History ComicBook / BlackWidow

* {{Brainwashed}}: A lot of her training in the Red Room consistent of brainwashing her into making her an effective and devoted Soviet operative. This included creating FakeMemories to better manipulate her and she would get severe headaches if she started to notice contradictions in her past.

** For example, in one graphic novel, she tells two thugs that if they don't walk away from a confrontation with her, neither of them will walk ever again. She kills one of the men, and knocks the other unconscious. But she proceeds to ''break the unconscious man's spine'' to keep true to her word, greatly disturbing her companion. So in some respects, she's a hero for staying true to her word, but ... really?.

* RoguesGallery: Damon Dran, Iron Maiden, Ex-husband Red Guardian, ex-mentor Ivan Petrovich, rival red room member Yelena Belova, Snapdragon, Mandrill, Viper, Imus Champion, Black Lotus, and Bullseye.

Black Widow (Natalia Romanova, aka Natasha Romanov) is a Creator/MarvelComics superheroine. Introduced in UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks in the pages of ''[[ComicBook/IronMan Tales of Suspense]]'' #52 (April 1964), she has been a fixture in the Marvel universe ever since, graduating from a [[UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Age]] socially conscious solo feature and a co-lead in ''[[Comicbook/{{Daredevil}} Daredevil and the Black Widow]]'' to leader of the [[ComicBook/Champions1975 Champions]], and even ComicBook/TheAvengers for a time.

Natasha began her career as a FemmeFatale spy in the service of the Soviet Union, sent to seduce famed American industrialist Tony Stark, to which end she also manipulated the young ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}}. Hawkeye eventually [[HeelFaceTurn joined the side of good]], and eventually Natasha followed as well, beginning a long career as a superhero in the United States of America. She has no particularly enhanced physical abilities beyond suppressed aging, relying instead on being an all-around awesome spy and martial artist.

Bring her up in comics fandom and inevitably one of the first things to be mentioned is her numerous LoveInterests. Apart from the aforementioned Hawkeye, she has also, over the years, been romantically linked to Comicbook/{{Daredevil}} (even getting billed alongside him on the title for a while), [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHercules Hercules]] (while they were on the Champions), and ComicBook/BuckyBarnes.

[[AC:{{Anime}}]]
* ''Anime/IronManRiseOfTechnovore''
* ''Anime/AvengersConfidentialBlackWidowAndPunisher''
* ''Anime/MarvelDiskWarsTheAvengers''

[[AC:{{Comics}}]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* ''WesternAnimation/UltimateAvengers''
* ''Ultimate Avengers 2''

[[AC:VideoGames]]
* ''VideoGame/ThePunisher''

* ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance''
* ''Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2''
* ''VideoGame/SpiderManWebOfShadows''
* ''VideoGame/MarvelAvengersAlliance''
* ''VideoGame/MarvelHeroes''
* ''VideoGame/LEGOMarvelSuperHeroes''
* ''VideoGame/DisneyInfinity''

* ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite''
* ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance3TheBlackOrder''
* ''VideoGame/MarvelsAvengers''

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheMarvelSuperHeroes''
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperHeroSquadShow''
* ''WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures''
* ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes''
* ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble''

* AbsoluteCleavage: Sometimes drawn with this.
* AbortedDeclarationOfLove: In Mark Waid's ''Black Widow'' #8, Natasha meets up with [[ComicBook/BuckyBarnes the Winter Soldier]], [[spoiler:whom she doesn't remember her relationship with]]. Just before she leaves, he calls her back and is clearly about to tell her that he loves her, but tells her to stay warm and be careful instead.

* ActionGirl: In her first appearances as a villain, she was mainly just a seduction agent who relied on incompetent minions to handle the violence, but over time she’s been {{retcon}}ned into always having been a total badass.

* AmicableExes: With Matt Murdock. The two get along great even after their relationship ended and Natasha has helped Matt a number of times. She also gets along well with Hercules whom she dated while they were on the Champions. DependingOnTheWriter she can also be this with Bucky Barnes.

** Her wrist gauntlets which shoot an electric pulse are referred to as her "Widow's Bites."
** She travels the rooftops using grappling lines ejected from her gauntlets which she (usually) calls her "Widow's Web."
** Though often forgotten these days, her costume is outfitted with suction cups which allow her to cling to walls, just like a spider.

** Her costume generally includes an understated version of the motif, typically a small red hourglass symbol.
* AnimalThemedSuperbeing: Of the ''Animal Alias'' variety.
* AntiHero: Varies depending on the storyline. In some stories, she is depicted as a straight hero who shoots stun pellets from her gauntlets. In other stories, she's a cold-blooded killer. In still others, she's a mixture of both (for example, in one graphic novel, she tells two thugs that if they don't walk away from a confrontation with her, neither of them will walk ever again. She kills one of the men, and knocks the other unconscious. But she proceeds to ''break the unconscious man's spine'' to keep true to her word, greatly disturbing her companion. So in some respects, she's a hero for staying true to her word, but ... really?). Some adaptations make her an outright villain.
** Very obvious in Avengers #11 under Hickman's pen. Natasha shoots and kills the men they've been distracted and Jessica Drew (whose past work includes both SHIELD and HYDRA) is horrified, proclaiming Natasha's executions unnecessary.
** The film version of the character states several times that she doesn't consider herself a hero, and claims one reason she is with SHIELD is to clean the "red from her ledger", the nature of which is left unrevealed.
* TheAtoner: One of the motivations for her becoming an Avenger. Played up more in the movies than in the comics.
* BadassNormal: Like Nick Fury, beyond her immortality, most of her badassery is from training. Might cross into EmpoweredBadassNormal, depending on the writer.

* BlackWidow: Natasha is actually a notable subversion: in the pages of the Avengers, it's revealed that her husband's death was faked in order to manipulate her into becoming a spy for the USSR. Later stories continued to play with this theme by introducing the concept of the Widow's Curse - all those who got close to her died (similar to Comicbook/{{Daredevil}}, although this was before the days of Elektra). The introduction of her ExpansionPackPast doubled down on this; she didn't kill her loved ones, she survived and outlived generations of them.
* CarCushion: In #2 of the 2014 series, the Widow dives off a skyscraper in Shanghai to avoid an assassin. After attempting to slow her fall, it eventually ends with her landing atop a car.

* ChildSoldiers: In one version of her backstory, she was trained as a spy and assassin from a young age, although this was later altered so that she had fought in World War 2 as a child. Invoked by her film counterpart, who offhandedly mentions she began spying at somewhere around eight years old.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: See also ExpansionPackPast.
* DarkIsNotEvil: Natasha wears a black SpyCatsuit and her moniker references an animal known for eating its mate. She did start out as a villain but has long since reformed.
* DistractedByTheSexy: An issue of X-Men: First Class detailing Natasha's first foray into catsuits had several concussed members of A.I.M. taking the time to discuss her, rather than their severe Natasha-inflicted injuries.

* ExpansionPackPast: There was originally nothing in her backstory to suggest that she was quasi-immortal. This only developed (confusingly) in order to keep a famous late 1980s team-up issue of ''{ComicBook/UncannyXMen'' set in the 1940s that had her as a young girl meeting Franchise/{{Wolverine}} and ComicBook/CaptainAmerica in continuity. This concept has had some rather large implications for the character’s background.
* ExposedToTheElements: On at least two occasions she was seen wearing only signature SpyCatsuit in a cold snowy environment. Particularly ludicrous as one of those instances had showing AbsoluteCleavage.
* EvenTheGirlsWantHer: At the very least, ComicBook/{{Mockingbird}} has a crush on her. Going from their internal monologue when they first met, it's not entirely one sided. ComicBook/{{Rogue}} also thinks she's a good kisser.

* FriendlyNeighborhoodSpider: Invoked. She also has a spider inspiration as Franchise/SpiderMan but with a different scenario and origins (a BadassNormal FemmeFataleSpy instead of a superpowered being), being part of ComicBook/TheAvengers as well ComicBook/{{SHIELD}}, even when she's not so nice as Spidey.
* GoodIsNotNice[=/=]GoodIsNotSoft: Varies depending on the writer and the venue. The comic book version is more likely to be the former (while occasionally crossing the line into anti-hero territory, again depending on the writer and storyline - see the WhatTheHellHero entry below), whereas the film version so far seems firmly in the latter category (she's everybody's buddy, has a crush on Dr. Banner, is great with kids, but if you're a HYDRA mook, you're dead).

* HomePornMovie: In the Ultimates continuity, a videotaped tryst with Tony Stark goes public.
* ImpossiblyCoolWeapon: Her "Widow's Bite" gauntlets, which shoot out energy blasts.

* ImprovisedWeapon: In Issue #2 of the Kelly Thompson series, Natasha uses her necklace as a weapon when fighting off some alley thugs.

* MasterOfDisguise: One of her skills.
* MovieSuperheroesWearBlack: Inverted/played with; in ''Film/IronMan2'', her suit was made dark blue, rather than black like the comics, to make it look more like a SHIELD outfit. Then ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' and ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', her suit is black, but also redesigned to look more like tactical gear than a simple catsuit.
* MsFanservice: Under the pen of certain artists, she's drawn with the MostCommonSuperPower and ImpossibleHourglassFigure with a lot of MaleGaze. All of that while wearing a skin-tight black catsuit.
* NoodleIncident: Recent depictions of Black Widow have occasionally made reference to a past action from her assassin days that continues to haunt her. In the comics, it's the fact she once destroyed a hospital during a mission, killing many innocents inside, including children. The first ''Avengers'' movie also references the hospital, among other acts, for which the film version of Natalia is shown to be TheAtoner.
** Another one from the ''Avengers'' movie that fans latched onto is the vague reference to 'Budapest'. Though the exact nature of what the incident is wasn't discussed beyond the fact that her and Clint 'remember Budapest very differently', but ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'' has an extended scene where its revealed to have been one of the many atrocities she committed and regrets.

* OlderThanTheyLook: Thanks to a mysterious Soviet chemical, she’s around 80 years old and still looks fabulous.
* OvertOperative: Natasha has been a member of two very public superhero teams (the Champions and the Avengers), wears a very distinct SpyCatsuit (which doesn't come with a mask) and has a tendency to reveal who she is on her missions (assuming the people she's interacting with aren't already aware of who she is). She has been the subject of at least two nationwide manhunts and a limited series by Devin Grayson features a scene that shows a gossip magazine with Natasha and ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'s break up on the cover - even her love life is a matter of public knowledge.
* PrettyInMink: To play up her Russian femme fatale look, she has worn some flattering furs, from a brown mink stole in her very first appearance in ''Iron Man'', and [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/black_widow_proper_look.jpg a white mink coat and hat]], over a [[FormFittingWardrobe slinky purple dress]], in a mid-90s issue.
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Mandrill had Natasha and other women completely under his control using his powers. Making them love him. Natasha was forced to give out Daredevil’s secret identity. But it wasn’t the only thing she gave Mandrill.

* Main/RoguesGallery: Damon Dran, Iron Maiden, Ex-husband Red Guardian, ex-mentor Ivan Petrovich, rival red room member Yelena Belova, Snapdragon, Mandrill, Viper, Imus Champion, Black Lotus and Bullseye.
* SensualSlavs: She is a Russian FemmeFatale. Certain writers really play up the Russian-ness in combination with sensuality and take it to some really stereotypical and creepy places! Rule of thumb: if she's being written with a Russian accent, she's usually being written as fanservice.
* SneakySpider: She is named for the famous spider and has weaponry themed around it. She fittingly started out a manipulative FemmeFataleSpy.
* SpyCatsuit: Has been rocking one for 40 years and counting.

* StealthExpert: One of her skills is how to sneak around.
* TheStoic: Natasha's usual demeanour in recent years is one of chilly professionalism.

* SuperWristGadget: Natasha's gauntlets can fire grappling hooks, knock-out drugs, stun gun charges, explosives, and tracking devices. They were inspired by Spidey's web shooters in-universe (and doubtless out of universe as well).
* TooKinkyToTorture: She once ended up BoundAndGagged after ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} captured the Secret Avengers. After freeing her, Deadpool remarked that she seemed to be enjoying herself while tied up. Widow's response? "[[CovertPervert A little, yes.]]"
* UnderestimatingBadassery: Natasha runs into this from time to time. There are adversaries who dismiss her for being a woman, lacking in super powers or who just don't think the Black Widow was anything other than a Cold War myth. In issue 3 of ''Black Widow and the Marvel Girls'' she says that she prefers when people underestimate her and fears that anyone knowing her full potential robs her of a disadvantage.
* WhatTheHellHero: Natasha gets one from ComicBook/SpiderWoman after she executes five people in Avengers #11 [[spoiler:who were all mass murdering terrorists and/or criminals, but still..]].

** Yelena Belova gave one to Natasha in Greg Rucka and Devin Grayson's Black Widow miniseries. The story has Natasha subject herself and Yelena to MagicPlasticSurgery to make them look like each other and frame Yelena for Natasha's (false) murder. While the secondary plan involved capturing Yelena's corrupt superior, Natasha's true goal was to make Yelena see how cruel and harsh the life of an espionage agent was. Yelena is furious with Natasha's mind games but given that she eventually did retire from the spy life (for a while at least) it seems the plan did work.

* ReallyGetsAround: She has been accused of this time and again, though the actual number is not that large. Also notable that her many conquests include such notorious womanizers as Iron Man, Hercules, Daredevil, and Hawkeye, as well as Bucky Barnes, the fifth Captain America.

** ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'' (2019)

* AnimalMotifs: Despite the fact that Natasha lacks inherent spider-power or a close connection to Marvel's [[ComicBook/SpiderMan other spider-named heroes]], she invokes this fairly often.

Black Widow (Natalia Romanova, aka Natasha Romanov) is a Creator/MarvelComics superheroine. Introduced in UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks in the pages of ''[[ComicBook/IronMan Tales of Suspense]]'' #52 (April 1964), she has been a fixture in the Marvel universe ever since, graduating from a [[UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Age]] socially conscious solo feature and a co-lead in ''[[Comicbook/{{Daredevil}} Daredevil and the Black Widow]]'' to leader of the Champions, and even ComicBook/TheAvengers for a time.

* ActionGirl: In her first appearances as a villain, she was mainly just a seduction agent who relied on incompetent minions to handle the violence, but over time she’s been {{retcon}}ned into always having been a total badass.

* FamousNamedForeigner: Romanov? Various writers have penned stories suggesting that she is a descendant of the Russian imperial family to justify the name.

* GoodIsNotNice / GoodIsNotSoft: Varies depending on the writer and the venue. The comic book version is more likely to be the former (while occasionally crossing the line into anti-hero territory, again depending on the writer and storyline - see the What the Hell, Hero? entry below), whereas the film version so far seems firmly in the latter category (she's everybody's buddy, has a crush on Dr. Banner, is great with kids, but if you're a HYDRA mook, you're dead).

Black Widow has appeared quite often in other media, most notably in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, as portrayed by Creator/ScarlettJohansson. First introduced in 2010's ''Film/IronMan2'', she's since become a major recurring player within the franchise, appearing in a total of seven films to date. As a result of her popularity among audiences, in January 2018, Jac Schaeffer (''WesternAnimation/OlafsFrozenAdventure'', ''Film/TiMER'') was tapped to write [[Film/BlackWidow2020 a film featuring the character]], and in July, Cate Shortland was announced as the director. It started to film in May 2019. In July 2019, the film's release date was announced as May 1, 2020, as the first film in Phase 4 of the MCU. However, it was later delayed to November 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, and then delayed again to May 2021.

Black Widow has appeared quite often in other media, most notably in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, as portrayed by Creator/ScarlettJohansson. First introduced in 2010's ''Film/IronMan2'', she's since become a major recurring player within the franchise, appearing in a total of seven films to date. As a result of her popularity among audiences, in January 2018, Jac Schaeffer (''WesternAnimation/OlafsFrozenAdventure'', ''Film/TiMER'') was tapped to write [[Film/BlackWidow2020 a film featuring the character]], and in July, Cate Shortland was announced as the director. It started to film in May 2019. In July 2019, the film's release date was announced as May 1, 2020, as the first film in Phase 4 of the MCU. However, it was later delayed to November 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

** ''[[Film/BlackWidow2020 Black Widow]]'' (2020)

* BadassNormal: Like Nick Fury, beyond her immortality, most of her badassery is from training. Might cross into BadassAbnormal, depending on the writer.

* ChildSoldier: In one version of her backstory, she was trained as a spy and assassin from a young age, although this was later altered so that she had fought in World War 2 as a child. Invoked by her film counterpart, who offhandedly mentions she began spying at somewhere around eight years old.
* ColorAnimalCodename: A ZigzaggedTrope in the sense that the animal's name isn't 'widow', it's specifically the 'black widow' (spider), which incorporates the color black into it.

* ExpansionPackPast: There was originally nothing in her backstory to suggest that she was quasi-immortal. This only developed (confusingly) in order to keep a famous late 1980s team-up issue of ''{ComicBook/UncannyXMen'' set in the 1940s that had her as a young girl meeting {{Wolverine}} and ComicBook/CaptainAmerica in continuity. This concept has had some rather large implications for the character’s background.

* EvenTheGirlsWantHer: At the very least, Mockingbird has a crush on her. Going from their internal monologue when they first met, it's not entirely one sided.
** Rogue thinks she's a good kisser.
* FalseMemories: Her past as a ballerina was revealed to be a lie created by the Red Room. It turns out she was an orphan taken in by them and raised to be an assassin. The reason for the fake memories as a ballerina was to instill happy memories of Russia in her and thus make her feel more patriotic.

* HeelFaceTurn: Started out on the wrong side of the law as a Russian spy before switching sides and eventually joining the Avengers. Notably, in the Ultimate Universe, [[spoiler:the ''opposite'' happens!]]

** Done explicitly in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, as [[spoiler:a predecessor Black Widow was active in the 1940s as a major enemy in ''Series/AgentCarter''.]]

* OlderHeroVersusYoungerVillain: Has this dynamic with Yelena Belova. Natasha is around 80 years old thanks to the serum that slowed down her aging and is far more experienced than the younger Yelena. Natasha even sometimes refers to Yelena as "little one".

* Main/RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Mandrill had Natasha and other women completely under his control using his powers. Making them love him. Natasha was forced to give out Daredevil’s secret identity. But it wasn’t the only thing she gave Mandrill.

* WhatTheHellHero: Natasha gets one from Spider-Woman after she executes five people in Avengers #11 [[spoiler:who were all mass murdering terrorists and/or criminals, but still...]]
--> Jessica: Unnecessary! ''Unnecessary''!

Black Widow has appeared quite often in other media, most notably in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, as portrayed by Creator/ScarlettJohansson. First introduced in 2010's ''Film/IronMan2'', she's since become a major recurring player within the franchise, appearing in a total of seven films to date. As a result of her popularity among audiences, in January 2018, Jac Schaeffer (''WesternAnimation/OlafsFrozenAdventure'', ''Film/TiMER'') was tapped to write a film featuring the character, and in July, Cate Shortland was announced as the director. It started to film in May 2019. In July 2019, the film's release date was announced as May 1, 2020, as the first film in Phase 4 of the MCU. However, it was later delayed to November 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

* GuileHero: Natasha is just as good at outsmarting her enemies as she is outfighting them.

Black Widow has appeared quite often in other media, most notably in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, as portrayed by Creator/ScarlettJohansson. First introduced in 2010's ''Film/IronMan2'', she's since become a major recurring player within the franchise, appearing in a total of seven films to date. As a result of her popularity among audiences, in January 2018, Jac Schaeffer (''WesternAnimation/OlafsFrozenAdventure'', ''Film/TiMER'') was tapped to write a film featuring the character, and in July, Cate Shortland was announced as the director. It started to film in May 2019. In July 2019, the film's release date was announced as May 1, 2020, as the first film in Phase 4 of the MCU.

* ''Amazing Adventures Vol. 2'' (1970)

* ''Black Widow Vol. 1'' (1999)
* ''Black Widow Vol. 2'' (2001)
* ''Black Widow Vol. 3'' (2004)

* ''Black Widow Vol. 4'' (2010)
* ''Black Widow Vol. 5'' (2014)
* ''Black Widow Vol. 6'' (2016)

* ''Black Widow Vol. 7'' (2019)

* GuileHero: As expected of a highly trained spy.

* AmicableExes: With Matt Murdock. The two get along great even after their relationship ended and Natasha has helped Matt a number of times. She also gets along well with Hercules whom she dated while they were on the Champions.

Black Widow has appeared quite often in other media, most notably in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, as portrayed by Creator/ScarlettJohansson. First introduced in 2010's ''Film/IronMan2'', she's since become a major recurring player within the franchise, appearing in a total of seven films to date. As a result of her popularity among audiences, in January 2018, Jac Schaeffer (''Disney/OlafsFrozenAdventure'', ''Film/TiMER'') was tapped to write a film featuring the character, and in July, Cate Shortland was announced as the director. It started to film in May 2019. In July 2019, the film's release date was announced as May 1, 2020, as the first film in Phase 4 of the MCU.

* Main/RoguesGallery: Damon Dran, Iron Maiden, Ex-husband Red Guardian, ex-mentor Ivan Petrovich, rival red room member Yelena Belova, Snapdragon, Mandrill, Viper, Black Lotus and Bullseye.

* OvertOperative: Natasha has been a member of two very public superhero teams (the Champions and the Avengers), wears a very distinct SpyCatsuit (which doesn't come with a mask) and has a tendency to reveal who she is on her missions (assuming the people she's interacting with aren't already aware of who she is). A limited series by Devin Grayson features a scene that shows a gossip magazine with Natasha and ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'s break up on the cover - even her love life is a matter of public knowledge.