History ComicBook / DevilsReign

* NoSell: When Fisk releases Killgrave from prison, Killgrave attempts to take over Fisk's mind. Fisk resists all-too-easy and [[spoiler:apparently stabs him to death.]]

** [[spoiler: The Stromwyns also finally bite in the finale.]]

* EvilIsNotAToy: [[spoiler: In ''Devil's Reign'' #6, and after screwing with Fisk for most of Zdardsky's run, the Stromwyns finally learn too late that pissing off the Kingpin was ''not'' a good idea.]]

* PhyrricVictory: [[spoiler: Butch by the end of the event. He's claimed the Kingpin mantle and Fisk will not be a problem for him or the rest of NYC organized crime moving forward. But it's not much of a victory, as Fisk killed his best friend (i.e. Mike Murdock). Butch is left mourning Mike's death and clearly wishing he'd listened to his pleas in the penultimate issue.]]

* BittersweetEnding: ''Devil's Reign: X-Men''. [[spoiler: Emma is cleared of the murder charges, Isabelle is still alive, and her onetime youthful charge now has a place on Krakoa. But Fisk still achieves a victory, as the financial malfeasance Emma committed for him has been exposed and restitution will not insignificantly damage her finances. There are also now warrants out for her arrest in countries that are not part of Krakoa's diplomatic agreements (such as the UK), limiting Emma's ability to travel and conduct official Mutant business.]]

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Butch Pharris, Mayor Fisk's son and the current crime lord of Hell's Kitchen, calls out his father for kicking the figurative hornet's nest that is the ''entire'' Superhero community just because ''one'' vigilante pissed him off. Knowing it's only a matter of time before their inevitable retaliation results in Fisk losing everything.
-->'''Butch:''' You're a fool. Superheroes? Really? What, am I pointing lasers at the planet? Trying to mind-control the population? [[NotSoDifferentRemark You're as garish and outdated as they are.]] I'm not you, "Wilson". I'm not here to be goaded into trading punches with ''Spider-Men''. You're a joke. [[BullyingADragon You can't help but poke the bears]]. And they'll eat you. They will. [[BadassBoast And I'll still run this town.]]

* BitersweetEnding: ''Devil's Reign: X-Men''. [[spoiler: Emma is cleared of the murder charges, Isabelle is still alive, and her onetime youthful charge now has a place on Krakoa. But Fisk still achieves a victory, as the financial malfeasance Emma committed for him has been exposed and restitution will not insignificantly damage her finances. There are also now warrants out for her arrest in countries that are not part of Krakoa's diplomatic agreements (such as the UK), limiting Emma's ability to travel and conduct official Mutant business.]]

* FullyAbsorbedFinale: Averted. Zdarsky's [[https://www.cbr.com/marvel-devils-reign-fisk-chip-zdarsky confirmed]] that while ''Devil's Reign'' is the culmination of his ''Daredevil'' run-up to this point, it's ''not'' the climax. He and Marco Checchetto will be relaunching Hornhead's monthly book several months after the event's conclusion.

* MadnessMantra: [[spoiler: Upon regaining his knowledge of Daredevil's secret identity, Fisk's internal thoughts in ''Devil's Reign'' #5 keep repeating 'Matt Murdock' over and over again.]]

* ADayInTheLimelight: Played with. This is not the first Daredevil-centric event Marvel's done (as that honor goes to 2010's ''Shadowland''). That said, the scale and scope of ''Devil's Reign'' dwarf its predecessor. ''Shadowland'' was more of a street-level event affecting the grounded heroes like Luke Cage, Moon Knight, etc. ''Devil's Reign'', by contrast, affects ''all'' New York-based heroes, including the ''big'' guns like Reed Richards, Tony Stark, and Steve Rogers.

* EnemyMine: Otto working for Fisk. Reed lampshades that Otto's allowing himself to become a follower rather than marching to his own tune as per the norm. Otto counters that he's willing to work for Fisk this time given the potential gains of this enterprise, [[spoiler:specifically access to Reed's inter-dimensional technology.]]

* {{Irony}}: Given the similarities between the Powers Act and the [[ComicBook/CivilWar Superhuman Registration Act]], the heroes that were pro-Registration (like Reed Richards and Tony Stark) now find themselves on the receiving end of the exact same kind of crackdown they once put their colleagues through.

* PapaWolf: When Thunderbolts agents start shooting at Ben, Johnny, Franklin, and Valeria, Ben takes the couch and chucks it at them, sticking them against a wall, yelling at how they're shooting at ''children''. He doesn't stick around to clobber them more as he joins the others in escaping so they can rescue Alicia and his kids.

* AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs: Dr. Octopus, with the aid of Homeland Security and the NYPD, can obtain the Baxter Building and arrest Reed and Susan Richards.
** Averted with Tony Stark's New York residence. They certainty tried, but Tony's security countermeasures kicked in and locked out all access to his armory.

* BatmanGambit: [[spoiler: ''Devil's Reign: Moon Knight'' reveals Marc Spector allowed himself to be captured by Fisk's goons. He needed to gain access to the prison, as he was on Midnight Mission business with Man-Mountain Marko's ex-wife. This was the best and fastest way to get inside.]]

* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: [[spoiler: The Purple Children in issue #3 when they have an opportunity to use their abilities on May Parker to make her help them. They ultimately decide against it because May genuinely asked if they needed help and they feel guilty about taking advantage of such sincerity and kindness.]]

* BigBadDuumvirate: While Wilson Fisk's campaign to get re-elected and anti-vigilante crusade drive the plot, most of his actions are only made possible by the scientific assistance of Doctor Octopus, over whom Fisk has hardly any real control. Otto is using Fisk for his own ends and by part 4 proves to be just as much in charge of the situation as Fisk is.

** Dr. Octopus notes Fisk’s plan to win the election is similar to a rumor of Dr. Doom the same thing to rule the world, referencing the popular graphic novel ''Avengers: Emperor Doom''.

* ContentLeak: ''Devil's Reign'' #5 and ''Woman Without Fear'' #3 were both intended to come out the same week. Unfortunately, the former was delayed a week and thus the conclusion of ''Woman'' spoiled [[spoiler: Fisk kills Matt]]. However, given that ''Devil's Reign'' #5 reveals [[spoiler: Fisk had actually killed Matt's 'twin' Mike]], it's ''possible'' this delay was actually intentional to provide misdirection.

* ADayInTheLimelight: Played with. This is not the first Daredevil-centric event Marvel's done (as that honor goes to 2010's ''Shadowland''). That said, the scale and scope of ''Devil's Reign'' dwarfs its predecessor. ''Shadowland'' was more of a street-level event affecting the grounded heroes like Luke Cage, Moon Knight, etc. ''Devil's Reign'', by contrast, affects ''all'' New York-based heroes, including the ''big'' guns like Reed Richards, Tony Stark, and Steve Rogers.

* DidntThinkThisThrough: [[spoiler: Otto Octavius in the penultimate issue. He was so focused on creating anti-Killgrave safeguards for himself that he didn't think to do the same for the rest of the Superior Four. Fisk lampshades this as he takes advantage of the unintented loophole.]]

** [[spoiler: Fisk murdering Mike Murdock in the penultimate issue, thinking he's revenging himself upon Matt and not realizing he's actually killing the wrong Murdock.]]
*** [[spoiler: Mike also ironically ''is'' guilty of Fisk's accusations of 'Matt' violating and altering his memories. Mike used the Norn Stones back during the Annual to retroactively insert himself into Matt and company's lives and thus altered all their memories and histories.]]

* EvilKnockoff: Dr. Octopus’ [[Characters/FantasticFourNewFantasticFour Superior Four]] multi-armed versions of the All-New Fantastic Four from alternate realities where he stole their bodies instead of Spider-Man's with Doc Ock, with him taking the place of Spider-Man.

** However, it's then cleverly subverted when [[spoiler: ''Devil's Reign'' #5 reveals Fisk actually killed ''Mike'' Murdock. Because Mike's been posing as Matt for much of Zdarsky's run, Fisk, Elektra, and everyone think he actually killed Matt.]]

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler: Mike Murdock's death in ''Devil's Reign'' #5. As Matt's twin brother-made-real, he's been posing as Matt since Daredevil's trial and while he was in prison. This means when Fisk's memories of Daredevil's identity are restored, he thinks Mike ''is'' Matt and it gets him beaten to death.]]

* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Mike Murdock in ''Devil's Reign'' #5, concluding a plotline going back to the Soule era.]]

* TheReveal: [[spoiler:The Tony Stark who had been planning to run for mayor is actually the Chameleon as part of a plan by Dr. Octopus to have his proxy be elected over Fisk.]]

* RingsOfActivation: In issue #1 of the ''Superior Four'' tie-in series Dr. Octopus is hit with a magic spell that manifests golden rings of light around his tentacles, causing him to temporarily lose control of them. [[spoiler:The end of the issue reveals that the person behind this attack was another Dr. Octopus who wielded the armor and magic of Dr. Doom. He also has golden rings manifesting around his wrists when he uses his magic.]]

* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler:As it turns out, the Tony Stark the heroes have interacted with throughout the event's first half wasn't actually Tony, but the Chameleon in disguise. Dr. Octopus had actually planned on yanking the Mayor's seat out from under Fisk by using Tony, but Luke Cage telling Tony to back off and let him handle it ruined everything.]]

*** Issue #3 also addresses another logical, if inevitable, repercussion of the mind-wipe: [[spoiler:Killgrave knows. He's forgotten Daredevil's identity too, but he ''knows'' his children are responsible because he recognized their powers in action.]] The climax of issue #4 builds on this [[spoiler: as Fisk realizes that the Purple Man's powers, if used on himself, could theoretically cut through the Children's mind-block and make him remember Daredevil's secret. It works.]]

* EvilKnockoff: Dr. Octopus’ [[Characters/FantasticFourNewFantasticFour Superior Four]] multi-armed versions of the All-New Fantastic Four with Doc Ock as Spider-Man.

* ''ComicBook/SpiderWoman'' #18-19
* ''Moon Knight'' #8

* ContentLeak: ''Devil's Reign'' #5 and ''Woman Without Fear'' #3 were both intended to come out the same week. Unfortunately, the former was delayed a week and thus the conclusion of''Woman'' spoiled [[spoiler: Fisk kills Matt]]. However, given that ''Devil's Reign'' #5 reveals [[spoiler: Fisk had actually killed Matt's 'twin' Mike]], it's ''possible'' this delay was actually intentional to provide misdirection.

* InternalReveal:Fisk and most of the heroes who didn't already know finally learn of the Purple Children's mindwipe of Matt Murdock's identity during Charles Soule's ''Daredevil'' run.

* StatusQuoIsGod: [[spoiler: Half a decade after Charles Soule's run wiped all public memory of Daredevil's secret identity, Fisk ''finally'' remembers at the end of issue #4.]]

*** Even better, [[spoiler: Mike ironically ''is'' guilty of Fisk's accusations of 'Matt' violating and altering his memories. Mike used the Norn Stones back during the Annual to make himself real and retroactively insert himself into Matt and company's lives and altered all their memories.]]

* ContentLeak: ''Devil's Reign'' #5 and ''Woman Without Fear'' #3 were both intended to come out the same week. However, the former was delayed a week and thus the conclusion of''Woman'' spoiled [[spoiler: Fisk kills Matt]]. However, it's possible this delay was intentional misdirection as [[spoiler: ''Devil's Reign'' #5 reveals Fisk had actually killed Matt's 'twin' Mike.]]

* DidntThinkThisThrough: [[spoiler: Otto Octavius in the penultimate issue. He was so focused on creating anti-Killgrave safeguards for himself that he didn't think to do the same for the rest of the Superior Four. Fisk lampshades this as he takes advantage of the unintented loohphole.]]