Elektra Part 1: Daredevil #168 (January, 1981)

This is Elektra's first appearance, as Frank Miller retconned her into Matt Murdock’s past. I know I’ve talked about Elektra before, but I feel the need to further explore the history of the character if for no other reason than to get the voices out of my head.
I’ve never owned this issue, but have seen it many times while working at a comic shop in Boston. At the time, it was worth more than I could afford. I have it now in the Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller Vol. 2 trade.

Alarich Wallenquist is an international thief who witnessed a murder while in New York. An innocent man has been charged with the murder, and Matt Murdock is defending him. Daredevil is out and about looking for Wallenquist in order to clear his client, and learns that Wallenquist hired local crime boss Eric Slaughter to protect him. Daredevil’s wounded after evading a bomb, but has one of Slaughter’s men on the ground, ready to reveal Wallenquist’s location.

The first time we see Elektra, she’s balancing on a wire, watching this happen. She throws a sai at Daredevil’s head and then kicks him into eventual unconsciousness. Before he falls under, she tells Daredevil’s informant that Wallenquist has a bounty on his head, and she intends to collect it. Daredevil recognizes her voice and calls out her name right before passing out.

Then we’re treated to the retcon of Matt meeting Elektra in college at Columbia University. Retcons are another thing I have mentioned before, and Miller does a good job here because Elektra’s introduction isn’t the major plot point. (When they retconned Conduit into Superman/Clark Kent’s past after Zero Hour…that was a good example of a bad retcon.)

Wallenquist is on his way out of town, and Elektra uses the informant to meet Wallenquist and Slaughter at the rendezvous. She kicks some ass, but gets taken down by a guy with a blow dart. She’s tied up, and Daredevil shows up, rescuing her and taking Wallenquist into custody.

Notes of Interest:
1) Miller eventually expanded on Matt and Elektra’s time together in the five-part Daredevil The Man Without Fear mini-series with John Romita Jr. My only problem with that series is that if you’ve never read this issue, The Man Without Fear is a fully fleshed out story. If, like me, you have read this issue, that story feels more like a two-hour movie based on a 30-minute TV script; lots of pretty filler, very little plot.

2) Elektra had heard about Daredevil prior to meeting him, but never knew he was Matt until the fight at the rendezvous. This was a nice touch.

3) Matt had no problem telling Elektra about his abilities. Did he do this with all the women in his life?

4) Elektra never cried when her father was killed. Not when it happened, not during the funeral, never. Yet knowing that Matt was Daredevil moved her to tears? I suppose the point was to show how much Matt meant to her, but it could be read that she was upset that Matt got Wallenquist instead of her.

WTF? Moment: I don’t accept that Elektra, with all her ninja bounty hunter skills, can get taken down by a blow dart. No way. No freakin’ way.

WTF? Moment #2: After the fight at the rendezvous, Wallenquist was the only one left standing. He pulled a gun on the tied-up Elektra in an attempt to get Daredevil to leave. You’re telling me that Elektra couldn’t: a) have had something in her gloves to cut the ropes, or b) spun around and drop-kicked Wallenquist into submission whether her hands were tied or not? Wallenquist was a thief with a gun, not some master of an ancient martial art. She could have taken him. Easily.