Elektra Part 4: Daredevil #174 (September, 1981)

Elektra returns to Daredevil after five issues away on a side mission involving a Nazi scientist. See here for details…

I have this story in the Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller Vol. 2 trade.


She’s in Paris on another job that gets cut out from under her; this time by a ninja from The Hand. She follows the killer to The Hand’s hideout and learns that Matt Murdock and his new client are their next targets. Against her better judgement, she flies back to New York. She arrives in time to stop one of The Hand from shooting Matt with a crossbow, but disappears before he could detect her. She comes to his rescue again as three more Hand members attempt to blow up Matt and Foggy’s law office. One of the ninja does manage to let loose a stick of dynamite before going down. It explodes in the building, and Matt is hurt, but alive. Elektra learns that Matt’s client is Melvin Potter, the Gladiator. She breaks him out of an armored transport truck and gives him back his costume just before they are surrounded by Hand ninjas. They fight, and Elektra does her best but is soon outnumbered. Daredevil arrives and the tables turn. She does save Matt’s life a third time during the fight, and again disappears before he can notice her.

Notes of Interest:
1) Miller’s artwork seems inconsistent here, but Elektra looks her sexiest while sneaking through what look like Parisian sewers.

2) It’s established here that Elektra learned to be an assassin while a member of The Hand, and that she left them to operate on her own. This is why The Hand want Elektra dead. Nobody leaves The Hand…Nobody.

WTF? Moment: I can’t believe this is the third time Elektra has had a bounty either killed or taken by other people. Someone’s gonna have to pay for that. DAMN YOU MILLER!!!

WTF? Moment #2: When exactly did Elektra learn that Matt’s father died, and how did she know that his father’s death is what inspired him to become Daredevil?

WTF? Moment #3: Elektra hates Matt, but loves him enough to return to New York and save his ass three different times? Talk about inner turmoil…

WTF? Moment #4: How did she learn who Matt’s client was, how did she get her hands on the Gladiator armor and why would she care if Melvin lived or died? Does she care enough about Matt to protect his clients too?