building with heavily injured Ranskahov to extract any information about Fisk from him, while Blake and the NYPD sealed off the building, preparing for a raid. Meanwhile, Fisk bribed an ESU Sniper to open fire at the NYPD officers onsite, planning to frame the Masked Man for both the bombings and the shootings. The sniper killed several officers and wounded Blake who was taken to the Metro-General Hospital in a critical state. Eventually, Ranskahov ended up getting killed in a raid by the ESU team, while the Masked Man managed to escape with a valuable information.[5]
Later, Blake woke up in the hospital, although he was yet to recover from his extensive injuries and was unable to talk at the moment. Fisk and James Wesley found out about him through their contacts in the press, concerned that he might betray them after they got him shot. Fisk concluded that Blake was too much of a liability due to his recent mishaps and decided to have him killed, however, he was heavily guarded and their men within the NYPD did not have the clearance to get to him. Fisk personally approached Carl Hoffman and instructed him to take Blake out, explaining that Blake's failure to inform Fisk about the compromise with the addresses gave the Masked Man an advantage. Hoffman was hesitant due to his friendship with Blake, but he was unable to reject Fisk's offer, who was willing to reward him appropriately.[6]
Attack[]
Masked Man attacks Carl Hoffman
- "I need you to listen to me. We may not have much time. Whatever your partner just injected you with has already reached your heart. You're going to be dead soon. And there's nothing anyone can do about it. But you can make the man responsible for this pay for what he has done."
- ―Masked Man to Christian Blake[src]
Reluctantly accepting Wilson Fisk's offer, Carl Hoffman arrived at Metro-General Hospital with a poisonous syringe, hidden in a Marchioni's sandwich. He was able to pass through Brett Mahoney, saying that he only wanted to visit a friend, and managed to enter Christian Blake's room. He injected Blake's IV with a poison, apologizing for having to do it, but the Masked Man had been monitoring Blake and intervened. He incapacitated Hoffman, but the poison was already in Blake's body and his death was only a matter of time, so he spoke to Blake and urged him to talk about Fisk.
Realizing that he was about to die, Blake gave the vigilante some valuable information, before his body succumed to poison. The Masked Man was able to escape from the room, before Mahoney and other officers broke into the room, witnessing an unconscious Hoffman and Blake dying from poison. Hoffman was able to convince the police that he actually came there for a visit, but he was attacked by the Masked Man who then killed Blake. He then reported to James Wesley that he carried out the order but admitted that the Masked Man was able to get some information from him, while also claiming that he was able to spin the story around for the police, so none of them should be suspected.[6]
Aftermath[]
- "You think that I would let you walk away after what you've done?"
"That's exactly what you're gonna do, because I have Detective Hoffman. Hoffman never left the city after he murdered his partner in the hospital. I scooped him up, squirreled him away for a rainy day." - ―Wilson Fisk and Leland Owlsley[src]
Some time after Christian Blake's death, Carl Hoffman was considered missing but in reality, he was found by Leland Owlsley who decided to use him as a leverage on Wilson Fisk. Owlsley hid Hoffman at one of his properties, while also instructing his men to guard him and take him to the FBI to testify against Fisk, in case Owlsley stops getting in touch. Hoffman was afraid to go against Fisk, but Owlsley promised him money and a witness protection from the FBI, although he knew that Fisk would find him eventually. When Fisk found out that Owlsley attempted to kill Vanessa Marianna, he revealed that he had Hoffman as a leverage, intending to cut ties with him and take half of his assets.
However, Fisk murdered Owlsley in a fit of rage and ordered his men to search the entire city until they Hoffman and take him out for good. Just as Owlsley's men were preparing to take Hoffman to the FBI, Corbin and other corrupt policemen broke in and attempted to kill Hoffman, but he was rescued by the Masked Man. He instructed Hoffman to turn himself in to Brett Mahoney and get the help from Nelson and Murdock to testify against Fisk, warning him that he would regret not taking his advise. Hoffman came to the 15th Precinct Police Station and with Nelson and Murdock representing him, he testified to the FBI about everything he knew, which resulted in Fisk and his closest associates getting arrested.[7]