Stick (Earth-616)

Very little has been revealed about the past of the man known as Stick. He was blind, but developed the acuteness of his other senses to levels far beyond those experienced by most human beings. These heightened senses, including his so-called "proximity sense," compensated for his inability to see.

Stick became the master of an elite order of warriors known as the Chaste, who made their base atop a mountain in an unidentified location. Stick himself was a brilliant master of martial arts and took his name from the long stick that he utilized in combat. The Chaste's members also developed mental abilities of either a psionic or mystical nature, such as the power to communicate telepathically. It was required of the Chaste that they rid themselves of destructive emotions, such as hatred. For years, Stick's warriors battled against the Hand, a Japanese-based criminal organization of ninjas who acted as mercenaries and assassins and who served the demonic entity known as the Beast.

A number of years ago in New York City, Matthew Murdock, who was then not yet an adult, was accidentally bombarded by radiation from a canister of radioactive waste materials. This unknown radiation blinded him, but also mutagenically heightened his other senses. Sometime after young Murdock was released from the hospital to which he was brought after the accident, he was found by Stick. It was Stick who taught Murdock how to control his newly heightened senses and who guided him in mastering his so-called "radar sense," which resembled Stick's own "proximity sense." Stick also trained Murdock in methods of hand-to-hand combat.

Later, while attending Columbia University, Murdock met and fell in love with his fellow student Elektra Natchios. Murdock revealed to her that he had superhumanly heightened senses that compensated for his blindness. It is not known whether or not Murdock told Elektra about Stick. After Elektra's father, a Greek ambassador, was killed by terrorists, the anguished young woman broke off her relationship with Murdock and left Columbia.

Elektra had already had training in the martial arts before she came to Columbia. After her father's death, she went to Japan, to study the martial arts at a school headed by a sensei who had been cast out the Chaste years before for being unworthy of membership. Under this unnamed sensei's guidance, Elektra achieved great prowess in the martial arts. However, she was filled with hatred towards the world for the death of her father. The sensei told her about Stick's order in the hope that Stick could teach her how to achieve the peace of mind and spirit that had been attained by all members of the Chaste.

Stick accepted Elektra as a pupil, and she was trained by him for a year. During this time, she improved her combat skills even further and also began learning to develop and use the same mental powers possessed by the members of the order. Finally, though, Stick expelled her, since she was unable to rid herself of the destructive emotions that had filled her since the murder of her father. Stick realized that Elektra might join the Hand as a result, as indeed she did. Still later, Elektra left the Hand and became an independent mercenary assassin.

As for Matthew Murdock, he became the costumed crimefighter known as Daredevil. Eventually, he encountered Elektra once more in her new role as an assassin.

Shortly afterwards, the concussive force of an exploding bomb caused Daredevil to lose his radar sense temporarily. Daredevil found Stick, who was operating as a pool hustler in New York City. Under Stick's guidance, Daredevil developed his radar sense once again.

Sometime thereafter, the Hand finally began to try to eliminate their foes, the Chaste, once and for all. At this time the Chaste consisted of seven members, including Stick himself. After successfully thwarting an attempt by four members of the Hand to assassinate him, Stick summoned the other members of his order to meet with him in New York City. Only three members, known as Claw, Shaft and Stone (Chaste), met with Stick; it is presumed that the Hand slew the other three members. Together, Stick and his three followers battled and defeated Kirigi, who was perhaps the Hand's deadliest warrior.

Later, over forty ninja warriors belonging to the Hand attacked Stick. Claw, Shaft, Stone (Chaste), and their allies Daredevil and the Black Widow in Matt Murdock's townhouse. Claw was killed in the course of the battle. Stick realized that he and his allies could not possibly survive against such great odds using conventional means of combat. Therefore, to defeat the Hand's warrior's and to save the lives of Daredevil and the Black Widow, Stick resorted to a strategem that he knew meant sacrificing his own life. Stick and Shaft linked hands and presumably through mystical or psionic means, began draining the life forces of their enemies into their own bodies. Once deprived of his lfe force, the body of each member of the Hand who was present dissolved. Stone asked to join his master in performing this ritual, but Stick instead had Stone take Daredevil and the Black Widow to safety. Finally, their bodies filled with more human life forces than they could contain, the bodies of Stick and Shaft seemingly exploded. Thus Stick and Shaft each met a heroic demise.

Stick's spirit briefly aided Elektra in her attempts to calm Wolverine in his more feral form.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Proximity Sense: Stick possessed a "proximity sense" that enabled him to perceive the shapes and locations of objects in his vicinity despite his blindness. The limits of his "proximity sense" are unknown, but it was more acute even than Daredevil's "radar sense." According to Stick, any human being is capable of developing a "proximity sense" through training and even retaught Matt after he lost his Radar/Senses. Possibly this sense is psionic in nature.

Sonar Simulation: Stick's enhanced hearing enabled him to hear faint echoes that sounds, even those created by his body in otherwise near-total silence, created as they "bounced" off the objects around him.

Heightened Senses: Stick's senses of taste, touch and smell were also more acute than those of ordinary human beings. It is not clear whether these senses were inferior, equal or superior to those of Daredevil in acuteness. Stick claimed that he developed his senses to their heightened levels through training and practice.

Chi: Stick possessed the ability able to channel and use his Chi for various effects. He could communicate with others through telepathy. He could mentally drain life energy from another person into his own body, thereby killing that person, causing the victim's body to dissolve.

It is not known what other mental powers Stick possessed. His pupil Stone, however, was able to restore a dead person to life under certain circumstances.
Abilities

Stick was a master of various Oriental martial arts. Despite his blindness, he was extraordinary in hand-to-hand combatant and would play in combat against both Daredevil and Electra, as they could not gain an advantage on him. He can move in silence as even Daredevil's radar and enhanced hearing could not detect him. Currently it seems Stick can appear in spirit or ghost like form as he aids his students.

Strength level

Stick possessed the normal human strength of a man of his age, height, and build who engaged in intensive regular exercise.

Weaknesses

Stick was blind, but his Proximity Sense and other highly acute senses compensated for his inability to see.

Paraphernalia

Weapons

Bo Stick: Stick used a long wooden stick as a weapon in combat. His use of the staff (as well as a pool cue) is apparently how he earned his name.

Notes

Place of Death New York City
Final Appearance: Daredevil #190

Trivia

Stick was played by Terence Stamp (also known as General Zod in Superman: The Movie) in the 2005 motion picture, Elektra, directed by Mark Steven Johnson.

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Stick (Earth-616)

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