Black Widow (Natasha Romanova)

Natasha Romanova Black Widow
Textless variant cover of Black Widow #1 (April 2010). Art by Jelena Kevic Djurdjevic.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Tales of Suspense #52 (April 1964)
Created by	Stan Lee (editor/plotter) Don Rico (writer) Don Heck (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Natalia Alianovna Romanova
Team affiliations	Avengers The Champions KGB Marvel Knights Secret Avengers S.H.I.E.L.D.
Partnerships	Winter Soldier Hawkeye Daredevil
Notable aliases	Natasha Romanoff Natalie Rushman
Abilities	Expert marksman and mastery of various weapons Expert martial artist and hand-to-hand combatant Slowed aging, and enhanced immune system Expert spy Equipment via gauntlets granting: Electroshock weapon Explosives Grappling hook Knock out gas Radio transmitter

Black Widow (Natalia Alianovna "Natasha" Romanova; Russian: Наталья Альяновна "Наташа" Романова) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Don Rico, and artist Don Heck, the character debuted as an enemy of Iron Man in Tales of Suspense #52 (1964). She reformed as a hero in The Avengers #30 (1966) and her primary design was introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #86 (1970). Black Widow has been the main character in several comic issues since 1970, and she received her own Black Widow series in 1999. She is frequently a supporting character in The Avengers and Daredevil.

The character of Black Widow is introduced as a spy for the Soviet Union until she defects to the United States. She subsequently joins the intelligence agency S.H.I.E.L.D., partners with Daredevil, and encounters a rival Black Widow in Yelena Belova. Though she has no distinct superpowers, she was augmented in the Red Room to increase her strength and reduce her aging. She has training in combat and espionage, and she wields a bracelet on each arm that fires electric shocks and projects wires to traverse skyscrapers.

Black Widow stories often explore her struggle to define her own identity as a spy and the trauma she endured from her life of training in the Red Room. Early stories emphasized her Soviet origin, portraying her superiors as evil and contrasting her with more noble American superheroes. Black Widow's status as a leading female character has influenced her portrayal, which was often contradictory as comics grappled with the conflict between traditional gender roles and second-wave feminism. The character is heavily sexualized both by artists and by the characters with whom she interacts.

An adaptation of Black Widow named Natasha Romanoff appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portrayed by Scarlett Johansson. Her inaugural appearance in Iron Man 2 (2010) popularized the character among the public. After several more film appearances, she starred as the protagonist of Black Widow (2021).