BLACK WIDOW

 

BLACK WIDOW

Real Name: Natalya Alianovna Romanova

First Appearance: Tales of Suspense (Vol. 1) #52, April 1964

Powers: Natalya Alianovna Romanova was part of the Black Widow program in the Soviet Union. She was bio-chemically enhanced to possess superhuman healing abilities, a highly-efficient immune system, and a retarded aging process. Initially, she served only as a covert agent, but was later outfitted as a costumed combatant as well. Her boots and gloves contain micro-suction cups, activated by a mild electrical current, which enable her to cling to solid objects and scale walls. She also employed a "widow's line" built into her bracelets, a thin but sturdy nylon thread that fired out and stuck to objects with an adhesive tip, allowing her to use it for swinging between buildings and across rooftops. She also occasionally uses it to trip up opponents or tangle them up. Her bracelets also contain a "widow's bite", originally a powerful electrostatic charge (up to 30,000 volts) which could be projected outwards in a burst to assault her target. She has upgraded the bite over the years many times, and some versions seem capable of damaging solid matter. The Black Widow also could store small explosives or gas capsules in her belt.

The Black Widow is also an Olympic-level athlete, professional gymnast, accomplished ballerina, extensive training and experience in various espionage skills. Trained extensively in hand-to-hand combat, she is knowledgeable of aikido, judo, karate, savate, boxing, and various martial arts. She is also fluent in English, German, Chinese, Russian, French, and other languages.