History YMMV / BlackWidow

* AuthorsSavingThrow:
** Besides the simple fact of our getting a Black Widow story outside of the issues surrounding getting a movie going, ''Forever Red'' also casually reveals that the Avengers actually were told at some point that Phil Coulson is still alive.
** The sequel ''Red Vengeance'' gives equal focus on both Black Widow and Ava after the lack of focus Natasha got in the first book.

* FanPreferredCouple: By default of no longer being together, her and Bucky became this for comic audiences. With the films, her and Clint is also the most popular het couple, but even there Bucktasha is still popular.

* ShipToShipCombat: Clintasha and Bucktasha fandoms don't have the best track record of getting along, resulting in many Clintasha fans bemoaning that she'd be prominent in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'' as it was bringing in Bucky's present day self. And then it turned out that her MCU love interest was actually [[spoiler:''Bruce Banner'', though it didn't seem to last.]]

* SpotlightStealingSquad: The general criticism surrounding the ''Black Widow: Forever Red'' book is that despite the fact that the book has Natasha's name plastered all over the cover the majority of the focus is really about Ava while Natasha plays a secondary role.

*** [[TortureTechnician Vlad]] is the chief torturer of No Restraints Play, who signs on for money and kicks. A brute of a man, Vlad is the one who carries out the torture sessions, happily carving up and [[WouldHurtAChild murdering children]] with one surviving victim found by Natasha who had her [[AnArmAndALeg limbs removed]] by Vlad. When he takes Natasha, Vlad attempts to [[ColdBloodedTorture torture her to death]], starting with [[WaterTorture waterboarding]].

* SpotlightStealingSquad: The general criticism surrounding the book is that despite the fact that the book has Natasha's name plastered all over the cover the majority of the focus is really about Ava while Natasha plays a secondary role.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: Besides the simple fact of our getting a Black Widow story outside of the issues surrounding getting a movie going, ''Forever Red'' also casually reveals that the Avengers actually were told at some point that Phil Coulson is still alive.
** The sequel Red Vengeance gives equal focus on both Black Widow and Ava after the lack of focus Natasha got in the first book.

* InternetBackdraft:
** Her lack of a film in the MCU is probably one of the most well-known criticisms fans of the MCU, and in particular Black Widow fans in general, have of the franchise.
** Her tendency to get ShipTease with different male characters in each film (Tony Stark in ''Iron Man 2'', Clint Barton in ''The Avengers'' [though a lot of people considered this platonic], Steve Rogers in ''Captain America: The Winter Soldier'' [again, it's actually platonic in the film but advertisements for the film hinted at it differently], and Bruce Banner in ''Age of Ultron''). The latter was very contested and sometimes considered sexist because she was the team's only woman and her character arc was based on romance. Being romantically connected to her teammates is a [[OlderThanTheyThink trait of her comic self]], but it was still scrutinized for various reasons, such as whether that trait should be retired and whether the Banner romance counts as part of her FemmeFatale persona since it seems like sincere true love from her.

* She is also popularly shipped with Steve Rogers, the first Captain America.

** ''Spinning Doomsday's Web'', by D. G. Chichester et al.: In this team-up with ComicBook/ThePunisher, [[BigBad Peter "Doc" Malum]] was a US government scientist who invented a weapon system, the Pluto Project, where jets with supersonic engines can deliver H-bombs to any target on the planet at the speed of sound. Malum, however, was secretly a SerialKiller who murdered people in his spare time. When the government finds out, Project Pluto is mothballed and Malum goes on the lam. Years later, Malum is captured by the FBI, but his gang breaks him free, with Malum brutally murdering several FBI agents. When Black Widow tries to stop Malum, Malum beats her up and spits on her to humiliate her. Malum plans to create his own version of Project Pluto, murdering government officials while stealing the parts he needs. When Malum's assistant Cassady states that he thought they are just going to use Project Pluto to blackmail the world, Malum [[NeckSnap murders him]], intending to use Project Pluto to devastate the world, just [[ForTheEvulz for kicks]].

** ''Spinning Doomsday's Web'', by D. G. Chichester et al.: In this team-up with ComicBoom/ThePunisher, [[BigBad Peter "Doc" Malum]] was a US government scientist who invented a weapon system, the Pluto Project, where jets with supersonic engines can deliver H-bombs to any target on the planet at the speed of sound. Malum, however, was secretly a SerialKiller who murdered people in his spare time. When the government finds out, Project Pluto is mothballed and Malum goes on the lam. Years later, Malum is captured by the FBI, but his gang breaks him free, with Malum brutally murdering several FBI agents. When Black Widow tries to stop Malum, Malum beats her up and spits on her to humiliate her. Malum plans to create his own version of Project Pluto, murdering government officials while stealing the parts he needs. When Malum's assistant Cassady states that he thought they are just going to use Project Pluto to blackmail the world, Malum [[NeckSnap murders him]], intending to use Project Pluto to devastate the world, just [[ForTheEvulz for kicks]].

** Comic Book: In the team-up with ''ComicBook/ThePunisher'', ''Spinning Doomsday's Web'', by D. G. Chichester et al., [[BigBad Peter "Doc" Malum]] was a US government scientist who invented a weapon system, the Pluto Project, where jets with supersonic engines can deliver H-bombs to any target on the planet at the speed of sound. Malum, however, was secretly a SerialKiller who murdered people in his spare time. When the government finds out, Project Pluto is mothballed and Malum goes on the lam. Years later, Malum is captured by the FBI, but his gang breaks him free, with Malum brutally murdering several FBI agents. When Black Widow tries to stop Malum, Malum beats her up and spits on her to humiliate her. Malum plans to create his own version of Project Pluto, murdering government officials while stealing the parts he needs. When Malum's assistant Cassady states that he thought they are just going to use Project Pluto to blackmail the world, Malum [[NeckSnap murders him]], intending to use Project Pluto to devastate the world, just [[ForTheEvulz for kicks]].

** Literature: [[BigBad Ivan Somodorov]], from ''Literature/BlackWidow: Forever Red'', Natasha Romanov/Black Widow's EvilMentor, was a former instructor at the [[SpySchool Red Room]], and was known and feared throughout the institution for [[SadistTeacher his intense cruelty toward his students]], all barely teenage children; Ivan subjected his students to horrific emotional and physical abuse, and would then psychologically tear them down completely before reforming them into emotionless weapons with the sole purpose of assassination. After strong-arming numerous scientists into his service by threatening their lives and those of their families, Ivan forced them to build him the O.P.U.S., a machine that used [[ElectricTorture electroshock torture]] to implant into its victims a latent assassination programming; Ivan used this technology almost solely on children, before [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness murdering all those who assisted him in the project]]. After implanting his dozens of new, unknowing, soldiers into various governments, Ivan planned to use them worldwide to kill hundreds of high-ranking government officials, scientists, and anyone who could get in his way, at which point he would use his new army of assassins to institute his own government and TakeOverTheWorld. When Black Widow attempts to thwart his plan, Ivan sics his ChildSoldiers on her, knowing she will be forced to go easy on them. Black Widow has dealt with tyrants, assassins, and superpowered monsters throughout her career, but Ivan Somdorov was the worst of them all.

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* CompleteMonster: [[BigBad Ivan Somodorov]], from ''Literature/BlackWidow: Forever Red'', Natasha Romanov/Black Widow's EvilMentor, was a former instructor at the [[SpySchool Red Room]], and was known and feared throughout the institution for [[SadistTeacher his intense cruelty toward his students]], all barely teenage children; Ivan subjected his students to horrific emotional and physical abuse, and would then psychologically tear them down completely before reforming them into emotionless weapons with the sole purpose of assassination. After strong-arming numerous scientists into his service by threatening their lives and those of their families, Ivan forced them to build him the O.P.U.S., a machine that used [[ElectricTorture electroshock torture]] to implant into its victims a latent assassination programming; Ivan used this technology almost solely on children, before [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness murdering all those who assisted him in the project]]. After implanting his dozens of new, unknowing, soldiers into various governments, Ivan planned to use them worldwide to kill hundreds of high-ranking government officials, scientists, and anyone who could get in his way, at which point he would use his new army of assassins to institute his own government and TakeOverTheWorld. When Black Widow attempts to thwart his plan, Ivan sics his ChildSoldiers on her, knowing she will be forced to go easy on them. Black Widow has dealt with tyrants, assassins, and superpowered monsters throughout her career, but Ivan Somdorov was the worst of them all.

* CompleteMonster: [[BigBad Ivan Somodorov]], from ''Literature/BlackWidow: Forever Red'', Natasha's EvilMentor, was a former instructor at the [[SpySchool Red Room]], and was known and feared throughout the institution for [[SadistTeacher his intense cruelty toward his students]], all [[WouldHurtAChild barely teenage children]]; Ivan subjected his students to horrific [[MindRape emotional]] and physical abuse, and would then psychologically tear them down completely before reforming them into emotionless weapons with the sole purpose of assassination. After strong-arming numerous scientists into his service by threatening their lives and those of their families, Ivan forced them to build him the O.P.U.S., a machine that used [[ElectricTorture electroshock torture]] to impant into its victims a latent assassination programming; Ivan used this technology almost solely on children, before [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness murdering all those who assisted him in the project]]. After implanting his dozens of new, unknowing, soldiers into various governments, Ivan planned to use them worldwide to kill hundreds of high-ranking government officials, scientists, and anyone who could get in his way, at which point he would use his new army of assassins to institute his own government and TakeOverTheWorld. When ComicBook/BlackWidow attempts to thwart his plan, Ivan sics his ChildSoldiers on her, knowing she will be forced to go easy on them. Black Widow has dealt with tyrants, assassins, and superpowered monsters throughout her career, but Ivan Somdorov was the worst of them all.