The Hand

The **Hand** first formed between centuries to thousands of years ago in K'un-Lun, where the five founders were exiled from the dimension of K'un-Lun after performing dark arts that would allow them to cheat death, and from then on out lived in the shadows of Human civilization for generations. Through the ages the five exiles after returning to their lands of birth, have secretly gathered followers while promoting their true goals through the manipulation of war and influencing powerful people. The Hand grew in power across the centuries, building criminal empires that spread their will across the planet, using the power harnessed through dead Dragons to gain immortality. The group expanded their empire throughout Asia at one point, but as their power grew they gained enemies, notably the Chaste and the Order of the Crane Mother who both sought to end the Hand's wrath upon the world. There was one individual that the Hand saw as their ultimate weapon, the Black Sky, who as the legend says will be made into the Hand's leader. In order to create more of the source of their immortality, the Hand excavated for the corpses of Dragons to use in their rituals. They were responsible for several great tragedies in history including the destruction of the cities Pompeii and Chernobyl.

In the 21st Century, the Hand set their sights on New York City, with the branch under the control of Nobu Yoshioka joined Wilson Fisk's criminal empire as a means to bring the Black Sky to the city, but this plan was thwarted by the Chaste member Stick and the vigilante Daredevil, and after Nobu's death they put a pause to their plans. Nobu was able to return from the dead and once again sought to lead the Hand to find a new Black Sky so as to win the war against the Chaste. Elektra was the new Black Sky, but she refused to join the Hand and so she along with Nobu were killed in a fight. Another leader of the Hand, Madame Gao, had for decades infiltrated Rand Enterprises so as to use the company to help further her interests including heroin distribution. This plan was stopped with the coming of the new Iron Fist, which caused the destruction of Gao's operation. Not long after fellow leader Bakuto sought to bring the Iron Fist to their side, but after rejecting the Hand, Bakuto was killed by fellow warrior of K'un-Lun Davos. However, because the Iron Fist was not at his post, the Hand was able to launch an attack on K'un-Lun. The last of their resources was used to resurrect Elektra, so she may serve as the Black Sky. The five fingers of the Hand reunited in New York for a war that could lead them to a new source of immortality.

What stopped the Hand leaders from acquiring the remains of another Dragon and ensuring immortality was the team of heroes known as the Defenders, a group of street-level vigilantes that were gathered with a common purpose to defeat the Hand and stop them from wiping out the city. In the final battle against the Defenders after the position of leader was taken by Elektra through betraying her master, the underground base where the hand were excavating the Dragon bones fell apart and killed most of the Hand leaders and all of the founding members. But nevertheless, what the Hand created still stood in various parts of the world in various organizations and countries, and all the group required to survive was proper leadership. That leadership would come in the form of a longtime member of the group named Tomi Shishido, a man who had acquired the power of immortality prior to the Hand's lack of Dragon bone and served his masters more or less faithfully tell their deaths. Using his connections at HYDRA, Shishido had quickly removed all others who might pose a threat to his rule over the Hand, and once that was done sought to spread the dark influence of the Hand across the planet, all the while gaining more power through either mystic arts or by adapting to the modern age with such concepts as cybernetics or genetics.

## Leaders

* Kagenobu Yoshioka † (Leading Member)
* Gorgon (HYDRA-Representative)
* Shoji Soma

### Outside Consultants

* Jiaying
* Deathwatch
* Kingpin

## Operatives

### Loyalists

* Purple Man
* Ikari
* Lady Deathstrike
* Omega Red
* Silver Samurai
* Colleen Wing (Formerly)
* Kenuichio Harada (Formerly)
* Viper (Ophelia Sarkissian)
* Shingen Yashida
* Noburo Mori

### Mercenaries

* Bullseye
* Sabretooth
* Mystique

### Enthralled

* Elektra
* Wolverine (Formerly)
* Mariko Yashada (Formerly)
* Yuiko (Formerly)