Warning: spoilers for Daredevil: Gang War #4!Despite a genuine transformation into a force for good, Elektra may never be respected by the heroes of the Marvel Universe as the new Daredevil – or even as a fellow hero, period. Before adopting the mask of the Woman Without Fear, Elektra’s time as an assassin required a level of moral flexibility that most heroes weren’t comfortable with, especially when it came to her stance on killing. Now, despite vowing to use non-lethal tactics, Elektra is finding it hard to gel with her new allies on New York’s streets.
Daredevil: Gang War #4 is proof enough that Marvel’s heroes never forget. As Marvel’s Gang War concludes, the heroes Daredevil has collaborated with to clean up New York continue to peg her as a killer. It’s ironic as well, considering that all series long, Elektra has resisted the urge to kill anyone, including one consistent nuisance and new rival, Wolverine’s assassin daughter Bellona.
When Bellona is presumed dead, the best of the Marvel heroes, Peter Parker’s Spider-Man, immediately thinks Elektra killed her, which seems indicative of how the rest of Marvel’s roster feels about the new Daredevil. Elektra reflects, “No matter what I do… some of these heroes will always see me as just Elektra the assassin.”
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Marvel’s Heroes Still See Elektra as a Killer
Even Spider-Man Can’t Help but Question the New Daredevil’s Morality
Recently, Elektra took over the Daredevil role when Matt Murdock went to prison. While she initially simply wanted him to back her in her plans against the Hand, Elektra found meaning in the superhero life. Having sworn off killing, Elektra has become a truly heroic Daredevil, protecting New York without taking lives. However, working with the city’s other heroes during Gang War has unavoidably confirmed that they still see her as a killer.
The sad part about all of this is that Spider-Man isn’t exactly wrong to doubt her hero tendencies. As the fight with Bellona intensified, a frustrated Elektra promised herself that she was “ending this” then “I’m going to stop her for good.” Elektra admits this is the assassin in her talking. Even worse, when Bellona falls to her presumed death, Daredevil hesitates to save her. While she deeply regrets it and is unsure why she hesitated, it’s proof that some old habits die hard. Elektra may no longer be a killer, but her faith in the sanctity of life isn’t absolute.
Daredevil’s Assassin Habits Are Hard to Break
Elektra Is Thinking Like a Hero, But She Has the Instincts of an Assassin
Elektra’s turn as Daredevil has exceeded expectations, showing her to be one of New York’s most capable heroes. Her potential as a hero is soaring, but that same potential will be stunted if she doesn’t unlearn the characteristics that she developed as an assassin. Right now, Daredevil is battling with two sides of herself: her newly adopted heroic ideals and the deep sense of pragmatism that keeps telling her a quick kill is better than a messy fight full of collateral damage. No-one who’s ever met Elektra could doubt her capabilities, but even as she thrives as Daredevil, it’s unclear how she can ever win her fellow heroes’ trust – or even her own.
Daredevil: Gang War #4 is on sale now from Marvel
