New Page 1

...sambungan

Daredevil
He dwells in a world of eternal night -- but the blackness is filled with sounds and scents, tastes and textures most men cannot perceive. Although attorney Matt Murdock is blind, his other four senses function with superhuman sharpness. He stalks the streets at night, a relentless avenger of justice: Daredevil, the Man Without Fear!

Real Name: Matthew Michael Murdock
Occupation: Lawyer, adventurer
Group affiliation: Marvel Knights
Base of operations: Hell's Kitchen, New York City
First appearance: Daredevil (Vol. 1) #1 (1964)

Height: 6'
Weight: 200 lbs.
Eye color: Blue
Hair color: Red

Powers: Although Daredevil is blind, his other four senses function with superhuman sharpness. His fingers can feel the faint impressions of ink on a printed page, allowing him to read by touch. The rest of his skin is equally sensitive, enabling him to perceive minute changes in the temperature and pressure of the surrounding atmosphere. Daredevil can identify individuals by smell alone, no matter how they might try to camouflage their natural odor. He can hear a person's heartbeat at a distance of 20 feet, tell whether someone is lying by listening to changes in the heart's rhythm and identify people by the specific patterns of their heartbeats. Also, Daredevil developed the ability to sense the proximity and arrangement of objects as a result of the mutagenic effects of his exposure to the same radiation that heightened his senses.

Daredevil possesses the acrobatic ability of a circus performer and the pugilistic skills of a heavyweight prizefighter. Though he has studied various Asian martial-arts techniques and American boxing, his fighting style is unique; it includes movements and blows from many disciplines. Daredevil is also a highly accomplished weightlifter.

Weapons: Daredevil wields a single weapon, his billy club. As Matt Murdock, he carries it disguised as a blind man's cane. The implement separates into two parts: The straight portion contains a metal shaft and can be used as a weighted fighting baton, while the other section incorporates a grappling hook and cable mechanism that Daredevil uses to traverse the city skyline.

History: Matt Murdock is the son of a fighter: "Battlin'" Jack Murdock, a New York boxer who made his living in Hell's Kitchen. A single parent, the elder Murdock took it upon himself to provide a better life for his son. As such, he began working as an enforcer for a local mobster to give Matt more than his winnings would allow. However, he taught his son that fighting was not the answer to life's problems and encouraged him to pursue his studies. Matt became a bookworm, mocked by his fellow students; they teased him with the nickname "Daredevil." Afraid his father would be disappointed by his weakness, Matt trained himself in secret to stand up to the bullies at school.

Even then, Matt was a hero at heart. Walking down the street, he noticed a blind man about to get hit by a truck. He ran in front of the braking vehicle, pushing the hapless victim out of the way. But the youngster paid a stiff price for his selfless act: The truck was carrying radioactive waste, and some splashed out onto Matt's eyes. Ironically, he was now as blind as the man he had saved from certain death. At first devastated, Matt soon realized that the toxic sludge had mutagenically heightened his other four senses. But it was the warrior/teacher Stick who brought Matt full circle, coaching him in the use of his newly augmented senses and training him in the martial arts.

Matt attended Columbia University with Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, who became his lifelong friend. At Columbia, he met and fell in love with Elektra Natchios, daughter of a Greek ambassador. Matt first used his abilities to combat crime when he fought terrorists who had kidnapped Elektra and her father. The ambassador was killed in the struggle, and an anguished Elektra left school. She would return to Matt's life years later in a new role: costumed assassin. When Elektra fled, Matt threw himself into his law studies. To finance his son's college education, Jack Murdock -- now past his prime as a boxer -- struck a deal with promoter Roscoe Sweeney, alias the Fixer. But the mobsters killed Jack when he refused to throw a fight as instructed, and Matt sought justice in vain. Grief-stricken, he finished his studies. After graduation, he and Nelson opened their own law office. Matt still was determined to bring his father's killers to justice, but could see no way of doing so through ordinary legal means. He chose instead to adopt the guise of a costumed vigilante -- Daredevil, the name used to taunt him years before.

Matt gained a partner in his war on crime when Foggy tried Natasha Romanova, better known to the world as the Russian operative Black Widow, for criminal conduct. Natasha moved to San Francisco when the case concluded, and Matt joined her. There, the two grew into more than just a crimefighting team: They became lovers. The affair ended when Matt returned to New York City and Natasha stayed in San Francisco. However, the two remain friends and frequent partners.

The Kingpin, the most powerful figure in East Coast organized crime, has proven to be Daredevil's greatest adversary. Matt ultimately came to oppose Elektra when she entered the Kingpin's employ. As the gangster's chief assassin, Elektra clashed repeatedly with her ex-flame. Finally, she was contracted to kill Foggy. When he recognized her, Elektra realized she could not carry out the contract and spared his life. Soon after, the psychotic criminal Bullseye determined that the only way for him to regain his status as the Kingpin's chief assassin would be to kill Elektra. He impaled her on own sai, and she died in Matt's arms. The death and eventual resurrection of Elektra, the woman Matt still greatly loved, had a tremendous emotional effect on him that continues to this day.

A turning point in Daredevil's crimefighting career came when a teen mother left her newborn daughter in his charge, claiming angels had told her he would keep the baby safe. However, a mysterious elderly gentlemen named Nicholas Macabes attempted to convince him the infant was the antichrist; he succeeded in causing Daredevil's estranged girlfriend, Karen Page, to believe she was dying from AIDS, the result of a promiscuous past. Macabes hired Bullseye to kidnap the baby -- whom Matt had entrusted to his mother, Sister Margaret -- and injure the child's guardian devil. When Karen attempted to cover Sister Margaret's escape with the baby, the assassin impaled her on Daredevil's billy club. Ultimately, Macabes revealed himself to be the illusion-casting super-villain Mysterio and confessed he had targeted Daredevil because they both were "second-stringers." When Daredevil defeated Mysterio and rescued the baby, the villain killed himself. Like Elektra's death, Karen's murder is a heavy burden on Matt's shoulders.

Elektra
Assassin. Lover. Enigma. Driven by tragedy and honed by training, the femme fatale known as Elektra kills for hire, loves for thrills...and leaves destruction in her wake!

Real name: Elektra Natchios
Occupation: Assassin
Group affiliation: None, formerly the Hand
Base of operations: Mobile
First appearance: Daredevil (Vol. 1) #168 (1980)

Height: 5'9"
Weight: 130 lbs.
Eye color: Blue-black
Hair color: Black

Powers: Although she possesses no superhuman abilities, Elektra is a consummate practitioner of the martial arts. She is a mistress of the skills of the ancient ninja of Japan, and an Olympic-level athlete and gymnast.

Weapons: Elektra wields a pair of three-pronged daggers, or sai. Also, she is proficient in the use of various martial-arts weaponry.

History: Elektra once defined herself by the men in her life: She was the daughter of a powerful Greek diplomat and the girlfriend of blind American law student Matt Murdock. Her father's accidental death in the midst of a hostage situation left her emotionally shattered, and Elektra withdrew from the world. Alone and angry, she abandoned her old life, her old loves. She set out in search of meaning and purpose, guidance and training. Elektra's quest led her to Japan.

Befriended by the martial-arts master known as Stick, Elektra honed her fighting skills to peak-human perfection. But her anger was too great. Recognizing that her hatred was all-consuming, Stick cast her out into the world once again...alone. Determined to prove herself to her mentor, Elektra infiltrated the enemy: the secret fraternity of martial artists known as the Hand -- a cult of ninja, shadow warriors, assassins for a price. Wise to her plan, the organization's leaders twisted her anger to suit their own ends. Her hatred had found a home; it made her a perfect warrior for the Hand. The ninja trained her and guided her, but their way was one of deceit and dishonor. As the Hand corrupted Elektra, her anger grew. Eventually, she rebelled against her handlers and fled Japan.

A warrior for hire, Elektra sold her talent and rage to anyone willing to buy it. But she learned that life was cyclical -- that the same players would come in and out no matter how far she ran, no matter how much she thought she knew. Old love would return, and old debts left unpaid would haunt her. Having undertaken a contract in New York City, she crossed paths with the blind adventurer known as Daredevil -- whom she later learned to be Matt Murdock, her ex-flame and a former student of Stick. Daredevil vehemently disapproved of Elektra's chosen profession, but the two cared deeply for one another still.

Together, they fought the Hand -- until the Kingpin, the most powerful figure in East Coast organized crime, hired Elektra as his chief assassin. In that role, Elektra clashed repeatedly with Daredevil. Finally, she was ordered to kill his best friend and law partner, Franklin "Foggy" Nelson. When Foggy recognized her, Elektra realized she could not carry out the contract and spared his life. Soon after, the psychotic criminal called Bullseye determined that the only way to regain his status as the Kingpin's No. 1 killer would be to murder Elektra. The maniacal marksman impaled her on her own sai, and she died in Matt's arms. But even the final disappointment of a warrior's passing brought Elektra no peace, because the way of the ninja is to know that life and death are nothing but energy pushed and pulled.

Unwilling to part with one of its most talented operatives, the Hand ninja attempted to resurrect Elektra and place her fully under their thrall. 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. Now purged of the Hand's corruption, Elektra left Matt's side determined to find her own place in the world. She remains a ninja, a mystery, a shadow -- until she chooses to reveal herself. Her life is one of seclusion, cover identities and a bewildering succession of disguises. A single fact is certain: Every time she kills, she knows exactly how it feels to die.

King Pin
A self-made mass of muscle, Wilson Fisk knows no equal. Using his immense size and strength, he reached the pinnacle of his chosen profession by relying on just one person: himself. The infamous Kingpin of Crime rules the East Coast underworld with an iron hand -- and zero tolerance for failure!

Real name: Wilson Fisk
Occupation: Criminal organizer and mastermind, president and owner of legitimate businesses
Group affiliation: Leader of a coalition of East Coast, non-Maggia criminal organizations; former manager of Hydra's Las Vegas faction
Base of operations: New York City
First appearance: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #50 (1967)

Height: 6'7"
Weight: 450 lbs.
Eye color: Blue
Hair color: Bald

Powers: Thanks to years of training and discipline, the Kingpin is an extraordinary hand-to-hand combatant. These fighting skills, coupled with unusual agility for a man his size, compensate for his lack of superhuman strength when engaged in unarmed combat with heroes like Spider-Man and Daredevil.

Weapons: None

History: Origin: Little is known about the Kingpin's life before he took command of the East Coast mobs. Wilson Fisk has described himself as "an unpopular, blubbery child." Impoverished as a youngster, he committed his first murder when he was 12 years old. From the start, Fisk was determined to be the best at whatever he did. Because he believed physical strength would help him amass power in the underworld, he fanatically trained himself in various methods of bodybuilding and personal combat -- finally concentrating on the Japanese art of sumo. His sumo training likely led to an interest in East Asian culture, which would manifest itself in other ways.

Fisk educated himself by stealing books from stores and libraries, taking a particular interest in political science. He determined that another key to his success would be the use of such techniques to organize and direct groups of criminals. Fisk's gang grew rapidly in size, influence, power and wealth. However, he was careful to invest his ill-gotten gains in legitimate businesses. The first company he owned dealt spices in the Far East.

After about a decade as a criminal leader, Fisk had achieved enough success in legitimate business to become a prominent member of New York society. He met and soon married Vanessa, a beautiful woman not yet 20 years old. Her love granted him the peace he sought after his constant struggle for power.

Fisk had become one of the most powerful criminal leaders in New York and Las Vegas after about two decades, and had won the respect of numerous other bosses. When the wisecracking, web-slinging super hero known as Spider-Man appeared to have retired, the Kingpin seized the opportunity to fulfill his master plan. Fisk proposed the unification of New York's gangs under his leadership, meeting with nearly unanimous acceptance. The Kingpin directed a major crime wave in Manhattan that came to an end following his first confrontation with Spider-Man. Moreover, the Kingpin's attempt to silence Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson backfired when the web-slinger rescued the newspaperman, who then publicly exposed Fisk as the Kingpin. The crime coalition crumbled.

Vanessa, sickened by the Kingpin's lifestyle, eventually demanded that Fisk abandon his criminal tendencies -- or else she would leave him. He accepted her ultimatum, and the two retired to Japan. Vanessa even persuaded Fisk to surrender his files on the activities of the other bosses to the authorities. To prevent this, the new leaders of the Kingpin's crime syndicate kidnapped Vanessa. She apparently was slain by a Kingpin aide who saw her as the only obstacle preventing Fisk from returning to crime. Not only did the enraged Kingpin resume leadership of his former organization, he turned over his files to the law through his costumed archenemy, the blind adventurer called Daredevil. The Kingpin's plan to rid himself of his rivals proved successful, as the evidence in the documents he had provided led to the conviction of countless criminal leaders. The Kingpin assumed control of the majority of gangs dealing in conventional crimes, making his organization the most powerful on the East Coast.

Fisk then turned his attention to politics, and it appeared for a short time as if he had scored his greatest coup: His puppet candidate, Randolph Winston Cherryh, won New York's mayoral election. But the mayor-elect never took office. Daredevil discovered Vanessa alive, though suffering from severe mental problems, and told Kingpin he would release her to his custody only if Fisk ordered Cherryh to decline the post. Grudgingly, an infuriated Kingpin acquiesced.

Soon, Fisk would find himself on even ground with his masked opponent. When Daredevil's former lover -- Karen Page, a heroin addict -- sold the hero's secret identity as attorney Matt Murdock to a drug dealer, the information eventually came into the Kingpin's possession. This was merely the initial move in what would develop into a deadly, years-long chess match between the two adversaries.

During one of their games of cat and mouse, Fisk led the femme fatale known as Echo to believe that Daredevil had killed her father. Meanwhile, she began to date Murdock in her civilian identity as Maya Lopez, unaware he was Daredevil. Fisk's two pawns battled across the rooftops of Hell's Kitchen until Echo learned the truth behind her father's murder. The Kingpin's illegal doings finally caught up to him when he was shot several times by the young woman he had so callously manipulated. Fisk survived the shooting, but now -- like his foe, Daredevil -- is completely blind.

The Kingpin takes pleasure in physical combat with his enemies, but knows he can never allow himself to be connected to his crimes. Consequently, Fisk has never been convicted of any wrongdoing. Today, even though Fisk has built a vast, legitimate business empire in various fields, he still professes to be merely a "humble dealer in spices."

[ Back ]
[ Next ]