Over the years, Foggy Nelson evolved into a more complex, three-dimensional character. By the time of Brian Michael Bendis and Ed Brubaker’s acclaimed runs in the 2000s, Foggy resembled the compelling figure portrayed by Elden Henson in the TV show. This character development made his tragic death at the end of Daredevil #82 (2006), written by Brubaker and drawn by Michael Lark, even more impactful.
At this point, Matt Murdock’s identity as Daredevil had been leaked to the public, and he was subsequently sentenced to prison. Foggy was left to manage their law firm and desperately work to free his best friend before any adversaries could seek revenge. Tragically, he was too late. After visiting Matt in prison, Foggy was stabbed in the stomach by a thug. Trapped in his cell and powerless, Matt was forced to listen as his friend seemingly bled out.
Or so Matt believed. It turned out Foggy had only been severely injured and was promptly placed in witness protection while recovering. Following a convoluted series of events involving gangsters, ninjas, and Wilson Fisk’s wife, Vanessa, Matt eventually learned that Foggy was indeed alive. The two briefly resumed running Nelson & Murdock together.
The Second and Third Deaths of Franklin Nelson
Over the years, Matt and Foggy experienced numerous reconciliations and disputes. Matt continued his reckless lifestyle as Daredevil, while Foggy simply tried to lead a normal life. Then, in 2013’s Daredevil #22, penned by Mark Waid and illustrated by Chris Samnee, the issue concludes with Matt bringing Foggy a “giant, stinky pizza” as an apology. Readers might expect this to be just another moment in their tumultuous friendship. However, after accepting the apology, Foggy drops a bombshell: they have little time to rebuild their legal practice because he has cancer.
Foggy bravely battled the disease, with Matt offering unwavering support. Yet, Matt couldn’t shake the persistent feeling that his association as Daredevil made Foggy an unfortunate target. This concern seemed to be tragically confirmed in 2014’s Daredevil #5 by Waid and Samnee. During a visit to a weakened Foggy, a new and dangerous iteration of the villain Leap Frog attacked Matt. Matt swiftly defeated the foe (it was Leap Frog, after all), but the villain’s suit exploded, seemingly killing Foggy in the blast.
To Waid and Samnee’s credit, the issue didn’t truly allow the audience to believe Foggy was genuinely dead. With the ingenious help of Ant-Man’s Pym Particles, Matt used the explosion to expertly fake Foggy’s death. This elaborate ruse allowed Foggy to continue his cancer treatment in peace, free from the threats associated with Daredevil’s world… although, in a Marvel comic, “peace” is seldom a long-term guarantee.