Who is Melvin Potter, Daredevil’s former Super Suit Designer?

Daredevil will appear in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law sometime in the near future. The MCU has already teased Daredevil’s new costume and it’s colored yellow instead of his signature red. Before this new costume came into play, its former designer was a guy named Melvin Potter. Fans who have watched the Netflix series Daredevil will know Melvin Potter from the series. So let’s explore this character in a bit more detail.

Luke Jacobson Designs Daredevil’s New Costume

Daredevil’s new yellow costume was teased in Episode 5 of She-Hulk. In the episode, She-Hulk goes to Luke Jacobson, the exclusive superhero designer, to get a more fitted and fashionable costume. While she was trying on the costume and a special superhero outfit that Luke had prepared, we get a photo of Daredevil’s new yellow helmet. Luke Jacobson even insists on his assistant about client confidentiality. So it’s clear that Daredevil has found a new fashion designer in Luke Jacobson.

Who is Melvin Potter, the former designer of Daredevil from the Netflix series

Melvin Potter is an amazing but mentally retarded fashion designer. His story began in prison where he was incarcerated. And that’s how he met his future girlfriend and parole officer, Betsy Beatty. Melvin started by helping criminals. He started working for Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin as a designer. In fact, he created several armors and protective suits for Fisk. However, Melvin was a good man and wanted to protect Betsy at all costs. So he switched sides when Daredevil got the chance. Daredevil approached him in his workshop when he learned that Melvin was the one making the armors for Fisk and they fought. Once Matt defeated him, Melvin broke down and told him how Fisk had forced him to work theirs. He even told Daredevil that Fisk would try to hurt him and Betsy if he didn’t follow his orders. Eventually, Daredevil decided to have Melvin make him a costume in exchange for protection for him and Betsy.

The Daredevil costume design

So that’s exactly what Melvin Potter did. He created a symbolic costume inspired by the devil in red and black. The black parts were enhanced armor that would provide him with the most protection. Melvin made the suit more resistant against knives and bullets. Potter also upgraded his helmet and made a new one out of carbon tube after a fight with the Punisher badly damaged the previous one. He also made her gloves out of reinforced alloys. Potter specially created and designed Daredevil’s signature weapon, the Billy Club. When Elektra joined Daredevil on his crime-fighting missions, Melvin also gave him body armor.

Then came the twist. Kingpin managed to get his hands on Melvin Potter. Potter tried to burn down his studio so Fisk wouldn’t buy the costumes he made. However, his plan failed. Wilson Fisk created a new workshop to have Melvin work for him. When Melvin still refused, Fisk threatened Betsy. Naturally, Potter succumbed to his wishes and created a second Daredevil costume, an exact replica of the one worn by Matt Murdock. He even recreated the Billy Clubs. This suit was later given to Podexter in an effort by Kingpin to frame Daredevil.

Melvin from Marvel Comics

In the comics though, Melvin Potter was a completely different man. He was better known as Gladiator and had an intense grudge against superheroes. He was quite the villain and the costume designer too. The Gladiator bumped into Daredevil several times and tried to kill him several times. Naturally, he was unsuccessful despite his association with a group of Emissaries of Evil villains led by Electro. Daredevil always came out on top. This version of Melvin Potter was also coerced by Kingpin into creating a Daredevil costume for him. Eventually, Potter went mad. He was driven mad with rage to get revenge for his family’s death and had to be admitted to Stillman Mental Hospital.

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