With only 6 days away from the release of Daredevil Season 2 on Netflix (March 18, 2016), another major character will make their debut in the series along with the Punisher, in which Daredevil's former lover will evolve into his "most deadly enemy!"

Yes folks, we are talking about "Elektra!" Please enjoy the scan and commentary taken directly from my Daredevil #1-#310 Set entitled, "See No Evil, Fear No Evil!"

-Professor PecoraDaredevil #168 showcases the origin and 1st appearance of Elektra!The debut of the female ninja assassin took place in January of 1981, during the late Bronze Age; a time in which women were still oppressed in the workforce and were not seen in positions of power. Most men held the traditional ideology that women should stay home and maintain daily housecleaning, take care of the kids and rely solely on their husbands for all of their financial and materialistic needs. However, not all men shared this view; some men actually provided women with opportunities to excel in professional fields not typically offered to them. These men honored the strength women exhibit and saw them as an asset.With that being said, although the comics industry was and continues to be dominated by males, there were several visionaries who created female characters who would lead, fight and symbolize power like their male superhero counterparts, while simultaneously maintaining their womanhood. Some examples include the introduction of Wonder Woman in 1941, Phoenix in 1976, Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) in 1977, Mystique in 1978 and Kitty Pryde in 1980.The legendary Frank Miller added to this roster by creating Elektra--the beautiful but deadly ninja assassin who would eventually serve as hero. Elektra is featured on the front cover as a very attractive female warrior lunging in midair, wielding her iconic sai weaponry and directing a flying side kick towards Daredevil. Elektra's face is not shown and is shrouded in the midnight darkness; only a silhouette of her body is captured during a lightning strike, which is symbolic of her mysterious character. In addition, the lightning imagery represents the physical embodiment and creative translation of her name. For instance, the lightning bolt = "Elektra," which implies "electricity" (for speed and power) and "electrifying" (for being dynamic and exciting)!On a side note, it's important to highlight that Elektra's name was misspelled on the front cover as "Elecktra." A similar error occurred on Daredevil #131 in which horn head was misspelled as "hornead."Since her creation, Elektra branched out from the "Daredevil" series to headline many of her own comics, including the acclaimed "Elektra: Assassin" miniseries and the "Elektra Lives Again" graphic novel. In addition, Elektra has starred in two feature films: "Daredevil," released on February 14, 2003 and the self-titled "Elektra," which was released on January 14, 2005. Actress Jennifer Garner portrayed Elektra in both films.Although the films weren't a huge success, Elektra's character is about to be revitalized by actress Elodie Yung, as she will play Elektra Natchios in season 2 of the critically acclaimed Netflix Daredevil series! Here's what Jeph Loeb, Head of Marvel Television said in Marvel's announcement:"After a worldwide search, we found in Élodie the perfect actress to embody both Elektra's impressive and deadly physicality, as well as her psychological complexity. Paired with Charlie as Matt Murdock, the two will bring one of the most beloved and tumultuous comic book relationships to life with all the accompanying sparks and spectacular action sequences the show is known for."From Jeph Loeb's commentary, the new Elektra sounds like a very promising addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe! In turn, demands for high-grade copies of Daredevil #168 are going to increase significantly. The importance of this issue cannot be ignored; it is one of the most valuable issues in the entire Daredevil run, one of the top 3 most valuable Bronze Age Daredevil Keys, and there isn't a single Daredevil book more valuable after this issue!I purchased this immaculate copy from a fellow collector on eBay in June of 2015. It's the highest certified copy and flaunts superb color saturation and perfect white page quality! It is also perfectly wrapped and centered and near perfectly cut, which is extremely difficult to find for this issue.For instance, most copies are cut at drastic angles across the top and are often miswrapped so that you see disproportionate parts of the back of the book from the front. In addition, sometimes the book is miscut so poorly along the edge that the "Comics Code Authority" stamp is partially cut off.With that said, I waited a long time to find that perfect to near-perfect copy before purchasing this gem!In closing, I'm eagerly anticipating the release of Daredevil Season 2 on Netflix on March 18, 2016! Elektra is going to "electrify" the audience and raise Daredevil #168 stocks!-Professor PecoraTo see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.