History ComicBook / Elektra

* AbusiveParent: According to ''Elektra: Assassin'', Elektra of ''Comicbook/{{Daredevil}}'' was sexually abused by her father at the age of 5, after which she was told it had never happened until she more-or-less believed it.

[[redirect:Characters/DaredevilSupportingCharacters]]

[[redirect:Characters/MarvelComicsElektra]]

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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/elektra_4.jpg]]

->''"Once upon a time... there was a beautiful princess. So the warrior princess became a ronin and a whore. A warrior for hire. She sold her talent and rage to anyone who was willing to buy it. But she found that her life ran in cycles. That the same players came in and out of her life no matter how far she ran and no matter how much she learned. Old love kept returning. And old debts left unpaid came back to haunt her. And even that final disappointment of a warrior's death brought her no peace. Because the way of the ninja is to know that life and death are nothing but energy pushed and pulled. The princess was brought back to life. Brought back from 'the Place of No Name'... to finish a fight she did not start."''
-->--'''Elektra'''

Elektra Natchios is a Creator/MarvelComics anti-hero created by Creator/FrankMiller. Making her debut in ''Daredevil #168'' (January, 1981) as Matt Murdock's college love-interest-turned-assassin, Elektra is one of Daredevil's most dangerous, unpredictable enemies. Originally a college student at New York's Columbia University with her boyfriend, [[Comicbook/{{Daredevil}} Matt Murdock]], the Greek-born Elektra left for Japan after the accidental death of her father. Encountering Stick, leader of the secret martial arts organization known as the Chaste, Elektra's fighting skills were honed to peak human levels. Unfortunately, the hate in her heart got her expelled from the Chaste, so Elektra joined their rivals, the Hand. [[TheCorruption Corrupted]] by the Hand, Elektra became the organization's top assassin until breaking free from their control and returning to New York.

After the Man Without Fear saves her from mobster Eric Slaughter and his hit-men, Elektra learns Daredevil's secret identity and tries to rekindle their relationship, only to be rejected because of her killing ways. Together, the former lovers battle and defeat the Hand after the organization attempts to kill members of the Chaste. After Elektra became ComicBook/TheKingpin's chief assassin, Elektra and Daredevil battle continuously until she was ordered to kill Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, Matt Murdock's best friend. Unable to kill Foggy, who recognized her as "Matt's girl", Elektra was forced to battle ComicBook/{{Bullseye|MarvelComics}}, the Kingpin's former chief assassin. Elektra fought hard but was defeated by Bullseye after he impaled her on her own sai. Mortally wounded, Elektra crawled to Matt's doorstep and died in his arms. Resurrected thanks to Daredevil and Stone, an associate of Stick, Elektra traveled the world as a freelance assassin/bounty hunter. After aiding ComicBook/{{SHIELD}}, Franchise/{{Wolverine}} and her former lover Daredevil, Elektra was replaced by a Skrull agent named Siri prior to the ''Secret Invasion'' event. Once freed, she became more involved in the superhero community and began walking a careful line as an AntiHero -- not evil, not good, just herself.

She is currently acting as the new Daredevil in ''ComicBook/ChipZdarskysDaredevil''.

Creator/JenniferGarner played the character in the 2003 ''Film/{{Daredevil}}'' and her 2005 spinoff, ''Film/{{Elektra}}''. Most recently, in the Creator/{{Netflix}} adaptation of ''Series/{{Daredevil 2015}}'' and ''Series/TheDefenders2017'', she has been portrayed by Creator/ElodieYung. Not to be confused with Creator/ElektraRecords.

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!! Elektra appears in:

[[AC:Comic Books]]
* ''The Elektra Saga''
* ''Elektra: Assassin''
* ''Elektra Lives Again''
* ''Elektra: Root of Evil''
* ''Elektra''
* ''Elektra and Wolverine: The Redeemer''
* ''Elektra: Glimpse & Echo''
* ''Elektra: The Hand''
* ''ComicBook/UltimateDaredevilAndElektra'' (set in the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel universe)
* ''ComicBook/ChipZdarskysDaredevil''

'''Storylines'''
* ''DC vs. Marvel''
* ''ComicBook/MarvelZombies''
* ''ComicBook/SecretInvasion''
* ''Comicbook/DarkReign''

[[AC:Live-Action Film]]
* ''Film/{{Daredevil}}'' (2003)
** ''Film/{{Elektra}}'' (2005)

[[AC:Live-Action TV]]
* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse (2016 -- present), played by Creator/ElodieYung:
** ''Series/{{Daredevil|2015}}'' (2016)
** ''Series/{{The Defenders|2017}}'' (2017)

[[AC:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/MarvelSuperHeroesVsStreetFighter'': Elektra makes a cameo appearance in the background of Apocalypse's stage along with other Marvel and Street Fighter characters.
* ''VideoGame/MarvelNemesisRiseOfTheImperfects'': One of the playable characters, Elektra battles a mind-controlled ComicBook/{{Daredevil}} on the roof of the [[Franchise/SpiderMan Daily Bugle]].
* ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance'': Elektra is a playable character on all versions of the game. Teaming her up with a combination of [[ComicBook/CarolDanvers Ms. Marvel]], ComicBook/InvisibleWoman, ComicBook/SpiderWoman, or ComicBook/{{Storm}} nets players a 5% attack bonus.
* ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance3TheBlackOrder'': Elektra returns as a playble character in this game as the TokenEvilTeammate of the Defenders.
* ''Videogame/MarvelAvengersAlliance'': Introduced as a boss character and leader of the Hand, she eventually switched sides to join the Agent (and become playable), offering no apology and very little explanation beyond "Nothing is permanent."
* * ''Videogame/MarvelHeroes'': She originally appeared both as a boss and as a summoned character for Daredevil's ultimate ability. She was later added in as a playable character.
* ''VideoGame/MarvelPuzzleQuest'': She is one of the Legendary-rarity characters that you can recruit, and she can be teamed up with any superheroes and an villains in a trio.
* ''VideoGame/MarvelFutureFight'': Appears as a playable character.

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!! Tropes seen in these series include:

%%* AbsurdlySharpBlade: Elektra's Sai can cut through anything.
* ActionGirl: Elektra is an Olympic-level athlete and gymnast, proficient in many martial arts and master of many different weapons.
* AffirmativeActionLegacy: When Matt voluntarily goes to prison [[spoiler:Elektra, to atone for her many past actions, decides to don her own Daredevil costume and protect Hell's Kitchen in Matt's place]].
* AndShowItToYou: Elektra is strong enough to rip out a man's heart with her bare hands.
--> '''Elektra''': His heart is warm and strong. I let him see it.
%%* AntiHero: A definite Type IV.
* AxCrazy: If you catch her on a bad day, RUN.
* BackFromTheDead: After she is killed by Bullseye, the Hand attempted to resurrect Elektra and place her fully under their control through a magic ritual. Stone, a member of Stick's order, completed the process, bringing Elektra back to life after Daredevil had purified her spirit through sheer force of will.
* BarehandedBladeBlock: Elektra once caught a knife out of the air before breaking the blade with her bare hands. Can also lead to CatchAndReturn situations.
* BloodKnight: Some writers have depicted Elektra as getting a thrill from killing. One story had an antagonist who had been victimized by her condemning her to a FateWorseThanDeath by making it so she could not be hired as an assassin again.
* BodySwap: Elektra can throw her mind into another person's body for as long as four months. She has also demonstrated the ability to swap other peoples' minds.
%%* BottomlessMagazines
%%* BreakableWeapons
* BreakoutCharacter: Elektra's popularity, which stretched beyond the traditional male population and drew a large female readership, would eventually ensure her own miniseries and in 1986 she would star in ''Elektra: Assassin''. She was supposed to stay dead after her death in ''Daredevil'', but she was resurrected because of her popularity and frequently used since, despite Marvel's initial promise to Frank Miller that the character would not be used in any other publication.
* CarFu: Elektra hit the MadeOfIron Kirigi with a truck during their fight in a parking garage. Set ablaze after the [[EveryCarIsAPinto truck explodes]], Kirigi is finally defeated after Elektra [[OffWithHisHead cuts his head off]].
* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Born an ordinary human, Elektra developed her powers through years and years of training.
* ChronicVillainy: The most obvious example of this was at the end of Creator/GregRucka's run, when Elektra suddenly backslid on all the moral progress she'd slowly and painfully made throughout the run because of... something or other. This was rumoured to be due to StatusQuoIsGod editorial fiat.
* CombatPragmatist: Tactics used by Elektra include: BulletproofHumanShield, EyeScream, GroinAttack, InTheBack, KilledMidSentence, NeckSnap, and PlayingPossum. In one story she held a ''dog'' hostage (albeit as a distraction from her ''real'' strategy).
* ContractOnTheHitman: Three businessmen who once hired Elektra had this as official policy. They would routinely "retire" hitmen after they performed three jobs, using their replacements to do the deed. One of the three was smart enough to avoid trying this with Elektra. Too bad one of the others didn't get the memo...
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Her father was murdered before her, and she joined the Chaste, only to get kicked out. So she became a professional assassin, and then she was hired to kill her former lover.
* DatingCatwoman: The Catwoman here, as she was the toxic influence to her relationship with Daredevil.
* DeathIsCheap: She has a reputation for coming BackFromTheDead on par with ComicBook/JeanGrey.
* DeathByOriginStory: Her death and resurrection is easily the most famous thing people know about the character, so in adaptations this tends to be treated as her origin story.
* DesignatedGirlFight: With Comicbook/{{Catwoman}} in ''DC vs. Marvel''.
%%* {{Determinator}}
%%* DistractedByTheSexy
* DodgeTheBullet: Handguns... machine guns... sniper rifles... no problem.
* DoesNotLikeShoes: Her original costume had her wearing thigh-high boots, but years ago she switched over to ankle wrappings and bare feet. Now she's back to wearing shoes.
* TheDragon: To Kingpin in Creator/FrankMiller era and in ''[[ComicBook/ThePunisherMAX Punisher Max]]''.
* TheDreaded: It's really telling when even Wolverine admits he's a bit scared of her. SHIELD's official protocol for any unfortunate agent who happens to notice her is to get the hell out of there and pray she doesn't follow.
* DualWielding: Two sai, usually, though she'll break out two swords every now and then.
* {{Fanservice}}: Of the BareYourMidriff, ClothingDamage, LingerieScene, MostCommonSuperpower, ShesGotLegs, {{Stripperiffic}}, VaporWear variety. Yeah, she's hot and her clothes show it.
%%** In Punisher MAX, Kingpin was attracted to her
* FemmeFatale: Elektra is not above using her looks to get to a mark.
%%* FirstBlood
* {{Foil}}: To ComicBook/BlackWidow. Both are assassins and love interests to Matt Murdock. Both were also ballerinas. However, Black Widow is TheAtoner while Elektra flips between being a hero and a villain depending on what she wants. Black Widow relies on conventional weaponry and spy gadgets while Elektra relies on ancient weaponry such as sais and katanas and her SupernaturalMartialArts. Even their looks are a contrast; Elektra has black hair and wears a red LeotardOfPower while Natasha has red hair and wears a black SpyCatsuit.
* GorgeousGreek: A Greek beauty with typical Mediterranean features such as dark hair and olive skin, she is also a very sexualized {{Love Interest|s}} to Daredevil.
* GuardStationsTerminallyUnattended: Elektra does this in her own series, reproducing a scene from TheMovie.
* GunsVsSwords: Subverted. She is a master of both and will use either. She ''normally'' relies on bladed weapons, but that doesn't means she isn't going to pull out an Uzi.
* HandOrObjectUnderwear: Disguising herself as a stripper, Elektra's assets were hidden by her arms and, later, feathers.
* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: Depending on the story, Elektra can be a villain or hero or [[BlueAndOrangeMorality something in between]].
* HeroicSecondWind: Elektra gets one during her rematch with Bullseye.
* IconicSequelCharacter: Elektra is one of Daredevil's most well-known supporting characters and antagonists but she didn't appear in the books until Frank Miller's run in the 1980s, two decades after Daredevil's debut.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: By Bullseye in her famous death.
* ImprovisedWeapon: Gardening shears, shards of ice, her waist sash, her own teeth... yes, she's very good at improvising weapons.
* ImprobableWeaponUser: Taking a cue from Bullseye, Elektra once spit one of her own teeth into the mouth of [[ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}} Paladin]], choking him long enough for her to break free from her bonds.
%%* KnifeNut
* KungFuWizard: Elektra is one of Marvel's greatest martial artists and all of her superpowers are [[KiManipulation Ki Attacks]].
* LadyInRed
* LadyOfWar: Elektra is as graceful in battle as she is deadly.
* LeotardOfPower: Her iconic costume of red color. She also a white variant after her resurrection.
* LiteralSplitPersonality: Elektra was split into good and evil aspects after being resurrected by Stone. Calling itself Erynys, the entity was defeated by Elektra, returning the evil to Elektra's soul.
* MadeOfIron: The amount of things that she's shaken off or gotten up from that would have killed or crippled anyone else is truly jawdropping even by MU standards.
* MagicKnight: Has some minor Ki Attacks and magical abilities, most of which are used to enhance her battle prowess, as well as some low-level PsychicPowers. Most of these come from training with the mystical evil ninja sect The Hand.
* MakeMeWannaShout: The Silent Shout, an powerful ki attack used by the Chaste that leaves the user mute for a few days. Elektra can use this power as well, though not with the same intensity.
* MaleGaze: Elektra's body is prominently featured during fight scenes. When she dodges, artists usually draw her from behind to emphasize her ass. Flying kicks are drawn from the front, effectively becoming full-page crotch shots.
* MasterOfDisguise: Sometimes Elektra wears disguises to get close to her target.
* MasterOfIllusion: Elektra can project illusions into her opponents' minds.
* MasterSwordsman: She is also proficient with the katana.
* McNinja: She is a Greek ninja.
* MissingMom: Elektra's mom died shortly after giving birth to her. [[DependingOnTheWriter Maybe]].
* MoleInCharge: Part of Elektra's plan to take down the Hand and HYDRA simultaneously in ''Wolverine: Enemy of the State''.
* {{Mooks}}: Hundreds of security guards, [[DumbMuscle hired goons]], [[BountyHunter bounty hunters]], and Hand ninjas have met the business end of a sai over the years.
* MoreDeadlyThanTheMale: Elektra is one of the few characters in the Marvel Universe that Wolverine considers more dangerous than himself.
* MsFanservice: She is a [[LadyInRed red-clad]] FemmeFatale whose outfits are {{Stripperiffic}} in nature, and she is often drawn in many provocative poses as seen in MaleGaze.
%%* MultipleChoicePast
%%* NotSoDifferent: Bullseye pointed this out to Elektra during their rematch when she nearly gave in to her bloodlust.
%%* OldRetainer: Stavros
* TheParalyzer: She can locate different pressure points on a person's body. She can incapacitate, paralyze, severely injure, or kill a person
* ParentalIncest: In Elektra: Assassin #1 (August 1986), the adult Elektra has vague memories of being raped by her father as a five-year-old. Years of counseling and medication had convinced her this was a false memory, but the doubt remained.
%%* PinballProjectile: Elektra's sai can be used in this manner by striking surfaces handle first.
* ProfessionalKiller: For years, Elektra worked as a bounty hunter and assassin for hire until meeting Daredevil.
* PsychicBlockDefense: Elektra has demonstrated an ability to remain hidden and undetected by other telepaths. By using a telepathic technique that she learned during her time with the Hand, Elektra can create a mental shield around her mind keeping herself hidden from not only other psychics but mind locating machines like Cerebro
* PsychicPowers: Elektra has demonstrated low-level telekinesis and telepathy.
* RaceLift:
** Who do you cast to play the olive-skinned, raven-haired, Greek-born assassin? Apparently the [[FakeNationality American-born]], [[WTHCastingAgency light-skinned, brunette Jennifer Garner]]...
** The DarkerAndEdgier ''[[ComicBook/ThePunisherMAX Punisher Max]]'' series makes Elektra Japanese, instead of a white woman who dresses up in ninja gear.
** In the ''Series/Daredevil2015'' live-action series, she's played by French-Cambodian actress Élodie Yung. To be fair though, she can pass as Greek based on facial features.
* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: Elektras has striking black hair and wears a red outfit. She is also one of the deadliest assassins in the Marvel Universe.
* RedIsHeroic: When she is a hero.
* RedIsViolent: She is a killer so this crops up from time to time.
* TheRival: She and Bullseye competed for the position of Kingpin's top assassin. Bullseye won by killing her.
* RoofHopping
* [[SaiGuy Sai Girl]]: Her WeaponOfChoice. (Jennifer Garner even cut her leg with one shooting the movie).
%%* ScopeSnipe: Elektra once used a handgun to kill a sniper this way.
* SelfHarm: Elektra grew up close to her father but was plagued by dark visions and voices with no known source. Because of this, she occasionally reacted to them with self-harm.
* SeriesContinuityError: Two contradictory accounts of her family history have been given. In Elektra: Root of Evil #1-4 (1995), her mother, Christina, is killed by assassins hired by Orestez, while in Elektra Volume 2 #18 (1998), she is killed by an insurrectionist during the Greek Civil War. In both accounts, she gives premature birth to Elektra just before dying.
%%* SkinnyDipping: Complete with ToplessnessFromTheBack in ''Elektra: Root of Evil''.
* SociopathicHero: Even when she is on the heroic side, Elektra is incredibly ruthless.
* StayInTheKitchen: Elektra knocked a man unconscious for saying that being a hero "ain't a girl's job."
* StealthHiBye: Due to her ninja training, she can blend in with the shadows and remain undetected by most humans.
* SuperReflexes: Elektra can react fast enough to block machine gun fire with her sai.
* SuperSpeed: Elektra is fast enough to disarm half a dozen men before they can fire a single shot, gut a man from across the room before he can complete a sentence, and run so fast that security cameras can't record her movements.
* SuperStrength: Elektra is strong enough to punch through a man's torso, topple a brick wall with a single kick, and [[NeckLift lift]] a grown man above her head with one arm. She once compared the human skull to an [[MadeOfPlasticine eggshell]] during a fight.
%%* SuperWindowJump
%%* TechnicolorNinjas
* [[ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks Throwing Your Sai Always Works]]: Her aim is so good it works for her.
* WaifFu: She's capable of lifting twice her body weight.

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!!Tropes seen in these series include:

After the Man Without Fear saves her from mobster Eric Slaughter and his hit-men, Elektra learns Daredevil's secret identity and tries to rekindle their relationship, only to be rejected because of her killing ways. Together, the former lovers battle and defeat the Hand after the organization attempts to kill members of the Chaste. After Elektra became ComicBook/TheKingpin's chief assassin, Elektra and Daredevil battle continuously until she was ordered to kill Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, Matt Murdock's best friend. Unable to kill Foggy, who recognized her as "Matt's girl", Elektra was forced to battle ComicBook/{{Bullseye|MarvelComics}}, the Kingpin's former chief assassin. Elektra fought hard but was defeated by Bullseye after he impaled her on her own sai. Mortally wounded, Elektra crawled to Matt's doorstep and died in his arms. Resurrected thanks to Daredevil and Stone, an associate of Stick, Elektra traveled the world as a freelance assassin/bounty hunter. After aiding ComicBook/{{SHIELD}}, Franchise/{{Wolverine}} and her former lover Daredevil, Elektra was replaced by a Skrull agent named Siri prior to the ''Secret Invasion'' event. Once freed, she became more involved in the superhero community and began walking a careful line as an AntiHero -- not evil, not good, just herself. She is currently with the ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}.

%%* ImprovisedWeapon: Gardening shears, shards of ice, her waist sash, her own teeth...

%%* [[ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks Throwing Your Sai Always Works]]