Villain: The Hand

Guest Appearance: The Seven: Stone, Shaft, Claw; Black Widow, Stick, Heather Glenn, Foggy Nelson

Death: Shaft, Claw, Stick

Cameo: Elektra (in full-page "next issue" blurb)

Letters Page: Not in supply. Want to donate? Email me!

As a gathering of ninja from the Hand assembles outside his home, Stick's associate Stone is healing Natasha of her poisoning by placing his hands to her head and channeling his energy into her. Matt introduces the revived Black Widow to his mentor Stick, and the rest of the remaining Seven. Suddenly, they are attacked by the ninja, with dozens of them sneaking into the house. Shaft fires several arrows into the darkness, finding a target with each one of them. From the dark shadows, throwing starts come whizzing towards Stick and Black Widow; he raises his stick and catches them all. More ninjas come crashing through the window, and Stick, his three ninja partners, Daredevil and the Black Widow are completely surrounded.

There is much fierce fighting, and the overwhelming numbers finally get to them. Claw is run through with a sword. Stick and Shaft realize what they must do: they connect fingers and electricity shoots through them, causing a force field to emanate through the room, killing and dissolving all the ninjas. But the end result is that Stick and Shaft disappear in an implosion of energy, causing their deaths on this plane of reality. Stone wanted to join them, but Stick refused, giving his last orders to help Daredevil and the Black Widow make it through.

Daredevil is overwrought with pain that his mentor has died. Stone tells them he will meditate for five hours and then plan their next move. Black Widow showers and refreshes herself, then she makes a move on Matt, but Matt reminds her he's getting married to Heather. He tells her they should go look for the Hand. Just then, Heather stumbles in, drunk and falling all over Matt in a stupor. He puts her to bed and he and Natasha take off into the night air looking for the Hand. Natasha tells Matt how much she thinks he's changed lately, and then suggests they split up to locate their targets.

She heads over to see Foggy to talk about what's going on with Matt. Foggy confesses that he's worried about his friend. He explains to her about Elektra and how she was murdered, and his theory that Matt purposefully went out of his way to ruin Glenn Industries so she would marry him. Natasha tells Foggy she's still in love with him, and wonders what they can do to get the Matt they know back on track. Foggy comes up with a suggestion, asking Natasha if she's good at forgery....

Heather gets a note, forged by Natasha. It's from Matt and says he doesn't love her nor does he want to marry her. At the same time, Matt gets a similar forged note from Heather.

Later, after his meditation is through, Stone passes on what he can make of the Hand's next move. He says that since they have once again lost their top warrior, the Kirigi, who was killed and his body destroyed by him and his partners in The Seven, they will seek to revive another warrior to replace him. That warrior is Elektra.

Next issue blurb:

Full page ad promoting "Resurrection" story in Daredevil #191, Elektra's head against black background.

(continued in DD #190)

--synopsis by Gormuu

--panel images provided by Avengers Assemble

--letter pages provided by Aussie Stu

Issues Reprinted
Daredevil #183-191, What If #28, 35,
and Elektra from Bizarre Adventures #28

Click on cover image to learn more about each issue.