For other uses, see Stick (disambiguation)

Stick was a martial arts master and Chaste member. During a war between Chaste and Hand, Stick recruited Elektra, only to abandon her, as she proved too dangerous, and trained Matt Murdock instead. Years later, Stick and Elektra had attempted to recruit Murdock, now working as Daredevil, but Murdock still refused as he instead convinced Elektra to change sides. This caused Stick to then order Elektra's death, leading to him being captured and tortured by the Hand. Stick was saved by his former pupils, and later witnessed Elektra's death by Nobu Yoshioka.

In the final days of the war, Stick had witnessed the Chaste being defeated by Alexandra Reid's forces, and went to the Defenders in the hopes of defeating his enemies once and for all. However, upon learning that the Hand required the powers of the Iron Fist to complete their plans, Stick decided to kill Danny Rand to stop all this from happening. Stick was then stopped, however, when Elektra returned and kidnapped Rand, plunging her blade into Stick's chest and killing him.

Biography[]

This is an in-depth biography of Stick. For an abridged overview, see Marvel Database's article on the same character.

Early Life[]

Joining the Chaste[]

Stick was born blind, and at a relatively young age was imprisoned for ten years for an unknown crime. There, he was trained by the Chaste and despite his blindness, he was able to overcome his disability to become a powerful and dangerous warrior.^[5] Later in his life, Stick was dedicated to fighting in a centuries-old war against the Hand, focusing much of his efforts on recruiting and training new soldiers into the Chaste's army.^[1]

Training Children[]

Elektra's Struggle[]

Seeking to train the perfect soldier from a young age, Stick recruited a young girl named Elektra, who had a great power within her which she did not fully understand; however, Stick secretly knew this power meant she was the Black Sky. Stick watched as she trained with other members of the Chaste to prove herself to be a remarkable fighter, able to beat multiple opponents singlehandedly. When Elektra's hands began to hurt, Stick called her over and taught her the correct way to throw a punch, while insulting her previous technic.

Elektra returned to the ring and was observed by Star who spoke to Stick about the young girl's progress. When Star questioned where he had found such a strong fighter, Stick joked that he had found the young girl in a boxer of cracker jacks and Star noted that she would need more training when the war with the Hand finally came. As they were speaking, Elektra pinned down her opponent and began hitting him repeatedly into submission without holding back, causing Stick to rush over and pull her away before she beat him to death, ordering her to control her breathing while still congratulating her.

Taking Elektra to one side in the Wall of the Chaste, Stick spoke to her as she argued that he had ordered her to finish the fight but he made it clear that she could not kill the man as he was on their side for the war, although he admitted the guy was an asshole and had likely deserved the beating. Elektra insisted that it did not feel wrong to kill him and Stick told her that the rage that was inside her was good but she had to learn to control it. Stick promised that soon she could let loose in the war against the Hand, but not right now as this would result in her scaring away her allies at the Chaste.^[6]

Protecting Elektra[]

In the wake of another incident, Elektra was captured by Star when he had discovered her cutting the throat of another Chaste soldier during a fight. Stick told Star that Elektra was a Black Sky, a weapon for the Hand which enraged Star and he insisted that Stick had now endangered them all by bringing the Hand's greatest weapon into the Wall of the Chaste. Star drew his sword, but Stick ordered him to stop, when Star insisted that Elektra must die Stick promised to take care of it and proceeded to murder Star before freeing Elektra from her cage and taking her away from the Chaste.

Stick found an ambassador and his wife who were now willing and grateful to adopt Elektra and raise her as their own child in their grand home. When Elektra insisted that she would never be theirs, Stick advised to observe the pair closely and learn everything about them so she could use that to her advantage. When Elektra asked why she could not stay by his side Stick insisted that they would be hunted for the rest of their lives by their enemies and this was the best way for her to be safe for the time being, confessing to Elektra that he had not yet told her everything about herself.

Without going into any detail, Stick told her that somebody would one day come searching for her and change her life forever, which was something Stick was going to protect her from for as long as he possibly could. When Elektra insisted that someday, Stick would train another student to become his warrior and forget about her, Stick insisted that he would never forget about her, comforting her as she began to weep. The ambassador and his wife then arrived to adopt Elektra and Stick turned around and walked out of the room, leaving her behind to begin her new life without him.^[6]

Meeting Matt Murdock[]

In his late middle life, he was approached by a nun to help Matt Murdock, who had lost his sight in an accident and whose father had recently been murdered by mobsters and whose mother had rejected him shortly afterwards. Stick made sure he would be well paid for his time and went to meet the boy. Murdock claimed that he was losing control over his other senses, Stick knew this to be untrue and demonstrated this by throwing his keys at the boy, who immediately caught them.

Stick took Murdock outside and bought him an ice cream, Murdock noted that it was the first time since his father had died that someone had bought him an ice cream. They discussed what the differences were between being blinded as a child and to be born without vision, Stick mocking Murdock for feeling bad about the fact that he lost his sight despite having nine years of vision. Stick showed Murdock how to use his senses to know what was happening around him and what the people near him were feeling, with Murdock even identifying one man who Stick noted was in love, much to Stick's disdain. Seeing the potential in the boy, Stick promised to train him.^[1]

Training Matt Murdock[]

Over the next few months, Stick taught Matt Murdock how to hone his heightened senses and also how to fight, training him to be a dangerous warrior, intending to recruit him into the Chaste to replace Elektra. Stick's methods were harsh, as he would often beat Murdock up with his superior fighting skills and mock him for failing to win.

Stick also continued to push Murdock for an emotional response by talking about his dead father as he believed that Murdock's issue was his uncontrolled rage. He mocked Murdock by reminding him of his father's motto that the Murdock boys never get knocked down during a fight. Throughout the training, Murdock slowly developed his skills and greatly impressed Stick, although Stick never admitted his feelings. Stick became convinced that Murdock would be an ideal warrior in the war against the Hand, if he could control his more sensitive and caring nature.

One day after training, Murdock gave Stick a gift of a bracelet made from the ice cream wrapping from their first meeting as a thank you for everything that he had done for him. Stick, disgusted by the weakness this showed in Murdock, crushed the bracelet in his hand and left the boy saying that he needed a "soldier" while Matt wanted a "father"; although secretly, Stick did, however, return and kept the bracelet without Murdock's knowledge. They did not see or speak to each other in over twenty years.^[1]

Elektra's Failure[]

In the 2000s, while seeking to recruit Matt Murdock into the armies of the Chaste once again, Stick ordered Elektra to introduce herself to him and seduce him while he was attending Columbia University.^[7] Having completed her tasks, Stick waited for Elektra to update him while on the outskirts of New York City, disappointed to learn that she had failed. Elektra explained that Murdock was not ready to join their war as Stick insisted that the Chase needed Murdock.

Stick noted that he had seen Elektra succeed at harder missions than this, noting that this was the first time she had come to him making excuses for her failures, claiming that although Elektra had tried to show Murdock all of his darkest impulses, by allowing him to finally confront Roscoe Sweeney, the man who killed his father, Murdock had actually just changed who Elektra was by making her fall in love with him. Stick noted that their war with the Hand and they needed to be prepared for the death that was going to be coming from that war, telling her to forget about Murdock for the time being.^[8]

Hunting Black Sky[]

Questioning Aito[]

Two decades later, Stick was given the mission to track down a boy known only as Black Sky. To learn the boy's location, Stick found and tortured Aito, a businessman who had connections to the Hand and Nobu Yoshioka, who was transporting the boy. Stick first sliced off the man's hand with a sword to intimidate him. Aito provided the information that the Black Sky was shipped to New York City, swearing it upon his family. Upon receiving the required information, Stick told him his family were better off without him before decapitating Aito's head and calmly leaving the scene.^[1]

Reunion with Murdock[]

Stick tracked down Matt Murdock, finding him now operating as a vigilante within New York City, arriving on the scene just in time to complicate a confrontation between Murdock and Leland Owlsley. The sound of Stick's approach, using his cane, distracted Murdock just long enough for Owlsley to stun him with his taser and make his escape by car. Stick mocked his former student, who was both irritated and confused by Stick's arrival who claimed to be saving the day.

Murdock allowed Stick into his apartment, which Stick immediately insulted, mocking him for having silk sheets and claiming that he was keeping soft. Pouring a beer for himself, Stick explained his reasons for arriving in Hell's Kitchen was to hunt down the Hand and his need for Murdock's help, knowing that Nobu Yoshioka was connected to Murdock's enemy Wilson Fisk so he used his connection to his advantage. Murdock agreed under one condition: that Stick was not allowed to kill anyone during the mission, Stick reluctantly agreed although he fully intended to break his promise.^[1]

Attack on Black Sky[]

Later, the pair arrived on the docks and witnessed Nobu Yoshioka and his men transporting a shipping container. Once they had established how many men Yoshioka had beside him and what weapons they had, Stick sent Murdock down to take out the Hand while Stick prepared his bow and arrow in secret, waiting for the container to be opened to reveal Black Sky within so he could be killed without Daredevil's interference.

As soon as the container was opened, Stick took aim and fired his arrow at him, but Murdock deflected the arrow, still refusing to allow Stick to kill anyone during their mission and having discovered that Black Sky was in fact a young boy. This allowed Yoshioka to escape with Black Sky and ordering his men to kill the assassins. While Murdock fought against Yoshioka's men who had been alerted to their presence, Stick was able to follow the car transporting the boy and soon caught up with them, defeating the guards and driving an arrow through Black Sky's heart, killing him.

Stick returned to Matt Murdock's Apartment and the pair had a confrontation about what had happened on the docks. Murdock was horrified that Stick was willing to murder a young child; however, Stick insisted that Black Sky was far more dangerous than just a normal child, something he believed Murdock could not understand because he had become so weak. It soon became clear that Murdock was unsure what had happened after the arrow was fired and Yoshioka escaped, so Stick calmly revealed that he had indeed killed the boy like he had always intended to.

Murdock furiously attacked his former mentor, and the pair had a prolonged fight, during which most of Murdock's apartment was destroyed. Stick retained the upper hand for the majority of the fight, but in the end, he was beaten by his former student who kicked him multiple times in the head. Murdock threw Stick's bag at him and ordered him to leave his home and never return. Stick was, however, impressed by Murdock's fighting skill and told him there might be hope for him after all, as he walked out of the apartment Stick told him that he could keep the sticks and then left.^[1]

Reporting to Stone[]

Stick later spoke to Stone, informing him that Black Sky was dealt with and was no longer a threat to them. Stone then asked him what he thought of Matt Murdock, with Stick calling him stubborn and a pain in his ass, but when Stone asked if Murdock would be ready when the doors opened, Stick simply replied that he had no idea.^[1]

War with the Hand[]

Saving Elektra's Life[]

Stick followed Daredevil and Elektra when they tracked down one of the Hand's secret bases where they had built a hole which had been dug hundreds of feet through New York City for unknown reasons. The pair were attacked by the ninjas and fought a fierce battle, when Elektra was sliced across the stomach with a poisoned blade Stick charged in, killing two ninjas before dropping the surviving third man down the pit.

While one of Stick's soldiers from the Chaste drove them across the city, they were chased down by the Hand soldiers as Murdock tried to stop Elektra's bleeding. Stick's driver managed to evade and run over the ninjas while Stick used a crossbow to shoot them as they attempted to give chase. Murdock insisted that Elektra was dying and needed to get to Metro-General Hospital but Stick told him that doctors could not help her, only he could. The Hand continued to run after them in order to kill them, but Stick's driver eventually managed to outrun them and they continued driving to safety.

The group made it back to Matt Murdock's Apartment where Stick ordered Murdock to put the dying Elektra onto the bed so he could treat her near fatal wounds. Stick ordered Murdock to collect the materials he would need to help her as they carried her into the bedroom for care, as Stick mixed the cure from whiskey and baking soda he explained how the toxin from the Hand's poisoned blade was now in her bloodstream, killing her. As Stick cut open her wound and poured boiling liquid into her flesh as Elektra screamed in agony, but eventually, this calmed her heartrate and began to heal her near fatal wounds as Stick took a long sigh of relief.

Stick had a cup of tea and told Murdock how he'd known Elektra for years, much to Murdock's utter horror. Murdock was furious and demanded answers but Stick just insisted that he needed to keep treating her wounds to keep her alive. Once Stick had now treated Elektra, Stick explained to him that the Hand, Roxxon and the hole were all connected to his war. When Murdock accused him of being a liar, Stick explained the history of the war between the Chaste and the Hand and how the Hand had found the secret to bring the dead back to life before revealing that Elektra worked for him.

Stick later allowed Karen Page to enter the apartment to inform Murdock that Frank Castle was going to court the next day, although Page was distracted by seeing Elektra in Murdock's bed as they were beginning their own relationship. While Murdock was in court, Elektra got out of bed to speak to Stick, telling him that she wanted to stand with Murdock while Stick insisted that Murdock was soft. Elektra insisted she could change and ordered Stick to leave, at which point Stick slammed his knife onto the tabletop and reminded Elektra that she was a murderer as he walked away.^[10]

Betraying Elektra[]

Stick returned to his car and ordered his driver to have him back to the Wall of the Chaste, calling his former allies amateurs.^[10] Believing Elektra to now be a threat to him as the Hand would undoubtedly be searching for her, Stick sent Jacques Duchamps to assassinate her. As he waited for work, Stick was informed by Quinn that Elektra had killed Duchamps and was now seeking her revenge against him.

As Stick collected his weapons for his battle against Elektra, he told Quinn and another Chaste soldier the story of how a man had tried to convince him about the power of surrender, but Stick had ignored his words and simply killed him. Stick then handed Quinn a scroll and told him to get what he needed, explaining that the future was now in Quinn's hands. Stick chose his sword and sat in waiting for Elektra, slowly sharping the blade until Elektra finally arrived to confront and attempt to kill her former mentor and father figure.^[11]

Stick vs Elektra[]

Stick began fighting the bloodthirsty Elektra, who remained both powerful and confident as she kicked him across the room. Stick continued to mock and berate his former pupil, demanding to see her best while dodging blows from Elektra's Twin Sai with his katana. As Elektra kicked Stick to the ground, she demanded to know why he had tried to kill her but Stick only said that it was a long story which only angered Elektra further as she continued to try to kill him.

When Stick managed to pin Elektra on the ground, he attempted to push his sword into her neck, but she held back against the blade and wrapped a rope around Stick's throat in an attempt to choke him, leaving the pair seconds away from killing the other. Before the pair could kill each other, Daredevil arrived and pulled them apart, throwing Stick across the room while telling Elektra that he would not allow her to kill their mutual mentor, while Stick himself continued to insult her while Daredevil demanded he shut his mouth.

Stick told Elektra that he should have killed her when she was a child as she had proven to be impossible for him to control. Before the fight could continue, the group were suddenly attacked by a team of Hand ninjas who had been sent by Nobu Yoshioka. The already wounded Stick was separated from Daredevil and Elektra, but still continued to fight back for as long as he could. The lights around the room were shut off and in the chaos, the Hand were able to subdue and kidnap Stick, taking him away for questioning.^[6]

Kidnapped[]

Now in the Hand's custody, Stick was tortured by Hirochi and another man, who attempted to get information from him. Despite being beaten, Stick heard Daredevil arrive and fight the Hand ninjas, Stick began advising his former pupil, telling him to listen for the sounds of his attacker's breath, as they were no longer using their swords, knowing that Daredevil would be able to hear him. Hirochi, however, just assumed that Stick was losing his mind.

Running out of patience, Hirochi told the Specialist with him to try a new tactic to force Stick to talk. The specialist then took Stick's finger and slowly pushed a long needle inside it, under his fingernail, causing Stick near unbearable pain. As the specialist pushed the needles into each of his fingers, Stick remained strong and refused to speak and instead began laughing hysterically and told them that only their skulls would break. Daredevil then arrived to rescue him, and Stick took the chance to rip out Hirochi's throat with his teeth.

Daredevil then freed Stick and they prepared to escape, as they stood up Stick leaned on Daredevil for support and told him he did good. As they turned to leave, they were cornered by Elektra, who was still desiring to kill her former mentor. Daredevil defended Stick, even catching one of Elektra's Twin Sai when she threw it at him. Stick admitted that the Hand now had Elektra right where they wanted her just as Nobu Yoshioka arrived and explained to Elektra that she was the Black Sky they had been seeking ever since Stick had saved her.

As Yoshioka offered Elektra his sword, Stick told Daredevil that the Chaste had lost the war. Elektra considered the offer, thinking about how Stick had tried to control the power within her for all those years, while Daredevil desperately tried to change her mind. Elektra took the sword from Yoshioka and the Hand bowed to her, confronting Stick for lying to her. Daredevil offered Elektra the chance to kill him, but when she hesitated, he told her to rescue Stick and save her destiny. Stick then used the distraction to stab a ninja in the throat.

A fight broke out and Elektra ran to Stick, taking him under her arm and pulling him away from the battle while Daredevil fought against the Hand and Yoshioka. As they ran through the hallways, Stick and Elektra killed any Hand soldier they came across until they had gotten safely away from their attackers. Stick finally collapsed as he continued to suffer from the pain of his torture, with Elektra confronting him, but Stick explained that Daredevil had come not to save him, but to stop Elektra from killing him and losing herself.^[6]

Defeating the Hand[]

Having escaped his kidnappers with his life, the wounded Stick was then taken back to Matt Murdock's Apartment where he was tied up to a chair and all of his wounds were cleaned and treated by Matt Murdock. Despite the care he was getting, Stick warned Murdock that the Hand would undoubtedly come for Elektra and would then destroy New York City in order to find her, he went on to explain that the Black Sky within Elektra could not be controlled and had to be destroyed: However, Murdock continued to deny the Black Sky's existence, still believing it to be nothing more than a myth and promised to would save Elektra no matter what Stick warned the consequences could be.

While he was still tied onto the chair, Stick was later visited by Elektra who proceeded to ask her former teacher how he felt about knowing his pupils outside of the Chaste's armies were now going to be the ones fighting his war. As they debated if the decision was a mistake or not, Murdock arrived to collect Elektra for their mission before he was called by Foggy Nelson. Murdock took the call and learned that the Hand had targeted Brett Mahoney at the New York City Police Department looking for files on Daredevil. Murdock and Elektra then left Stick inside the apartment while they went to investigate.

While he was left alone, Stick managed to free himself for his bonds and tracked Daredevil and Elektra to the location of the Hand, who had taken hostages, including Karen Page and Turk Barrett, and were currently preparing to once again capture Elektra. Stick arrived just as the Punisher assisted in the battle and witnessed Daredevil using his Billy Club to launch Nobu Yoshioka off the rooftop. Yoshioka had survived the fall and just as he prepared to walk away, Stick then ambushed him to pushed his sword into his heart before slicing his head off. Stick then calmly hid his sword and walked away.^[13]

Elektra's Funeral[]

Time later, Stick and Matt Murdock were the only attendees for Elektra's funeral, as she had been killed by Nobu Yoshioka during the battle. While Stick paid his respects Murdock told him a story about when they had been dating in college, Stick asked him if all this was worth loving her and Murdock told him that it was. With this Stick told Murdock that he was a tough son of a bitch before walking away to go home.^[13]

Losing the War[]

Capture by Alexandra Reid[]

Despite all of the years of fighting against the Hand, Stick eventually witnessed the destruction of the Chaste as every single member of the organization, including Shaft, was hunted down and killed by the Hand's greatest weapon, the Black Sky. When Stick was captured by Alexandra Reid, he was handcuffed onto a post to await questioning.^[14] As Reid questioned him, while reminding him of the destruction of the Hand, Stick joked that he had missed all of the torture.

Stick insisted that as long as Iron Fist was alive, the war against the Hand would never be over, despite Reid noting that Danny Rand had been off the grid for many months, fighting the Hand alone and was now losing. Stick began mocking Reid about how she would spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder and noting that Reid was dying, leading to Reid striking him hard across the face. However, the resurrected Elektra put a sword to his throat, causing Stick to realize that the Hand had finally gained the Black Sky and the student whom he had trained as a child was seemingly gone forever.

While Elektra held her blade to his throat, Stick found Reid drew her own sword and pressed it against his chest, demanding to know where Rand was, with Stick denying all knowledge. When Stick then called the Iron Fist a weapon which the Hand desired, Reid claimed that the Iron Fist was not K'un-Lun's weapon, mocking Stick for the misunderstanding. Refusing to go out without a fight, Stick managed to head butt Elektra and grab her sword and then kicked Reid in the stomach before taking a deep breath and cutting off his own hand to escape the handcuffs, letting him escape through an air vent.

Having escaped from Reid's warehouse, Stick made his way to find the Iron Fist, despite bleeding heavily from his now severed hand. Eventually, the bleeding Stick arrived at the Chikara Dojo in search for Iron Fist and banged on the door. He collapsed at the door where he was found by Colleen Wing, desperately asking where Danny Rand was, much to the shock and horror of Wing who tended to his wound.^[4] However, Rand just called Wing, to let her know that he had just escaped the Hand and was at the Royal Dragon to hide from all of those who now wished to either capture or kill him.^[15]

Meeting the Defenders[]

Stick's search for the Iron Fist to fight his war had quickly led him to heading towards the Royal Dragon, where he walked inside with his bandaged stump where he was missing his hand and introduced himself to the Defenders, finding that Matt Murdock was one of the team members and was less than pleased to see his former mentor. As Stick put his sword away, Jessica Jones demanded to know who he was, to which he introduced himself as the man who would help them save New York City, much to their great confusion.

While Zhang continued to supply them with food, Stick listened as Murdock was questioned by the others about his relationship with Stick, which he described as complicated. Danny Rand recognized Stick as a member of the Chaste, which Stick confirmed was correct, noting that he followed the elders of K'un-Lun while Jones rolled her eyes at all of the new complicated names. Stick confirmed that the Chaste were all dead before calling Rand a thundering dumbass for calling Colleen Wing at Chikara Dojo and giving away their location, noting that mistakes like that would likely get him killed.

Stick then requested the Defenders' help, which Murdock scoffed at as he claimed this was Stick's manipulation tactics to get what he wanted. Murdock demanded a private word with Stick, telling the others how Stick trained him to be Daredevil. The others were less convinced, with Luke Cage demanded more information, which Stick provided by warning that the Hand were back for worse than ever, insisting that the New York City Earthquake was just the start of their plans as they would be creating events with Pompeii and Chernobyl to a devastating degree and would likely kill millions of people.

Despite all of Stick's warnings, Jones still chose to walk away, feeling it was too complex for her to get involved with. While Cage tried to bring her back, Stick, Rand and Murdock discussed Jones and their encounters with the Hand. Stick mocked Murdock for Daredevil's Suit and for protecting New York City, but still called him one of the most gifted fighters he ever encountered. While Stick was talking, Murdock insisted that he was done taking lessons from his former teacher, while Stick claimed that the lessons were not yet done with him until Cage came back, failing to bring Jones back.^[15]

Explaining the Hand[]

With the remaining Defenders gathered around him, Stick began to explain the origins of the Hand, telling them how the elders of K'un-Lun had mastered their Chi and a few members of their ranks had decided to leave and use these powers for their own means which led to them being banished from K'un-Lun. Danny Rand noted that recently he had encountered Alexandra Reid while inside Midland Circle, with Stick then confirming that she had led the Hand from the beginning, ever since being banished from K'un-Lun.

As Stick noted how all the five leaders of the Hand had gone back to their mother countries, Rand questioned if Madame Gao was one, which Stick confirmed. Rand noted that Gao had been involved in his parent's deaths, which did not surprise Stick. While talking about Sowande, Stick learned that Luke Cage had been following him so Stick warned him against this as he claimed Sowande could slow a man's pulse with just a few strikes. Stick then mentioned Bakuto as one of the leaders, but Rand claimed that he had seen Davos kill him, much to Stick's comfort, pleased to hear some good news.

Stick mentioned Murakami, noting to Matt Murdock that Murakami had been pulling all of the strings behind Nobu Yoshioka and was a formidable fighter. Murdock, however, questioned why Stick was there in the first place, leading to an argument between the Defenders. Stick remained silent and Murdock and Rand expressed their own disagreements while Murdock inadvertently mentioned witnessing the woman he loved being killed by the Hand and holding her in his arms as she died. Murdock then told the others that getting involved in Stick's war would only make their lives worse.

Stick joined Murdock as he stood by the Royal Dragon's window, as Stick claimed that he was glad Murdock had found others to fight with. Stick then noted that he knew Murdock had also crossed paths with Elektra and was also struggling to figure out what had happened to her. When Murdock expressed his amazement that she was still alive, Stick noted that she was not alive but was not something else entirely as she was now the Black Sky. They agreed to keep Elektra a secret from the Defenders; although Stick had insisted that Murdock could do nothing to help her, claiming they had to kill her.^[15]

Alexandra Reid's Threat[]

As they were speaking, Stick and Matt Murdock both had overheard some cars pulling up outside the Royal Dragon and alerted all of the rest of the Defenders about this. As they tried to get a sense of who was inside the cars and if they were armed, Luke Cage questioned how they had been able to locate them, to which Stick claimed that it was merely a matter of time. As Murdock noted that they had guns, Cage questioned if the Black Sky was also there but he claimed he could not tell due to not being able to hear her heartbeat.

Smelling a change inside the room, Stick cursed as he turned around only to be greeted by Alexandra Reid who had snuck inside and sat on their table. When Stick demanded to know what Reid wanted, she complimented him by claiming he had become resourceful in his old age, while she had become determined. Walking past Stick, Reid spoke with Danny Rand, apologizing for their last meeting, noting that she had not wished to kill him, although confessing to wanting to kill the others. Reid suggested to Rand that there were alternatives to fighting the Hand, which she would help him discover.

Reid promised Rand that his new allies would eventually disappoint him and would not make him stronger, which Rand denied. Stick questioned what Reid planned to do with Rand, which she claimed she could not disclose but made a warning to Stick by reminding him of the last time all of the fingers of the Hand came together, which Stick calling a culling as she noted how many people lived in New York City and were now at their mercy. Reid then suggested that Rand come with her, but Stick warned him against, threatening to kill Rand himself until Rand finally turned down Reid's offer.^[15]

Ambush at the Royal Dragon[]

With her offer of peace rejected, Alexandra Reid claimed that they all were just like Stick in their desire for violence, before they were then interrupted by the arrival of Elektra, who kicked down the door with incredible force. As Reid left them all behind and told Elektra to serve life itself, Stick stood with the other Defenders as they prepared for the fight against the powerful foe with the odds staked against them. However, just before the fight could begin, they were given the advantage when Jessica Jones returned and proceeded to throw a car through the building which crashed into Elektra, before Jones stood beside Stick and the others and prepared herself to fight.^[15]

Stick fought with the Defenders as Elektra easily bested them all, before they were joined by Murakami who also attacked them. Stick struggled to get blows against Elektra, discovering she had become an even more formidable fighter since before her death. Eventually, the fight paused before Stick realized members of the Hand were surrounding the Royal Dragon and opened fire upon them. Stick jokingly claimed that the fight was now a party and explained that they were there because they wanted Danny Rand. Before long, the gunfire stopped and Hand soldiers surrounded the building.

Now surrounded by all Sowande and Madame Gao's soldiers, Stick armed himself with his sword while the others stood around him and prepared to fight, with Stick advising them that if they were to stick together then they might survive. However, the fight was started early as Matt Murdock broke their ranks to attack Elektra in the desperate hope of getting through to her. Stick cursed Murdock as they began to fight, telling everyone that Murdock was not thinking straight, but ordering them to keep following him while Stick began cutting down multiple Hand soldiers while the others used their strengths.

Becoming close to being overwhelmed by Sowande and Gao's forces, Stick was knocked off his feet, but was still able to plunge his sword into his enemy's throat and get back into the fight. As the fight continued, Murakami knocked Jones off her feet while Sowande challenged Luke Cage, resulting in both Cage and Sowande continuing their fight down New York City, meaning Stick lost the strongest fighter on his team. As Gao almost captured Iron Fist, Stick and Jones came to his aid, as Jones knocked over Gao and Stick then proceeded to kill the two of Gao's soldiers.

Getting outside with Rand and Jones, Stick came across Murdock alongside the unconscious Murakami. While Murdock was still in shock due to his encounter with Elektra, Rand checked on him while Stick found them an escape route and Jones blocked the doorway with a large skip to ensure that Gao and Sowande's men could not follow them. Going towards an open sewer, Stick called over the other Defenders and ordered them to get inside as it was their only way out. The three followed behind Stick despite the horrific smell, getting out of sight before the Hand could capture them.

Arriving at Chikara Dojo, Stick and the others followed behind Rand as he reunited with Colleen Wing while Murdock confirmed they had not been followed there. While Stick noted that no place they stayed would remain safe for very long, Rand suggested that they hide out at one of Rand Enterprises' buildings nearby. As Jones and Rand confronted Murdock over attacking Elektra and leaving them behind both at the Royal Dragon and Midland Circle, they were interrupted by Cage's return, who then informed them that he had successfully defeated and then captured Sowande during their fight.^[16]

Questioning Sowande[]

With Sowande now their hostage, Stick and the others took him to an abandoned theatre where he was tied up as they waited for him to regain consciousness. Once Jessica Jones had woken him up with a slap, Sowande was questioned about why the Hand were now in New York City, only for Stick to confirm that Sowande would not give up the information so easily, noting that he had been trained in K'un-Lun which made him impossible to break due to all of his discipline.

Demanding answers, Matt Murdock asked Sowande what he wanted with New York, only for Sowande to claim that the city had always belonged to the Hand. Danny Rand questioned what he wanted with him, with Sowande merely mocking Rand despite him refusing to ever serve the Hand. As Stick listened, Sowande told the group that the Hand wanted the Iron Fist, not Rand himself before he then proceeded to mock all the Defenders by reminding them of the death of Cole Miller as well as the torment of Kilgrave before threatening to all of kill their friends, leading to Jones knocking him out.

While the others were now gone, Stick unmasked Sowande as they mocked each other regarding Stick's blindness. Sowande proceeded to tell a story of how the Chaste had once captured him many years before Stick was even born, leading to Sowande's soldiers locking them all in the castle until the men starved to death while Sowande himself still did not break. Once he had finished his story, Stick asked if he would finally shut up if Stick knelt for him, leading to Sowande promising that eventually Stick's plan would fall apart, and Sowande would be able to free himself and turn his chair into a throne.^[16]

The Return of Daredevil[]

Eventually, Stick was joined by Matt Murdock who had returned from taking Karen Page into the 29th Precinct Police Station where she would be safe alongside the rest of their friends. Stick claimed that he had been trying to protect Murdock from his two worlds colliding, but Murdock then claimed that this was merely Stick's latest attempt to manipulate him into joining the Chaste into the fight which he had no desire to be a part of despite Stick's manipulation.

Stick then told Murdock to lead the Defenders, claiming that he was needed as the Iron Fist was not a suitable leader for them. Although Murdock claimed that he had no desire to lead anybody into any kind of fight, Stick noted that he should have more faith in God's plan for him, annoying Murdock over his faith being used against him. Stick then tried to manipulate Murdock by reminding him of his duty to protect New York City, leading to Murdock leaving and demanding that Stick not try and tell him who he was, while Murdock claimed he was already fully aware of the kind of man he really was.

Much to Stick's pleasure, Murdock returned as Daredevil and had proceeded to use his Billy Club to strangle Sowande in the hopes of breaking him into confessing the Hand's true intention. Stick stood by as Daredevil choked out Sowande, who still remained confident as he claimed the Hand would continue even if he died. Daredevil then asked Sowande about the Black Sky, demanding to know what they had done to her and tightening the wire when Sowande refused to answer. Although the other Defenders became uncomfortable, Stick advised Daredevil to continue with all of the torture.

Stick continued to stand by as Daredevil claimed the Black Sky had failed to kill him twice already and was therefore defective, to which Sowande vowed to destroy her. As Daredevil became angry, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage attempted to convince him to now stop but Daredevil merely ignored them. As Sowande mocked Daredevil for allowing Elektra to be killed by Nobu Yoshioka, he finally tightened the wire too far and Sowande fell back, where Stick disappointingly confirmed that he was still alive before he then recommended that Daredevil tell the group the truth about his own past life.^[16]

Killing Sowande[]

The revelation of Matt Murdock's relationship with Elektra did not go down well with the rest of the team, forcing them to explain how she had been trained by Stick and the Chaste before being killed by Nobu Yoshioka. Stick insisted that Elektra had indeed died, and the being they had been fighting was the Black Sky, which he claimed was something else entirely. While Murdock promised he could find a way to get through to her, Stick insisted that the only way to stand a chance at defeating the Hand was to destroy Elektra.

Just as Stick insisted that regardless, Elektra remained a problem for them that they now had to deal with, Sowande had suddenly broken himself free from the ropes and used his well-placed strike to capture Danny Rand before any of the other Defenders could do anything to stop him. With Rand being held with a blade to his throat, Sowande then claimed that the Hand had finally won and the war was over. Just as he turned to leave and return to the Hand, Stick managed to get ahead of him and removed Sowande's head with his well-placed swing of his sword and saying the war was not yet over.^[16]

As Murdock claimed that Stick did not have to kill Sowande, Stick insisted that it was better than them capturing the Iron Fist, as he now believed that Rand's Chi could be used as some kind of key to give the Hand what they desired. Although Rand insisted that he was not a key, but a weapon, Stick remained convinced that he could be both. However, Murdock began to believe that this could be why the Hand was in New York City, to which Rand tried to argue that Sowande was likely lying to them; however, the team agreed that the best move was to keep Rand as far away from the Hand as possible.

Rand, however, was mortified, noting that he had dedicated his life to fighting the Hand for K'un-Lun; however, Murdock confirmed that Sowande had not been lying. Stick noted that if Alexandra Reid was able to get ahold of Rand, then the war would be lost, which Stick would not allow to happen. However, despite all of Rand's arguments, the group agreed with Luke Cage's suggestion of them hiding Rand out of sight. Upon hearing this, Rand chose to leave them all behind, only for Murdock to block his path, refusing to allow Rand to leave the theater in order to protect New York City.

Refusing to stay calm, Rand instead punched Murdock in the face, leading to a clash between Rand and all of the Defenders as Rand furiously attempted to get away from them. Stick stood back and observed the fight, wanting Murdock to prove he could defeat Rand without his aid. As the fight continued, Rand used the Iron Fist to strike Cage, causing a shockwave which knocked them all backwards, including Stick. Fed up with the skirmish, Jessica Jones ended it with a single strong punch to Rand's jaw, knocking him out cold before they tied him up and took him as their prisoner.^[5]

Kidnapping of Iron Fist[]

Once Danny Rand was tied up, Stick talked to the others about what their next move should be, noting that Midland Circle was the Hand's current headquarters while Matt Murdock explained to everyone that he had been there with Elektra while it was being constructed and found a large hole in the center of it. This new revelation caused more of a rift between Murdock and the remaining Defenders as he was accused of keeping vital information from them yet again, although Stick recommended that they focus on the mission.

While Murdock and Jessica Jones went to see if they could learn more about what John Raymond had known about Midland Circle, Stick remained behind with Luke Cage as they examined the corpse of Sowande. Stick expressed the sleepless nights he had experienced as a result of hunting down and killing the Hand before then promising to get rid of Sowande's corpse. When Cage questioned what he was going to do as they were dealing with a homicide, Stick did not tell him as he claimed that the less Cage knew the better, which Cage reluctantly agreed with as he left Stick to it.

Stick then took Sowande's head and delivered it to a Hand warehouse for Alexandra Reid's soldiers to find and deliver to her as a message for her and all the other Hand leaders to know that the war was still being fought. Considering if Rand needed to die to keep his power away from Reid and the Hand, Stick devised a plan to keep Cage out of the way for this. Pretending to be meditating, Stick took an antidote for a poisonous gas which he would use against Cage. Stick told Cage that he was Centering his Anima and left Cage to talk with Rand once he and woken up and was trying to free himself.

Stick went over to Rand when he noticed his heart rate was slowing down due to him charging his Chi. Rand confronted Stick over his choice to help capture Rand, claiming that Stick should know that it was their duty, as soldiers of K'un-Lun to win the war against the Hand, only for Stick to claim his only duty was to fight the war, not win it as he had his doubts. Stick confirmed he had not trained by the monks at K'un-Lun as Rand asked if Stick was just making it up as he went along, which Stick admitted was true, noting that this is what survivors had to do as he then walked away.^[5]

Final Showdown[]

While making the final few touches to his poisonous gas, Stick was joined by Luke Cage, as Stick advised Cage not to let his guard down around Danny Rand. Noting that he had overheard Jessica Jones mentioning his time in Seagate Prison, Stick told Cage about his time in prison, noting that such an experience cannot be forgotten, with Stick advising Cage that he could do a lot more damage to all his enemies if he used the anger inside him. They discussed the Chaste, with Stick explaining how they gave him a purpose and became his family.

Telling Cage the gas was incense, Stick distracted him while the gas filled his lungs, with Stick unaffected due to his antidote. Before he could do anything to stop it, Cage was being choked out by the gas as he stumbled and fell to the ground due to its effects. Stick meanwhile calmly remained sat amongst the gas and claimed that Rand was right, that the war was still being fought and the Hand would need him to fight it. As he took out his sword and ensured it was sharp enough, Stick told the barely conscious Cage that he had found a new way to stop the Hand's plans, by killing Rand himself.

While Rand looked on helplessly, he tried to call on Cage to help him while Stick moved the gas aside with his sword and moved towards Rand, promising that he would not feel any pain when he died. Stick noted that Alexandra Reid was right when she had claimed Stick did not understand what the Iron Fist really was, and that the Hand had made him their own weapon. While Rand tried to reason with him, Stick ignored the pleas, telling him he had served K'un-Lun as best he could and noted that he hoped he could see it again while in the afterlife, explaining that he had no other choice but to kill him.

Just before he could swing his sword, however, Elektra suddenly appeared and ambushed Stick, causing them to engage in a Battle to the Death. Stick told Elektra that the Hand could not have Rand, only for her to claim that Stick could no longer tell her what to do. As their fight continued, Elektra managed to impale Stick through the leg, before Stick swung his sword and stopped it millimeters before Elektra's throat, still unwilling to destroy her despite everything he had said previously. As Elektra proved herself to be the superior fighter, Stick tried to kill Rand again, with Elektra blocking his swings.

Defeating Stick, Elektra kicked him down to the floor and stood over him with her sword ready to execute her former master. Before she brought the sword down, Matt Murdock charged into the room, followed closely by Jessica Jones as he begged Elektra not to kill Stick as he claimed she did not belong to the Hand. Stick lay helpless on the ground as Elektra ignored all Murdock's pleas and plunged her sword deep into Stick's chest. Elektra proceeded to easily defeat the remaining Defenders, took Rand hostage and returned him to Reid, while Stick bled out and died from his wounds on the floor.^[5]

Legacy[]

Defeating the Hand[]

This section requires expansion

The Defenders avenged Stick by defeating the Hand beneath Midland Circle.^[17]

Lessons Learned[]

To be added

Personality[]

Stick has the appearance of a hard and calculating man. When training Matt Murdock, he told him that the world is a hard place, and that he would have to be ruthless to survive. During the training, he was a harsh teacher, and insulted Murdock in order for the latter to confront emotions, and how they could damage him. Despite being hard towards Murdock, Stick smiled when the former joked about meditation.

Stick displayed a warrior mentality, as he considered Murdock a soldier and instantly left him when he realized that Murdock wanted less to be a soldier for the Chaste and more for Stick to be more like a father for him. Stick later noted to Murdock that his lifestyle in New York City was weakening him and that his softness would avoid him in achieving his goals. Stick also frowned upon Murdock's unwillingness to take lives. After Murdock ultimately defeated him in an intense fight, however, Stick seemed to be impressed with his former pupil, and mentioned that there might still be hope for him. While most of the time a grumpy and cynical man, Stick deeply care for his students though he rarely express it as he frequently told Murdock he is proud of him and even secretly kept the bracelet Murdock gave him for many years despite crushing the bracelet before him, he also told Elektra he would never forget her after they parted ways during Elektra's childhood.

Powers and Abilities[]

Powers[]

• Enhanced Senses: Born blind, Stick gained extremely accurate senses through lifelong training. His awareness could be used to perfectly navigate through complex environments and track down people with great ease. He taught this method to his student Matt Murdock.
  • Enhanced Hearing: Stick's hearing was highly refined and allowed him to identify the people around him. His hearing, however, seemed to be somewhat less acute than Murdock's, due to Stick having to ask the latter about the exact number of men that Nobu Yoshioka had brought with him, but it is possible that he was just testing Murdock's senses. Nevertheless, his hearing was sharp enough to tell that Murdock had arrived in his location and Hand ninja were no longer using their swords despite being considerably far away. Stick was also able to hear that Iron Fist's heart rate slowed when charging his Chi.
    • Echolocation: Stick used his hearing to sense where objects were, allowing him to practically see in his own way, which was a skill he taught Matt Murdock. He used it to flick the top to his beer against the window, toaster, wall, then into the trash can.
  • Enhanced Smell: Stick's olfactory senses were highly keen, allowing him to smell quite a few things that were unnoticed by anyone esle. He managed to identify a resurrected Elektra solely from her scent, and could tell a woman was recently in Matt Murdock's Apartment.
  • Enhanced Taste:

    

    Stick possessed profound gustatory senses, as he was able to detect sugar grains, vanilla bean, milk from three different dairies from two states, a batch of chemicals "straight off the periodic tables" and dirt off the vendor's hand (from gardening) in his ice cream cone.
  • Enhanced Touch: Stick could feel the presence of those around him supposedly through vibrations and air currents, although the exact nature of his awareness is undetermined. He could predict attacks by feeling the air pressure generated from a young Murdock's punches, telling him to feel the breeze. He felt the silk sheets in Matt Murdock's Apartment just by feeling the air.
  • Enhanced Balance: His sense of balance had notably been improved from lifelong training. He was able to jump down from several feet, landing perfectly and without any injury, and proceed to kill the Hand ninja attacking Daredevil and Elektra.
    • Enhanced Agility: Stick's balance granted him great agility allowing him to be quick while fighting the Hand. He even defeated Iron Fist easily with his agility. He also went toe-to-toe with Matt Murdock.
    • Enhanced Reflexes: Similar to his agility, Stick also had incredible reflexes, going toe-to-toe with Matt Murdock. He also used his reflexes against the Hand. While traning a younger Murdock, Stick dodged his attacks while mocking him.

• Meditation Empowerment: Stick regularly meditated to restore his health and vitality, allowing him to be a powerful warrior despite his age and having used it to survive multiple battle wounds. Stick taught Matt Murdock how to effectively meditate despite Murdock's jokes about it. He meditated while creating incense to knock out Luke Cage and Iron Fist.

Abilities[]

• Master Martial Artist:

  

  Stick was a peerless, formidable and experienced martial artist. Even at his advanced age, he remained an extremely dangerous warrior. Both Matt Murdock and Elektra would later become highly skilled combatants themselves under Stick's tutelage. Using his enhanced senses, Stick was constantly aware of his opponents. Most of the time, Stick used timing, and only needed a minimum amount of movement to dodge or subdue his opponents with lightning-fast reflexes. During an intense one-on-one fight with Murdock, Stick initially appeared to have the upper hand against his former student and mocked Murdock, though Stick did ultimately end up losing the fight due to his pupil's independent progress as a martial artist. He also held his own during a brief confrontation with Elektra, but was again seemingly defeated before Matt interrupted it. Even when bound by handcuffs to a post, Stick easily took down both a resurrected Elektra and Alexandra Reid, disarming them of their weapons with a well-coordinated headbutt and kicks. His fighting style included Wing Chun, Kali, Judo, Karate, Ninjitsu, Wushu, Muay Thai and Taekwondo.
• Sword Mastery:

  

  Stick was extremely skilled at using a sword in combat, being able to use his katana to swiftly slice off Aito's hand before the latter could react, and decapitated Nobu Yoshioka in the same manner. He also managed to cut down multiple highly skilled Hand ninjas while saving Daredevil and Elektra.
• Staff Mastery: Stick was highly skilled at using sticks in combat. He trained Matt Murdock in stick fighting to impressive skills as well.

• Master Marksman: Despite his blindness, Stick was shown to be highly skilled with a bow and a crossbow, being able to hit Black Sky with an arrow from a considerable distance, and to shoot down multiple Hand ninjas while himself being in a fast-moving car. When popping a beer, Stick was able to make the cap bounce multiple times, before it ended in the trash can.
• Master Tactician: Stick was a member of the Chaste who was incredibly knowledgable and skilled with strategy. He taught Elektra and Matt Murdock everything they knew but also was not afraid to cut them off if he needed to as he left Murdock when realizing he was still soft. He devoted his life to stopping the Hand and recruited members with Star. He used Murdock to kill Black Sky which caused a fight between them despite Stick being successful. Stick also turned on Elektra eventually once learning she was sought out as the new Black Sky. He sent Jacques Duchamps after her, leading Elektra to try to kill Stick. He also turned on Iron Fist when he realized that Rand could be used by the Hand, so he knocked out Luke Cage and attempted to kill Rand.
• Master Physician: Stick was extremely knowledgeable in using remedies to heal even fatal injuries, as when Elektra was seriously wounded and badly poisoned by the Hand, Stick created an unorthodox antidote out of toilet bowl cleaner, whiskey and baking soda to effectively neutralize the deadly poison that infected her bloodstream. The method, while very painful, was still effective and able relieve her of the poison and heal her wounds.
• Bilingualism: Stick was fluent in his native English, as well as Japanese when interrogating Aito.

Equipment[]

This section requires expansion

Weapons[]

• Katana:

  

  Stick was trained in wielding and using a katana sword; he used one to sever Aito's hand, cut down many Hand ninjas, and decapitate Nobu Yoshioka. Upon his capture, Stick managed to disarm Alexandra Reid and amputate his right hand to escape execution and continued to wield it throughout his battles with the Hand, ultimately killed by Elektra.
• Bow and Arrow: Stick has yielded a bow and, despite his blindness, kill the Black Sky that was transported into New York City.
• Crossbow: Stick has yielded a crossbow to shoot down multiple, pursuing Hand ninjas.

Other Equipment[]

• Incense: Upon being questioned about its use by Luke Cage, Stick explained that he used incenses to aid in his meditation. Later, the incense managed to subdue Cage and Danny Rand without resistance.

Facilities[]

This section requires expansion

• Wall of the Chaste: To be added

Relationships[]

Allies[] Chaste Stone Jacques Duchamps † Quinn † Shaft † Hugo Natchios † Christina Natchios Defenders Matt Murdock/Daredevil - Former Pupil Jessica Jones Luke Cage Karen Page Colleen Wing Zhang

Enemies[] Hand Alexandra Reid † Elektra - Former Pupil and Killer Murakami Sowande † - Victim Madame Gao Bakuto † Nobu Yoshioka † - Victim Aito † - Victim Hirochi † - Victim Specialist Star † - Former Ally and Victim Black Sky † - Victim Leland Owlsley † Wilson Fisk Danny Rand/Iron Fist - Former Ally and Attempted Victim

Appearances[]

Appearance for Stick

In chronological order: Daredevil | Episode 2.12: The Dark at the End of the Tunnel (flashbacks) Daredevil | Episode 1.07: Stick (flashbacks) The Defenders | Episode 1.07: Fish in the Jailhouse (flashbacks) Daredevil | Episode 1.07: Stick Daredevil | Episode 1.09: Speak of the Devil (mentioned) Daredevil | Episode 1.10: Nelson v. Murdock (mentioned) Daredevil | Episode 1.12: The Ones We Leave Behind (mentioned) Daredevil | Episode 2.08: Guilty as Sin Daredevil | Episode 2.09: Seven Minutes in Heaven (mentioned) Daredevil | Episode 2.10: The Man in the Box (mentioned) Daredevil | Episode 2.11: .380 Daredevil | Episode 2.12: The Dark at the End of the Tunnel Daredevil | Episode 2.13: A Cold Day in Hell's Kitchen The Defenders | Episode 1.02: Mean Right Hook The Defenders | Episode 1.03: Worst Behavior The Defenders | Episode 1.04: Royal Dragon The Defenders | Episode 1.05: Take Shelter The Defenders | Episode 1.06: Ashes, Ashes The Defenders | Episode 1.07: Fish in the Jailhouse (corpse) Daredevil | Episode 3.01: Resurrection (mentioned) Daredevil | Episode 3.03: No Good Deed (mentioned)

Trivia[]

• In the comics, Stick is the master of the Chaste, with Stone as his second-in-command.

Behind the Scenes[]

• Scott Glenn revealed Jeph Loeb discussed with him the fair likelihood of Stick returning in future projects in spite of his death.^[18]
• Showrunner Steven S. DeKnight reported that he was obsessed to get Sonny Chiba for the role, but that simply didn't work out.^[19]
• Stick in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the second live-action incarnation of the character, following an incarnation portrayed by Terence Stamp.
• Justin Eaton was a stunt double for Scott Glenn in the role of Stick.

References[]

External Links[]

• Stick on Marvel Database
• Stick on Wikipedia
• Stick on Marvel.com