Attack on Heather Glenn

Attack on Heather Glenn
Previous	Rescue of Angela Del Toro Duel in Wilson Fisk's Dungeon
Next	Assassination of Luca
War	Anti-Vigilante Campaign
Date	March 2027
Location	Heather Glenn's Office, New York City, New York
Result (Outcome)	Muse is killed by Heather Glenn. The Anti-Vigilante Task Force falsely takes the credit for neutralizing Muse.
Combatants
Heather Glenn Daredevil
Muse
Anti-Vigilante Task Force
Commanders
Daredevil
Muse
Connor Powell Cole North
Casualties
-
Muse
-

"I'm just saying that... that Muse tried to kill you and Daredevil saved you."
"I saved me. They were both out there for themselves."

―Matt Murdock and Heather Glenn^[src]

The Attack on Heather Glenn was a confrontation between Daredevil and Muse after the latter attempted to murder Heather Glenn and use her blood for his latest artwork.

Background

"After last night, he's gonna go into survival mode 'cause he knows he's got limited time. If I can figure out his pattern, I can figure out where he's gonna strike next."

―Matt Murdock to Cherry^[src]

Bastian Cooper approaches Heather Glenn

Bastian Cooper was a mentally disturbed individual who struggled with his desire to create art, which was mostly stifled by his parents. Inspired by Heather Glenn's work, Cooper embraced his inner self and took on the name Muse, becoming an anonymous street artist, painting murals all across New York City. He wanted his work to last forever, so he started kidnapping random people off the streets and killing them to drain their blood and mix it with his paint. Muse's kill count reached sixty victims, although the New York City Police Department still had no leads on him. During a book signing event, Cooper approached Glenn and asked if she could help him, so she agreed to schedule a therapy session for him.

Muse drags his victim to his lair

Muse had a strong admiration of vigilantes, so when Wilson Fisk got elected a Mayor and denounced all vigilantes in New York, Muse opposed him. He painted numerous murals in support of vigilantes like White Tiger and Punisher, while ridiculing Fisk and his criminal past. With Muse continuing to kill more people and more blood-reinforced murals appearing on the streets, Fisk ordered Phil Gallo to handle the issue. Fisk made an order to conceal the truth about Muse from the public so he would not go into hiding, but it only resulted in more people falling victim to Muse.

Daredevil stops Muse from killing Angela Del Toro

Grieving her uncle's death, Angela Del Toro decided to investigate Muse's killing spree on her own, as White Tiger had been working on it before getting killed. However, as she closed in on Muse's Lair, Del Toro got captured and Muse prepared to use her blood for the next artwork. Daredevil managed to track down Muse and stop him before he could kill Del Toro, taking him down. Muse was forced to escape as he realized that he was running out of time and needed to make his ultimate piece of art, while Daredevil resuscitated Del Toro.

Daredevil finds Muse's sketches of Heather Glenn

As a result, the police sealed off the lair and Angie Kim led the investigation, discovering a piece of rare canvas at the scene. She used that clue and managed to figure out Muse's real identity, reporting to Fisk about it. Fisk appreciated her efforts, but decided to let the Anti-Vigilante Task Force to bring Muse down, instead of letting the NYPD do their job. Daredevil sought to stop Muse and sneaked into the lair, where he checked the sketches there and realized that Muse was targeting Glenn. Connor Powell walked in on him, but got knocked out by Daredevil who ran off to save Glenn, and reported to Fisk upon waking up.

Attack

Heather Glenn listens to Bastian Cooper

"What the fսck are you doing? You've kidnapped me, and then you're gonna, what, shoot me? Huh? Look at you. You can't even talk to me without that insane mask on! Anybody who needs a mask is a coward!"

―Heather Glenn to Muse^[src]

Bastian Cooper arrived at Heather Glenn's office for a therapy session, talking about his dreams of his family not noticing him. Glenn assumed that his parents put a lot of pressure on him, to which Cooper said that he loved his parents, but noted that they pushed him do take taekwondo lessons in spite of what he wanted. Cooper claimed that all he ever wanted was to be an artist and with Glenn, he could finally fulfill his calling. She tried to change topics, but Cooper insisted that people finally started to notice his art, so Glenn asked if he started to displaying it.

Bastian Cooper draws Muse's mask with his blood

Cooper then had a nosebleed and used the blood to sketch the outline of Muse's mask on the sheet of paper, talking about Glenn's thesis that people cannot be free unless they embrace who they were. Glenn realized that Cooper was Muse all along and became frightened, but Cooper approached her and tried to comfort her, saying that it was a good thing. She tried to plead with Cooper, but realizing that it would not work, she attempted to get to the door and escape. Cooper anticipated that and caught up to Glenn, slamming her head against the wall and knocking her out.

Muse reveals himself to Heather Glenn

Glenn woke up in her chair with her hands tied up, while Cooper was sitting in front of her in his Muse outfit, holding a gun. When she tried to call out to him, Muse angrily claimed that he was not Cooper and even wrote "Muse" with a marker on her arm to make a point. Muse said that Glenn was the only one who understood who he was, but remarked that he cannot guarantee her safety regardless of his admiration. Muse then wrapped a tourniquet around her forearm and made a small incision, while Glenn desperately tried to plead with him.

Muse strangles Heather Glenn

She tried to call out to Muse's conscience, asking about all other victims he killed and did he care about that, but it was futile. At that moment, the Anti-Vigilante Task Force started to pull up to the building, which made Muse frustrated, so he laid down his canvas on the floor in preparation of turning Glenn into his artwork. Glenn then attempted to provoke Muse by calling him a coward who could not even look at her without the mask, which angered Muse and he tried to attack her with a knife. Glenn headbutted Muse and tried to get to the gun on the table, but Muse pinned her down and started to strangle her.

Daredevil fights Muse

Before Muse could kill her, Daredevil broke through the window and threw his Billy Club into Muse's head, which made him miss his shot. He then engaged in a melee combat with Muse, while hearing the AVTF surrounding the building, as Connor Powell and Cole North were preparing to move in. Daredevil continued fighting Muse and although his fighting skills were superior, Muse proved to be a formidable opponent. Muse then noticed Glenn and grabbed a knife in an attempt to finish her, but Daredevil impaled his shoulder with his Billy Club and pulled him back.

Heather Glenn kills Muse

Daredevil then proceeded to pummel Muse on the ground, soaking the canvas with his blood, but Muse was still able to fight back and get up. Daredevil then slammed him into the bookshelf and hit him some more, before Glenn reached for the gun and unloaded the magazine into Muse's chest, killing him. She then passed out from a blood loss and shock, and Daredevil rushed to tend to her, while she was losing her consciousness. Powell and North then entered the office, but Daredevil was already gone by that time, so all they found was an unconscious Glenn and Muse's dead body.

Aftermath

The Anti-Vigilante Task Force claims credit for stopping Muse

"What we do know is that, you and your men did your job. That you stopped Muse. You are heroes. There was no one else up here. Isn't that right, Sergeant North?"
"Yes, it is, Mr. Mayor. That's right."

―Wilson Fisk and Cole North^[src]

As the New York City Police Department investigated the crime scene, Wilson Fisk arrived personally to listen to Cole North's report on what transpired. North claimed that Muse roped Heather Glenn into his murder-suicide plan, and also stated that Daredevil was the one who stopped him. However, Fisk decided that the situation would be much more beneficial for both of them if the Anti-Vigilante Task Force claimed the credit for neutralizing Muse. Daniel Blake met with BB Urich and pressured her to report that the AVTF brought Muse down, not Daredevil, so other news outlets would follow suit.

Heather Glenn laments killing Muse

Glenn was taken to the hospital, where she recovered from her wounds, and expressed her shock and dismay at taking a life. Talking to Matt Murdock, she also recalled how Daredevil was holding her before she passed out and heard him calling her by her name. In the wake of her almost dying during Daredevil and Muse's squabble, Glenn changed her outlook on masked vigilantes, thinking that they were perpetrating the cycle of violence in New York City. She started to view Fisk's anti-vigilante platform positively, despite Murdock arguing against that, and even took Fisk's offer to become the Commissioner of Mental Health in his office.