Black Widow

First appearing in "Tales of Suspense" #52 in 1964,
Natalia "Natasha" Romanova was born in Stalingrad
around 1928. As a teenager, Romanova was recruited by
the Soviet government to become one of the sleeper
agents in their Black Widow Program. After earning the
mantle of the Black Widow, Romanova used her charms to
seduce both Tony Stark (a.k.a. Iron Man) and Clint
Barton (a.k.a. Hawkeye).
For a time, Natasha had convinced Barton to help her
steal technologies and other secrets. Thanks in part to
Hawkeye's influence, though, the Black Widow later
broke away from Russia and worked with Nick Fury's
S.H.I.E.L.D. organization and the Avengers. Romanova
also has served as the leader of that superhero team.
Black Widow in the Comics
Scarlett Johansson's portrayal of the character is in
line with the Natasha Romanova who appeared in the
1980s and 1990s. After starting her career as an agent
of a foreign power, the Black Widow demonstrated her
ongoing loyalty to Nick Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D., and the
Avengers.

Romanova's relationship with Clint Barton has been a
recurring plot point over the years. She was the one

who originally helped him design custom arrowheads to
wear in his tunic. At one point, Hawkeye even proposed
to the Black Widow, but circumstances prevented her
from accepting. During his time as the enhanced hero
Goliath, Natasha said she didn't have feelings for
Clint anymore, but that wasn't quite true.

Hawkeye has never fully gotten over the Black Widow. A
subsequent bad relationship during the hero's 1983
miniseries sent him into a temporary emotional spiral.
Black Widow's Superpowers
Romanova has received treatments that slowed the aging
process and enhanced her immune system. Skilled in
hand-to-hand combat, the Black Widow's chief weapons
are two bracelets that can release a powerful
electrostatic charge (referred to as the "widow's
bite"). Her Kevlar bodysuit provides additional
protection against attack.

Major Stories:

Young Natasha
Agent of the USSR
Hawkeye
Relationship with Daredevil
Joining the Avengers
Civil War
Secret Invasion
Dark Reign
Solo Again
Widowmaker
The Longest Winter
Broken Arrow
Widow Hunt

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, 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 bio-technological and psycho-technological enhancement. This answers the question as to why Natasha is still so youthful despite being born prior to World War II.