Marvel's Devil's Reign crossover is reaching its apex with issue #5 of the six-issue limited series scheduled for release on March 9. But the publisher seems to have spoiled the big twist of Devil's Reign #5 a week early, referencing the still untold story with an editor's note explaining a bit of dialogue that reveals the spoiler in a March 2 release.
So what does Devil's Reign #5 seem to have in store, and where did the news leak? Read on to find out all about it.
Spoilers ahead for Devil's Reign #5
March 2's Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #3 includes not just the surprise debut of Frank Castle in his new look and role as the Punisher alongside the Hand, but an apparent spoiler for March 9's Devil's Reign #5 - and even though there's a solid chance things aren't how the story will make them look, the secret that's seemingly revealed is quite a doozy.
In Woman Without Fear #3, Elektra finishes off the brutal fight she's been having with Kraven the Hunter through the course of the limited series, afterwards her Hand mentor Aka before being subdued and left unconscious as Kraven and the Hand flee.
While the agents of the Hand return to their base, revealing the new Punisher look and logo (which Marvel promises will be accompanied by "meaningful changes" for Frank Castle) for the first time on the page, marking the in-universe debut of Frank's new style.
But back in the empty theater where the confrontation between Aka and Elektra took place, Elektra awakens alone, heading out into the streets. There, she encounters Matt Murdock's fellow attorney Robert 'Goldy' Goldman, who has some downright shocking news for both Elektra, and for readers. This is where the big Devil's Reign #5 spoiler comes in.
Goldy tells Elektra that Matt Murdock has been murdered in his apartment - and that the prime suspect in his killing is none other than Mayor Wilson Fisk, who recovered his lost memories of Daredevil's secret identity as Murdock in Devil's Reign #4.
Elektra vows to kill Fisk in revenge, stating that the only person who could've stopped her - Matt Murdock - is dead.
We can go ahead and guess that Matt either isn't actually dead or won't be for long - that's kinda how the cycle of superheroes goes. But it's still a bit shocking for Marvel to spoil what is likely a major plot point for the in-progress Devil's Reign event a week before Matt's apparent death is shown on the page.
This could be totally intentional, perhaps even part of whatever misdirect will likely come to pass around Matt Murdock's apparent murder. Or it could be an inadvertent reveal of a later plot point from a story that was initially meant to be released before Woman Without Fear #3 occurring thanks to the normal scheduling changes that are a normal part of the process of publishing and distributing print comics.
Whatever the case, Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #3, the limited series' conclusion, seems to reveal the death of Matt Murdock a week before it will actually happen in the Marvel Universe.
A similar event took place in recent issues of X-Men, where Cyclops was killed in front of numerous witnesses, leading him to take up the identity of Captain Krakoa to avoid revealing the secrets of mutant resurrection. That story first revealed that Cyclops had died before showing any details or information about how his death occurred. In that case, the conceit of revealing Cyclops had died before showing how it happened was a clear part of the story's pacing.
If Devil's Reign kills Matt Murdock, will it earn a place among the most impactful Marvel Comics events of all time?
