Elektra (Marvel)

&nbsp "Next time you see me, RUN!"

- 'Elektra 'in Marvel Ultimate Alliance

Elektra Natchios, usually referred to only by her first name Elektra, is a fictional character in publications from Marvel Comics.

'''Elektra is a kunoichi – female ninja assassin – of Greek descent. She wields a pair of bladed sai as her trademark weapon. Created by Frank Miller, Elektra first appeared in Daredevil #168 (January 1981). She is a love interest of the blind superhero Daredevil, but her violent nature and mercenary lifestyle divide the two. She is one of Frank Miller's best-loved creations, and subsequent writers' use of her is controversial as Marvel had originally promised to not resurrect the character without Miller's permission. She has also appeared as a supporting character of Wolverine of the X-Men and in other series and mini-series as well as adaptations for the screen. In the 2003 film Daredevil and its 2005 spinoff, Elektra, the character is portrayed by Jennifer Garner. Elektra was ranked 22nd in Comics Buyer's Guide's 100 Sexiest Women in Comics list.'''

According to Marvel Comics, Elektra is the world's most lethal woman and one of Marvel's most cold-blooded characters.

Some features or history details in other versions may differ significantly from Frank Miller’s original.

==Family and early life==

Elektra was born on a Greek island near the Aegean Sea to Hugo Kostas Natchios and his wife Christina Natchios'''. She had an older brother named Orestez Natchios (in Greek the name should be Oρέστης - i.e. Orestes with Latin alphabet).'''

'''Two contradictory accounts of her family history have been given in various issues. In Elektra: Root of Evil #1-4 (March - June 1995), it is stated that her father was an aspiring diplomat who eventually managed to gain his first assignment as an ambassador to an unspecified country. However, Hugo and his wife had grown apart. Christina had begun a series of extramarital affairs with no apparent interest in keeping them secret, resulting in personal humiliation for her husband. Popular opinion in diplomatic circles stated that a man unable to control his wife had no business deciding on the fate of the world. When Christina became pregnant for a second time, Hugo was certain the child was not his own.'''

'''Hugo confided to his adolescent son that his mother was a whore who was shaming their family. Orestez promised his father that Christina would never again shame them. Hugo failed to understand the meaning of these words. On August 13 of that year, the couple was on holiday in the Aegean Sea. They were located by a helicopter which opened fire on them both. The assassins left them for dead. The couple was taken to a nearby hospital. Christina gave premature birth to Elektra and then died. Hugo recovered from his wounds.'''

'''Orestez had hired the assassins in order to indirectly commit matricide. He was horrified by the idea of unintentional patricide and ran away from home. Hugo was the only family left to Elektra. At first, Hugo had no intention to raise this "bastard" child. However, a paternity test confirmed the child to be his own. Hugo was not sorry for losing Christina. He was grateful, however, for her giving him a daughter. He arranged for a beautiful headstone to be placed on her grave. Images of the Erinyes on the headstone implied however that Christina was responsible for her own death.'''

'''Hugo grew to adore Elektra. He nicknamed her his "Little Amber" and showered her with gifts. Her favorite gift was a pet dog of her own, named Agamemnon, continuing the pattern of Hugo naming members of his family after the Atreidae. The dog was killed when a nine-year-old Elektra was assaulted by kidnappers. The men were all killed by Orestez, who had grown into an accomplished martial artist after leaving home. He did not explain his presence there. He briefly acquainted himself to his little sister and then left again. However, Orestez had a lasting effect in her life. He advised his father that Elektra needed to learn self-defense. Hugo hired a sensei to teach her the martial arts, beginning her acquaintance with fighting.'''

==Powers and abilities==

Skills
'''Elektra's primary abilities are a strong knowledge of martial arts and weaponry. Elektra learned ancient martial arts of China, Siam, and Japan. She is a master combatant with the Japanese Sai, her usual weapon of choice. She is also highly skilled with the katana, daggers, three-sectional staff, and shurikens. She is a master of many Japanese combat forms including Ninjutsu. Elektra is an Olympic-level athlete, strong in gymnastics and swimming, with a high level in athleticism in human strength, speed, stamina, agility, dexterity, reflexes & reactions, coordination, balance, and endurance. She is resistant to pain and extreme heat and cold. She is also able to keep to the shadows and move with such speed that she can remain unseen even in daylight.'''

Elektra has the ability to mesmerize others, and as such make them see illusions or other phenomena.

'''Elektra's also has the ability to "throw" her mind into those of others. For instance, she was able to track down her enemy, Ken Wind, by temporarily "borrowing" people's minds and acting through them while she hunted around for her prey. This temporal mind control enables her to metaphorically sniff out the psyche, or intent, of her targets. It saw extensive use during Elektra: Assassin, in which she was heavily reliant on only her ninja powers.'''

'''Elektra has demonstrated low-level telekinesis. She can communicate telepathically with individuals possessing similar levels of mental discipline, such as the Chaste. Elektra mastered this ability during training with The Hand, which mentally links her to The Beast, the demigod of The Hand.'''