Name

Current Alias

I will make the whole world into theRed Room!

Winter Guard[]

TheRed Widow was one of the many products of theRed Room, the ultimate Russian espionage program.^[4] As a homeless and starving orphan, she was brought into training when she was seven years old. Soon she realized her new situation could be harsher than expected, as torture was a recurrent method of her handlers.^[5] As a result of the Red Room's rigorous preparation, the Red Widow's body became covered in scabs and scars.^[2] Successfully crafted into a lethal and loyal weapon to serve her government, the Red Widow eventually became ready for duty.^[4] At some point, her body was enhanced with a form of theSuper-Soldier Serum.^[6] As a personal objective, she desired to punish the entire world in the way she had been.^[2]

Following the Russian Security Council's decision to revamp their nation's premier super-team, theWinter Guard, as a response to the existence groups such as theAvengers, the Red Widow was appointed as a mandatory addition to the unit. DespiteCrimson Dynamo acting as the field leader of the Winter Guard, the Red Widow actually had clearance to guide the group. During missions, she discreetly observed from a distance, usually not showing herself in the open, in order to report information to her superiors, including aspects concerning her own teammates. Seeing her comrades as inept agents, she considered eliminating some of them to improve the Winter Guard's effectiveness.^[4] In fact, the Red Widow answered to a few corrupted leaderships within the government, including a superior she was in love with.^[6]

Vampire Nation[]

WhenCount Dracula surrendered himself to the Russian government, the Red Widow was tasked with interrogating him. To this end she rounded up Dracula's consorts and ruthlessly began killing to force him to disclose every last one of his secrets.^[7] Shortly afterward, the Winter Guard was attacked by theLegion of the Unliving, who were in the search for Dracula. Red Widow was the last member of the Winter Guard left standing until the Avengers arrived. As a result, the Red Widow unwittingly provided Dracula with the new kingdom of vampires inChernobyl.^[8]

The arrival of the cosmic force known as thePhoenix to Earth was followed by a contest to determine its next host. The Red Widow was one of many individuals summoned to theWhite Hot Room for it. The Phoenix empowered the assembled champions and had them fight each other in trials by combat.^[9] After easily emerging victorious from fightingHoward the Duck^[5] and theBlack Knight,^[10] Red Widow was pitted againstShanna the She-Devil and her sabertooth tigerZabu.^[11] The brutal battle was even, but it was ultimately interrupted whenEcho, one of the fallen contestants, was chosen by the Phoenix.^[2]

The Red Widow assigned the Winter Guard with the mission of apprehending the originalRed Guardian and his ally, theWhite Widow. The Red Guardian had access to privileged information about a secret operation called Snowblind, sparking an issue of national security.^[12] Determined to destroy her enemies, the Red Widow acted in a predictive fashion, anticipating their next stop across Russia. However, the duo of runaways were able to evade being captured.^[13] The desperate Red Widow sought help and information in Dracula, who, instead, chose to provide the Red Guardian with the data he had, while also suggesting the Winter Guard had a traitor among their ranks. Despite this, the Winter Guard was able to capture the White Widow.^[14] As the Red Widow interrogated her counterpart, the Winter Guard realized they had been perverted from super-heroes to a hit squad. The Red Widow wrongly accusedPerun of being a traitor, generating a commotion that allowed the White Widow to escape. After crossing paths with the Red Guardian once again, the Red Widow was apparently able to destroy the drives that contained intelligence about Snowblind. In fact, the White Widow possessed the device.^[15]

World War She-Hulk[]

The Russian government set its attention to the Avenger Jennifer Walters, also known asShe-Hulk. By blackmailing the Avengers' head of security,Gorilla-Man, the Red Widow and the Winter Guard gained access to theAvengers Mountain. Under her command, the Winter Guard successfully apprehended She-Hulk. Before departing, the Red Widow mortally wounded her traitorous teammate,Ursa Major, and refused to kill the cursed Gorilla-Man, which was part of their agreement.^[16] In the Red Room, the Red Widow gladly replicated the conditioning she had been subjected to in the past with She-Hulk.^[17]

The Avengers raided the facility where She-Hulk was detained in, withCaptain Marvel detaining the Red Widow. At the cost of her own right arm, the Red Widow managed to escape. Despite the Winter Guard being destroyed, she accomplished her mission by transforming Walters into a brainwashed operative in the form of the Winter Hulk.^[17] Their main mission was destroyingAtlantis. While the Winter Hulk fought its kingNamor, the Red Widow led an army of agents to destroy their society^[3] using a massive gamma bomb explosion and blaming Walters and the Avengers for it. However, Walters resisted the programming, turning her rage against the Red Widow. To accomplish her goals, the Red Widow injected She-Hulk's blood into her own system, morphing into a monstrosity. As a Widow Hulk, she dueled She-Hulk at the bottom of the ocean, being defeated.^[6]

• Artificially-Enhanced Physiology: Red Widow has received a version of theSuper-Soldier Serum by theRed Room and as a result all of her physical capabilities have been enhanced to peak human level.^[6]
  • Enhanced Strength: Red Widow is strong enough to defeat severalAtlantean soldiers in a physical fight as well asGorilla Man.^[6]
  • Enhanced Durability: Red Widow has survived blows from the likes ofCaptain Marvel^[17] andShe-Hulk.^[6]
  • Peak Human Speed
  • Peak Human Agility
  • Peak Human Reflexes: Red Widow's reflexes are fast enough to enable her to dodge several attacks fromCaptain Marvel.^[17]
• Gamma Mutate Physiology: Red Widow has become a gamma mutate after injecting herself withShe-Hulk's blood. While in her Widow Hulk form her physical size was greatly increased along with her mass and her skin became green.^[6]
  • Superhuman Strength: The combination of gamma irradiated blood and super-soldier serum has enhanced Red Widow's strength to the point where she could engageShe-Hulk in hand-to-hand combat although she ended up losing the fight.^[6]
  • Superhuman Durability: While in her Hulk form Red Widow could endure massive amount of punishment without succumbing to her wounds.^[6]

• Cybernetic Right Arm: Red Widow is equipped with a cybernetic limb to replace the one she lost after her fight withCaptain Marvel.^[3] Her arm could proportionally grow in size while she was in Hulk form.^[6]

• The Red Widow shares several similarities with the characterIron Maiden. Both were products of the destructive training methods ofK.G.B.'sRed Room, saw the originalBlack Widow as an inept rival, expressed disdain for their teammates, demonstrated emotional instability and wore similar suits that covered all of their skin in a hooded body armor.
• Red Widow's usual post-mission routine includes a hot milk bath and caviar.^[19]
• The Red Widow's room in theWinter Guard Mansion is filled with swords and knives which are impaled into the walls.^[19]

• Fantasy
• Sci-fi
• Marvel