Natasha

Biodata

Background

Natasha grew up with her younger sister Yelena in an adoptive family in Ohio. After their family fled to Russia, the sisters were taken to the Red Room, where Natasha was trained as an assassin. The Red Room forcibly removed her reproductive organs, leaving her unable to bear children 86 93 177.

Natasha later escaped and joined S.H.I.E.L.D. Her departure left Yelena feeling abandoned, and Dreykov subsequently tightened his control over the remaining Black Widows through mind control and implanted bombs 83 176 179.

Appearance

Natasha is over 1.7 meters tall, with a photogenic figure and long legs. She is noticeably taller than Scarlett Johansson 85 164 178.

• She wears a black combat suit as Black Widow 182.
• She uses a light fragrance rather than strong perfume 94.

Personality

Natasha is focused and resourceful on assignment, using flirtation and carefully performed emotions to gain access to targets. Despite joining S.H.I.E.L.D., she distrusts intelligence organizations and sees parallels between it and the Red Room 82 83 164.

Her attachment to Li Chen complicates her work: she withholds information from S.H.I.E.L.D. to protect him and later wishes to retire from dangerous missions. She is protective of her teammates and opposes placing rescued Black Widows under S.H.I.E.L.D.’s control 91 171 185.

Abilities & Skills

Espionage and infiltration

Natasha was considered the Red Room’s best agent and works undercover as Li Chen’s secretary. She favors infiltration when facing the numerically superior Red Room 75 180 184.

• She observes Li Chen’s activities and reports to Maria Hill while maintaining her Natalie cover 77.
• She uses performance and apparent vulnerability to cultivate targets’ trust 82 83.

Combat

Natasha is an accomplished close-quarters fighter with extensive Red Room training. Her experience makes her a formidable opponent, though Yelena surpassed her records and was considered stronger 184.

• She fights Red Widow using a short baton in each hand, but struggles to close the distance against her spear 186.
• She and Yelena are overwhelmed when surrounded by more than twenty Black Widows, though their restraint also gives their allies an opportunity to deploy the antidote 187.

Acting

Natasha’s undercover experience translates into a screen career. Although she initially had no formal acting training, she enrolled in a class and impressed Ridley Scott with her portrayal of Lucy 93 96 118.

• She performed her own fight scenes in Lucy without a stunt double 170.
• She found filming more exhausting than agent work and did not enjoy being the center of attention 118 189.

Leadership

Natasha recruits Skye and Crystal into her first team and trains them for fieldwork 171 180.

• During the Red Room operation, she assigns herself and Yelena to draw enemy fire while the others deploy the antidote 185.
• She and her allies free controlled Black Widows rather than kill them 186 187.

Equipment

• Black combat suit — Her field uniform during the mission to Russia 182.
• Short batons — A pair of weapons she draws against Red Widow 186.
• Red antidote spray — Used to neutralize the substance controlling Black Widows; Li Chen directs Natasha and Yelena to a supply at an abandoned base 184.

Relationships

• Li Chen — Initially her undercover target and employer, he becomes her lover. He promises to find a way to repair her body and helps her confront the Red Room; Natasha later introduces him as her boyfriend 83 94 179 188.
• Yelena — Her younger sister and fellow former Black Widow. Yelena resents Natasha for leaving the Red Room, but they ease their conflict and fight together to free the other Widows 176 178 186.
• Melina — Her adoptive mother, whom Natasha helps rescue from Dreykov 172 188.
• Maria Hill — Her S.H.I.E.L.D. contact and superior during the Li Chen assignment. Hill orders her to accept the Lucy role and later agrees that she will honor its contract 77 83 109.
• Skye and Crystal Amaquelin — Her recruits and teammates. Natasha trains them, and both accompany her against the Red Room 171 180 181.
• Dreykov — The Red Room leader responsible for controlling the Black Widows. Natasha joins the mission against him and refuses to let him harm Melina 179 188.

Story Role

Undercover assignment and *Lucy*

Posing as Natalie, Natasha becomes Li Chen’s secretary and reports his activities to Maria Hill. When Li Chen offers her the lead in Lucy, Natasha suspects the film’s fictional brain-enhancing drug may be real. Hill orders her to accept so S.H.I.E.L.D. can secure it if it exists 75 77 83.

Natasha and Li Chen grow close, and she begins withholding information to protect him. After she reveals her identity as Black Widow, Li Chen insists that she honor her film contract. She completes filming under Ridley Scott and later watches the released film with Skye and Crystal, who discover that their boss is its star 91 108 109 135 171.

Black Widow Team

After investigating the energy surge associated with Skye’s awakened ability, Natasha agrees to recruit her and form a team. Distrustful of S.H.I.E.L.D., she chooses Skye and Crystal instead of agents trained by the organization. Her relationship with Li Chen also leads S.H.I.E.L.D. to keep her away from dangerous assignments 159 164 171 178.

Return to the Red Room

Li Chen reunites Natasha and Yelena by video call, provoking an argument over both their past and Li Chen. After fighting in person, the sisters learn to cooperate again. Yelena tells Natasha how Dreykov controlled the Widows after her escape, and Natasha vows to help free them 176 178 179.

Natasha leads a covert mission to Russia with Yelena, Skye, Crystal, 2B and A2, supported by Li Chen and the Hellfire Club. They use an antidote to free controlled Widows, overcome Red Widow and reach Dreykov. After his death, Natasha and Melina gather the Widows for evacuation; Natasha subsequently returns to New York 180 181 184 187 188 190.

Notable Quotes

“They can’t be treated like tools anymore.” — Natasha, rejecting the idea of placing the rescued Black Widows with S.H.I.E.L.D. 185