Initially, Foggy was portrayed as a deeply conflicted character, continuously caught between his strong vocational disagreements with Matt, their rivalry for the affections of Karen Page, and his loyalty to his friend.

However, since the early 1980s he has often been reduced to comic relief, and his down-to-earth, everyman lifestyle acts as a contrast to his grim superhero colleague.

Since his first portrayal by Gene Colan, in Daredevil #20, he has consistently been drawn as a short, slightly pudgy man with a generally relaxed appearance.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he is portrayed by Elden Henson, and is a series regular in Daredevil and The Defenders, with guest appearances in the second seasons of Jessica Jones and Luke Cage.

[6] Foggy, unaware of his partner's double life as a superhero, is suspicious about Matt's sudden and unexplained absences, and his frequent bruises.

[8] Nelson is again approached to be a candidate for district attorney, this time without hidden agendas: he is very fond of the idea of being able to do something to fight crime actively, and sets himself to work with enthusiasm.

A fight ensues and there is an explosion, after which Foggy finds some rags of the DD uniform: it is then assumed that "Mike Murdock" has died.

They again reconcile when Foggy is badly wounded while investigating a criminal conspiracy by Black Spectre, and Matt comes back to New York to help him in his fight against crime.

[16] After losing the re-election for District Attorney to Blake Tower (and a slurring campaign against him by Jester, who had earlier failed to coerce Foggy into ending his campaign for district attorney),[17] Foggy resumes his career as counselor, again with Matt, in a free clinic called "The Storefront".

[29] Foggy is so depressed that he considers suicide, but after he is caught in a fight between the Vulture and Daredevil, the immediacy of death makes him realize that he much prefers to be alive.

[31] As Kelco's attorney, Nelson defends the company against charges from a boy who was blinded by toxic waste they deposited in rivers.

[volume & issue needed] Rosalind Sharpe, a famous and controversial Boston attorney, offers for Nelson and Murdock to become her associates.

It is later revealed that Rosalind Sharpe is Nelson's biological mother: she divorced her husband and abandoned her son in order to be able to pursue her career as a lawyer.

After the machinations by Mysterio are disclosed, Foggy is set free, but he feels bad about having failed Liz, and does not attempt to resume the relationship.

Other clients he personally represents are Carol Danvers and the Fantastic Four, to whom he recommends not to accept a buy offer for the FF estate by the Gideon Corporation (although Reed Richards ultimately decides to sell).

[volume & issue needed] In the aftermath of Karen Page's murder,[43] Foggy and Matt find themselves without their women and without their jobs.

After Foggy goes to visit Matt in prison with private investigator Dakota North, he is stabbed and seriously injured by several inmates.

[volume & issue needed] Foggy, fleeing from his life in protected custody, reaches Matt's home and they are reunited.

Murdock and Nelson ask Becky to join their firm as a new partner and move to new quarters, taking only referrals to avoid being easily located by Daredevil stalkers.

[48] Foggy helps Black Panther, Matt's temporary replacement in Hell's Kitchen, to establish a new identity for himself by providing him with false immigration papers.

[50] Matt returns to Hell's Kitchen and assures Foggy that he has found a new place to establish Nelson and Murdock and that he should be able fix his problems and get his law license back.

[53] However, Matt is eventually forced to leave New York for good when a case requires him to officially confirm his identity as Daredevil.

During the "Secret Wars" storyline, a Wild West version of Foggy Nelson resides in the Battleworld domain of the Valley of Doom.

After Sheriff Steve Rogers had taken Red Wolf into custody after saving him from Mayor Wilson Fisk's men, Governor Roxxon sends Bullseye, Elektra, Grizzly, and Otto Octavius to intimidate Judge Nelson into leaving town so that he would not preside over Red Wolf's trial.

After Liz's death, Foggy buries himself in his work and he blames himself when Normie goes temporarily insane, taking the mantle of the Green Goblin again.

He made a brief appearance in Ultimates 2 as part of a legal team, with Murdock, representing Bruce Banner in a case against him for his actions as the Hulk.