Elektra
Natchios, usually
referred to only by her first name Elektra, is a
fictional character in publications from Marvel
Comics. Created by Frank Miller, the character first appeared in Daredevil
#168 (January 1981).
Elektra is a Greek
ninja assassin
who wields two bladed sai as her trademark weapon. She is a love
interest of
the 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 
According
to Marvel
Comics, Elektra is the world's most lethal woman and one of Marvel's
most
cold-blooded characters. She has killed more men than just about any
other
Marvel character while remaining one of the most popular heroines in
the Marvel
Universe.
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, 3-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, agility, and reflexes. Resistant
to pain
and extreme cold, she can freely go barefoot into the winter snow.  She is also
able to keep to the shadows and move with such speed that she can
remain unseen
even in daylight, thus explaining why she is Marvel's top
killer. She
cannot be seen in a dim lighted room and she can't be detected if she
is in a
warehouse of any sort and kind. Elektra has demonstrated on occasion
the
ability to mesmerize others, and as such make them see illusions or
other
phenomena. Elektra's strangest, and perhaps most obscure gift is her
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. It is
unknown how
long the effect lasts, but Elektra has gone a full two days or more in
someone
else's mind while they zoned out in hers. Elektra has occasionally
demonstrated
low-level telekinesis, though it is possible that this may be an
illusion which
victims of her mesmerism are led to see. She can communicate
telepathically
with individuals possessing similar levels of mental discipline, such
as the
Chaste.
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