MAN WITHOUT FEAR:
1) Matt's father dies 1 year before Matt goes to college.
2) Matt immediately seeks revenge (sans costume).
3) The Fixer himself pulls the trigger.
4) Matt goes to Columbia University and then Harvard Law School.

I think on points 1 & 3 Miller confuses things. I don't understand why Miller felt he needed to revamp Matt's age, and the fact that the "boss" would have one of his men pull the trigger makes a lot more sense. However, I think Miller was right on target with Matt immediately seeking revenge sans costume/secret identity. As to the schooling, Miller's version has a lot of credibility considering Matt's (& Foggy's) prowess as a lawyer. Not to mention the fact that most people attend an undergraduate school for 4 years (usually as Political Science majors) before moving on to law school. The two versions could actually be combined on this point.

IDEAL VERSION (in my humble opinion):
1) Matt's father is killed shortly before Matt graduates.
2) Matt immed. seeks revenge sans costume.
3) Slade pulls the trigger per the Fixer's orders.
4) Matt (& Foggy) start off at State College together and show such talent in criminal & corporate law respectively that they get scholarships and transfer to Columbia University, and then go on to Harvard Law School together.

Matt Murdock was raised by his dad, "Battling" Jack Murdock, who was an aging boxer. Matt's dad told him that he had promised Matt's mother not to let Matt grow up using his fists, that he would help Matt make a better life for himself. So, Matt studied very hard in school and did well, but was teased by the other children and called "daredevil" mockingly because he'd never fight back. Secretly though, he trained and became an accomplished athlete (and fighter?). One fateful day, Matt ran to push an old man out of the way of an oncoming truck, and though he saved the old man, a cannister of radioactive material flew off the truck splashing some of the substance in Matt's face.

While Matt was blinded by the mysterious substance, he found that his other senses were greatly enhanced and that he had a sort of "radar". Matt found his training and gymnastics were even easier to perform. Along with the help of a mysterious mentor, Stick, Matt learned to use his newfound senses and abilities to better and better advantage. Presumably Stick also taught Matt much of his early fighting technique. Meanwhile, Matt's father, Jack, has been finding it harder to get fights and make ends meet. He runs into a manager, the "Fixer", who will get him fights, but when Jack refuses to throw a fight, the Fixer has him killed.

Matt uses his new found abilities to avenge his father's death. He defeats the Fixer's gang single-handedly, and the Fixer suffers a heart attack running away from Matt. Unfortunately, during his rampage, Matt also knocked an innocent prostitute out a window--this would haunt him for many years to come and probably has a lot to do with his adamant philosophy of subduing rather than injuring or killing his opponents.

Matt attended Columbia University with his roommate Franklin "Foggy" Nelson. While there he met, and fell in love with, Elektra Natchios. Stick warns Matt that she is evil and Foggy voices his dislike as well. However, there's something enticing about this dangerous and exciting woman that draws Matt to her. She leaves shortly after when her father, the diplomat, is killed. Matt (and Foggy) continue on to Harvard Law School where Matt graduates summa cum laude. Matt takes a position with the Boston firm Sussman and Castro.

In his second year of publication, after defeating Stiltman, DD goes on to help a powerless Fantastic Four (in their mag) battle Doctor Doom, regain their powers, and ultimately defeat Doctor Doom. A famous eye surgeon becomes the first (in the regular series) to uncover our heroes identity, but dies shortly afterward. Daredevil then enjoys a 2-part (vs. the Organizer) and 3-part storyline (Ka-zar & DD vs. Plunderer) and his first rematch against an old foe, the Ox. In the Ka-zar storyline, DD loses his powers for the first of many times.

Daredevil finds a new foe in the Masked Marauder, who sends out "Daredevil"s by the dozens to trick Spidey into fighting DD thus bringing Spidey into DD's mag for a couple issues. DD then takes on another new foe: the Gladiator, and an old foe: the Owl. During the issues with the Gladiator, Foggy is mistaken as DD by Spidey, and he plays up the role to impress Karen. There has been a constant Karen loves Matt, Matt loves Karen (but neither can say anything to the other), Foggy loves Karen triangle going from the beginning. The Marauder and Gladiator team up, and the Gladiator and DD are sent to Europe courtesy of the Maurader's "levitation ray". The Gladiator ends up with the Maggia, and DD visits Ka-zar and ends up battling the Plunderer with him again.

After DD returns to NY, he has his first real "identity crisis": Spidey has sent a telegram to him saying that he knows Matt is DD; Karen & Foggy read the telegram. So, Matt creates "Mike", his identical twin brother who is "really" Daredevil. DD defeats Leap-Frog and Stiltman. Stiltman is rescued by the Marauder. The Marauder is killed. DD defeats Stiltman again. (We learn later that Electro rescues him this time). DD then takes a one issue break from the usual foes by saving the world from aliens which are going to steal all of Earth's minerals.

DD proceeds to take on the heavy duty team of Cobra and Hyde in a 3 issue story which ends with Cobra captured and Hyde escaping. DD then takes on the Beetle for a couple of issues before defeating Electro, Stiltman, the Matador, Leap-Frog, and Gladiator all single-handedly in his first annual. Then via the machinations of the Trapster, DD is involved with the Fantastic Four against Dr. Doom. Doom switches bodies with DD, but DD declares war on all the countries surrounding Latveria, forcing Doom to switch back and try to fix things. On his way out, though, Doom convinces the Fantastic Four that DD is still Doom, so in a crossover into their magazine, we have the FF versus DD (with Thor & Spidey giving DD a hand).

Matt heads out to L.A. after Karen where he battles the Stunt-Master, who helps him by the end of the story. DD then battles Brother Brimstone, supposedly just a fictional character in a series that Karen is acting in. DD defeats his old foe the Stiltman (this time posing as the Stunt-Master), and finally keeps "Kid Gawaine", an up and coming young boxer, from getting in trouble with his manager and others who want to "fix" the Kid's fights. DD then crosses over into the Avengers (also scripted by Thomas) to help the Panther free the other Avengers from Aries. Thomas ends his reign as writer with a 2-part story started by Friedrich involving The Tribune who tries people for being "Un-American".

Gerry Conway then takes over the reins as writer starting with a story involving Tagak, a dimension hopping good guy who's chasing down an interdimensional thief. DD then gets involved with the Zodiac, and the Brotherhood of the Ankh in a 3-part crossover from Iron Man. The Smasher blinds all of NY with a chemical, but is stopped by DD and 4 people who were blind before the chemical. DD and Foggy take a trip to Delvadia (South America) to try to help with some revolutionaries there. DD (and Spidey) battle Sub-Mariner until a strange woman shows up and recruits both Subby and Spidey. After which DD battles the newly created Man-Bull, and then the Owl.

The Black Widow now enters the scene, saving DD and then helping him defeat the Owl. DD and the Widow defeat the "Scorpion" and "Mr. Hyde" which turn out to be robots created by the Assassin who is from the distant future and is trying to change history. The Widow is accused of murdering the "Scorpion" by Foggy as DA. DD battles the Gladiator. Karen and Matt bump into each other at the airport, end up getting back together, get engaged, and then break up, leaving the way clear for the Widow and Matt to begin their relationship. Oh, yeah...DD battles the Ox somewhere in the middle of all that. And Karen ends up getting involved with her agent, Phil.

Then, in a four or five issue story arc, DD battles Black Spectre which is headed by Nekra and none other than the Mandrill. Eventually, DD, Shanna the She-Devil and the Widow defeat Mandrill, Nekra, and Black Spectre. Candace and then Foggy are then captured by Death-Stalker and the Gladiator in a storyline involving papers by Ted Sallis regarding the creation of the Man-Thing. Man-Thing stops the Gladiator and DD rescues the Nelsons from Death-Stalker. Daredevil and the Widow are captured by the Owl. The Widow breaks free but has to capture Shanna to save Daredevil's life. Shanna, Widow, and DD then proceed to defeat the Owl. Then after a 1 issue filler by Conway involving the Circus of Crime, Tony Isabella takes over the writing chores.

After a single story in which DD defeats the Crusher, Isabella gives us a 4 part story of HYDRA vs SHIELD with Foggy (and DD and the Widow) caught in the middle. The Widow professes her love for Matt at the beginning of this story arc, and leaves at the end of it when both her & Matt realize it won't work. While Isabella had the shortest run during this time, Marv Wolfman who now takes over as writer, had the longest. Wolfman started DD off with 2 two-part storylines. The first involved a vigilante called Copperhead, and the second a character known as the Torpedo. In a very powerful issue (#127), DD & the Torpedo wreck a family's home without even realizing it. DD battles Death-Stalker and the Man-Bull. After Foggy loses the DA race to Blake Tower, DD & Foggy start up the Storefront Free Legal Clinic. After preventing a Voodoo priest from sacrificing a child, DD mixes it up with Bullseye for the first time in a 2 part storyline. With the help of Uri Geller, DD defeats Mind-Wave, and then rejoins with Torpedo to defeat the Chameleon. In Wolfman's longest storyline, DD defeats the Jester who has been broadcasting false TV reports and images to turn the public against the police and superheroes. DD teams up with Ghost Rider to stop Death-Stalker who has kidnapped Karen Page. DD stops a mad bomber and saves a hemophiliac before battling Gladiator and Beetle in a 1 issue fill-in by Mantlo. DD loses to Bullseye (possibly the only time), and then escapes Bullseye's trap to be captured by Cobra and Hyde.