The Hand

The story of the group known as the Hand truly begins centuries ago, in feudal Japan.

Seeking autonomy from the oppressive class system of the time, a few citizens fled into the mountainous regions of Iga and Ko-ga.

There they developed ninjutsu, a stealthy martial art perhaps inspired by Sun Tzu's The Art of War.

Over a period of centuries, they refined their art in secluded camps.

Students trained and practiced the art from birth, playing children's games designed to impart expertise in unarmed combat, swordplay, weaponry, camouflage, escape and evasion.

Ninjutsu was also designed to encourage spiritual growth by pushing oneself physically and mentally beyond normal human limits.

The ninja were expert in espionage and assassination, and offered their specialized services to samurai warlords and others who could afford them.

Kagenobu Yoshioka officially brought them together in 1588.

The Hand covets power above all other objectives.

They are primarily based in Japan, but operate internationally.

They operated as a secret society of Japanese nationalist samurai but were soon co-opted by the Snakeroot, an ancient ninja clan which serves a primordial demon known only as The Beast.

Elektra originally belonged to the Chaste.

As a self-imposed test, she joined the Hand.

When they forced her to assassinate her former mentor, she abandoned the Hand and the Chaste and became a freelance assassin.

In that capacity she encountered Daredevil, who once trained under the Chaste's leader, Stick, and helped both of them survive an attack by the Hand.

In an offensive against the Chaste, the Hand lost its best warrior, Kirigi.

A later battle brought forth the Chaste's ultimate weapon, a ritual that literally drained the life from the Hand's attackers.

Unable to contain so much energy, however, Stick and Shaft also died.

The Hand tried to prevent the reincarnation of Stick.

The Chaste enlisted Daredevil once again, who traveled to Japan and helped to protect the infant who bore his sensei's spirit.

The Hand has also crossed swords with Wolverine, Spider-Man, the Avengers, and the X-Men.

More than anyone else (excepting Elektra), however, they have interacted with Psylocke.

Members of the Hand are practitioners of powerful occult magic and can murder a person and bring that person back to life as a servant of the Hand.

Only Elektra, Psylocke, Northstar and Wolverine are known to have reversed this programming.

Wolverine was brainwashed in a combined operation by the Hand and Hydra during which Gorgon took the control of both the Hand and the Hydra.

Brainwashed Wolverine began to kill superheroes to make them revived and mind-controlled by the Hand, and managed to kill the President.

Finally returned to himself Wolverine alongside Elektra fights Gorgon and kills him.

After this Elektra becomes the leader of the Hand.

Links
Marvel Wiki
Marvel.com

Copyright Owner
Marvel Comics

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electricferret.freeforums.net/thread/3999/megastory-1-leroy-greene-hand
electricferret.freeforums.net/thread/4256/megastory-spooner-matt-parkman-hand
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electricferret.freeforums.net/thread/4286/megastory-6-sam-fisher-hand
electricferret.freeforums.net/thread/5050/megastory-6-shinobi-hand-lieutenant