The History of Mayor Kingpin in Marvel Comics

How did Wilson Fisk become Mayor of New York City? Follow the Kingpin’s path to the office here!

In the new Disney+ series Echo, Vincent D’Onofrio officially returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The evil mobster Wilson Fisk has a grudge against street-level vigilantes and wants to rebuild his previously owned empire. He’s not the only one who hates Iron Fist, but that’s another story.

Fisk made his television debut in Netflix’s Daredevil series, which is now canonical to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, D’Onofrio’s reappearance in series like Daredevil: Born Again, Hawkeye, and Echo implies that the beloved superhero series’ events are essentially true to his character’s journey. As a result, viewers are given a far clearer understanding of Kingpin’s whole MCU narrative leading up to his eagerly anticipated comeback.

The Echo mid-credits scene opens with Kingpin, having backed down from his threats to murder Maya’s family (which, as we saw in Hawkeye, he had already killed her father), preparing his next plot on his private jet. “I want a meeting with all the remaining heads,” he tells an assistant. “We need to stabilize this situation before it spirals out of control.”

But then Kingpin switches to a nearby TV for news coverage. It’s a piece on the forthcoming mayoral race in New York City, and the presenter says the proper candidate hasn’t yet surfaced. People, he claims, are searching for a “fighter”—”someone who understands the pain they’re going through”—who “works against the career politicians.”

The TV personality goes on as if it weren’t obvious which way this was going: “A bare-knuckles brawler would perform well in this race. An outsider. Somebody who’s not afraid to take on the establishment.”

The reporters state that, regrettably, it doesn’t appear such an individual exists. However, all we see is the face of an emotional, wide-eyed Kingpin who seems to have discovered his calling once more. In the comics and on the Netflix show, Fisk shows a strong desire to take control of the city and reshape it in his image. In the comics, he gets his chance and sheds light on the future of the once-and-future Kingpin.

How Fisk Became Kingpin

Supervillain Wilson Grant Fisk, also known as The Kingpin, is a character that appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. invented the character, who made his comic book debut in The Amazing Spider-Man #50 (1967). In Mafia terminology, the term “Kingpin” refers to the title of a criminal boss.

Wilson Fisk is a successful businessman who made his fortunes in the biomedical, technology, real estate, and industrial sectors. The Kingpin is stated to be a fearsome 6′ 7″ and 450 pounds in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #7, which was first published in 1985. The big guy likes donuts more than Homer Simpson. Fisk, one of the most formidable gangsters in New York City, controls the underground with a distinct mix of cunning and charisma.

Mayor Fisk is Elected Mayor

The story of Mayor Fisk started in 2015 with Daredevil #595 by Charles Soule and Stefano Landini. Kingpin was mayor off and on through Daredevil until the “Devil’s Reign” comics in 2021.

During the dark days of the 2017 comic crossover “Secret Empire,”  Captain America was replaced with a Hydra agent. Hydra took control and imprisoned New York City within an impenetrable dome. Wilson Fisk helped defeat them. Although it wasn’t a selfless gesture on Fisk’s side, the city benefited greatly from his assistance, and the people started to respect him highly—exactly as he had intended. This led to an explosion of popularity. Helped by the fact that he was never properly charged with anything, he presented himself as a last-minute independent candidate for mayor of New York City. He does this by ignoring questions about his criminal past.

Daredevil Becomes Deputy Mayor

Despite Daredevil’s recent efforts to set a precedent for superheroes testifying in Washington under false identities, Kingpin has arrested Daredevil in a police sting operation and then mocked his old adversary with the knowledge that the people he protects chose Fisk to ‘protect’ them. Daredevil smashes a window and jumps out of Fisk’s office to start his efforts to bring down Fisk’s empire. Fisk’s primary policy is to declare all vigilantes criminals. Matt Murdock has been appointed deputy mayor, so Fisk can keep an eye on him. It also allowed Murdock to feel like he had some control over the former crime boss.

Eventually, Daredevil tries to organize a “sting operation” in which he and the other street-level heroes will catch Mayor Fisk meeting with different gang bosses. However, Mayor Fisk turns this plan against them and takes advantage of the chance to arrest all of Daredevil’s allies, hoping to incite Daredevil to attack him. An organization of malevolent supernatural ninjas known as “The Hand” is deeply embroiled in mercenary operations like murder schemes and organized crime. The Hand prioritizes gaining power over all other goals. It operates globally, although its main base is in Japan. Originally a covert organization of samurai who supported Japanese nationalism, they were taken over by the Snakeroot Ninja clan in 1588.

Mayor Fisk manages to apprehend Daredevil as well, but not before the Hand shoots dozens of arrows into him and leaves him critically ill. Matt Murdock is left in charge of the city. Meanwhile, Fisk is in critical condition, and no one is willing to question the legal situation.

Fisk recuperated after the attack. Meanwhile, Murdock utilized his abilities as Daredevil to keep the city safe while the street-level superheroes fought off the Hand. Murdock restored Fisk to his post as mayor, but he had to vow to stop leading campaigns against the vigilantes.

Afterward, Mayor Wilson Fisk appears as a member of the Power Elites. A secret trust of influence brokers formed after Hydra’s takeover of America. Captain America gets into a fight with Sharon Carter about his innocence after being labeled as a suspect in Thunderbolt Ross’s murder. Fisk’s allies are eliminated, and he retreats from Peter Parker.

Mayor Wilson Fisk’s operatives set Electro (Francine Frye) free so she can join the Sinister Syndicate as a female member. Mayor Fisk assigns the Sinister Syndicate’s first task after it is created: to apprehend Boomerang for stealing something from him. The Sinister Syndicate is about to end the evening when they hear Mayor Fisk outside threaten to use all the power of New York City against them for harboring a criminal and demanding that Boomerang be turned over to him. The police, SWAT team, Anti-Super Squad, and lower-level bureaucrats are all observed by the Syndicate.

Spider-Man also arrives and tries to get Mayor Fisk to have the authorities stand down, only for Mayor Fisk to claim that Spider-Man fell prey to Boomerang’s hypnotic boomerang. Electro claims that Spider-Man is buying them some time. After reading the paper in Boomerang’s hand that belonged to Mayor Fisk, Beetle tells the Syndicate that they should let Boomerang go. While Beetle claims that she betrayed them, she did it because she is a supervillain and states that she plans to have Mayor Fisk deputize them. The rest of the syndicate is not up to this plan. The Sinister Syndicate then assists Spider-Man against Mayor Fisk’s forces. Beetle has Spider-Man evacuate Boomerang while the Syndicate fights Mayor Fisk’s forces without killing them. The Syndicate is defeated and arrested by the police. As Spider-Man shows up, he tries to persuade Mayor Fisk to order the authorities to step aside, but Mayor Fisk responds by saying that Spider-Man was tricked by Boomerang’s hypnotic boomerang. Spider-Man is buying them time, according to Electro. Beetle informs the Syndicate that Boomerang should be allowed to depart after reading the document that belonged to Mayor Fisk and was in Boomerang’s grasp. Despite Beetle’s accusations, she betrayed them because, as a supervillain, she intended to have Mayor Fisk substitute for them. This plan is not supported by the rest of the Syndicate. After that, the Syndicate helps Spider-Man defeat Mayor Fisk’s army. Spider-Man is ordered by Beetle to leave Boomerang while the Syndicate battles Mayor Fisk’s soldiers without causing any casualties.

Mayor Wilson Fisk and his son, Ultimate Miles Morales, were reunited. He apologized for not finding what he was seeking on Earth-1610, but he was thrilled to see Ultimatum again. Mayor Fisk and Miles start working on their next scheme as they oppose an alternate-universe Spider-Man Morales.

In 2012, the Kingpin discovers that Otto Octavius, the Superior Spider-Man, has been taking down criminal families with cruel tactics. Kingpin has Smedley Kornfeld, a man who underwent surgery to appear genetically and physically like Fisk, killed. Fisk relocates to San Francisco to rebuild his empire after losing control in New York. But Owlsley was abducted by the vigilante Shroud, who then turned him into a supercomputer to find his ex-girlfriend, Julia Carpenter. After serving as an adversary in the past, Daredevil relocates to San Francisco to pursue his legal profession and superhuman endeavors. Fisk has his men search for Julia to use as leverage against the Shroud while he employs Ikari to abduct Kirsten McDuffie, the girlfriend of Foggy and Matt. But Daredevil makes Fisk an offer: in return for a new identity, he fakes his death.

Later on, before the “Devil’s Reign” events, Fisk notices gaps in his memory and finds tangible proof that he was previously aware of Daredevil’s true identity. Mayor Fisk confronts Daredevil, who taunts him, out of outrage. As a result, Mayor Fisk declares his intention to run for US president, installs Butch as New York’s new Kingpin, and prohibits vigilantism in the city. Along with other supporters, including Senator Arthur Krane of Friends of Humanity, Fisk established a new Thunderbolt team to assist the NYPD in combating superhuman vigilantism.

Kingpin Meets the Purple Man

He goes to see Purple Man in prison, strangling him until he submits, and then locks him up (as he would eventually do with his children as well) to use him as a tool for manipulation. He takes Killgrave’s finger, and Doctor Octopus creates a cane that he “coerces” people into voting for him.

Luke Cage and his wife Jessica Jones have decided to leave New York in DEVIL’S REIGN (2021) to safeguard their daughter Dani. But supervillains, endowed with legal authority, rescue people from a bus accident. Luke rallies onlookers with an impromptu speech and exhibits mayoral tendencies. They later hide in the disused Avengers Mansion’s subbasement alongside a gang of Avengers. Everyone pitches in to support Luke Cage, their candidate, in an attempt to capitalize on Fisk’s election-year power move. Even the other Avengers are influenced by Fisk’s campaign, and Luke’s makes little progress despite their best efforts. Jessica recognizes the Purple Man’s influence, and Zebediah Killgrave and Mayor Fisk utilize Killgrave’s abilities to quietly sway people’s opinions in favor of him in New York.

Fisk learns that Killgrave has kids in DEVIL’S REIGN (2021) #4, which will increase the strength of his machine. Joseph, a son of the Purple Man, is saved by the mayor, but his siblings lose their abilities.

Kingpin and the Purple Man Remember

In Devil’s Reign #6, Fisk uses Killgrave’s power to help him remember Daredevil’s hidden identity. But, Fisk uses his political clout to force the outlawing of vigilante superheroes in New York City after learning that Matt Murdock had previously used the mind-controlling children of the Purple Man to make everyone forget his true identity as Daredevil.

Later, Fisk starts running against Luke Cage in the reelection campaign. However, during the election, Fisk loses it all and engages in street combat with Daredevil. After setting Killgrave free, he orders him to enslave the citizens to kill New York’s heroes. Using Luke Cage’s anti-Purple Man neural disruptor, Joseph defeats his father. Ultimately, Fisk approaches Mike Murdock, believes him to be Matt, and kills him.

Fisk’s evil is revealed, and he’s arrested. Butch Pharris and criminal financiers, the Stromwyns, want to install Fisk as the future president of the United States, so they liberate him when he is incarcerated. Rather, Fisk murders them and hands over control to Butch to become the new Kingpin.

Knowing he has nothing left, Kingpin leaves the city with Typhoid Mary, his new bride, and eventually makes Krakoa, a mutant island nation, possible because of Mary’s mutant status. After Kingpin leaves office, Luke Cage takes over as mayor of New York. He tries to use due process to overturn Fisk’s anti-vigilante laws while also shielding his allies, who continue to operate in the city, from legal action.

How is Mayor Fisk Different in the MCU?

There are several points where the comic book storyline differs from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The biggest difference is that Kingpin knows Murdock’s secret identity in the MCU, while it’s a mystery in the comics. This makes up much of the storyline and would have to be dropped or explained away.

Another big change is that Killgrave, the Purple Man, died in Jessica Jones season one. But it’s possible he had children. He was selfish enough that he probably wouldn’t use birth control. So that part of the story could still happen.

Next, we have the Secret Empire storyline, which hasn’t happened. But any of the cataclysmic events in the MCU could replace that and motivate people to stand behind Fisk. Even the mini-series Secret Invasion, where Skrulls try to destroy civilization, could motivate New York to rally behind the Kingpin of Crime. All of that could lead to Fisk becoming the head of New York. That would be an incredible storyline since Daredevil’s battles with Kingpin have been apocalyptic in the Netflix series, and that power dynamic would make for fascinating television.

Another big story opportunity is Luke Cage becoming the new Mayor of the Big Apple. The character played a big part in the Netflix Marvel series, and he could have an even bigger role. 

One problem with the storyline is the banning of superheroes. It’s a familiar idea that was explored in Captain America: Civil War and several other projects over the years. The Civil War comic story is far more audacious than the MCU, taking chances that put its characters in awkward but rewarding circumstances more regularly. While the film makes every effort to imitate that, it doesn’t always evoke the same emotion. Both are heartbreaking, though. The magnitude of that pain is the primary distinction. Plus, it excluded Marvel Netflix shows. So this would be a chance to tell a more street-level story.

Overall, it’s a fascinating storyline that will only get better with actors like Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio. Fisk is a well-known criminal following the events of the now-officially canonized Daredevil story by the MCU. But it’s not that unlikely that a convicted felon would rise to political prominence. After Daredevil: Born Again, Wilson Fisk might become New York City’s mayor. This might result in a Spider-Man 4 where Peter Parker becomes an unauthorized vigilante in Manhattan. And everyone wants Mike Colter to return to his role as Luke Cage. Is he going to challenge Fisk for mayor? How awesome would that be? This has a ton of potential storylines. After this massive Echo post-credits teaser, it will be interesting to see how the MCU incorporates all these storylines into Daredevil: Born Again and beyond.

Are you looking forward to Mayor Kingpin? What other storylines would you like to see in the MCU?