The Hand

A supervillainous ninja organization currently under the control of the Kingpin.

Origin
The nascent Hand first formed about 800 years ago in feudal  Japan, as a reaction to the oppressive class system that characterized Japanese society in that period. A number of Japanese citizens left their homes and settled in the mountains. There, they cultivated skill in ninjutsu, and through rigorous training became experts at assassination and espionage. The group officially came together in 1588 under the command of  Kagenobu Yoshioka, who turned his samurai school into a bastion of support for the common man. Yoshioka was eventually assassinated, and command of the group co-opted by the  Snakeroot, an ancient ninja clan who turned the Hand to demon worship and black magic. The Hand began working as mercenaries, and sought to extend its influence throughout the world.

The Chaste
The Hand comes into constant conflict with a heroic group known as the  Chaste. This conflict is the first encounter with the Hand experienced by both  Daredevil and  Elektra, with the latter first infiltrating and later joining the Hand for a time. The conflict eventually results in the defeat of the Hand, but also in the deaths of the Chaste's leader,  Stick, and a member of the group named  Shaft.

Enemy of the State
The Hand, alongside scion organization  HYDRA and the mutant group Dawn of the White Light, orchestrates the abduction of  Wolverine. They brainwash him, and set him loose, intending to use him as the weapon he was designed to be to kill members of the superhero community. They send numerous operatives out across the world to deal with opponent superheroes, with limited success. They manage to kill and resurrect Elektra and  Northstar, both of whom are brainwashed to act as weapons for the Hand and HYDRA. Meanwhile, Wolverine escapes his brainwashing and turns on the Hand, commandeering a  Sentinel and invading their headquarters, destroying many of the Hand's members, as well as the organization's elite, with the assistance of Elektra, who had also managed to escape her conditioning.

Shadowland
<span style="color:rgb(44,46,48);font-family:'HelveticaNeue',HelveticaNeue,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:25px;">Daredevil takes over command of the Hand after the Hand's repeated attempts to acquire a new warlord. He constructs a new headquarters for them in  Hell's Kitchen<span style="color:rgb(44,46,48);font-family:'HelveticaNeue',HelveticaNeue,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:25px;">, called  Shadowland<span style="color:rgb(44,46,48);font-family:'HelveticaNeue',HelveticaNeue,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:25px;">, and dedicates himself into remodelling the group into a force for good. The group begins to corrupt him instead. After Daredevil kills  Bullseye<span style="color:rgb(44,46,48);font-family:'HelveticaNeue',HelveticaNeue,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:25px;">, he and members of the Hand crash the funeral and engage in a massive brawl which almost results in the death of the captive  Ben Urich<span style="color:rgb(44,46,48);font-family:'HelveticaNeue',HelveticaNeue,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:25px;">. After a number of clashes between the Hand and the members of the superhero community, it is revealed that Daredevil is possessed by the demonic  Beast of the Hand<span style="color:rgb(44,46,48);font-family:'HelveticaNeue',HelveticaNeue,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:25px;">. He is defeated and apparently kills himself; in the ensuing confusion, control of the Hand is seized by  Kingpin<span style="color:rgb(44,46,48);font-family:'HelveticaNeue',HelveticaNeue,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:25px;"> and  Typhoid Mary<span style="color:rgb(44,46,48);font-family:'HelveticaNeue',HelveticaNeue,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:25px;">.