Warning: contains spoilers for Daredevil #9!
Very few heroes in comics are scarier than Batman, but Daredevil is giving the Dark Knight a serious run for his money. Of the many weapons at Batman’s disposal, fear and intimidation are two of his most potent. Daredevil has used these as well, but never to Batman’s extent. Now, however, in Daredevil #9, Elektra (as Daredevil) uses her reputation for violence to save her and Matt’s lives.
Daredevil #9 is written by Saladin Ahmed and drawn by Juann Cabal. Daredevil (Matt Murodock) and Elektra (as Daredevil) have tracked Bullseye to an abandoned theater. The two Daredevils give Bullseye a serious beat-down, but he brags that in the rafters 1,000 men are waiting to fight them. While Bullseye was exaggerating the number, there were still many ready to fight.
However, Elektra took the microphone and cautioned them against trying anything, or else.
The men in the audience, very well aware of Elektra’s reputation, back down.
Elektra, who has been working as Daredevil since Matt Murdock’s time in prison, has earned her reputation as one of Marvel’s fiercest fighters. Once an assassin for the murderous ninja cult The Hand, Elektra is highly skilled in martial arts. She is also proficient with sais. For many years, Elektra used lethal force, but since joining Matt Murdock as Daredevil, she has moved away from it. But, as seen in Daredevil #9, she is still feared far and wide by New York’s criminal element.
Much like her, Batman’s reputation proceeds him wherever he goes. During his training with the League of Shadows, Batman first learned these lessons. They taught him how to weaponize fear and terror. Batman, a keen student of psychology, knew criminals “were a superstitious and cowardly lot,” and just a little bit of fear was enough to keep them in line. As recounted in many versions of Batman’s origin, a bat flying into his study was the impetus for his outfit. Again, using psychology, Batman taps into a primal fear of humanity: fear of the dark, and the unknown.
This understanding of fear has made Batman a successful crime fighter, and now Elektra/Daredevil is applying these lessons and applying them well. After she threatens Bullseye’s men, many of them share stories of Elektra’s brutality among themselves. One person in particular recounts how she killed 16 people in one go. These stories have helped Elektra cultivate an aura of fear in the underworld, which she then uses to her advantage. Even though she no longer kills people, Daredevil still has a fierce and terrifying reputation, one making her almost as scary as Batman.
Daredevil #9 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!