Turk Barrett

Turk Barrett is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Turk has had many run-ins with Daredevil where his inept schemes are usually played as comic relief.^[1]

Publication history

Turk Barrett first appears in Daredevil (vol. 1) #69 (October 1970) and was created by writers Gary Friedrich and Roy Thomas and artist Gene Colan.^[1][2]

Fictional character biography

Turk Barrett was a small-time crook operating in Hell's Kitchen. Roscoe Sweeney once sent Turk Barrett to pay Jack Murdock to throw a boxing match.^[3] Barrett was associated with a street gang called the Thunderbolts.

Barrett worked for Eric Slaughter. Barrett once stole the Mauler armor to confront Daredevil. Barrett, however, is defeated in seconds.^[4] Turk later stole the Stilt-Man armor. He offered his services to the Kingpin, but was declined. The Kingpin contended that he did not employ "idiots". Wilbur Day contacted Daredevil with knowledge of how to defeat Barrett.^[5]

Turk has spent quite a bit of time at Josie's Bar in New York City. His primary associate is "Grotto" who often reluctantly participates in Turk's schemes. Turk once mugged a "Santa" at Christmas and intended to use the Yuletide attire to swindel charitable donations from others. In this instance when he was confronted by a disoriented Matt Murdock, Turk stabbed Murdock seriously, almost fatally, wounding him.

During the Civil War II storyline, Turk Barrett was with Kingpin when they hear from a barista named Armand that his girlfriend named Sonia went missing. They track her down to a human trafficking business that Man Mountain Marko and Kingpin's former minion Janus Jardeesh were working for.^[6]

Other versions

In the House of M reality, Turk was a member of Willis Stryker's gang. After Stryker was defeated, Turk willingly followed Luke Cage when he took control of the group.^[7]

In other media

Television

• In the Marvel Netflix series that takes place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Turk Barrett is portrayed by Rob Morgan.^[8]
  • Turk first appears in the first season of Daredevil, where he is an enforcer engaged in human trafficking, and is also an arms dealer who has a love of semi-automatic pistols and takes personal pleasure in criminal activities. In the episode "World on Fire," Wilson Fisk pays Turk Barrett to reveal to Vladimir Ranskahov that his brother Anatoly was killed by Fisk. In the season 1 finale, Turk is among those who are arrested by the FBI for his association with Fisk's empire. Prior to the start of season 2 of Daredevil, Turk is paroled from prison and quickly returns to arms dealing. He is briefly seen selling shotguns to a gang. However, Daredevil intercepts the deal and interrogates him on weapons stolen from Fisk, suspecting them to have been used in the recent massacre of a faction of Kitchen Irish mobsters. Turk provides information that leads him to the Mexican Cartel and is knocked unconscious. In the episode "A Cold Day In Hell's Kitchen", Turk Barrett is among the victims saved by Daredevil that are abducted by the Hand to lure Daredevil into a trap after stealing the files about it from the New York City Police Department's 15th Precinct. It turned out that Turk was on house arrest at the time where he is quietly advised by Karen Page to reactivate his ankle monitor. At the warehouse, the police arrive as the Hand Ninjas suspect Turk for his ankle montior being reactivated. Before the Hand Ninjas can cut off Turk's foot, Daredevil arrives and fights the Hand Ninjas as Karen helps to get an injured Turk and the other hostages away from the Hand and towards the present police officers.
  • Turk Barrett appears in the series Luke Cage.^[9] In the episode "Code of the Street", Turk appears as a regular at Pop's Barber Shop, playing chess with Bobby Fish. He had a run-in with Misty Knight who noticed that Turk is outside of his usual turf. Turk then tips off Cottonmouth's henchman Tone to Chico's location which leads to Pop's death. Tone and Shades don't bother to give him the payment for the tip-off. Turk later arrives at the rooftop meeting between Cottonmouth, Tone, Shades, and Mariah Dillard where he wants the money that was promised to him for the tip-off even after Cottonmouth learned that Pops was killed in the crossfire. After witnessing Cottonmouth killing Tone by throwing him off the roof and onto the car below, Turk is told by Cottonmouth that he can pick up Tone's payment "downstairs." Turk states that he is returning to Hell's Kitchen where "it is safe" as he considers Harlem's criminal underworld to be "too crazy". In the episode "Soliloquy of Chaos," it was revealed that he stayed in Harlem and is questioned by Cage in order to find the whereabouts of Diamondback's headquarters. Cage leaves him in a partially crushed trash bin, awaiting trash pickup in the morning.

Film

• Turk Barrett appears in the TV film The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, played by Mark Acheson.
• Turk was mentioned in the Director's cut of Daredevil by the character Dante Jackson (played by Coolio).

References

External links

• Turk Barrett at Marvel Wiki
• Turk Barrett at Comic Vine
• Turk Barrett at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe