TOP 100 COMIC BOOK BATTLES: # 10

#10. Electra vs Bullseye

You have to imagine how confused Matt Murdock, Daredevil, was when he encountered his former college girlfriend, Elektra Natchios, after years of not seeing her, only to discover she was now a professional assassin! And yet that was the situation when she came back into Matt's life in the classic “Daredevil” #168, the first issue of Frank Miller's classic run on the title as both writer and artist of the comic.

Daredevil and Elektra re-kindled their romance while still staying put at the opposite ends of the whole "morality" spectrum, what with her being a murderer and he being a superhero. Still, he could not deny his feelings for her, and she could not deny the affect that he had upon her. That would explain why, when sent by her new employer, the Kingpin of Crime Wilson Fisk, to murder Matt's law partner, Foggy Nelson, Elektra could not bring herself to murder Matt's best friend.

Sadly, choosing not to kill Foggy was one of the last things Elektra managed to do before being killed herself!

You see, the Kingpin's last personal assassin was the villain Bullseye, the man who can turn any ordinary instrument into a deadly object – and when he was using actual weapons, he was even deadlier! When Bullseye was put into prison that left an opening that Elektra filled.

In the double-sized “Daredevil” #181, by Miller and his art finisher, Klaus Janson, Bullseye escapes from prison and determines that he wants to get his position back, even if that means going through Elektra. Heck, especially if that means going through Elektra.

After she decided not to kill Foggy, Bullseye struck. Elektra warded off his initial attack and then went on the offenssive herself. The two sparred for a bit before breaking off to both regroup. Bullseye was shocked at how capable she was. In Elektra's next attack, she even managed to draw blood using one of her trusty sais. However, Bullseye ultimately was able to gain the advantage and knocked her head against the ground. While she was momentarily dazed, Bullseye pressed his advantage, and as he told her, "Put up…pretty good fight, toots…you're pretty good. But me…I'm magic" he threw a playing card directly into her throat, slicing her jugular. As she stumbled, clutching her injury, Bullseye walked over to her and using one of her own sais, he plunged the blade deep into her chest, sending the blade directly though her, lifting her in the air and then throwing her down.

The whole scene took maybe six pages to tell, but Miller filled all six pages with such movement and power that it felt like many more. Elektra managed to crawl to Matt Murdock's apartment before dying in his arms. Daredevil would soon get revenge for Elektra's murder later that issue.