Warning! Spoilers for Daredevil #30 by Marvel Comics below.
Marvel's new Daredevil just revealed the badass reason for not keeping her real identity a secret: It instills fear in people. In a brand new preview for Daredevil #30, Elektra has no hesitation in telling the truth about her identity while in costume and when asked why she isn't keeping her real name a secret, she says it's because neither of her identities has anything to fear, they just create it.
Elektra Natchios has taken the role of Daredevil as Matt Murdock turned himself into prison for accidentally killing a man. As Matt sits in prison (while still wearing a mask to conceal his true identity to the public), Elektra has been forced to deal with the King in Black and a series of threats in Hell's Kitchen during his absence. Marvel's new Daredevil even has her own sidekick, Alice, as she takes a more heroic turn. However, Elektra hasn't changed entirely, as new previews show.
In a new preview for Daredevil #30 by Marvel Comics by Chip Zdarsky, Marco Checchetto, Mike Hawthorne, Marcio Menyz, Adriano Di Benedetto, and VC's Clayton Cowles, Daredevil and her new sidekick skip the line at a club located in Hell's Kitchen. When she tells the bouncers to let them in, she's told "why would we do that, Daredevil?" In a badass moment, Daredevil says because "my name is Elektra Natchios and I own the building." When asked why she isn't keeping her identity a secret, she responds that neither identity has anything to fear, but they "create fear."
When Alice asks her whether she truly does own the building, Elektra tells her she owns "90 percent of Hell's Kitchen," and the warehouse is currently being rented out. Daredevil notes someone named "Butch" has slowed down extortion and illegal activities recently, but she won't rest until she's won and stopped it for good. Funny enough, she calls out Matt for dealing with "joke-of-the-month" villains like Matador and Stilt-Man instead of the real issues in Hell's Kitchen. Even as Daredevil, Elektra hasn't completely become the same hero as Matt.
Elektra was one of the most feared villains and (later) antiheroes in Hell's Kitchen. Her name should instill fear in her opponents. As Daredevil, she knows both her true identity and vigilante name are enough to have her opponents think twice before double-crossing her. No matter if she's the assassin Elektra or the hero Daredevil, the low-lives in her city should fear her. By playing fast and loose with her secret identity, Elektra becomes even more frightening to deal with. Daredevil #30 is in stores next week.