The Hand is a <!--Do not add "fictional" as it is tautological; supervillains (and characters in general) are by definition implied to be fictionalized to some extent.-->supervillain organization appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Hand first appeared in Daredevil #174 (September 1981) and was created by writer/artist Frank Miller; they were introduced shortly after Elektra, who they trained. Later in the 1980s, they appear in stories written by Chris Claremont as antagonists of Wolverine and the X-Men.

The Hand is an order of evil ninjas who direct criminal and mercenary activities, particularly assassination. The Hand covets power above all other objectives. They are primarily based in Japan, but operate internationally. According to later stories by D.G. Chichester and C.B. Cebulski, they were founded in 1588 as a secret society of Japanese nationalist samurai but were soon co-opted by the Snakeroot, an ancient ninja clan. The clan serves Krahllak, a primordial demon also known as the Beast of the Hand. Members of the Hand are practitioners of powerful occult magic; they can murder a person and resurrect the person as a servant of the Hand; a few are known to have reversed this programming. The Hand's adversary is The Chaste, a band of warriors once led by Stick, the blind martial arts master and mentor of Matt Murdock, who grew to become the costumed crime-fighter Daredevil. After a series of hostile encounters, Murdock eventually accepts the offer of becoming the master of the Hand for a time, in a storyline by Ed Brubaker.

In film, the Hand appeared as the antagonists in Elektra (2005). The organization was subsequently adapted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) television shows Daredevil (2016), Iron Fist and The Defenders (both 2017). The organization will also appear in the upcoming MCU film Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026).

Publication history

The Hand first appeared in Daredevil volume 1 #174 (September 1981) and was created by writer/artist Frank Miller. In this initial storyline, the group also fights Elektra and eventually resurrects her from the dead.

The organization subsequently appears in Miller's Wolverine miniseries (1982), coauthored with Chris Claremont. The group reappears in the Acts of Vengeance crossover event of 1989; in Uncanny X-Men #256, written by Claremont, they transform Psylocke, a member of the X-Men, into a ninja warrior. In 1993, the Hand again appear in Daredevil, in the "Fall from Grace" storyline written by D.G. Chichester. In Mark Millar's "Enemy of the State" storyline (2004-2005) in Wolverine, Wolverine is brainwashed by the Hand into becoming their assassin; Elektra is killed and again resurrected by the Hand, although she rejects their conditioning. The limited series Elektra: The Hand (2004), written by Akira Yoshida (a pseudonym of C.B. Cebulski), provides the history of the organization. During Ed Brubaker's tenure on Daredevil, concluding in 2009, the Hand even recruit the titular hero to become their new leader. This storyline continues in the "Shadowland" story arc of 2010 written by Andy Diggle. In a storyline of 2022 by Jason Aaron, the Punisher becomes the leader of the Hand.

Fictional organization history

thumb|The Hand's symbol|left

The Hand's origins are in feudal Japan. The Hand are among the first ninjas. In 1588, Kagenobu Yoshioka became sensei of the Ishiyama Sword School located in the Japanese village of Kyushua. Facing growing frustrations with the corrupt government that had been tainted by foreign influence, Yoshioka transformed the school into a training ground for samurais whose goal was to put power back in the hands of the Japanese people. Thus, the Hand was born. Just as a hand has five fingers, members of the inner circle of the Hand were leaders of organizations which each operated from one of Japan's five islands.

Eventually, the Hand sought to wipe out Stick and the good warriors of the Chaste altogether. Stick thwarted an assassination attempt by four Hand operatives; he then summoned the other members of his order (Shaft, Stone, and Claw) to New York City. With the assistance of his clan, Stick defeated Kirigi, the Hand's most lethal ninja at the time. The Hand regrouped and attacked Stick and his band of warriors that now included Daredevil and his current lover, Black Widow. The Hand had almost overpowered the small band of warriors, when Stick and Shaft resorted to an ancient technique that drained the life force from all ninja present. Unfortunately, the technique resulted in the explosion of Stick and his comrade as a result of the excess energy they had absorbed. Despite their casualties and the escape of the Chaste's superhero allies, the Hand considered the destruction of their nemesis and leader of their enemy a victory and turned their attention to other schemes.

Years later, the Hand turned its attention to the leaderless Chaste, once again attempting to destroy them, this time to prevent the Chaste's members from locating the new-born child that would bear Stick's reincarnated soul. The Hand severely crippled Stick's soldiers, reducing their number to a handful of warriors. The few remaining Chaste traveled to New York, seeking the assistance of Daredevil. Reluctantly, Daredevil aided his former mentor's disciples, returning with them to Japan. Once there, the Hand attacked the Chaste and Daredevil relentlessly. Fighting alongside Daredevil, the Chaste barely managed to escape and safeguard their master's reincarnated spirit.

Elektra led the Hand for some time but when she was killed it was revealed that this Elektra was actually a Skrull, temporarily leaving the Hand without a warlord. One faction, led by Lord Hiroshi and his lieutenant Lady Bullseye, has aimed to make Daredevil their new leader, an offer the latter rejected, only to be told that "the Hand doesn't take no for an answer." They then instigated the return of the Kingpin to New York City, with the goal of offering him the leadership instead. Kingpin's first act in negotiations is to kill Hiroshi with his bare hands, to "thank him" for realizing he cannot escape his role as the Kingpin, and for murdering his girlfriend and her kids. However, the proceedings were interrupted by Daredevil, who accepted their offer, on the condition that the Hand should not do business with the Kingpin or Lady Bullseye again. The three remaining ninja-lords accepted this arrangement. During that time, the Hand gains Black Tarantula and White Tiger as members. Under Daredevil's leadership, the Hand plays a major part in the 2010 "Shadowland" storyline, where Daredevil uses the Hand as a force of justice.

After Daredevil is possessed by Krahllak, the heroes gather together to try to fight him themselves. Despite their efforts to interrupt Bullseye's resurrection ceremony, even a direct attack from Wolverine fails to kill Daredevil. Although Iron Fist heals Daredevil of the 'infection' by using his chi punch to cure Daredevil's soul, Kingpin and Typhoid Mary take advantage of the chaos in the aftermath of the war to take command of the Hand.

Following the 2016 "Civil War II" storyline, the Hand allies with Daniel Drumm's ghost. After the funeral of Bruce Banner, the Hand steals his body for their own uses. The Uncanny Avengers find where the Hand is performing their ritual and that they have already revived Banner, who appears before them as Hulk sporting samurai armor. During that time, it was revealed that Krahllak was in control of the Hulk. The Uncanny Avengers sever Krahllak's control as Hulk is killed once more.

When Old Man Logan faces off against the Hand, he faced their latest member, the Scarlet Samurai. Logan later discovered that Scarlet Samurai is Mariko Yashida who was resurrected by the Hand to serve them.

During the events of the 2022 Punisher series and Daredevil by Chip Zdarsky, Frank Castle has become the new leader of the Hand, with Matt Murdock and Elektra embarking to start the Fist, an origination meant to counter the Hand.

Known members

  • Krahllak – Krahllak is a demon who is intrinsically tied to the history of the ninja clan. Many of the Hand's mystic powers, such as resurrection, presumably came from Krahllak. It rarely takes an active role in the Hand's activities, but generally influenced the clan towards nihilism and annihilation. Krahllak is worshiped by the Hand, the Snakeroot Clan, and the True Believers.
  • Abraham Cornelius –
  • Akatora –
  • Akuma – A ninja who is a member of the Hand.
  • Arthur Perry – An insane cyborg assassin and former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
  • Azuma Goda – Director of the Hand's Japanese branch.
  • Azumi Ozawa –
  • Bakuto – Daimyo of the Hand's South America branch. Killed by White Tiger.
  • Betsy Braddock – X-Men member brainwashed by the Hand and body-swapped with Kwannon.
  • Black Tarantula
  • Blink
  • Buzzard Brothers – Boyd and Buford Buzzard are a cannibalistic duo who were sprung from jail by the Hand to serve them.
  • Daredevil – Matthew Murdock
  • Elektra
  • Eliza Martinez
  • Erynys – A virtual clone of Elektra created by the Hand. She is a reanimated corpse bonded to the dark aspects of Elektra's persona.
  • Gorgon – A leader of the Hand with ties to Hydra.
  • Hand's Superhuman Army – Superhumans who were killed and resurrected by the Hand to serve as Hydra's superhuman assassins.
  • Northstar
  • Poison
  • S.H.O.C.
  • Spot
  • Slyde
  • Hobgoblin – An assassin who is Kingpin's right-hand man.
  • Iron Monk – A Master in the Hand. He is immune to traditional bullets and weaponry.
  • Izanagi
  • Jonin
  • Junzo Muto – A former leader of the Hand who is one of the deadliest martial artists in the Marvel Universe.
  • Kagenobu Yoshioka – Founder of the Hand.
  • Sasaki – Kagenobu Yoshioka's right-hand man.
  • Ken Wind
  • Kingpin
  • Kirigi
  • Kuroyama
  • Kwannon – Former assassin for the Hand. Later body swapped with Betsy Braddock and affiliated with the X-Men and the Hellions.
  • Lady Bullseye
  • Lady Gorgon – A Hand operative who lost her high-ranking position after failing to kill Punisher. She was killed by Master Yoshiokya.
  • Lord Hiroshi
  • Lyle Crawford
  • Makoto – Daimyo of Eurasia.
  • Mandarin
  • Master Izo – Founder of the Chaste.
  • Matsu'o Tsurayaba
  • The Nail – A faction of the Hand consisting entirely of women.
  • Black Lotus
  • Cherry Blossom – A 17-year-old ninja who leaves the Nail with Colleen Wing after defeating Black Lotus in a duel.
  • Colleen Wing
  • Makro – Member of the Nail. An unknown experimental corporation augmented her with extra weaponized limbs.
  • Yuki – Member of the Nail. She is modeled after the Yuki-onna which includes wearing white face paint and a blue and white kimono to create an eerie look. Yuki is known for her ghoulish fighting style and quick, debilitating movements.
  • Nina McCabe – A former ward of Elektra.
  • Mystique – Member of the Japanese Branch.
  • Omega Red – He was revived from suspended animation by Matsu'o Tsurayaba to serve him.
  • Punisher – Leader of The Hand.
  • Phaedra – A member of the Hand who was responsible for resurrecting Shingen Yashida.
  • Sabretooth – Head of the Japanese Branch.
  • Silver Samurai (Shingen Harada) – The son of the original Silver Samurai who is a member of the Japanese Branch.
  • Bisento – Member of the Snakeroot Clan. Bisento is killed by Stone.
  • Budo – Harry Kenkoy is a former United States Marine General. He is killed by Eddie Passim.
  • Daito – Leader of the Snakeroot Clan. Daito later committed ritual suicide.
  • Tegaki – The current leader of the Snakeroot Clan and former lover of Elektra. He succeeds Daito following his death.
  • Doka – Member of the Snakeroot Clan. He was abused by his parents when he was young and killed them by setting fire to their house. Doka is killed by Elektra during the Snakeroot Clan's attack on the Chaste.
  • Enteki – An archer who is a member of the Snakeroot Clan. Accidentally killed by a sai thrown by another clan member.
  • Enteki – Member of the Snakeroot Clan and son of the original Enteki.
  • Feruze – An African-American member of the Snakeroot Clan.
  • Genkotsu – A former holy man who works as a torturer.
  • Harry Kenkoy – A former United States Marine corps general and member of the Snakeroot Clan.
  • Osaku – A Russian descendant of the Tsars.
  • Takashi – Daimyo of Japan.
  • Tiberius Stone – A scientist and CEO of Viastone who later worked for the Hand.
  • Tombstone
  • True Believers – A faction of the Hand.
  • Madam Qwa – The True Believers' sensei, and the sister of Master Zei.
  • Karsano – Karsano is a Korean assassin who is a member of the True Believes and the first person to use the codename Dragonfly.
  • Master Zei – He was in charge of the resurrections, and the brother of Madam Qwa.
  • Yano – A loyal assassin who served the True Believers. His main goal was to become the new Dragonfly.
  • Meiko Yin – Meiko Yin is the cousin of Angela Yin, who is the second person in the True Believers to use the codename Dragonfly.
  • Typhoid Mary
  • The Underhand – A group of undead ninjas.
  • Viper
  • White Tiger
  • Wolverine
  • Yutaka – Daimyo of Africa.

Other versions

Punisher Max

An alternate universe version of the Hand appears in Punisher Max, with the Kingpin, Elektra, and Vanessa Fisk as prominent associates. After the Punisher cripples Elektra and kills the Kingpin, the Hand recovers the former, and euthanizes her when it becomes apparent that the severity of her injuries have rendered her incapable of ever walking again.

Spider-Gwen

On Earth-65, the Hand is an organization led by Matt Murdock.

In other media

Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Hand appears in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The founders of the Hand are Alexandra Reid (portrayed by Sigourney Weaver), Murakami (portrayed by Yutaka Takeuchi), Madame Gao (portrayed by Wai Ching Ho), Bakuto (portrayed by Ramón Rodríguez), and Sowande (portrayed by Babs Olusanmokun).

  • The Hand first appears in Daredevil. In the first season, Reid forms an alliance with Wilson Fisk, using Madame Gao and Nobu Yoshioka (portrayed by Peter Shinkoda) as intermediaries. In the second season, Yoshioka is served by a redheaded woman named Tyler (portrayed by Maya Rosewood). The Hand's ninjas are indicated to have the ability to slow their heart rates, making it difficult for Daredevil to detect them.
  • The Hand appears in the first season of Iron Fist, consisting of Madame Gao's associates Andrei and Grigori Veznikov, the Bride of Nine Spiders, Scythe, King, Alexi, Vando, and Zhou Cheng. Additionally, Gao's faction uses Rand Enterprises as a front to smuggle heroin into New York City, having brokered a deal with Harold Meachum to resurrect him after his death while Bakuto leads a separate faction of the Hand that runs a camp that recruits orphaned and runaway children.
  • The Hand appears in the miniseries The Defenders. With Reid having months left to live before her organs fail and the Hand having used what was left of the "substance" to revive Elektra, she expedites their master plan to extract fossilized dragons under Manhattan, triggering an earthquake in the process.
  • The Hand will appear in the film Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
  • The Hand appears in Marvel Avengers Alliance, with Bullseye and Elektra appearing as prominent members.
  • The Hand appears in Marvel Heroes.

The Foot Clan were initially created as a parody of the Hand in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which itself was a parody of Frank Miller's work on Daredevil.

References

Bibliography

  • Cebulski, C.B., ed (2024). Marvel Encyclopedia: New Edition. DK. .
  • Deman, J. Andrew (2023). The Claremont Run: Subverting Gender in the X-Men. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-1-4773-3075-3.
  • Darius, Julian. "What Fall from Grace? Reappraising the Chichester Years". In Lindsay (2013), pp.&nbsp;166–191.
  • The Hand at Marvel.com
  • The Hand at Marvel Wiki
  • The Hand at Comic Vine