The Hand is a ninja clan and the current iteration of a pseudo-religious cabal worshiping the demon known as the Beast. The clan is made up of several different factions which are each led by a faction leader or chunin and overseen by a single supreme leader or jonin. Rank-and-file individual members of the clan are known as genin. Originally formed as a secret society by Kagenobu Yoshioka in 1588 and dedicated to Japanese nationalism, the group was infiltrated and corrupted by outside forces: The Sickly Ones (primordial entities responsible for the knowledge and worship of the Beast on earth), the Five (the Sickly Ones' acolytes), and the Snakeroot ninja clan (an older iteration of the Beast's cabal).
Thousand years ago, the Fist acted as a counter to the Hand. The Chaste, a group of mystical warriors, later took on that role, fighting the spread of the Beast and its evil. In the early 20th century, they attempted to secure a foothold in Madripoor at least on two occasions. During World War II, they set out to expand and form connections to other groups, and started working with Romulus and Nazi Baron Strucker, but were opposed by the likes of Wolverine and other adventurers and heroes. They were then involved in the foundation of the modern iteration of Hydra, but were soon purged of it by Baron Strucker, setting uneasy relations between the two groups, though some elements of both organizations collaborated on occasion or on the longer term, even such as high-level as Strucker's wife Baroness Elsbeth von Strucker (who served the agenda of the Sickly Ones) or Hand's Grandmaster Shoji Soma (who enlisted Hand ninja in a strike he conducted with Strucker against Soviet spy organization Leviathan, and recited Hydra's motto).
Expanding their criminal activities over the world, they soon became regular enemies of many adventurers and heroes, most prominently Daredevil, Elektra, and Wolverine (all part of the organization at some point).

The Hand Operations

At some point, legendary Hydra agent Kraken went (on his own) to Kobe, Japan, and gave the Godkiller blade to Tomi Shishido, aka the Gorgon, to help him achieve his destiny. Gorgon then went to the Hand and committed suicide (in order to be resurrected). Gorgon became the High Priest of the Hand, their leader, and allied the Hand and the Brotherhood splinter group the Dawn of the White Light (that he formerly led as well) with Hydra. Elsbeth von Strucker soon considered Gorgon as being the one awaited by the Sickly Ones. As Gorgon left to follow their goals in leading Hydra, "ushering in the end with infinite resources", the sickly masters of the Hand erected a resurrected "Elektra" as a queen to rule from the East. Elektra, along with Wolverine, soon killed the masters and decimated the Hand's ranks. Wolverine later killed Gorgon.
Elektra led the Hand for some time but was killed and found out to be a Skrull, temporarily leaving the Hand without a warlord. One faction, led by Lord Hirochi and his lieutenant, Lady Bullseye, aimed to make Daredevil their new leader, an offer the latter rejected, only to be told that "the Hand doesn't take no for an answer." They then instigated the return of the Kingpin to New York City, with the goal of offering him the leadership instead. However, this was preempted by Daredevil, who accepted their offer, on the condition that the Hand should not do business with the Kingpin or Lady Bullseye again. The three remaining ninja-lords accepted this arrangement through a twisted turning of events, a battle waged between Lady Bullseye, the Kingpin and Daredevil.
Proclaimed the winner, the Hand was then under the leadership of Daredevil. With assassins obeying every order, time will tell if this clan will allow the fighter of the great-good lead them into a new era. In observance of their new master, the ninjas adorned themselves with Daredevil inspired regalia. With Norman Osborn in control of law enforcement and the justice system, and criminals secretly doing their business with Osborn's blessing, Daredevil seeks to use the Hand to fight back Osborn's system of corruption and power. After the Beast was dispossessed from Daredevil, Kingpin took the leadership of the ninja group, with Lady Bullseye, Typhoid Mary, Montana, and Hobgoblin as his henchmen. For some time Fisk used the Hand for his criminal purposes.

The Hand Organization

The nascent Hand first formed about 800 years ago in feudal Japan, as a reaction to the oppressive class system that characterized Japanese society in that period. A number of Japanese citizens left their homes and settled in the mountains. There, they cultivated skill in ninjutsu, and through rigorous training became experts at assassination and espionage. The group officially came together in 1588 under the command of Kagenobu Yoshioka, who turned his samurai school into a bastion of support for the common man. Yoshioka was eventually assassinated, and command of the group co-opted by the Snakeroot, an ancient ninja clan who turned the Hand to demon worship and black magic. The Hand began working as mercenaries, and sought to extend its influence throughout the world.