| Yelena Belova | |
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| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
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| In-story information | |
| Species | Human |
| Place of origin | Moscow,Russia |
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Yelena Belova (Russian:Еле́на Бело́ва) is a fictional character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created by writerDevin Grayson and artistJ. G. Jones, the character appeared as a sketch inMarvel Knights: Wave 2 Sketchbook #1 (January 1998) before debuting a year later in the second volume ofInhumans #5 (January 1999) by writerPaul Jenkins and artistJae Lee.
Trained as an assassin in theRussian-basedRed Room, Belova became the second modern-era character to use theBlack Widow moniker, afterNatasha Romanova. Originally sent to kill Romanova, the two became allies and have since worked together. Belova also became a version ofSuper-Adaptoid as a member ofHydra andA.I.M., before being freed and adopting the codenameWhite Widow. Belova has been part of various teams and organisations includingS.H.I.E.L.D. and theThunderbolts.
Florence Pugh portraysthe character in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in the filmsBlack Widow (2021),Thunderbolts* (2025), and theDisney+ miniseriesHawkeye (2021) andMarvel Zombies (2025). Pugh's version is depicted as the adopted sister ofNatasha Romanoff / Black Widow, and the adopted daughter ofAlexei Shostakov andMelina Vostokoff.
Yelena Belova first appeared as a sketch inMarvel Knights: Wave 2 Sketchbook #1 (January 1998) by writerDevin Grayson and artistJ.G. Jones.[1] She debuted inInhumans (Vol. 2) #5 (March 1999) by writerPaul Jenkins and artistJae Lee.[2] Belova starred in and was full introduced in the mini-seriesBlack Widow (1999) by Grayson and Jones, as part of theMarvel Knights imprint.[3] Belova was introduced as the second incarnation of theBlack Widow afterNatasha Romanova (Natasha Romanoff), her obsession turned rival.[3]
Belova went on to star alongside Romanova andDaredevil in a second miniseries titledBlack Widow (2001).[4] The next year, she starred in her first solo three-issue miniseries,Black Widow: Pale Little Spider (2002) by writerGreg Rucka and artistIgor Kordey, under the mature audienceMarvel MAX imprint,[3]
Yelena Belova was born inMoscow inSoviet times and later recruited into theRussian Federation (GRU).[5] She was trained to be anassassin in theRed Room by the spymasters who trainedNatasha Romanova, the first Black Widow later turnedAvenger.
After the death of her trainer, she is activated and deployed to investigate his death. She tracks down and kills the killer, unaware that the task was a ploy to get Belova to assert herself as the newBlack Widow.[6] Believing herself the rightful successor to the title, Belova volunteers to eliminate Romanova. During their confrontation, Romanova calls Belova "little one", encourages her to explore her personal identity rather than blindly devote herself to her nation, and subjects her to a cruel manipulation to teach her the reality of the espionage industry.[7] Belova remains loyal to the GRU[8] but retires to Cuba, where she becomes a successful businesswoman and model.[9]
Belova is recruited by the espionage agencyS.H.I.E.L.D., and becomes involved in the agency'svibranium mining in theAntarcticSavage Land.[10] Shortly afterward, she barely survives an attack bySauron, receiving severe burns and disfiguring injuries. She is later approached by a man working for the terrorist organizationHydra who offers her revenge against S.H.I.E.L.D. and theNew Avengers.[11] Belova is experimented on and genetically altered byAdvanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.) scientists working for Hydra, who transform her into a version of theSuper-Adaptoid. With this body, Belova gains the ability to copy the Avengers' powers. She is eventually defeated by a combination ofIron Man's armors and theSentry's Void persona; in which the latter she absorbs along with the Sentry's powers. After her defeat, Hydra disables her with an implanted remote fail-safe mechanism.[12]
At some point, Romanova assumes Belova's identity on behalf ofNick Fury and works with a vigilante group named theVanguard.[13] During theDark Reign event, she joinsNorman Osborn's incarnation of theThunderbolts.[14][15] Osborn reveals toScourge that he has the real body of Belova in stasis, warning her that she could be his replacement on the team.[16] Belova is later freed by A.I.M. who elect her as a member on their High Council alongsideAndrew Forson,Graviton,Mentallo,Superia, and an undercoverTaskmaster.[17] S.H.I.E.L.D. soon targets A.I.M. and deploys agents Romanova,Hawkeye andMockingbird to execute Forson. Belova attacks Romanova but is later shot by an A.I.M. agent after being mistaken for Mockingbird.[18]
After the events ofSecret Empire, Belova was revived in a clone body and assumed the Black Widow identity once again in Romanova's honor (whom she believes is dead). She travels around the world to destroy Hydra's remnants, attracting the attention of Hawkeye and theWinter Soldier.[19][20] Belova later assumed the White Widow monika.[21] She is recruited as a member of the Winter Soldier's Thunderbolts team alongside Romanova,Valentina de Fontaine,Sharon Carter,Red Guardian,U.S. Agent andShang-Chi, who were assembled to take down the realRed Skull.[22]
Belova is a trained spy and assassin with extensive training in hand-to-hand combat,[23]gymnastics andmartial arts.[24] She has often been described to be in "peak athletic condition".[25]
As the Super-Adaptoid, Belova could mimic the abilities of other superheroes and absorb power from those around her.[12][26][27]
| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comic Book Resources | 10 Most Powerful Russians In Comics | 7 | [28] |
| Scary Mommy | 195+ Heroic Marvel Female Characters | — | [29] |
| Screen Rant | 10 Best Versions Of Black Widow From Marvel Comics | — | [30] |
| The Red Room's Most Powerful Members | — | [31] |
Yelena Belova appears inAvengers Assemble, voiced byJulie Nathanson.[32] This version is the second incarnation of the Black Widow afterBaron Strucker reactivated the Red Room program and the self-proclaimed rival ofNatasha Romanoff. Belova later rechristens herself theCrimson Widow while acting as aHydra agent.[33]
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Yelena Belova appears in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), portrayed byFlorence Pugh as an adult andViolet McGraw as a child.[34] This version is an adopted sister toNatasha Romanoff, the adopted daughter ofAlexei Shostakov andMelina Vostokoff, and was trained to be aBlack Widow assassin in theRed Room.[35][36][37] The character has appeared in the filmsBlack Widow (2021),[38][39] andThunderbolts* (2025).[40] She also appeared in theDisney+miniseriesHawkeye (2021).[41] Pugh voiced an alternate version of Belova in the Disney+adult animated seriesMarvel Zombies (2025).[42] She is also slated to appear in the upcoming filmAvengers: Doomsday (2026).[43]
| Title | Issues | Cover dates | Writer | Penciller | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Widow: The Itsy Bitsy Spider | #1–3 | June – August1999 | Devin Grayson | J. G. Jones | TheMarvel Knights limited series, titled "The Itsy Bitsy Spider", has Natasha question her claim to the role of Black Widow when she is challenged by the younger spy Yelena as both track down a biotoxin. Grayson and Jones first introduced Yelena inInhumans #5 to use her in this series. |
| Black Widow | #1–3 | January – March2001 | Devin Grayson andGreg Rucka | Scott Hampton | The second volume ofBlack Widow to feature Natasha and Yelena. |
| Black Widow: Pale Little Spider | #1–3 | June – August2002 | Greg Rucka | Igor Kordey | Pale Little Spider, published under the adults-onlyMax imprint, was the first solo series featuring Yelena on her own. |
| Black Widow: The Things They Say About Her | #1–6 | November2005 – April2006 | Richard K. Morgan | Sean Phillips | In this series, Natasha goes into hiding as Nick Fury and Daredevil hunt her on behalf ofS.H.I.E.L.D., with Yelena appearing as a supporting character. |
| Widowmakers: Red Guardian and Yelena Belova | #1 | January2021 | Devin Grayson | Michele Bandini | A one-shot featuring Yelena andRed Guardian. |
| Wastelanders: Black Widow † | #1 | March2022 | Steven S. DeKnight | Well-Bee | Five one-shot comics were published as an adaptation of theMarvel's Wastelanders podcast set in the post-apocalypse world ofOld Man Logan.Wastelanders: Black Widow features an older version of Yelena.[53] |
| White Widow: Welcome to Idylhaveven | #1–4 | January – April2024 | Sarah Gailey | Alessandro Miracolo | A four-part limited series featuring Yelena. |
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