#if only...

You sprained your ankle one time on a walk and hobbled into the house, cursing yourself for wearing these shoes on such rocky ground for an afternoon walk. You made it far enough inside to take your shoes off, but not far enough for your slight limp to go unnoticed by him. He caught you in his path returning to the couch with a beer. “Hey honeybee, how was your wa- are you limping?” “Yeah a bit but I’m fine it just hurts.” “So, you’re not fine… pain means not fine…” “Jack I’m-“ “nuh uh," he protests, setting his beer down and motioning you to come closer. "Lemme see.”

He sits down on the little bench just inside your front door, usually reserved for packing up bags and putting shoes on before heading out, now turned into a makeshift exam table. He pats a knee, “here, up.” You love him, but you just want to sit down. “Jackkkk” you whine. He gives you one look, a stern, firm look, and you’re delicately placing your still sock-clad foot on his thigh. “There ya go. Let me take a look,” he removes his readers from their resting place atop his head, putting them on with one hand, steadying you with the other. He looks up at you over the rim of his lenses, “where does it hurt when you put weight on it?” You pointed at and rubbed on the spot, taking in a short little hiss of breath, “here.” He follows your direction, palpates and massages the area, rolls your sock down to make sure there isn’t a skin-level injury or bruising. He rolls it back up when he’s satisfied that there isn’t a wound, a handful of causes ruled out.

“Well doc? What’s the verdict?” He gives you a slightly exasperated look, “Well, might be a sprain. Could have fractured something. Lots of small bones in the foot, that can happen. Maybe we can get you an x-ray-" “Jack…” “What? I can’t know for sure unless I see.” “Can we just try a brace and if an x-ray is necessary, we’ll go? Okay?” He huffs. Actually huffs. “A brace…. Pft....” He looks up at you so incredulously. Like you have a broken leg and you’re asking for a band-aid. “A brace is the minimum we’ll do here sugar. Come on, let’s get this elevated.”

And then you’re parked on the couch, soft fluffy pillow elevating your injured foot, and here he comes with a compression sleeve, a brace, lidocaine spray, and ibuprofen. “Where’s your heating pad?” “Uh, my nightstand? Why?” “Gotta alternate ice and heat!” He calls from the kitchen, where he’s raiding the freezer for an ice pack. He rounds the corner wrapping it in a soft towel, “here, hold it on there like this,” he places the pack on the sore spot and you nearly moan. “Oh that’s nice, that’s better.” “Yeah?" he smirks, the devil... "Good. Hold it there I’ll be right back.” And he skitters off down the hall to your bedroom. You hear the rustle of drawers being pulled out and rifled through, a smile forming on your face at how quickly he comes to your aid, even over minor things. “Got it!” Bounding back down the hallway, he’s already unwrapping the cord to get the pad set up for you. He looks up at you and his steps falter as he sees how you’re barely able to contain a grin.

The company, along with Thorin, is horrified and tries to simultaneously persuade Bilbo to stay and force Thorin to apologize in the proper manner (by Dwarrow standards), while Thorin himself, meanwhile, tries to regain Bilbo's trust. And imagine the chaos.

Oh... 🥺

Over the years, Daredevil writers have occasionally gifted us with stories that show Foggy's point of view. These stories, while tied to the hero's narrative, demonstrate that Foggy is much more than just a shadow that follows Matt wherever he goes. 

And these stories give us readers the feeling that Foggy is real, alive, and leading a life apart from Matt Murdock's.

Naturally, The Secret Life of Foggy Nelson is a seminal work that demonstrates the significance of this character to Daredevil's entire mythology. It marks a significant turning point in Foggy Nelson and Daredevil's story.

After Foggy has faced Matt's death countless times, Matt finally finds himself confronted with Foggy's perspective for the first time.

In retrospect

Matt spiraled downwards as his identity was revealed, something he even seemed to enjoy at first. He took Daredevil to court along with a reluctant Foggy. Matt found himself embroiled in setbacks that led him to a more concise trial: the disastrous White Tiger trial. Finally, Matt's identity was revealed when everyone thought the Kingpin was dead. After much hysteria and media tension, Matt was finally arrested.

And as one might expect, this affected the people he loved, his wife and his best friend, who, while visiting him in prison, was attacked and ended up being killed.

At least that's what everyone thought, until it was revealed that Foggy was alive, beginning one of the most interesting and what I call Foggy's love letter to Matt.

Before being attacked, Foggy had an intense argument with Ben Urich. And I love that even though Foggy is the "kindest and purest soul," he can be stern, sincere, sharp, and firm when necessary. Which is mostly to protect Matt.

And guess who Foggy called when he was in witness protection?

The authors here highlighted a beautiful characteristic of Foggy, which is never letting himself be intimidated or ashamed by others or by the consequences of his own actions. He could have, mind you; he was hurt by Ben for what happened to Matt, so he could simply ignore Ben. But he knew that Ben was impartial and the only one who could help him.

It wasn't difficult to fake Foggy's death.

The paramedics told Dakota that he was being stabilized in the ambulance. Then at some point he was taken inside the hospital and pronounced dead.

However, just imagine, on the operating table, Foggy, conscious and scared to the bone, accepted the deal to be kept under protection.

He was scared; he was terrified. This was the first time he had been so scared.

Foggy has been hurt before. He was between life and death when he was shot, but that time, he didn't know Matt's secret, and Matt simply came back from San Francisco for him. And the whole spiral of violence made everything much, much worse for him. He's not like Matt, as he himself repeats. He feels fear.

That's where we learn a fundamental truth about Foggy: even when afraid, he doesn't freeze. He acts. Even if it's not always the best decision and even if it leads to disastrous consequences.

True courage is doing what is right even with trembling hands and knees.

However, the cycle of guilt, fear, anger, and resentment ensues as a result of all this.

Because of the guilt he feels for what happened to Foggy, Matt plunges into violence and an incessant search for answers.

Foggy, on the other hand, feels guilty that Matt has become a punching machine and tries to escape in search of Matt.

Obviously, Foggy doesn't get very far in his escape.

In this issue, we learn something captivating: Elektra has always had a special affection for Foggy since college. Ever since she refused to kill him and instead saved him, leading to her own death, and now it's no different. She's watching out for him. Who would have thought?

And for a man who always preferred to go by "Foggy" instead of a serious lawyer's name like Franklin Nelson, logically he's going to have a hard time being called Everett... (after his creator and father, by the way)

I love this tribute.

The author could easily have simply brought Foggy back in a future story, without explanation, or perhaps with only a brief explanation. It wouldn't have made much difference to the plot. But here we see the care and respect for a character as firmly established as Daredevil himself. Foggy isn't just a sidekick; he owns his own narrative.

Come home, Matt

What does home mean to Foggy Nelson?

I know this has another meaning here, (?) but Foggy wishing Matt would come back home, to his neighborhood, his city, his country... sounds to me like a "come back to me."

The Secret Life of Foggy Nelson is a short love letter to Matt.

In it, Foggy openly tells Matt how he feels. He exposes his fears in a raw yet sensitive way. He opens his heart, confessing his vulnerability and longing to return to his home, his life, his Matt.

He knows that Matt knows all this, but he still confesses his thoughts to Matt; after all, who would Foggy be if he didn't get his thoughts off his chest?

Foggy is the portrait of an ordinary, powerless man who suffers the consequences of being a hero's best friend; he faces the consequences of living in a cruel world. But he is more than that; he has fears, anxieties, and flaws. But beyond that, he has qualities that we should all have. He is loyal, devoted. He does the right thing, even when it is difficult or almost impossible for him. Even when he is afraid.

And that is what true fearlessness means.