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Kingpin’s fight with Winter Soldier during Devil’s Reign highlights the physical differences between his comics and MCU incarnation.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Devil’s Reign: Winter Soldier #1 by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Nico Leon, Felipe Sobreiro, and VC’s Joe Caramagna, now on sale from Marvel Comics
Devil’s Reign has been a great chance for the Marvel Universe to reiterate the sheer danger posed by Wilson Fisk, aka the Kingpin. One of Marvel’s most engaging street-level villains, his crafty plans and physical might make him an all-around threat to anyone who encounters him, regardless of universe or medium.
Devil’s Reign: Winter Soldier #1 highlights a brutal brawl between Kingpin and the Winter Soldier. On top of reminding Winter Soldier (and readers) about how genuinely dangerous Kingpin is, it’s also a good showcase of the difference between the physical limits of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the lack thereof that exists with the comics versions of the character.
Kingpin has been having a major resurgence lately: on top of playing a central role in Devil’s Reign in the comics, Vincent D’Onofrio reprised his performance as the character for Hawkeye. Formally introducing Kingpin to the MCU, Hawkeye proved to be a brief showcase for the character. Although he’s clearly feared by the criminals of New York (to the point even Hawkeye is aware of him), he gets little actually to do. He’s defeated in a one-on-one fight against Kate Bishop, and is later seemingly shot down by Echo. If this is indeed the case, then Kingpin’s inglorious cinematic fate pales in comparison to his combat prowess on Earth-616. Devil’s Reign: Winter Soldier pits Fisk against Bucky Barnes in an unlikely fight.
Unable to sleep properly, Kingpin attempts to use his Purple Man-empowered cane to force himself to rest. But the effects of the power leave him in a mobile but unconscious state — effectively sleepwalking. Moving through his compound, Kingpin brutally beats down various guards. He eventually ends up finding Winter Soldier, who’s snuck into the building to recover his dossier of files on various superheroes like Moon Knight and Darkhawk. Even without his wits about him though, Kingpin lashes out — coming close to killing Barnes with his bare hands. Despite all of his skills and abilities, Winter Soldier can barely stay ahead of Fisk enough to just not die — even commenting at one point that this is the closest he’s come to death in a while.
Kingpin did it all while effectively asleep, almost murdering someone who earned the title of Captain America without ever really realizing it. This fight quietly highlights the biggest difference between the MCU and core-Marvel Universe incarnations of the same characters. Due to the live-action status of the MCU, the characters are nominally down-to-Earth in their limits. While Kingpin might be a ridiculously strong fighter, he’s still defined by human limits. The Earth-616 Kingpin on the other hand can throw Bucky through walls with ease. There’s a wider scale to the amazing feats that can be accomplished in the comic book world that the live-action MCU lacks. The Earth-616 Kingpin has brushed off gunshots before, whereas his MCU counterpart might not be so lucky.
Even the surrounding fight speaks to the innate differences in what the mediums can get away with. There’s nothing in the MCU that’s as stylistically brutal as Kingpin’s rampage in Devil’s Reign: Winter Soldier. Kingpin spends the entire issue with blood dripping from his fists, having beaten multiple men to death off-panel. While the MCU is increasingly open to delving into dark and adult subject matter, the Marvel Universe has a history of slipping in truly shocking moments of brutality amidst the more colorful banter and antics. Kingpin’s fight with Bucky also highlights just how dangerous the comics-version of Wilson Fisk really is — and could be a good reminder about the potential for violence that exists within the character and could come to the forefront if Fisk is revealed to have survived his encounter with Echo.
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