| Natasha Romanova Black Widow | |
|---|---|
 Black Widows as seen on the variant cover ofBlack Widow #1 (April 2010). Art by Jelena Kevic Djurdjevic. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Tales of Suspense #52 (April 1964) |
| Created by | Stan Lee (editor/plotter) Don Rico (writer) Don Heck (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Natalia Alianovna Romanova |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Team affiliations | |
| Partnerships | Daredevil Hawkeye Winter Soldier |
| Notable aliases | Natasha Romanoff |
| Abilities |
|
Black Widow is asuperhero appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created by editorStan Lee, scripterDon Rico, and artistDon Heck, the character debuted as an enemy ofIron Man inTales of Suspense #52 (1964). She reformed as a hero inThe Avengers #30 (1966) and her most well-known design was introduced inThe Amazing Spider-Man #86 (1970). Black Widow has been the main character in several comic issues since 1970, and she received her ownBlack Widow series in 1999. She has also frequently appeared as a supporting character inThe Avengers andDaredevil.
Natalia Alianovna "Natasha Romanoff" Romanova (Russian: Наталья Альяновна "Наташа" Романова) is introduced as a spy for theSoviet Union until she defects to the United States. She subsequently joins the intelligence agencyS.H.I.E.L.D., partners withDaredevil, and encounters a rival Black Widow inYelena Belova. Though she has no distinct superpowers, she was augmented in theRed Room, a Soviet training facility, to increase her strength and reduce her aging. She has training in combat and espionage, and wields bracelets that fire electric shocks and project wires she uses to traverse skyscrapers.
Black Widow stories often explore her struggle to define her own identity as a spy and the trauma she endured from her life of training in the Red Room. Early stories emphasized her Soviet origin, portraying her superiors as evil and contrasting her with more noble American superheroes. Black Widow's status as a leading female character andfemme fatale has influenced her portrayal, which was often contradictory as comics grappled with the conflict between traditional gender roles andsecond-wave feminism. The character is heavily sexualized both by artists and by the characters with whom she interacts.
Black Widow has been adapted into a variety of other media, including film, animated series, and video games.A version of the character was portrayed byScarlett Johansson in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) franchise from the character's first appearance inIron Man 2 (2010) to her final one inBlack Widow (2021). Johannson's portrayal brought increased attention to the character and influenced Black Widow's depiction in comics.
Black Widowfirst appeared inTales of Suspense #52 (1964) as an opponent ofIron Man.[1] She was designed by artistDon Heck for a story plotted byStan Lee and written byDon Rico under the pseudonym N. Korok.[2] The character was portrayed as aseductress who was spying on Tony Stark for the Soviet government,[3] making her one of several Soviet villains who faced Iron Man in the 1960s.[4] She was infatuated with Tony Stark's looks and wealth and easily distracted by jewelry.[3]
Black Widow first took the role of asupervillain inTales of Suspense #64 (1965) after the Soviet government gave her a costume and equipment when they forced her to continue working for them.[5] Her first costume took the form of a bluebodysuit made primarily offishnet-style webbing, a cape, and a mask designed to resemble the one used byHawkeye. With the costume came her first use of tactical equipment, including gloves that let her adhere to walls and the weaponized bracelets that later became her primary weapon.[6] She was the villain in five Iron Man stories, all within a span of twelve issues.[7]
Black Widow next appeared as the villain inAvengers #29–30 (1966), where she manipulated Hawkeye,Power Man, andSwordsman into doing her bidding.[8] At the end of the story, she reformed and allied with the Avengers, as her love for Hawkeye motivated her to switch sides after recovering from brainwashing by the Soviet government.[9] This made her one of several Marvel Comics villains who become good by defecting from the Soviet Union to the United States, symbolizing a moral preference for American individualism over Soviet communism.[10] Her redemption coincided with Marvel's attempt at a more nuanced portrayal of Soviets and the Cold War.[11]
Black Widow's design underwent various changes as she appeared in the following issues ofAvengers.[9] The character's backstory was expanded inAvengers #43 (1967), when she discovered that the secret identity of theRed Guardian was her husband Alexei, who had been presumed dead. This story explained that it was because of his supposed death that she trained to be a spy.[9] After her redemption, Black Widow became associated with the fictional intelligence agencyS.H.I.E.L.D.[12]
Black Widow went one year without being in any new comic books until she appeared inAvengers #76 (1970) to end her relationship with Hawkeye (then namedGoliath), effectively making her an independent character.[13] She then underwent a full redesign inThe Amazing Spider-Man #86 (1970), where she was given the black costume and long red hair that became identified with her character.[14]John Romita Sr. designed the costume, basing it on the 1940sMiss Fury comic strip.[15] Marvel followed this the same year with a series of Black Widow stories published inAmazing Adventures, which also published stories about theInhumans.[16] Marvel's first series to feature stories led by a female superhero,[17] it portrayed Black Widow as a wealthyjet setter who doubled as a crime-fighter.[18] The first issues, written byGary Friedrich and illustrated byGene Colan, were about political issues. WritersRoy Thomas and thenGerry Conway moved it away from politics in favor of melodrama, developing the relationship between Black Widow and her father figure Ivan Petrovich.[19]Amazing Adventures ran for eight issues before Black Widow was removed from the comic book so the Inhumans could have a standalone series.[20]
As the writer forDaredevil, Conway introduced Black Widow as a supporting character and established a romance between her andDaredevil as "a way to re-energize the title".[19] She joined the series inDaredevil #81 (1971).[14] Colan illustrated the series with drawings of Black Widow that emphasized her acrobatics and long red hair. Conway credited Colan with creating the "first empowered sexy babe" in comics.[15] This run allowed for deeper characterization for Black Widow, and she was given a last name, Romanoff, in issue #82 (1971).[21] Her story line in the series saw her framed for killing a supervillain, with Daredevil's friendFoggy Nelson leading the prosecution. Conway then moved the setting toSan Francisco, and their relationship became the main focus of the series.[22] The pairing was one Marvel had to handle carefully given potential backlash to an unmarried couple living together, having them live on separate floors and having Ivan live with them.[23] Responding to criticism that his treatment of Black Widow was sexist, Conway reworked her role beginning inDaredevil #91 (1972), having her stand up for herself when she felt neglected by Daredevil.[24] The series was retitledDaredevil and the Black Widow in the following issue.[25]
Steve Gerber became the writer forDaredevil with issue #97 (1972), and he moved the focus away from Black Widow back to Daredevil's superhero activity in response to weak sales.[26] Her name was dropped from the title after issue #107 (1973). She appeared inAvengers #111–112 (1973), but left the team almost immediately as she wished to return to Daredevil.[25]Tony Isabella became the writer forDaredevil with issue #118, and feeling that the relationship dynamic between Daredevil and Black Widow harmed both characters, he set out to split them apart.[26] She departed from the series in issue #124 (1975), with the character leaving by saying that she felt overshadowed by Daredevil and that he robbed her of her independence.[25]
When Isabella began writingThe Champions, he included Black Widow as a member.[27] Originally intended to be a duo ofIceman andAngel, editorLen Wein mandated several changes toThe Champions, including the requirement of a female character.[28] Besides his experience writing for Black Widow, Isabella used her in hope that continuing to work with her would prevent another writer from reuniting her with Daredevil.[27] The seventh issue ofThe Champions, "The Man Who Created the Black Widow", focused on Black Widow's backstory and introduced the villain Yuri Bezukhov, the son of Ivan Petrovich. Isabella wanted to continue this story by revealing Ivan to be Black Widow's biological father, but he left Marvel Comics after completing the issue.[29]The Champions ended after 16 issues, and Black Widow was returned toAvengers in issue #173 (1978) during the "Korvac Saga".[30] She returned toDaredevil as a supporting character in issues #155–165 (1978–1980).[25]
Black Widow was less prominent in the 1980s.[20] She made an appearance in theanthology bookBizarre Adventures #25 (1981), as one of the superheroines leading a story written byRalph Macchio and illustrated byPaul Gulacy under the issue's "Lethal Ladies" theme.[31] The story followed Black Widow as she infiltrated a Soviet arms depot in South Africa led by her former instructor.[32] Macchio moved away from elements he felt were reminiscent ofJames Bond, instead looking to the works ofJohn le Carré for inspiration so readers "really didn't know who were the good guys and the bad guys".[33] Black Widow made another return toDaredevil beginning in issue #187 (1982), written byFrank Miller. She was redesigned during Miller's run, giving her a more casual and masculine appearance with a gray leotard and shorter hair.[34] She also appeared in the shared booksMarvel Two-in-One andMarvel Team-Up.[20]
The anthology bookMarvel Fanfare, issues #10–13 (1983–1984) featured Black Widow in her next solo story. Written by Macchio and illustrated byGeorge Pérez with other artists, this story had her pursue Ivan on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D. before discovering that he had been brainwashed.[27][33] Macchio and Pérez had begun working on the story in 1978, but its intended publication was cancelled twice, inMarvel Premiere and thenMarvel Spotlight.[33] Macchio made it explicit in this run that Black Widow killed adversaries when necessary and obtained information from another character by having sex with him, portraying things that were usually left ambiguous in comic books at the time.[35]
Black Widow appeared in three entries of theMarvel Graphic Novel line in the 1990s.Black Widow: The Coldest War (1990) is the 61st entry in the series, featuring Black Widow as she is tricked into believing that her husband is alive and is forced to work for the Soviet Union to save him.[34][36]Punisher/Black Widow: Spinning Doomsday's Web (1992) is the 74th entry in the series and features Black Widow working with thePunisher to defeat Malum.[37]Daredevil/Black Widow: Abattoir (1993) is the 75th and final entry in the series, featuring Black Widow and Daredevil as they investigate the murders oftelepaths.[38] She then starred in separate graphic novel,Fury/Black Widow: Death Duty (1995). Although she shares the title withNick Fury, he only briefly appears in the book, and she instead teams withNight Raven in his first appearance in Marvel's mainline continuity.[39]
Black Widow returned to her black jumpsuit in the 1990s[40] and began working alongsideIron Man during the run of writerJohn Byrne and artistPaul Ryan, beginning inIron Man #269 (1991).[34] She again became a member of the Avengers with its new roster inAvengers #343 (1992).[41] This led to her becoming the leader of the Avengers for a period of time. Her association with the Avengers increased her prominence among Marvel superheroes, allowing for appearances inCaptain America andForce Works.[20] Black Widow returned toDaredevil in issue #362 (1997), which had her become more vengeful as she responded to theOnslaught event that caused the apparent deaths of her allies in the Avengers.[42] She reappeared in the new volume of theAvengers, but only infrequently as a guest character.[20] Black Widow then starred in a three-issue arc, "The Fire Next Time", by writerScott Lobdell and penciller Randy Green, inJourney into Mystery #517–519 (1998).[43] At the same time, writerKevin Smith had her return toDaredevil during the first storyline of its second volume.[44] Black Widow'sMarvel Fanfare story was reprinted as a single volume in 1999, titledBlack Widow: Web of Intrigue.[27]
A new character,Yelena Belova, took the moniker Black Widow beginning inInhumans #5 (1999).[45] The two Black Widows came into conflict in thelimited seriesBlack Widow published the same year, which was written byDevin Grayson and illustrated byJ. G. Jones, running for three issues.[46] The series was part of theMarvel Knights imprint and encompassed a single story, "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider". This was the first time a comic book series featured Black Widow as its sole main character; the only other title to do this was her standalone 1990 graphic novel.[47]
Grayson wrote a second three-issueBlack Widow miniseries featuring the Natasha and Yelena Black Widows in 2001, alongside co-writerGreg Rucka and artistScott Hampton.[48] Black Widow returned toDaredevil in its "The Widow" storyline (2004) by writerBrian Michael Bendis and artistAlex Maleev.[49]Richard K. Morgan wroteBlack Widow: Homecoming in 2004 withBill Sienkiewicz andGoran Parlov, simplifying Black Widow's backstory into a consistent series of events.[47] The series featured a more violent Black Widow and ran for six issues. Morgan then wrote another six-issue series,Black Widow: The Things They Say About Her, in 2006 with Sienkiewicz andSean Phillips. This continued from the previous series and followed Black Widow as she went on the run from S.H.I.E.L.D.[50] An alternate version of Black Widow was created for theUltimate Universe in the 2000s, where she is a member of theUltimates.[51]
Black Widow: Deadly Origin ran in 2009–2010, written byPaul Cornell and illustrated byTom Raney andJohn Paul Leon. The series followed Black Widow's history through flashbacks from different points in her life.[52] The reimaginings of her earlier adventures had her wearing more modest costumes relative to her original appearances.[53]
Black Widow became more widely known to the public after the character wasadapted to film inIron Man 2 (2010). The film's emphasis on her as a spy instead of a superhero influenced how she was portrayed in comics over the following years. With the character's popularity came additional publications, such asBlack Widow and the Marvel Girls (2010), which was created by Salvador Espin, Veronica Gandini,Takeshi Miyazawa, andPaul Tobin.[47]
Black Widow received a new volume, beginning with the "Name of the Rose" (2010) story arc. It was written byMarjorie Liu and illustrated byDaniel Acuña, the latter creating art influenced byfilm noir.[47] The series was then transferred to writerDuane Swierczynski and artist Manuel Garcia for the "Kiss and Kill" story arc.[54]Jim McCann wrote theWidowmaker limited series in 2010 with artistDavid López. The series was a crossover betweenBlack Widow and the ongoingHawkeye & Mockingbird series.[55] Black Widow also appeared as a main character inSecret Avengers.[56]
A newBlack Widow series was published under theMarvel Now! branding in 2014, created byNathan Edmondson andPhil Noto. This series returned to Grayson's characterization of Black Widow as more introspective than action-oriented.[47] It was the longest running Black Widow series with 20 issues, ending in 2015 with theSecret Wars event.[57]Black Widow: Forever Red, ayoung adult novel featuring theMarvel Cinematic Universe version of Black Widow, was written byMargaret Stohl and released in 2015.[58]
The next volume ofBlack Widow was introduced in 2016, written byMark Waid and illustrated byChris Samnee. These stories followed the lead of the cinematic version, exploring her work with S.H.I.E.L.D. and her experiences in theRed Room.[47] Waid's series ran for twelve issues.[59] Horror writersJen and Sylvia Soska wrote aBlack Widow miniseries in 2019 with artist Flaviano,[60] andJody Houser wrote the five issue seriesWeb of Black Widow the same year, with Stephen Mooney as its artist.[61]
Ralph Macchio joined artist Simon Buonfantino in a return to Black Widow withBlack Widow: Widow's Sting in 2020. The one-shot comic was written as a more traditional spy drama, using many of the genre's common tropes.[62]Kelly Thompson began writing aBlack Widow series the same year, with Elena Casagrande as the volume's artist.[47] The series was split into three-story arcs: "The Ties that Bind" introduced a brainwashed Black Widow who believed she lived a domestic life as a mother,[63] "I Am the Black Widow" continued the story with her memory returned and a new team of sidekicks and partners fighting alongside her,[64] and "Die by the Blade" concluded the 15-issue series with Black Widow and her team fighting a human-trafficking ring.[65]
Black Widow's character underwent a major redesign inVenom #26 (2023) when she became the host of asymbiote. She was given a new costume designed by CAFU, based on the appearance ofVenom.[66] The symbiote version of Black Widow made appearances inThunderbolts by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and Geraldo Borges,[67] and then inBlack Widow & Hawkeye by writerStephanie Phillips and artist Paolo Villaneli.[68] As a symbiote host, Black Widow became a major character in the "Venom War" storyline. Her role in the story was introduced in the one shotBlack Widow: Venomous, written byErica Schultz and illustrated by Luciano Vecchio.[69] She also appeared in a three-issue limited series,Venom War: Venomous, in late 2024, also created by Schultz and Vecchio.[70]
Natalia "Natasha" Alianovna Romanova was born in Russia. She was thrown from a burning building inStalingrad as an infant, where she is found and raised by the soldier Ivan Petrovich.[71]The Hand attempts to kidnap and brainwash her in 1941, but she is rescued byCaptain America andWolverine.[72] Natasha marriesAlexei Shostakov, but theKGB fakes his death to motivate Natasha to become a spy.[71] She is trained in a Soviet spy facility, theRed Room, where she is augmented through biotechnology; the process brings her body to its physical peak and slows cellular degeneration, enabling her to remain young and in her prime for decades.[47] The training program also gives her false memories of her life, leading her to believe that she had previously been a ballerina.[73] She was selected from the participants in the training program to become a spy and receives the codename "Black Widow".[47][73]
Natasha goes to the United States to seduceIron Man and later to fight theAvengers.[74] After she stops cooperating, she is brainwashed by the Soviet government until her love forHawkeye breaks through and causes her to reform.[75] Although she considers joining the Avengers, she is not immediately trusted by the team.[76] Natasha instead begins working with the intelligence agencyS.H.I.E.L.D. and appears to betray the Avengers when she works as adouble agent for the agency, causing her relationship with Hawkeye to end.[75]
Natasha becomes an independent crime-fighter until she begins a relationship withDaredevil. After she is framed for murder and clears her name, Natasha moves in with Daredevil inSan Francisco. She eventually leaves him and spends time alone in San Francisco in severe poverty.[77] Natasha then becomes a Russian language instructor atUCLA and joins the short-lived superhero team theChampions, who appoint her as team leader.[30] After the Champions disband, Natasha encounters the Hand, who poison her. Natasha dies as she reaches Daredevil to ask him for help, but one of his allies, Stone of the Chaste, brings her back to life.[78] The KGB forces Natasha to work for them again by creating aLife Model Decoy of her deceased husband, acting as if he had survived and was being held hostage. She again worked for the KGB unwillingly when she discovered that she was asleeper agent who had been programmed to obey upon activation.[78]
After many instances of joining and leaving, Natasha becomes the leader of the Avengers alongsideBlack Knight. She is forced to dissolve the Avengers after most members are seemingly killed byOnslaught, but considering herself the last Avenger, she teams up with Daredevil to hunt the Avengers' enemies. Still feeling guilty for their failure, she chooses not to rejoin as a long-term member when the Avengers returned.[78] While tracking a biotoxin, Natasha comes into conflict with another Black Widow,Yelena Belova, and both try to prove themselves as worthy of the title.[47] Afterward, Natasha learns that there were many Black Widows and that the KGB had implanted false memories in her about her life before she was a spy.[71]
AsNorman Osborn takes power over S.H.I.E.L.D.'s successor organizationH.A.M.M.E.R., Natasha disguises herself as Yelena on the orders ofNick Fury to infiltrate Osborn'sThunderbolts team. This Nick Fury is discovered to be a Life Model Decoy created by Osborn, and Natasha escapes to helpMaria Hill revive Tony Stark, who had previously wiped his own mind.[72] When Tony Stark becomes director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Black Widow operates alongsideBucky Barnes as he becomes the new Captain America.[71]
WhenHydra isin control of the American government, Black Widow is killed byan alternate version of Captain America working for Hydra. She is then reborn as a clone in a new Red Room, retaining all of her previous memories up to her death.[71] Natasha spends a period of time brainwashed into believing that she lived a domestic life with a fiancé and a son.[63] After recovering, she discovers and bonds with asymbiote in anAlchemax lab.[66]
As a superhero, Black Widow seeks to right the wrongs she committed earlier in life.[79] Despite this, she is more willing to kill adversaries than most superheroes[9] and has been described as emotionally cold since her first appearance.[80] She is naturally independent and capably works alone.[21] Black Widow is confident in her physical attractiveness and is willing to use it to her advantage.[81] She chooses not to wear a mask, which she sees as a statement of confidence in herself,[14] though in her early crime-fighting stories she was uncertain about whether she would regret letting others see her face.[82] Black Widow was less confident overall in the early days of her superhero career.[82]
As Black Widow regularly takes up alter egos and false personas as a spy, the character struggles to define her own identity.[53] When preparing to write forBlack Widow in 1999, Grayson decided that the character would need "tremendous strength and resolve" to have an identity of her own.[47] This identity crisis grew when Black Widow discovered that many of her memories, including the loss of her husband and her time as a professional ballerina, were faked by the Soviet Union.[83]
Black Widow was trained as a spy in the Red Room,[47] and she possess expert knowledge about the practice of espionage.[7] She uses her physical attractiveness to her advantage as a spy, manipulating others through seduction.[84] Unlike many superheroes, Black Widow does not have superhuman powers.[85] Instead, she underwent biochemical modification while training in the Red Room, increasing her physical prowess and slowing her aging.[86] Black Widow is a master of hand-to-hand combat, with training inaikido,boxing,judo,karate, andsavate. She also has training in most weapons and can operate most vehicles.[72] Outside of combat, Black Widow is a gymnast,[2][72] and she was taught ballet while in the Red Room.[47] She is fluent in Chinese, English, French, German, and Russian, among other languages.[72] As of the "Venom War" storyline, Black Widow has the powers of asymbiote host.[66]
In combat, Black Widow uses a pair of bracelets that conceal her equipment, operated by galvanic sensors connected to the muscles in her wrists.[72] When her primary design was established in 1970, they were equipped withtear gas pellets, a "widow's line" wire to swing between buildings likeSpider-Man and a "widow's bite"electroshock weapon.[87] The widow's bite has a range of 20 feet and can emit up to 30,000 volts. The bracelets also function as radio transmitters. Besides her bracelets, Black Widow sometimes carries explosives in her belt. The fingers and feet of her outfit contain microscopic suction cups that adhere to surfaces with an electrostatic charge.[72]
Black Widow was first introduced as a Soviet communist, and her origin is defined by theCold War.[4][88] As a communist spy, she was a foil for Iron Man and his symbolic representation of American values,[89] with the danger that Black Widow posed demonstrating the threat posed by the Soviet Union and communism.[90] Moreover, her role as a spy suggested a sense of dishonesty and deceit from Soviets that contrasted with Iron Man's role as a noble and selfless American;[91] Black Widow was surprised to see Iron Man risk his life to save Soviets, suggesting that such morality was unfamiliar to the Soviet Union.[88][91] When Black Widow chose to stop working for her Soviet handlers, they forced her to continue, first by threatening her parents and then by brainwashing her, symbolizing the Soviet Union's image as a country without liberty.[92] With her defection to the United States, Marvel reinforced its interpretation of Black Widow as an agent of good through her work with American superheroes, which stood in contrast to her villainous period with the Soviet Union.[93]
Black Widow's Soviet origin invokes a traumatic history for the character, reminiscent of the Soviet Union's history;[94] her surname, Romanova, invites comparison to theRomanov family that was killed during theRussian Revolution, drawing parallels of suffering at the hands of the Soviets.[95] Her superiors in the Soviet government were portrayed as evil,[88][5] and she was shown to fear them more than she feared her adversaries.[96] Black Widow was drawn as beautiful in contrast to the typically brutish and ugly portrayal of Soviets in Marvel Comics, suggesting innocence among the Soviets and making her more appealing to the reader.[89]Femme fatale characters frequently have origins in Russia,[97] and Black Widow's rejection of American gender roles in the 1960s reflected theotherness that she represented as an agent of the Soviet Union.[98]
Ballet is commonly associated with Russia, and it has a specific association with discipline in theRussian Empire through the military and the royal court.[99] The blending of ballet and military training draws upon the cultural competition of the Cold War.[86] Images of Black Widow alongside many identical ballerinas invokes the lack of individualism she faced in the Soviet Union.[100] This theme is further explored when the Red Room creates clones of her.[101]
Black Widow was the first solo female superhero created by Marvel Comics.[76] Unlike most superheroines in the 1960s, she was not created to be a love interest or a female derivative of a male character, and she was not created to fulfill a motherly or domestic role.[102] Black Widow further contrasted herself from other female Marvel characters in the 1960s by fighting her enemies in hand-to-hand combat.[9][97] The character was created in a time of uncertainty around gender roles in the United States, asa growing feminist movement competed with traditional femininity.[102] By the 1980s, differing cultural expectations of women meant that her portrayals varied significantly between these two focuses.[103] Sometimes, Black Widow subverts gender roles, being the more ruthless figure that stands in contrast with the more empathetic male characters.[104] Her characterization as a woman who rejects domesticity and poses a danger to men is representative of the femaleblack widow spider, which kills and eats its male partner;[105][90] in her first appearance, Black Widow is likened to the exotic dancer and alleged spyMata Hari.[90] Despite this, other aspects of Black Widow remain in alignment with traditional gender roles, including her practice as a ballerina and her portrayal as a victim of trauma.[97]
Throughout her 20th-century appearances, Black Widow was primarily defined by the men around her.[106][1] When she was a villain, Black Widow's motivation was to honor her husband who had been presumed dead.[9] This, along with her relationships with Iron Man and Hawkeye, meant that all of her actions were defined by the men in her life.[3] This trend continued when she reformed as a superhero, an action she took because of her love for Hawkeye, and then in her relationship with Daredevil.[107] This was part of a common theme in various media during the 1960s wherefemme fatale characters were redeemed through a romantic interest.[92] From the 1970s through the 1990s, Black Widow suffered what was described as the "widow's curse", in which she was unable to maintain relationships with men because they kept dying.[18] Her character's publication was also dependent on male characters, as her departure as a co-star ofDaredevil meant that he retained a standalone series but she did not.[108]
Black Widow was heavily sexualized during her 1970 run inAmazing Adventures, with frequent depictions of her changing outfits or wearing lingerie.[18] A recurring gag developed in which she changed in the backseat of her car while warning her driver "eyes front, Ivan". She was one of many female action heroes to follow a trend in the 1970s where strong women were portrayed as traditionally attractive, as writers tried to appease both the target male demographic and the feminist movement.[17] As part of the Black Widow program, Natasha's body was modified to make herinfertile and to give her a permanenthourglass figure.[86] Her sexuality was emphasized more explicitly when she appeared inDaredevil and other series over the following decades, as characters routinely commented on her sexual attractiveness.[109] Her sex appeal was featured prominently in the artwork forDaredevil, and she frequently wore revealing clothing when not in costume. Her role in the series also relegated her to being adamsel in distress.[110]
Black Widow was introduced as an enemy of Iron Man.[111]Hawkeye was Black Widow's ally and love interest in her 1960s appearances, working with him to fight Iron Man and then reforming so she can be with him in the United States.[74] They inverted the traditional gender roles, with Black Widow having the power in their relationship while Hawkeye played the role of a dependent love interest.[112] As they aligned with the Avengers, Black Widow was initially rebuffed due to her history as a Soviet spy.[76] She worked withAngel,Ghost Rider,Hercules, andIceman as part of the Champions. Black Widow and Hercules began a romance, but as an immortal he did not have interest in a long-term relationship with a mortal.[78] Black Widow has also worked with Spider-Man, at one point expressing romantic interest in him inMarvel Team-Up #82–85 (1979).[17]
Black Widow was fostered as a child by Ivan Petrovich,[47] who supported her superhero career by acting as her chauffeur.[18] He was initially portrayed as a father figure throughout her childhood, but newer accounts of Black Widow's history place her in training under the Soviet government for much of this time.[23] Other portrayals removed the father figure aspect and gave them a flirtatious relationship.[19] Ivan accompanied her until he became a cyborg and went insane, forcing her to kill him.[113] Black Widow was previously married to theRed Guardian through an arranged marriage.[52] He was believed dead, and he later sacrificed himself to save her.[114]Bucky Barnes was one of Natasha's instructors in the Red Room while he was the Winter Soldier,[72] and they were romantically involved while working together for the Soviet government.[73] After theSecret Invasion, Black Widow worked alongside Bucky, who had taken the title of Captain America after the death ofSteve Rogers.[115] The two grew closer and began a new romance.[52]
Many of Black Widow's enemies, such asDamon Dran andBullseye, come from her time working alongside Daredevil. She has come into conflict withthe Hand several times throughout her life and was at one point killed by them before being revived.[78] Black Widow finds a counterpart and rival inYelena Belova, another Black Widow. Yelena's relative youth causes Natasha to question her role as a Black Widow as she ages.[20]
It was my idea to team up Daredevil and the Black Widow, mainly because I was a fan of Natasha, and thought she and Daredevil would have interesting chemistry. I'm not sure what I based this on, other than my desire to bring the characters together. I'm a sucker for redheads!
Black Widow became closely associated with Daredevil in the 1970s, first as a recurring character in his series in 1971 and then as a main character alongside him when they began a romantic relationship.[117] She altered the dynamic of Daredevil's character, who had previously had one specific love interest inKaren Page.[118] Unlike Karen, Black Widow supported Daredevil's superhero activity, complementing this aspect of his character and making him more confident.[119]
Daredevil took a domineering role in their relationship,[120][121] and the couple were sometimes physically abusive toward one another.[122] It was ultimately detrimental to both characters' lives, with Black Widow growing dependent on Daredevil.[108] Though Black Widow was written out of the series after leaving him in 1975, they got back together in 1978 until he left her forHeather Glenn in 1980.[123] When this relationship became unhealthy, Daredevil's friendFoggy Nelson enlisted Black Widow to break them up.[124] After their romantic involvement, Black Widow and Daredevil remained friends and continued relying on each other as superheroes.[122]
Black Widow was not well known in popular culture until she was adapted to film inIron Man 2 (2010).[47] After her film appearances began, the character developed a strong fan base and became a focal point for calls of greater prominence of female comic book characters.[125] Darren Franich ofEntertainment Weekly described her as "THE Avengers B-lister, full stop".[126] Andrea Towers ofPolygon cited Black Widow's grounded values of empathy and loyalty as keeping the character relevant amid her inconsistent publication.[47] Writer Gerry Conway cited his work with Black Widow as his inspiration when he createdCinder and Ashe forDC Comics.[27]
Psychologist and popular culture writer Sherry Ginn praised Black Widow as a strong female role model, though other commentators have challenged this based on her history as a villain and depictions of the character as adamsel in distress.[127] Portrayals of Black Widow have been criticized as sexist, as she has often worn revealing outfits and played a subservient role to male characters. This was especially true of Gerry Conway's depiction of her inDaredevil before he updated her role and granted her more autonomy.[117] Black Widow's costume and design have been praised by comic writer Nathan Edmondson and Black Widow actressScarlett Johansson, who describe it as empowering the character and giving her legitimacy as a superhero.[87] This contrasts with her original costume from the 1960s, which Alan Kistler ofThe Mary Sue described as "a wee bit silly, even for the Silver Age of comics".[6]
Several Black Widow stories have received critical praise. "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider" (1999) and "Homecoming" (2004–2005) were celebrated for their exploration of thespy thriller genre. Her "Web of Intrigue" (1983) appearances inMarvel Fanfare and herDeadly Origin (2010) series received praise for their artwork, with the latter standing out for its contrasting art styles by Tom Raney and John Paul Leon in the flashback and present-day segments.[128][129] The positive reception toward theMarvel Fanfare appearances have led to multiple republications in standalone volumes.[27][35]
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In 1975,Angie Bowie wished to make a film or television series starring herself as Black Widow. The idea came while she was having lunch withStan Lee, and he sold her the film rights for one dollar. Bowie had costumes made and castBen Carruthers as Daredevil, but she was unable to get funding for the project and its production only went as far as test photography.[130]
With the success of the animated television showSpider-Man and His Amazing Friends in the 1980s, a Black Widow show was considered as one of several possible follow ups.[131] In 1996, a Black Widowtelevision film was written by Mel Friedmen and Christopher Cosby forFox Broadcasting Company. The script depicted Black Widow as a magazine publisher with a double-life as a crime-fighter, having her fight a crime syndicate called Octopus that killed her father.[132]Marvel Studios andLionsgate collaborated on a possible film adaptation written byDavid Hayter, but a series of poorly-performing action movies starring women in the mid-2000s caused Lionsgate to back out of the project.[133]
A film adaptation of Black Widow appears in theMarvel Cinematic Universe, played byScarlett Johansson. She first appeared as a supporting character inIron Man 2 (2010) and reprised the role inThe Avengers (2012),Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014),Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015),Captain America: Civil War (2016),Avengers: Infinity War (2018), andAvengers: Endgame (2019) before taking a leading role inBlack Widow (2021).[134] She was voiced byLake Bell inWhat If...? (2021–2024).[135]
Black Widow has been adapted in several video games and animated television series based on Marvel Comics properties. The character is frequently voiced byLaura Bailey, who has portrayed Black Widow in animated series such asAvengers Assemble (2013) andSpider-Man (2017) as well as video games such asLego Marvel Super Heroes (2013),Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order (2019),Marvel's Avengers (2020), andMarvel Rivals (2024). Other voice actresses for Black Widow includeOlivia d'Abo in the filmUltimate Avengers (2006),Lena Headey inThe Super Hero Squad Show (2009), andVanessa Marshall inThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (2010).[135]
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