Summary

• The new Daredevil, Elektra, and the new Punisher, Joe Garrison, collide in "Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #1."
• The story is the first to bring these two vigilantes together.
• The potential rivalry between the Woman Without Fear and the new Punisher sets the stage for an intense confrontation in the Marvel Universe.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #1!For the first time ever, the Marvel Universe's new and the brand-new Punisher find themselves drawn into a conflict?

In Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #1 by Erica Shultz and Michael Dowling, Elektra returns to her loft and discovers that her ward, Alice, is missing and that the Maggia has kidnapped her. Elektra hightails it to Madripoor and boards a train, though it isn't long before she's attacked by the mercenary villain Crossbones.

As the train pulls into its last stop, a bullet flies right between Elektra and Crossbones. Daredevil looks out to see who fired the shot and discovers it was Joe Garrison, the new Punisher. Garrison patiently awaits Elektra to depart saying "It's about time".

Marvel's New Punisher and Daredevil Are Heading for a Confrontation

When Matt Murdock went to prison due to a manslaughter charge, he asked Elektra to keep his city safe and prove she could be a hero without killing. Elektra rose to the occasion and honored the promise, becoming the new Daredevil and curbing her murderous tendencies for good. Joe Garrison, on the other hand, is a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who lost his family at the hands of an international criminal known as the Sokovian. Unlike Elektra, Garrison was decreed the new Punisher by the media, who assumed he had some kind of connection to Frank Castle.

Marvel fans know the original Daredevil and Punisher didn't always get along. Heck, they fought recently while Frank was leading the Hand and Daredevil was leading its rival clan, the Fist. But they teamed up quite a few times over the years. However, this first encounter between the new Punisher and Daredevil seems intent on making them enemies from the get-go. While it's not exactly clear if Joe is working for the Maggia (though it's unlikely), it's possible he was the shooter and that Elektra was his target, potentially starting a war between the new Daredevil and Punisher.

Are the New Daredevil and Punisher Enemies or Allies?

Of course, that assumes Garrison was trying to shoot at Elektra and not Crossbones. There's a lot still unknown about this adventure, particularly how Punisher plays a hand in all of this. Though Elektra loves to fight, she's also someone who excels in getting the information she needs. So she should be able to find out why Garrison is in Madripoor and what he wants with her or Crossbones pretty easily. Hopefully, this will cut down on any unnecessary conflict between the two. Otherwise, Marvel fans could be seeing the start of a Daredevil/Punisher rivalry that's far worse than the original.

Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.