Chaste (Marvel)
The Chaste are an organization that features in Marvel Comics
Contents |
History
The Chaste were a clan of ninjas that operated in secret in the world where they served as enemies of the Hand. (Daredevil v1 #188) A hundred years ago, Master Izo was once a member of the Hand before he felt ashamed as how their order had fallen and blinded himself before leaving their ranks. He came to head he Chaste where he was a mentor to Stick until about 55 years ago when his pupil led a vote that ousted his master. By this point, Izo believed that the strict rules of the Chaste would lead to them becoming as bad as the Hand in time and he came to leave their hidden sanctuary on the Wall. (Daredevil v1 #500)
Around 1953, Stick and the Chaste were seeking for new recruits after the war with Drake's father and her brother James both being scouted. James went through the training for the next three years and passed bits of his knowledge to his younger sister. This act broke the rules of the Chaste with Stick witnessing it and he decided to banish one of the siblings by having the two battle. Drake succeeded leading to her brother James being forced to leave the Chaste's headquarters. She stayed among the Chaste and continued her training until Stick eventually had her leave their ranks. Afterwards, she was taken by the Hand who decided to train her with Drake accepting their offer and continued her training. In 1972, the Chaste fought the Hand in Luxembourg with Drake participating in the attack where she ended up killing her father along with three other members of the group. (Elektra v2 #19)
A young Elektra Natchios went through martial arts training from the age of 12 with her skill leading to her sensei recommending that she move to further training with the Chaste. She went before her master Stick with her attending to join the ranks of the seven and becoming their eighth member. (Elektra: Assassin v1 #1)
In time, Stick came to lead the Chaste and had trained each of its members. (Daredevil v1 #188) Stick called upon the Seven to assemble in order to help Daredevil though only four met with him at Murdock's apartment. (Daredevil v1 #187)
Stone later led a contingent of the Chaste back to New York where they assisted Daredevil in a fight against the Hand and their agent Izanami. During this time, their new recruit Spear betrayed his brothers and joined the Hand but they were defeated. (Daredevil v1 #296)
Under Stone's leadership, the Chaste gathered on their snow covered mountain top retreat where they discussed the Snakeroot's plans to resurrect Elektra as their agent. (Daredevil v1 #320)
Elektra sought the Chaste to enlist their aid in fighting against the Snakeroot but they refused to help her. This led to her establishing her own ryu (order) in order to battle her enemy. (Elektra: Root of Evil v1 #2)
Around a year ago, their numbers had almost reached three hundred. (Daredevil: Ninja v1 #2)
The remains of the Chaste at this point simply waited on their mountain home with it claimed that they waited for the threat to come to their door. It was this reason that Elektra decided to form her own Ryu in order to take the fight to the enemy. (Elektra: Root of Evil v1 #1)
By this point, they had been reduced to around five members left within their ranks. (Daredevil: Ninja v1 #2)
Overview
They were quiet peaceful practitioners of the martial arts. (Daredevil: Ninja v1 #2) The Chaste were practitioners of the shadow warrior teachings. (Daredevil v1 #320) Members were dressed in white ninja uniforms and armed with similar weapons. (Daredevil v1 #188) This tribe was also known as the Disciples of the Seven. (Daredevil: Ninja v1 #2)
War was seen as an excellent opportunity for the Chaste to recruit new members into their ranks. (Elektra v2 #19)
They had the ability to manipulate energy by moving it around allowing them to give and take life. (Daredevil v1 #189) Among their magical talents was the capacity to speak to one another without moving their mouths. (Elektra: Assassin v1 #1) Thus, their meetings were silent as they spoke to each others mind and conveyed information. (Daredevil v1 #187)
It was at the Wall where the Chaste rested, trained and studied that was a place where this noble order achieved true and total peace of spirit. This place could not be found unless one wandered without direction without hope until they found it. Once there, the traveller had to scale a wall that could not be scaled with the climb being said to be unforgiving. (Daredevil v1 #190) It was said to reside at the top of the world and was sought by those looking for more than what ordinary life could offer them. This was to offer themselves in service to those below them with few choosing to climb the Wall with even fewer worthy of reaching the summit. (Daredevil v1 #320)
Among their bases where they lived was an abandoned temple outside the city in Japan. (Daredevil: Ninja v1 #2)
Members
- Stick : a blind male who used his signature wooden staff in battle and came to be the mentor of Matt Murdock. (Daredevil v1 #188) He was the former pupil of Master Izo until he ousted his master from the order. (Daredevil v1 #500)
- Stone : a male white garbed ninja who used a pair of swords in close-quarter fighting and was impervious to attacks so long as he was aware of them. (Daredevil v1 #190)
- Shaft : a male white garbed ninja who utilised a bow and fired precise arrows at his targets. (Daredevil v1 #188)
- Claw : a male white garbed ninja who utilised claws for close-quarter combat against his enemies. (Daredevil v1 #188)
- Star : a white garbed warrior who was skilled in the use of shurikens that he used to dispatch his enemies. (Daredevil v1 #296)
- Flame : a white garbed ninja who was able to burn his enemies with a touch. (Daredevil v1 #296)
- Wing : a white garbed ninja who had the power of levitation that he used to outmanoeuvre his opponents. (Daredevil v1 #296)
- Spear : a white garbed warrior who was armed with a spear and was noted for being a new member though he betrayed his comrades by joining the Hand. (Daredevil v1 #296)
- Izo : an elderly male who was once a Hand ninja until he became ashamed as their order whereupon he left them and headed the Chaste. He was the mentor to Stick but was ousted as leader and left the group after finding that they had become too obsessed with rules. (Daredevil v1 #500)
- Drake : a former black female recruit who underwent training when Stick forced her to leave their ranks. (Elektra v2 #19)
Notes
- The Chaste were created by Frank Miller where they made their first appearance in Daredevil v1 #187 (October, 1982).
Alternate Versions
- In What If? v2 #83 (1996), the Chaste appeared in an alternate What If world in a universe that was designated as Earth-3971. The Chaste appeared on this world where they accepted Dr. Stephen Strange into their ranks after his hands were damaged where they stated that the Ancient One was a myth whilst they were real and began to train him. As a result, Strange was trained as a member of the Chaste with him being involved in their conflict with the Hand. He was dispatched to train the orphaned Matt Murdock who he considered his greatest student only for the boy's anger leading to him joining the Hand. Strange later became the master to Elektra who was in love with Matt Murdock with Strange attempting to stop his former disciple.
- In What If? Daredevil Vs. Elektra v1 #1 (2009), an alternate What If world was shown where Daredevil was killed rather than Elektra. It was shown that the Chaste were an order that fought against the Hand with their members consisting of Stick, Claw, Stone, Flame, Seer, Sai and Sword. They were killed leaving Stick the only surviving member who himself was later killed by the Advocate; the reborn Matt Murdock who the Hand had resurrected to be their servant with him later becoming their leader. Elektra formed a new Chaste alongside Wolverine, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Echo and Silver Samurai that moved to fight the Hand with Elektra killing the Advocate.
In other media
Television
- In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Chaste made multiple appearances in the shared continuity setting.
- In Daredevil, the Chaste were mentioned in the backstory of the live-action television show in the episode "Guilty as Sin". Their origins were linked to the Hand who one day slaughtered the inhabitants of a village. In the aftermath, a young boy swore revenge against them for the death of his mother and began a campaign of slaughtering the Hand. He assembled a group of likeminded warriors that formed the Chaste that waged a shadowy conflict against their foe. Stick was a member of their ranks and had been fighting in the war against the Hand.
- In Defenders, the Chaste briefly appeared in the live-action television series. Their backstory was revealed as being an order of warriors that were sworn to defend K'un-Lun and the Iron Fist from the threat of the Hand. After gaining the Black Sky, the Hand proceeded with wiping out the Chaste with Stick being among the only members to survive.
Films
- In Elektra, the Chaste were not mentioned but Stick led a rival clan that opposed the Hand. These warriors were dressed in white in contrast to the black worn by the Hand. Members of this unnamed clan were stated to be practitioners of Kimagori that allowed them to discern events in the future. Both clans fought in an ancient war as they sought to acquire the Treasure. The Treasure was to be used by the clan to defeat the evil of the Hand with this taking the form of a young girl by the name of Abby Miller.
Video games
- In Marvel Heroes, the Mask of the Chaste was an item available in the MMORPG video game.
Appearances
- Daredevil v1: (1982)
- Elektra: Assassin v1:
- Daredevil: Ninja v1:
External Links
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