- "It's my fault! I did it, I killed him!"
"Killed who?"
"My dad. They paid him to lose against Creel. But I wanted him to win. So he did because of me. Because of me." - ―Matt Murdock and Stick[src]
The Assassination of Jack Murdock was a planned murder of Jack Murdock, organized by Roscoe Sweeney in response to Murdock winning the fixed match against Carl Creel despite their agreement.
Background[]
- "I'm about to go do something... Well I'm about to go be me. You know better than anybody that doesn't always go so well. I don't know how this is gonna go, but if I were a betting man Matty's gonna need you. More than ever. Look after him, okay? And I know what I'm asking here, but he's a good kid. He sure as hell didn't get that from me. So It's better this way. Just once I want Matty to hear people cheer for his old man. Just once."
- ―Jack Murdock to Maggie Grace[src]
Jack Murdock asks Maggie Grace to look after their son
Desperate for money to provide for his son Matt, Jack Murdock made an agreement with Roscoe Sweeney who would fix the boxing fights and have Murdock lose them when he needed it. One of said fights was a match against Carl Creel, in which Murdock was supposed to drop during the fifth round. However, Murdock loathed what he had to do for the money and wanted his son to hear the crowd cheering for him just once, so he decided to disobey the order, knowing that it would put him in a dangerous situation.
Murdock called Ed and asked him to place all bets on him instead of Creel and then deposit the payout in the bank on Matt's name. He then tried calling Maggie Grace and left her a message, asking her to look after their son if anything happens to him. When the match finally started, Murdock dismissed Sweeney's orders and ferociously fought against Creel, driving him into the corner and kept striking him without hesitation, knocking Creel out. He was unable to recover and stayed down for the count, so Murdock won the match.[1]
Assassination[]
Matt Murdock finds his father's body
- "You don't remember me? You killed my father."
"Well I hate to break it to you, son, but I killed a lot of guys' dads." - ―Matt Murdock and Roscoe Sweeney[src]
Once the match was over and the crowd was cheering for him, Jack Murdock rushed to the locker room in an attempt to escape and save his life. However, he was swiftly found by Roscoe Sweeney and his men, who were furious that Murdock won the fight and Sweeney had Murdock killed and his body was dumped on the streets. Matt Murdock heard the gunshot and ran to where he heard it, as the New York City Police Department already discovered the body and sealed off the area. Matt pushed through the officers and ran to the body, touching his blood covered face and realized that his father was dead.[1]
Aftermath[]
Stick teaches Matt Murdock
- "You know, Lexi, you remind me of a friend of mine. His dad was a boxer who got in way over his head and got himself killed. And for a long time, my friend thought his dad abandoned him, too. Until one day, he learned the truth, that his dad was actually killed because he wanted to stop being a criminal. Because he wanted his son to be proud of him."
- ―Jessica Jones to Lexi Raymond[src]
Now an orphan, Matt Murdock was put at Saint Agnes Orphanage under the care of Maggie Grace and other nuns, although Grace kept it secret that she was his mother. Murdock's condition was getting worse due to his heightened senses, so the nuns approached Stick and asked him for assistance, paying him from the money that Jack Murdock left for him. Stick taught Murdock that his blindness was not a curse but a gift that he must utilize and decided to teach him how to fight, so he could participate in the war against the greater evil. However, Murdock saw somewhat of a father figure in Stick and when he realized that Murdock was getting too attached to him, Stick abandoned Murdock as he assumed that he was not ready yet.[2]
Matt Murdock attacks Roscoe Sweeney
However, Stick still wanted Murdock to be a part of his Chaste army, so he ordered Elektra to approach him at Columbia University and get closer to him to ensure that he has what it takes to fight. She and Murdock started a relationship and he told Elekra about his ather, who was murdered by Roscoe Sweeney for disobeying his order and winning a match against Carl Creel. Elektra brought Murdock to his mansion where she captured Sweeney and tied him up, telling Murdock to avenge his father. Murdock beat Sweeney up but when Elektra told him to kill Sweeney, he refused and went on to call the authorities, which prompted Elektra to leave[3] and report to Stick that Murdock cannot cross the line and she does not want to change him.[2]