In Devil’s Reign #6 (by Chip Zdarsky, Marco Checchetto, Marcio Menyz, and VC’s Clayton Cowles), Wilson’s Fisk’s ill-won term as Mayor of New York City came to a brutal and bloody end. Defeated and disgraced by his long-time archenemy Daredevil, the former Kingpin of Crime turned down an offer from the sinister Stromwyn family to sponsor his previously announced campaign for the Presidency of the United States. Instead, he opted to go on the run with his wife Typhoid Mary, relinquishing his title to his son Butch Pharris and sailing off into the sunset to build a new life somewhere far from New York.
While news of Fisk’s “retirement” may come as a relief to the many heroes who suffered during his time in office, this isn’t the Kingpin’s first attempt at renouncing his villainous ways. Over the years, Fisk has attempted to build a new, crime-free life for himself many times, coming surprisingly close to giving up crime for good on several occasions. Unfortunately, external forces and Fisk’s vengeful nature always drive him back to a life of crime. His most recent stab at a fresh start will likely end just like his previous attempts.
In an attempt to cover up his growing criminal empire, Fisk carefully crafted a public persona that portrayed him as a legitimate businessman and generous philanthropist who used his impressive wealth to make large denotations to various charitable causes. This image helps Fisk hide his criminal activities and exert significant influence over the people of New York. It also had the unintended side effect of introducing him to Vanessa Marianna, whom Fisk fell deeply in love with and married.
Discovering Kingpin’s true “enterprise” sometime after they married, Vanessa had it clear that she disapproved of her husband’s criminal life, fearing the consequences that could befall their family due to his work. Although Fisk could assuage his wife’s fears, Vanessa’s frustration finally reached its limit. After her husband suffered a near-death experience, driving her to give Fisk twenty-four hours to abandon his criminal empire. In a move that surprised many, Kingpin chose Vanessa over his lucrative operation, giving up a perfect opportunity to kill Spider-Man to move to Japan and begin a new life with Vanessa.
Determined to leave his old life behind, Fisk arranged a deal with the authorities, agreeing to surrender documents to prosecute his former lieutenants in exchange for immunity for his past crimes. Unfortunately, Fisk’s former associates discovered Fisk’s plans and kidnaped Vanessa while she was visiting New York to seek legal advice from Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson. Despite Fisk’s best attempts to save his wife, Vanessa was seemingly killed by a stray explosive, driving a vengeful Fisk to return to a life of crime to exact revenge on his wife’s killers. Although eventually discovered, injured but alive, the experience hardened her heart and drove her to become a criminal herself, seemingly cementing Kingpin’s return to the world of organized crime.
Years later, Kingpin would once again attempt to retire from organized crime during the “Return of the King” storyline, which saw Fisk flee to Europe to the grief he felt after the deaths of both Vanessa and their son Richard. Settling down in a small Spanish, Fisk formed a relationship with a local woman named Marta and became a father figure to her two children, coming closer than he ever had to live a normal life. Sadly, the Hand and Lady Bullseye would ultimately track Fisk down and murder Marta and her children in an attempt to drive Kingpin back to a life of crime. Once again fueled by the grief of losing his loved ones, Fisk made a triumphant and tragic return to New York, where he quickly reclaimed his title and resumed his reign as the Kingpin of Crime.
Despite making several sincere attempts to turn his life around, Fisk has always found himself pulled back into a life of crime, and the factors that drive his return to villainy are often very similar. Although Kingpin has proven that he has a softer and more compassionate side, he also possesses a deep well of rage and a desire to control any situation he finds himself in. Even in the fleeting moments where Fisk has obtained some reprieve from the constant stress of running a criminal empire, his obsession with control and deeply-rooted anger issues often bubble up to the surface. Frequently they do so in ways that devastate those he wishes to protect.
On top of that, past victims and associates repeatedly undercut Fisk’s short-lived attempts to go clean. Even when Fisk has truly renounced his past, these ghosts of a former life find a way to ruin his newfound happiness. While either of these factors would make Fisk’s attempts to retire difficult, their combined influence has always prevented him from truly making a clean start and leaving his past behind him. So while he and Mary went to great lengths to cover their tracks, it’s unlikely that their attempt to put their past crimes behind them will play out as they hope.
As one of the Marvel Universes’ most influential villains, retirement may never be a real option for the Kingpin of Crime. With his most recent villainous scheme putting the lives of everyone in New York in danger, it’s only a matter of time until Fisk’s past catches up to him. When that happens, the Kingpin will more than likely return to reclaim his crown and make the criminals of New York kneel.
