Stick

A blind martial-arts master, Stick trained a young Matt Murdock after the accident that cost the boy his sight, honing his extraordinary senses into formidable weapons. Leader of the Chaste, Stick has devoted his life to combating the evil ninja clan known as the Hand.

Few supporting characters in Marvel history carry as much weight in as few appearances as Stick — the gruff, enigmatic blind mentor who stepped onto the page in Frank Miller's landmark Daredevil #176 in 1981, one of the Bronze Age's most celebrated runs. With just 56 catalog appearances across an impressive 44 years, Stick has never needed volume to make an impact, and four of those appearances are recognized as key issues — a remarkable ratio that speaks to how pivotal his moments tend to be. He moves through the shadows of Daredevil and Elektra alike, sharing pages with Matt Murdock, Elektra Natchios, and the Kingpin himself, placing him at the very heart of Marvel's street-level mythology. If you're tracing the lineage of Marvel's most morally complex, hard-edged corner of the universe, Stick is essential reading.