If You Hate How Daredevil Is Handling Karen, Please - Do Not Check Out the OG Comics
Warning: contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again episodes 1 and 2!
If you hate how Daredevil: Born Again is treating Karen Page, then whatever you do–do not read the original comics. Daredevil recently made his triumphant return to television in a new Disney + series titled Born Again. All the principles from previous Daredevil seasons are back, including Karen Page. Yet, as seen in Born Again’s first episodes, Karen may be in for a rough go of it.
Daredevil: Born Again debuted March 4th on Disney + to great acclaim. Charlie Cox returns as Daredevil/Matt Murdock, while Elden Henson and Deborah Ann Woll reprise their roles of Foggy Nelson and Karen Page, respectively. Born Again’s opening re-establishes the bond between the three friends, right before Foggy is killed. In the aftermath, an emotionally devastated Karen moves to San Francisco, seemingly forsaking Matt and their friendship. Karen’s reconciliation with Matt, and the true fate of Foggy Nelson, will play out across Born Again’s remaining episodes.
Karen Page (At First) Was No Different From Other Early Marvel Love Interests
Over Time, Karen Page Became a Better Character--Until Born Again
Love interests for comic book heroes were nothing new when Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and others kicked off the Marvel Age in the 1960s. Many times, the love interest (almost always a woman) becomes a “damsel in distress,” needing to be rescued by the hero. Often, the love interest is caught in a love triangle: for example, Carol Ferris crushes hard on Green Lantern but continually rebukes Hal Jordan’s advances. In the early Silver Age, women characters did not have the agency their male counterparts did, leading to some questionable story choices.
On the surface, Karen was just like other women characters in Silver Age Marvel Comics: she was an assistant to the hero and developed intense feelings for him.
Karen Page, introduced in Daredevil #1, was one such character. On the surface, Karen was just like other women characters in Silver Age Marvel Comics: she was an assistant to the hero and developed intense feelings for him. As the series progressed, Karen began to come into her own, and came to terms with her feelings for Matt/Daredevil. The two tried to make it work between them, but the stress of Matt’s dual life took its toll, and the two split in Daredevil #86. Karen and Matt would become on-again/off-again lovers for the rest of her life.
Prior to Born Again, Frank Miller had a legendary run on Daredevil, that allegedly saved the book from cancelation.
After a stint as part of Ghost Rider’s supporting cast, Karen returned to Daredevil's world in a big, and tragic, way. As chronicled in the legendary Daredevil: Born Again story, by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, Page, who had become an actress, was now hooked on heroin. She was also forced to stoop to making pornographic films to make money. Desperate for a hit, she sold Matt’s secret identity to a person who then sold that information to the Kingpin. Armed with this knowledge, Kingpin began systematically destroying Daredevil’s life.
Daredevil: Born Again Brought Karen Back Into Matt Murdock's Life
Like Nearly Everyone Daredevil Loves, Karen Paid the Price
While Born Again is rightfully regarded as a classic, its treatment of Karen Page is downright abhorrent. According to legend, writer Frank Miller wanted to infuse Born Again with a heavy “noir” element, and turning Karen Page into a junkie was a way of accomplishing this. Unfortunately, it came across as mean-spirited and borderline misogynistic. In the classic Daredevil comics, Karen Page was just a pretty face who was in love with Daredevil. Later writers gave her more to do, and the decision to turn her into an actress was a stroke of genius.
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Born Again brought Karen Page back into Daredevil’s life, and she would remain a fixture of his supporting cast. Karen kicked her heroin habit and turned her life around, eventually landing a gig at a radio station. It appeared Karen was finally going places, but fate had other ideas. The villain Mysterio tricked her into thinking she was HIV positive, which had a detrimental effect on her mental health. Finally, in Daredevil (volume two) 5, Karen met her end at the hands of Bullseye, an event that had a profound impact on Daredevil.
Will Marvel Ever Know What to do With Karen Page?
Karen Page Has Potential--And Needs to Be Revived
To put it frankly: the comics have seriously done Karen Page dirty. When she was created, she was a two-dimensional love interest no different from Betty Ross, Jane Foster or any other such character appearing at the time. Later writers fleshed Karen Page’s character out further, giving her a career and life beyond Daredevil. The comic Born Again story was especially mean to Karen: it turned her into a drug addict who sold out her friends for a hit. While she recovered, the events of Born Again continue to cast a shadow over her life.
To put it frankly: the comics have seriously done Karen Page dirty.
And now the Daredevil: Born Again television show is demonstrating that Marvel does not quite know what to do about Karen Page. This is odd, as she was prominent and well-written in the show’s first seasons, but she is shuffled off in the season opener. It remains to be seen if she comes back, but if she doesn’t, it continues the tragic arc of her life. Fans hoping that Karen Page would be treated better on-screen than in the comics are potentially in for a huge disappointment.
