After years of anticipation, Marvel Comics' finest street-level heroes finally come together this week in The Defenders. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist unite for Marvel Television and Netflix's first team series, fighting for the very soul of New York City with Hell's Kitchen front and center in the war against the ancient ninja order known as the Hand.

RELATED: Defenders Stars Tease Challenging, Character-Based Fight Choreography

Since Daredevil debuted in 2015, Marvel fans have waited with bated breath to see these heroes band together to face the mystical threat and ninja-gangster presence the Hand provides. With the evil society now coming out in full force, Daredevil's mentor Stick makes it clear that he needs a group of heroes to combat it. So before you get to binging, we run down the key points which brought us to this cataclysmic point.

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Matt Murdock: Daredevil Defeated

Daredevil was the series that got things rolling, as lawyer Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) teamed with Foggy Nelson in their crusade for justice against those making Hell's Kitchen, well, a living hell. Things got out of hand when they ended up feuding with Wilson Fisk a.k.a. the Kingpin (who won't be showing up in Defenders), along with the discovery of an even more sinister threat in the Hand. Last season saw Matt make some big decisions that could well end up haunting him when he takes up arms with the Defenders this year.

After losing the case defending Frank Castle (aka the Punisher), Matt and Foggy parted ways, with the latter no longer able to approve of his friend's vigilantism. The downs didn't stop there, as Matt saw his girlfriend he views as his kindred spirit, Elektra Natchios, die in battle with the Hand. With Elektra resurrected as a villain by her killers in Defenders, expect Matt to be put through the emotional wringer. There may be even more turmoil thrown his way, as the heartbroken and defeated hero ended last season revealing his identity to Karen Page, who ironically built a close bond with Castle. Given that Matt has retired the costume but is still addicted to violence, we may well end up seeing Karen trying to bring Daredevil back to the light, reversing the dynamic between Matt and the Punisher.

Jessica Jones: Reluctant Hero

Jessica Jones followed up Daredevil in 2015, and it was just as much an emotional rollercoaster. Krysten Ritter's character was pushed to the limit as the series dove into the backstory of how she got her powers following a car accident that killed her parents. Over 13 episodes, audiences explored the relationships in Jessica's life, including the sisterly bond with Patsy Walker (or as comic fans know her, Hellcat), the dirty investigative work she does for attorney Jeri Hogarth (who will also be appearing in Defenders) and her law firm, and a crucial camaraderie with Malcolm, a junkie neighbor tricked into spying on her.

At the heart of everything bad in her life was the maniacal Kilgrave (a.k.a. The Purple Man, played by David Tennant) whose mind-controlling powers gave us one of Marvel's most sadistic on-screen villains to date. He used her as a sex toy and painted her as an object, and after she escaped, he attempted to manipulated everyone in her life in an effort to position her as his property once more. Jessica learned a lot about herself, digging past her selfish desires and tragic past to eventually overcome her mental prison, snapping Kilgrave's neck in the process.

Hogarth got her off the charges, and Jessica found her phone ringing off the hook with cases for Alias Investigations. How she deals with this in Defenders, as well as her apparent addiction to alcohol, will be intriguing. Jessica will get down and dirty with the Defenders, and with so many relationships in her life out in the open, there's a lot of potential collateral damage for the Hand to target.

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Luke Cage: Free Again

Luke Cage was Netflix and Marvel's next series, bringing Mike Colter back as the title character after having been introduced in Jessica Jones. Here, he tried to set an example for Harlem while attempting to escape his own past. The resulting series gave us a comic-loyal depiction of how he got his super powers through a prison experiment, powers he'll be using as the Defenders' heavy-hitter.

luke-cage-tv-show-mike-colter

Unlike the preceding series, Luke's didn't end on a victorious note; he defeated his half-brother, Diamondback, only to end up in jail. With Cottonmouth's gangster empire still alive and kicking, it'll be interesting to see how he faces the criminal philosophy he tried so hard to break. Another challenge lies in how he's going to explain to Jessica and Misty Knight that he's a one-woman man, now, with Claire Temple -- who ironically was the common factor for the uniting heroes. Fans will also be eager to see how Luke, thus far presented as a die-hard loner, forms his famous bond with Iron Fist.

Danny Rand: The Fist & the Furious

Danny Rand about to use the Iron Fist

Before Defenders, Iron Fist was the most recent show to come to the table, and unlike the previous series, it brought with it a lot of criticism. It's little surprise, then, that Defenders is being eyed as a chance at redemption for Finn Jones' character, and how he matures (or doesn't) when dealing with the Hand. His series focused on Danny coming back home after crashing in K'un Lun as a child and becoming the Iron Fist. After accepting the mantle, Danny abandoned the mystical city and returned to New York to face a corporate fight for Rand Industries against the Meachums, while stumbling upon more details about the Hand as his sworn enemy.

Despite its faults, Iron Fist offered deeper insight into the Hand's different leaders, like Madame Gao and Bakuto, as Danny embraced his role, even when Davos (his comrade from K'un Lun) came to hunt him for being a deserter. Danny also formed a romantic bond with Colleen Wing (a former Hand member), and the pair ended the season looking for the gateway to K'un Lun. All they found, though, was Danny's fellow warriors dead and the gateway closed, further building the pair's rivalry against the evil ninjas. Despite the reaction to his solo series, many Marvel Comics readers are excited to see Danny's friendship with Luke evolve, as well as Colleen and Misty's, a.k.a. the Daughters of the Dragon.

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Stick: Calling All Heroes

Stick (Scott Glenn) is basically the Nick Fury of the Netflix corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We first saw him as the seasoned general that mentored Daredevil, before he was revealed to be the teacher and father-figure to none other than Elektra. He trained her to recruit Daredevil into his military arm, The Chaste, which was sworn to fight the Hand. The revelations didn't stop there -- Stick ended up trying to kill Elektra with the secret coming out that she was destined to be a Black Sky.

Stick meets with fellow Chaste member Stone on Daredevil

After her death at the blades of the Hand, Matt and Stick mourned Elektra but it's clear that the Hand's reach will be stretching very far as they resurrect Elektra, which is sure to shock the duo. Also, more Black Sky candidates could enter the fray and after last season's zombie kids popped up in a New York hospital, Stick knows that against evil ninjas and the undead, he needs all possible heroes at his disposal, even if he's not the most virtuous to lead. It will be interesting to see him bring the Chaste to light (especially as we've already been teased with the warrior Stone), and how he'll interact with Iron Fist, given that both their factions have a common enemy.

Alexandra: The Woman in White

Mystery has surrounded Sigourney Weaver's Alexandra since before we even learned the character's name. She's been called "regal" by showrunner Marco Ramirez, and has been hinted as the prime leader of the Hand, evidenced by this meeting with Madame Gao. CBR's Kevin Melrose posited that, rather than the leader of the evil ninjas, she could well be the reason for their existence -- the Beast. At the end of the day, what all of this obscurity points to is the potential for an unpredictable and damn fine antagonist.

Alexandra The Defenders

Alexandra is clearly the big cheese, and the reason Stick needs his heroic alliance. Hearing her speak down to Gao hints that all the shots being called may have well come from her from the first time the Hand clashed with Daredevil. With the massive hole in the ground Daredevil and Elektra discovered in Midland Circle sure to play a big part in Defenders, fans are dying to find out just what Alexandra may have done to create the chasm. Then there's the looming question of he true position the hierarchy of the Hand, if she's even affiliated with them officially, or if she's someone or something newly-created by the organization. Either way, holding a brainwashed killing machine like Elektra in your back pocket is a bold way to make a statement.

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Madame Gao: A Hand to Play

We've seen different orders of leadership in the Hand across the Marvel/Netflix series, and as of Iron Fist, different factions. Daredevil introduced us to Nobu, while Iron Fist gave us Bakuto, and it has been assumed Madame Gao is the big kahuna. Gao has always been shrouded in mystery, with a supernatural air, leaving us wondering if she was actually the Crane Mother from the comics, or something else. However, with Alexandra apparently calling the shots, Gao's true role is once more in doubt.

Madame Gao from Iron Fist

It's worth noting that Gao was last seen making a deal with Davos, who wants Danny dead, which shows she's certainly no mere minion, no matter what Alexandra may believe. Of course, things have escalated since her early days of slinging drugs and putting her enemies to the sword; in her conversations with Iron Fist, she hinted that she was as ancient as K'un Lun itself, putting into perspective just how powerful she and Alexandra are. What's clear is that whether it's a power struggle with Alexandra, or if it's battling Stick's team, Gao has to pull out all the stops if she wants to be atop the ladder of the Hand again.

Elektra: License to Kill

Elektra's revival by the Hand is something Stick knows could redefine the battle lines he's drawn between the Chaste and the Hand. Whether she's Alexandra's or Gao's ace-in-the-hole, her return and lust for blood spells bad news for Matt and Stick. They know that a Black Sky, particularly one that is brainwashed and programmed to kill, isn't a warrior to trifle with.

Elektra from Netflix's Daredevil

The emotional ramifications will reverberate strongly through the upcoming series. Though he was happy to use her as a weapon, Stick saw Elektra as a daughter-figure, while Matt fell deeply in love with her and tried to save her soul by steering her away from the dark lure of being an assassin. Elektra's death is fueling Matt's descent, so watching him struggle with whether she can be turned into a force for good yet again should make for great drama. Chances are, it will further drive a wedge between Matt and Stick, who has a shoot-first mentality, as well as the other Defenders, who clearly view any and all members of the Hand as someone or, as per all the blood experiments we saw in Daredevil Season 2, something to kill. What's certain is that Elektra as a foil will put the Defenders, especially Daredevil, to the ultimate test.


Arriving August 18 on Netflix, the eight-episode Defenders stars Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock, Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones, Mike Colter as Luke Cage, Finn Jones as Danny Rand, Elodie Yung as Elektra Natchios, Sigourney Weaver as Alexandra, Eka Darville as Malcolm Ducasse, Simone Missick as Misty Knight, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson, Carrie-Anne Moss as Jeri Hogarth, Scott Glenn as Stick, Rachael Taylor as Trish Walker, Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple and Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing.