Elektra Natchios was born on a Greek island near the Aegean Sea to Hugo Kostas Natchios and his wife Christina Natchios. She grew up with her older brother Orestez Natchios. Elektra's mother was gunned down by enemies of her father while vacationing on a yacht. After her mother's death, Elektra grew up close to her father but was plagued by visions and voices with no known source. She reacted to them through self-harming herself. Her father eventually sent her away to psychotherapy until becoming more stable. As she grew up, her father required that she train in the martial arts where she excelled.[6]
Matt Murdock
Her father was later appointed Greek ambassador to the United States of America. She attended Columbia University. This is where she first saw Matt Murdock when he was leaping across rooftops. Matt could sense her from her scent but she took off and he chased her into the park. She left articles of clothing as a trail. The cops arrive and detained him, but when they realized he was blind they let him go, much to Elektra's amusement. The next day, she pulled up in her car and without a word from either her or Matt, he jumped into the car leaving behind his friend, Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, who was still upset that she almost ran them over. Elektra drove like a maniac and Matt enjoyed every minute.
They travel to a cliff and stood at the edge, she told Matt that they are two of a kind, different from everyone else. They live on the brink, drawn to the edge, and sometimes over.[7] She, however, fell from the cliff and crashed through the ice and into the water. He leaped to her rescue but could not find her in the water. However, Elektra was fine and laughed as she sped away in her car. Foggy told Matt who she was and he went to her mansion where he broke in but was stopped by security. Elektra was playing the piano at a party as the guard crashed through the glass ceiling and right onto the piano. Elektra never stopped playing. The guards took aim and fire up at the window where Matt was standing. When Matt gets home and treats his wounds she was there and the two slept together. She later leaves as Foggy arrived.
On her way home she saw a group of five gangbangers who she overhears them bragging about what they've done to innocent women. She lured them into a dark alley. They block off the way out and she begins to undress. She promises not to scream. Two of them go to hold her while another pulls out a knife to cut off what little clothes she has left on. She kicks him in his junk and knees him in the jaw, snapping a vertebra and killing him instantly. The others attack but eventually she kills all of them.
She and Matt start training together, falling more and more in love. Matt couldn't even concentrate in class. One night Stick wakes Matt up and threatens him and told Matt to stay away from Elektra, that she was dangerous. Matt did not listen to his old mentor.[8]
Chaste & The Hand
However, after her father was gunned down by assassins, she went to the Mountain of the Chaste to train from them. But she was later dismissed by Stick for bearing too much emotion over the death of her father.[9] Determined to prove herself to her mentor, she infiltrated the rival organization known as The Hand. Wise to her plan, the Hand instead tricked Elektra into killing the sensei with whom she had studied before Stick. Elektra continued to serve the Hand thereafter, becoming corrupted by their ways. Eventually, she rebelled against her handlers and fled Japan.[10]
Daredevil
For years, Elektra worked as a bounty hunter and assassin for hire. Having undertaken a contract in New York City, she crossed paths with the blind adventurer Daredevil, whom she learned to be Matt Murdock.[9] They teamed up to fight Bullseye who was losing his mind due to a tumor.[11] Daredevil disapproved of Elektra's chosen profession, but the two still cared deeply for one another. Together, they fought the Hand.[12] Daredevil is without his radar sense and teamed-up with Elektra against the Hand and their master assassin, Kirigi.[13] They try to hunt down Stick which led to Elektra's has a final confrontation with Kirigi.[14][15]
The relationship changed when Kingpin, the most powerful figure in East Coast organized crime, hired Elektra as his chief assassin.[16] She was sent to kill Ben Urich and came into conflict with Matt.[17] Matt stopped her and thwarted the Kingpin's plans. In retaliation, Kingpin ordered her to kill Matt's best friend and law partner, Foggy Nelson. When Foggy recognized her, Elektra realized she could not carry out the contract and spared his life.[18]
Death and Resurrection
Bullseye killing Elektra
Soon after, Bullseye determined that the only way to regain his status as the Kingpin's chief assassin was to kill Elektra. Bullseye impaled Elektra on her own sai, and she died in Matt's arms.[19]
Unwilling to part with one of its most talented operatives, the Hand attempted to resurrect Elektra and place her fully under their control through a magic ritual. Stone, a member of Stick's order, completed the process, bringing Elektra back to life after Daredevil had purified her spirit through sheer force of will. Now purged of the Hand's corruption, Elektra left Matt's side, determined to find her own place in the world.[20]
Elektra Assassin
She was sent to battle the Beast.[6]S.H.I.E.L.D. sent it's the cyborgs to play a life-and-death game of cat-and-mouse with Elektra. [21]John Garrett and Arthur Perry, were sent to San Conception as part of Operation: Scrambled Eggs to investigate the assassination on the nation's president. The assassin, unfortunately, turned out to be Elektra, and after being confronted by the two agents left them to die in an explosion.[22] Recovered by S.H.I.E.L.D. Garrett was upgraded to a cybernetic body by ExTechOp. John swore revenge against Elektra.[23] He discovered her next mission to stop The Hand from gaining a presidential foothold over the world with candidate Ken Wind, who'd been possessed by the Hand's Beast, and so he allied himself with her for the sake of the world.[24]
After Elektra's death and later disappearance of her body, Matt Murdock has been hallucinating about Elektra but it turns out that Elektra is real and alive. Since the Hand is having difficulty finding Elektra, they decided to recruit Bullseye who was currently imprisoned. The Hand, in recruiting Bullseye, killed him in order to revivify him but under the control of the Hand. They were able to kill him but Elektra interfered and prevented Bullseye's resurrection.[25]
Fall From Grace
At one time, it appears that Elektra has joined the Chaste in their mountain. The Snakeroot, a part of the Hand, used John Garrett to get Elektra's essence because John has merged minds with Elektra. The Snakeroot took Elektra's essence from John and placed it in a corpse of which they name Erynys.[26] Erynys was tasked to get the About Face Virus for the Snakeroot in order that the merger of the corpse and Elektra's essence can become permanent. Stone goes to help Daredevil find the About Face virus but Erynys was able to stab Stone from behind preventing him from using his invulnerability against known threats. But before Erynys could end it, Elektra arrives forcing Erynys and John Garrett to flee. Upon finding the virus, the Snakeroot arrives to take it. Daredevil and Elektra fought to prevent the virus from being used by the Snakeroot.[27] The Daredevil Hellspawn joined in since it is also interested in the virus.[28]
During the battle, Daredevil decided to use the virus on Hellspawn. As the Hellspawn transforms into a real person, Erynys, angry at the loss of the virus, stabbed the Hellspawn as he comes to life, killing him. Erynys then seek to complete her life by killing the original, Elektra.[29] During the battle, as Erynys chokes Elektra from behind, she asks Daredevil to kill Elektra so that she could be his lover again. Daredevil, thinking Elektra will find a way, threw her two sais at her. Immediately, using her skills, Elektra was able to reverse their position. However, the sais pierced Erynys body and into Elektra's shoulders. The evil essence that was Erynys returned to Elektra.[30]
Root of Evil
Seeking a focus for her life, Elektra recruited her own order of fighters and mercenaries called the Ryu to oppose the Snakeroot. She proved to be a poor leader, however, and the entire Ryu was killed trying to prevent the Snakeroot from assassinating a set of pure souls. Elektra ultimately completed the destruction of the Snakeroot and protection of the last soul alone.[31]
When Wolverine was driven into an animal madness by his mutation, Stick asked Elektra to help him find his humanity once again. She worked with Logan for several weeks to help restore his sense of self.[32]
Elektra asked King Lau and Mac to help her open a Dojo. But because her trust fund is running low, she decided to join a modern dance company owned by Konrad, whom she helped earlier from some ninja gangsta, to earn some money.[1]
At this time, the Architect was calling all super-villains to meet in New York for a competition. All for the purpose to have Elektra kill him so that he can be reborn in a new host body. With the help of Dr. Strange, the Architect was killed but his essence was trapped in the body of demon and caged by Strange.[33]
The Hand
She continued her freelance association with S.H.I.E.L.D.[34] Hydra teamed up with the Hand to kill and resurrect various heroes as their only personal army, this included Wolverine. He soon became there deadliest assassin [35] Nick Fury brought in Elektra paying her in excess of $200000.[36] She worked to stop Logan from killing others. Elektra herself was killed and resurrected as a Hand warrior.[37] Elektra, Northstar and other resurrected heroes attacked the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier Black Hawk. Logan eventually came to his senses and wanted revenge.[38]
Elektra was replaced by a Skrull who took over The Hand, the goal of which was to attract the attention of the "heroes" and provoke them into discovering the Skrull infiltration.[39]
Dark Reign
After the invasion was stopped, Elektra emerged from a downed Skrull ship with other people who had been abducted and replaced, and was taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. protective custody. However, S.H.I.E.L.D. was replaced by H.A.M.M.E.R., and she was not dealt with well in custody. She initiated a break out when Paladin attempted to collect an $82 million dollar bounty on her head, and she was able to defeat him and escape.[40] After taking down several H.A.M.M.E.R. operatives and managed to reach Matt Murdock's office to raid his stash of first aid supplies. After being confronted by Foggy Nelson, she collapsed from extensive blood loss due to her injuries.[41]
Code Red
Domino witnessed Red Hulk transform and then survive his attack, General Thaddeus Ross and Doc Samson used a list of superhumans so that they may track down and kill Domino. The list included Deadpool, Punisher, Thundra, Crimson Dynamo, and Elektra forming Code Red. Elektra confirmed Domino's location, a small bar in Hell's Kitchen, however, Domino had back the X-Force.[42]
She was recruited into the Heroes for Hire and helped them take on Daredevil during his reign over Hell's Kitchen.[43] She was sent to infiltrate in Shadowland.[44] But eventually helped the team prevent Bullseye's resurrection.[45]
Heroes for Hire
She continued with the Heroes for Hire. The battled the Puppet Master who was controlling the minds of the citizens of New York .[46] Which lead to a confrontation with the Purple Man at the Raft[47] Elektra and the team battle mutated Spider-Mutated New Yorkers during Spider-Island.[48]
She joined the Red Hulk's strike-team the Thunderbolts along with Deadpool, the Punisher and Agent Venom.[49] The team was gathered to fight an infection that "cannot be cured, it has to be cut out". A team is ready to do the bad things for the good purpose.[50]
The roster of the team changed as members come and go like Agent Venom, Red Leader, Mercy and Ghost Rider.
The Red Leader manipulated the Punisher into hunting down his teammates. When they found out the truth, they arrested him with the help of Hawkeye and the Avengers.Ross disbanded the team and went their separate ways.[51]
Pleasant Hill
At some point, Elektra was arrested and incarcerated at Pleasant Hill, where her mind and appearance were altered by the sentient Cosmic Cube known as Kobik to turn her into a regular citizen of the village, giving her the identity of Pleasant Hill's Sheriff Eva. While in Pleasant Hill, Elektra fell in love with another inmate, the Absorbing Man, who had been turned into an ice cream vendor named Harold.
When Baron Zemo assaulted the small town, its inhabitants recovered their original appearances and memories. Infuriated for his life having been rewritten, Absorbing Man began to wreak havoc together with fellow inmate Whirlwind. Elektra confronted them and convinced Creel to spare innocent lives.[52]
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Some point after escaping from Pleasant Hill, Elektra applied to rejoin S.H.I.E.L.D. in an attempt to cleanse her conscience for the deaths she caused when she crashed the Black Hawk.[53] Her first assignment consisted of taking the reins of former agent Phil Coulson's team.[54] In addition to being tasked with bringing Coulson in for trying to interfere with Captain Marvel's plans to use the Inhuman profiler Ulysses Cain for predictive justice, Elektra's inclusion served the purpose to help S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Maria Hill find out a mole on Coulson's team, who turned out to be Leo Fitz. She had also reinstated Grant Ward as an asset, wherein he wore an explosive collar with the detonator in her hands.[55]
Fitz was actually working with Coulson. They were joined by Quake in preventing one of Ulysses' visions, Graymalkin detonating a device in a train. When they arrived, they realized that something was wrong. Elektra actually set it up as a trap. She was able to arrest Coulson but Fitz and Quake were able to escape.[55]
When Jemma Simmons woke up as a Deathlok, she was restricted by Elektra. Simmons easily neutralized her.[56]
Elektra with the Avengers Unity Division vs. The Hand
Lending a Hand with the Hulk
Elektra eventually resigned from S.H.I.E.L.D. While in Japan, she got a call from Deadpool asking for help with the Hand. She assisted him and the Avengers Unity Division in preventing the Hulk's resurrection. Through Doctor Voodoo's magic, one of the ninjas revealed the location of where the resurrection was being held. After being tricked with a decoy, they were too late to stop the ritual.[57]
They fought a resurrected Hulk. They led him to a pentagram where Doctor Voodoo cleansed him. The Beast let Voodoo choose between his brother or Bruce. When he chose Bruce over his brother, the Beast warned that he "made a powerful enemy." When Synapse asked about the resurrected Daniel, Elektra offered to give him a merciful death. With that remark, Human Torch implied that Elektra joins the Unity Division. She laughed it off and kissed him then left.[58]
2099 Team-up
Hunting down the Fist
Elektra was keeping an eye on the Fist, when she found out that Miguel O'Hara was involved. She attacked him while inside the plane. When she stabbed him, her sai broke. They both decided to talk it over. After learning the location of the Fist, Miguel and Roberta Mendez passed out due to Elektra drugging their drinks. When she was almost at the base, she was confronted by an armored Doctor Sonny Frisco. When Spider-Man (Miguel O'Hara) and Captain America (Roberta Mendez) caught up, they helped her defeat him. The base exploded.[59]
Elektra interrogated Doctor Sonny Frisco, where they learned that he was brainwashed. After getting the information, the four of them went to Chicago. While inside a Parker Industries corporate Jet, the Fist broadcasted a message that Chicago would be their first target. Elektra, Captain America, and Spider-Man ran to try to prevent it but it was already too late.[60] Once inside McCormick Place, Elektra engaged the one behind the curse, Medea. With the help of Cap and Spidey, Elektra killed her and broke the curse.[61]
Running from her tumultuous past, Elektra attempted to lay low in Las Vegas, but after meeting Lauren, a bartender abused by her boyfriend, she donned a new suit and taught the people of the casino a lesson.[62] Unbeknownst to her, she caught the attention of Arcade, soon finding herself in the middle of one of his games.[63] There, she and some kidnapped celebrities were forced to play till death against Screwball and her crew, but after watching all her teammates die, Elektra lost her temper and killed everyone, except Screwball, who fled the scene. Having impressed Arcade, he revealed the next level would be to rescue Lauren.[64] Eventually, Elektra got the upper hand, stole Screwball's helmet, which controlled the whole game, and freed Lauren, but was soon surprised by an enraged Arcade in a Mecha.[65] She was clearly at a disadvantage and was being beaten hard, but Lauren grabbed the helmet and gave Elektra an upgrade and, thus, allowing her to beat Arcade.[66]
After discovering Wilson Fisk was behind it all, she returned to New York.[66]
Elektra was resurrected by the Hand giving her a connection to the demon known as the Beast. This process gave her various enhanced abilities:[67]
Assassins Instinct: Nick Fury can attest to the usage of this eerie mind control in person. In the 90's, he conducted scientific experiments on the captured assassin and found strange morphology in her brain that explained her phenomenal reflexes, yet sane rationale. Elektra moves with heightened primal instincts but the more evolved parts of her brain remain intact, preserving her intelligence. In other words, she thinks like a woman and strikes like a cobra.[68]File:Elektra Assassin -3 - Page 16.jpg
Mind Switch: Elektra's strangest gift is her ability to "throw" her mind into those of others. For instance, she was able to track down her enemy, Ken Wind, by temporarily "borrowing" people's minds and acting through them while she hunted around for her prey.[40]
Discern Target: This temporary mind control enables her to literally sniff out the psyche, or intent, of her targets. It saw extensive use during Elektra: Assassin, in which she was heavily reliant on only her ninja powers. It is unknown how long the effect lasts, but Elektra has gone a full two days or more in another person's mind while they zoned out in hers.[67]
Discern Location: This "mind jump" ability might explain why Elektra is always a step ahead of her competition or seems to know where her target is at all times. An extreme example would be the time she murdered an ambassador in South America. The man was sitting against the wall when Elektra sought out his mind and trusted her katana to enter his heart in the perfect spot. Unerringly, it did: the sword pierced through thick walling and the politician was slain where he sat. The unusual addition of her telepathic skills make Elektra an accomplished assassin to say the least.[67]
Hypnosis: Elektra has demonstrated the ability to mesmerize others, and as such make them see illusions or other phenomena.[69]
Heightened Awareness: Demonstrated the ability to detect a threat to her well-being in the immediate vicinity before they commit the action.
Telekinesis: Elektra has demonstrated telekinetic abilities.[67]
Telepathic Communication: She can communicate telepathically with individuals possessing similar levels of mental discipline, such as the Chaste.[67]
Precognition: She can have some precognitive visions, and see glimpses of future events.[67]
Mind Shield: Elektra has demonstrated an ability to remain hidden and undetected by other telepaths. By using a telepathic technique that she learned during her time with the Hand, Elektra can create a mental shield around her mind keeping herself hidden from not only other psychics but mind locating machines like Cerebro.[67]
Silent Scream: A high powered Chi based scream originally used by Shang-Chi, By focusing on her Chi and puckering her lips together Elektra can use this technique to perform a high pitched scream that can render a person permanently deaf, and/or by furthering focusing on one target can kill.[67]File:Elektra Assassin -2 - Page 13.jpg
Elektra performs a "silent" scream to incapacitate a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
Abilities
Master Martial Artist: Elektra is proficient in many martial arts originating from China, Thailand and Japan. While many of them are unstated, Ninjutsu is the most noticeable one. She won trophies in aikido, kendo, karate.[8]
Master Assassin: Elektra has mastered many techniques as an assassin. She was trained in the art of killing by Stick, Members of the Chaste, and The Hand.
Peak Human Physical Conditioning: Elektra is an Olympic-level athlete and gymnast. She had won the competition in both swimming and track from an early age.[8]
Weapons Master: She is a master of many different weapons. Among the known are Okinawan Sai which are her usual weapons of choice (it is presumed she may have trained with all Okinawan Kobudo weapons), katanas, knives, sansetsukon (3-sectional staff), and (shuriken) throwing stars.[70]
Master of Stealth: Due to her training as a ninja assassin, she can blend in with the shadows and remain undetected by most humans.[21]
Expert Acrobat: She is an excellent acrobat capable of many difficult feats..[8]
Expert Markswoman: Elektra is skilled with throwing weapons and sharpshooting.[21]
Nervous System Control: She can control her nervous system enabling her to deaden her body to physical pain, control her emotions, and even her bleeding rate.[21]
Pressure point locator: She can locate different pressure points on a person's body. She can incapacitate, paralyze, severely injure, or kill a person.[21]
Weaknesses
Psychic Feedback: It is unclear what the limitations on her psychic ability are. She may be limited by touching distance or to minds easily affected by persuasion; the last time Elektra tried this trick, it was with S.H.I.E.L.D.[73] Elektra was not born with this interesting gift: she mastered it through training and refinement with The Hand. Their fighters share similar powers, which means each of them -- including Elektra -- are mentally linked to The Beast, the relentless demigod of The Hand who has haunted her since she broke rank.[6]
Paraphernalia
Weapons
Twin Sai: Elektra’s primary weapons are her twin sai, long daggers with narrow blades and twin blade guards. She can use them to slash, stab, and throw. Her Sai are protected with synaptic snare with biometric locks keyed to her nervous system that will deliver a shock that paralyzes any other person who touches it for sixty seconds, to ensure nobody can use them against her again.[70]
She is also proficient with the katana, sansetsukon (three-sectioned staff), and other martial arts weapons.[74]
Notes
When she escaped from her cell, Elektra was considered an Omega Level threat to the Helicarrier by H.A.M.M.E.R. agent Commander Brothers.[41]
Elektra Vol 2 #16 provides a list of some of the people who Elektra has killed up to that point; Hans Lundin, Pablo Riveria, Helen Krawley, Mark Ellington, Carl Weber, Clark Weber, Roy Simard, Patrick Newell, Tanya Newell, Leo Manning, Kevin Holme, Oliver Callegas, Rafael Arbarca, Alex Stuhr, Scott Nye, Don Watros, Meng Yao, Candy Redman, Chu Paik, Andrew Newheart, Jose Lopez, Krista Lupadi, Keith Louza, Harlan Vanhorn, Koorosh Zaerpoor, Shigeru Yuzuriha, Paul Naylor, Ryan Weatherford, Eugeni Naydenov, Amy Gillette, John Cvetko, Stephen Bechter, Jas Neiger and Derek Ranta. Three issues later in Elektra Vol 2 #19 Elektra states she has killed hundreds of people.
_and_Bullseye_(Lester)_(Earth-616)_from_Daredevil_Vol_1_181_001.jpg){kind=link}
_from_Uncanny_Avengers_Vol_3_15_001.jpg){kind=link}
,_Sonny_Frisco_(Earth-23291),_Elektra_Natchios_(Earth-616),_and_Miguel_O%27Hara_(Earth-TRN588)_from_Spider-Man_2099_Vol_3_18_001.jpg){kind=link}
_from_Elektra_Vol_4_5_001.jpg){kind=link}
_-_Page_7.jpg){kind=link}
