Elektra (Live-Action Marvel Universe)

"I like your bracelet, by the way. Do you know what those are? Here. They're warrior beads. They're from Indonesia. Centuries ago, you had to be the best fighter in your village to earn them."

- Elektra

Elektra Natchios is an anti-heroine and is the love interest of Matt Murdock/Daredevil.

She is known to have athletic abilities, martial arts skills and enhanced agility. She starred in a films: Daredevil (2003) and the same name which the film has met with mostly negative reception from critics.

She was played by Jennifer Garner.

Her Past
When Elektra was little, her mother give her a necklace with a Braille inscription after her mother died.

Daredevil (2003)
In the present day, Matt meets Elektra Natchios, the daughter of Nikolas Natchios, a businessman who has dealings with Wilson Fisk, a rich executive who is also the criminal leader known as the Kingpin.

When Nikolas tries to bail on his dealings with Fisk, the mobster hires the Irish hitman Bullseye, who has preternatural aim, to kill him. Matt tries to stop Bullseye, but Bullseye ultimately succeeds in killing Nikolas and framing Matt in the process.

Elektra vows to exact revenge, while reporter Ben Urich discovers his secret identity. Believing Matt to have done good things for Hell's Kitchen, Urich tells Matt that Bullseye is going after Elektra next.

Matt tracks Bullseye, but is attacked by Elektra, who plans to use her own training in martial arts to avenge her father's death. When she manages to remove his mask, she discovers Matt's secret identity and innocence. Forced to fight Bullseye alone, Elektra is overpowered and killed by the hitman.

Elektra (2005 Film)
After being killed in Daredevil, Elektra Natchios is revived by a blind martial arts master called Stick.

She is brought to his training compound to learn Kimagure, an ancient martial arts discipline that provides its practitioners with precognition as well as the ability to resurrect the dead.

Elektra is soon expelled because of her inability to let go of her rage. She leaves and uses her training to become a contract killer.

Years later, Elektra infiltrates a heavily guarded area, kills the guards, and manages to slay her target DeMarco. Elektra's agent McCabe receives an unusually large offer from an anonymous client wishing to hire Elektra's services.

The only stipulation; she must spend a few days in a rented home on the island where the assassination is to be performed before the names of the targets are revealed.

During the wait, Elektra finds a girl Abby who tried to swipe Elektra's necklace and Elektra sends her away. While meditating, Elektra meets and befriends Abby's father Mark Miller.

Abby later invites Elektra to dinner on Mark's behalf. Later that day, Elektra discovers that Abby, like Elektra herself, has obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Elektra develops a romantic interest in Mark, but soon learns he and Abby are the targets she has been hired to kill.

Elektra spares them and leaves, but later returns in time to protect them from assassins sent by The Hand, a crime syndicate of ninja mercenaries.

Meanwhile, Roshi, master of The Hand, learns of the failed attempt and permits his son Kirigi to lead a new team of assassins to kill Elektra and return with Abby, referred to as "The Treasure".

Elektra tries to leave Abby and Mark with Stick, but he scolds her into protecting them herself. She then drives Mark and Abby to McCabe's country house, but is followed by Kirigi, Typhoid, Stone, Kinkou, and Tattoo.

Elektra flees with Mark and Abby through a secret underground exit to the orchard, while McCabe sacrifices himself to allow them to escape.

Kirigi and the assassins hunt down Elektra, Mark, and Abby in the forest nearby. Elektra manages to kill Stone, while Abby and Mark kill Kinkou with one of his own daggers. As Elektra is distracted by the revelation that Abby has martial arts skills, Typhoid gives Elektra the "Kiss of Death".

Abby is captured by Kirigi. Suddenly, Stick and his Chaste ninjas arrive, forcing Kirigi, Typhoid, and Tattoo to retreat. Stick manages to save Elektra from death and takes them under his protection.

Stick confirms Abby is a martial arts prodigy which is the "Treasure" of martial arts whom the Hand seek to use.

Elektra learns that she was a Treasure herself and her mother was a casualty of the fight between The Chaste and The Hand with her as reason. She also learns that Stick set up the murder contract on Mark and Abby in order to test Elektra's propensity for compassion.

Elektra astrally projects herself to a meeting with Kirigi and challenges him to a fight; the winner claiming Abby for their own purpose. Elektra returns to her childhood home to face Kirigi, and finally remembers he was her mother's killer.

Elektra is defeated by Kirigi, but Abby arrives and engages him long enough for Elektra to recuperate. Elektra and Abby then escape and hide in a hedge maze but are separated when Abby is captured by snakes dispatched by Tattoo.

Elektra finds Tattoo and kills him, saving Abby in the process. Elektra engages Kirigi a second time and manages to kill him. Typhoid poisons Abby, the same way she did to Elektra earlier, killing her in the process.

Elektra kills Typhoid and successfully resurrects Abby, overcoming her rage. When Mark comes to take Abby, he and Elektra kiss and go their separate ways.

Just as Elektra leaves the grounds of her childhood home for the final time, she meets Stick and the two exchange words to each other. Elektra departs, knowing Abby and Mark will be safe.

Trivia

 * For the role of Elektra, many actresses were looked into with considerations including Penélope Cruz, Salma Hayek, Natalie Portman, Lucy Liu, Jessica Alba, and Katie Holmes. A short-list was eventually made, giving the choices of Jennifer Garner, Jolene Blalock, Mía Maestro and Rhona Mitra. Garner finally becoming the actress to land the role. Garner said of the character, "I think she's strong and cool and beautiful and smart. She'd be a good role model." Garner noted the costume would be different, as Elektra in comics often wears red satin but in the film wears black leather. Garner explained, "The red would never have worked for hiding a harness, and I know this sounds ridiculous, but you have to protect your skin a little bit. They throw me around so much on the rooftop [that] I got cut through the leather, so imagine if I hadn't had anything."


 * Jennifer Garner portrays Elektra in Daredevil and Elektra. She is the only actor to appear in both films.


 * Jennifer Garner is currently married to Ben Affleck who portrayed the title character and Garner's on-screen love interest in Daredevil until they separated in 2015.