The Defenders
If you ’ve finished your binge of Netflix’sThe Defenders , you experience that Sigourney Weaver ’s Alexandra prove a pretty significant threat to the freshly united superteam . One of the leaders of The Hand , the condemnable organization that has already popped up inDaredevilandIron Fist , Alexandra and her cohort of supervillains are still a pretty inscrutable crowd . It ’s time we learn a little bit more about where they come from .
This clause will bear spoiler for all eight episodes ofThe Defenders , so take on at your own peril . Seriously , if you do n’t want to know what materialize , get out now .
Even though The Hand may seem like it ’s been vote down , it ’s still authoritative to figure out exactly where they came from . Although it seems like the grouping is down for the count , there ’s still a actual possibility that we haven’y seen the last from The Hand .
The Defendersdid quite a flake of body of work to explain the origination of the ancient organization , and how exactly their supernatural index workplace . Alexandra and the other phallus are centuries old , and they ’ve last a passel of life in that clock time . Now it ’s metre to discover who they are .
Here are15 Things You Did n’t get laid About The Defenders’Villains .
The Hand Could Still Return
It seems like The Hand see a fairly definitive close at the finish of the first time of year ofThe defender . Most of its founding penis are numb , and while Elektra could have live her fight with Daredevil in the same manner that Daredevil himself did , she would be working with a fair depleted organisation .
In speaking withEntertainment Weekly , showrunner Marco Ramirez say he wanted this to be an end to this chapter of The Hand ’s story , but would n’t say they wo n’t ever refund .
“ Well , in the Marvel macrocosm — and as Jeph Loeb , the Marvel TV capitulum , would say — in the amusing - book existence , you could always bump a fashion . The history find a way , so who knows ? ” Ramirez said . Ramirez is overbold not to close any doors on the time to come of Marvel tv set , but it does seem like he is evenhandedly certain that The Hand wo n’t come back - at least not in the form we realise them inThe Defenders .
Elektra’s Taken Control of The Hand in the Comics
We seeElektrawrest controller of The Hand away from Alexandra in the 6th sequence of theThe Defenders , but this is n’t exactly a first for the type , especially if you search at her comic book history .
Elektra was a loss leader of The Hand in the comics , and has also been a member at various point throughout the her account . During one iteration of Elektra ’s leadership , it was get a line after her death that this version of the character was actually a Skrull - a shapeshifting alien that had assumed Elektra ’s manikin .
There ’s also a comic record book plotline in which Elektra dies fighting The Hand and is resurrected to oppose on their side , finally becoming their leader . This plotline close mirror the events ofThe Defenders , and could certainly have served as a author of brainchild for the show ’s penning squad .
Alexandra’s Costumes Suggest Her Age
Prior to the release ofThe Defenders , the show ’s costume designer Stephanie Maslansky was believably a bit too plainspoken about the path Alexandra ’s clothes are designed to speak to her part . In speaking with theInternational Business Times , Maslansky let skid that Alexandra is the leader of The Hand , and she ’s also pretty quondam . “ I recall that she ’s clearly a villain , and she ’s the head of an ancient organization which is grounded in the funnies . I desire that her wardrobe reflects that form of ancientness , ” Maslansky said .
Maslansky also said that each of the Defenders had a clear color palette , and she wanted Alexandra to have one too . The show evoke that her pallet consists mostly of white , gold , and blackened , which may reflect her age as well .
Maslansky might have let a morsel too much slip when she let out Alexandra ’s old age and her role within The Hand , but she also gave audiences some interesting tidbits about the way Alexandra ’s wardrobe reflects those things .
Sowande Might be Inspired by Yutaka
Although this is far from sealed , Sowande , the drawing card of the African faction of the Hand , may be based on Yutaka , who is the leader of that faction in the cartoon strip . There are several distinct difference between Sowande and Yutaka , including their appearances . Sowande privilege a cowboy chapeau and boots , whereas Yutaka jade a demon masquerade in the comics .
Still , the similar roles that the two characters play in the story has head to guess that Sowande is at the very least inspired by Yutaka . The show ’s Creator may have want to play with and update the role from the funnies , and give him a fresh name to go along with his raw facial expression . Not much is known about the pedigree of Yutaka , which might explain why the showrunners adjudicate to recreate the case from prick .
Sowande might not resemble Yutaka physically , but they serve like part , which means the showrunners were faithful to the cartoon strip in some small way .
Alexandra’s Many Names
We learn inThe Defendersthat Alexandra is n’t the first name Weaver ’s type has assumed over the course of her different Resurrection .
The figure Alexandra has assumed have each been distinct , but they all start with the letter “ A , ” which indicate that she may have a certain philia for the letter . Other names mention admit Audrey Thompson , Abigail King , Angelica Fletcher , and Alberta Davis .
While these names seem designed as Easter testis for fans , most buff have been abortive at uncovering anything of tangible implication . Like most things about Alexandra ’s character , these other name calling seem to have been made up completely for the TV series , which will surely exasperate many fans who want to find some deep meaning inside of them .
Sometimes there is no inscrutable meaning , though . Easter testicle are often delightful for those that unveil what they intend , but sometimes a fibre is just obsess with names that start with “ A. ”
Madame Gao Could be a Nod to the Crane Mother
Although Madame Gao herself does n’t have an pedigree in the comic Book , many suspect that her character may be at least partially inspired by Crane Mother , a drawing card of one of The Legendary Cities of Heaven who interact withIron Fistin the comedian . Although Gao ’s role is quite dissimilar from that of Crane Mother , there has been speculation since Gao look inDaredevilandIron Fistthat she was at least partially based on the grapheme .
The Defendersadded more fuel to that particular fervency when it showed Gao adopt the Crane aplomb right before she commence to fight in the serial publication . Gao has often been a silent presence during her time in the Marvel TV existence , but she ’s always been inflict , and her arc over the line of each series suggest that she ’s one of the smarter criminals in the show ’s history . She seems to understand how to survive , until she finally perishes at the ending ofThe Defenders .
Istanbul? Constantinople?
We get a sense jolly ahead of time on in the series that Alexandra has a story that stretches far beyond a normal human life . One of the first clues about her years comes when she makes a slip and refers to Istanbul as Constantinople , a solecism that suggests that Alexandra was around before the metropolis was rename . Istanbul developed as a name for the city centuries ago , but many in the West continued to concern to it as Constantinople until the early part of the 20th 100 .
That gives us a pretty wide range for exactly how old Alexandra and the rest of the founding members of The Hand are . They could be just a lilliputian over 100 twelvemonth old , or over 500 years erstwhile . The show leave it equivocal , but this strip - up does make it clear that Alexandra and the remainder of the five fingers have chair unnaturally foresightful lives .
Of naturally , we check more about how The Hand has pull off to cheat death with such geometrical regularity later on in the series , but this small gaffe - up is primal in helping us envision out exactly how old they really are .
Bakuto is a Character from the Comics
Most of the fingers who establish The Hand are n’t directly based on comic case . Bakuto is , though , and he shares a name with his comic book counterpart . His storyline lead off inDaredevil # 505,and it only last for a handful of issues . As is the case in the comics , Bakuto is the leader of the South American branch of The Hand , and the other leaders inside the organisation attempt to orchestrate his precipitation .
Although Alexandra gets the brunt of the screen time inThe Defenders , each of the five fingers gets a chance to make an impressions , and for many , these impressions are n’t ground on anything from the comic book . Although the story ofThe Defendersis sure inspire by the traditional knowledge of the comics , and the heroes are comic book characters , Bakuto is one of the few phallus of The Hand who also comes from the comics .
Amidst a roster of villains that were made up for the show , it was nice for comic fans to see at least one familiar human face .
Alexandra’s an Original Character
AlthoughThe Defendersoriginated in Marvel comics , Alexandra did not . alternatively , Weaver ’s character was create specifically forThe Defenderstranslation onto the screen . Fans have been scrambling for weeks to figure out whether Alexandra was just a pseudonym for some previously established comic leger character , but those who have seenThe Defendersall the way through know that the character is genuinely an original creation .
Although some fans may have been disappoint by the character ’s disconnection from the worldly concern of the comedian , Alexandra ’s originality speaks to the import that Sigourney Weaver brings to every lineament she plays . Weaver did n’t need to trust on preexisting floor to define her character ; she was able to do it from scratch , and create someone who brings a storey of sophistication to the world that feel new and bracing .
Alexandra may not please all fan , but the decision to create someone new for Weaver to play give her a chance to make an iconic character in her own right field .
The Hand Could Be Hydra Reincarnated
We screw that the Marvel television shows survive in the same universe as the Marvel films , and we also make love that Hydra had a big moment inCaptain America : The Winter Soldierwhen Cap discovered that Hydra had infiltrated a Brobdingnagian subdivision of S.H.I.E.L.D. Hydra seems to be dormant in the human race of Marvel films , at least for now , but there are some suggestions that The Hand is some sort of rebirth of the organisation .
This reincarnation might not be literal , but The Hand ’s philosophical system and body structure are sure enough reminiscent of Hydra ’s . Of course , Colleen Wing also consult to the organization as a ophidian whose head needs to be hack off before it get too powerful , which for certain sound like the story of the Hydra .
The Hand ’s desire to accumulate power and influence is for sure standardized to The Hand ’s , although the two organization do take issue in what they ’re accumulating that power for , and the musical scale on which they ’re operating .
