Heroes and Villains

Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff)

Natalia Alianovna "Natasha" Romanoff, otherwise known as Black Widow, is a Marvel superheroine first appearing in Tales of Suspense #52 (1964). Created by Stan Lee, Don Rico, and Don Heck, Black Widow has become a prominent character of Marvel comics. Widow has been associated with numerous superhero team-ups, such as the Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., the Champions, and the Thunderbolts. Appearing in cinema as well as comics, Black Widow has been portrayed by actress Scarlett Johansson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Black Widow has appeared in multiple films, such as Iron Man 2 (2010), The Avengers (2012), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and is set to appear in the upcoming solo film Black Widow (2020).

Character Background

Natasha was born in Stalingrad, Russia. Recruited at a young age by the KGB, she was trained by the Red Room Academy in the art of espionage. Becoming one of the deadliest spies in the world, she obtained the alias Black Widow. Her lethality soon alerted the global security organization S.H.I.E.L.D., which sent Clint Barton to terminate her. However, upon realizing her capacity to do good, Barton disobeyed his orders and instead persuaded Natasha to join S.H.I.E.L.D.. Defecting from Russia and becoming an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., she soon became a core member of a newly formed Avengers.

Powers and Abilities

Espionage: Widow is among the greatest spies in the world.

Expert Combatant: Widow is a master of martial arts and hand to hand combat.

Expert Tactician: Along with physical combat, Widow is an dangerously apt strategist.

Expert Marksmanship/Weapon Proficiency: A world-class assassin, Widow is a sharpshooter with firearms and can masterfully wield numerous weapons.

Decelerated Aging/Enhanced Immune System:  Widow ages far slower than the average person, and has an augmented immune system. This allows her to sustain ailments that would otherwise weaken a normal human, such as poisons or disease, with little to no affect.

Gauntlets:  Widow possesses a set of high-tech gauntlets equipped with numerous gadgetry, such as:
- Grappling hook
- Knock out gas
- Taser
- Explosives
- Tear gas pellets
- Radio transmitter

Personality

Widow is a resilient champion. Confident, reticent, loyal, and compassionate, Widow has shown that, ultimately, her moral compass points north. Although being cold and detached in her past— she grew into a selfless and sympathetic hero. Although possessing "red in her ledger" in her youth, Widow has shown to be a true humanitarian. She is a steadfast ally and will do whatever it takes to protect her loved ones.

Fun Facts

- In the comics, Black Widow is as old as Captain America.

- Wanting the role, Scarlett Johansson dyed her hair red before she even auditioned to become Black Widow.