| Karen Page | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Daredevil #1 (April 1964) |
| Created by | Stan Lee Bill Everett |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Karen Page |
| Team affiliations | Nelson & Murdock New York Bulletin |
| Partnerships | Matt Murdock |
| Supporting character of | Daredevil Ghost Rider |
| Notable aliases | Paige Angel |
Karen Page is a fictional character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics created byStan Lee andBill Everett. She served as the original love interest forDaredevil, working as an office manager for him andFoggy Nelson at their law firm. Page was killed byBullseye inDaredevil #5 (March 1999), and has remained dead since.
Karen Page was portrayed byEllen Pompeo in the filmDaredevil (2003), and byDeborah Ann Woll in television series of theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), includingDaredevil (2015–2018),The Defenders (2017),The Punisher (2017–2019), andDaredevil: Born Again (2025–present); initially a friend and confidant ofDaredevil, this version of the character bonds withthe Punisher.
Karen Page was created by writerStan Lee and artistBill Everett, and first appeared inDaredevil #1 (April 1964).[1]
In her first appearances, Karen is the secretary for the law firm of Daredevil'salter ego Matt Murdock and the mutual love interest of both Murdock and his partnerFoggy Nelson. Her relationship with Murdock hits a downward spiral when he reveals his secret identity to her inDaredevil #57 (October 1969), setting off a long break-up which concluded with her departure from the series in issue #86 (April 1972). Within these final stories, she trades her profession of secretary to become a film actress.
After three years' absence from published stories, Karen returned for a considerable stint as a supporting character inGhost Rider, starting with vol. 2 #13 (August 1975) and continuing through to #26 (October 1977). During this time, a crossover withDaredevil #138 afforded her a brief return appearance in the series where she got her start. A 1978 appearance inMarvel Two-in-One would prove the character's last showing for over seven years.
Karen returned inBorn Again, an award-winning storyline beginning inDaredevil #227 (February 1986) that would ultimately restore her earlier role as Daredevil's love interest. WriterAnn Nocenti gave considerably more development to their relationship and even had Karen acting as a sidekick to Daredevil for the first time in issue #259, in which she goes undercover to help take down a child pornography ring. She was again dropped from the series in issue #263 (February 1989) for another long-term breakup from Murdock, but this time was brought back just two years later, forDaredevil #294 (July 1991).
Karen is killed by Daredevil's adversaryBullseye inDaredevil (vol. 2) #5 (March 10, 1999).
Karen Page is first seen being hired by Matt Murdock's partner,Foggy Nelson, as a secretary for the new law firm "Nelson and Murdock".[2] She is infatuated withMatt Murdock from the moment they meet. When Matt introduces her to the adventuring, wisecracking aspect of his personality, in the guise of his "twin brother" Mike, she finds herself equally charmed by this side of Murdock.[3]
Paxton Page, Karen's father, fakes his own kidnapping and death to assume the guise of the villainDeath's Head. Karen returns to her parents' home in Fagan Corners,Vermont, to investigate her father's disappearance. Daredevil follows her. In the ensuing battle between Daredevil and Death's Head, Death's Head spills a vat of moltencobalt over Daredevil but realizes that Karen is endangered. This brings Paxton back to his own senses, pushing Daredevil and Karen to safety. He appears to die in this act of self-sacrifice when he is coated in cobalt. After the battle with Death's Head, Daredevil's true identity is revealed to Karen.[4] She constantly fears for Matt's safety, but Daredevil cannot give up fighting crime. Karen eventually leaves Matt and moves toCalifornia to pursue her dream of an acting career. She quickly finds work as an actress in a daytimesoap opera.[5]
Karen appears alongsideJohnny Blaze in a film. After a scene is interrupted byOrb, Katy Milner (Karen's stuntwoman) confides in Johnny about Karen's history of "unhappy romances" including the ones with Murdock and Phil Hickock. Later on, Karen herself falls under the Orb's control.[6] Karen is later offered a role onThe Incredible Hulk TV show which was on its first season at the time. She is kidnapped by three ex-stuntmen on the show but is saved by theThing (who is looking for his own TV show) and theHulk (who is annoyed at having this show).[7]
Developing an addiction toheroin, Karen's career falters and she is soon reduced to starring in cheappornographic films.[8] In need of a fix, she sells Daredevil's secret identity to a drug dealer who in turn sells this to theKingpin. Karen is forced to return to New York,[8] where she meets up again with Matt. Having rebuilt his life after surviving the Kingpin's machinations, Matt helps Karen beat her addiction, and they resume their relationship and begin sharing an apartment.[9]
Realizing that Matt is incomplete without work as a lawyer (having been disbarred), Karen founds a legal clinic, where she counsels drug addicts while Matt provides legal advice as a "ghost lawyer".[10] The clinic is destroyed during ademonic invasion of Manhattan, and Karen discovers hours later that Matt has been having an affair withTyphoid Mary. These combined blows leave her psychologically lost, and she runs away.[11]
She becomes ananti-pornography activist,[12] assists Daredevil andBlack Widow in fighting crime on separate occasions and reluctantly starts dating Matt again. At this point, she becomes a radio show host under the namePaige Angel. She eventually realizes that she is too dependent on Matt and that her past is a constant barrier between them. Karen leaves Matt to accept a talk show host position inLos Angeles.[13]
While in California, Karen has a routine blood test as part of an insurance policy application. The supervillainMysterio, as part of a plan to psychologically destroy Daredevil for one last scheme,[14] disguises himself as a doctor, performs the blood test, and claims that she isHIV-positive. Devastated, Karen returns to New York and tells Matt about the diagnosis. Later, during a fight between Daredevil andBullseye, Karen is fatally impaled by Bullseye using Daredevil'sbilly-club.[15]
An alternate universe variant of Karen Page from Earth-523001 appears in theWhat If comic "What If Karen Page Had Lived?". This version narrowly survived Bullseye's attack due to him hitting her shoulder instead of her head. After Daredevil's fear of nearly losing her leads to him beating the Kingpin to death and being sentenced to 44 years in theRaft, Karen disappears and Daredevil assumes she committed suicide.[16]
An alternate universe variant of Karen Page from Earth-91240 appears in theSecret Wars one-shotSecret Wars: Secret Lovers. This version came to live with Matt Murdock.[17]
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
