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Elektra: Assassinis an eight-issuelimited seriespublished byEpic Comics,an imprint of American companyMarvel Comics,between August1986and March 1987. Written byFrank Millerand illustrated byBill Sienkiewicz,Elektra: Assassinsatirizes ultra-violence, politics, comic book clichés likeninjasand cyborgs, and the portrayal of women.[1]
| Elektra: Assassin | |
|---|---|
 Elektra: Assassintrade paperback cover, published in 2000. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Limited series |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | August1986 – March1987 |
| No.of issues | 8 |
| Main character(s) | Elektra |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Frank Miller |
| Artist(s) | Bill Sienkiewicz |
| Letterer(s) | Jim Novak |
| Colorist(s) | Bill Sienkiewicz |
| Editor(s) | Daniel Chichester Archie Goodwin |
| Collected editions | |
| Elektra: Assassin | ISBN0-87135-309-1 |
| Elektra by Frank Miller Omnibus | ISBN0-7851-2777-1 |
Creation
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As withRoninandBorn Again,Miller wrote the series with thefull scriptmethod.[2]
Plot
editThe story starts out withElektrain a mental institution inSouth America,attempting to recover her memory. The first issue is very disjointed, as Elektra pieces together jumbled memories ranging from the murder of her mother, molestation by her father (which she says is actually an invented memory), to more recent events such as an assassination she carried out. This led her to discover the existence of "The Beast", a monster who controls people by forcing them to drink its milk. At first, The Beast's motives are unclear, but it is gradually revealed that it is attempting to bring about a nuclear war. When its initial plans fail, it launches the presidential campaign of Ken Wind (with a face resembling a grainyDan Quaylephotograph, whose resemblance is a coincidence, according to Sienkiewicz, since it is a Sienkiewicz self-portrait).[3]Wind proves extremely popular, through various platitudes which disguise his evil nature; when Wind takes over, he intends to launch a nuclear attack on theSoviet Union,bringing about mutually assured destruction.
Elektra uses her psychic powers to escape, running afoul ofS.H.I.E.L.D.agent John Garrett. Garrett, an alcoholic, feels ashamed and becomes obsessed with Elektra, but she manages to stay one step ahead of him. She traps him in a building which is blown up, and most of his body is destroyed. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s experimental cybernetics division builds him a robotic body and attaches his head. His psychic bond with Elektra continues to grow, and he eventually realizes he is powerless against her. She sets out to stop the Beast, killing various subordinates and severalS.H.I.E.L.D.agents in the process. In response,Nick Furysends Chastity McBryde, a strictly by-the-book mercenary. Perry, a sociopath who was Garret's former partner, has now also been turned into a cyborg. Chastity learns of Perry's suppressed sociopathic criminal history, and informs Fury, but Perry manages to escape before S.H.I.E.L.D can deactivate him. Perry is extremely dangerous and eventually comes under the service of The Beast.
The Beast manages to get Wind elected president, but Elektra thwarts the plan with her psychic powers and ninja skills. In a final confrontation, Elektra manages to injure The Beast, terminate Perry, and transfer the mind of Garrett into Ken Wind and vice versa before she and Garrett are captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. As Chastity is giving her final report to the President about what happened, it is realized that in the end, Garrett, in the body of Wind, is the President. Elektra, using her psychic powers yet again, manages to escape S.H.I.E.L.D after she has recovered, by placing her mind in one of the blue helper dwarfs, knocking out Chastity and then releasing her own body.
Reception
editComics writerGarth Ennisis a fan of the series, describing it as "superb" and has stated that Miller's portrayal ofNick Furyin the series inspired his own writing of the character, which he used mainly in his comicFury: My War Gone By.[4]
Collected editions
editThe series has been collected in numeroustrade paperbacksand hardcover editions, the first one in 1989. New trade paperback editions were also released in 2000, 2012, and 2019.
It was also included in the 2008 hardcoverElektra by Frank Miller Omnibus(ISBN0785127771).
The March 2012 release was part of theMarvel Premiere Classichardcovers line.
Awards
edit- 1988: Nominated for "Best Finite Series"Eisner Award[5]
References
edit- ^Burgas, Greg (January 21, 2007)."Comics You Should Own - Elektra: Assassin".Comics Should Be Good.Comic Book Resources.Archived fromthe originalon August 23, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 12,2010.
- ^Zimmerman, Dwight Jon (July 1986). "Archie Goodwin".Comics Interview.No. #36.Fictioneer Books.p. 39.
- ^Mithra, Kuljit.Interview with Bill Sienkiewicz,Daredevil: ManWithoutFear (January 2000).
- ^Ching, Albert (May 1, 2012)."Ennis Returns to FURY MAX for 'Cold War Greatest Hits'".COMICS.Newsarama.Archived fromthe originalon July 1, 2017.Retrieved2016-07-01.
- ^1988 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominees and Winners,Comic Book Awards Almanac
External links
edit- Elektra: Assassinat theGrand Comics Database
- Elektra: Assassinat the Comic Book DB (archived fromthe original)