Officially the Marvel Universe's greatest superspy Natasha Romanoff (not her real name) is an agent par excellence, adept at duplicity and subterfuge. She's also a badass, of course - that goes without saying - with electrostatic weapons attached to each wrist, dubbed 'the Widow's Bite'. In the tradition of high-kicking femme fatales like Emma Peel and Nikita, and played by Scarlett Johansson in skintight jumpsuit, Black Widow is also a sex symbol, making her a very popular source of inspiration for cosplay for young women the world over. Sadly, her status as eye candy seems confirmed by Marvel Studios' refusal to consider her for a film of her own. There are few enough legitimate role models for women in these films without their choosing to sideline their most important one as the sidekick to male storylines in the Avengers and Captain America movies.