Black Widow is the name of several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Most of these versions exist in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe.
Claire Voyant is the first costumed, superpowered female protagonist in comic books. Created by writer George Kapitan and artist Harry Sahle, she first appeared in Mystic Comics #4 (Aug. 1940). She kills evildoers to deliver their souls to Satan, her master. The character is unrelated to the later Marvel Comics superheroines who took on the codename. [1]
Natasha Romanoff [2] is the first character to take on the Black Widow codename in the modern mainstream Marvel Comics. She was created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Don Rico and artist Don Heck, and first appeared in Tales of Suspense #52 (April 1964). The character has been associated with several superhero teams in the Marvel Universe, including the Avengers, the Defenders, the Champions, S.H.I.E.L.D., and the Thunderbolts. She has appeared in many other forms of media, including the major motion pictures Iron Man 2 , The Avengers , Captain America: The Winter Soldier , Avengers: Age of Ultron , Captain America: Civil War , Avengers: Infinity War , Avengers: Endgame and Black Widow , wherein she is portrayed by Scarlett Johansson.
Yelena Belova is the second character to take on the Black Widow codename in the modern mainstream comics who debuted briefly in Inhumans #5 (March 1999) and was fully introduced in the 1999 Marvel Knights mini-series Black Widow. A second miniseries, also titled Black Widow and featuring Natasha Romanoff and Daredevil, followed in 2001. The next year, she did a solo turn in her own three-issue miniseries titled Black Widow: Pale Little Spider under the mature-audience Marvel MAX imprint. This June to August 2002 story arc, by writer Greg Rucka and artist Igor Kordey, was a flashback to the story of her being the second modern Black Widow, in events preceding her Inhumans appearance. [3] Florence Pugh portrays Yelena in the MCU film Black Widow [4] and the Disney+ miniseries Hawkeye .
Besides the Ultimate Marvel version of Natasha Romanoff, there were other characters who went by the name of Black Widow.
Monica Chang-Fury is the second character to use the Black Widow codename, debuting in Ultimate Comics: Avengers #3. [5]
The Ultimate version of Jessica Drew is a female Spider-Clone who uses by the Black Widow alias. [6] [7]
Different version of Black Widow were seen in the different Marvel 2099 realities with one of them being the 2099 version of Yelena Belova:
During the "Secret Wars" storyline, the futuristic 2099 version of Black Widow is an African-American woman named Tania. She operates as part of the Avengers 2099 at the Alchemax corporation's behest in the Battleworld domain of 2099. [8] Like black widow spiders, she literally eats her mates after having sex with them. [9]
On the unified Marvel 2099 reality of Earth-2099, a Black Widow known as Black Widow 2098 was a member of the 2099 version of the Avengers. She was among those who were killed by the 2099 version of the Masters of Evil. Moon Knight 2099 later respawned in her crypt and formed the 2099 version of the New Avengers who defeated the Masters of Evil and remanded them to a prison on the planet Wakanda. [10]
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars, commonly known as Secret Wars, is a 12-issue American comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter, with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton. It was tied in with a toy line and a role-playing game of the same name from Mattel.
Captain Marvel is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Most of these versions exist in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe. The current incarnation of the character is Carol Danvers.
The Avengers are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1. Labeled "Earth's Mightiest Heroes", the original Avengers consisted of Iron Man, Ant-Man, Hulk, Thor and the Wasp. Captain America was discovered trapped in ice in issue #4, and joined the group after they revived him.
The Defenders are a set of superhero groups with rotating membership appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders" who, in their prior adventures, are known for following their own agendas. The team often battle mystic and supernatural threats.
Black Widow 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 in Tales of Suspense #52. The character was introduced as a Russian spy, an antagonist of the superhero Iron Man. She later defected to the United States, becoming an agent of the fictional spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and a member of the superhero team the Avengers.
The Red Guardian is the name of several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics: Aleksey Lebedev, Alexei Shostakov, Tania Belinsky, Josef Petkus, Krassno Granitsky, Anton Ivanov, and Nikolai Krylenko, as well as a villainous Life Model Decoy of Shostakov. The Red Guardian is an identity that was created as the Soviet equivalent of Captain America, although its use has continued after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In the continuity of Ultimate Marvel, the Red Guardian is adapted as two separate characters: Captain Russia and Colonel Abdul al-Rahma.
Spider-Woman is the code name of several fictional characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first major version is Jessica Drew, the second major version is Julia Carpenter, and the third major version is Mattie Franklin. Several alternate reality incarnations of the character have additionally received notoriety, including the Ultimate Spider-Woman, Ashley Barton, and Gwen Stacy.
The Super-Adaptoid is the name of several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has appeared in over five decades of Marvel continuity and featured in other Marvel-endorsed products such as animated television series and merchandise such as trading cards.
Ronin is an alias used by multiple characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It was first adopted by Maya Lopez in The New Avengers #11 by Brian Michael Bendis and Joe Quesada. Following this, the Ronin mantle has been taken up by characters such as Clint Barton, Alexei Shostakov, Eric Brooks, and Bullseye.
Iron Maiden is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Ralph Macchio and George Pérez, the character first appeared in Marvel Fanfare #11. The character is Russian and is depicted most notably as an enemy of Black Widow.
La Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Jim Steranko, she first appeared in the "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." feature in Strange Tales #159.
Yelena Belova is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is depicted as a spy and was the second modern-era character to use the Black Widow name. Created by Devin Grayson and J.G. Jones for Marvel Knights: Wave 2 Sketchbook #1, Belova made her first appearance in Inhumans vol. 2 #5 by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee. She was trained as a spy and assassin in the Red Room. Originally, Yelena was a foe of Natasha Romanova and was sent to kill her, but the two later became allies. She was also a member of S.H.I.E.L.D., Vanguard, and HYDRA; the latter organization changed her into a version of Super-Adaptoid. As Super-Adaptoid, she was one of the members of the High Council of A.I.M. After being freed from her Super-Adaptoid identity, Belova reverted back to her old Black Widow identity before adopting the codename White Widow. She is the first confirmed asexual character in the Marvel Universe.
J.A.R.V.I.S. is a fictional character voiced by Paul Bettany in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film franchise, based on the Marvel Comics characters Edwin Jarvis and H.O.M.E.R., respectively the household butler of the Stark family and another AI designed by Stark. J.A.R.V.I.S. is an artificial intelligence created by Tony Stark, who later controls his Iron Man and Hulkbuster armor for him. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, after being partially destroyed by Ultron, J.A.R.V.I.S. is given physical form as Vision, physically portrayed by Bettany. Different versions of the character also appear in comics published by Marvel Comics, depicted as AI designed by Iron Man and Nadia van Dyne.
Black Widow is a 2021 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the character of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 24th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Cate Shortland from a screenplay by Eric Pearson and stars Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow alongside Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle, Olga Kurylenko, William Hurt, Ray Winstone, and Rachel Weisz. Set after the events of Captain America: Civil War (2016), the film sees Romanoff on the run and forced to confront her past as a Russian spy before she became an Avenger.
"Age of Ultron" is a 2013 comic book fictional crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics that involved the conquest of the Earth by the sentient robot tyrant Ultron. The storyline consisted of an eponymous, 10-issue core miniseries, and a number of tie-in books.
Black Widow is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Originating in the Ultimate Marvel universe in 2009 she is depicted as the ex-wife of that universe's Nick Fury. A Earth-616 version later debuted in 2013; this version of Chang is an Asian American devout Muslim.
The Red Room is a fictional location appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Soviet training facility was created to produce highly specialized spies, including Black Widows Natasha Romanova and Yelena Belova.
Natalia Alianovna Romanova, more commonly known as Natasha Romanoff, is a fictional character primarily portrayed by Scarlett Johansson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise—based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name—sometimes known by her alias, Black Widow. Romanoff is depicted as an expert spy and hand-to-hand combatant, trained in the Red Room from childhood to be a KGB assassin. This brought her under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar, and Clint Barton is sent to kill her but instead spared her life and recruited her into the organization.
Clinton Francis Barton is a fictional character portrayed by Jeremy Renner in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise—based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name—more commonly known by his alias, Hawkeye. Barton is depicted as an expert marksman, archer and hand-to-hand combatant, with his preferred weapon being a recurve bow. Barton, an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., is sent to kill Natasha Romanoff but decides to recruit and befriend her instead.