Warning: Spoilers for Daredevil #14!Central romance between Daredevil And Electra officially ended. Matt Murdock and Elektra Natchios have been involved in a love affair of sorts since Elektra’s debut in 1980. While Elektra is not Daredevil’s first love interest, she is his most significant, and vice versa. Their journeys are forever intertwined, to the point where Elektra becomes the new Daredevil due to her relationship with Matt.
This relationship is already over Daredevil No. 14 by Saladin Ahmed, Luigi Zagaria, Jesus Aburtov and Clayton Coles. After several past issues involving growing tension between the couple, Elektra makes one final definitive statement on the status of their relationship: “We no longer exist, Matthew.”
Tracing the history of Elektra and Daredevil’s relationship from their humble beginnings to the present day helps truly understand why they broke up – and why, whether or not it’s a temporary breakup, their separation may be for the best.
How Matt Murdock and Electra Natchios’ romance began
Daredevil No. 168 by Frank Miller, Klaus Janson and Joe Rosen.
Matt and Elektra’s complicated relationship first begins in Daredevil No. 168, which also marks Elektra’s debut on the panel. The issue begins as usual with the protagonist interrogating criminals – until their meeting is interrupted by a killer dressed all in red, hoping to collect a bounty on Daredevil’s head. Matt is concerned when he immediately recognizes the attacker’s voice. He names her Elektra, triggering a flashback that shows how he and Electra first met when they were much younger while studying at Columbia University.
Much of Elektra’s backstory is described in the fan-favorite Marvel film. Daredevil show currently streaming on Disney+!
Romance quickly blossomed from their first chance meeting. What followed a year-long dating situation that lasted until she saw her father die during a hostage situationwhich prompted her to return to her native Europe. There, she trained to become a ruthless bounty hunter, paving the way for her to reunite with Matt, who is on opposite sides of the law. By the end of the issue, Elektra learns that her former lover Matt is under the guise of Daredevil, further complicating their relationship. Since then, Daredevil has been working hard to reform the killer, pushing her to the side of good.
Daredevil reformed Elektra, which led to her taking up the mantle
Daredevil No. 25 by Chip Zdarsky, Marco Cecchetto, Marcio Meniz and Clayton Cowles.
Over the years, Matt tries to reform Elektra’s questionable morality as a killer with varying results, but the greatest result begins in Daredevil No. 25. After a former lawyer is arrested and put behind bars, Hell’s Kitchen still needs a Guardian Devil. Electra takes this mantle to its place, a mantle she still wears and shares with the original Daredevil to this day. At the time, it was actually a deliberate attempt by Elektra to gain Matt’s trust in order to create the Fist, a force to counter the Hand, but the long-term consequences of becoming Daredevil remain with Elektra. In fact, she now has a no-kill rule in honor of Matt.
Shortly after this, the biggest twist in Elektra and Matt’s relationship occurs: they marry to form a Fistbecoming the King and Queen of the Fist in the battle against the Hand. Despite good intentions, their efforts prove futile and only result in their friends being captured by the Beast in Hell, forcing Daredevil to sacrifice himself and go to Hell to save them as the Hand of God. Everyone assumes Matt died from the ordeal, including Electra, until he reappears, reincarnated as a priest.
Electra was ready to accept him back into her life – until he explained that he couldn’t leave his new life, even for the love of his life.
When Matt first came back to life, his memories as Daredevil were erased in favor of the new life God forced upon him as Matthew’s Father. Elektra accepted this and even continued to be Daredevil while he was busy caring for teenage orphans. Once his memories returned – when he was hunted by the Seven Deadly Sins from Hell – Elektra was ready to accept him back into her life. However, Matt explained that he couldn’t leave his new life as a priest even for the love of his life. She was embarrassed and heartbroken, but she accepted it.
Where are Elektra and Daredevil today?
How a fan-favorite Marvel novel died
As they continued to work together on each passing problem, Electra’s grief grew the more she worked with the man who was half in her life and half in her life. Her agreement turned to disappointment until she decided to leave her father Matt forever. It didn’t help that, against Elektra’s wishes, Matt refused to punish the Kingpin for his latest crimes, as he was possessed during those crimes. Elektra didn’t quite understand, and letting Wilson Fisk leave was the last straw for her.
Connected
Since the root of their conflict lies in Matt’s refusal to leave behind his new life as a priest, it seems clear that this relationship is over for now. That being said, they’ve found each other again in worse circumstances (like death) too many times in the past for fans to believe this is truly the nail in the coffin for them. This may take time and is unlikely to happen any time soon, but chances are that one day Daredevil And Electra Let’s reunite.
Daredevil #14 available now from Marvel Comics.