Daredevil #176
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeDaredevil #176 holds a firm place in Bronze Age Marvel history as the first appearance of Stick — the blind, bo-staff-wielding sensei who retroactively became the figure who trained both Matt Murdock and Elektra Natchios, reshaping Daredevil's entire origin mythology. Frank Miller used this issue to close out the three-part Hand arc begun in #174, delivering Elektra's climactic and brutal defeat of the near-unkillable ninja Kirigi while simultaneously seeding the Chaste/Hand rivalry that would define Daredevil's street-level supernatural world for decades. The issue also showcases Miller's gift for tonal balance: a genuinely menacing ninja showdown runs parallel to a comedic subplot in which Turk Barrett's doomed attempt at super-villainy — donning a stolen Mauler battlesuit — defuses the tension with sharp wit. As a unit, Daredevil #174–176 completed Miller's introduction of the Hand and cemented the ninja-noir aesthetic that distinguished his run from everything that came before it.
In "Hunters," Frank Miller’s gripping Daredevil story sees Matt Murdock and Elektra tracking down his enigmatic mentor, Stick, as tensions rise and old wounds resurface. With Turk donning the stolen Mauler suit and Elektra facing off against the deadly Kirigi, the stakes are higher than ever—both in the shadows and in the heart of the conflict. Art by Miller and Janson, with colors by Wein and letters by Rosen, brings this tense, character-driven arc to life, all on a cover by Miller that captures the story’s edge.
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The issue was written and penciled by Frank Miller, inked by Klaus Janson, colored by Glynis Oliver (Wein), lettered by Joe Rosen, and edited by Denny O'Neil and Ralph Macchio, with Jim Shooter serving as Editor-in-Chief. It was released with a cover date of November 1981 (on sale July 28, 1981). Miller was by this point fully in command of the title as sole writer and penciler — a position he had secured after editor Denny O'Neil reassigned Roger McKenzie following Miller's growing creative contributions, including a spec Elektra plot that impressed O'Neil. The three-issue arc 'The Assassination of Matt Murdock' / 'Gantlet' / 'Hunters' (#174–176) was Miller's vehicle for simultaneously introducing the Hand, Kirigi, and finally Stick, building out an entire shadow mythology for Daredevil drawn partly from the early-1980s popular fascination with ninja culture.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Stick (real name unrevealed), the blind sensei and leader of the Chaste, who trained both Matt Murdock and Elektra Natchios — a character created by Frank Miller.
- Death of Kirigi: Elektra decapitates the Hand's near-invincible resurrected ninja, ending the three-issue story arc that began in Daredevil #174.
- Story titled 'Hunters'; written and penciled by Frank Miller, inked by Klaus Janson, colored by Glynis Oliver (Wein), lettered by Joe Rosen, edited by Denny O'Neil and Ralph Macchio.
- Turk Barrett steals the Mauler battlesuit from the Cord Conglomerate (with Grotto's help) in a comedic subplot — and is dispatched by a radar-sense-deprived Daredevil in less than a page.
- The issue establishes a key retroactive element of Daredevil's origin: Stick is introduced as the mentor who first taught the newly blinded young Matt Murdock to harness his heightened senses — a retcon that later writers and Miller himself (in 'The Man Without Fear') would formalize.
- Stick was subsequently portrayed by Scott Glenn in the Netflix Marvel's Daredevil series (2015), where his role as Matt's blind mentor was a central element of the show's first season.
- Kirigi, introduced in Daredevil #174, was later adapted as the primary antagonist of the 2005 film Elektra, portrayed by actor Will Yun Lee.
- The issue is collected in Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller Vol. 2 (trade paperback), which reprints Daredevil #168–182, the full span of Miller's Elektra saga.
Cast · 27 characters
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Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Daredevil and Elektra hunt down Matt's old teacher Stick. Turk steals the Mauler uniform to try and take down Daredevil. Elektra has a final confrontation with Kirigi.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).
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