If you've been watching Netflix's Marvel series over the past few years, you know that the Hand has become one of the great, overarching threats in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And that threat level is growing as Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist join forces to battle this band of zombie ninja assassins in The Defenders.
So let's look at everything you need to know about the Hand's comic book origins and how they fit into the massive tapestry that is the Marvel Universe.
The Marvel Universe is basically crawling with sinister organizations bent on gathering power, but few have wrought as much death and devastation as the Hand. This ancient, shadowy organization of ninja assassins has been working behind the scenes for centuries, growing its numbers and working its way through the Japanese underworld. Each member of the Hand is a formidable enemy in their own right, but the organization's ability to resurrect the dead and continuously replenish its ranks makes them a persistent threat to the superhero community.
The Hand has warred with a number of popular Marvel heroes, but they're most closely associated with the Daredevil and X-Men franchises. Daredevil in particular has made a career out of preventing the Hand from extending its grip into New York City, not always successfully. The Hand are also at constant war with the Chaste, a rival group of ninja led by DD's mentor Stick who are dedicated to ridding the world of their evil.
Most members of the Hand are trained in the art of ninjitsu, making them formidable warriors who specialize in assassination and subterfuge. Some of the higher-ranking members of the organization, including The Gorgon, Lady Bullseye and (occasionally) Elektra, rank among the most skilled fighters in the Marvel Universe.
The Hand's true power, however, lies in its supernatural background. The Hand's leaders practice dark magic that allows them to raise the dead and continuously add new members to the organization. This magic also allows them to brainwash the resurrected warrior to become blindly loyal and 100% ruthless in battle.
The Hand's true leader is The Beast, a demon who can possess host bodies and is the source of their supernatural power.
The Hand first made their debut in 1981's Daredevil #174, written and drawn by Frank Miller. This came during a period when Miller dramatically revamped the series, introducing now-iconic characters like Elektra and generally steeping Daredevil's world in ninja and Japanese elements.
Over time, Miller and other creators established a background story for the Hand. It was revealed that the group's origins date back to 16th Century Japan. Their founder, Kagenobu Yoshioka, sought to unite the power of the five Japanese islands under one clenched fist, hence the name "The Hand." Yoshioka wanted to use his clan to fight against the oppressive actions of Japan's wealthy elite.
Despite these noble intentions, Yoshioka was murdered and the Hand was quickly overtaken by the Snakeroot clan, a cult that worships the Beast. Once the Hand's skilled warriors merged with the Snakeroot clan's dark magics, the Hand became the twisted, powerful organization it is today. Because they have similar ideologies, the hand is also frequently intertwined with Hydra. In fact, the comic book version of Hydra (which is less directly intertwined with the Nazis than the MCU version) was founded by a group of Hand members with political ambitions.
The Hand have remained a thorn in the side of many heroes since making their debut in the pages of Daredevil. Key storyline include Elektra: Assassin (which fleshed out Elektra's ties to the group and introduced the Beast of the Hand), Wolverine Enemy of the State (where Wolverine was among several heroes killed and resurrected as Hand assassins) and Shadowland (where Daredevil took over leadership of the Hand and was corrupted by the Beast).
The Hand have a pretty robust history outside the comics. The organization has been a recurring threat in Netflix's Marvel TV series, appearing in both Daredevil and Iron Fist and serving as the primary antagonist in The Defenders.
Prior to the debut of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Hand also played a major role in 2005's Elektra movie.
The Hand have appeared in a number of Marvel-based video games, including X-Men vs. Street Fighter, Marvel Heroes, Marvel: Avengers Alliance, Marvel Puzzle Quest and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. They even appeared in the PSP video game tie-in to X-Men Origins: Wolverine, expanding the events of the film to include a mission where Wolverine and Sabretooth battle the Hand.
The Hand's most significant multimedia appearance doesn't involve a Marvel movie, however. This group directly inspired the Foot Clan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. TMNT effectively began life as a parody of Miller's Daredevil run, with the Hand becoming the Foot, Stick becoming Splinter, etc. Before the advent of the MCU, it's probably safe to say the Foot were far more famous than their comic book inspiration.
Jesse is a mild-mannered writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.
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