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Black Widow (Natasha Romanova)

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(Redirected from Natasha Romanov)
For other Marvel Comics characters of the same name, see Black Widow (Marvel Comics). For the 2021 film of the same name, see Black Widow (2021 film).
"Natasha Romanoff" redirects here. For the film character, see Natasha Romanoff (Marvel Cinematic Universe).

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Alianovna and the family name is Romanova.

Natasha Romanova
Black Widow
Textless variant cover of Black Widow #1
(April 2010).
Art by Jelena Kevic Djurdjevic.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceTales of Suspense #52
(April 1964)
Created byStan Lee (editor/plotter)
Don Rico (writer)
Don Heck (artist)
In-story information
Alter egoNatalia Alianovna Romanova
Team affiliations
PartnershipsDaredevil
Hawkeye
Winter Soldier
Notable aliases
  • Natasha Romanoff
  • Natalie Rushman
Abilities
  • Expert marksman and mastery of various weapons
  • Expert martial artist and hand-to-hand combatant
  • Slowed aging, and enhanced immune system
  • Expert spy
  • Equipment via gauntlets granting:
    • Electroshock weapon
    • Explosives
    • Grappling hook
    • Knock out gas
    • Radio transmitter

Black Widow is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Don Rico, and artist Don Heck, the character debuted as an enemy of Iron Man in Tales of Suspense #52 (1964). She reformed as a hero in The Avengers #30 (1966) and her primary design was introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #86 (1970). Black Widow has been the main character in several comic issues since 1970, and she received her own Black Widow series in 1999. She is frequently a supporting character in The Avengers and Daredevil.

Black Widow, the moniker of Natalia Alianovna "Natasha Romanoff" Romanova (Russian: Наталья Альяновна "Наташа" Романова), is introduced as a spy for the Soviet Union until she defects to the United States. She subsequently joins the intelligence agency S.H.I.E.L.D., partners with Daredevil, and encounters a rival Black Widow in Yelena Belova. Though she has no distinct superpowers, she was augmented in the Red Room to increase her strength and reduce her aging. She has training in combat and espionage, and she wields a bracelet on each arm that fires electric shocks and projects wires 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 and femme fatale has influenced her portrayal, which was often contradictory as comics grappled with the conflict between traditional gender roles and second-wave feminism. The character is heavily sexualized both by artists and by the characters with whom she interacts.

Natasha Romanoff was portrayed by Scarlett Johansson in the live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) franchise from 2010 to 2021, and voiced by Lake Bell in the MCU multiverse animated series What If...? (2021–2024).

Publication history

[edit]
See also: List of Black Widow titles

1960s

[edit]
Tales of Suspense #52 (April 1964), the debut of Black Widow. Cover art by Jack Kirby and Paul Reinman.

Black Widow first appeared in Tales of Suspense #52 (1964) as an opponent of Iron Man.[1] She was designed by artist Don Heck, for a story plotted by Stan Lee and written by Don Rico under the pseudonym N. Korok.[2] The character was portrayed as a seductress 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] This version of Black Widow was infatuated with Tony Stark's looks and wealth, and she was easily distracted by jewelry.[3] Black Widow first took the role of a supervillain in Tales 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 blue bodysuit made primarily of fishnet-style webbing, a cape, and a mask designed to resemble the one used by Hawkeye. 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 in Avengers #29–30 (1966), where she manipulated Hawkeye, Power Man, and Swordsman into doing her bidding.[8] At the end of the story, she became a reformed villain 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 Iron Man 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 departure from a good versus evil portrayal of the Cold War.[11]

Black Widow's design underwent various changes as she appeared in the following issues of Avengers.[9] The character's backstory was expanded in Avengers #43 (1967), when she discovered that the secret identity of the Red 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 agency S.H.I.E.L.D.[12]

1970s

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Black Widow went one year without being in any new comic books, until she appeared in Avengers #76 (1970) to end her relationship with Hawkeye, effectively making her an independent character.[13] She then underwent a full redesign in The Amazing Spider-Man #86 (1970), where she was given the black costume and long red hair that became identified with her character.[14] Marvel followed this the same year with a series of Black Widow stories published in Amazing Adventures, which also published stories about the Inhumans.[15] Marvel's first series to feature stories led by a female superhero,[16] it portrayed Black Widow as a wealthy jet setter who doubled as a crime-fighter.[17] The first issues, written by Gary Friedrich and drawn by Gene Colan, were about political issues. Writers Roy Thomas and then Gerry Conway moved it away from politics in favor of melodrama, developing the relationship between Black Widow and her father figure Ivan Petrovich.[18] The series ran for eight issues, after which she was removed from the comic book so the Inhumans could be given a standalone series.[19]

As the writer for Daredevil, Conway introduced Black Widow as a supporting character and established a romance between the two as "a way to re-energize the title".[18] She joined the series in Daredevil #81 (1971).[14] John Romita Sr. designed a new costume for Black Widow based on the 1940s Miss Fury comic strip, but Colan was the artist for the series; his drawings of Black Widow emphasized her acrobatics and long red hair. Conway credited Colan with creating the "first empowered sexy babe" in comics.[20] 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 friend Foggy Nelson leading the prosecution. Conway then moved the setting to San 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 in Daredevil #91 (1972), having her stand up for herself when she felt neglected by Daredevil.[24] The series was retitled Daredevil and the Black Widow in the following issue.[25]

Steve Gerber became the writer for Daredevil 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 in Avengers #111–112 (1973), but left the team almost immediately as she wished to return to Daredevil.[25] Tony Isabella became the writer for Daredevil 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 robbed her of independence.[25]

When Isabella began writing The Champions, he included Black Widow as a member.[27] Originally intended to be a duo of Iceman and Angel, editor Len Wein mandated several changes to The 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 of The 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 to Avengers in issue #173 (1978) during the "Korvac Saga".[30] She returned to Daredevil as a supporting character in issues #155–165 (1978–1980).[25]

1980s

[edit]

Black Widow was less prominent in the 1980s.[19] She made an appearance in the anthology book Bizarre Adventures #25 (1981), as one of heroines leading a story written by Ralph Macchio and drawn by Paul 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 of James Bond, instead looking to the works of John 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 to Daredevil beginning in issue #187 (1982), created by Frank Miller. Miller redesigned her, giving her a more casual and masculine appearance with a gray leotard and shorter hair.[34] She also appeared in the shared books Marvel Two-in-One and Marvel Team-Up.[19]

The anthology book Marvel Fanfare #10–13 (1983–1984) featured Black Widow in her next solo story. Written by Macchio and drawn by George 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, in Marvel Premiere and then Marvel 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]

1990s

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Black Widow was the subject of the 61st Marvel Graphic Novel, "The Coldest War" (1990).[34][36] In this story, she is tricked into believing that her husband is alive and is forced to work for the Soviet Union to save him.[37] She returned to her black jumpsuit in the 1990s,[38] and she began working alongside Iron Man during the run of writer John Byrne and artist Paul Ryan, beginning in Iron Man #269 (1991).[34] Black Widow again became a member of the Avengers with its new roster in Avengers #343 (1992).[39] 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 in Captain America and Force Works.[19] Black Widow returned to Daredevil in issue #362 (1997), which had her become more vengeful as she responded to the Onslaught event that caused the apparent deaths of her allies in the Avengers.[40] She reappeared in the new volume of the Avengers, but only infrequently as a guest character.[19] Black Widow's Marvel Fanfare story was reprinted as a single volume in 1999, titled Black Widow: Web of Intrigue.[27]

Black Widow was featured in two more entries of the Marvel Graphic Novel series: Punisher/Black Widow: Spinning Doomsday's Web (1992) and Daredevil/Black Widow: Abattoir (1993). Spinning Doomsday's Web is the 74th entry in the series and features Black Widow working with the Punisher to defeat Malum.[41] Abattoir is the 75th and final entry in the series, featuring Black Widow and Daredevil as they investigate the murders of telepaths.[42] She then starred in another graphic novel, Fury/Black Widow: Death Duty (1995). Although she shares the title with Nick Fury, he only briefly appears and the book, and she instead teams with Night Raven in his first appearance in Marvel's mainline continuity.[43] Black Widow then starred in a three-issue arc, "The Fire Next Time", by writer Scott Lobdell and penciller Randy Green, in Journey into Mystery #517–519 (1998).[44] At the same time, writer Kevin Smith had her return to Daredevil during the first storyline of its second volume.[45]

A new character, Yelena Belova, took the moniker Black Widow beginning in Inhumans #5 (1999).[46] The two Black Widows came into conflict in the limited series Black Widow the same year, which was written by Devin Grayson and drawn by J. G. Jones, running for three issues.[47] The series was part of the Marvel Knights imprint and encompassed a single story, "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider". It was the first comic book series to solely feature Black Widow as the main character, having previously shared each book with other heroes excepting only her standalone 1990 graphic novel.[36]

2000s

[edit]

Grayson wrote a second three-issue Black Widow miniseries featuring the Natasha and Yelena Black Widows in 2001, alongside co-writer Greg Rucka and artist Scott Hampton.[48] Black Widow returned to Daredevil in its "The Widow" storyline (2004) by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Alex Maleev.[49] Richard K. Morgan wrote Black Widow: Homecoming in 2004 with Bill Sienkiewicz and Goran Parlov, simplifying Black Widow's backstory into a consistent series of events.[36] 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 and Sean 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 the Ultimate Universe in the 2000s, where she is a member of the Ultimates.[51]

Black Widow: Deadly Origin ran in 2009–2010, written by Paul Cornell and drawn by Tom Raney and John 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]

2010s

[edit]

Black Widow became more widely known to the public after the character was adapted to film in Iron 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. Black Widow and the Marvel Girls (2010) was created by Salvador Espin, Veronica Gandini, Takeshi Miyazawa, and Paul Tobin.[36]

The next volume of Black Widow featured the "Name of the Rose" (2010) story arc, was written by Marjorie Liu and drawn by Daniel Acuña, the latter creating art influenced by film noir.[36] The series was then transferred to writer Duane Swierczynski and artist Manuel Garcia for the "Kiss and Kill" story arc.[54] Jim McCann wrote the Widowmaker limited series in 2010 with artist David López. The series was a crossover between Black Widow and the ongoing Hawkeye & Mockingbird series.[55] Black Widow also appeared as a main character in Secret Avengers.[56]

A new Black Widow series was created for the Marvel Now! branding in 2014, created by Nathan Edmondson and Phil Noto. This series returned to Grayson's characterization of Black Widow as more introspective than action-oriented.[36] It was the longest running Black Widow series with 20 issues, ending in 2015 with the Secret Wars event.[57] Black Widow: Forever Red, a young adult novel featuring the cinematic universe version of Black Widow, was written by Margaret Stohl and released in 2015.[58]

The next volume of Black Widow was introduced in 2016, written by Mark Waid and drawn by Chris Samnee. These stories followed the lead of the cinematic version, exploring her work with S.H.I.E.L.D. and her experiences in the Red Room.[36] Waid's series ran for twelve issues.[59] Horror writers Jen and Sylvia Soska wrote a Black Widow miniseries in 2019 with the artist Flaviano,[60] and Jody Houser wrote the five issue series Web of Black Widow the same year, with Stephen Mooney as its artist.[61]

2020s

[edit]

Macchio joined artist Simon Buonfantino in a return to Black Widow with Black 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 a Black Widow series the same year, with Elena Casagrande as the volume's artist.[36] 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 in Venom #26 (2023) when she became the host of a symbiote. She was given a new costume designed by CAFU, based on the appearance of Venom.[66] The symbiote version of Black Widow made appearances in Thunderbolts by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and Geraldo Borges,[67] and then in Black Widow & Hawkeye by writer Stephanie 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 shot Black Widow: Venomous, written by Erica Schultz and drawn by Luciano Vecchio.[69] She is scheduled to appear in a three issue limited series, Venom War: Venomous, in late 2024. This series will also be created by Schltz and Vecchio.[70]

Characterization

[edit]

Fictional character biography

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First costume (and bouffant hairdo). From The Avengers #36 (Jan. 1967), art by Don Heck.

Natalia "Natasha" Alinovna Romanova was born in Russia, where she was thrown from a burning building in Stalingrad. 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 by Captain America and Wolverine.[72] Natasha marries Alexei Shostakov, but the KGB fakes his death to motivate Natasha to become a spy.[71] She trains in the Red 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.[36] The 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 program to become a spy and receives the codename "Black Widow".[36][73]

Natasha goes to the United States to seduce Iron Man and later to fight the Avengers.[74] She is brainwashed by the Soviet government after she stops cooperating, but her love for Hawkeye 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 agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and appears to betray the Avengers when she works as a double agent for the agency, causing her relationship with Hawkeye to end.[75]

Natasha becomes an independent crime-fighter until she begins a relationship with Daredevil. After she is framed for murder and clears her name, Natasha moves in with Daredevil in San Francisco. She eventually leaves Daredevil and spends time alone in San Francisco in severe poverty.[77] Natasha then becomes a Russian language instructor at UCLA and joins the short-lived superhero team the Champions, who appoint her as team leader.[30] After the Champions disband, Natasha encounters The Hand. They poison her, and she dies as she reaches Daredevil to ask him for help. One of Daredevil's allies, Stone of the Chaste, brings her back to life.[78] The KGB forces Natasha to work for them again by creating a life model decoy of 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 a sleeper agent who had been programmed to obey upon activation.[78]

After many instances of joining and leaving, Natasha becomes the leader of the Avengers alongside Black Knight. She is forced to dissolve the Avengers after most members are seemingly killed by Onslaught, but considering herself the last Avenger, she teams up with Daredevil to hunt the Avengers' enemies. Still 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.[36] 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]

As Norman Osborn takes power over S.H.I.E.L.D.'s successor organization H.A.M.M.E.R., Natasha disguises herself as Yelena on the orders of Nick Fury to infiltrate Osborn's Thunderbolts team. This Nick Fury is discovered to be a Life Model Decoy created by Osborn, and Natasha escapes to help Maria Hill revive Tony Stark, who had previously wiped his mind.[72] When Tony Stark becomes director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Black Widow joins and operates alongside Bucky Barnes as he becomes the new Captain America.[71]

When Hydra is in control of the American government, Black Widow is killed by an 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 a symbiote in an Alchemax lab.[66]

Personality and motivation

[edit]

As a superhero, Black Widow seeks to right the wrongs she committed earlier in life.[79] She is more willing to kill adversaries than most superheroes,[9] and she has been described as emotionally cold since her first appearance.[80] Black Widow is naturally independent, and she capably works alone.[21] Black Widow projects an air of confidence in her civilian life,[81] and she is self-assured in her physical appearance and her ability to leverage it.[82] 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.[83] Black Widow was less confident overall in the early days of her superhero career.[83]

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 for Black Widow in 1999, Grayson decided that the character would need "tremendous strength and resolve" to have an identity of her own.[36] 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.[84]

Abilities and equipment

[edit]

Black Widow was trained as a spy in the Red Room,[36] 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.[85] Unlike many superheroes, Black Widow is not associated with superhuman powers.[86] Instead, she underwent biochemical modification while training in the Red Room, increasing her physical prowess and slowing her aging.[87] Black Widow is a master of hand-to-hand combat, with training in aikido, boxing, judo, karate, and savate. 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.[36] 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 a symbiote 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 with tear gas pellets, a "widow's line" wire to swing between buildings like Spider-Man and a "widow's bite" electroshock weapon.[88] 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]

Themes and motifs

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Communism and Russophobia

[edit]

The character of Black Widow was first introduced as a Soviet communist, and her origin is defined by the Cold War.[4][89] As a communist spy, she was a foil for Iron Man and his symbolic representation of American values,[90] where the danger posed by Black Widow demonstrated a danger posed by the Soviet Union and communism.[91] 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.[92] Black Widow was surprised to see Iron Man risk his life to save Soviets, suggesting that such morality was unfamiliar to the Soviet Union.[89][92] When Black Widow chose to stop working with her Soviet handlers, they forced her to continue, first by threatening her parents and then by brainwashing her, reminiscent of the Soviet Union's image as a country without liberty.[93] With her defection to the United States, Marvel reinforced its interpretation of Black Widow as an agent of good through her work with the American heroes opposed to her villainous period with the Soviet Union.[94]

The trauma and painful history Black Widow endures is tied to her Soviet origin.[95] Her superiors in the Soviet government were portrayed as evil,[89][5] and she was shown to fear them more than her 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.[90] Femme fatale characters frequently have origins in Russia,[97] and Black Widow's rejection of American gender roles in the 1960s reflected the otherness that she represented as an agent of the Soviet Union.[98] The character's surname Romanova invites comparison to the Romanov family that was killed during the Russian Revolution, drawing parallels of suffering at the hands of the Soviets.[99]

Ballet is commonly associated with Russia, and it has a specific association with discipline in the Russian Empire through the military and the royal court.[100] The blending of ballet and military training draws upon the cultural competition of the Cold War.[87] Images of Natasha alongside many identical ballerinas invokes the lack of individualism she faced in the Soviet Union.[101] This theme is further explored when the Red Room creates clones of her.[102]

Feminism and sexuality

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Black Widow was the first solo female superhero created by Marvel Comics.[76] Unlike most heroines to that point, she was not a love interest or a female derivative of a male character, and she was not created to fulfill a motherly or domestic role.[103] She 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, as a growing feminist movement competed with traditional femininity.[103] By the 1980s, differing cultural expectations of women meant that her portrayals varied significantly between these focuses.[104] Black Widow sometimes subverts gender roles as the more ruthless character in contrast with more empathetic male characters.[105] Her characterization as a woman who rejects domesticity and poses a danger to men is representative of the female black widow spider, which kills and eats its male partner.[106][91] In her first appearance, Black Widow is likened to the exotic dancer and alleged spy Mata Hari.[91] 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] As part of the Black Widow program, Natasha's body was modified to make her infertile and to give her a permanent hourglass figure.[87]

Throughout her 20th century appearances, Black Widow was primarily defined by the men around her.[107][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] The trend continued when she reformed as a superhero because of her love for Hawkeye and then Daredevil.[108] This was part of a common theme in various media during the 1960s where femme fatale characters were given redemption through a romantic interest.[93] 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.[17] Her character's publication was also dependent on male characters, as her departure as a co-star of Daredevil meant that he retained a standalone series but she did not.[109]

Black Widow was heavily sexualized during her 1970 run in Amazing Adventures, with frequent depictions of her changing outfits or wearing lingerie.[17] 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.[16] Her sexuality was emphasized more explicitly when she appeared in Daredevil and other series over the following decades, as characters routinely commented on her sexual attractiveness.[110] Her sex appeal was again featured prominently in the series' artwork, and she frequently wore less clothing when not in costume. This role also relegated her to being a damsel in distress.[111]

Supporting characters

[edit]
Main article: List of Black Widow supporting characters

Black Widow was introduced as an enemy of Iron Man.[112] Hawkeye was Black Widow's ally and love interest in her 1960s appearances, working with him to against 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.[113] As they aligned with the Avengers, Black Widow was initially rebuffed due to her history as a Soviet spy.[76] She worked with Angel, Ghost Rider, Hercules, and Iceman as part of the Champions. She began a romance with Hercules, 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 Marvel Team-Up #82–85 (1979).[16]

Black Widow was fostered as a child by Ivan Petrovich,[36] who supported her in her superhero career as her chauffeur.[17] 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.[18] Ivan accompanied her until he became a cyborg and went insane, forcing her to kill him.[114] Black Widow was previously married to the Red Guardian through an arranged marriage.[52] He was believed dead, and he later sacrificed himself to save her.[115] 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 the Secret Invasion, Black Widow worked alongside Barnes, who had taken the title of Captain America after the death of Steve Rogers.[116] The two grew closer and began a new romance.[52]

Many of Black Widow's enemies, such as Damon Dran and Bullseye, come from her time working alongside Daredevil. She has come into conflict with The 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 in Yelena Belova, another Black Widow. Yelena's relative youth causes Natasha to question her role as a Black Widow as she ages.[19]

Daredevil

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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.[118] She altered the dynamic of Daredevil's character, who had previously had one specific love interest in Karen Page.[119] Unlike Page, Black Widow supported Daredevil's superhero activity, complementing this aspect of his character and making him more confident.[120]

Daredevil took a domineering role in their relationship,[121][122] and the couple were sometimes physically abusive toward one another.[123] It was ultimately detrimental to both characters' lives, with Black Widow growing dependent on Daredevil.[109] Though Black Widow was written out of the series after leaving him in 1975, they got back together in 1978 until he left her for Heather Glenn in 1980.[124] When this relationship became unhealthy, Daredevil's friend Foggy Nelson enlisted Black Widow to break them up.[125] After their romantic involvement, Black Widow and Daredevil remained friends and continued relying on each other as superheroes.[123]

Reception

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Black Widow was not well known in popular culture until she was adapted to film in Iron Man 2 (2010).[36] Portrayals of Black Widow have been criticized as sexist, as she has often worn revealing outfits and played a subservient role to male characters.[24] Writer Gerry Conway cited his work on Black Widow as his inspiration when he created Cinder and Ashe for DC Comics.[27]

Several Black Widow stories have received critical praise. "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider" (1999) and "Homecoming" (2004–2005) were celebrated for their exploration of the spy thriller genre. Her "Web of Intrigue" (1983) appearances in Marvel Fanfare and her "Deadly 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 flash back and present day segments.[126][127] The positive reception toward the Marvel Fanfare appearances have led to multiple republications in standalone volumes.[27][35]

IGN ranked Black Widow 42nd in their "Top 50 Avengers" list,[128] and 74th in their "Top 100 Comic Book Heroes" list.[129] Jesse Schedeen of IGN included Black Widow in their "Marvel's Femme Fatales" list, writing, "Whatever happens, at least it can be said that Natasha's life still hasn't become boring after all these years,"[130] Rob Bricken of Gizmodo ranked Black Widow 13th in their "Every Member Of The Avengers" list, saying, "She's been one of the most venerable Avengers".[131] Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly ranked Black Widow 14th in their "Let's Rank Every Avenger Ever" list, saying that "Widow spent most of her fictional life as simply THE Avengers B-lister, full stop".[132]

In other media

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Scarlett Johansson (pictured in 2012), who portrays Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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 with Stan Lee, and he sold her the film rights for one dollar. Bowie had costumes made and cast Ben Carruthers as Daredevil, but she was unable to get funding for the project and its production only went as far as test photography.[133]

With the success of the animated television show Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends in the 1980s, a Black Widow show was considered as one of several possible follow ups.[134] In 1996, a Black Widow television film was written by Mel Friedmen and Christopher Cosby for Fox 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.[135]

A film adaptation of Black Widow appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, played by Scarlett Johansson. She first appeared as a supporting character in Iron Man 2 (2010) and reprised the role in The Avengers (2012), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019) before taking a leading role in Black Widow (2021).[136] She was voiced by Lake Bell in What If...? (2021–2024).[137]

Black Widow has been adapted in several video games and animated television series based on Marvel Comics properties. The character is frequently voiced by Laura Bailey, who has portrayed Black Widow in animated series such as Avengers Assemble (2013) and Spider-Man (2017) as well as video games such as Lego Marvel Super Heroes (2013), Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order (2019), Marvel's Avengers (2020), and Marvel Rivals (2024). Other voice actresses for Black Widow include Olivia d'Abo in the film Ultimate Avengers (2006), Lena Headey in The Super Hero Squad Show (2009), and Vanessa Marshall in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (2010).[137]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b Benjamin 2017, p. 75.
  2. ^ a b Gilbert 2008, p. 100.
  3. ^ a b c Frankel 2017, p. 52.
  4. ^ a b Costello 2009, pp. 63, 191.
  5. ^ a b Sheppard 2015, p. 35.
  6. ^ Frankel 2017, p. 53.
  7. ^ a b Sheppard 2015, p. 37.
  8. ^ Frankel 2017, pp. 53–54.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Frankel 2017, p. 54.
  10. ^ Costello 2009, pp. 67–68.
  11. ^ Kohl 2014, p. 26.
  12. ^ Sheppard 2015, pp. 36–37.
  13. ^ Frankel 2017, pp. 54–56.
  14. ^ a b c Frankel 2017, p. 57.
  15. ^ Howe 2012, p. 106.
  16. ^ a b c Frankel 2017, p. 59.
  17. ^ a b c d Frankel 2017, p. 61.
  18. ^ a b c Harvey 2008, p. 4.
  19. ^ a b c d e f Roach & Sanderson 2012, p. 65.
  20. ^ Howe 2012, p. 115.
  21. ^ a b Carson 2010, p. 33.
  22. ^ Harvey 2008, p. 5.
  23. ^ a b Carson 2010, p. 35.
  24. ^ a b Frankel 2017, p. 62.
  25. ^ a b c d Frankel 2017, p. 63.
  26. ^ a b Harvey 2008, p. 6.
  27. ^ a b c d e f Harvey 2008, p. 7.
  28. ^ Howe 2012, p. 158.
  29. ^ Isabella 2006, p. 13.
  30. ^ a b Frankel 2017, p. 65.
  31. ^ Mangles 2017, p. 22.
  32. ^ Mangles 2017, pp. 22–23.
  33. ^ a b c Mangles 2017, p. 23.
  34. ^ a b c Frankel 2017, p. 66.
  35. ^ a b Mangles 2017, p. 24.
  36. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Towers 2021.
  37. ^ Weiner 2008, p. 22.
  38. ^ Frankel 2017, p. 67.
  39. ^ Darowski 2014a, p. 95.
  40. ^ Shutt 1997, p. 40.
  41. ^ Weiner 2008, p. 21.
  42. ^ Weiner 2008, p. 49.
  43. ^ Weiner 2008, p. 26.
  44. ^ Dietsch 2020.
  45. ^ Lindsay 2013a, p. 111.
  46. ^ Gilbert 2008, p. 293.
  47. ^ Gilbert 2008, p. 294.
  48. ^ Gilbert 2008, p. 304.
  49. ^ Frankel 2017, p. 64.
  50. ^ Brooke 2020a.
  51. ^ O'Rourke 2014, p. 131.
  52. ^ a b c Frankel 2017, p. 68.
  53. ^ a b Frankel 2017, p. 69.
  54. ^ Armitage 2010.
  55. ^ Meylikhov 2010.
  56. ^ Garza 2019.
  57. ^ Castle 2015.
  58. ^ Peppard 2017, p. 133n13.
  59. ^ Grover 2017.
  60. ^ Govan 2019.
  61. ^ Chiu-Tabet 2019.
  62. ^ Brooke 2020b.
  63. ^ a b Moon 2021a.
  64. ^ Moon 2021b.
  65. ^ Moon 2022.
  66. ^ a b c Schlesinger 2023.
  67. ^ Brooke 2023.
  68. ^ Pleasant 2024.
  69. ^ Brooke 2024.
  70. ^ Salmon 2024.
  71. ^ a b c d e Fentiman 2019, p. 55.
  72. ^ a b c d e f g h Hoskin 2008, Black Widow Update.
  73. ^ a b c Marston 2021.
  74. ^ a b Frankel 2017, pp. 52–54.
  75. ^ a b Sheppard 2015, pp. 35–36.
  76. ^ a b c Roach & Sanderson 2012, p. 64.
  77. ^ Harvey 2008, pp. 5–6.
  78. ^ a b c d e Christiansen, Byrd & Hoskin 2004, Black Widow.
  79. ^ Wolk 2021, p. 306.
  80. ^ Sheppard 2015, p. 31.
  81. ^ Harvey 2008, p. 3.
  82. ^ Sheppard 2015, p. 34.
  83. ^ a b Harvey 2008, pp. 3–4.
  84. ^ Wiedlack 2021, p. 999.
  85. ^ Sheppard 2015, pp. 31–34.
  86. ^ Ginn 2017a, p. 4.
  87. ^ a b c Wiedlack 2021, p. 1003.
  88. ^ Frankel 2017, pp. 57–58.
  89. ^ a b c Patton 2015, p. 11.
  90. ^ a b Wiedlack 2021, p. 994.
  91. ^ a b c Wiedlack 2021, p. 995.
  92. ^ a b Sheppard 2015, pp. 32–33.
  93. ^ a b Sheppard 2015, p. 36.
  94. ^ Wiedlack 2021, p. 996.
  95. ^ Wiedlack 2021, p. 997.
  96. ^ Sheppard 2015, p. 32.
  97. ^ a b c Wiedlack 2021, p. 993.
  98. ^ Sheppard 2015, pp. 31–32.
  99. ^ Wiedlack 2021, pp. 996–997.
  100. ^ Wiedlack 2021, p. 998.
  101. ^ Wiedlack 2021, pp. 999–1000.
  102. ^ Wiedlack 2021, pp. 1000–1004.
  103. ^ a b Sheppard 2015, p. 30.
  104. ^ Frankel 2017, pp. 66–67.
  105. ^ Wiedlack 2021, p. 1005.
  106. ^ Sheppard 2015, pp. 30–31.
  107. ^ Frankel 2017, pp. 52–62.
  108. ^ Frankel 2017, pp. 54, 61–62.
  109. ^ a b Lindsay 2013a, p. 110.
  110. ^ Frankel 2017, pp. 63–64, 66.
  111. ^ Lindsay 2013a, pp. 109–110.
  112. ^ Sheppard 2015, pp. 30–33.
  113. ^ Sheppard 2015, pp. 34, 36–37.
  114. ^ Fentiman 2019, p. 269.
  115. ^ Maguire 2014, p. 16.
  116. ^ Fentiman 2019, p. 73.
  117. ^ Carson 2010, p. 32.
  118. ^ Frankel 2017, pp. 62–63.
  119. ^ Carson 2010, p. 31.
  120. ^ Lindsay 2013a, pp. 103.
  121. ^ Benjamin 2017, pp. 78–79.
  122. ^ Lindsay 2013a, p. 108.
  123. ^ a b Carson 2010, p. 38.
  124. ^ Frankel 2017, pp. 63–64.
  125. ^ Hanefalk 2013, p. 90.
  126. ^ Lydon 2021.
  127. ^ Schedeen 2010.
  128. ^ "The Top 50 Avengers". IGN. April 30, 2012. Archived from the original on July 7, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  129. ^ "Black Widow - #74". IGN. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  130. ^ Schedeen, Jesse (September 4, 2009). "Marvel's Femme Fatales". IGN. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  131. ^ Bricken, Rob (February 26, 2015). "Every Member Of The Avengers, Ranked". Gizmodo. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  132. ^ Franich, Darren (April 29, 2015). "Let's rank every Avenger ever". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  133. ^ Menzies 2017, pp. 21–22.
  134. ^ Howe 2012, p. 244.
  135. ^ Allstetter 1996, p. 84.
  136. ^ Chitwood 2021.
  137. ^ a b "Black Widow". Behind the Voice Actors.

References

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Books

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Journals and periodicals

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Web

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