Black Widow

Introduction

If you could be anyone, who would you be? For Natasha Romonova, it is more like who do I need to be and why. Orphaned at a young age by a fire set by the Nazis. Natasha Romonova was rescued by Ivan Petrovich, and trained to be the world’s greatest spy. Whether trained and raised by Ivan or trained under the “Black Widow” Program, Natasha was too good for the KGB to pass up. Her and her husband, Alexi Shostakov, joined the KGB where Alexi’s death was faked. After which point Natasha worked against the Avengers and their heroes, particularly Iron Man, for the KGB. That was until she met Hawkeye. Thanks to Hawkeye (and the love they shared) Natasha eventually became Black Widow, and joined the Avengers. From there she has mostly played a solo hero completing tasks for S.H.I.E.L.D.

Yet, how has she lived so long? Natasha Romonova is a villain turned hero, who has no known weakness. She was after all trained to be the best, but she would not be a superhero without some enhancements. During her extensive training, Natashas was bio and psycho-technologically enhanced. As such she slowly ages, has an augmented immune system and enhanced physical durability. Put plainly Natasha Romonova, the Black Widow, puts the bad in badass.

Signature Quotes & Images

If there is one thing that the movie version of Black Widow did, it was to create so many amazing and hilarious one-liners. Here are a few of her greatest lines:

• “Regimes fall every day. I tend not to weep over that, I’m Russian, or I was.”
• “I’m sorry…did I step on your moment?”
• “I – I don’t see how that’s a party.”

Social Issues

Have you ever heard of the Iron Curtain, Communism and Nuclear War? Well, that is what came out or burst after the end of World War II. This is the world that Natasha Romonova came from. Russian and a KGB spy or an American Fear that is what Black Widow was, and why she started out as a villain. It was the Cold War. The war between Russia and the United States. America’s campaign against Communism. As time passed and the Cold War ended, Black Widow evolved. From villain to hero, Natasha Romonova’s role was to explore the limits of a government agency, as well as the good and bad sides of government power, greed and corruption. Essentially, Black Widow explores the grey areas between right and wrong for both governments and for superheroes.