Elektra Natchios, the daughter of a Greek ambassador, studied the martial arts as an adolescent. While in the US with her father, she began studies in political science at New York's Columbia University. There she met another student, Matthew Murdock, who would later become Daredevil. Murdock revealed to her that he had superhuman senses that compensated for his blindness, and they fell in love. A year later, Elektra and her father were held hostage by terrorists in a building on campus. Wearing a scarf as a mask, Murdock with Elektra's help defeated the terrorists. However, a policeman mistook Elektra's father for one of the terrorists and shot him dead. Emotionally shattered, Elektra decided she no longer believed in the law and wanted to withdraw from the world. She left America and Murdock.

She eventually studied martial arts with a sensei in Japan. She left to join the secret organization of martial artists headed by Stick, who was also Murdock's sensei. She spent a year in Stick's order and greatly developed her martial arts skills. But, Stick asked her to leave the group because she was still filled with pain over her father's death and hatred for the world she blamed for it.

Elektra returned to her previous sensei. Determined to prove herself to Stick, she infiltrated the Hand, a secret order of ninjas devoted to assassination and domination through fear. She intended to subvert their activities, but the Hand instead tricked her into killing her sensei. She served the Hand for a time, but eventually resisted their corruption and fled Japan.

Elektra spent years as a bounty hunter and assassin for hire. While working in New York City, she crossed paths with Daredevil, whom she discovered was Matt Murdock, her old love. Daredevil vehemently opposed her activities, but the two still cared deeply for one another. They fought the Hand together, but then Elektra was hired by Wilson Fisk, the alleged Kingpin-of-Crime, as his chief assassin. In this role she fought Daredevil and was ordered to kill Matt's best friend and law partner, Franklin "Foggy" Nelson. However, she could not go through with the assassination when Foggy recognized her as "Matt's girl, Elektra." Soon afterwards, she fought and was killed by the Kingpin's former chief assassin, Bullseye, who sought to reclaim his former position with the Kingpin. Elektra died in Matt Murdock's arms, seeming lost forever.

Elektra was resurrected by Stone, a member of Stick's order and once again became a hired assassin. She did not reveal herself to Murdock for many years, but the two have crossed paths numerous times since, with Elektra helping him in times of great need. But, they have not rekindled their love interest as Murdock is now married.