Elektra Part 8: Daredevil #178 (January, 1982)

Elektra continues to avoid Daredevil’s path as she passes Kingpin’s tests…

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

She returns to her apartment only to be attacked by five men, killing four of them before finding a note on a table addressed to her. The note tells her that these men were a test, courtesy of Kingpin, to prove if she was good enough to join his employment. She then works her way into Kingpin’s building, killing every man she sees, until she arrives at his office. Kingpin is there, waiting for her.

Notes of Interest:
1) Miller manages to tell this story in all of five pages, as bookends to the main Daredevil story.

2) Elektra’s skills shine here. Miller makes her move effortlessly through the fight at her apartment, and shows of her ninja skills during her invasion of Kingpin’s skyscraper.

3) Again, not one word of dialogue from Elektra in this entire sequence.

4) The offer from Kingpin must be tempting, because up till now she hasn’t been paid for one kill.

WTF? Moment: Where exactly is Elektra coming from as she enters her apartment? She’s wearing a trench coat, over her costume, and is empty handed (except for her sai). No groceries, no take out, nothing. Maybe she had dinner at a restaurant, and as an assassin is always prepared for battle.

WTF? Moment #2: Miller mentions is his narration that despite her hatred for Matt, Elektra will not leave New York “until she is certain that her work here is finished.” What work? There is nothing at this point keeping her in the city except the fact that she still thinks Matt is without his radar-sense (which is incorrect). If she hates Matt so much, why doesn’t she leave now, before being contacted by Kingpin?