Elektra Part 14: Daredevil #190 (Jan, 1983)

Elektra is wanted by more than just Matt in this, her final appearance in my collection…

Believe it or not I actually have this issue, but I also have it in the Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller Vol. 3 trade.

The issue begins in the past, sometime after Elektra left Matt and Columbia University behind her. She’s in the middle of nowhere, during a snowstorm, looking for The Chaste – a secret group of ninjas led by Stick, who taught Matt how to use is radar-sense. She attempts to climb the mountain where The Chaste resides and falls. They find her, and Elektra stays with them for a year until Stick realizes that her hatred makes her unworthy of completing her training. He kicks her out, and Elektra returns to her old sensei. He tells her that there are other goals in life to strive for, but she is adamant in proving herself to Stick, and decides to join the enemy – The Hand – in order to fight them from within. The Hand captures her, and they have her fight and kill another to prove herself worthy of joining them. Elektra wins, but she learns that her opponent was her old sensei, and Elektra doubts she’ll ever earn her place with The Chaste again. Back in the present, Elektra’s body is dug up (again) by The Hand as part of a plan to bring her back to life so she can kill Stone, the last surviving member of The Chaste. Daredevil, Black Widow and Stone follow The Hand to an abandoned church, where they try to stop the ceremony. Matt, however, hears a heartbeat, and compelled by his love for Elektra, he uses his own life energy to complete the resurrection. He fails to revive her, but Stone discovers that Matt’s efforts purified her soul. The church caught fire during the battle, and Stone is left inside with Elektra’s body. Daredevil and Black Widow re-enter the church looking for Stone, but he’s gone…and so is Elektra’s body. The issue ends with Elektra, alive and pure of spirit, reaching the top of The Chaste’s mountain wearing a white version of her red costume.

Notes of Interest:
1) Miller uses third person narrative (again) to explain what Elektra’s thinking, the idea being that Elektra and Daredevil are forever apart, free to live separate lives.

2) Although it’s never stated, it was Stone who finally revived Elektra, at the cost of his own life.

3) It would have been cool to see her revive The Chaste and train new recruits but…oh well.

WTF? Moment: I know this is nit-picking, but how did Elektra’s winter parka change color once she reached the mountaintop?