ELEKTRA

 

ELEKTRA

Real Name: Elektra Natchios

First Appearance: Daredevil (Vol. 1) #168, January 1981

Powers: Typically, Elektra Natchios is a baseline human with no superhuman abilities. She has occasionally demonstrated low-level telekinesis, though it's possible that this may be just an illusion which victims of her mesmerism are led to see. She can communicate telepathically with individuals possessing similar levels of mental discipline, such as the Chaste.

She possesses numerous abilities that border on superhuman. She can control her own autonomic nervous system to a degree, controlling bleeding, fighting infection, etc. She is able to keep to the shadows and move with such speed that she can remain unseen even in broad daylight. She also has demonstrated on occasion the ability to mesmerize others and make them see illusions and other phenomena.

Elektra is a consummate practitioner of the martial arts. She is a mistress of the skills of the ancient ninja of Japan, and an Olympic-level athlete and gymnast. She possesses peak human levels of strength, speed, agility, reflexes, stamina, etc. She is an expert in Ninjtsu and various other martial arts, as well as gymnastics. Elektra wields a pair of three-pronged daggers called sais, though she also is proficient with, and makes use of, a multitude of martial-arts weaponry such as long swords, shruikens (thowing stars), and she is also experienced in the usage of firearms, explosives, and even anti-tank or aircraft artillery.

BULLSEYE

 

BULLSEYE

Real Name: Lester (last name unrevealed)

First Appearance: Daredevil (Vol. 1) #131, March 1976

Powers: Bullseye is a baseline human who possesses uncanny accuracy, allowing him to strike anything he aims at. Though not categorized as a superhuman ability, it most certainly is an intuitive ability that exceeds all normal precedent. Bullseye's accuracy extends to throwing weapons, archery, and firearms. He can perform not only direct shots, but also possesses an innate understanding of geometry for fantastic ricochets and bank shots. He can also aim at targets without sight, relying upon hearing or memory to pinpoint his victims. Bullseye has become so experienced at killing that he often abandons traditional weaponry in favor of everyday items. He can kill just as easily with a pen, paperclip, toothpick, playing cards, etc. Bullseye's accuracy doesn't depend on hand-eye coordination, he can even spit a false tooth with lethal precision. Bullseye is sufficiently accurate to shoot down the barrel of a gun or through a sniper's eyepiece. He can throw a toothpick through the pinhole of a grenade at over 100 yards to prevent it from firing.

Bullseye was restored to health by Lord Darkwind after being paralyzed in battle with Daredevil. In addition to walking again, his spine and other bones were reinforced with strips of Adamantium. This gives Bullseye increased durability and resistance to impact, however his entire skeleton was apparently not bonded with Adamantium, since he has occasionally suffered broken bones since the process. His obsession with Daredevil (combined with a brain tumor) once developed to the point where he had a psychic awareness of Murdock, able to sense him from a distance and even have a clairvoyant perception his enemy's surroundings. This ability quickly faded over time. Bullseye's compulsive tendencies have focused his mind to his advantage other times in the past as well. He once memorized Elektra's entire life through dossiers and files compiled on her to feed his obsession, everything from her measurements to her allergies, first kiss, elementary school history, and so on. When his body was completely paralyzed and trapped in an iron lung, Bullseye's mind expanded to possess almost superhuman intelligence. He became a master planner, feeding his mind vast amounts of data and extrapolating it to make incredibly accurate deductions and predictions of his opponent's behavior.

For weaponry, Bullseye originally used a pistol able to fire interchangeable cartridges and removable throwing blades from his belt before he stopped using more exotic weapons and switched to conventional items. As Hawkeye, he used traditional arrows more than trick arrows, although he occasionally employed explosive, poisoned, flare, or other unique shafts.

THE PUNISHER

 

THE PUNISHER

Real Name: Frank Castle (born Francis Castiglione)

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #129, February 1974

Powers: The Punisher possesses no superhuman powers. He possesses the normal human strength of a man of his age, height, and build who engages in intensive regular exercise. The Punisher is a thoroughly seasoned combat veteran of exceptional skills. A former U.S. Marine Captain with a distinguished combat record, who has undergone SEAL (Sea Air Land) training, UDT (Underwater Demolition Team) training, and LRPA (Long Range Patrol) training, Frank Castle is well-versed in the arts of warfare and hand-to-hand combat.

From this multi-disciplinary military training, the Punisher is proficient in not only basic infantry skills, but in special operations, which includes the use and maintenance of specialized firearms and explosive ordnance. He is highly trained in infiltration into heavily-guarded enemy territories and structures for the purpose of assassination, captures, and military intelligence. Also, he is trained in various forms of camouflage and stealth. From his airborne training, the Punisher is able to pack and maintain his own parachute rigs, as well as professionally control his landings, in daylight and at night. From his Navy UDT training, the Punisher is well-skilled in extended underwater operations, including demolitions. He is skilled with a great many types of explosives, ranging from simple dynamite to plastique to improvised explosives. His hand-to-hand combat skills are more then sufficient to allow him to incapacitate and kill men much stronger than he is, as well as to deal with groups of armed and unarmed enemies, killing them all without weapons if he deems it necessary. He is also extremely deadly in knife training, preferring the knife he learned to fight with in the USMC: The ka-bar. Additionally, he is a preternaturally-precise marksman. He is thoroughly trained and experienced in unconventional ("guerilla") warfare. He is an armorer, a gunsmith, and an expert in field medicine.

The Punisher constantly employs an arsenal of portable weaponry. His most commonly used personal weapons are the Vietnam era M16 automatic rifle in .223 caliber; a Sterling Mark 69mm, 34-round clip fed, semiautomatic rifle converted to automatic fire; a 14-round, 9mm Browning Llama automatic pistol; a Government issue .45 caliber automatic frame re-chambered for 9mm ammunition with a replaceable barrel to convert it to .223 caliber ammunition; and a 4-shot derringer in .223 caliber (thus, he needs to carry only two types of ammunition).