Originally appearing as a Russian spy and a foe of Iron Man (and dressed in a pretty horrendous costume), Natasha Romanov ended up defecting to the United States, in part due to her love for Hawkeye. She joined the Avengers and SHIELD, proving herself numerous times over the years. Shes also had romances with several heroes, including Hawkeye, Daredevil, and the Winter Soldier. The Black Widow has served in several incarnations of Earths Mightiest Heroes. At one point, she even served as the teams leader. She was once the leader of the Champions, a short-lived team operating on the west coast, that included fellow former Avenger, Hercules. The Black Widow was also one of the obvious picks when Steve Rogers formed a team of Secret Avengers to handle black ops missions. Natasha has appeared in a total of 221 issues of the various Avengers books since she was first introduced in 1964. She remains with the team now, appearing regularly in Jonathan Hickmans monthly Avengers series. And shes also been given an ongoing series, while continuing to be a consistent element in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, played by Scarlett Johansson. After her introduction in Iron Man 2, Natasha has been a consistent player in the films, appearing later in both The Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Hopefully one of Marvels announced-yet-untitled films will be a Black Widow solo picture.
Percival Constantine is the author of several novels and short stories, including the Vanguard superhero series, and regularly writes and comments on movies, comics, and other pop culture. More information can be found at his website, PercivalConstantine.com
