Black Widow (Natalia Romanova)

Black Widow
Cover of Black Widow No. 1 (April 2010) by Daniel Acuña.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Tales of Suspense #52 (April 1964)
Created by	Stan Lee (Writer) Don Rico Don Heck (Artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Natalia Alianovna "Natasha" Romanova
Team affiliations	S.H.I.E.L.D. Avengers Champions KGB Marvel Knights Mighty Avengers Lady Liberators Thunderbolts Secret Avengers Heroes for Hire
Partnerships	Daredevil Hawkeye Boris Turgenov Winter Soldier Captain America
Notable aliases	Natalie Rushman, Laura Matthers, Mary Farrell, Natasha Romanoff, Oktober, Yelena Belova
Abilities	Expert tactician, martial artist and secret agent Slowed aging, and enhanced immune system Expert marksman and mastery of various other weapons via gauntlets: grappling hook knock out gas taser explosives tear gas pellets radio transmitter

Black Widow (Russian: Чёрная вдова, transliterated Chyornaya Vdova) (Natalia Alianovna "Natasha" Romanova, Russian: Наталья Альяновна "Наташа" Романова , also known as Natasha Romanoff) is a fictional superhero 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 first appeared in Tales of Suspense No. 52 (April 1964). The character was first 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.

Scarlett Johansson portrayed the character in the films Iron Man 2 (2010), The Avengers (2012), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) and Captain America: Civil War (2016) as a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise.

The Black Widow's first appearances were as a recurring, non-costumed, Russian-spy antagonist in the feature "Iron Man", beginning in Tales of Suspense No. 52 (April 1964). Five issues later, she recruited the besotted costumed archer and later superhero Hawkeye to her cause. Her government later supplied her with her first Black Widow costume and high-tech weaponry, but she eventually defected to the United States after appearing, temporarily brainwashed against the U.S., in the superhero-team series The Avengers No. 29 (July 1966). The Widow later became a recurring ally of the team before officially becoming its sixteenth member many years later.