Tales Of Suspense Will Reveal What Really Happened To Black Widow In Secret Empire
So, like... is she actually dead?
Secret Empire - Nick Spencer's controversial Hydra-themed event - may be over, but it seems as though Marvel aren't done with the storyline quite yet.
One of the series' biggest and most divisive moments came when Black Widow - the then leader of the Anti-Cap resistance - was murdered by Steve Rogers. Deviating from your typical comic book death, the event's tenth issue seemingly planted the final nail in Natasha Romanov's coffin, as she failed to return when Kobrik restored the world to its pre-Hydra days.
Now, however, it looks as though a return could be on the cards. Beginning with Tales of Suspense #100, Matthew Rosenberg and Travel Foreman will follow Hawkeye and the Winter Soldier as they attempt to uncover Natasha's real fate, "each in their own way and their own trajectory," according to Tom Brevoort.
The news came with yesterday's episode of 'Inside Marvel', when Brevoort and fellow editor Alanna Smith took to the stage. This is anything but a buddy cop story however, as Clint and Bucky differ in who they think's behind this latest bout of Widow-style murders. Barton thinks it's her, but Bucky doesn't, and Marvel seem confident that it's a premise worth investing in.
While the return of Tales of Suspense is certainly something to be excited about (particularly so, given this updated format), teasing the potential return of Black Widow so soon after her (admittedly tactless) death almost seems to exemplify many of the glaring issues that ruined Nick Spencer's event. Inconsequential shock-value could yet mount a return for Legacy.
Either way, Bucky-Clint is a pairing we rarely see enough of in the Marvel Universe and, irrespective of Natasha's fate, it's one to follow. Legacy is the underdog event of the year, and if Marvel can pull it off, then the publisher might've found their answer to DC Rebirth.
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Tales of Suspense #100 hits shelves December 20th, but how do you feel about Black Widow's death anyway? Should she return so soon? Or is this Marvel's way of apologising for her untimely demise? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!