Black Widow

Note: For others that have used the name Black Widow, see: Black Widow for the Golden Age Black Widow, and Yelena Belova for the third Black Widow.

Origin

Natalia “Natasha” Alianovna Romanova born circa 1928 and was raised from her youth by a Russian soldier Ivan Petrovich Bezukhov after she was orphaned when enemy soldiers attacked Stalingrad. To save Ivan’s life, she accepted a place in the Soviet government’s covert “Red Room” facility. While there, she was bio- and psycho-technologically enhanced – granting her an unusually long lifespan and prolonged youthful appearance. She became one of the special agents known as the Black Widow. While in the program she was trained by the Winter Soldier, and the two became lovers. Each Black Widow was deployed with false memories to help ensure their loyalty. Natasha was given memories of becoming a ballerina but eventually discovered this fact, along with the knowledge that the Red Room is still active as “2R”.

Creation

Black Widow was created by Stan Lee, Don Rico and Don Heck. She made her first appearance as a villain in Tales of Suspense #52.

Character Evolution

It is rumored that Black Widow is somehow related to the last ruling czars of Russia, but this has yet to be proven. Not much is known about Black Widow’s history prior to World War II other than she was born as Natalia Romanova in Stalingrad, Russia to unknown parents. Nazis set fire to the building that Natasha and her parents were living in and her mother threw Natasha out of the window into the arms of a Russian soldier named Ivan Petrovitch, who was serving in the army at the time. Ivan took care of Natasha while she was growing up and later became her chauffeur. After a youth spent traveling through war-torn Europe with Ivan and his company of troops, Natasha was recruited by the Red Room. Her masters there arranged a marriage with the hero pilot Alexei Shostakov, and soon with the help of Red Room brainwashing, Natasha became convinced she was an ordinary Russian housewife. When Alexei was (seemingly) killed, Natasha found she had a deep-rooted desire to serve her country and demanded the government let her serve in his place. She became the KGB’s top agent.

Major Story Arcs

Young Natasha

For a while, Black Widow was trained and helped by Wolverine, who temporarily left his violent ways for her and cared very much about her well-being. Ivan also protected Natasha, until in 1941, when she was kidnapped by the Nazi Baron Strucker and was made an assassin for the Hand. However, she was taken back (against her will) by Ivan, Captain America, and Wolverine. When Wolverine came back to America, Black Widow saved him from Hydra assassins and encountered him again when Ben Grimm and Carol Danvers stole the Red Storm project from Russia. She pursued them but was ordered to abort the mission. During this time, Widow fell in love with a somewhat brainwashed Bucky Barnes.

Agent of the USSR

One of her assignments was to infiltrate Stark Industries with her partner Boris Turgenov in the assassination of Anton Vanko. The Black Widow, however, had her plans foiled by Iron Man. Natasha was attracted to Tony Stark and decided to try and distract him so that her partner could destroy Stark’s plants. Soon after her partner Boris Turgenov and enemy, Anton Vanko died, Natasha decided to stay in America and act as an undercover spy in order to regain the favor of the K.G.B. She faked sympathy in Tony Stark in order to steal his anti-gravity device. Natasha would be successful in stealing the device and used it to cause destruction. Eventually, Iron Man would be able to destroy his anti-gravity device but was unable to apprehend Natasha.

Hawkeye

Natasha would soon run into Hawkeye, who was a wanted man by mistake. She would sometimes use Hawkeye as he was attracted to her, and he would help her in some of her missions. Natasha was able to trick Hawkeye into stealing plans from Tony Stark. Hawkeye agreed to her plan and would eventually run into Iron Man. The two fought each other while Natasha watched from far away. However, one of Hawkeye’s arrows was reflected by Iron Man and it flew off and hit Natasha, knocking her unconscious. After she woke up, the K.G.B. gave her orders to stop attacking Stark Industries and gave her a new target, the Williams Innovations. Natasha would again convince Hawkeye somehow into attacking the company. However, Hawkeye would encounter Spider-Man, who convinced him that he was doing the wrong thing. However, Natasha would somehow convince Hawkeye again into stealing the Stark plans again. While Hawkeye was on the mission, the K.G.B. came and kidnapped Natasha, bringing her back to Russia. They designed a new costume for Natasha and new equipment. Natasha then returned to join Hawkeye in a battle against Iron Man. However, Iron Man would defeat them when he shocks Natasha with an electrical blast.

However, her attraction towards Hawkeye questioned her loyalty to Russia. Hawkeye refused to work with Black Widow and joined the Avengers. The K.G.B. once again kidnapped Natasha and brainwashed her into serving them again. They ordered her to attack the Avengers, but she freed herself from their brainwashing and reunited with Hawkeye. She became an ally of the Avengers, aiding them in many missions. However, she was not a full-time member as she did not respect the Avenger’s oath of non-killing.

Natasha later decided to join SHIELD to be their double agent and operative against the K.G.B. During a mission for S.H.I.E.L.D., Natasha discovered that Alexei Shostakov was in fact still alive and had become the Red Guardian. She and the Avengers fought Red Guardian and he died in battle. Distraught, she declined the Avengers’ offer to make her an official member and abandoned her Black Widow alias for a while.

Relationship with Daredevil

Black Widow’s relationship with Hawkeye ended when Natasha resumed her identity as the Black Widow. She told him that she wanted to pursue a solo career and had to break it off with him. She became an all-new Black Widow, changing her costume into an all-black color. She became a vigilante and fought against common criminals in New York. Eventually, Natasha would be reunited with Ivan when he comes to America, Ivan served as Natasha’s chauffeur and would occasionally give her advice. While working in New York, Natasha would encounter Daredevil. The two quickly teamed up and eventually developed a romantic relationship. Natasha’s relationship with Foggy Nelson, Matt’s partner, was never good, as he was brainwashed into prosecuting Natasha for the murder of the Scorpion. Natasha never forgave Foggy for that incident, even though she was proven innocent. Eventually, Matt and Natasha’s relationship would go so far to the point where Matt broke up with Karen Page. The new couple decided to move to San Francisco to start a new life there. They continued their duo-vigilante careers in the streets of San Francisco.

Natasha would pursue a career outside of crime-fighting and would try to become a fashion designer. However, she failed in this endeavor. This did not help her relationship with Matt, which had become a bit shaky. Natasha and Daredevil would later aid the Avengers in a battle against Magneto, and the two were offered memberships to the Avengers which they accepted. However, Natasha soon realized that she was not a comfortable fit for a team while fighting the Lion God. Natasha quit the Avengers and reconciled with Matt. They continued their relationship for quite some time, but eventually, Natasha would break up with Matt because she felt he did not treat her equally on the battlefield. She would remain friends with Matt and continue to help him on occasion.

The Champions

She remained on the West Coast and briefly joined and led the Champions of Los Angeles, all the while having a romantic relationship with Hercules. The group was funded by Angel and achieved moderate success, but was eventually broken off due to bankruptcy. Shortly after the Champions had disbanded, Natasha and Hercules answered a summons from their former team the Avengers, and aided them in battling the nigh-omnipotent man-god Michael Korvac. Hercules and the Black Widow split up a short time later and Natasha went solo for a while.

Natasha was still widely known by the criminal underworld as one of Daredevil’s lovers. With this knowledge, Bullseye kidnapped Natasha, wanting to use her as bait to lure Daredevil into a trap. Natasha was able to free herself and aided Daredevil in defeating Bullseye. Later, an enemy of Natasha’s named Damon Dran captured Ivan in order to lure Black Widow into his trap. He had an army of female combatants. Damon Dran wanted to send a fake Black Widow to assassinate Nick Fury. Natasha defeated Dran’s agents and told Fury about the attempted assassination saving Ivan before Dran’s island was bombed by S.H.I.E.L.D.

Later, when The Hand wanted to steal and revive the body of Kirigi – a dead master warrior – Black Widow tried to thwart their plans but they poisoned her and she died, only to be restored to life again by Stone of the Chaste. After witnessing a strange interaction between Matt and his fiancee Heather Glenn, out of concern for Matt’s mental health, Natasha visited Foggy Nelson. He told Natasha that Matt was very depressed following the death of Elektra, but also alleged that Matt had ruined his fiancee Heather Glenn’s career to force her to agree to marry him. The two decided to write forged notes to both Matt and Heather to make them break up (the truth of Heather and Matt’s dispute was that Matt stopped Heather’s business life after her company was corrupted by Kingpin’s cohorts).

Natasha then teamed up with Daredevil to stop the Hand who were attempting to revive Elektra to serve as their new champion. During the battle, a desperate Daredevil himself attempts to revive Elektra’s corpse but thinks his attempt has failed, and he leaves with Black Widow. Natasha however, knew that Elektra had been successfully revived, but she kept this information from Daredevil for his own good.

Heather Glenn was so upset by the breakup that she committed suicide. This made Natasha partly responsible for her death. Russian agents duped Natasha into doing their dirty work by building a model of Alexei Shostakov called a Life Model Decoy (LMD). They threatened to kill “Alexei” if she did not participate in their plans. When Natasha got what they needed, they revealed the truth and tried to kill her but she defeated them with Ivan’s help. Natasha’s brain was then reprogrammed into an agent called “Oktober” launching missiles to ignite World War III. Natasha was successful in launching the missiles. Iron Man, however, stopped the missiles from detonating and helped her capture the K.G.B. agent responsible for the reprogramming.

Joining the Avengers

Natasha returned to the Avengers and even though Black Knight was the leader on the field, she was leader in managing the team’s plans. During this time, she was attracted to Captain America, but she ended up with Iron Man. Under her leadership of the team, they were all apparently killed in battle by Onslaught. She attempted to recruit new heroes, but failed and threatened legal action against her from Mary Stark Foundation and let go.

After Onslaught

Natasha believed herself to be the last Avenger and so operated alone, hunting down the Avengers’ enemies Grey Gargoyle and the Masters Of Evil. She came across Daredevil again who was concerned with her mental state, but this only complicated his life because he was rebuilding his relationship with Karen Page. Natasha wanted to reconcile their relationship, but she understood that Karen and Matt were trying to rebuild theirs, so left them their space. She even offered to help Karen when Mr. Fear framed her for murder. Later when the hero team the Thunderbolts were revealed to be the Masters of Evil in disguise, Natasha convinced them that other criminals had turned a new leaf and they managed to become real heroes.

Heroes Return

The Avengers returned from the alternate Universe they had been shunted off to and Natasha would sometimes help on their missions, though she felt she was responsible for their break up. Natasha worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. and shut down Freedom’s Light, a terrorist group, and asked Iron Man’s help in her infiltration of a forced-labor camp run by The Mandarin. Natasha then battled a man called Vindiktor, who claimed that he had diaries from her deceased mother and revealed that he was her brother. He died before he could confirm this, however.

When Daredevil believed that baby Karen was the Anti-Christ, Natasha protected the baby but was severely injured. In the end, Karen Page died protecting the child. Natasha revealed that she still loved Matt, though they were too far apart to become a couple again.

A Second Black Widow

Natasha came into competition with another Black Widow named Yelena Belova. Yelena was also trained in the “Red Room” and became obsessed with being the only Black Widow. They encountered each other on a mission where while attempting to retrieve the Endless Fury bioweapon. The two would eventually fight, afterward, Natasha and Yelena traded appearances in order for Yelena to realize that her superiors did not care if she died or lived. Despite the other Black Widow, Natasha remains as one of the greatest S.H.I.E.L.D. agents alive.

Civil War

After the incident involving the New Warriors in Stamford, Natasha was a supporter of the Superhuman Registration Act and worked with Iron Man’s group to capture rogue Super Heroes. After the death of Captain America, Natasha was assigned to transport Captain America’s shield. However, in doing so, she was attacked by Bucky Barnes. Bucky knocked Natasha unconscious and stole the shield. It was revealed that Natasha and Bucky had a romantic relationship back when she was still training to become an operative. Shortly after this, Natasha was given a dull SHIELD job training agents by some angry officials. She was so angry she became a violent and resentful teacher. Natasha was overjoyed when Tony Stark took her out of this job so she could join the Avengers. While working for them she battled Ultron, alien symbiotes, and Doctor Doom.

She and the Falcon rescued Bucky from the Red Skull and brought him to S.H.I.E.L.D. There Bucky becomes the new Captain America, and she later helps him stop the Red Skull’s plan to control America, in the process saving S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Sharon Carter. Natasha then started to date James again. She was later ordered by S.H.I.E.L.D. to help capture Hercules, but let him go because of her respect for the Greek god.

Secret Invasion

Natasha joined the Mighty Avengers as they traveled to the Savage Land to take a look at a crashed Skrull ship and together with the New Avengers, fought off a group of Skrulls that looked like different superheroes dressed in their old costumes. She and the Avengers later joined the final Skrull battle in Central Park. After this, she continued to date Captain America (James Barnes) and continued to be his partner, but no longer with the Mighty Avengers or with S.H.I.E.L.D. after it was shut down by Norman Osborn.

Dark Reign

Natasha was revealed to have been posing as Yelena Belova on Norman Osborn‘s Thunderbolts team, secretly working for Nick Fury. She helps Songbird escape the Thunderbolts and reunite with former teammates Fixer and Abner Jenkins. Wolverine entrusted Black Widow with what remained of the Muramasa Blade. She participated in his plan to be prepared for attacks by Weapon X members and left the sword exactly where Wolverine wanted it (Wolverine then used the sword to kill Omega Red).

Solo Again

After helping Maria Hill and Pepper Potts save Tony Stark’s life, the Black Widow embarks on a new solo career. She immediately finds herself under attack from a hidden foe who uses robot minions to carry out an operation to steal a secret data storage chip she has implanted under her skin. Isolated from her friends and allies, Natasha has to rely on her wits and physical toughness to figure out the aims and identity of her foe and bring his cruel vendetta to an end. It turns out that Imus Champion had discovered the existence of the chip and wanted to blackmail Black Widow with it and provoke her into attacking and killing him so he can transplant his mind into a new body. Black Widow tracks down Imus and transmits a virus with the secret intel data so that all computers that have received it will be destroyed. In the final fight with Imus, Natasha smashes the brain of Ivan that Imus had kept with him, but refuses to kill him and instead deletes his mind transfer data.

Widowmaker

Shortly after this, in the Widowmaker story arc, Natasha is framed in a plot targeting global spies. She is accused of assassinating US senator Whit Crane. The senator’s son, Nick, is captured by a rival spy Fatale, who wants to know his source for implicating Natasha. Natasha steals Nick away from her and takes him to a secret CIA base to scare him into giving her his source instead. The plan backfires when both of them are attacked. Natasha and Nick escape, but while in Poland they are attacked by Fantasma and Crimson Dynamo. Natasha takes down Crimson Dynamo, but then Fatale shows up and knocks out Fantasma. Fatale reveals that she was hired to kill Whit Crane but found he had already taken his own life and she needed to use Nick to track down who had actually paid for the hit. Nick gives them the name of a source ‘Sadko’ (not his true source of info), but when they arrive it’s a trap wired with explosives and the two spies are forced to escape. The conspiracy against spies turns out to be wider and Natasha encounters Mockingbird and Hawkeye on the same trail in Russia where they find many trainee spies and a SHIELD agent have been killed. Perun, Crimson Dynamo, Fantasma, and Sputnik show up to apprehend Hawkeye, believing him to be the Ronin behind the spy deaths. Discovering that this is merely a diversion, the three heroes and Dominic Fortune alert the true target – an ambassador in St Petersburg, Russia.

They next travel to Japan. Dominic and Mockingbird discover an amassing battle force on the Russian coast near the northern Japanese islands, while Natasha and Hawkeye track down ‘the Madame’ – an old Ninja working with the new Ronin to bring about this Russian attack. The four heroes meet up on the disputed island ‘Iturup’ where they meet the Ronin, who is revealed as Alexi Shostakov. His plan was to kill off-world intelligence operatives leaving countries blind while he made his attack, and bring the four heroes to him so he could kill them. Shostakov sets off the volcano on the island, but Natasha and the others use the lava to defeat his forces. He is defeated when Natasha shows Fantasma his true plan and Fantasma then hypnotizes him into seeing Natasha’s death, allowing the real Natasha to take him down.

The Longest Winter

Natasha and Bucky were looking for a sleeper agent of the Zephyr project, in a stasis container at a Vegas casino and when they got there they realized the agent had been awakened. They have a briefing in the morning with Jasper Sitwell who tells them about a former KGB agent named Nico Stanovich, who went into hiding and is perhaps the handler of the awoken sleeper agent. Bucky and Natasha head to Minnesota where they meet another former KGB agent of the same squad named Mikel Bulgakov. They interrogate Bulgakov until he gives them the little info he knows about the sleepers’ activation codes which he sold to some unknown buyers and the next sleeper. Bucky and Natasha go to the warehouse location and dispatch the agents in there. They get assaulted by a genetically modified gorilla with a chain gun and after a brief battle, the gorilla flies off. They head back for another briefing and find the activated sleeper, while Nick Fury gives them some intel on an infiltration mission at an auction. Bucky starts a raid and him and Nat defeat the goons there and get more info on the buyer of the codes who also happened to buy a doom bot. They narrow down the possible people who want to use these agents and bot to start a war between the U.S. and Latveria to Lucia Von Bardas.

In order to get help and prevent a war, Bucky and Natasha infiltrate Dr. Doom’s fortress who attacks them in confusion and dispatches Widow quickly. While Bucky and Dr. Doom deal with the Doombot and Arkady, Natasha is sent to investigate a simian research facility and she realizes the people there had left just a few hours ago. Widow along with Dr. Doom and Winter Soldier, infiltrate Doom’s missile silo where Lucia is at. While Bucky runs off to fight Dimitri, Natasha fights the gorilla soldiers and watches as Doom dismantles Von Bardas. She informs Bucky of some secret intel that Fury left behind about the code buyer.

Broken Arrow

Natasha is helping Bucky investigate and deal with the final sleeper agent. Novokov ends up managing to separate Widow from Bucky as she was his intended target.

Widow Hunt

Natasha is captured by Novokov and is reprogrammed back to her old ways. She is undercover as a ballet dancer and recaptured by Barnes and S.H.I.E.L.D. They manage to undo her first layer of programming but switches back to her old self again as she attacks an agent and kills him and takes his weapon. She kills more soldiers and aims at Fury, who puts up a fight. Natasha lines up the kill shot but the shot is blocked by Sitwell who ends up being killed by the storm of bullets. Natasha leaves and rejoins Novokov once more. Leo and Widow are at a bomb site when Bucky invades. He manages to fight off both of them and defeat Novokov when S.H.I.E.L.D arrives. Leo attempts to use Natasha as a hostage but they are separated due to Hawkeye while Bucky shoots Leo. S.H.I.E.L.D manages to reconnect all of Widow’s memories up until current day except for her memory of Bucky. Bucky is heartbroken by this outcome but finds solace that at least Natasha doesn’t have to suffer anymore.

Brainwashed Again

After being resurrected, Natasha was kidnapped by an evil organization made up of some of Marvel’s most villainous foes. For the next couple months she and a regular civilian named James were brainwashed and reprogrammed. The organization also used their DNA to create their clone son named Stevie. When Natasha woke, she believed herself to be a civilian, the wife of James, and the mother of Stevie. They lived like a normal family and no one had known that Natasha was gone until Clint noticed as a pedestrian on T.V. one day.

He teamed up with Bucky and the two went to investigate. On their watch, they concluded that Natasha’s behavior was strange. Clint went in and introduced himself to more and when he reported back to Bucky, said that she seemed happy and wasn’t sure what to do. Then, they learned that Yelena was undercover there in hopes to save Natasha.

The three partnered up and eventually saved Natasha, fighting the organization who had done this to her in the process. Natasha was distraught by all of this and, wanting the best for Stevie and James, had them live far away from her, without knowing her at all to protect them.

Natasha then partnered up with Yelena, Lucy Nguyen, Anya Corazon, and Kate Bishop to take down an evil group in San Fransisco before she learned that James and Stevie were in danger. She decided to go save them. Learning that, Bucky returned to San Fransisco and questioned her on why she looked for them. When she asked him about Stevie, Bucky reassured her that he was okay.

Then, Natasha was tipped off about a situation brewing, and she and her team – along with Bucky and Clint – decided to investigate. They went to a dance where Natasha and Bucky maintained their covers by dancing and the rest got into position. When Anya, Lucy, and Clint stopped responding to their comms, Natasha and Yelena investigated. Natasha saw that Clint was unconcious and realized that Bucky should’ve joined them by now. She was then faced with someone she used to know in Madripoor – someone she feared, named The Living Blade.

A flashback revealed that he had come after her and nearly killed her while she was on a mission in Madripoor. He injured her greatly and then left her alive, saying he’d be back.

Facing him again, Natasha was frightened. She fought him and told Yelena to run. She narrowly survived the fight, as far as readers know.

Personal Data

• Height: 5’11”
• Weight: 148 lbs
• Eye Color: Blue
• Hair Color: Natasha’s natural hair color is auburn, but during her early days as a Soviet agent she often dyed it black. She has dyed it various colors while undercover or in disguise of another person.

Status

• Citizenship: resident in America under an extended visa, formerly Russian

• Place of Birth: Volgograd, Russia ( formerly Stalingrad, USSR at the time of her birth)

• Marital Status: Widowed, currently in a relationship with Bucky Barnes

• Education: College graduate, Intensive espionage training through Red Room Academy

• Occupation: Adventurer, intelligence agent, former ballerina, Former Schoolteacher, Fashion Designer

• Known Relatives: Ivan Petrovitch (foster father), Unnamed mother (deceased), Unnamed brother (possibly deceased), Vindiktor (presumed older brother, deceased), Alexei Shostakov (Red Guardian, Ronin, estranged husband), Nikolai (husband, deceased), Rose (daughter, deceased), Steve (clone son)

Powers and Abilities

Natasha has taken a different version of the Super-Soldier Serum. This gave her physical abilities much like Captain America, though not as great as his. She possesses peak-level physiology, making her as strong, agile, fast, and durable as a female human can possibly be without being classified as superhuman. This also extends to her senses and immune system, which are similarly heightened to peak human level. From a young age, Natasha was trained to become a martial artist the martial arts she knows are karate, judo, kenpo, jujutsu, ninjutsu, aikido, savate, Muay Thai, Sambo, and multiple styles of kung fu sharpshooter and acrobat, and has become a master of all of these skills. She has since become one of the top espionage operatives in the world. Natasha has also proven herself to be one of the best information gatherers in the Marvel Universe. She is fluent in many different languages and is an expert computer programmer and hacker. She is an accomplished battle strategist and field commander, and has been the leader of the Avengers and even SHIELD on one occasion.

In the 2004 Black Widow mini-series, Natasha’s background was retconned. She was subjected to biotechnological and psycho-technological enhancement. This answers the question as to why Natasha is still so youthful despite being born prior to World War II.

Paraphernalia

Despite its skin-tight appearance, the black catsuit that Natasha wears is made of a high-tech synthetic fabric that is resistant to high temperatures and even small-arms fire. It is further enhanced with tiny suction cups that allow her to cling to walls and even ceilings, much like her black widow spider namesake. She carries state-of-the-art versions of gear used by top modern spies, including stunners, tear-gas, a cable and a transmitter. Natasha can quickly travel across rooftops and from building to building with a grappling hook and a retractable line called the Widow’s Line. She also carries various types of weapons, ranging from melee to long distance. Her primary weapon is the ‘Widow’s Bite,’ which is delivered via her wrist cartridges. They emit a potent electrical blast with a maximum power of around 30,000 volts.

Alternate Versions

Earth-1610 (Ultimate)

In the Ultimate Universe, Natasha is a former KGB spy and assassin code-named the Black Widow. She defected to the United States and became a part of SHIELD’s Ultimates ‘black ops’ team, this team kept quiet and acted in the shadow. Eventually, Natasha would be promoted to public status on the Ultimates when a suitable background was written for her. She teamed with other heroes such as Captain America, Iron Man, Wasp, Giant-Man ( Hank Pym), Thor, and others. Natasha’s skills were genetically enhanced when she was a part of the K.G.B., allowing her to coordinate battles far better than those of human level. Natasha would later develop a romantic relationship with Tony Stark and they got engaged. He even created an Iron Man armor for Natasha as engagement present and nanites that were bonded to her skin to control the armor. However, unknown to Natasha, the suit injected her with nanites that would short-circuit her brain. When trying to capture Thor, Natasha pretended that she was pregnant to trick him. Natasha would eventually reveal to Tony that she was a traitor and reveals that she was the one responsible for making the knowledge of Bruce Banner being the Hulk public, framing Thor and Captain America, and the invasion of America by the Liberators. Natasha was also responsible for the death of Hawkeye’s family.

After Tony gained all the information, he activated the nanites in her brain, causing her to go unconscious. After the Ultimates were able to stop the invasion, Natasha was in the hospital from loss of blood. Hawkeye comes in and reveals that she cut her own wrist to get medical attention. Hawkeye pins Natasha to the wall with his arrows, then he shoots one last arrow in between her eyes, killing her.

X-Men: Forever

Black Widow appeared in the Volume 2 series and appeared in issues #11,#12,#13 and #14. She is shown helping the X-Men in their mission to Russia where she aids them in a fight against the Winter Guard while the X-Men are in search of their friend Colossus.

1602

Black Widow is a freelance spy and is known to be the ‘most dangerous woman in Europe’. She allied with Matthew Murdoch (Daredevil), but she betrayed him to Count Otto von Doom who later become lovers. When Doom’s castle becomes attacked by Nicholas Fury and his allies, Natasha decides to steal some of Doom’s valuables and leave. After she tries to escape, she gets knocked out by Susan Storm ad discovers Doom with his face scarred. After Doom’s plan to procure the fake treasure that scarred his face, Natasha was still working for him. When he kidnapped William Shakespeare, she served as the Captain of the flying ship. However, when she questions Count Doom’s plan to take the ship to the edge of the world, he pushes her over the edge, killing her.

Morgan Le Fay

In this reality, Natasha is known as Tsarina and was altered by Morgan le Fay’s reality warp wave. This wave caused the time period to change to Medieval times and the Avenger’s speech patterns and clothing were altered. The Avengers that were involved believed that they were part of an elite guard group that was guarding the Queen.

War of The Worlds

Natasha was one of the unfortunate people that did not survive the Martian Cullings and her body was burnt to the bone.

Beast’s Home-world

Natasha made an appearance in this reality along with other members of the Avenger team.

Mutant X

She made an appearance in this reality where Havok swapped minds with the alternate version of himself.

Marvel Zombie-verse

Little is known about Black widow’s life before the zombie arrived, though it is speculated that it followed a similar path as her 616 counterparts. When the Avengers get a report of purple lightning and the Sentry attacking people, they go they via the Quinjet to stop him. When they arrive they are overpowered by Sentry and get infected with the zombie virus. Black Widow was one of the first members to be infected and they began a rampage until their minds were cleared by their loss of hunger. After this, she is seen attacking Silver Surfer along with other zombies.

Marvel Werewolves

Natasha was one of the super-heroes who was infected with the werewolf virus and became a werewolf.

All Avengers stayed in the team

She was one of the members of the entire team of Avengers sent out to stop a hold-up at a candy store and nearly trampling Ant-Man in the process.

Legacy Virus Merged With Warlock

Natasha was one of the people who was turned into a Vi-Lock Prime by the mutated form of the Legacy Virus.

Wonder Man Saved Avengers

She was shown attending Scarlet Witch and Wonder Man’s wedding ceremony.

Charnel

She was one of the heroes that survived the attack on Earth where Charnel tried to conquer the planet. Other survivors included the X-Saviours and the Avengers.

Earth X

The past of this version of the Black Widow is very similar to the Earth 616 version. Natasha was trusted to keep a piece of the Absorbing Man safe and well hidden after his rampage throughout Washington D.C that ended with the death of the Avengers. She was seen in the Realm of the Dead, but the cause of her death is unknown. It is possible that she was one of the victims of the Tong of Creel who was a death cult seeking out to re-assemble the Absorbing Man to kill all inhabitants of Earth. Natasha was one of the many members of the Legion Of Dead Super- Beings, appointed by Mar-Vell to battle Death. After Death’s defeat, Mar-Vell created a realm called Paradise. Natasha was one of the heroes and villains who went there. She aided the people of Paradise to stop an invasion by the Kree and it is unknown what happened to her after this.

Other Media

Live-Action Film

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Natasha Romanoff appeared in Iron Man 2 and was played by Scarlett Johansson. In the film, Natasha assumes the alias of Natalie Rushman in order to infiltrate Stark Industries and assess Tony Stark’s mental, emotional, and physical states. She assisted Pepper Potts and Stark, under the guise that she was working in Stark’s legal department, all the while feeding information to S.H.I.E.L.D and Nick Fury regarding Stark and his activities.

After Tony is approached by Fury personally, Natasha reveals her true identity, but nevertheless remains working for Potts. Later, she infiltrates the heavily guarded Hammer Industries in pursuit of Ivan Vanko with apparently little effort displaying expert proficiency in close combat, particularly non-lethal means of subduing multiple opponents.

In the end of the film, Nick Fury reveals to Tony Stark that while Black Widow thought the Iron Man was a good addition to the Avengers, she didn’t think Tony Stark was emotionally ready to join. In the film, Natasha speaks with an American accent, rather than a Russian one.

The Avengers (2012)

Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Black Widow in The Avengers movie of which she helps recruit members of the team along with Nick Fury. In the film, Natasha still remains an agent for SHIELD and Fury and is shown to have had a history with Hawkeye. Although their relationship is unexplained it is revealed that Natasha owes Hawkeye ” a debt” after he saved her life when he was sent to kill her in the past.

The character is consistently portrayed in the way that she feigns a level of being in a situation far beyond her control. However, it is more of an act, as at the various time she proves capable enough to trick Loki, survive an encounter with a rampaging Hulk and aid the team as a whole in the alien invasion.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Scarlett Johansson once again reprises her role for Captain America: The Winter Soldier. She has a larger role than her previous appearance in Iron Man 2 and acts as one of the leads alongside Captain America and his new partner, Falcon. At the close of the film, she manages to help defeat HYDRA and Alexander Pierce by leaking all of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s secrets to the public, including the details of her own shady past. As a result, she is forced to go into hiding and leave the hunt for the Winter Soldier to Captain America and Falcon.

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Black Widow appears as a main character in Avengers: Age of Ultron, with Johansson, once again reprising her role. The film delves partially into her backstory involving the Red Room, where it is revealed that she was sterilized in order to create a more effective assassin. Her violent past leads to her finding a kindred spirit in Bruce Banner, and the two begin a romance as a result.

In the finale, after Banner flees and goes into hiding, Natasha and Captain America are shown preparing to lead a new team of Avengers.

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Scarlett Johansson once again reprises her role in Captain America: Civil War. When the Avengers become divided over the Sokovia Accords (a series of laws designed to regulate the team), Natasha sides with Iron Man and his team.

She is shown to be conflicted and tries to urge Captain America and his team to stay out of the conflict and turn themselves in. Her inner turmoil reaches a head during a clash between the two teams, where she betrays her comrades by preventing Black Panther from killing the Winter Soldier. Natasha Ultimately resigns from the Avengers and goes on the run after being informed that Thaddeus Ross wants her arrested for her betrayal.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Johansson once again reprises her role in Avengers: Infinity War. In the aftermath of Civil War, she is now part of Captain America’s band of fugitive vigilantes, who fight crime under the radar. When Thanos and the Black Order attack Earth in order to find the remaining Infinity Stones, Black Widow and the other underground heroes are forced to reunite with the other former Avengers. At the close of the film, she is left as one of the few surviving Avengers after Thanos collects all of the Infinity Stones and uses them to wipe out half of all life in the universe.

In the movie, Black Widow sports a radically redesigned appearance, including a new costume and dyed blond hair.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Johannson once again reprised her role in Avengers: Endgame. Five years after Thanos’ victory and the decimation of half of Earth’s population (as well as the universe’s), Black Widow now leads the remaining Avengers. Despite this, she is despondent and has a hard time dealing with the loss. When Scott Lang arrives and tells the Avengers that they may be able to use time travel to go back in time and retrieve the Infinity Stones, Black Widow finds Clint (now calling himself Ronin) and manages to bring him back into the fold. She and Clint are sent to the mysterious planet Vormir to retrieve the Soul Stone, where they encounter the Red Skull, the Stone’s guardian. The two heroes learn that the Soul Stone cannot be gained without sacrificing something, and Natasha ultimately sacrifices her own life to allow Clint to get it.

Black Widow (2020)

Scarlett Johansson again reprises her role in a solo Black Widow film. Set just after the events of Captain America: Civil War, the movie features Natasha trying to lay low as a fugitive only to be pulled into family drama regarding the new generation of students of the Red Room and their new lead enforcer, Taskmaster.

In addition to Johansson in the title role, the film features Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, David Harbour as the Red Guardian, and Rachel Weisz as Melina Vostokoff. Together, they worked undercover as a family in the United States before their cover was blown, forcing the Russian government to split them up. Melina was reassigned to continue her science experiments, Red Guardian was imprisoned to keep him quiet, and Natasha and Yelena were inducted into the Black Widow program.

In addition to revealing what happened during Natasha’s childhood, the movie also reveals what happened in Budapest, an inside story referenced by Hawkeye and Widow over multiple movies.

Animation

The Marvel Super Heroes (1966)

Black Widow, in her original costume, appears in the Iron Man segments voiced by Peg Dixon.

X-Men (1995)

Black Widow makes a cameo appearance in “One Man’s Worth”, as a member of the Avengers.

Ultimate Avengers (2005-06)

Black Widow appears in the Marvel Animation films Ultimate Avengers and Ultimate Avengers 2, voiced by Olivia D’Abo. Natalia Romanova is a SHIELD agent and Fury’s Number One. In the films, Natalia develops a mutual attraction to Captain America, that, by the end of the second film, becomes a committed romantic relationship between the two. She is also friends with Betty Ross and Janet Van Dyne (aka The Wasp).

In the first film, she is – outside of Captain America – the only member of the Ultimate Avengers not to be fired after the failure of their first mission. She is later seen defending the Triskelion alongside Nick Fury during the Chitauri Invasion. Black Widow also tranquilizes the Hulk after he rampages and attacks the Avengers, in order to help calm him down. She also participates in defending Wakanda from the second Chitauri Invasion in the sequel.

In the films, Natalia shows no sign of the super soldier serum and her age isn’t defined. She is an expert marksman and hand-to-hand combatant. In the battles against the Hulk and the Chitauri, she utilizes various weapons made of Vibranium. In the film, she also speaks with a thick Russian Accent.

Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow (2007)

Black Widow is briefly mentioned in the Marvel Animation film, Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow, as the mother of James Rogers; the son of Captain America. In the film, she is referred to with the pseudonym “the Spy”, while Captain America is referred to as “the Soldier.”

Iron Man: Armored Adventures (2009)

She and Hawkeye appeared in the season two episode “The Hawk and the Spider” (2011), where here they are portrayed as freelance thieves. She is voiced by Ashleigh Ball. She returns in several other episodes as a reformed agent of SHIELD. She plays a role in the finale, where she helps Iron Man and his friends fight off an alien invasion.

The Super Hero Squad Show (2010)

In the thirteenth episode, “Deadly is the Black Widow’s Bite,” the Black Widow joins the Super Hero Squad, and soon has all the male heroes falling head-over-heels for her. Little do they know that who they think is the Black Widow is actually Mystique posing as the famous Russian spy, and she’s on a mission from Doctor Doom to steal the Infinity Fractals.

The title card for this episode is a homage to Tales of Suspense #53, which is the second issue in which Black Widow appears. Both the Black Widow and Mystique are voiced by Lena Headey.

The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (2011)

Vanessa Marshall voices Black Widow in both American and Russian accents. She makes her debut in the episode “Hulk versus the World” where she and Hawkeye fight the Hulk. She stuns the Hulk after he saves the ship that the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents that came with them are on. She is later revealed to be a double agent for HYDRA in a plot to obtain the DNA sample of the Hulk and frames Hawkeye for the theft. After the S.H.I.E.L.D Agents leave, Black Widow calls up a member of HYDRA stating that Hawkeye has been disposed of and that they will need a new location for HYDRA to receive the DNA sample.

In the episode “Gamma World” Pt. 1, Hawkeye pursues Black Widow to one of HYDRA’s hideaways and both of them end up fighting where Hawkeye defeats her. When Black Widow says that he cannot take her into S.H.I.E.L.D. with him being a traitor, Hawkeye says that he is turning her over to the Avengers. In the episode “Gamma World” Pt. 2, Hawkeye’s hovercycle crashes miles from the Gamma-Dome. Hawkeye leaves Black Widow tied up as he leaves to find the Hulk. After footage from Hawkeye’s hovercycle confirms Hawkeye’s innocence, Clay Quartermain tells Hawkeye that Black Widow managed to get away from where Hawkeye last left her.

Iron Man: Rise Of Technovore (2013)

Black Widow will appear in the anime movie Iron Man: Rise of Technovore as a major character, voiced by Clare Grant

Avengers Assemble (2013)

Black Widow appears as a main character in the series, voiced by Laura Bailey.

Marvel Lego Super Heroes: Maximum Overload

She appears an S.H.I.E.L.D agent in the 5 episodes short web-cartoon. She is voiced by Laura Bailey

Avengers Confidential: Black Widow and Punisher (2014)

Black Widow stars in the anime film Avengers Confidential: Black Widow and Punisher.

Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers

Black Widow appears as a supporting character in the Avengers anime series, voiced by Mayumi Asano.

Marvel Future Avengers

Black Widow appears as a recurring character in the second Avengers anime, voiced again by Mayumi Asano in the Japanese version and by Laura Bailey in the English dub.

Marvel’s Spider-Man

Black Widow guest-stars in the episodes “Spider-Island: Part 2,” “A Troubled Mind: Part 3,” “Brand New Day” and “The Cellar,” with Laura Bailey reprising her role.

What If…?

Black Widow appears in several episodes of the series, voiced by Lake Bell.

• In “What If… The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?”, Black Widow is framed for the murders of several of her fellow candidates in Nick Fury’s Avengers Initiative. While trying to uncover the identity of the real killer, she is tracked down and murdered, but her dying message to Nick Fury allows him to deduce the identity of the mastermind behind the plot: Hank Pym.
• In “What If… Ultron Won?”, Black Widow and Hawkeye are the last remaining heroes in a post-apocalyptic world where Ultron has killed the Avengers and most of the population. She and Clint attempt to track down Arnim Zola as a last ditch effort to stop Ultron and free what remains of the planet from his rule.
• In “What If… The Watcher Broke His Oath?”, when the Guardians of the Multiverse attempt to steal the Soul Stone, Natasha intervened, as she believed them to be the enemy. Peggy Carter then recruited her to join the team where she worked with them to try and fight Ultron. Later on, Natasha is seen in another reality, where she stole Loki’s Specter and used it to defeat Loki.

Video Games

The Punisher (2005)

Natasha appeared as a non-playable character who helped The Punisher take down Russian mercenaries. She is also an Agent of SHIELD in this game. She is voiced by Saffron Henderson.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (2006)

She appears in this video game as a non-playable character and is voiced by Nika Futterman. She is a playable character in the PlayStation Portable version of this game, with an alternate costume of Yelena Belova. In a main sub-plot, the team must investigate whether Black Widow is a traitor and is working along-side Doctor Doom. She also appears in the second installation of this game but as an NPC.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 (2009):

Nika Futterman reprises her role as Black Widow who appears as a boss on the Anti-Registration side. She assists the heroes in assaulting Cable’s base on the Xbox 360 and PS3 formats. Seen guarding the base, she fights the heroes and having been defeated is captured and restrained. Eventually, she becomes a hero who is presumed missing or deceased. On the Wii, PS2, and PSP versions, she is portrayed as a boss on the Anti-Registration Side and appears in the assault on Cable’s base as well; in this version though, she fights the heroes along with She-Hulk, and conversely to the other versions, she escaped the Negative Zone with Bishop and is not presumed dead.

Iron Man (2008) and Iron Man 2: The Video Game (2010)

She is mentioned briefly in this game as a possible love interest of Tony Stark. She later appears in the video game based on Iron Man 2, where she is voiced by Catherine Campion.

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows (2008)

She makes an appearance in this game and is voiced by Salli Saffioti. In the game, she is sent on a mission to quarantine New York by blowing up bridges, trapping infected civilians in camps and getting them out of New York. She tried to arrest Spider-Man and The Kingpin during Tinkerer’s escape but The Kingpin managed to convince everyone to team up and stop Venom. She sets up a base of operations in Sar Tower and the Trask’s building. In the ending, she informs Spider-Man that Venom had taken over the Helicarrier while he was dealing with Vulture.

Marvel: Avengers Alliance (2011)

Black Widow is a playable character in Marvel: Avengers Alliance. Her costumes available include Classic Black Widow (Infiltrator), Grey Suit Black Widow (Tactician), Grey Suit Black Widow (Infiltrator), Limited Edition Avengers Black Widow (Tactician), Limited Edition Avengers Black Widow (Infiltrator), Limited Edition Avengers: Age of Ultron Black Widow (Infiltrator) and a Limited Edition Avengers: Age of Ultron Black Widow (Scrapper). The attacks for all suits remain the same: Martial Arts Combo, Widow’s Bite, Flying Kick and Widowmaker.

Her bio says: A genetically enhanced superspy product of KGB experimentation, Natasha Romanoff escaped her Soviet masters and transformed herself into a valued S.H.I.E.L.D. operative. Superbly skilled in martial arts and a wide variety of customized weapons, she is the perfect infiltrator.

Black Widow is also a Boss in the Avengers VS X-Men special op when you chose to play at the X-men side.

Marvel Avengers Alliance Tactics

Black Widow was a playable character in the short-lived online game.

Marvel Avengers Alliance 2

Black Widow is a playable character. She is a Tactician.

Her bio in the game says: A product of the KGB’s “Red Room” spy academy, Natasha Romanoff was groomed from youth for a life of espionage. Having long ago defected to S.H.I.E.L.D., the Black Widow now seeks to use her Widow’s Bite bracelets and considerable talents in combat and subterfuge to atone for some of the stains on her past.

Mavel Super Hero Squad Online

Black Widow is a playable character in the Marvel Super Hero Squad Online. She has two variants both voiced by Laura Bailey

• Black Widow: A former ballerina and Russian super-spy, Black Widow wears wrist-cuffs with an electrical blast called the “Widow’s Bite”.
• Avengers Black Widow: Natasha Romanoff uses her martial arts training and tricky gadgets to drive her targets crazy. Bad guys fear the covert Avenger!

Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet (2010)

She is a playable character in this game, with Grey DeLisle reprising her role.

Marvel Heroes

The Black Widow will be a playable character in Gazillion’s upcoming Free To Play MMO Marvel Heroes Online. Not much is known about the game bar for the fact it is based on Diablo’s core gameplay aspects.The MMO’s story is being written by Brian Michael Bendis. Currently, Natasha has her classic costume and the Avengers movie costume confirmed in the game.

Her bio says:

Natasha Romanoff was a young Soviet citizen when her government chose to train her in espionage. During her time in the infamous Red Room Academy, she became the master spy known as the Black Widow.

Early in her career, the Black Widow clashed with Iron Man, but her loyalty to her country wanted and eventually, she switched sides and joined S.H.I.E.L.D. She later joined the Avengers and has served with distinction on that team many times.

She was released in various costumes, one of them is the Yelena Belova variant.

She is voiced by Julianne Buescher.

Marvel: War of Heroes

Black Widow is featured in multiple of the cards of the Marvel: War of Heroes mobile game. These cards are:

• [Red in the Ledger] Black Widow
• [Rose Red] Black Widow
• [Secret Agent] Black Widow
• [Femme Fatale] Black Widow
• [Once Bitten] Black Widow
• [Ballerina] Black Widow
• [Balancing the Scale] Black Widow
• [Ruthless Operative] Black Widow
• [Brainwashed] Black Widow
• [False Past] Black Widow
• [What If?] Black Widow
• [Come Out Shooting] Black Widow
• [Vigilant] Black Widow
• [Principled] Black Widow
• [Throwback] Black Widow

• [Incognito] Black Widow

The Avengers: Battle for Earth (2012)

She is a playable character in the game, based on Secret Invasion, and as a Tie-In with Avengers The Movie. She is voiced by Danielle Nicolet

Lego Marvel Super Heroes (2013)

She is a playable character in the game, voiced by Laura Bailey.

Disney Infinity (2014)

Black Widow is a playable character in the starter kit for the Marvel Super Heroes expansion. Laura Bailey reprises her role from Avengers Assemble.

Marvel: Contest of Champions

Black Widow is a playable character in the mobile fighting game. She is a Skill Class character.

Her bio in the game says: There’s no escaping the sting of the world’s greatest spy when she has you in her sights. A skilled fighter possessing astounding agility and a way with weapons, she is often shrouded in mystery. But there’s no mystery as to who you want on your team when things start heating up — Natasha Romanova — The Black Widow!

Marvel Puzzle Quest

Black Widow is a playable character in the game.

Her bio says: Trained by the Russian government to be the ultimate super-spy, the Black Widow was eventually recruited to S.H.I.E.L.D. where she became a founding member of the Avengers and one of Captain America’s most trusted allies.

Her bio, for the Grey Suit version, says: The Russian equivalent of Captain America’s Super Soldier Serum enhanced Black Widow’s agility, strength, and endurance. An expert marksman and master tactician, she has led the Avengers into battle on multiple occasions.

Herio bio, for the original costume version, says: Equipped with a costume that allowed her to walk on walls and swing from a grappling hook fired from her bracelets, Black Widow enlisted Hawkeye’s help to attempt to destroy Iron Man.

Her bio, for the modern version, says: Trained by secret KGB “Red Room” program, Natasha Romanova was originally sent by the Russians to steal defense secrets from Tony Stark.

Marvel Future Fight

Black Widow is a playable character in the game. An alternate version of the character is mentioned has been dead.

She is a speed type, and her description in the game says: Natasha Romanova, known by many aliases, is an expert spy, athlete, an assassin. Trained at a young age by the KGB’s infamous Red Room Academy, the Black Widow was formerly an enemy to the Avengers. She later became their ally after breaking out of the U.S.S.R.’s grasp, and also serves as a top S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

She was released with alternate costumes:

• Black Widow – The Avengers
• Black Widow – Avengers: Age of Ultron
• Black Widow – Secret Wars: 2099
• Black Widow – Captain America: Civil War
• Black Widow – Avengers: Infinity War

Marvel Mighty Heroes

Black Widow is a playable character in the game.

Avengers Academy

Black Widow is a playable character in the game. She is voiced by Alison Brie. She is recruitable during the regular story mode during the “Mystery Ingredients” quest.

Lego Marvel’s Avengers

Black Widow is a playable character in the game with Scarlett Johansson reprising her role from the movies. She was released in her comics costume and the Avengers: Age of Ultron version.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite

Black Widow makes her playable debut in the MVC series in this entry, with Laura Bailey reprising her role from the Avengers Assemble animated series. She was not part of the base roster, but was later released as part of a special DLC pack. In the game, her default costume is inspired by her look from the Age of Ultron film, and she also wields her electrified batons from the movies.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order

Black Widow appears as a playable character in the third Ultimate Alliance game. Laura Bailey reprises her role.

Marvel’s Avengers

Black Widow is one of the central playable characters in Square Enix’s 2020 Avengers game. She is once again voiced by Laura Bailey.

Fortnite

In late 2020, Black Widow was added as a purchasable skin in the popular Fortnite game as part of a running crossover with Marvel.

Marvel Future Revolution

Black Widow is a playable character, one of the six characters players can choose for up to 4 characters in their squad.

Her skills include (but are not limited to) three specializations: Martial Arts, Firearms, and Intelligence.

Board Games

Marvel Legendary

Black Widow is a playable character in the base game of Upper Deck’s Marvel Legendary.

Merchandise

Marvel Legends

• Toy Biz released two Black Widow figures as part of their Marvel Legends line.
• When Hasbro took over Marvel Legends, a figure of Black Widow was released as part of a two-pack with the Winter Soldier. A variant version of the two-pack, this time featuring Black Widow’s 80’s design, was also released as a retailer exclusive.
• Hasbro also released an MCU Black Widow version, sporting Scarlett Johansson’s likeness from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, as part of their Marvel Legends Mandroid Build-a-Figure wave. The figure also came with an additional head resembling Black Widow’s shorter haircut from The Avengers.
• Hasbro released an exclusive Black Widow Marvel Legends figure as part of a three-pack with Hawkeye and Bruce Banner, this time featuring Scarlett Johansson’s likeness from The Avengers: Age of Ultron. The figure was only available on Amazon.
• Hasbro released a Black Widow figure and motorcycle as part of their Marvel Legends: Ultimate Riders series.
• Hasbro produced a Black Widow figure based on her Infinity War appearance as part of the Thanos Build-a-Figure wave.
• The Avengers: Endgame versions of Black Widow and Hawkeye were featured in a Marvel Legends two-pack from Hasbro.
• The Black Widow solo film received a Marvel Legends wave from Hasbro. A deluxe figure with additional accessories was also released.
• The 90s bomber jacket version of Black Widow was featured in Hasbro’s Marvel Legends line as a Walmart exclusive.
• The Deadly Origin version of Black Widow was featured in Hasbro’s Marvel Legends line as a Target exclusive.

Other

• ToyBiz released a figure of Black Widow’s 80s/early 90s design (with her Avengers jacket) as part of the Marvel Gold line.
• Diamond Select released a Black Widow figure as part of their Marvel Select line.
• A Black Widow figure was released for Hasbro’s line for the Avengers Assemble cartoon.
• Lego released a Black Widow minifig as part of the “Quinjet Aerial Battle” kit for their The Avengers line.
• Lego released an additional Black Widow minifig for the “Quinjet City Chase” line from their Avengers: Age of Ultron line.
• Lego released a set with a Black Widow minifig for the Black Widow movie.
• Black Widow was featured in Hot Toy’s Cosbabies line multiple times.
• Black Widow was featured in Funko’s Pop! line of bobbleheads multiple times in both her film and comic incarnations.
• Several Black Widow pieces were in the Mini-Mates and Super Hero Squad Show lines.
• Hasbro released a number of Black Widow figures for The Avengers,Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers Endgame. However, the Age of Ultron line drew controversy for having very few Black Widow figures, as well as replacing her with a figure of Captain America for a set depicting the motorcycle chase from the film.
• Hot Toys released Black Widow figures for Iron Man 2, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War,Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
• A Black Widow figure was released for Disney Infinity.
• Japanese studio Square Enix released a redesigned Black Widow figure as part of their collaboration with Marvel.
• Black Widow was featured in the Lego lines for Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame and the Black Widow solo film.
• Marvel has released quite a few Black Widow clothing items for the Black Widow movie, such as sweatshirts, jackets, and t-shirts.
• Funko has released multiple Black Widow Funkos and Bobble Heads, including her in the: Avengers Assemble Series, Avengers (Shawarma version), Black Widow (white suit bobblehead, street wear, special edition, and collector corps versions), Avengers: Endgame (Quantum suit version), Black Widow with Captain America’s shield, Black Widow Gold Chrome, Avengers: Infinity War (regular version), Avengers: Age of Ultron (regular version), Captain America: Civil War (regular version), What If? (post-apocalypse version), and Comics (first appearance version).

Statues

• Bowen Designs released at least two Black Widow statues.
• Sideshow Collectibles released a Black Widow statue for Iron Man 2, featuring the likeness of Scarlett Johansson.
• Moebius released a Black Widow model kit featuring Scarlett Johansson’s likeness from Iron Man 2.
• Sideshow later released a second, comic-inspired one.
• Kotobukiya released a Black Widow statue for the company’s ARTFX line, which featured the six Avengers from the first live-action movie (though the statues themselves were all based on the comic designs rather than the MCU ones).
• XM Studios released a Black Widow statue.
• Kotobukiya also released an anime-inspired Black Widow statue for their Bishoujo line. This was later followed by a “Covert Ops” version with a new sculpt and pose. Variants were made for both statues, such as one depicting Yelena Belova.
• Gentle Giant released a Black Widow statue featuring Scarlett Johansson’s likeness from Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Due to the statue’s popularity, it was later released on a smaller scale and cheaper price.

Popular Recognition

• Wizard magazine’s Greatest Comic Book Characters of All Time list: Black Widow ranked #176
• IGN’s Greatest Comic Book Characters of All Time list: Black Widow ranked #74
• Comics Buyer’s Guide’s 100 Sexiest Women in Comics list: Black Widow ranked #31
• IGN’s Top 50 Avengers: Black Widow ranked #42